CA2117074C

CA2117074C - Nonwoven material used as underlayer for a fabric covering seats intended for passenger transport

Info

Publication number: CA2117074C
Application number: CA002117074A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Hendrik Vercouter; Jozef Van Kerrebrouck
Original assignee: Libeltex NV
Current assignee: Libeltex NV
Priority date: 1992-07-07
Filing date: 1992-07-07
Publication date: 1998-04-28
Anticipated expiration: 2012-07-07
Also published as: CA2117074A1; BG98636A; RO110266B1; AU656991B2; RU94018701A; PL302675A1; BG62010B1; AU2172992A; PL172598B1; PL171932B1; BR9206467A; CZ49494A3; KR100239866B1; SK28094A3; RU2090676C1

Abstract

The invention relates to the use of a nonwoven material as underlayer for a fabric covering seats intended for passenger transport by road, rail or air. The said nonwoven material is produced by a dry process and has an apparent density between 20 and 100 kg/m3 and a thickness between 4 and 20 mm. The said nonwoven material comprises a minimum of 50% of synthetic fibres of a thickness between 3 and 40 dtex and of a length between 2 and 12 cm. The fibres are needle bonded. When the nonwoven material is subjected to a static pressure of 20 cN/cm2, it retains a minimum thickness of 2 mm. The nonwoven material used in accordance with the invention is in particular intended for improving the evacuation of perspiration emanating from the user of the seat.

Description

2 1 1 7 0 7 ~ pcr/~Eg2/ooo29 ~ .

Nonwoven material l1ced ~ llnA~rl~yer for a f~hric covering seats intenA~A for ~ccenger tr~ ~o~.

The invention relates to the use of a nonwoven material as underlayer for a fabric covering seats in~nA~A
for p~scenqer trA-I~l~.L by road, rail or air. The invention also relates to the seat covering com~ -e~ of a fr~.ic with S the said nc~ ven material, adhesive bonded to it or not~, as well as to the seat in~enA~A for p~C~e~er transport and provided with this covering.
By "nor~l ~ell material" is understood what is normally called a ,c ~.~en fabric, a ~ ell mat, or a felt.
In order to e~ e the comfort of the user, a seat generally comprises: l) a ~!-~~l~r~ hling the ergonomic comfort of the user of the seat; this s ~ L
generally consists of dense foam, springs or bands; 2? a padding layer consisting of a fo~m less dense ts~an ~hat ' constituting the r ~ L (and optionally separated from the s~ L by a separating film), and 3) a cover fabric. The padding layer and the cover fabric are ~n~o~ihle for the thermo~hysio}ogical aspect of comfort.
A seat co.,_Ll~Led in this manner has a partizularly good i n~ ting~ action, which entails perspiration on the part of the user. If this perspiration is not qui~ckly evacuated, a Ai~reeable sensation of dampness results.
The insulating effect of the seat is principally due to the substantial thiÇkn~ec of dense foam constituting the ~ '1'~' ~ the film separating the dense foam from the p~inq foam, and the closed character of the p~AAi~g foam which encloses a multitude of air bubbles.
The evacuation of humidity due to perspiration on ; the part~of~the ucer is not possible throuqh the thickness of the seat, heÇ~c~ the block of foam constituting the :, ~ support prevents the humidity from being carried awa~.

