CN220973572U

CN220973572U - Sheet, inflated product, and sheet manufacturing apparatus

Info

Publication number: CN220973572U
Application number: CN202322124932.4U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 曾祥林
Original assignee: Bestway Inflatables and Material Corp
Current assignee: Bestway Inflatables and Material Corp
Priority date: 2023-08-08
Filing date: 2023-08-08
Publication date: 2024-05-17
Anticipated expiration: 2033-08-08

Abstract

The present utility model provides a sheet, an inflated product, and a sheet manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing the sheet, wherein the inflated product is at least partially made of the sheet. The sheet comprises a fabric layer, an adhesive layer and a substrate layer, wherein the substrate layer comprises a first layer and a second layer, the first layer comprises a first high polymer material, the second layer comprises a second high polymer material, the melting point of the first high polymer material is higher than that of the second high polymer material, the substrate layer is formed after the first high polymer material with fluidity and the second high polymer material with fluidity are combined, and the fabric layer is attached to the first layer through the adhesive layer. The sheet is used for welding, so that the air tightness of an inflatable product is better, the air leakage phenomenon of the inflatable product is reduced, the yield is improved, and the bonding strength between the first layer and the second layer of the base material layer of the sheet is high.

Description

Sheet, inflated product, and sheet manufacturing apparatus

Technical Field

The present utility model relates generally to the field of sheet manufacture. In particular, the present utility model relates to a sheet, an inflatable product made at least in part from the sheet, and a manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method of the sheet.

Background

When camping in the field, due to the ice-cold and hard ground, a camper often needs an inflatable cushion that is convenient to carry to insulate and provide cushioning. Inflatable mattresses generally include a top sheet and a bottom sheet connected to each other to form an inflatable chamber. The top and bottom sheets of existing inflatable cushions are typically composite sheets. For example, the topsheet and backsheet may be composite sheets formed by laminating a fabric to a TPU film, wherein the fabric is the outer layer and the TPU film is the inner layer. The TPU film is used for forming a closed air chamber for the inflatable cushion. Because the fabric is breathable, the ventilation of air cannot be prevented, and therefore the existence of the TPU film enables gas to remain in the product during inflation, and the effect of preventing air leakage is achieved. The fabric has the function of improving the touch hand feeling of the surface of the inflatable cushion and improving the comfort degree of the human body contacting the fabric when the human body contacts the inflatable cushion.

In order to facilitate the storage and carrying of the inflatable cushion, the inflatable cushion is often required to be lighter and thinner. Thus, the thinner the thickness of the TPU film is, the better the air tightness of the inflatable cushion is ensured. Currently, the TPU film in most composite sheets of inflatable mattresses is a film formed from one or more layers of TPU material of the same melting point, commonly referred to as a single temperature TPU film.

In making an inflatable cushion, a technician typically places a top sheet formed of a fabric-attached single temperature TPU film and a bottom sheet formed of a fabric-attached single temperature TPU film together on a welding apparatus. The fabric of the top sheet was up and the single temperature TPU film was down. The single temperature TPU film of the bottom sheet is upward and the fabric is downward. The top sheet is placed over the bottom sheet. Thus, the single temperature TPU film of the topsheet and the single temperature TPU film of the backsheet are placed facing each other. The technician uses a welding apparatus to weld together the single temperature TPU film of the top sheet and the single temperature TPU film of the bottom sheet. The outer layer fabric of the top sheet and the outer layer fabric of the bottom sheet are both placed towards the outside and are not welded with other materials.

When used to make finished inflatable cushions, the composite sheet comprising the single temperature TPU film and the fabric has high requirements on the precision of production equipment/dies and production process of the inflatable cushion. Specifically, when the single-temperature TPU film of the top sheet and the single-temperature TPU film of the bottom sheet are welded to each other, there is a heat loss when the heat of the welding apparatus is transferred inside the welding apparatus, and the heat loss is often difficult to measure accurately and has fluctuation, so that the actual welding temperature often has a certain deviation from the set welding temperature inevitably, and the deviation fluctuates, which is difficult to control and predict. On the other hand, when welding the single temperature TPU film of the top sheet and the single temperature TPU film of the bottom sheet, a mold is used, and a technician typically installs the mold above and below the welding device, and heat of the welding device is transferred to the mold, and transferred to the single temperature TPU film through the mold, thereby welding the single temperature TPU films of the top sheet and the bottom sheet. The shapes, materials, sizes and thicknesses of the various molds are different, so that the heat conducting properties of the various molds may also be different, and the actual welding temperature may further deviate from the set welding temperature. In addition, since the room temperature may be different at each production, the ambient temperature around the welding apparatus may be different, which may also cause the actual welding temperature to deviate from the set welding temperature. Finally, the welding duration controlled by the technician may also deviate. Too long a welding time may cause the welding temperature to overheat, and too short a welding time may cause the welding temperature to supercool.

The higher welding temperature or longer welding time can lead the single-temperature TPU film to be melted in a large area or completely melted, and the formed small holes or blank areas can lead to air leakage when the single-temperature TPU film is applied to an inflatable cushion; the lower welding temperature or the shorter welding time can cause the single temperature TPU film of the top sheet and the bottom sheet of the inflatable cushion to be hardly melted, the top sheet and the bottom sheet can not be adhered or the adhesion degree is poor, a completely sealed air chamber can not be formed, and the inflatable cushion can not be used because of air leakage when in use.

In summary, when the inflatable cushion is manufactured by using the composite sheet formed by the single-temperature TPU film and the fabric after being attached, due to inherent limitations of equipment, environment and manual operation, it is difficult to completely and precisely control the welding temperature and the welding time, and no matter the welding temperature is higher or longer or the welding time is lower or shorter, the inflatable cushion leaks air, so that the product has defects, and the qualification rate of the finished product is reduced.

Disclosure of utility model

The object of the present utility model is to solve the problems of the prior art described above and to propose an improved sheet, an inflatable product at least partly made of the sheet, and a device and a method for manufacturing the sheet.

To this end, according to a first aspect of the present utility model, there is provided a sheet comprising a fabric layer, an adhesive layer, and a base material layer, the base material layer comprising a first layer and a second layer, the first layer comprising a first polymer material and the second layer comprising a second polymer material, the first polymer material having a melting point higher than that of the second polymer material, wherein the base material layer is formed by joining the flowable first polymer material and the flowable second polymer material, and the fabric layer is bonded to the first layer through the adhesive layer.

Since the first polymer material of the first layer and the second polymer material of the second layer of the sheet according to the present utility model have a certain difference in melting points, when the sheet is welded, the second layer of the lower melting point can be melted for welding by setting the welding temperature between the melting point of the first polymer material and the melting point of the second polymer material, while the first layer of the higher melting point also maintains structural integrity without melting and ventilation. If there is a certain deviation between the actual welding temperature and the set welding temperature due to the deviation of the temperature of the welding device, the difference of the heat conducting property of the mold, the difference of the ambient temperature, the deviation of the welding time or other reasons, the second layer can still be melted for welding as long as the actual welding temperature is still between the melting point of the first polymer material and the melting point of the second polymer material, and the first layer is kept intact and airtight. Therefore, when the substrate layer of the sheet includes the first layer and the second layer, the sensitivity of the product quality to the welding temperature will be greatly reduced, in other words, even if there is a deviation in the welding temperature, whether upward or downward, the inflated product will still be a qualified product as long as the deviated temperature is still between the melting point of the first polymer material and the melting point of the second polymer material. Therefore, the sheet material of the utility model is used for welding, thereby greatly reducing the negative influence of welding temperature deviation and welding time deviation on the product quality, further reducing the problem of air leakage of the inflatable product, leading the air tightness of the inflatable product to be better, improving the yield and reducing the production cost, and simultaneously leading the welding operation of technicians to be simpler. The base material layer of the sheet is formed by combining the first and second flowable polymer materials, so that no air bubbles are formed between the first and second layers, and the bonding strength between the first and second layers is high, so that the sheet is not easily separated. The substrate layers comprising the first and second layers may be substantially the same thickness as compared to the substrate layers of current single temperature TPU films having only one layer, and thus the sheet of the present utility model remains lightweight and thin. Further, the substrate layer comprising the first layer and the second layer has lower requirements for the welding operation than the substrate layer of the single temperature TPU film, can withstand a wider range of welding temperature variations and welding time variations, and does not affect the product quality, so that the substrate layer comprising the first layer and the second layer can be made even thinner than the substrate layer of the single temperature TPU film.

According to the above technical idea, the first aspect of the present utility model may further include any one or more of the following optional forms.

In some alternatives, the substrate layer includes an intermediate layer between the first layer and the second layer, the intermediate layer including a mixture of a first polymeric material and a second polymeric material.

In some alternative forms, each of the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material is comprised of one or more of a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, or polyurethane.

In some alternative forms, the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material are both thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers.

In some alternative forms, the melting point of the first polymeric material is at least 15 ℃ higher than the melting point of the second polymeric material.

