CA1306331C - Vacuum deep-drawing device for producing upholstery including foam-backed covers - Google Patents

Vacuum deep-drawing device for producing upholstery including foam-backed covers

Info

Publication number
CA1306331C
CA1306331C CA000583700A CA583700A CA1306331C CA 1306331 C CA1306331 C CA 1306331C CA 000583700 A CA000583700 A CA 000583700A CA 583700 A CA583700 A CA 583700A CA 1306331 C CA1306331 C CA 1306331C
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
cover
mold chamber
seating surface
opening
deep
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
CA000583700A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Helmut Storch
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Intier Automotive Inc
Original Assignee
Intier Automotive Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Intier Automotive Inc filed Critical Intier Automotive Inc
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1306331C publication Critical patent/CA1306331C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29CSHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C51/00Shaping by thermoforming, i.e. shaping sheets or sheet like preforms after heating, e.g. shaping sheets in matched moulds or by deep-drawing; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C51/26Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
    • B29C51/261Handling means, e.g. transfer means, feeding means
    • B29C51/262Clamping means for the sheets, e.g. clamping frames
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29CSHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C44/00Shaping by internal pressure generated in the material, e.g. swelling or foaming ; Producing porous or cellular expanded plastics articles
    • B29C44/02Shaping by internal pressure generated in the material, e.g. swelling or foaming ; Producing porous or cellular expanded plastics articles for articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
    • B29C44/12Incorporating or moulding on preformed parts, e.g. inserts or reinforcements
    • B29C44/14Incorporating or moulding on preformed parts, e.g. inserts or reinforcements the preformed part being a lining
    • B29C44/143Means for positioning the lining in the mould
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29LINDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
    • B29L2031/00Other particular articles
    • B29L2031/771Seats

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Moulds For Moulding Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
  • Blow-Moulding Or Thermoforming Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A double-acting stretch frame is proposed for vacuum deep-drawing of covers in the course of producing foam upholstery, which has a narrow edge and preferably an additional sealing device, so that the applied cover can be assuredly retained after a certain amount of moving into the hollow mold chamber.

Description

:IL3~633~

VACUUM DEEP-DRAWING DEVICE FOR PRODUCING
UPHOLSTERY INCLUDING FOAM-BACKED COVERS
The invention relates to a vacuum deep-drawing device for producing upholstery including foam-backed covers in which the sliding of the drawn cover into the hollow mold chamber of the deep-drawing mold is controlled by means of a stretch frame pressing the cover against a cover seating surface of the deep-drawing mold.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The known vacuum deep-drawing devices of this type are primarily used for deep-drawing and foam-backing of stretchless covers without formation of large creases in the cover after it slides into the hollow mold chamber. Such crease formation is to be particularly feared in case of greater drawing depths and large mold undercuts, e.g., side cheeks of upholstered automobile seats. Because in these vacuum deep-drawing devices in accordance with the state of the art the stretch frame only acts two-dimensionally on the cover until the start of the foam backing operation, the cover clamped between the stretch frame and the cover seating surface of the deep-drawing mold will continue to slide into the hollow mold chamber until the cover completely rests against the wall of the hollow~mold chamber.
Because the cover is not fastened down, it is not possible to obtain a small amount of stretching of the cover, which per se is stretchless, towards the end of its sliding into the hollow mold chamber, i.e., shortly before the cover completely rests against the wall of the hollow mold chamber, The ~L30~33~