WO 94/01609 PCI'/BE92/0002g ,~ ~
21170~ -The humidity must therefore be eliminated either through the sides or by ventilation, that is to say by a pumping action due to movements and vibration.
The aim of the ~l&-ent invention is to make use of a no~ e..material as underlayer for the fabric ~oveLing a seat as replacement for the foam pA~i ng layer. It is a ; particular aim that thel,o.~s~oven material used in accordance with the invention should serve both as a paA~i~g layer a~d as a thermophysiological comfort layer.
10More particularly, the ~ ent invention has the aim of using a .c rv~en material which is capable of rapidly absorbing, in the contact zone L~ e~n the user and the seat, the perspiration emanating from the user.
It is therefore the aim that the material used in accor~ance with the invention should, Lh~ l. its hydro-philic nature, be able to absorb the humidity rapidly before conveying it to the outside.
Another aim of the p.~ t invention is to use a en material c~ahl e of conveying the humidity in a direction parallel to the surface of the material.
The ~e_cnt i~-vel~ion also has the aim of using a ~r. ~c~ell material permitting the evacuation of humidity -by ventilation.
It is a particular aim that the material used in - 2~ accordance with the invention ~hould have characteristics of compressive ~LLe.~Y Lh and elasticity adequate for permitting the absG~Lion, co,.ve~ing and evacuation of humidity.
The subject of the ~e_e--L invention is the use of a l~O~OVel~ material as underlayer for a fabric covering seats int~n~-~ for pAC~en~er transport (by road, rail or air) as a replacement for the traditional foam pA~ing layer.
The nonwoven material used in accordance with the invention is proA~ce~ by a dry ~ocess. It has a density between 20 and 100 kg/m' and preferably between 30 and 60 W094/01~ 2 1 17 0 7 4 PCT/BE92/~29 kg/m', with a thickness between 4 and 40 mm and preferably between 8 and 12 mm.
The nor,~ e..material used in accordance with the invention contains a minimum of 50% of synthetic fibres, which are preferably selected from polyester, polyamide and polyoxyamide fibres, or fibres of the "s~pe~bsorbent" type, or a mixture of these various fibres. By fibres of the "superabsGL~e..L" type are understood fibres having a~
absorption c~p~city higher than 100%, that is to say fibres lo absorbing more than 1 g of water per gram of fibre. The ~e~h~Qrh~nt" fibres used are, for example, those marketed under the names T~n-=61~, Fi~e~ b~, or Bemliese~.
The ay,-LheLic fibres selected are a-lv~,lLageously polyester fibres. The fibres used are preferably hy~lo~hilic or are made hydrophllic by a~p~G~iate ~ ~aLment.
The synthetic fibres included in the composition of the material used in a_~oL~ance with the invention have a ~h~ r~s5 between 3 and 40 dtex and preferably between 6 and 20 dtex, and a length between 2 and 12 cm and preferably between 5 and 7.5 cm.
The nonwoven material used in a~c~ance with the invention may contain up to 50% of natural and/or artificial fibres,~which may for example be cellulose (cotton, rayon, vi~-o~s),or wool fibres. - ~ -2S The fibres constituting the material used in accor~-nce with the invention are needle honAe~.
In one particular er~oAi~ent of the inventior said fibres are both needle honA~ and heat bonded In - ;
case the nonwoven material must contain a certain percen~ge of "heat hon~ing" fibres.
By heat honAing fibres are understood fibres whose melting point is lower than that o~ the main fibres, or fibres having a surface layer whose melting point is lower than that of the interior part of the fibre ("two

3~ component" fibres~.
In another embodiment of the invention the fi~res ~, , ~ ~

WO 94/01609 ' PCIYBE92/0002~,, are hon~e~ both by needling and by chemical hon~ing. This chemical honAinq is effected by spraying the fibres with a resin, which may for example be an aqueou~ emulsion of polyacrylate or polyurethane resin.
The ~G~ S ~e.~ material used in acco~ance with the invention has sufficient compressive ~L.en~Lh to ensure that, when it is subjected to a static pressure of 20 cN/cm2 (which COL~ C to the pressure exerted by the~
weight of an average person), it will retain a minimum thic~n~sc of 2 mm. It is advantageous for this minimum thic~ecc to be 4 mm.
This minimum thickness of 2 mm or even of 4 mm is y in order to allow the material to absorb the perspiration emanating from the user of the seat and to ~o~we~ this humidity in a direction parallel to the surface of the material, or to convey it by ventilation.
The subject of the invention is also a covering for seats intended for ra~r~er L,~ ,o-L, which comprises a cover fabric and a nonwoven material, the said material having the characteristics enumerated above.
In another embodiment of the ~G~ering according to the invention the cover fabric and the nonwoven material may~be adhesive bonded together by one of the techniques known to the men ckilled in the art. This adhesive hon~in~
may for example be effeated with the aid of adhesive means such as a ~isp~rsion, an emulsion or a solution of adhesive, or such as a thermoplastic powder, film or coating. This adhesive means may for exàmple be applied by atomisation, sprinkl;n~ Le~.,ation or impression.
Yet another subject of the ~L e_e.. L invention is a cover material for seats in~en~e~ for rAsscn~er transport, '' which concicts of a cover fabric adhesive bonded to a nonwoven material which has the characteristics enumerated above. The adhesive bonding may be effected by one of the ~ 3~ technigues known to the men skilled in the art and ;~ enumerated above.