In some alternatives, the adhesive layer is formed from a polyurethane-based adhesive.

In some alternative forms, the polyurethane adhesive is a solvent-based PU adhesive, a water-based PU adhesive, or a PUR hot melt adhesive.

In some alternatives, the fabric layer includes a polyurethane coating on a side facing the adhesive layer.

In some alternatives, the first layer HAs a shore a hardness ranging from 80HA to 98HA and the second layer HAs a shore a hardness ranging from 75HA to 95HA.

In some alternatives, the ratio of the thickness of the first layer to the thickness of the second layer ranges from 1:1 to 1:4.

In some alternatives, the thickness of the substrate layer ranges from 0.01mm to 0.40mm.

According to a second aspect of the present utility model there is provided an inflatable product, at least a portion of which is made from a sheet material according to the first aspect of the present utility model.

The second aspect of the utility model may further comprise any one or more of the following optional forms.

In some alternatives, the inflatable product is an inflatable cushion comprising a top sheet and a bottom sheet connected to each other to define an inflatable chamber, wherein the top sheet and the bottom sheet are made of the sheet.

In some alternatives, the inflatable cushion further comprises a connecting tab disposed within the inflatable chamber between the top sheet and the bottom sheet and comprising a plurality of first welding regions and a plurality of second welding regions, wherein the plurality of first welding regions and the plurality of second welding regions are offset from each other, the plurality of first welding regions being welded to the top sheet, the plurality of second welding regions being welded to the bottom sheet.

In some alternatives, the inflatable cushion further comprises at least one heat shield disposed within the inflatable chamber, and each heat shield comprises a polymeric substrate and a metal plating plated on at least one of the front and back sides of the polymeric substrate.

In some alternatives, the inflatable cushion further comprises a plurality of tensioning members, each of which has a top edge and a bottom edge welded to the top sheet and the bottom sheet, respectively.

In some alternative forms, the tensioning member is made from the sheet material, or from a substrate layer of the sheet material.

In some alternatives, the inflatable cushion further comprises a foam core, and the top sheet and the bottom sheet conform to a top surface and a bottom surface of the foam core, respectively.

In some alternative forms, the foam core includes a plurality of regularly distributed open cells or a plurality of regularly distributed grooves.

In some alternatives, the inflatable cushion further comprises a side gusset, the perimeter of the top panel being joined to the top edge of the side gusset, the perimeter of the bottom panel being joined to the bottom edge of the side gusset such that the top panel, the bottom panel and the side gusset together define the inflatable chamber.

According to a third aspect of the present utility model, there is provided a sheet manufacturing apparatus including: a first feeding device and a second feeding device configured to supply a flowable first polymeric material and a flowable second polymeric material, respectively, the first polymeric material having a melting point higher than a melting point of the second polymeric material; an extrusion molding apparatus comprising a first runner, a second runner, a converging cavity, and a material outlet, each of the first runner, the second runner, and the material outlet being in communication with the converging cavity, the first runner and the second runner being configured to direct a flowable first polymeric material from the first feeding device and a flowable second polymeric material from the second feeding device into the converging cavity, respectively, the flowable first polymeric material and the flowable second polymeric material being adapted to merge within the converging cavity and to extrude from the material outlet to form a first web, the first web comprising a first layer and a second layer, the first layer comprising the first polymeric material, the second layer comprising the second polymeric material; a third feeding device configured to supply a sheet of fabric; and a bonding device configured to bond the fabric sheet with the first layer of the first web through an adhesive material to form a second web including a fabric layer formed of the fabric sheet, an adhesive layer formed of the adhesive material, and a substrate layer formed of the first web.

The third aspect of the utility model may further comprise any one or more of the following optional forms.

In some alternatives, the bonding device is configured to apply the bonding material to the first layer of the fabric sheet or the first web prior to bonding the fabric sheet to the first web.

In some alternative forms, the sheet manufacturing apparatus further comprises a pressing device configured to press the first web delivered from the material outlet, the pressing comprising flattening and/or embossing.

In some alternative forms, the sheet manufacturing apparatus further comprises a cooling device configured to cool the pressed first web.

In some alternatives, the sheet manufacturing apparatus further comprises a trimming device; the sheet manufacturing apparatus is configured to convey the cooled first web to the edge slitting device for slitting and convey the slit first web to the laminating device.

In some alternatives, the sheet manufacturing apparatus further comprises a winding device configured to wind the cut edge first web into a first web roll and an unwinding device configured to unwind the first web roll and to deliver the cut edge first web to the laminating device.

In some alternatives, the sheet manufacturing apparatus further comprises an edge cutting device configured to deliver the cooled first web to the laminating device to form the second web, the edge cutting device configured to edge cut the second web.

In some alternatives, the sheet manufacturing apparatus is configured to deliver the first web from the material outlet to the application device, and the application device is configured to apply the bonding material to the web sheet prior to applying the web sheet to the first web sheet.

In some alternative forms, the sheet manufacturing apparatus further comprises a pressing device configured to press the second web delivered from the laminating device, the pressing comprising flattening and/or embossing.

In some alternatives, the laminating device is further configured to press the second web while laminating the coated fabric sheet with the first web to form the second web, the pressing including pressing and/or embossing.

In some alternative forms, the sheet manufacturing apparatus further comprises a cooling device configured to cool the pressed second web.

In some alternative forms, the sheet manufacturing apparatus further comprises an edge cutting device configured to cut edges of the cooled second web.

According to a fourth aspect of the present utility model, there is provided a sheet manufacturing method comprising: providing a first high polymer material with fluidity, a second high polymer material with fluidity, an adhesive material and a fabric piece, wherein the melting point of the first high polymer material is higher than that of the second high polymer material; forming a first material sheet after the flowing first polymer material and the flowing second polymer material are combined, wherein the first material sheet comprises a first layer and a second layer, the first layer comprises a first polymer material, and the second layer comprises a second polymer material; and attaching the fabric sheet to the first layer of the first web through the adhesive material to form a second web, the second web comprising a fabric layer formed from the fabric sheet, an adhesive layer formed from the adhesive material, and a substrate layer formed from the first web.

The fourth aspect of the utility model may further comprise any one or more of the following optional forms.

In some alternatives, the first web includes an intermediate layer between the first layer and the second layer, the intermediate layer including a mixture of a first polymeric material and a second polymeric material.

In some alternatives, the sheet manufacturing method further comprises applying the bonding material to the first layer of the fabric sheet or the first web prior to bonding the fabric sheet to the first web.

In some alternative forms, the sheet manufacturing method further comprises pressing the first web after forming the first web, the pressing comprising flattening and/or embossing.

In some alternative forms, the sheet manufacturing method further comprises cooling the pressed first web.

In some alternatives, the sheet manufacturing method further comprises trimming the cooled first web and the fabric sheet is attached to the trimmed first web by the adhesive material to form a second web.

In some alternatives, the sheet manufacturing method further comprises rolling the cut edge first web into a first web roll and unrolling the first web roll to provide the cut edge first web for attachment to the fabric sheet.

In some alternatives, the sheet manufacturing method further comprises trimming the second web after the fabric sheet is bonded to the first web by the bonding material to form the second web.

In some alternative forms, the sheet manufacturing method further comprises coating the adhesive material on the fabric sheet and conforming the coated fabric sheet to the first web to form the second web.

In some alternative forms, the sheet manufacturing method further comprises pressing the second web while or after conforming the coated fabric sheet to the first web to form the second web, wherein the pressing comprises pressing and/or embossing.

In some alternative forms, the sheet manufacturing method further comprises cooling the pressed second web.

In some alternative forms, the sheet manufacturing method further comprises trimming the cooled second web.

The welding operation of the sheet material according to the utility model is simpler and easier to control, and the bonding strength between the individual layers of the sheet material is high and not easy to separate. Accordingly, an aerated product made at least partially from the sheet material according to the utility model will be easy to manufacture and high in yield, with a consequent reduction in manufacturing costs, and the resulting aerated product has good mechanical properties and air tightness. The sheet manufacturing apparatus and the sheet manufacturing method according to the present utility model can manufacture a sheet having the above-described advantages.

Drawings

Other features and advantages of the present utility model will be better understood from the following detailed description of alternative embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters identify the same or similar parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of an inflatable cushion according to the present utility model;

FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded view of the inflatable cushion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the inflatable cushion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3B is a schematic view of the thermal shield of the inflatable cushion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic exploded view of a second embodiment of an inflatable cushion according to the present utility model;

FIG. 5 is a schematic exploded view of a third embodiment of an inflatable cushion according to the present utility model;

FIG. 6 is a schematic exploded view of a fourth embodiment of an inflatable cushion according to the present utility model;

FIG. 7 is a schematic exploded view of a fifth embodiment of an inflatable cushion according to the present utility model;

FIG. 8 is a schematic exploded view of a sixth embodiment of an inflatable cushion according to the present utility model;

FIG. 9 is a schematic exploded view of a seventh embodiment of an inflatable cushion according to the present utility model;

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of an eighth embodiment of an inflatable cushion according to the present utility model;

FIG. 11 is a schematic exploded view of the inflatable cushion of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a schematic structural view of an exemplary embodiment of a sheet according to the present disclosure;

fig. 13A and 13B are schematic views of a first portion and a second portion, respectively, of a first embodiment of a sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present utility model;

FIG. 14A is an enlarged partial view of a first portion of the sheet manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 13A;

FIG. 14B is another enlarged partial view of a first portion of the sheet manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 13A;

FIG. 15 is a schematic view of a second portion of a second embodiment of a sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present utility model;

FIG. 16 is a schematic view of a third embodiment of a sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present utility model;

fig. 17 is a schematic view of a fourth embodiment of a sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present utility model;

fig. 18 is a schematic view of a fifth embodiment of a sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present utility model; and

Fig. 19 is a schematic flow chart diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a sheet manufacturing method according to the present utility model.

