Patent Application
20250196737
An extruded body of polymer filaments made according to a method that forms a pad having different densities across the width of the extruded body.
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the various described embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, circuits, and networks have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments.
It is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary and that various and alternative forms are possible. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ embodiments according to the disclosure.
“One or more” includes a function being performed by one element, a function being performed by more than one element, e.g., in a distributed fashion, several functions being performed by one element, several functions being performed by several elements, or any combination of the above.
It will also be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. are, in some instances, used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first contact could be termed a second contact, and, similarly, a second contact could be termed a first contact, without departing from the scope of the various described embodiments. The first contact and the second contact are both contacts, but they are not the same contact.
The terminology used in the description of the various described embodiments herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used in the description of the various described embodiments and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the term “and/or” as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be further understood that the terms “includes,” “including,” “comprises,” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Referring to
The polymer filaments 20 comprise strands, fibers, or strips that are welded, glued, or melted and reformed into a three-dimensional mesh structure 38. The preform strip 38 comprises an intermediate preform for manufacturing a plurality of vehicle seat pads that are subsequently cut into individual seat pads and molded to a predetermined shape.
The polymer resin 16 comprises LLDPE, or HDPE that are provided to the resin hopper 14 in the form of resin beads, ground polymer resin, or the like.
The cooling tank 24 is filled with water or an aqueous coolant solution for polymers.
The tractor section 26 is described below in greater detail pulls the polymer filaments 20 in a longitudinal direction that is the extrusion direction which is the direction that the polymer strands 20 flow from the die head 18 and shaping funnel 24.
Referring to
The seat pad image 42, shown in phantom lines, includes a first hardness zone 44 and a second hardness zone 46. A first boundary 48 is formed between the first hardness zone 44 and the second hardness zone 46. A third hardness zone 50 and the second hardness zone 46 form a second boundary 52 therebetween. As shown in
It should be understood that the boundaries 48 and 52 can be curved or can be disposed in a wide variety of angular orientations relative to the longitudinal direction to provide the desired variation of the hardness profile in predetermined zones, or regions, of the molded seat cushion. The first boundary 48 and the second boundary 52 can extend fully across the preform strip 38 or can extend partially across the preform strip 38. The boundary can alternatively be characterized as a transition area between different hardness zones.
A first speed arrow 54 is shown at the infeed end of the tractor belt section 26 that graphically illustrates the different speeds that the various tractor belts 40a-40e act upon the preform strip 38. The size of the first speed arrows 54 corresponds to the speed that the respective tractor belts are moved.
A second speed arrow 56 is illustrated in
The apparent/bulk density of the pad is controlled by the tractor belts 40a-40e. The apparent/bulk density is not the same as filament density which is the density of a single strand. The spacing of the strands is controlled by the speed that the tractor belts 40a-40e pull the strands into the cooling tank 24, or water bath. The apparent/bulk density in a respective zone of the seat base increases as the speed of the tractor conveyor belts 40a-40e decreases. Conversely, the apparent/bulk density in a respective zone of the seat base decreases as the speed of the tractor conveyor belts 40a-40e increases. There is an upper limit on the difference in speed differences on how fast adjacent tractor belts can move. If the speed difference is too great, some of the filaments may become over-stretched or may break, become thin, or lose bonding locations. The extent of apparent/bulk density variations in the cushion is limited but may approach 60% variation from one zone to another.
Motors 60a-60e are variable speed motors controlled by a controller 62. The controller 62. The controller is programmed to change the speed of the motors individually and the movement of the tractor belts 40a-40e to match or correspond to the specified apparent/bulk density of the zones of seat cushion to be manufactured.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
An article comprising a preform strip or body 38 of a plurality of extruded polymer filaments 20 randomly oriented and bonded together to form a three-dimensional mesh structure 38, wherein the preform strip 38 is elongated in a longitudinal direction and comprises first zones 42 comprising the extruded polymer filaments 20 comprising a first apparent/bulk density and second zones 46 comprising the extruded polymer filaments 20 comprising a second apparent/bulk density less than the first apparent/bulk density.
