Patent Application
20250207418
This application claims the benefit of Chinese Utility Model No. 202311796589.6, filed Dec. 22, 2023, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a laminated material, and more particularly, to a laminated material for use in an inflatable product.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic products and PVC film products are widely used in inflatable products. Although PVC materials are widely used and easy to process, PVC products are prone to fracture at low temperatures. Furthermore, PVC raw materials may decompose during processing, producing volatile hazardous substances including hydrogen chloride gas and other dioxins.
Additionally, in order to have sufficient flexibility to be utilized in forming inflatable products plasticizers are often added to the PVC raw materials during processing. However, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the plasticizers may cause environmental pollution. Moreover, the plasticizers, which may be harmful to the human body, are easily precipitated from PVC products, such that users of these PVC products may be exposed to the plasticizers. After the plasticizers are precipitated out of the PVC products, the PVC products may also become prone to damage stemming from the reduced flexibility of the products.
In the embodiments described herein, linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) may be utilized in a laminated material form, such as a sheet, to provide greater strength, better toughness, greater rigidity, and better heat and/or cold resistance compared to PVC, while also providing effective resistance to environmental stress cracking. Moreover, the embodiments of LLDPE described herein do not contain chlorine, such that the LLDPE materials will not decompose to produce chlorine-containing hazardous substances including hydrogen chloride during processing. Accordingly, the LLDPE products described herein will not produce hydrogen chloride, dioxins or other hazardous substances during destruction or degradation.
Furthermore, as will be appreciated in view of the foregoing, LLDPE may not require the addition of plasticizers during processing, thereby avoiding contamination of VOCs. Moreover, since no plasticizer is present, performance of LLDPE products may not be reduced due to the precipitation of plasticizers. As a result, it should be appreciated that the LLDPE material described herein may be a healthier and more environmentally friendly material than PVC.
Furthermore, it will be understood that the LLDPE material described herein may not be processed by high-frequency welding, as the molecules of the LLDPE are not polarized. Accordingly, existing production equipment for PVC products may not be used for production of LLDPE products.
Based on the above findings, in an embodiment of the disclosure, a material is provided. The material comprises 15-75 parts by weight of linear low-density polyethylene and 25-85 parts by weight of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer; wherein the mass percentage of vinyl acetate in the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer ranges from 5% to 40%.
In an embodiment, the material satisfies one or more of the following conditions: the mass percentage of vinyl acetate in the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer is 10%-35%; the linear low-density polyethylene is 20-70 parts by weight, for example, 30-60 parts by weight; the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer is 30-80 parts by weight, for example, 40-70 parts by weight; and the material further comprises one or more of an antioxidant, a lubricant and a filler.
In an embodiment, the material satisfies one or more of the following conditions: the antioxidant is 0-1 part by weight, for example, 0.2-0.8 parts by weight; the lubricant is selected from oleamide; the lubricant is 0-1 part by weight, for example, 0.2-0.8 parts by weight; the filler is selected from calcium carbonate nanoparticles; and the filler is 5-25 parts by weight, for example, 5-20 parts by weight.
In an embodiment, the material comprises the following components (in parts by weight): linear low-density polyethylene: 20-70 parts; ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer: 30-80 parts; antioxidant: 0-1 part; lubricant: 0-1 part.
In an embodiment, the material further comprises a filler: 5-25 parts.
In another embodiment, a sheet comprising any of the materials described above is disclosed.
In another embodiment, a laminated material is disclosed. The laminated material, comprises a fiber layer and a polymer layer. The fiber layer comprises a first side and a second side, wherein the polymer layer is attached to the first side of the fiber layer and comprises any of the sheets described hereinabove.
In an embodiment, the laminated material further comprises an adhesive layer that is disposed between the fiber layer and the polymer layer.
In an embodiment, the adhesive layer comprises polyurethane.
In an embodiment, the laminated material further comprises an intermediate layer disposed between the adhesive layer and the polymer layer, the intermediate layer comprising a hydrocarbon, and the hydrocarbon having 5, 6, 7 or 8 carbon atoms.
In an embodiment, the hydrocarbon comprises an alkane or an olefin.
In an embodiment, the fiber layer comprises a woven fabric.
In an embodiment, the woven fabric is made of synthetic fibers.
In another embodiment of the disclosure, a laminated material is provided. The laminated material comprises: a first fabric layer, comprising a first side and a second side; a second fabric layer, comprising a first side and a second side, wherein the first side of the second fabric layer is disposed opposite the second side of the first fabric layer; a first polymer layer, attached to the first side of the first fabric layer; a second polymer layer, attached to the second side of the second fabric layer; and plurality of threads, each of the plurality of threads being sewn to the first fabric layer and the second fabric layer respectively such that the plurality of threads limit the distance between the first fabric layer and the second fabric layer; wherein the first polymer layer and/or the second polymer layer comprises any of the sheets described above.