Detailed Description

The making and using of the embodiments are discussed in detail below. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating a particular manner of making and using the utility model, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the utility model. The structural position of the various components as described, such as the directions of up, down, top, bottom, etc., is not absolute, but rather relative. When the individual components are arranged as shown in the figures, these directional expressions are appropriate, but when the position of the individual components in the figures changes, these directional expressions also change accordingly. The terms "first," "second," and the like are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. In the present utility model, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," "secured," and the like are to be construed broadly, e.g., as fixed connections, as well as removable connections, or as integral connections; can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present utility model can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art according to the specific circumstances.

In this context, an "inflated product" has at least one inflation chamber for inflation, and after the pressure of the gas (e.g., air) within the inflation chamber reaches a desired value, the inflated product is in an inflated state and remains in a shape; after the gas in the inflation chamber of the inflation product is discharged, the inflation product is in a deflation state, and the volume of the inflation product is reduced relative to the inflation product in the inflation state, so that the inflation product can be conveniently stored. Inflatable products include, but are not limited to, inflatable cushions, inflatable pools, inflatable toys, inflatable sofas, inflatable tents, and the like.

Figures 1 through 11 illustrate various exemplary embodiments of inflatable cushions according to this utility model.

Referring to fig. 1-11, the inflatable cushion 100 of fig. 1-11 includes a top sheet 102 and a bottom sheet 104, the top sheet 102 and the bottom sheet 104 being connected to each other to define an inflatable chamber 106. The top sheet 102 is for sitting and lying by a user, and the bottom sheet 104 is for contacting the ground. The topsheet 102 and the backsheet 104 may have substantially the same shape and size, and the outer periphery of the topsheet 102 and the outer periphery of the backsheet 104 are welded to each other by means such as high frequency welding, heat and pressure welding, or ultrasonic welding to define an inflation chamber 106 between the topsheet 102 and the backsheet 104.

Desirably, the outer sides of the top sheet 102 and bottom sheet 104 of the inflatable cushion 100 facing away from the inflation chamber 106 can provide a more pleasant tactile sensation; the inner side of the top sheet 102 and bottom sheet 104 opposite the outer side is easily welded for the manufacture of the inflatable cushion 100; and the top sheet 102 and the bottom sheet 104 have better mechanical strength and better air tightness after being welded in the process of manufacturing the inflatable cushion 100, so that the inflatable cushion 100 maintains a predetermined shape in an inflated state and is air-tight.

To this end, the present utility model provides an improved sheet. Fig. 12 shows an exemplary embodiment of a sheet according to the present utility model.

Referring to fig. 12, the sheet 200 may include: fabric layer 202, adhesive layer 204, and substrate layer 206. The substrate layer 206 includes a first layer 208 and a second layer 210, the first layer 208 including a first polymeric material and the second layer 210 including a second polymeric material, the first polymeric material having a melting point higher than a melting point of the second polymeric material. The base material layer 206 is formed by joining a flowable/molten first polymer material and a flowable/molten second polymer material, and the fabric layer 202 is bonded to the first layer 208 via the adhesive layer 204.

The top sheet 102 and bottom sheet 104 of the inflatable cushion 100 of fig. 1-11 may be manufactured from a sheet 200. The sheet material of the present utility model will be described below primarily with respect to its use in the manufacture of inflatable cushions. It will be appreciated that the sheet material of the present utility model may also be used to make other inflatable products or non-inflatable products in addition to inflatable cushions.

In making the inflatable cushion 100, the fabric layer 202 will be positioned on the outside of the top sheet 102 and the bottom sheet 104 to provide a more comfortable feel; a second layer 210 of a second polymeric material of lower melting point of the substrate layer 206 will be located on the inside of the topsheet 102 and backsheet 104 for welding; while the first layer 208 of the substrate layer 206, which is formed of the higher melting point first polymeric material, will be located between the fabric layer 202 and the second layer 210 and form an airtight barrier in the topsheet 102 and backsheet 104.

When the topsheet 102 and backsheet 104 are welded, such as by welding the topsheet 102 and backsheet 104 to each other or by welding the topsheet 102 or backsheet 104 to other components within the inflation chamber 106 (other components within the inflation chamber 106 are described further below), the welding temperature may be set between the melting point of the first polymeric material and the melting point of the second polymeric material, allowing the lower melting second layer 210 to melt for welding while the higher melting first layer 208 is also air impermeable by maintaining structural integrity. Thus, the sensitivity of the product quality to the welding temperature will be greatly reduced, in other words, even if there is a deviation in the welding temperature, whether upward or downward, the product will still be a satisfactory product as long as the temperature after deviation is still between the melting point of the first polymeric material and the melting point of the second polymeric material. Therefore, the sheet material of the utility model is used for welding, thereby greatly reducing the negative influence of welding temperature deviation and welding time deviation on the product quality, further reducing the problem of air leakage of the inflatable product, leading the air tightness of the inflatable product to be better, improving the yield and reducing the production cost, and simultaneously leading the welding operation of technicians to be simpler.

The base material layer 206 is formed by joining the first polymer material having fluidity and the second polymer material having fluidity, so that no air bubbles are formed between the first layer 208 and the second layer 210, and the bonding strength between the two layers is high, and separation is not easy. The substrate layer 206 formed by combining the flowable first polymer material and the flowable second polymer material further includes an intermediate layer 212 between the first layer 208 and the second layer 210, the intermediate layer 212 including a mixture of the first polymer material and the second polymer material to more firmly bond the first layer 208 and the second layer 210. Alternatively, the substrate layer 206 may be formed by extrusion molding, which will be described in detail below.

The substrate layer 206 comprising the first layer 208 and the second layer 210 may be substantially the same thickness as the substrate layer of the conventional single temperature TPU film, and thus the sheet 200 of the present utility model may still be lightweight and thin. Further, the substrate layer 206 comprising the first layer 208 and the second layer 210 has lower requirements for the welding operation than the substrate layer of the single temperature TPU film, can withstand a wider range of welding temperature variations and welding time variations without affecting the quality of the product, and therefore the substrate layer 206 comprising the first layer 208 and the second layer 210 can be made even thinner than the substrate layer of the single temperature TPU film, thereby making the inflated product made of the sheet 200 more lightweight.

The fabric layer 202 of the sheet 200 is made of a fabric material. Alternatively, the fabric material may be, but is not limited to, a planar fabric material or a solid fabric material, or just a number of fibers or threads. Alternatively, the textile material may be made of one or several fibers (e.g. natural or chemical fibers), in particular of one or several fibers having a higher tensile strength. Optionally, the one or more fibers are selected from the following materials: cotton fibers, wool fibers, silk fibers, hemp fibers, regenerated fibers, polyester fibers, polyamide fibers, polyacrylonitrile fibers, polyvinyl alcohol fibers, polypropylene fibers, polyurethane fibers, and inorganic fibers.

Alternatively, the adhesive layer 204 of the sheet 200 may be formed of polyurethane-based adhesives including, but not limited to, solvent-based PU adhesives (solvent-based polyurethane adhesive), water-based PU adhesives (water-based polyurethane adhesive), PUR hot melt adhesives (also known as moisture-curing reactive polyurethane adhesives, polyurethane reactive hot MELT ADHESIVE). The solvent PU adhesive has the advantages of high initial adhesion, high bonding degree in a short time, high peel strength of the surface negative film, and the like. The water-based PU adhesive takes water as a carrier, so that the environment is protected. The PUR hot melt adhesive has the advantages of no solvent, water resistance, heat resistance, cold resistance, creep resistance and the like. It will be appreciated that the adhesive layer 204 of the sheet 200 may also be formed of other suitable adhesive materials.

Optionally, the fabric layer 202 may be coated with a polyurethane coating on the side to be bonded to the bonding layer 204, so as to enhance the bonding effect of the fabric layer 202 and the bonding layer 204, and thus enhance the bonding strength of the fabric layer 202 and the substrate layer 206. This is particularly advantageous in cases where the fabric material of the fabric layer 202 (e.g., made of polyamide fibers) itself has a low bond strength when directly bonded to the bonding material, and can prevent the fabric layer 202 from tearing away from the substrate layer 206 under external forces.

