GB2315703A

GB2315703A - Producing a moulded headrest

Info

Publication number: GB2315703A
Application number: GB9714706A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Eiichi Yamano
Original assignee: Ikeda Bussan Co Ltd
Current assignee: Ikeda Corp
Priority date: 1996-07-31
Filing date: 1997-07-11
Publication date: 1998-02-11
Anticipated expiration: 2017-07-11
Also published as: JPH1042994A; JP3123706B2; GB9714706D0; GB2315703B

Abstract

A bag-shaped outer skin member 30 of generally U-shape is prepared, and its two side base portions are connected by a flexible sheet member 27. A metal frame 2 has a U-shaped middle portion installed in the outer skin member 30 and two straight stay portions 2a projected to the outside from the side base portions. The outer skin member 30 is put into a mold 110 in such a way that the flexible sheet member 27 is put on and stretched by a projected structure 110b-1,-110b-2 of the mold, thereby to urge a given portion 30c of the outer skin member to be intimately pressed against an inner surface of the mold reducing creasing of the skin and formation of defects in the headrest. A liquid material of a foamed plastic is then poured into the outer skin member 30 and allowed to cure before the headrest is demoulded.

Description

METHOD OF PRODUCING MOLDED HEADREST The present invention relates in general to methods for producing a molded headrest. More spedflcally, the present invention is concerned with methods of producing molded headrests of a type which includes a bag-shaped outer skin, a foamed plastic pad filled in the outer skin, and a metal frame having a U-shaped middle portion embedded in the foamed plastic pad and two stay portions projected from a headrest proper.

In order to clarify the task of the present invention, one conventional method for produdng the above-mentioned molded headrest will be described with reference to Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.

Referring to Fig. 4, there is shown a conventional molded headrest 1 just produced in a mold 11, with some portions removed for darification of the construction of the headrest 1 and the mold 11. As shown, the headrest 1 produced comprises generally a metal frame 2, a bag-shaped outer skin member 3 and a foamed plastic pad 4. The metal frame 2 has a generally U-shaped middle portion 2b and two straight stay portions 2a. The U-shaped middle portion 2b is embedded in the foamed plastic pad 4, and the foamed plastic pad 4 is covered with the outer skin member 3. The outer skin member 3 is made of cloth or plastic sheet pieces which are sewed to constitute a generally U-shaped bag structure including a center bridge portion and two side base portions. As is understood from the drawing, the mold 11 generally comprises a rounded bottom wall 11a, a rounded upper wall 11b, a U-shaped back wall 11c,and a U-shaped front wall (not shown) which are combined to constitute a generally U-shaped box structure. A hinge mechanism (not shown) is employed for permitting the front wall to open the box structure.

For producing the headrest 1, the outer skin member 3 is formed at a leading end 3a of each side base portion with both an elongate slit 5 and a circular opening 3b. After being inserted into the outer skin member 3 through the elongate slits 5, the two straight stay portions 2a of the metal frame 2 are projected to the outside through the drcular openings 3b leaving the U-shaped middle portion 2b in the outer skin member 3, as is understood from the drawing. Then, the outer skin member 3 is set in the mold 11 while positioning the metal frame 2 relative to the mold 11. After the front wall of the mold 11 is pivoted up to close the box structure of the mold 11, a liquid plastic material of the foamed pad 4 is poured into the outer skin member 3 through the slits 5.

Thus, in the outer skin member 3, the liquid plastic material is cured while forming the foamed pad 4. After sufficient curing or hardening of the material, a product, that is, the molded headrest 1 is removed from the mold 11 by opening the front wall.

However, the headrest 1 produced by the above-mentioned method has the following drawback.

That is, it often occurs that an inside wall portion of the outer skin member 3, which is indicated by an arrow 3c in the drawing, has unsightly creases which lowers ts aesthetic value of the headrest 1. The inventor has revealed that production of such unsightly creases is caused by a difficulty in obtaining intimate contact between the inside wall portion 3c of the outer skin member 3 and the rounded upper wall 11b of the mold 11 during curing of the plastic material in the outer skin member 3.

It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide a method for producing a molded headrest which is free of the abovementioned drawback.