In an embodiment, the first fiber layer and the second fiber layer each comprise a woven fabric.
In an embodiment, the woven fabric is made of synthetic fibers.
In an embodiment, the fiber layer comprises a mesh layer, the mesh layer comprising crossed synthetic fibers.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing a laminated material is provided. The method includes the following steps: preparing a polymer layer; preparing a fabric layer; forming an intermediate layer on a first side of the polymer layer, the intermediate layer comprising a hydrocarbon; applying an adhesive to a first side of the fabric layer to form an adhesive layer; and covering a surface of the adhesive layer with the intermediate layer, so that the polymer layer is attached to the fabric layer.
In an embodiment, the step of forming an intermediate layer on a first side of the polymer film includes: preparing a solution, the solution comprising an organic solvent and a hydrocarbon, and the hydrocarbon having 5, 6, 7 or 8 carbon atoms; applying the solution to the first side of the polymer layer; and volatilizing the organic solvent so that an intermediate layer is formed on the first surface by the hydrocarbon.
In an embodiment, the polymer layer is heated to volatilize the organic solvent.
In an embodiment, the organic solvent comprises toluene.
In an embodiment, the hydrocarbon comprises an alkane or an olefin and has 5, 6, 7 or 8 carbon atoms.
In an embodiment, the polymer layer comprises any of the sheets described hereinabove.
In another embodiment an inflatable product is disclosed. The inflatable product comprises a wall that defines an inflatable chamber, wherein the wall comprises any of the sheets or laminated materials described hereinabove.
In an embodiment, the inflatable product refers to an inflatable paddle board, an inflatable pool, an inflatable mattress, or an inflatable toy.
In another embodiment, an above-ground pool is disclosed. The above-ground pool comprises a supporting assembly and a pool body detachably mounted to the supporting assembly and defining a water cavity, wherein the pool body comprises any of the sheets or laminated materials described hereinabove.
As should be appreciated in view of the foregoing, the material made from a mixture of EVA and LLDPE described herein provides low-temperature resistance, weather fastness and durability superior to that of PVC material. Furthermore, the disclosed material contains no chlorine and does not require the addition of plasticizers, such that the material is healthier and more environmentally friendly than existing PVC material. Moreover, the material described herein is adapted to both high-frequency welding and heat fusion processing, such that existing high-frequency welding processing equipment or heat fusion processing equipment may be utilized to produce end products (e.g., inflatable products), and raw materials may be replaced with the material described herein without the need for producers to change processing equipment.
Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be understood from the following embodiments described in detail herein and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent the same or similar components.
Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be understood from the following embodiments described in detail herein and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent the same or similar components.
The implementation and application of embodiments of a sheet, laminated material, inflatable product, above-ground pool, and methods of manufacturing the foregoing will be discussed in detail below. However, it should be understood that the embodiments discussed and illustrated herein illustratively described various embodiments, implementations, and applications of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The present disclosure relates to a material, such as a mixture material, comprising ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) and LLDPE, wherein the ratio of LLDPE to EVA by weight in the material is (15-75):(25-85).
In these embodiments, when the weight of LLDPE is approximately 15 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 or 85 parts. When the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 20 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 or 85 parts. When the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 25 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 or 85 parts. When the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 30 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 or 85 parts. When the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 35 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 or 85 parts. When the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 40 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 or 85 parts. When the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 45 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 or 85 parts. When the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 50 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 or 85 parts. When the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 55 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 or 85 parts. When the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 60 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 or 85 parts. When the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 65 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 or 85 parts. When the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 70 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 or 85 parts. When the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 75 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 or 85 parts.
Furthermore, it should be appreciated that, in these embodiments, the ratio of LLDPE to EVA by weight in the above material may be (30-70):(30-70). For example, when the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 30 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 or 70 parts. When the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 35 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 or 70 parts. When the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 40 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 or 70 parts. When the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 45 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 or 70 parts. When the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 50 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 or 70 parts. When the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 55 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 or 70 parts. When the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 60 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 or 70 parts. When the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 65 parts, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 or 70 parts. When the weight of LLDPE is considered to be approximately 70 parts by weight, the weight of EVA may be set to be approximately 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 or 70 parts by weight.
Although the embodiments described herein utilize a ratio of LLDPE to EVA by weight of 30:70, it should be further appreciated that, in some embodiments, the material may have a ratio of LLDPE to EVA by weight of approximately 45:60.
As provided herein, it should be understood that some mixtures of LLDPE and EVA may be used for property testing of the material described herein. The compositions of these mixtures are listed in Table 1-1 below.