Optionally, the first polymer material and the second polymer material used to form the substrate layer 206 are thermoplastic polymer materials. Alternatively, the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material may consist of one or more of the following: thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers (TPU), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), and Polyurethane (PU). The first polymer material and the second polymer material may be the same type of material or different types of material. For example, in the case where the first polymer material and the second polymer material are the same type of material, the first polymer material and the second polymer material may be one of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, and polyester. In some embodiments, the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material may both be thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers. Optionally, the melting point of the first polymer material is at least 15 ℃ higher than the melting point of the second polymer material, so as to more reliably ensure the welding strength, and avoid the sheet 200 from damaging and leaking air in the welding operation. Optionally, the first polymeric material has a melting point in the range of about 140 ℃ to 150 ℃ and the second polymeric material has a melting point in the range of about 120 ℃ to 130 ℃; for example, the melting point of the first polymer material is about 150℃and the melting point of the second polymer material is about 130 ℃.

Optionally, first layer 208 of substrate layer 206 HAs a shore a hardness ranging from 80HA to 98HA, and second layer 210 HAs a shore a hardness ranging from 75HA to 95HA. As such, the sheet 200 is made moderately stiff to prevent excessive stiffness from causing discomfort to the touch of the sheet 200 and increased breakage rate due to the tendency of the inflated product to crumple in appearance after the inflated product is formed, while preventing excessive stiffness from causing the sheet 200 to be softer and increasing processing complexity (e.g., causing the sheet or sheet blank in the sheet manufacturing process to be less prone to flattening).

Alternatively, where sheet 200 is used to make an inflatable cushion, the thickness of substrate layer 206 of sheet 200 ranges from 0.01mm to 0.4mm, preferably from 0.05mm to 0.25mm. Alternatively, the thickness of the substrate layer 206 of the sheet 200 may range from 0.01mm to 2mm when the sheet 200 is used to manufacture other inflatable products or non-inflatable products.

Optionally, the ratio of the thickness of the first layer 208 to the thickness of the second layer 210 of the substrate layer 206 ranges from 1:1 to 1:4. In this manner, the thickness ratio of the first layer 208 to the second layer 210 of the substrate layer 206 is moderate, on the one hand, it is avoided that the specific gravity of the first layer 208 is too high (in other words, the specific gravity of the second layer 210 is too low), so that the welding performance of the sheet 200 is reduced, for example, for manufacturing an inflatable cushion by using the sheet, it is avoided that the strength of the welding between the top sheet and the bottom sheet made of the sheet and the welding between the top sheet and the bottom sheet and other components in the inflation chamber are insufficient, so that the inflatable cushion is damaged; on the other hand, the second layer 210 may be prevented from having too high a specific gravity relative to the first layer 208, so that in the case that the welding temperature and time are not well controlled in the welding process, the first layer 208 is also heated to melt and damage after the second layer 210 is heated and melted, for example, for manufacturing an inflatable cushion by using a sheet material, damage and air leakage of the inflatable cushion made of the sheet material may be prevented, and thus the yield of the inflatable cushion may be improved. Preferably, the ratio of the thickness of the first layer 208 to the thickness of the second layer 210 of the substrate layer 206 is about 1:2. Optionally, in some embodiments, the thickness of the first layer 208 of the substrate layer 206 is not less than 0.02mm and the thickness of the second layer 210 of the substrate layer 206 is not less than 0.04mm.

Referring back to fig. 1-11, the description of various exemplary embodiments of inflatable cushions in accordance with the present utility model will now proceed.

Fig. 1-3B illustrate a first embodiment of an inflatable cushion according to the present utility model. Referring to fig. 1-3B, the illustrated inflatable cushion 100 includes a connecting tab 108 in addition to the top and bottom sheets 102, 104 described above. A connecting tab 108 is disposed between the top sheet 102 and the bottom sheet 104 within the inflation chamber 106. Alternatively, the connection piece 108 may be made of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), or other suitable polymeric material. The connecting tab 108 includes a plurality of first welding areas 110 and a plurality of second welding areas 112 uniformly distributed, wherein the plurality of first welding areas 110 and the plurality of second welding areas 112 are offset from each other, the plurality of first welding areas 110 are welded to the inner side of the top sheet 102, and the plurality of second welding areas 112 are welded to the inner side of the bottom sheet 104. In other words, the plurality of welding positions of the connection sheet 108 and the top sheet 102 and the plurality of welding positions of the connection sheet 108 and the bottom sheet 104 are offset from each other, which can avoid the shortage of welding strength caused by the plurality of welding at the same position of the connection sheet 108.

The inflatable cushion 100 may also include at least one thermal barrier 114 disposed within the inflation chamber 106. In the illustrated embodiment, the inflatable cushion 100 includes two heat shields, a first heat shield 114a and a second heat shield 114b (which may also be collectively referred to herein as heat shields 114). A first thermal shield 114a is disposed between the top sheet 102 and the attachment sheet 108 within the inflation chamber 106, and a second thermal shield 114b is disposed between the attachment sheet 108 and the bottom sheet 104 within the inflation chamber 106. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, no thermal barrier or two or more thermal barriers may be provided between the top sheet 102 and the connecting sheet 108, and no thermal barrier or two or more thermal barriers may be provided between the bottom sheet 104 and the connecting sheet 108.

The thermal barrier 114 may include a polymeric substrate 116 and a metal coating 118 coated on at least one of the opposite sides of the polymeric substrate 116. In the illustrated embodiment, the thermal barrier 114 includes a polymeric substrate 116 and two metallic coatings 118 coated on opposite sides of the polymeric substrate 116. In other embodiments, the thermal barrier may include only a metal plating layer plated on the front or back side of the polymeric substrate. The polymer base 116 of the heat insulating sheet 114 may be formed of a suitable polymer material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), etc., and the metal plating 118 of the heat insulating sheet 114 may be formed of a suitable metal material such as aluminum, zinc, copper, silver, gold, etc. Further alternatively, the polymeric substrate 116 of the insulating sheet 114 is formed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and the metal plating 118 of the insulating sheet 114 is formed of aluminum.

To facilitate welding between the top sheet 102 and the connection sheet 108, the first thermal shield 114a includes a plurality of uniformly distributed first openings 120a, each first opening 120a configured to allow a respective one of the first weld areas 110 of the connection sheet 108 to contact and be welded to the inside of the top sheet 102. To facilitate welding between the connection tab 108 and the backsheet 104, the second insulating sheet 114b includes a plurality of evenly distributed second openings 120b, each second opening 120b configured to allow a respective one of the second weld areas 112 of the connection tab 108 to contact and be welded to the inside of the backsheet 104. As such, the first plurality of welding areas 110 of the tab 108 may be contacted and welded to the top sheet 102 through the first plurality of openings 120a, and the second plurality of welding areas 112 of the tab 108 may be contacted and welded to the bottom sheet 104 through the second plurality of openings 120 b.

Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of an inflatable cushion according to the present utility model. Referring to fig. 4, the inflatable cushion 100 of fig. 4 includes a plurality of tensioning members 122 in addition to the top sheet 102 and bottom sheet 104 described above. A plurality of tensioning members 122 are disposed within the inflation chamber and spaced apart along the longitudinal direction L1 of the inflatable cushion 100. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, a plurality of tensioning members may also be spaced apart along a transverse direction of the inflatable cushion that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the tensioning members 122 is sheet-like and the top and bottom edges 124, 126 of each of the tensioning members 122 are connected to the top and bottom sheets 102, 104, respectively, by, for example, welding, to maintain a predetermined shape when the inflatable cushion 100 is in an inflated condition. Alternatively, the tension member 122 may be made of a suitable polymer material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU), etc., the tension member 122 may also be made of polyamide fibers (also referred to as nylon fibers) or polyethylene terephthalate fibers (PET fibers), or the tension member 122 may be made of the sheet 200 or the substrate layer 206 of the sheet 200.

Fig. 5 shows a third embodiment of an inflatable cushion according to the present utility model. Referring to fig. 5, the inflatable cushion 100 of fig. 5 includes a foam core 128 in addition to the top sheet 102 and the bottom sheet 104 described above. The foam core 128 is disposed within the plenum chamber and the top sheet 102 and the bottom sheet 104 conform to a top surface 130 and a bottom surface 132, respectively, of the foam core 128. Alternatively, the top sheet 102 and the bottom sheet 104 may be bonded to the top surface 130 and the bottom surface 132 of the foam core 128 by means of heat pressing or glue application.

The foam core 128 is capable of being compressed under an external force and returning to its original shape after the external force is removed. The foam core 128 may be made of, for example, an open cell foam material that is lightweight and resilient. The shape and volume of foam core 128 may substantially match the shape and volume of the inflation chamber of inflatable cushion 100 in the inflated condition. The inflatable cushion 100 so configured allows for: the inflatable cushion 100 is rolled into a relatively compact roll to vent the air within the inflation chamber and close the inflation valve of the inflatable cushion 100 to enable the inflatable cushion 100 to be stored in a smaller volume. In use, the inflation valve may be opened and the foam core 128 will exert an inflation force to deploy the inflatable cushion 100 while drawing air into the inflation chamber of the inflatable cushion 100. In other words, by providing foam core 128, inflatable cushion 100 may be self-inflating. It will be appreciated that inflatable cushion 100 may also be inflated by blowing or by using an inflation bag, pump.

