Method and means for production of shaped cushions and upholstery

Description

[0001] The present invention is for method and means by manufacture of wad containing cushions and padding for furniture and seats for home, office, public places and chairs and other products for vehicles.

[0002] At the manufacture, repair and renovation of furniture large quantities of polyurethanes are used as push up and padding materials which brings with it several environmental disadvantages at the manufacture of the padding material, such as isocyanates at the foaming, the further handling of it in the production and its use. The advantage of some urethanes is that they may be molded to shape at a comparatively low cost. Wad is also used to an essential extent as a filler material to give the desired shape and comfort to he furniture when used for sitting or lying down. Wad, mostly from polyester fibres, is produced and delivered as blocks or loose wad in bags. In order go give the desired shape and consistency to the padding it has to be filled into covers, for example cushion-cases, where the quantity of the wad has to be carefully controlled. In this way it is possible to produce back cushions of acceptable quality while it is not possible to produce for example seats of acceptable quality for office furniture, especially there is a lack of firmness and durability of shape. The filling of the covers means a manual work which may not be disregarded even if it has been tried to automate the procedure. The covers are often sewn in a special way and may be divided into channels or similar, separate sections. It is also known in the art to shape the cushions by putting a mixture of polyester fibres into a mould. Some of the fibres are so called melt fibres which will melt fully or partially at a consecutive heating and then will bind adjacent fibres.

[0003] Other known methods to produce shaped cushions and padding material is to cut them, starting with blocks or piece-goods from polyurethane or wad. This method brings considerable disadvantages and a loss of 20-40 % of the material with it.

[0004] Polyester fibres offer many advantages compared to polyurethane. It is easily recovered and it does not pollute neither the external nor the internal environment during the process of manufacture or during the use of the product. Moreover polyester fibres do not attract moisture or dirt and are neutral to allergy, i.e. it does not cause allergies and is not dangerous to allergic persons.

[0005] The present invention is for method and means by the manufacture of wad containing cushions and corresponding padding materials having desired weight and density and possibility to obtain different properties at separate sections of the products. The invention makes it possible to shape mould polyester fibre products.

[0006] To practice the invention one makes a cover from non-woven material having a melting point below 100 °C. The cover is then filled with a mixture of 10-30 % w/w, preferably 20 % w/w meltable fibre and 70-90 % w/w, preferably 80 % w/w of polyester fibres of a material which is non-meltable or which does not melt at the temperatures which may occur during the process. Filling may take place in known manner using vacuum. The filled cover, or the polyester cut to shape, is then put into a mould which allows hot air to flow into and through the cover and the filler. The temperature of the air is 120-170 °C, suitably 130-160 °C and preferably 135 °C. Blowing of air goes on for a time interval of 20 s - 10 min, usually 30 s - 5 min and preferably 30 s - 1 min. The surrounding cover and the meltable fibres of the filling will then melt. This gives as result cushions of homogenous material which have a very good shape stability. Textiles may also in this way be fixed by moulding and form a homogenous unit with the filling. The weight per volume of the product when ready may be varied within an interval of at least 20-50 kg/m³. This may be made use of by that separate channels or sections within a cover are filled to different weight per volume when manufacturing for example cushioning for vehicle seats, where a softer middle section forms the back and/or seat and more firm side sections form supporting cushions at the sides of the back and/or the seat.

Claims

1. Method and means by the manufacture of shaped cushions or filling material for furniture and seats whereby a filler material being a wad is filled into an enclosing cover characterized in that the cover contains fibres from a material having a lower melting point than the wad.

2. Method according to claim 1 characterized in that the cover is entirely made from fibres having a lower melting point than the wad.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the cover includes fibres having a melting point below 100 °C.

4. Method according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the cover is filled with wad using vacuum and then is put into a mould and treated by through flowing hot air.

5. Method according to claim 4 characterized in that the temperature of the air is 120-170 °C, preferably about 135 °C.

6. Method according to any of the preceeding claims characterized in that that the wad comprises fibres having two different melting points.

7. Method according to any of the preceeding claims characterized in that the mould and the material inside it after the filling is heated so that the fibres having low melting point are melted.

8. Cover for making cushions and other shaped furniture filling using the method of any of the preceding claims characterized in that the cover comprises polyester fibres having a melting point below 100 °C.

9. Cover according to claim 8 characterized in that it is divided into several separate sections which are intended to be filled with different materials and/or different packing density.