As indicated above, the sources of raw materials for the mixtures in Table 1-1 are as follows:
In the embodiments described herein, and as noted in Table 1.1, it should be appreciated that, the lubricant is used to improve processing properties of the mixture material. Furthermore, the antioxidant in the mixture provides processing stability, and avoids oxidation of the raw materials during processing. It should be understood that known types of antioxidants are suitable for the mixture described herein. Furthermore, oleamide may be selected as a lubricant.
In these embodiments, welding strengths of the sheets made from the mixtures described herein (hereinafter referred to as “mixture sheets” or “sheets”) may also be tested separately. For example, to determine welding strength, a series of sheet samples with a width of 10 mm and a thickness of 0.30 mm may be obtained, which, in the embodiments described herein, corresponded to mixture 1 to mixture 8, respectively (e.g., as depicted in Table 1.1).
Based on the same high-frequency welding parameters (welding power: 5 KW, current: 5 A, and welding time: 6 s), the sheet samples corresponding to different mixtures are welded, and the corresponding welding strength is tested and listed in Table 1-2 below. Sample 1 to sample 8 are made from the mixture 1 to the mixture 8, respectively.
Based on the test data provided in Table 1-2, it should be appreciated that the welding strength of the sheet samples may correlate to the ratio of EVA to LLDPE in the mixtures. For example, as the content of EVA in each mixture decreases relative to LLDPE, the high-frequency welding strength of the samples deteriorates (e.g., similarly decreases). Furthermore, as illustrated in Table 1-2, the high-frequency welding strength of the samples deteriorates significantly when the mass ratio of EVA to LLDPE is less than 30/70. Moreover, when the mass ratio of EVA to LLDPE is less than 20/80, the samples cannot be subjected to high-frequency welding (e.g., “0 Welding Strength/N” as illustrated in Sample 7 and Sample 8 of Table 1-2).
In order to further verify performances of the above material, the material may be compared with a PVC material. In these embodiments, the Shore hardness of a PVC film used for testing is 85 A, and the formula of its raw materials is shown in Table 1-3 below.
According to the above formula, the PVC film may be obtained by extruding, after which the PVC film may be cut in corresponding sizes as samples of the PVC material. At the same time, a number of sheet samples corresponding to the mixture material may be prepared for comparison with the samples of the PVC material.
In these embodiments, the PVC material samples may be taken from a PVC material roll with a length of 127 mm, a width of 50 mm and a thickness of 0.3 mm, and the length directions of the PVC material samples may be perpendicular to a winding direction of the PVC material roll. Similarly, mixture material samples may be taken from a mixture material roll with a length of 127 mm, a width of 50 mm and a thickness of 0.3 mm, and the length directions of the mixture material samples may be perpendicular to a winding direction of the mixture material roll.
Furthermore, a certain number of the two types of samples (e.g., PVC material samples and mixture material samples) may be obtained. Once the desired number of PVC samples and mixture material samples have been obtained, each of the samples may be subjected to low-temperature brittleness testing. For example, the low-temperature brittleness testing may involve freezing the corresponding samples at temperatures of −10° C. and −22° C. for 15 min and then observing a number of cracks formed in each of the samples. In these embodiments, if a sample has surface cracks visible to the naked eye at the end of the freezing process, or breaks directly, the sample may be evaluated as a cracked sample.
Test results are shown in Table 1-4 below.
According to Table 1-4, the EVA/LLDPE mixture sheet has low temperature stability superior to the PVC film, as the EVA/LLDPE mixture does not exhibit cracks (e.g., “0” number of cracks) at either −10° C. or −22° C., while the PVC film includes at least 10 cracks at −22° C.
In the embodiments described herein, the tensile modulus of the PVC films and the tensile modulus of the mixture sheets in the above formula may also be tested. As described herein, both the PVC films and the mixture sheets may be made into samples with a width of 25 mm and a thickness of 0.3 mm, while each sample (e.g., of the PVC film and the mixture sheet) is tested with an original gauge length of 50 mm, and the speed of the tensile tester is set to 100 mm/min.
As should be appreciated in view of the foregoing, Table 2-1 provides comparative data for the PVC film and the mixture sheet. For example, as depicted in Table 2-1, when the tensile modulus of the mixture sheet is tested, the direction of tensile force is parallel to a winding direction of the mixture material roll. Similarly when the tensile modulus of the PVC film is tested, the direction of the tensile force is parallel to a winding direction of the PVC material roll.
Additional comparative data for the PVC film and mixture sheet is shown in Table 2-2. In these embodiments, when the tensile modulus of the mixture sheet is tested, the direction of tensile force is perpendicular to the winding direction of the mixture material roll. Similarly, when the tensile modulus of the PVC film is tested, the direction of tensile force is perpendicular to the winding direction of the PVC material roll.