Fig. 6 shows a fourth embodiment of an inflatable cushion according to the present utility model. The inflatable cushion of fig. 6 is similar to the inflatable cushion of fig. 5, except that: the foam core 128 of the inflatable cushion 100 in fig. 6 includes a plurality of open cells 134 extending in the transverse direction T of the foam core 128 and regularly distributed. In the embodiment shown in fig. 6, the plurality of open cells 134 extend through the foam core 128 in the transverse direction T of the foam core 128 and are evenly spaced in the longitudinal direction L2 of the foam core 128. In the embodiment shown in fig. 6, each aperture 134 has a circular shape in cross-section. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the plurality of open cells may be blind cells extending in the transverse direction of the foam core; in other embodiments, the plurality of open cells may also be through or blind cells extending in the longitudinal direction of the foam core; in other embodiments, the cross-section of the aperture may have other suitable shapes such as oval.

Fig. 7 shows a fifth embodiment of an inflatable cushion according to the present utility model. The inflatable cushion of fig. 7 is similar to the inflatable cushion of fig. 5, except that: the foam core 128 of the inflatable cushion 100 in fig. 7 includes a plurality of open cells 134 extending and regularly distributed along the thickness direction S of the foam core 128. In the example shown in fig. 7, a plurality of open cells 134 extend through the foam core 128 in the thickness direction S of the foam core 128 and are regularly distributed in an array in the foam core 128. In the embodiment shown in fig. 7, each aperture 134 has a circular shape in cross-section. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the plurality of open cells may be blind cells extending in the thickness direction of the foam core; in other embodiments, the cross-section of the aperture may have other suitable shapes such as oval.

Fig. 8 shows a sixth embodiment of an inflatable cushion according to the present utility model. The inflatable cushion of fig. 8 is similar to the inflatable cushion of fig. 5, except that: the foam core 128 of the inflatable cushion 100 in fig. 8 includes a plurality of regularly distributed grooves 136a, 136b, including a plurality of first grooves 136a recessed relative to the top surface 130 of the foam core 128 and a plurality of second grooves 136b recessed relative to the bottom surface 132 of the foam core 128. In the embodiment shown in fig. 8, a plurality of first grooves 136a extend in the transverse direction T of the foam core 128 and are uniformly spaced apart in the longitudinal direction L2 of the foam core 128, and a plurality of second grooves 136b extend in the transverse direction T of the foam core 128 and are uniformly spaced apart in the longitudinal direction L2 of the foam core 128, each first groove 136a being aligned with a corresponding one of the second grooves 136b in the thickness direction S of the foam core 128.

It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the first recess may not be aligned with the second recess in the thickness direction of the foam core; in other embodiments, the foam core may be provided with only a plurality of grooves recessed with respect to its top surface or only a plurality of grooves recessed with respect to its bottom surface; in other embodiments, the plurality of grooves may extend along the longitudinal direction L2 of the foam core.

By arranging a plurality of holes or a plurality of grooves, the weight of the inflatable cushion can be reduced under the condition that the volume of the inflatable cushion is approximately unchanged, so that the inflatable cushion is more portable; from another perspective, the thickness of the inflatable cushion may be increased with the weight of the inflatable cushion substantially unchanged to provide more comfortable support for the user. In addition, after the foam core with the open holes and the grooves is manufactured into the inflatable cushion, patterns can be given to the surface of the inflatable cushion, so that the inflatable cushion is more attractive.

Fig. 9 shows a seventh embodiment of an inflatable cushion according to the present utility model. The inflatable cushion of fig. 9 is similar to the inflatable cushion of fig. 8, except that: the inflatable cushion 100 of fig. 9 includes a top sheet 102, a bottom sheet 104, and side gussets 105. The peripheral edge of the top sheet 102 and the peripheral edge of the bottom sheet 104 are connected by a side gusset 105 such that the top sheet 102, the bottom sheet 104 and the side gusset 105 together define an inflation chamber. In the illustrated embodiment, the periphery of the top panel 102 is welded to the top edge of the side gusset 105 and the periphery of the bottom panel 104 is welded to the bottom edge of the side gusset 105. It will be appreciated that the side gussets of the seventh embodiment may be provided in other embodiments of the inflatable cushion in the same manner.

Fig. 10 and 11 illustrate an eighth embodiment of an inflatable cushion according to the present utility model. The inflatable cushion of fig. 10 and 11 differs from the inflatable cushion of fig. 1 and 2 primarily in that no other components are disposed within the inflatable chamber of the inflatable cushion 100 of fig. 10 and 11 defined by the top sheet 102 and the bottom sheet 104, and the top sheet 102 may be welded directly to the bottom sheet 104 at a plurality of weld lines 103a and a plurality of weld points 103b that are regularly distributed so that the inflatable cushion 100 maintains a predetermined shape in an inflated state.

It is to be understood that the embodiment of fig. 1-11 illustrates only the shape, size and arrangement of the various optional components of an inflatable cushion according to the present utility model, however, it is intended to be illustrative and not limiting, and that other shapes, sizes and arrangements may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present utility model.

Fig. 13A to 14B show a first embodiment of a sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present utility model, which can be used to manufacture the sheet 200 shown in fig. 12.

Referring to fig. 13A-14B, in the illustrated embodiment, the sheet manufacturing apparatus 300 may include a first portion 302 and a second portion 304 that are separated from each other. The first portion 302 may include: a first feeding device 306, a second feeding device 308, an extrusion molding device 310, a pressing device 312, a cooling device 314, a trimming device 316 and a first winding device 318. The second portion 304 may include: a third feeding device 320, an unreeling device 322, a laminating device 324 and a second reeling device 326.

In the first portion 302 of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 300, the first feeding device 306 is in communication with the extrusion molding device 310, and a flowable first polymeric material may be supplied to the extrusion molding device 310; the second feeding device 308 is in communication with the extrusion molding device 310, and may supply the flowable second polymeric material to the extrusion molding device 310; wherein the melting point of the first high polymer material is higher than that of the second high polymer material. The first and second feeding devices 306 and 308 may have heating elements to heat the solid first and second polymeric materials to molten states, respectively, to thereby impart flowability to the first and second polymeric materials. Alternatively, the first feeding device 306 and/or the second feeding device 308 may have a screw conveying mechanism, which relies on pressure and shear forces generated by rotation of the screw to enable sufficient plasticization and uniform mixing of the material and to enable the material to be conveyed helically along the axis of the screw. It will be appreciated that other forms of conveying mechanism may be employed by those skilled in the art as desired. For example, and without limitation, the first supply device 306 and/or the second supply device 308 may have a gear pump delivery mechanism.

Subsequently, the flowable first polymer material and the flowable second polymer material are combined in the extrusion molding apparatus 310. The extrusion apparatus 310 includes a first flow path 328, a second flow path 330, a converging chamber 332, and a material outlet 334, with the first flow path 328, the second flow path 330, and the material outlet 334 each communicating with the converging chamber 332. The first flow path 328 and the second flow path 330 are configured to deliver a flowable first polymeric material and a flowable second polymeric material, respectively, into the converging chamber 332, the flowable first polymeric material and the flowable second polymeric material being adapted to merge within the converging chamber 332 and to be extruded from the material outlet 334 to form the first web 400.

Specifically, the flowable first polymeric material from the first feeding device 306 flows into the first flow path 328 via the inlet of the first flow path 328 and flows through the first flow path 328 into the converging chamber 332, and the flowable second polymeric material from the second feeding device 308 flows into the second flow path 330 via the inlet of the second flow path 330 and flows through the second flow path 330 into the converging chamber 332. Next, the flowable first polymeric material and the flowable second polymeric material are joined in the joining chamber 332, and the joined materials will enter the material outlet 334 from the joining chamber 332 and be extruded from the material outlet 334 to form a first web 400, the first web 400 comprising a first layer 402 formed of the first polymeric material and a second layer 404 formed of the second polymeric material.

The flowable first polymeric material from the first flow path 328 and the flowable second polymeric material from the second flow path 330 may be partially mixed in the converging chamber 332 such that the first web 400 includes: a first layer 402 formed of a first polymeric material, a second layer 404 formed of a second polymeric material, and an intermediate layer 406 formed of a mixture of the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material. The intermediate layer 406 of the first web 400 is positioned between the first layer 402 and the second layer 404 and bonds the first layer 402 and the second layer 404 more firmly. It should be appreciated that there may be no obvious interface between the first layer 402 and the intermediate layer 406, and between the second layer 404 and the intermediate layer 406 of the first web 400.

