Manufacture of mat with thickened peripheral edges
AssigneeWalk Off Mats Limited
InventorTerence Michael Hedley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention provides a process for making a mat particularly a washable dust control mat, having a fabric layer (2) and a rubber backing layer (4) with a border (6) extending beyond the fabric layer (2) using a press which heat-cures the rubber and adheres it to the fabric and employs an inflatable bag (24) to apply pressure by pressing the layers against a heated platen (21), wherein a frame (14) defining the extent of the border (6) is located between the bag and the platen, and wherein the bag applies pressure to the assembled layers including the border portion of the backing layer. The frame (14) can act as a dam for preventing outward movement of the rubber and provide an integral thickened border; in some cases it also provides a guillotine for trimming the rubber during pressing.
Claims37
A process for making a mat having a fabric layer and a rubber backing layer using a press having an inflatable bag, a heated platen, and a frame defining the extent of the periphery of the mat located between the bag and the platen, the process comprising the steps of:
- placing a fabric layer and an uncured rubber backing layer in the press between the inflatable bag and the heated platen;
- and,
- inflating the bag to press the fabric and uncured rubber backing layers against the heated platen by applying a pressure over substantially the whole area of the backing layer, to heat-cure the rubber layer and adhere it to the fabric layer, wherein the height of the frame is greater than the thickness of the uncured rubber backing layer, so that the rubber backing layer, when cured and adhered to the fabric layer in a finished mat, has an integral thickened peripheral portion.
A process for making a mat having a fabric layer and a rubber backing layer with a border extending beyond the fabric layer using a press having an inflatable bag, a heated platen and a frame defining the extent of the border located between the bag and the platen, the process comprising the steps of:
- placing a fabric layer and an uncured rubber backing layer in the press between the inflatable bag and the heated platen;
- and,
- inflating the bag to press the layers against the heated platen by applying a pressure to the assembled layers including the border portion of the backing layer, to heat-cure the rubber layer and adhere it to the fabric layer, wherein the height of the frame is greater than the thickness of the uncured rubber backing layer, so that the backing layer, when cured and adhered to the fabric layer in a finished mat, has an integral thickened peripheral portion.
A process for making a mat comprising:
- placing a fabric layer and an adjacent uncured rubber backing layer in a press together with a frame;
- applying heat and pressure to at least one of said fabric and uncured rubber backing layers so that said rubber backing layer:
- (i) adheres to said fabric layer;
- and, (ii) flows outwardly from a central portion of said rubber backing layer toward a peripheral portion of said rubber backing layer, whereby said frame limits outward movement of said flowable rubber backing layer and flowable rubber of said backing layer accumulates adjacent said frame and forms an integral peripheral border of said rubber backing layer that has a thickness greater than a thickness of said central portion of said rubber backing layer;
- and,
- maintaining said heat applied to said rubber backing layer until said rubber backing layer is cured.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.