The article described in the preceding paragraph can include one or more of the following additional features:
The article according to one or more of the above clauses comprising the first zones 42 and second zones 44 define at least one boundary 48, or transition areas, between the first zones 42 and the second zones 44 that extends at least partially across the preform strip 38.
The article according to one or more of the above clauses comprising first zones 42 and second zones 44 define at least one boundary 48 between the first zones and the second zones that extends fully across the preform strip 38.
The article according to one or more of the above clauses comprising at least one boundary 48 between the first zones 42 and the second zones 44 that extends at an angle that is less than perpendicular relative to the longitudinal direction that the body 38 is moved.
The article according to one or more of the above clauses comprising at least one boundary 48 between the first zones 42 and the second zones 44 is curved.
The article according to one or more of the above clauses comprising preform strip 38 comprises a plurality of connected intermediate preforms 38 wherein each of the intermediate preforms 38 are adapted to be separated and molded into a seat cushion 64,66.
A seat assembly 64, 66 comprising a seat frame, a seat cover, and a seat backrest cushion 64 and a seat base cushion 66. The body 38 comprises a plurality of extruded polymer filaments 20 randomly oriented and bonded together to form an intermediate preform 38 comprising first zones 44 of the extruded polymer filaments 20 comprising a first apparent/bulk density and second zones 46 of the extruded polymer filaments 20 comprising the extruded polymer filaments 20 comprising a second apparent/bulk density less than the first apparent/bulk density, wherein the intermediate preform 38 is molded to form the molded backrest cushion 64 and the seat base cushion 66.
The seat assembly described in the preceding paragraph can include one or more of the following additional features:
The seat assembly according to one or more of the above clauses comprising first zones 42 and second zones 44 define at least one boundary 48, or transition area, between the first zones 42 and the second zones 44 that extends at least partially across the body 38.
The seat assembly according to one or more of the above clauses comprising first zones 42 and second zones 44 define at least one boundary 48 between the first zones 42 and the second zones 44 that extends fully across the body 38.
The seat assembly according to one or more of the above clauses comprising at least one boundary 48 between the first zones 42 and the second zones 44 is curved.
A method comprising melting a polymer resin 16 to form a molten polymer, extruding the molten polymer through a die head 18 to form extruded polymer filaments 20, shaping and bonding the extruded polymer filaments 20 into a strip of filaments 20 comprising a predetermined cross-section. The method further comprises pulling the strip of filaments 20 into a cooling tank 24 in a longitudinal direction with a plurality of tractor belts 40a-40e arrayed transverse to the longitudinal direction, wherein the tractor belts 40a-40e each move one of a plurality of portions of the strip of filaments 20 in the longitudinal direction. The plurality of tractor belts 40a-40e are controlled to move one of the plurality of portions of the strip of filaments 20 at a different speed relative to the other ones of the plurality of tractor belts 40a-40e to locally control the apparent/bulk density of the plurality of portions of the strip of filaments 20 across a width of the strip of polymer filaments 12.
The method described in the preceding paragraph can include one or more of the following additional features:
The method according to one or more of the above clauses comprising the method further comprises cutting the strip of filaments 12 transverse to the longitudinal direction to form a plurality of seat cushion preforms 64,66.
The method according to one or more of the above clauses further comprises molding the plurality of seat pad preforms 64, 66 into a contoured shape of a seat cushion.
The method according to one or more of the above clauses wherein the polymer resin 16 is a thermoplastic polymer such as LLDPE or HDPE.
The method according to one or more of the above clauses further comprising assembling the strip of filaments 20 comprising a seat pad 64, 66 to a seat frame.
The method according to one or more of the above clauses further comprising covering the seat pad 64, 66 with a seat cover.
The seat assembly according to one or more of the above clauses made according to the method.
While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms according to the disclosure. In that regard, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments according to the disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PA202470196 | Jul 2024 | DK | national |
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/612,215 filed Dec. 19, 2023. This application claims priority to Denmark patent application No. PA202470196 filed Jul. 18, 2024. The disclosures of both are incorporated in their entirety by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63612215 | Dec 2023 | US |