Referring to fig. 14A, the extrusion apparatus 310 may be assembled from at least a first component 336, a second component 338, and a third component 340. The first and third members 336, 340 may define one or more first flow passages 328 in communication with the converging chamber 332, such as where the first and third members 336, 340 abut, and at least one of the first and third members 336, 340 is provided with one or more depressions at the point of contact, thereby forming the aforementioned one or more first flow passages 328. Similarly, the second and third members 338, 340 may define one or more second flow passages 330 in communication with the converging chamber 332, e.g., the second and third members 338, 340 may abut, at least one of the second and third members 338, 340 may be provided with one or more depressions at the location of contact, thereby forming the aforementioned one or more second flow passages 330. The material outlet 334 of the extrusion apparatus 310 may be defined by at least a first member 336 and a second member 338 and may be in the form of a flat mouth. The size of the material outlet 334 defines the size of the first web 400 extruded from the material outlet 334.

Referring to fig. 13A and 13B, the first web 400 fed out from the material outlet 334 is then fed to the pressing device 312. The pressing device 312 is configured to press the first web 400 delivered from the material outlet 334, wherein the pressing may comprise flattening and/or embossing, such as flattening only, flattening followed by embossing, or embossing only. In the illustrated embodiment, the pressing device 312 may include a first roller 342 and a second roller 344 adjacent to the material outlet 334 and a third roller 346 downstream of the first roller 342 and the second roller 344 in the conveying direction of the first web 400. The first web 400 fed out from the material outlet 334 first enters between the first roller 342 and the second roller 344, and then proceeds to the third roller 346. Alternatively, in an embodiment in which the pressing device 312 embosses the first web 400, the embossing may be achieved by, for example, setting one of the first roller 342, the second roller 344, and the third roller 346 as an embossing roller. By embossing the first web 400, the problem of subsequent difficulty in unwinding the first web roll R1 due to the adhesion or adsorption of adjacent first web layers in the first web roll R1 after the processed (e.g., cooled and edge cut) first web 400 is subsequently rolled into the first web roll R1 using the first winder 318 can be avoided. Optionally, the pressing apparatus 312 may further include a heating assembly to heat the first roller 342, the second roller 344, and the third roller 346 to avoid defects in the first web 400 and less tendency to flatten and/or emboss after the still higher temperature first web 400 delivered from the material outlet 334 enters the pressing apparatus 312. Alternatively, the first roller 342 and the second roller 344 may be heated to a temperature lower than the temperature of the first web 400 delivered from the material outlet 334, and the third roller 346 may be heated to a temperature lower than the first roller 342 and the second roller 344, so that the first web 400 is primarily cooled while being pressed.

The pressed first web 400 may be fed into the cooling device 314 for complete cooling. The cooling device 314 may include a plurality of cooling rollers 348 to completely cool and solidify the first web 400 for subsequent application to the fabric sheet 500. The cooling device 314 may include a cooling assembly that may deliver a cryogenic cooling medium to the cooling roller 348 to maintain the cooling roller 348 at a lower temperature, then recover and cool the warmed cooling medium, and then deliver the cryogenic cooling medium to the cooling roller 348 for circulation. The cooling medium may be a gas or a liquid. The cooling medium may be, for example, a medium such as water or oil.

The cooled first web 400 may be fed into an edge slitting device 316 for slitting. The edge slitting device 316 can include a plurality of conveying rollers 350 and a slitting tool 352 to slit the first web 400 to have a predetermined width. The cutting tool 352 may be, for example, a cutting knife, a laser cutting head, or the like. The width of the first cut-edge web 400 may be substantially equal to the width of the fabric sheet 500 to be attached thereto, so that the second cut-edge web 600 obtained by attaching the first cut-edge web 400 to the fabric sheet 500 may be obtained without cutting or with a small amount of cutting. First wind-up 318 may include a first wind-up roll 354 and a second wind-up roll 356. The first winding roller 354 is used for winding the first web 400 after being cut to form a first web roll R1 for a subsequent attaching process. The second wind-up roller 356 is used for winding up the rim charge generated by the cutting edge.

Then, the first web roll R1 is fed into the second portion 304 of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 300. The first web roll R1 may be unwound by an unwinder 322 to provide the cut-edge first web 400 to a laminating device 324 while a third supply device 320 provides the fabric sheet 500 to the laminating device 324. The bonding device 324 is configured to apply an adhesive material on the first layer 402 of the fabric sheet 500 or the first web 400 and bond the fabric sheet 500 with the first web 400 via the adhesive material to form the second web 600.

In the illustrated embodiment, the unwind apparatus 322 includes an unwind roller 358. In the illustrated embodiment, the laminating apparatus 324 includes a coating unit 362 and a laminating unit 364. The coating unit 362 may include, among other things, a coating roller 366 and a coating thickness control assembly 368. The trimmed first web 400 may be fed from the unwind roller 358 into the coating unit 362, specifically to below the coating roller 366, such that the first layer 402 of the trimmed first web 400 faces the coating roller 366. The adhesive material may be applied from above between the coating roller 366 and the coating thickness control assembly 368 and then applied to the cut-edge first web 400 via the coating roller 366. The thickness of the adhesive material attached to the applicator roll 366 may be adjusted by adjusting the size of the gap between the coating thickness control assembly 368 and the applicator roll 366, thereby controlling the thickness of the adhesive material applied to the cut-edge first web 400 by the applicator roll 366. Such a coating unit 362 is adapted to apply, for example, PUR hot melt adhesive to the cut-edge first web 400. In the case where the adhesive material is PUR hot melt adhesive, the coating unit 362 may further include a heating assembly to heat the PUR hot melt adhesive in a solid state to be converted into a molten state, and then apply the molten/flowable PUR hot melt adhesive on the cut-edge first web 400. In the illustrated embodiment, the trimmed first web 400 is fed into a coating unit 362 for coating; it will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the fabric sheet 500 may be fed into the coating unit 362 for coating and then attached to the cut edge first web 400.

In the illustrated embodiment, the third supply device 320 includes an unwind roller 360 and the laminating unit 364 includes sets of opposing laminating rollers 370. The fabric roll R2 may be unwound by an unwind roller 360 to transport the fabric sheet 500 between the opposing laminating rollers 370 while the first web 400 coated with the adhesive material is transported between the opposing laminating rollers 370 such that the first web 400 and the fabric sheet 500 are laminated together by the adhesive material, for example, under pressure, to form the second web 600. The second web 600 includes a fabric layer formed of the fabric sheet 500, an adhesive layer formed of an adhesive material, and a base material layer formed of the first web 400, and the fabric layer is bonded to the base material layer through the adhesive layer.

The second web 600 formed by lamination can be directly used as the finished sheet 200 without subsequent processing, and is rolled into a finished sheet roll R3 by the wind-up roll 372 of the second rolling device 326. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, the formed second web 600 may be subsequently processed, such as by shaping, cleaning, etc., to form the finished sheet 200, as desired.

Alternatively, before the fabric sheet 500 is provided to the attaching device 324, a polyurethane coating may be applied to a side of the fabric sheet 500 to be attached to the first web 400, and then the fabric sheet 500 coated with the polyurethane coating may be attached to the first web 400 by an adhesive material so as to enhance the adhesive effect of the fabric sheet 500 and the adhesive material, thereby enhancing the attaching strength of the fabric sheet 500 and the first web 400. It will be appreciated that this also applies to other embodiments of the sheet manufacturing apparatus and sheet manufacturing method of the present utility model. Alternatively, the data may be recorded as, for example, about 100:2, mixing polyurethane liquid and a bridging agent in proportion to form polyurethane mixed glue, coating the polyurethane mixed glue on the surface of the fabric piece 500, and then putting the fabric piece 500 into an oven for drying to form a polyurethane coating on the surface of the fabric piece 500.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 13A and 13B, the first portion 302 and the second portion 304 of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 300 are separated from each other. In other embodiments, the first and second portions of the sheet manufacturing apparatus may also be coupled to eliminate winding and unwinding of the first cut edge web, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process. For example, in some variant embodiments, the first portion of the sheet manufacturing apparatus may not include a first wind-up roll for winding up the cut-edge first web and the second portion may not include an unwind device, and the cut-edge first web formed by the first portion during the sheet manufacturing process may be glued and laminated by a laminating device that feeds the cut-edge first web directly into the second portion.

Fig. 15 shows a second portion of the second embodiment of the sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present utility model, wherein the first portion of the second embodiment of the sheet manufacturing apparatus is omitted. The second embodiment of the sheet manufacturing apparatus has the same first portion as the first embodiment of the sheet manufacturing apparatus in fig. 13A to 14B, and thus the first roll R1 of the first web 400 wound up with the cut edge can also be obtained by the first portion of the second embodiment of the sheet manufacturing apparatus.

The second embodiment of the sheet manufacturing apparatus in fig. 15 differs from the first embodiment of the sheet manufacturing apparatus in fig. 13A to 14B in that: the bonding device 324 of the second portion 304 of the sheet manufacturing apparatus of fig. 15 is configured to apply an adhesive material to the fabric sheet 500 prior to bonding the fabric sheet 500 to the first web 400.