According to Table 2-1 and Table 2-2, it should be appreciated that, compared with the PVC film, the EVA/LLDPE mixture sheet described herein has enhanced tensile properties within a certain range of tensile modulus. For example, with respect to the comparative data in Tables 2-1 and 2-2, in embodiments in which the amount of deformation is within 10%, the mixture sheet described herein has a tensile strength greater than the PVC film. Furthermore, in embodiments in which an amount of deformation is greater than 30%, the tensile strength of the mixture sheet disclosed in the present application is less than that of the PVC film.
Accordingly, it should be understood that, in embodiments in which the amount of deformation is controlled within a certain range (e.g., 10%), the mixture sheet described herein has better low temperature stability and tensile strength as compared with PVC film of the same size.
Turning now to the figures, the manufacturing process of the sheet in each of the embodiments discussed hereinabove will be is described in detail below. For example, with reference to
As illustrated at block S11, the calendering molding process may initially involve a feeding step. During the feeding step, raw materials, such as LLDPE and/or EVA, may be input into a production line. Furthermore, as shown in Table 1-1, it should be further appreciated that, in some embodiments, the raw materials input into the production line during the feeding step may further include an antioxidant and/or a lubricant. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the raw materials input into the production line may also include an additive to improve properties of the sheet. For example, the raw materials may further include calcium carbonate powder to improve the smoothness of the sheet, and, in turn, the smoothness of a product (e.g., inflatable product) formed using the sheet. In the embodiments described herein, it should be appreciated that the raw materials (e.g., LLDPE and EVA) may be fed into the production line in a powder or granular form.
Once the raw material is input into the production line, the calendering process may advance to block S13, which may involve plasticizing the raw materials. In these embodiments, the plasticizing step depicted at block S13 may be used to fully mix the raw materials to form a material with a desired and/or predetermined fluidity, such that the material may be subsequently processed into a sheet, as described herein.
In the embodiments described herein, it should be understood that the step of plasticizing the raw material depicted in block S13 may include a plurality of sub-steps. For example, initially, the raw materials described herein may be squeezed and/or sheared using an internal mixer, with the internal mixer being used to squeeze and/or shear the raw materials for a desired and/or predetermined period of time (e.g., about 120 seconds). During this process, the raw materials may be mixed while molecules of the raw materials rub against each other to generate heat, thereby causing the raw materials to plasticize. For example, by mixing the raw materials as described herein, the raw materials may be plasticized into a viscous bulk material which is then discharged from the internal mixer.
Subsequently, the plasticizing step depicted at block S13 of
For example, in embodiments, the production line may be provided with two open mills, such as first open mill A and second open mill B (not depicted). In these embodiments, the first open mill A may have a first operating temperature, such as a first operating temperature set to 70° C., and the temperature of the material when discharged from the first open mill A may have a first discharge temperature, such as a first discharge temperature of 120° C. Furthermore, the operating temperature of the second open mill B may have a second operating temperature, such as a second operating temperature set to 50° C., and the temperature of the material when discharged from the second open mill B may have a second discharge temperature, such as a second discharge temperature of 125° C.
Although the embodiments described herein include two rollers utilized for squeezing the bulk material, it should be further understood that, in some embodiments, there may be more than two rollers used for squeezing the bulk material in one internal mixer. Furthermore, these rollers may include various arrangement in the various embodiments described herein.
Referring still to
In order to remove these impurities which are formed in the material during the manufacturing process, the material from the open mill may be fed into a filtering machine for filtration, as is shown at block S15. In these embodiments, the filtering machine may squeeze and shear the material for further plasticization of the material. As has been described hereinabove, the squeezing and shearing performed by the filtering machine may act to heat the material to promote the plasticization of the material. For example, with the first operating temperature of the filtering machine set to 93° C. and a mesh number (i.e., number of meshes in a 1 inch square) of a filter screen set to 120, the temperature of the filtered material may be raised to approximately 130° C. However, it should be understood that the operating temperature of the filtering machine and/or the mesh number of the filter screen may be set to any other value without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
Furthermore, in some embodiments, it should be appreciated that the filtering step depicted at block S15 may be omitted entirely. For example, in the event that the material discharged from the open mill does not contain impurities that would cause quality problems in the final product (e.g., inflatable product), the filtering step depicted at block S15 of
As further illustrated in
It should be further appreciated that, in a particular embodiment, the calendering machine may be a four-roller calendering machine having four rollers for squeezing the filtered material fed into the calendering machine. In this embodiment, the four rollers may include two pairs of rollers, with the first pair of rollers R1, R2 having temperatures of 105° C., and the second pair of rollers R3, R4 having temperatures of 110° C. and 105° C., respectively. In the embodiment described herein, the material may pass through the first and second pairs of rollers sequentially to achieve a desired thickness. Although the calendering machine described herein may include at least one or two pairs of rollers, it should be understood that there may be more or less than two pairs of rollers for squeezing the bulk material in the calendering machine, and these rollers may be arranged in different ways in different embodiments.