lack of stretchability of the per se stretchless cover at the end of the vacuum deep-drawing operation has the effect that it is not always assured that no creases are formed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to improve the vacuum deep-drawing device postulated as known above such that it becomes possible to avoid the crease formation discussed to an even larger degree and to increase the shaping of the contour of the cover.
This object is attained by means of the invention by the stretch frame having a relatively small area located near the edge of the hollow mold lS chamber for the purpose of retaining the cover after it has moved into the hollow mold chamber and before it completely rests against the wall.
Initially, the vacuum deep-drawing device according to the invention operates the same as the one according to the state of the art. First, the cover is only two-dimensionally pressed against the cover seating surface of the deep-drawing mold so that when suction is applied it can move into the hollow mold frame between the relatively large cover engaging surface area of the stretch frame and the cover seating surface. As soon as the substantially stretchless cover has moved sufficiently far into the hollow mold chamber, the stretch frame is pressed against the cover seating surface of the deep-drawing mold until a relatively small surface area of a narrow edge formed on a cover stopping structure constituting a side wall of the stretch frame engages the cover. Because of its small cover ~3~3~

engaging surface area, this narrow edge naturally exerts a high degree of pressure on the cover when engaged and is able to hold it against the force of a large vacuum inside the hollow mold chamber of the deep-drawing mold, so that the cover is subjected to stretching which counteracts the formation of creases at the end of the deep-drawing operation.
At the same time an improvement in sealing against the outside is attained because of the squeezing of the cover by the narrow edge, so that it is easier to attain increased vacuum forces in the hollow mold chamber at the end of the deep-drawing operation by means of which the airtight cover is to be further stretched at the end of the deep-drawing operation. The narrow edge is thus doubly advantageous.
The narrow edge also has the great advantage that the point in space and/or time at which the cover is to be retained can be exactly determined, in contrast to a two-dimensional friction-type control where the border between sliding and not-sliding is vague and cannot be accurately and dependably controlled. Because of this the cover which is to be deep-drawn and foam-backed can be cut so closely that at the end ofdeep-drawing the cover extends out of the hollow mold chamber only a little beyond the narrow edge of the stretch frame so that, in contrast to the state of the art! subsequent cutting of the cover is not reguired. Aside from the savings in material, an operational step is also saved, which has a considerable effect on the lowering of production costs.
It should also be mentioned that on the basis of improved sealing because of the narrow edge ~3~63;3~

the installed vacuum output of the vacuum deep-drawing device may also be less compared to the state of the art, which helps in the saving of energy. This, too, obviously is of advantage regarding manufacturing costs.
For practical reasons the stretch frame is disposed as a hollow body open towards the clamped-in cover, the side wall of which oriented towards the hollow mold chamber has the narrow edge and the side wall of which oriented away from th0 hollow mold chamber has a sealing device cooperating with the free cover seating surface of the deep-drawing mold.
In this embodiment of the invention the sealing effect is improved to a further degree. The vacuum pull, acting through the textile material at the wall of the hollow mold chamber as well as on the upper surface of the cover resting on the cover seating surface in spite of the pressure of the narrow edge, further presses the stretch frame against the cover seating surface of the deep drawing mold.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent during the course of the following detailed description and appended claims.
The invention may best be understood with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein illustrative~embodiments are shown.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a schematic partial section through the vacuum deep-drawing device accordLng to the invention after the stretch frame is attached but prior to the action of the narrow edge, and ~3~6~3~.

Figure 2 is the same par~ial section as in Figure 1 after the narrow edge has become active.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A vacuum deep-drawing mold 10 has a hollow mold chamber 12 into which terminate vacuum lines 14 for the purpose of creating low pressure. By means of the low pressure a substantially stretchless cover 16 is drawn in and is pressed with the aid of a stretch frame 18 against the cover seating surface 20 surrounding the opening of the hollow mold chamber 12. The stretch frame 18 is in the form of a hollow body having a U-shaped cross section, the open side of which is oriented towards the cover 16 and in which, as shown, an annular pressure frame 22 is disposed which is pressed in an outwardly direction by a pressure spring 26 supported on a stationary bar 24. Guide bolts 28 provide the guidance of the pressure frame and limit the maximum distance of the pressure frame 22 from the stationary bar 24.
The stretch frame 18 is pivotable around a shaft 30 so that it can be pivoted away from the hollow mold chamber 12 for the purpose of placing the cover on the vacuum deep-drawing mold 10. A
plurality of connecting rods 32 act on the shaft 30 which are capable of:pressing the stretch frame 18 against the~vacuum deep-drawing mold 10. Because the stretch frame 18~extends around the hollow mold chamber 12, a~similar pulling device i5 disposed on the side of the hollow mold chamber opposite the shat 30, so that it can be evenly acted upon. This pulling device is not shown~ but known to one skilled in the art in this field and may be designed ~L306;~3~

