US 5,489,351 A · Method for molding nonwoven web into molded form

Abstract

A molded cushioning article is made by stuffing a bulky, tape-form nonwoven web such as sliver in a mold cavity and thereafter heat-treating the thus-formed molded form to fusion-bond intersecting points of fibers. Stuffing of the tape-form nonwoven web is effected by laying and superposing it in to-and-fro movements on a molding surface of a mold permeable to air with a space on a backside of the molding surface being kept under reduced pressure. The apparatus used has (a) means for feeding the tape-form nonwoven web into the mold, (b) a mold permeable to air, (c) a mold-supporting frame, (d) suction means for keeping the backside space under reduced pressure, (e) means for successively changing a positional correlation between means (a) and the molding surface, and (f) heat-treating means for fibers to be fusion-bonded.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A method for molding a bulky sliver into a molded form having a shape corresponding to a cavity of a mold by stuffing the sliver in the mold cavity, wherein a sliver having a bulkiness of 30 to 100 cm.sup.3 /g and a section modulus K, as defined by the formula:

K=W/D where W is a width of the sliver and D is a thickness of the same, of 2 to 10 is laid and superposed in parallel by to-and-fro movements on a molding surface of a mold, while the amount of the sliver to be fed into the mold is changed locally, within the mold cavity, said mold being made of a structural material permeable to air with a space on a backside of the molding surface being kept under a reduced pressure so that the sliver laid and superposed thereon is attracted onto the molding surface by air suction, whereby a fiber aggregate molding composed of the sliver and having a shape of the mold cavity is formed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for molding nonwoven web into molded form

Life of this patent

Method for molding nonwoven web into molded form

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10