Referring still to
In some embodiments, before the step of cooling the sheet is carried out, the sheet may be embossed such that an anti-slip property of the sheet is improved. For example, a liquid-silicone wheel may be used to press the surface of the sheet to form a desired embossed pattern. Accordingly, in some embodiments, one or both sides of the sheet may include an embossed pattern. It should be appreciated that the embossing described herein may be applied to any of the embodiments of the present disclosure.
Moreover, traditional embossing methods may utilize a common ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) wheel that may be easily adhered to the sheet. However, the liquid-silicone wheel described herein may be more easily separated from the sheet. Accordingly, the liquid-silicone wheel described herein may be used to reduce adhesion of an embossing wheel to the sheet, thereby improving the production efficiency of the sheet.
In view of the foregoing, it should be appreciated that the above disclosure describes in detail a process of manufacturing a sheet by a calendering process. However, it should be further understood that the sheet may be obtained via other processes in other embodiments, as will be described in additional detail herein.
For example, with reference now to
Initially, it should be appreciated that the feeding, plasticizing, filtering and cooling steps illustrated at blocks 521, S23, S25, S29 of
In view of the foregoing, it should be appreciated that
It should be further understood that the ratio of EVA to LLDPE in each of the embodiments described herein is exemplary in nature, such that any desired ratio of EVA to LLDPE may be utilized as may be necessitated under various circumstances. For example, in an embodiment, the ratio of EVA to LLDPE by mass is about 75 to 25. However, the ratio of EVA to LLDPE may be about 80-30, 80-25, 70-25, 70-30, or any other similar ratio without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
Referring now to
For example, with reference now to
As further depicted in
Referring still to
As further illustrated in
As depicted most clearly in
Referring still to
Referring again to
Referring now to
In the embodiments described herein, after the polymer layer 102 is attached to the fiber layer 101, the polymer layer 102 may be embedded in the holes distributed in the fiber layer 101, such that the polymer layer 102 and the fiber layer 101 are tightly bonded. For example, the embedded depth of the fiber layer 101 in the polymer layer may range from 0.06 mm to 0.1 mm, or the embedded depth of the fiber layer 101 embedded in the polymer layer may include any other similar range of depths. Furthermore, the thickness of the polymer layer 102 may range from 0.15 mm to 0.9 mm, or any other similar thickness as may be necessitated by a particular application of the sheet.
It should be understood that, in these embodiments, the term “adhesive” may refer to a PU adhesive. For example, the PU adhesive may first be diluted into a low-concentration PU adhesive solution, and a curing agent may be added to facilitate the drying and curing of the PU adhesive. In these embodiments, once the PU adhesive solution is dried and cured, the solution may be applied to the fiber layer 101 and/or the polymer layer 102. Further, the viscosity of the undiluted PU adhesive is between 35000 CPS and 100000 CPS, or within any similar range without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
Turning now to
With the mixture sheet prepared, the method may advance to block S37, which may involve applying an adhesive to a side of a fiber layer 101 (e.g., the PU adhesive solution described above), such that the adhesive forms an adhesive layer 103. In these embodiments, it should be appreciated that the fiber layer may be a fabric material (e.g., oxford cloth), as has been described hereinabove.
Referring still to
As noted hereinabove, the method of block S39 in
Although the methods described above may be used for forming the laminated material 10, and the laminated material 10 made by the methods described above, it should be further understood that the methods and laminated materials described herein may be adapted to various other embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
Referring now to
For example, in embodiments of the present disclosure, use of an organic solvent may wash away the lubricant seeping from the surface of the polymer layer 102, thereby reducing the adverse effect of the lubricant on the bonding between the adhesive layer and the polymer layer. Furthermore, in these embodiments, the organic solvent may slightly damage the surface of the mixture sheet (e.g., the polymer layer 102), which may cause swelling of the surface of the polymer layer. Such damage may cause the surface of the polymer layer 102 to be rougher than its original state, such that the polymer layer 102 is able to come into contact with the adhesive more sufficiently, and the bonding between the adhesive layer and the polymer layer is stronger than expected.
In view of the foregoing, and as depicted in
For example, as shown in
With the organic solvent prepared, the method may advance to block S43, which may involve coating a surface of the mixture sheet (i.e., the polymer layer 102) with the organic solvent. In these embodiments, the method may also involve volatizing the organic solvent, as depicted at block S45, which may simply involve allowing the coating surface to rest on the mixture sheet in order to volatilize the organic solvent present in the coating surface.