similar to pulling device on the left side of the drawing of the deep-drawing device 10. As shown in the drawing, the connecting rod 32 is guided on the deep-drawing mold 10 by means of a U-shaped retainer 34 and is acted upon as illustrated by a helical spring 36 such that the stretch frame 18 has a set distance x from the cover seating surface 20, so that, when the stretch frame 18 is pivoted downward, only the pressure frame 22 rests on the cover 16 with a force determined by the force of the spring 26. A compressed air drive element (inflatable member) is provided between the leg of the U-shaped retainer 34, which is on the bottom in the drawing, and a stop 38 of the connecting rod 32 disposed outside of the retainer disposed outside of the retainer 34, which, then charged with compressed air ~see Figures 1 and 2) pulls the connecting rod 32 and with it the stretch frame 18 downward against the cover seating surface 20.
In accordance with the invention and as shown, the stretch frame has, on the side oriented towards the hollow mold chamber 12, a stopping structure which provides a narrow edge 42 of relatively small cover engaging surface area, which is pressed against the cover 16 when the compressed air drive element 40 is fully charged with compressed air, and retains the cover as shown in Figure 2 after it has been drawn into the hollow mold chamber 12 to a large extent by the vacuum created between the cover and the wall of the hollow mold chamber, as shown in Figure 20 Prior to this, the cover 16, as shown in Figure 1, can slide between the pressure frame 22 and the cover seating surface 20 of the vacuum deep-drawing mold 10 when being drawn into the hollow mold chamber as known per se.

3L3~3~

The side of the stretch frame 18 oriented away from the hollow mold chamber 12 has a sealing device 44 as shown, which comes into contact with the free part of the cover seating surface 20 (i~e.
not the part of the cover seating surface 20 which is covered by the cover 16) after the cover 16 has been drawn into the hollow mold chamber 12 sufficiently far and which is retained by the narrow edge 42. In this manner leakage through the upper surface of the textile material lying against the cover seating surface 20 and the wall of the hollow mold chamber 12 is assuredly avoided and the stretch frame 18 is pressed even more firmly against the deep-drawing mold by means of a reaction effect.
An upper part of the vacuum deep-drawing device, not shown in detail, in which the mixing head for foam-backing the cover is located, has been designated with 46.
It thus will be seen that the objects of this invention~have been fully and effectively accomplished. It will be realized, however, that the foregoing preferred specific embodiments have been shown and described for the purpose of illustrating the functional and structural principles of this invention and are subject to change without departure from such principles.
Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed~within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

: , .

Claims (6)

