Foam drying apparatus
AssigneeWorthen Industries
InventorsSteven E. Adams, Andrew T. Sinclair, Robert J. Rose, Ian L. Churcher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A foam drying apparatus is provided. The apparatus is configured to pass air, and in some cases heated and/or dried air, through a quantity of foam. This air passing through the foam absorbs or otherwise carries moisture out of the foam, drying it. The apparatus may utilize a pressure differential on opposite sides of the foam, causing air on the higher pressure side to pass through the foam. Typical applications may include the drying of foam assemblies which use water based adhesives to accelerate drying of the adhesive and/or removal of water from the foam assembly, and packaging of the foam assembly.
Claims15
A foam assembly drying device comprising:
- a body of the foam assembly drying device having an air permeable base, wherein the air permeable base is a plurality of rollers, the air permeable base configured to receive a foam assembly, the foam assembly being formed of at least one piece of foam and a quantity of adhesive;
- and
- a vacuum source configured to draw a low pressure on one side of the air permeable base such that air passes through the air permeable base when the vacuum source is activated;
- and
- an air heater, the air heater positioned on an opposite side of the air permeable base from the one side of the air permeable base, the heater configured to heat air before passing the air permeable base.
A foam assembly drying device comprising:
- a body of the foam assembly drying device having an air permeable base;
- a foam assembly removably positioned on a top surface of the base, the foam assembly being formed of two or more foam pieces laminated together using a quantity of adhesive, the adhesive comprising water;
- a vacuum source configured to draw a low pressure on one side of the air permeable base such that air passes through the foam assembly and air permeable base when the vacuum source is activated;
- an air heater, the air heater positioned on an opposite side of the foam assembly from the air permeable base, the heater configured to heat air before passing the foam assembly;
- and
- a plurality of walls extending perpendicularly from the base, wherein at least one of the plurality of walls defines a vent aperture in the wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.