Referring still to
As further depicted in
Referring now to
In the embodiments described herein, a number of carbon atoms of the hydrocarbon of the intermediate layer 104 may be 4 to 20 carbon atoms. For example, the number of carbon atoms of the hydrocarbon may be 5, 6, 7 or 8. In embodiments in which the intermediate layer 104 comprises alkanes, these alkanes may include, but are not limited to, straight chain alkanes, branched chain alkanes, and monocyclic alkanes. Similarly, in embodiments in which the intermediate layer comprises olefins, these olefins may include, but are not limited to, mono-olefins or diolefins. In embodiments in which the intermediate layer comprises aromatic hydrocarbons, these aromatic hydrocarbons may include, but are not limited to, benzene and/or alkylbenzenes similar to toluene or xylene.
Turning now to
With the hydrocarbon and mixture sheet prepared, the method may advance to block S53, which may involve coating a surface of the mixture sheet (e.g., the polymer layer 102) with the hydrocarbon to form the intermediate layer 104. In these embodiments, the method may further include applying an adhesive (e.g., PU adhesive solution described above) to a surface of a fabric material (e.g., oxford cloth) or other type of fiber layer material, as shown at block S57, with the adhesive being used to form the adhesive layer of the laminated material 12.
Referring still to
In the embodiments described herein, it should be further noted that naphtha, a common and inexpensive chemical raw material, is composed primarily of a series of straight-chain alkanes and monocyclic alkanes, and further contains a small number of other organic compounds (e.g., bicyclic alkanes, and alkylbenzenes), with the major component being alkanes having 5 to 7 carbon atoms. Accordingly, in some embodiments, naphtha may be coated on the surface of the mixture sheet (i.e., the polymer layer 102) as the hydrocarbon in the step depicted in block S53 of
Although naphtha may allow for desirable control of production costs, as described herein, it should be noted that, in some instances, a thickness of the naphtha coating may be adverse to the uniform application of the adhesive of the adhesive layer 103. For example, the thickness of the naphtha layer may become problematic in embodiments in which the naphtha is directly coated on the surface of the mixture sheet. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the method may further include additional steps designed to resolve issues stemming from excessively thick naphtha coating, as shown in
For example, as provided most clearly in
With the naphtha solution prepared, the method may advance to block S63, which may include coating a surface of the mixture sheet (i.e., the polymer layer 102) with the solution.
In these embodiments, the solution which is used to coat the surface of the mixture sheet may be allowed to rest on the mixture sheet for a predetermined period of time, such that the organic solvent in the above solution is allowed to volatilize, as provided at block S65. In these embodiments, it should be appreciated that, as the naphtha volatizes, at least a portion of the naphtha that is dispersed in the organic solvent remains on the surface of the polymer layer 102 and forms an intermediate layer 104.
Referring still to
With the adhesive layer 103 formed, the method may finally advance to block S69, which may involve bonding the intermediate layer 104 and the adhesive layer 103. For example, the mixture sheet (i.e., the polymer layer 102) may cover the side of the fabric material coated with the adhesive, and a pressure is applied to each of the surfaces of the mixture sheet and the fabric material to cause the mixture sheet and the fabric layer to be firmly bonded by means of the adhesive. Accordingly, it should be understood that the mixture sheet forms the polymer layer 102 of the laminated material 11, the adhesive (e.g., after the solvent is volatilized) forms the adhesive layer 103 of the laminated material 11, the fabric material forms the fiber layer 101 of the laminated material 11, and the intermediate layer 104 is located between the adhesive layer 103 and the polymer layer 102. As noted hereinabove, the fabric material may also be heated before being attached to the mixture sheet.
In view of the foregoing, it should be understood that, by performing the steps described hereinabove with reference to
It should be understood that the steps performed hereinabove with reference to
Referring collectively to
In the test embodiment, the fiber layer 101 was made of nylon cloth (70D/210D). The PU adhesive solution described above was applied to a surface of the nylon cloth at 40 g/m2 at an ambient temperature of 160° C., where the surface temperature of rollers used to convey the nylon cloth was 170° C. The running speed of the nylon cloth was about 7 m/min. Furthermore, the polymer layer 102 was selected from a mixture sheet having the same parameters as the sample 3 in Table 1-2.
The mixture sheet utilized in the test embodiment (e.g., using Sample 9 as described herein) was attached to the nylon cloth, where the side facing toward the nylon cloth was an attaching side of the mixture sheet. The mixture sheet and the nylon cloth were pressed at 55 kgf/cm2 and heated respectively. The heating temperature of the mixture sheet is 160° C., the heating temperature of the nylon cloth is 105° C., and the running speed of the rollers on the surface of the laminated material was about 8 m/min. After the lamination process was completed, the material was cooled and the Sample 9 was prepared in order to verify the material properties described herein.
