US 4,883,632 AGranted

Method for shaping thermoplastic fabrics

AssigneeNamba Press Works Co., Ltd.

InventorsFumio Goto, Taro Otawa

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A method for shaping thermoplastic fabrics such as those made of polyester or polyamide fibers into desired three dimensional configurations through a simple procedure. Thermoplastic fabrics are immersed into hot liquid metallic bath made of eutectic metals such as lead, tin, cadmium, zinc and bismuth and formulated to have the eutectic point at least equal to or higher than the softening point of the thermoplastic fibers and lower than the melting point of the fibers. This metallic bath may be called "fluidic lower mold." The thermoplastic fabrics are immersed into the fluidic lower mold by means of an upper mold or core member having desired outer configurations substantially corresponding to those of final products, for example, headrest or seat cushion. The upper mold pushes down the fabric preferably along with a protective sheet laid beneath the fabric into the metallic bath. Immersed fabrics receive high compressive forces and heat from the hot liquid metallic bath, and thus can easily and rapidly be shaped around the upper mold, so to speak, at a single shot.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A method for shaping thermoplastic fabrics comprising:

(a) preparing a cover material from fabrics composed of fibers having both crystalline and non-crystalline regions therein, or thermoplastic films,
(b) providing a liquid metallic bath comprising eutectic mixtures of metals and having an eutectic point at least equal to or higher than the softening point of said non-crystalline regions or said thermoplastic films, and lower than the melting point of said crystalline regions or said films, and said metallic bath being heated to a temperature higher than the eutectic point and lower than the melting point of said crystalline regions or said films, said metallic bath having relatively high density,
(c) using an uppr mold having three dimensional outer configurations substantially corresponding to outer contours of final products to be obtained for pushing down and immersing said cover materials into said liquid metallic bath to thereby cause said cover material to follow the outer configurations of said upper mold and be shaped accordingly,
(d) taking out the shaped cover material from said bath along with said upper mold, and cooling said cover material, and
(e) withdrawing said upper mold from the inside of said shaped cover material.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/265,671Filed 21 Oct 1988
Priority: JP 62-03815423 Feb 1987
Granted: 28 Nov 1989
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B29C 51/424
Of preforms, specially adapted for thermoforming: using a heated fluid
B29C 51/004
Characterised by the choice of material: textile or other fibrous material made from plastics fibres
B29C 51/28
Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations: for applying pressure through the wall of an inflated bag or diaphragm
B29C 43/12
Isostatic pressing, i.e. using non-rigid pressure-exerting members against rigid parts or dies: using bags surrounding the moulding material or…