1. A vacuum deep-drawing device for producing upholstery of the type including a foam-backed cover comprising a deep-drawing mold having wall means opening in one direction so as to define a mold chamber and cover seating surface means extending around the opening of the wall means defining the mold chamber, stretch frame means having cover controlling means for pressing a cover onto said cover seating surface means in such a way as to allow the cover to be controllably moved along said cover seating surface means as the cover is drawn into the opening of the mold chamber, said stretch frame means including an annular cover stopping structure having a relatively small cover engaging surface area mounted for movement toward and away from said cover seating surface means near the edge of the opening of the mold chamber, and means for moving said cover stopping means toward said cover seating surface means to engage and stop cover movement along said cover seating surface means at a time after the cover has been drawn into the mold chamber but before the cover has been drawn fully against the wall means defining the mold chamber.
2. A vacuum deep-drawing device as defined in claim 1 wherein said stretch frame means is in the form of a hollow body of generally U-shaped cross-sectional configuration open towards said cover seating surface means, said hollow body including a pair of spaced interconnected annular sidewalls defining said U-shaped configuration, said cover stopping structure comprising one of said annular side walls nearest the opening of said mold chamber, said one side wall including a continuous annular narrow edge providing said relatively small cover-engaging surface area.
3. A vacuum deep-drawing device as defined in claim 2 wherein said cover controlling means comprises a spring pressed annular pressure frame having a relatively large cover engaging surface area.
4. A vacuum deep-drawing device as defined in claim 3 wherein the other of said pair of sidewalls includes an edge having a continuous annular sealing device for sealingly engaging with an annular portion of said cover seating surface means spaced from the opening of said mold chamber.
5. A vacuum deep-drawing device as defined in claim 2 wherein the other of said pair of sidewalls includes an edge having a continuous annular sealing device for sealingly engaging with an annular portion of said cover seating surface means spaced from the opening of said mold chamber.
6. A method of producing upholstery of the type including a foam-backed cover with the use of a deep drawing mold having wall means opening in one direction so as to define a mold chamber and cover seating surface means extending around the opening of the wall means defining the mold chamber, said method comprising the steps of pressing a cover onto said cover seating surface means while drawing the cover into said mold chamber so as to enable the cover to controllably move along said cover seating surface means as the cover is drawn into the mold chamber, stopping the movement of said cover along said cover seating surface means before the cover has been drawn fully into engagement with the wall means defining the mold chamber, and thereafter retaining the cover against movement along the cover seating surface means while drawing the cover fully into engagement with the wall means defining the mold chamber.
CA000583700A 1987-11-25 1988-11-22 Vacuum deep-drawing device for producing upholstery including foam-backed covers Expired - Fee Related CA1306331C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE19873739843 DE3739843A1 (en) 1987-11-25 1987-11-25 VACUUM DRAWING DEVICE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF UPHOLSTERY WITH REAR FOAMED
DEP3739843.1-16 1987-11-25

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1306331C true CA1306331C (en) 1992-08-18

Family

ID=6341170

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000583700A Expired - Fee Related CA1306331C (en) 1987-11-25 1988-11-22 Vacuum deep-drawing device for producing upholstery including foam-backed covers

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0319763B1 (en)
JP (1) JPH01166932A (en)
CA (1) CA1306331C (en)
DE (2) DE3739843A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3937107A1 (en) * 1989-11-07 1991-05-08 Akzo Gmbh MOLDED PART FROM FOAM AND ITS PRODUCTION
GB9005060D0 (en) * 1990-03-07 1990-05-02 Dunlop Ltd Fabric-clamping device for mould
EP0790010B1 (en) * 1996-02-16 2001-04-11 Iron Fox S.r.l. Assembly machine for shoes
DE19731561B4 (en) * 1997-07-23 2014-11-06 Johnson Controls Interiors Gmbh & Co. Kg Mold for producing molded parts
DE102011088133B4 (en) 2011-12-09 2024-07-04 Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft Method for producing a three-dimensional upholstery cover for a seat or the like and a three-dimensional upholstery cover produced by the method

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2224759C3 (en) * 1972-05-20 1975-01-09 Hans Guenter 2870 Delmenhorst Moeller Holding frame for thermoplastic plastic sheets to be heated in an oven and deformed in a deep-drawing mold
GB1509915A (en) * 1974-08-01 1978-05-04 Dunlop Ltd Moulding of composite upholstery articles
GB1598768A (en) * 1978-05-26 1981-09-23 Uop Inc Vacuum forming apparatus and clamping apparatus for use therein
DE3034973C2 (en) * 1980-09-17 1983-11-24 Metzeler Schaum Gmbh, 8940 Memmingen Device for pulling upholstery material into a foam backing mold

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0319763A1 (en) 1989-06-14
JPH01166932A (en) 1989-06-30
DE3739843C2 (en) 1989-11-23
DE3863764D1 (en) 1991-08-22
DE3739843A1 (en) 1989-06-08
EP0319763B1 (en) 1991-07-17

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