Back to results
US 5,482,665 AGranted
Method/apparatus for making fiber-filled cushion
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorPrem P. Gill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method and apparatus for quickly, and substantially uniformly, heating and cooling a bed of polymeric fibers having high melting point and low melting point fibers therein for softening the low melting point fibers and bonding them to the high melting point fibers to form a seat cushion. Hot and cool gases are flowed through the bed of fibers to effect the heating/cooling.
Claims35
A method of molding a porous, breathable cushion comprising the steps of:
- a. dispensing a mixture of polymeric matrix fibers having a first melting point and polymeric bonding fibers having a second melting point lower than said first melting point into a mold having a moveable member moveable between a mold-open and a mold-closed position so as to define a cavity conforming substantially to the desired shape of said cushion in the mold-closed position;
- b. moving said moveable member to said mold-closed position following said dispensing so as to compress said fibers in said mold cavity to a desired density;
- and then
- c. passing a heated gas through the compressed mixture for a time and at a temperature sufficient to soften said bonding fibers and unite them with said matrix fibers at their points of intersection;
- d. passing a cooling gas through the compressed mixture for a time and at a temperature sufficient to bond said bonding fibers to said matrix fibers such that said mixture retains said shape after said mold is opened;
- and
- e. removing said cushion from said cavity.
4 more elements
Apparatus for molding and bonding a mixture of relatively high-melting point polymeric matrix fibers and relatively low-melting point polymeric bonding fibers together into a compressible, breathable cushion comprising:
- a. a female mold member comprising a plurality of walls defining a mold cavity, at least one of said walls being gas-permeable;
- b. at least one injector for dispensing said mixture into said cavity;
- c. a source of said mixture connected to said injector for supplying said mixture to said injector;
- d. a male mold member adapted for reciprocal movement into and out of said mold cavity for compressing said mixture in said cavity, said male mold member having a gas-permeable wall for shaping said cushion in said cavity;
- e. a gas plenum system contiguous said gas-permeable walls for providing gas to said mold cavity for heating and cooling said mixture in said cavity;
- f. a blower communicating with said plenum system for moving said gas through said system and said mixture;
- and
- g. a heater for heating said gas in said system to a temperature sufficient to soften said low-melting fibers and unite them to said high-melting fibers.
5 more elements
A method of molding a porous, breathable cushion comprising the steps of:
- a. dispensing a mixture of polymeric matrix fibers having a first melting point and polymeric bonding fibers having a second melting point lower than said first melting point into a mold having a cavity conforming substantially to the desired shape of said cushion;
- b. closing said mold so as to compress said fibers in said mold cavity to a desired density;
- and then
- c. passing a heated gas through the compressed mixture for a time and at a temperature sufficient to soften said bonding fibers and unite them with said matrix fibers at their points of intersection;
- d. monitoring the temperatures of the gas entering and leaving the cavity while passing said heated gas through said mixture;
- e. discontinuing said passing of said heated gas when the temperature of the leaving gas is about equal to the temperature of the entering gas;
- and then
- f. passing a cooling gas through the compressed mixture for a time and at a temperature sufficient to bond said bonding fibers to said matrix fibers such that said mixture retains said shape after said mold is opened.
5 more elements
A method of molding a porous, breathable cushion comprising the steps of:
- a. dispensing a mixture of polymeric matrix fibers having a first melting point and polymeric bonding fibers having a second melting point lower than said first melting point into a mold having a cavity conforming substantially to the desired shape of said cushion;
- b. closing said mold so as to compress said fibers in said mold cavity to a desired density;
- c. further compressing a selected portion of said mixture in said cavity to form a depression therein;
- d. passing a heated gas through the compressed mixture for a time and at a temperature sufficient to soften said bonding fibers and unite them with said matrix fibers at their points of intersection;
- e. passing a cooling gas through the compressed mixture for a time and at a temperature sufficient to bond said bonding fibers to said matrix fibers such that said mixture retains said shape after said mold is opened;
- f. dispensing into said depression a second mixture of second polymeric matrix fibers and second polymeric bonding fibers having a melting point which is lower than the melting point of the second matrix fibers;
- g. compressing said second mixture in said depression;
- h. passing a heated gas through the second compressed mixture for a time and at a temperature sufficient to soften said second bonding fibers and unite them with said matrix fibers at their points of intersection;
- and
- i. cooling said second mixture sufficiently to bond said second bonding fibers to said second matrix fibers and to said first mixture such that said second mixture retains said shape after said compressing is terminated.
7 more elements
A method of molding a porous, breathable cushion comprising the steps of:
- a. injecting a mixture of polymeric fibers directly into a mold having a moveable member defining a cavity conforming substantially to the desired shape of said cushion, said mold having a mold-open position with said member in a retracted position during said injecting and a mold-closed position with said moveable member in an extended position mating with a stationary mold member, and said mixture comprising a plurality of matrix fibers having a first melting point and a plurality of bonding fibers having a second melting point;
- b. extending said moveable member so as to close said mold and compress said fibers in said mold cavity to a desired density;
- and then
- c. passing a heated gas through the compressed mixture for a time and at a temperature sufficient to soften said bonding fibers and unite them with said matrix fibers at their points of intersection;
- d. passing a cooling gas through the compressed mixture for a time and at a temperature sufficient to bond said bonding fibers to said matrix fibers such that said mixture retains said shape after said mold is opened;
- and
- e. removing said cushion from said cavity.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.