Polyurethane foam formulation, products and methods

• US 8,937,108 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Adient Luxembourg Holding S..R.L.
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: McEvoy, James T., McRoberts, Terrence M., Yamasaki, Ryoko, Li, William, Metcalfe, Murray D.
• Primary Examiner(s): COONEY, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US12/521,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20100291369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,580 Days
• Field of Search: 521/130, 521/170, 521/174
• US Class Current: 521/170
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/045 with open cells
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4072 Mixtures of compounds of group C08G18/63 with other macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4804 Two or more polyethers of different physical or chemical nature
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4841 containing oxyethylene end groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/632 onto polyethers
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2110/0008 flexible
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2110/0058 ≥50 and <150kg/m3
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2110/0083 prepared using water as the sole blowing agent
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2350/00 Acoustic or vibration damping material
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2375/04 Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2375/08 from polyethers
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/14 organic
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/228 Forming foamed products
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]

Abstract

A foam article for use in a seat cushion includes an open cell, polyurethane foam material that includes a base polyol; a crosslinker; an isocyanate; a surfactant; and water, that are reacted together to produce a seat cushion having dynamic and static performance specifications that are better than the performance characteristics for a traditional, high resilient material seat cushion, as well as other seating materials.

Claims

1. An open cell, foam article made from an open cell, foam material, for use in a seat application, the foam material produced from a reaction mixture comprising:

a base polyol having a molecular weight of greater than 3000;

an isocyanate;

a surfactant; and

water; and

wherein the open cell, foam material is a crushed open cell, molded foam material having a natural frequency between about 2.6 hertz and about 4.6 hertz and a transmissivity of about 1.01 to about 3.5 at the natural frequency for a 25 mm-150 mm thick cushion.

2. The open cell, foam article of claim 1, wherein the polyol has a molecular weight of from 5000 to 10000.

3. The open cell, foam article of claim 1, wherein the polyol has a molecular weight of from 6000 to 8000.

4. The open cell, foam article of claim 1, wherein the polyol and the isocyanate have an index of from 90 to 98.

5. The open cell, foam article of claim 1, wherein the surfactant concentration is from 0.2 pph to 0.7 pph.

6. The open cell, foam article of claim 1, wherein the article is a seat base cushion, a seat back cushion, a lumbar cushion, or a bolster cushion.

7. An open cell, polyurethane foam material comprising the reaction product of:

a base polyol having a molecular weight of from 6000 to 8000;

an isocyanate;

a surfactant; and

water;

wherein the open cell, polyurethane foam material is a crushed open cell, molded foam material having a natural frequency between about 2.3 hertz and about 4.3 hertz and a transmissivity of about 1.01 to about 3.5 at the natural frequency for a 25 mm-150 mm thick cushion.

8. An open cell, polyurethane foam material comprising the reaction product of:

an ethylene oxide (EO) capped base polyol having a molecular weight greater than 3000;

an isocyanate;

a surfactant; and

water; and

wherein the open cell, polyurethane foam material is a crushed open cell, molded polyurethane foam material having a natural frequency of less than 4.6 Hertz and a transmissivity of 3.6 or less for a 50 mm-100 mm thick cushion, and a comfort value of below 13.0, wherein the comfort value is determined by multiplying a peak measured transmissivity by the natural frequency.