According to present invention, there is provided a method of producing a molded headrest, which method uses a flexible sheet member connected to a bag-shaped outer skin member, for stretching a given portion of the outer skin member where creases tend to be produced.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of producing a molded headrest, which comprises the steps of (a) preparing a bag-shaped outer skin member of generally Ushape, the outer skin member including a center bridge portion and two side base portions; (b) connecting the two side base portions by a flexible sheet member; (c) joining a metal frame with the outer skin member, the metal frame having a U-shaped middle portion installed in the outer skin member and two straight stay portions projected to the outside from the side base portions respectively; (d) putting the outer skin member into a mold in such a manner that the flexible sheet member is put on and stretched by a projected structure of the mold thereby to urge a given portion of the outer skin member to be intimately pressed against an inner surface of the mold; and (e) pouring a liquid material of a foamed plastic into the outer skin member.

According to the present invention, there is provided a molded headrest which comprises a bag-shaped outer skin member of generally U-shape, the outer skin member induding a center bridge portion and two side base portions; a metal frame having a U-shaped middle portion received in the outer skin member and two straight stay portions projected to the outside from the two side base portions respectively; a foamed plastic pad filled in the outer skin member; and a flexible sheet member extending between the two side base portions of the outer skin member.

Preferred features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken on conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a partially broken perspective view of a mold and a headrest produced in the mold, showing a method according to the present invention; Fig. 2A is a perspective view of an outer skin member used for carrying out the method of the present invention; Fig. 2B is an enlarged sectional view of a part of the outer skin member, showing a layered structure of the outer skin member; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2A, but showing a modification of the outer skin member; and Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing a conventional method for producing a molded headrest.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a molded headrest 10 just produced in a mold 110, with some portions removed for clarification of the construction of the produced headrest 10 and the mold 110. Similar to the above-mentioned conventional headrest 1 (Fig.4), the molded headrest 10 produced by the method of the present invention comprises generally a metal frame 2, a bagshaped outer skin member 30 and a foamed plastic pad 4. The metal frame 2 has a generally U-shaped middle portion 2b and two straight stay portions 2a. The U-shaped middle portion 2b is embedded in the foamed plastic pad 4, and the foamed plastic pad 4 is covered with the outer skin member 30. As is understood from this drawing, the mold 110 generally comprises a rounded bottom wall 110a, a rounded upper wall 110b, a U-shaped back wall 110c, and a U-shaped front wall (not shown) which are combined to constitute a generally U-shaped box structure. A hinge mechanism (not shown) is employed for permitting the front wall to open the box structure. As shown, for the reason which will become apparent hereinafter, each side upper wall 110x or 110y of the mold 110 is raised to define a dearance between it and an upper edge 110b-1 or 110be2 of the rounded upper wall 110b.

Referring to Fig. 2A, there is shown in detail the bag-shaped outer skin member 30 used in the invention. The outer skin member 30 is made of layered sheet pieces which are sewed to constitute a generally U-shaped bag structure induding a center bridge portion and two side base portions.

As is seen from Fig. 2B, each layered sheet piece comprises a cloth 31, such as tricot, constituting an outermost layer, a wadding 32, such as foamed plastic sheet, bonded to an inner surface of the doth 31, and a non-permeable flexible plastic sheet 33 bonded to an inner surface of the wadding 32. Of course, if the outermost layer 31 is constructed of a non-permeable flexible sheet, other two layers 32 and 33 may be removed.

Referring back to Fig. 2A, the outer skin member 30 is formed at a leading end 30a of each side base portion with both an elongate slit 50 and a circular opening 30b.

According to the present invention, the outer skin member 30 used has a flexible sheet member 27 sewed at both ends 27a and 27b to inner edges 25a and 25b of the side base portions of the outer skin member 30. If desired, the flexible sheet member 27 may be bonded to the side base portions by means of suitable adhesive. As is seen from Fig. 2A, the flexible sheet member 27 is somewhat longer than the distance between the inner edges 25a and 25b of the side base portions. The flexible sheet member 27 is made of doth, polyvinyl sheet, non-woven fabric or paper.

In the following, the method of producing the molded headrest 10, according to the present invention, will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2A.

First, the metal frame 2 is inserted into the outer skin member 30 through the elongate slits 50 and then the two straight stay portions 2a of the metal frame 2 are projected to the outside through the circular openings 3b leaving the U-shaped middle portion 2b in the outer skin member 30, as is understood from Fig.