:
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: ' wo 94/ol~ 2 1 1 7 0 7 4 PCT/BE92/ ~ 29 :

In addition, the invention has as a subject a seat in~en~e~ for pACsenqer tral,_~GL- (by road, rail or air) which has a covering or cover material according to the invention. ~~~
Additional characteristics of the invention will also emerge in the course of the description of examples of embodiment of the invention, these examples being in no way limitative.
MPT.P! ~.
The nor~ .~e~material used in accordance with the invention comprises two types of fibres, which are available as a mixture under the reference ~D-291 Quallofil-" from the ~u~c.,L de Nemours Company. This is a mixture of hollow, ; fo~ _hannel ther~obonding and polyester fibres of 13 dtex, the~percentaga of hollow volume being greater than 23% of - ~ the total volume of the fibre~ The length of the fibres is 7 to 8 cm. A ~pecial finish gives this fibre a smooth, hydro p ilic ~urf~ace and a low inflammability character.
The mixture of fibres has been carded and n~rp~~
by ~ec~n~ques well known to the men skilled in the art. The fibres were the~ G.I needle~honde~ and then heat hon~
The material thus obtained has a thic~n~sc of 10 mm and an apparent density of 40 kg/m'. It has a compressivé ~Lle,.~Lh such that, when subjected to a static p~essure of 20 cN/cm2, this material retains a thic~n~s~ of - 8.5 mm.
This nor~c~e-- material has been tested in com-parison with a stan~-rd foam on a "skin model" according to the S~A~ rd DIN 504-101 Part 1. This s~An~Ard is in addition ~rc~ as a dra$t s~An~rd under the reference ~; IS0/TC 38/SC 8 H 156.
The parameters tested are as follows: thermal resistance: R~ (measured in m~ X/w), humidity trAnC~Qrt resistance: R~e (measured in m2 mbar/w), and humidity ~; 35 absorption capacity Fi (expressed in %) (weight of water absorbed per dry weight 0~ ~roduct). These three parameters W094/01~ PCT/BE92/ ~ 29 2117~74 ~

were measured under static conditions, that is to say by subjecting the no~ ell material or the foam to a static load of 20 cN/cm2. The three parameters were also measured under dynamic conditions, that is to say by~subjecting the nonwoven material or the foam to im~ er of 20 cN/cm~ twice a ~ A .
The fourth parameter measured is the ventilation rate : V e~essed in ~

V = ~t lln~er S~iC cnn~i~ions - R~ nder ~ynamic cond.
R.~ under static conditions The results of these comparative tests are given - in the fo~ ing tables:
Static conditions:
TABLE 1 R~ (m2 K/w) R~ (m~ mbar/w) Fi (%) Foam 7.626 1.715 3.6 Non~e,. material 7.931 1.2~9 5.3 Dynamic conditions:
TABLE 2 R~ (~2 K/w)R,~ (m~ mbar/w) Fi (%) Fo~m 3.454 1.318 0.7 Nonwoven~material 4.161 0.867 1.0 .... .. .
It may be concluded from these tables that, althou~h it has a slightly higher thermal resistance, the nonwoven material has a lower humidity trA~ )o,- resistance and better humidity absorption capacity than the foam layer.
The ventilation rate amounts for the nonwoven material to 32% ((1.279-0.867)/1.279) and for the foam layer to 23% ((1.715-1.318)/1.715), which means that the effect of vibration and movements results in a more substantial i,~c~ -e of humidity tran~fer in the case of the nonwoven material than in the case of the foam layer.