In addition to the Sample 9, a Sample 10 was also prepared. It should be appreciated that the preparation process for the formation of Sample 10 was substantially the same as the preparation process of the Sample 9. The difference lies in that a treatment agent (a mixture of toluene and naphtha) was applied to a binding surface of the mixture sheet at a speed of 15 m/min before the mixture sheet is attached to the nylon cloth for Sample 10, and the mixture sheet was heated in an oven to volatilize the toluene.
With Sample 9 and Sample 10 formed, each of the samples were tested to determine the instant peel strength and over-time peel strength, respectively, of each of the samples. The results of the tests are shown in Table 3. It should be understood that, as provided in Table 3, the term “instant peel strength” refers to the peel strength (N) of the laminated material when it is tested after the lamination is completed. In this test (e.g., the results depicted in Table 3), within 30 minutes after the output of the laminated material, laminated material pieces each with a width of about 3 cm and a length of about 30 cm were cut from different positions of the laminated material in a width direction, respectively. The polymer layer and the fiber layer of each laminated material piece were peeled to form an opening, respectively. The polymer layer and the fiber layer at the opening were then pulled by a tensile testing machine in order to test the average peeling force of the three material pieces, and the average peeling force is taken as the instant peel strength of the corresponding sample.
Furthermore, as provided in Table 3, the term “over-time peel strength” refers to the peel strength (N) of the laminated material tested after a period of time after the lamination is completed. In this test, after 24 hours since the laminated material was produced, laminated material pieces each with a width of about 3 cm and a length of about 30 cm were cut from different positions of the laminated material in a width direction, respectively. The polymer layer and the fiber layer of each laminated material piece were peeled to form an opening, respectively. The polymer layer and the fiber layer at the opening were then pulled by a tensile testing machine in order to test the average peeling force of the three material pieces, and the average peeling force is taken as the age peel strength of the corresponding sample.
As can be seen from Table 3, both the instant peel strength and the age peel strength of the sample 10 are greatly improved compared with that of the sample 9. It can also be seen that the peeling resistance of the sample 10 is further improved over time after the lamination process is completed.
Turning now to
Turning now to
Turning now to
Referring now to
As depicted in
With reference now to
It should be understood that the fiber layers of the laminated materials in
Turning now to
In the embodiments depicted in
Although the laminated material 12 depicted in
As illustrated in
In each of the embodiments described herein and depicted in
In view of the foregoing, it should be appreciated that the above describes in detail the various laminated materials provided in the present disclosure and the methods for manufacturing the laminated materials.
It is further noted that the laminated materials in the above embodiments can be used to manufacture a wide variety of products. For example, a producer may conveniently choose to join the separated materials together in a high-frequency welding manner or in a heat fusion manner according to the actual situations. Accordingly, utilizing only existing high-frequency welding production equipment, the producer can use the mixture sheets or the laminated materials provided in the above embodiments to manufacture inflatable products having higher strength and being more environmentally friendly. Thus, the laminated materials and the manufacturing methods thereof disclosed in the present disclosure have a wide range of applications.
Turning now to
Furthermore, in the embodiments described herein, the inflatable products may each define an “inflated state” and a “deflated state.” For example, after a pressure of gas (e.g., air) in the inflatable chamber reaches a desired value, the inflatable product is in the inflated state and maintains a certain shape. In contrast, after the gas in the inflatable chamber of the inflatable product is discharged, the inflatable product is in the deflated state, such that a volume of the inflatable product is reduced relative to that of the inflatable product in the inflated state, thereby facilitating storage of the inflatable product.
In the embodiments described herein, when the inflatable product includes a simple structure (e.g., such as for a swimming ring or other similar inflatable product), the inflatable product may further include a closed chamber that may be formed by bending a single piece of laminated material and sealing the single piece of laminated material to itself, such that the laminated material serves as an inflatable chamber for the inflatable product. In embodiments in which the inflatable product includes a more complex structure, a closed chamber may be formed by connecting multiple pieces of laminated materials together, such that the multiple pieces of the laminated material serve, collectively, as an inflatable chamber of the inflatable product. In other words, the inflatable chamber of the inflatable product may be made of one piece or several pieces of laminated material.