1. Then, after opening the front wall of the mold 110, the outer skin member 30 is inserted into the mold 11 from the front side of the same thus opened. When the insertion is properly made, the flexible sheet member 27 is put on and thus stretched by the upper edges 110b-1 and llOb-2 of the rounded upper wall 110b of the mold 110, as is understood from Fig. 1. Thus, under this condition, the inside wall portion 30c of the outer skin member 30 is stretched and thus intimately pressed against the inner surface of the rounded upper wall 110b of the mold. Then, the metal frame 2 is positioned relative to the mold 11. After the front wall of the mold 110 is pivoted up to dose the box structure of the mold 110, a liquid plastic material of the foamed pad 4 is poured into the outer skin member 30 through the slits 50. Thus, in the outer skin member 30, the liquid plastic material is cured while produdng the foamed pad 4. After sufficient curing or hardening of the material, a product, that is, the molded headrest 10 is removed from the mold 110 by opening the front wall. By using a cutter or the like, the flexible sheet member 27 is removed from the product.

As is described hereinabove, during curing of the fluid plastic material in the outer skin member 30, the inside wall portion 30c of the outer skin member 30 is kept stretched by the flexible sheet member 27 and thus the same is kept intimately pressed against the inner surface of the rounded upper wall 110b of the mold 110.

Thus, the inside wall portion 30c is avoided from producing unsightly creases thereon, unlike the case of the above-mentioned conventional method.

Referring to Fig. 3, there is shown a modification 30' of the above-mentioned outer skin member 30. As shown, in this modification, two shorter sheet members 29a and 29b are used, which are respectively sewed to the inner edges 25a and 25b of the side base portions of the outer skin member 30'. Leading ends of respective sheet members 29a and 29b are bonded by means of adhesive or joined by means of a dip or the like. Due to separated arrangement of the two sheet members 29a and 29b, the work for sewing them to the outer skin member 30' is fadliated.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method of producing a molded headrest, which comprises the steps of: (a) preparing a bag-shaped outer skin member of generally U-shape, said outer skin member induding a center bridge portion and two side base portions; (b) connecting said two side base portions by a flexible sheet member; (c) joining a metal frame with said outer skin member, said metal frame having a U-shaped middle portion installed in said outer skin member and two straight stay portions projected to the outside from said side base portions respectively; (d) putting said outer skin member into a mold in such a manner that said flexible sheet member is put on and stretched by a projected structure of said mold,thereby to urge a given portion of said outer skin member to be intimately pressed against an inner surface of said mold; and (e) pouring a liquid material of a foamed plastic into said outer skin member.

2. A method as daimed in Claim 1, further comprising, after step (e), (f) removing a product, that is, the molded headrest from said mold after sufficient curing or hardening of the liquid material.

3. A method as claimed in Claim 2, further comprising, after step (f), (g) removing said flexible sheet member from said product.

4. A method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, including connecting said flexible sheet member to said two side base portions by sewing.

5. A method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, including connecting said flexible sheet member to said two side base portions by: sewing one end of a first flexible sheet member to one of said two side base portions; sewing one end of a second flexible sheet member to the other of said two side base portions; and connecting the other end of said first flexible sheet member with the other end of said second flexible sheet member.

6. A method as daimed in any preceding clais, wherein the projected structure of the mold comprises upper edges of a rounded upper wall which has said inner surface against which said given portion of said outer skin member is intimately pressed.

7. A method as daimed in any preceding claim, wherein the outer skin member is made of layered sheet pieces which are sewed to constitute a generally U-shaped bag structure.

8. A molded headrest comprising: a bag-shaped outer skin member of generally U-shape, said outer skin member induding a center bridge portion and two side base portions; a metal frame having a U-shaped middle portion received in said outer skin member and two straight stay portions projected to the outside from said two side base portions respectively; a foamed plastic pad filled in said outer skin member; and a flexible sheet member extending between said two side base portions of said outer skin member.

9. A molded headrest as daimed in Claim 8, in which said flexible sheet member is made of doth, polyvinyl sheet, non-woven fabric or paper.

10. A method of producing a molded headrest, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1, 2A, and 2B of the accompanying drawings.

11. A molded headrest substantially as described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.