Referring to fig. 15, the second portion 304 may include: a third feeding device 320, an unreeling device 322, a laminating device 324 and a second reeling device 326. The first web roll R1 may be fed into the second portion 304 of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 300. The first web roll R1 may be unwound by an unwinder 322 to provide the cut-edge first web 400 to a laminating device 324 while a third supply device 320 provides the fabric sheet 500 to the laminating device 324. The bonding device 324 is configured to apply an adhesive material on the fabric sheet 500 and bond the fabric sheet 500 with the first web 400 by the adhesive material to form the second web 600.

In the illustrated embodiment, the third feeding device 320 includes an unwind roller 360, the unwind device 322 includes an unwind roller 358, the laminating device 324 includes a coating unit 362 and a laminating unit 364, and the second wind-up device 326 includes a wind-up roller 372.

The coating unit 362 may include a doctor blade 367, an oven 369, and a transfer roll 371, and may be used to apply an adhesive material, such as solvent-based PU adhesive or water-based PU adhesive, to the fabric sheet 500. The working principle of the coating unit 362 will be described below using a solvent-based PU adhesive as an example. The fabric sheet 500 may be transported from the unwind roll 360 into the coating unit 362, specifically to below the doctor blade 367. The solvent-based PU adhesive can be applied to one side of the blade 367 from above the fabric sheet 500, and then the thickness of the adhesive applied to the fabric sheet 500 by the blade 367 can be controlled by adjusting the gap between the blade 367 and the fabric sheet 500, wherein the solvent-based PU adhesive can be formed by mixing a polyurethane liquid and a bridging agent in a certain ratio. The solvent-PU-adhesive-coated fabric sheet 500 may then be transferred to an oven 369 for drying to form the solvent-PU-adhesive-coated fabric sheet 500, i.e., the coated fabric sheet 500.

The laminating unit 364 includes sets of opposed laminating rollers 370. The first web roll R1 may be unwound by the unwind roller 358 to transport the edge-cut first web 400 between the opposing laminating rollers 370 while the coated fabric sheet 500 is transported between the opposing laminating rollers 370 by the transport roller 371 such that the first web 400 and the fabric sheet 500 are laminated together by an adhesive material, e.g., under pressure, to form the second web 600. The second web 600 includes a fabric layer formed of the fabric sheet 500, an adhesive layer formed of an adhesive material, and a base material layer formed of the first web 400, and the fabric layer is bonded to the first layer of the base material layer through the adhesive layer.

Fig. 16 shows a third embodiment of a sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the utility model, which may be used for manufacturing the sheet 200 shown in fig. 12, and which eliminates winding and unwinding of the first web.

The sheet manufacturing apparatus 300 shown in fig. 16 mainly includes: a first feeding device 306, a second feeding device 308, an extrusion molding device 310, a pressing device 312, a cooling device 314, a third feeding device 320, a bonding device 324, an edge cutting device 316 and a winding device 318. The first feeding device 306, the second feeding device 308, the extrusion molding device 310, the pressing device 312, the cooling device 314, the third feeding device 320, the laminating device 324, the edge cutting device 316, and the winding device 318 of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 300 shown in fig. 16 may have the same configuration as the first feeding device, the second feeding device, the extrusion molding device, the pressing device, the cooling device, the third feeding device, the laminating device, the edge cutting device, and the first winding device of the sheet manufacturing apparatus shown in fig. 13A and 13B, respectively. The sheet manufacturing apparatus 300 shown in fig. 16 is different from the sheet manufacturing apparatus shown in fig. 13A and 13B in that the sheet manufacturing apparatus 300 shown in fig. 16 is configured to: the first web 400 cooled by the cooling device 314 is directly fed to the bonding device 324 to be coated with the bonding material and bonded with the fabric sheet 500 by the bonding material to form the second web 600; trimming the bonded second web 600 using the trimming device 316; and winding the cut-edge second web 600 and winding the edge trim generated by the cut edge using the winding device 318.

Fig. 17 shows a fourth embodiment of the sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present utility model. The sheet manufacturing apparatus in fig. 17 is similar to the sheet manufacturing apparatus in fig. 16, and the sheet manufacturing apparatus in fig. 17 mainly includes: a first feeding device 306, a second feeding device 308, an extrusion molding device 310, a pressing device 312, a cooling device 314, a third feeding device 320, a bonding device 324, an edge cutting device 316 and a winding device 318. The sheet manufacturing apparatus in fig. 17 is different from the sheet manufacturing apparatus in fig. 16 in that: the attaching means 324 of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 300 in fig. 17 is configured to apply an adhesive material to the fabric sheet 500 before attaching the fabric sheet 500 to the first web 400. The laminating device 324 of the sheet manufacturing apparatus 300 in fig. 17 has the same configuration as the laminating device in fig. 15, and may be used to apply an adhesive material such as solvent-based PU adhesive or water-based PU adhesive to the fabric sheet 500, and then laminate the coated fabric sheet 500 with the first web 400 to form the second web 600.

Fig. 18 shows a fifth embodiment of the sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present utility model. The sheet manufacturing apparatus in fig. 18 is similar to the sheet manufacturing apparatus in fig. 17, and the sheet manufacturing apparatus in fig. 18 mainly includes: a first feeding device 306, a second feeding device 308, an extrusion molding device 310, a third feeding device 320, a laminating device 324, a pressing device 312, a cooling device 314, a trimming device 316 and a winding device 318.

The sheet manufacturing apparatus in fig. 18 is mainly different from the sheet manufacturing apparatus in fig. 17 in that: the sheet manufacturing apparatus 300 in fig. 18 is configured to directly feed the first web 400 formed by the extrusion molding device 310 into the bonding device 324 to bond the fabric sheet 500 with the bonding material in the bonding device 324 to form the second web 600. The differences will be mainly described below.

Referring to fig. 18, the third feeding device 320 provides the fabric sheet 500 to the coating unit 362 of the bonding device 324, applies an adhesive material (e.g., solvent-based PU adhesive or water-based PU adhesive) to the fabric sheet 500 through the coating unit 362, and dries the adhesive-coated fabric sheet 500 to form a coated fabric sheet 500. Next, the coated fabric sheet 500 is fed between the opposing laminating rollers 370 of the laminating unit 364 of the laminating device 324, while the first web 400 fed through the material outlet of the extrusion device 310 is also fed directly between the opposing laminating rollers 370 of the laminating unit 364, such that the coated fabric sheet 500 is laminated with the first layer of the first web 400, for example, under pressure, to form the second web 600. Since the first web 400 delivered from the material outlet of the extrusion molding device 310 is generally not completely cured at a higher temperature, the first web 400 is directly fed into the laminating unit 364 to be laminated, which is favorable for tightly combining the first web 400 with the adhesive material, and further, the lamination strength of the first web 400 and the fabric sheet 500 can be improved. The second web 600 fed from the laminating unit 364 of the laminating device 324 may then be flattened and/or embossed, cooled, edge cut and rolled by the pressing device 312, the cooling device 314, the edge cutting device 316, the rolling device 318, respectively.

It will be appreciated that although in the embodiment shown in fig. 18, the laminating and flattening and/or embossing are performed by the laminating device 324 and the pressing device 312, respectively, in other embodiments the laminating unit of the laminating device may also integrate the functions of flattening and/or embossing such that the laminating and flattening and/or embossing may be accomplished simultaneously in one device (e.g., the same set of rollers).

It will be appreciated that fig. 13A to 18 are merely schematic views of an exemplary embodiment of a sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present utility model, which are merely illustrative and not limiting. It will be appreciated that the specific configuration of the individual devices of the sheet manufacturing apparatus and the arrangement order of the individual devices, as well as the addition or deletion of some devices, may be adjusted as desired. For example, the number and arrangement of rollers included in each device of the sheet manufacturing apparatus shown in the drawings is merely illustrative, and each device of the sheet manufacturing apparatus may include other suitable numbers of rollers, or the rollers may be arranged in other manners. For another example, in some embodiments, the pressing device and the cooling device may be integrated into one device to press and fully cool the first web. For another example, the sheet manufacturing apparatus may further include an additional cleaning device for cleaning and dust removing the manufactured web.

The present utility model also provides a sheet manufacturing method corresponding to an exemplary embodiment of the sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present utility model.

Fig. 19 shows an exemplary embodiment of a sheet manufacturing method according to the present utility model. The sheet manufacturing method 700 in fig. 19 includes: providing a first high polymer material with fluidity, a second high polymer material with fluidity, an adhesive material and a fabric piece, wherein the melting point of the first high polymer material is higher than that of the second high polymer material; forming a first material sheet by converging a first mobile polymer material and a second mobile polymer material, wherein the first material sheet comprises a first layer and a second layer, the first layer comprises the first polymer material, and the second layer comprises the second polymer material; and attaching the fabric sheet to the first layer of the first web through an adhesive material to form a second web, the second web comprising a fabric layer formed from the fabric sheet, an adhesive layer formed from the adhesive material, and a substrate layer formed from the first web.