wo 94/ol~n 2 1 1 7 0 7 4 PCT/BE92/ ~ 29 ~YI~MPT.F~ 2 .
The nonwoven material used in accordance with the invention comprises three types of fibres:
1) and 2) A standard mixture of two types oP ~ibres bearing the ref~le..~e "D-291 Quallofil-n of the ~u~,.L de Nemours Company, co~eisting of hollow four-channel fibres of the "therm~ Ain~" type and polyester fibres, of 13 dtex, the length of which varies ~ een 7 and 8 cm.
3) "Vivrelle-n fibre type 950 of the SNIA Company, of a 10thic~ ess of 3.3 dtex and a len~th varying from 3.5 to 4.5 c~ .
These three types of fibres were mixed in a ratio of 70% of the "D-291 Quallofil-" mixture to 30% of ~Vivrelle-~ fibres.
~ 15~he mixture of fibres was carded and ~ ~rre~ in ; a~o,~ with ~e~hniq~es well known to those skilled in the art. The fibres were then needle bonded and heat 1~
The material thus obtained has a thickness of 11 rm and an ~ density of 35 kg/m'. It has a compressive ~ LL ~ Lh such that, when it is sub~ected to a static ~e ~ure of 20 cN/cm~, it retains a thickness of 7 mm .
~!XAyP!.l;! 3 .
~ The ~ ~Ling for r~C~e~ger trans~o,L seats according to the invention comprises the Ac ~el, material whose characteristics are given in Example 1, and the cover fabric "MILPOINT-n of the Guilford Company. This material and this fabric were adhesive hQ~ to one another by means of a thermoplastic powder of the copolyester type, spplied by sprinkling.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. Use of a nonwoven material as underlayer for a fabric covering seats intended for passenger transport by road, rail or air, the said material being produced by a dry process, having an apparent density between 20 and 100 kg/m3 and a thickness between 4 and 40 mm, and comprising a minimum of 50% of synthetic fibres of a thickness between 3 and 40 dtex and a length between 2 and 12 cm which are needle bonded, the said material having a minimum thickness of 2 mm when a static pressure of 20 cN/cm2 is applied to it.

2. Use according to claim 1, characterised in that the said material has an apparent density between 30 and 60 kg/m3.

3. Use according to claim 1, characterised in that the said material has a thickness between 8 and 12 mm.

4. Use according to claim 1, characterised in that the said synthetic fibres are selected from the group comprising polyester fibres, polyamide fibres, polyoxyamide fibres or fibres of the "superabsorbent" type, or a mixture thereof.

5. Use according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterised in that the said fibres have a thickness between 6 and 20 dtex.

6. Use according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterised in that the said fibres have a length between 5 and 7.5 cm.

7. Use according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterised in that the said fibres are both needle bonded and heat bonded.

8. Use according to any of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterised in that the said fibres are both needle bonded and chemically bonded.

9. Use according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterised in that the said material has a minimum thickness of 4 mm when a static pressure of 20 cN/cm2 is applied to it.

10. Covering for seats intended for passenger transport, characterised in that it comprises a cover fabric and a nonwoven material which is produced by a dry process, the said material having an apparent density between 20 and 100 kg/m3 and a thickness between 4 and 40 mm and comprising a minimum of 50% of synthetic fibres of a thickness of 3 to 40 dtex and a length of 2 to 12 cm, which are needle bonded, the said material having a minimum thickness of 2 mm when a static pressure of 20 cN/cm2 is applied to it.

11. Covering according to claim 10, characterised in that the said material is adhesive bonded to the said cover fabric.

12. Covering according to either of claims 10 or 11, characterised in that the said material has an apparent density between 30 and 60 kg/m3.

13. Covering according to either of claims 10 or 11, characterised in that the said material has a thickness between 8 and 12 mm.

14. Covering according to either of claims 10 or 11, characterised in that the said synthetic fibres are selected from the group comprising polyester fibres, polyamide fibres, polyoxyamide fibres or fibres of the "superabsorbent" type, or a mixture thereof.

15. Covering according to either of claims 10 or 11, characterised in that the fibres have a thickness between 6 and 20 dtex.

16. Covering according to either of claims 10 or 11, characterised in that the said fibres have a length between 5 and 7.5 cm.

17. Covering according to either of claims 10 or 11, characterised in that the said fibres are both needle bonded and heat bonded.

18. Covering according to either of claims 10 or 11, characterised in that the said fibres are both needle bonded and chemically bonded.

19. Covering according to any one of claims 10 or 11, characterized in that the said material has a minimum thickness of 4 mm when a static pressure of 20 cN/cm2 is applied to it.