In the embodiments described herein, it should be understood that, after inflation, the shape of the inflatable chamber of the inflatable product may be maintained only by walls of the inflatable chamber or by the aid of additional internal structures. For example, in some embodiments, the additional internal structure may be one or more tensioning members located within the inflatable chamber, and the one or more tensioning members are connected to one or more walls of the inflatable chamber. Various embodiments of inflatable products will now be described herein with reference to
Referring now to
Turning now to
Turning now to
As further illustrated in
In other embodiments, it should be further appreciated that the upper wall 311 and the lower wall 313 may be provided with the laminated material 19 depicted in the embodiment of
Turning now to
For example, in the embodiment of
Turning now to
In these embodiments, the pool wall 51 may be composed entirely of the laminated material provided in any of the embodiments described herein. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that, the inner wall 511, the outer wall 513, the top wall 515 and the bottom wall 517 may have the same or substantially the same structure as one of the laminated materials shown in
In other embodiments, the inner wall 511 and the outer wall 513 may be formed of the laminated material 19 corresponding to the embodiment of
In the embodiments described herein (e.g., with reference to
Furthermore, in the embodiments described herein, it should be appreciated that (e.g., during transportation of the inflatable product), gas (e.g., air) in the inflatable chamber is withdrawn so that the inflatable chamber (with the filler enclosed therein) is compressed by outside atmospheric pressure. In other instances (e.g., when a user unfolds the inflatable product and prepares it for use), the inner space of the inflatable chamber is in communication with the outside atmosphere, and the filler made of the elastic and porous material pushes against the walls of the inflatable chamber to unfold them, while the outside air is sucked inside the inflatable chamber and enters pores of the filler. In this way, the volume of the inflatable product is reduced after being deflated to facilitate transportation of the inflatable product. Furthermore, after being unfolded, the inflatable product may automatically expand and draw in air with the help of the filler.
It should be further noted that the mixture sheet described herein may be used to manufacture any of the inflatable products described above. These inflatable products (e.g., those formed of the mixture sheet) differ from the inflatable products described above (e.g., those formed of the laminated material) in that part or all of the laminated material used to form the inflatable chamber is replaced with the mixture sheet. For example, in some embodiments in which the mixture sheet is used to form the inflatable product, a single mixture sheet may be bent and sealed to form a closed chamber, which may serve as an inflatable chamber of the inflatable product. In other embodiments in which the mixture sheet is used to form the inflatable product, a plurality of mixture sheets may be interconnected to form a closed chamber, which may serve as an inflatable chamber of the inflatable product.
Furthermore, in other embodiments still, it should be appreciated that the inflatable products described herein may include both mixture sheets and laminated materials. For example, one or more mixture sheets and one or more pieces of laminated material may be connected to form a closed chamber, and the closed chamber may serve as the inflatable chamber of the inflatable product.
More particularly, and in view of the foregoing, it should be understood that the walls of the swimming ring illustrated in
Referring again to
Similarly, referring again to
Although the mixture of LLDPE and EVA, the mixture sheet and the laminated material disclosed herein are described as being used to form inflatable products, it should be understood that these sheets and materials may also be used to manufacture products other than inflatable products without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
Turning now to
For example, as illustrated in
In the embodiments depicted in
Furthermore, the liner 61 depicted in
For example, in the embodiments depicted in
It should be further understood that, in the embodiment depicted in
Furthermore, referring still to
In other embodiments still, the mixture sheet described hereinabove may be used for manufacturing the above-ground pool 60 depicted in
In view of the foregoing, it should be appreciated that the present disclosure relates to a material containing a mixture of EVA and LLDPE that may be used for forming inflatable products. This material and its products have low-temperature resistance, weather fastness and durability superior to the PVC material, and is more environmentally friendly than the PVC material. Moreover, this material is adapted to both high-frequency welding and heat fusion processing, thereby providing a wide range of application prospects.
Furthermore, it should be apparent that the present disclosure is not limited to the details of the above-mentioned exemplary embodiments, and the present disclosure can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or basic features of the present disclosure. Therefore, no matter from which point of view, the embodiments should all be regarded as exemplary and non-limiting. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims rather than the above-mentioned description, and therefore it is intended that all changes which fall within the meaning and range of equivalents of the claims are embraced in the present disclosure. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the claims involved. In addition, it is apparent that the word “comprise/include” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the singular does not exclude the plural. The terms first, second, etc. are used for designations and do not represent any particular order.
It should be understood that the embodiments as shown in the drawings only show the optional shapes, sizes and arrangements of optional components of the sheet, laminated materials, and inflatable products according to the present disclosure, which are merely illustrative but not restrictive, and other shapes, sizes and arrangements may be employed without departing from the idea and scope of the present disclosure.
The technical contents and technical features of the present disclosure are disclosed above, but it can be understood that those skilled in the art would have made various variations and improvements to the concepts disclosed above under the creative idea of the present disclosure, and all the variations and improvements fall into the scope of protection of the present disclosure. The descriptions of the above embodiments are illustrative but not restrictive, and the scope of protection of the present disclosure is determined by the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202311796589.6 | Dec 2023 | CN | national |