In some embodiments, the first web obtained by the sheet manufacturing method includes an intermediate layer between the first layer and the second layer, the intermediate layer including a mixture of the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material. In some embodiments, the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material used in the sheet manufacturing method are both thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers.

In some embodiments of the sheet manufacturing method based on a sheet manufacturing apparatus such as shown in fig. 13A-17, the sheet manufacturing method further includes applying an adhesive material to the first layer of the fabric sheet or the first web prior to bonding the fabric sheet to the first web. In some embodiments of the sheet manufacturing method based on a sheet manufacturing apparatus such as shown in fig. 13A-17, the sheet manufacturing method further includes pressing the first web after forming the first web, which may include flattening and/or embossing. In some embodiments of the sheet manufacturing method based on a sheet manufacturing apparatus such as shown in fig. 13A-17, the sheet manufacturing method further includes cooling the pressed first web.

In some embodiments of a sheet manufacturing method based on a sheet manufacturing apparatus such as shown in fig. 13A-15, the sheet manufacturing method includes trimming the cooled first web and attaching the fabric sheet to the trimmed first web by an adhesive material to form a second web; optionally, the sheet manufacturing method further comprises rolling the cut edge first web into a first web roll and unrolling the first web roll to provide the cut edge first web for attachment to the fabric sheet. In other embodiments of the sheet manufacturing method based on a sheet manufacturing apparatus such as shown in fig. 16 and 17, the sheet manufacturing method includes trimming the second web after attaching the fabric sheet to the first web by the adhesive material to form the second web.

In some embodiments of a sheet manufacturing method based on a sheet manufacturing apparatus such as that shown in fig. 18, the sheet manufacturing method includes coating an adhesive material on a fabric sheet and conforming the coated fabric sheet to a first web to form a second web. In some embodiments of a sheet manufacturing method based on a sheet manufacturing apparatus such as that shown in fig. 18, the sheet manufacturing method further comprises pressing the second web while or after the coated fabric sheet is conformed to the first web to form the second web, wherein the pressing comprises flattening and/or embossing. In some embodiments of the sheet manufacturing method based on a sheet manufacturing apparatus such as that shown in fig. 18, the sheet manufacturing method further includes cooling the pressed second web. In some embodiments of the sheet manufacturing method based on a sheet manufacturing apparatus such as that shown in fig. 18, the sheet manufacturing method further includes trimming the cooled second web.

It will also be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the disclosure, may readily produce alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to such embodiments. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment, can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. The present disclosure is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents. While the foregoing has disclosed the subject matter and the features of the utility model, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining the teachings of the utility model, may make variations and improvements to the concepts disclosed herein, and fall within the scope of the utility model. The above description of embodiments is illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the utility model is defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A sheet material, characterized in that the sheet material comprises:

A fabric layer;

An adhesive layer; and

A substrate layer comprising a first polymeric material and a second layer comprising a second polymeric material, the first polymeric material having a melting point higher than the melting point of the second polymeric material,

The base material layer is formed by combining the first high polymer material with fluidity and the second high polymer material with fluidity, and the fabric layer is attached to the first layer through the adhesive layer.

2. The sheet of claim 1, wherein the substrate layer comprises an intermediate layer between the first layer and the second layer, the intermediate layer comprising a mixture of a first polymeric material and a second polymeric material.

3. The sheet of claim 1, wherein each of the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material is comprised of one or more of a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, or polyurethane.

4. A sheet according to claim 3, wherein the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material are both thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers.

5. The sheet according to claim 1, wherein the melting point of the first polymeric material is at least 15 ℃ higher than the melting point of the second polymeric material.

6. The sheet material of claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer is formed of a polyurethane-based adhesive.

7. The sheet of claim 6, wherein the polyurethane adhesive is a solvent-based PU adhesive, a water-based PU adhesive, or a PUR hot melt adhesive.

8. The sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that the fabric layer comprises a polyurethane coating on the side facing the adhesive layer.

9. The sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first layer HAs a shore a hardness ranging from 80HA to 98HA and the second layer HAs a shore a hardness ranging from 75HA to 95HA.

10. The sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the ratio of the thickness of the first layer to the thickness of the second layer is in the range of 1:1 to 1:4.

11. The sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the thickness of the substrate layer ranges from 0.01mm to 0.40mm.

12. An aerated product, characterized in that at least a part of the aerated product is made of a sheet according to any of claims 1 to 11.

13. The inflatable product of claim 12, wherein the inflatable product is an inflatable cushion comprising a top sheet and a bottom sheet connected to each other to define an inflatable chamber, wherein the top sheet and the bottom sheet are made of the sheet material.

14. The inflatable product of claim 13, further comprising a connecting tab disposed within the inflation chamber between the top sheet and the bottom sheet and comprising a plurality of first welding regions and a plurality of second welding regions, wherein the plurality of first welding regions and the plurality of second welding regions are offset from one another, the plurality of first welding regions being welded to the top sheet and the plurality of second welding regions being welded to the bottom sheet.

15. The inflatable product of claim 14, wherein the inflatable cushion further comprises at least one heat shield disposed within the inflatable chamber, and each heat shield comprises a polymeric substrate and a metal plating plated on at least one of the front and back sides of the polymeric substrate.

16. The inflatable product of claim 13, wherein the inflatable cushion further comprises a plurality of tensioning members, a top edge and a bottom edge of each tensioning member being welded to the top sheet and the bottom sheet, respectively.

17. The inflatable product of claim 16, wherein the tensioning member is made from the sheet material or from the substrate layer of the sheet material.

18. The inflatable product of claim 13, wherein the inflatable cushion further comprises a foam core, the top sheet and the bottom sheet conforming to a top surface and a bottom surface of the foam core, respectively.

19. The aerated product of claim 18 wherein the foam core comprises a plurality of regularly distributed openings or a plurality of regularly distributed grooves.

20. The inflatable product of any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein the inflatable cushion further comprises a side gusset, a peripheral edge of the top panel being connected to a top edge of the side gusset, a peripheral edge of the bottom panel being connected to a bottom edge of the side gusset such that the top panel, the bottom panel, and the side gusset together define the inflatable chamber.

21. A sheet manufacturing apparatus, characterized by comprising:

A first feeding device and a second feeding device configured to supply a flowable first polymeric material and a flowable second polymeric material, respectively, the first polymeric material having a melting point higher than a melting point of the second polymeric material;

An extrusion molding apparatus comprising a first runner, a second runner, a converging cavity, and a material outlet, each of the first runner, the second runner, and the material outlet being in communication with the converging cavity, the first runner and the second runner being configured to direct a flowable first polymeric material from the first feeding device and a flowable second polymeric material from the second feeding device into the converging cavity, respectively, the flowable first polymeric material and the flowable second polymeric material being adapted to merge within the converging cavity and to extrude from the material outlet to form a first web, the first web comprising a first layer and a second layer, the first layer comprising the first polymeric material, the second layer comprising the second polymeric material;

a third feeding device configured to supply a sheet of fabric; and

And a bonding device configured to bond the fabric sheet with the first layer of the first web through an adhesive material to form a second web including a fabric layer formed of the fabric sheet, an adhesive layer formed of the adhesive material, and a substrate layer formed of the first web.

22. The sheet manufacturing apparatus of claim 21, wherein the bonding device is configured to apply the bonding material to the fabric sheet or the first layer of the first web prior to bonding the fabric sheet to the first web.

23. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 21 or 22, further comprising a pressing device configured to press the first web delivered from the material outlet, the pressing comprising pressing and/or embossing.

24. The sheet manufacturing apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a cooling device configured to cool the pressed first web.

25. The sheet material manufacturing apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a trimming device; the sheet manufacturing apparatus is configured to convey the cooled first web to the edge slitting device for slitting and convey the slit first web to the laminating device.

26. The sheet manufacturing apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a rolling device configured to roll the trimmed first web into a first web roll and an unreeling device configured to unreel the first web roll and deliver the trimmed first web to the laminating device.

27. The sheet manufacturing apparatus of claim 24, further comprising an edge cutting device configured to deliver the cooled first web to the laminating device to form the second web, the edge cutting device configured to edge cut the second web.

28. The sheet manufacturing apparatus of claim 21, wherein the sheet manufacturing apparatus is configured to deliver the first web from the material outlet to the application device, and the application device is configured to apply the bonding material to the web prior to applying the web to the first web.

29. The sheet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising a pressing device configured to press the second web fed out from the attaching device, the pressing including pressing and/or embossing.

30. The sheet manufacturing apparatus of claim 28, wherein the laminating device is further configured to press the second web while laminating the coated fabric sheet to the first web to form the second web, the pressing comprising pressing and/or embossing.

31. The sheet manufacturing apparatus of claim 29 or 30, further comprising a cooling device configured to cool the pressed second web.

32. The sheet manufacturing apparatus of claim 31, further comprising an edge cutting device configured to cut edges of the cooled second web.