JPH11240090A - Manufacture of seat cover - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a product having excellent appearance quality by heat treating a fiber web layer by a hot air of a melting point or higher of a low melting point fiber to fusion bond the low melting point fiber to a high melting point fiber, then superposing a skin material thereon, supplying a hot air, and compressing the web layer to a predetermined thickness while pressurizing it by a pressurizing plate. SOLUTION: A fiber web layer l and a rear foundation cloth 4 are interlaced and integrated by a needle punching unit 10 on the way of feeding a material to be treated obtained by superposing the cloth 4 on a rear surface of the layer 1 on a line. The obtained laminate is then heated by a hot air in a preheat setting chamber 5 to melt and adhere filaments of a surface-melted low melting point fiber at a contact point of filaments of a high melting point fiber. Then, the layer 3 and the material 2 are sequentially supplied, superposed, then a hot air is supplied in a heating zone 11a of a heat setting chamber 11 to fusion bond the filaments of the low melting point to the layer 3. Then, it is pressurized and compressed by a pressurizing plate 12 in cooling zone 11b to form a smooth surface having no protrusion and recess part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a skin material which does not lose color or fall down even if it is a material which is easily affected by the heat and pressure during heat setting, such as a fabric having a raised material. The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a seat cover capable of easily mass-producing a sheet of an automobile or the like having excellent appearance quality by allowing a skin material to be accurately and easily adhered to a fiber web without showing unevenness of a web layer and an adhesive layer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a seat cover used for a seat of an automobile or the like, recently, in place of a laminated skin material in which a skin material is integrally attached to a surface of a conventional plastic foam such as a polyurethane foam, the cost of disposal is low. Alternatively, a fiber web layer in which long fibers such as polyester fibers are entangled, which has no problem in recycling, is used as a wadding material, and a skin material is bonded and integrated with the wadding material through an adhesive layer. Various proposals have been made in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 15899 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-332590.

As a method of manufacturing such a seat cover, the fibrous web layer, the adhesive layer, and the skin material are superimposed, compressed to a predetermined thickness by a plate-shaped pressing member having air permeability, and heated with hot air. Conventionally, bonding and heat setting were performed by passing through.However, when bonding and heat setting were performed simultaneously in this manner, the pressing member heated to a high temperature by hot air directly pressed the skin material. The surface of the skin material is thermally affected, and particularly when the skin material is a fabric having a brushed surface, the brushed hair may fall down or a whitening phenomenon may occur, resulting in a problem that the appearance quality is significantly impaired. there were. In view of the above, the present applicant has developed a method of manufacturing a seat cover which solves the above-mentioned problems by separately performing a heating step using hot air and a pressing / compressing step using a cooled pressing plate, and has previously described Japanese Patent Application No. 8-287708. Filed as However, if the heat setting temperature is increased, the color of the skin material will be discolored, so it is necessary to perform at a lower temperature,
There is a problem that strength is reduced due to insufficient fusion between the fiber web layers. In addition, there is a problem that the thickness cannot be regulated, and a problem that the surface is uneven and the appearance quality is deteriorated.

[0004]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and the surface of the skin material is not affected by heat during heat setting processing, so that the surface of the skin material does not lose color and hair falls. Completed to provide a seat cover manufacturing method that can produce products with excellent appearance quality without whitening and whitening, and that can exhibit high productivity and efficiently mass-produce at low cost It was done.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a method of manufacturing a seat cover according to the present invention is disclosed. A seat cover in which a skin material having air permeability is laminated via a permeable adhesive layer, and the adhesive layer is melted by passing hot air to bond the skin material to the fiber web layer and heat-set the fiber web layer. In the manufacturing method, prior to the heat setting, the fiber web layer is subjected to a pre-heat set in which the heat treatment is performed by hot air having a melting point of the low-melting fiber or higher, so that the low-melting fiber is fused to the high-melting fiber. After stacking, hot air is supplied at a temperature not higher than the temperature at which the skin material does not discolor, and heat setting is performed to melt the low-melting fiber of the fibrous web layer and the hot-melt adhesive layer, and then add It is characterized in that by cooling under pressure by a plate compressing the fiber web layer to a predetermined thickness.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to a manufacturing process explanatory diagram shown in FIG. 1 and a sectional view of a seat cover obtained by the present invention shown in FIG. explain. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a fibrous web layer composed of a mixed fiber of a filament 1a of a high melting point fiber and a filament 1b of a low melting point fiber, 2 denotes a breathable skin material having excellent heat resistance, and 3 denotes a thin web of a low melting point fiber. Alternatively, the adhesive layer, which is melted when heated to about the melting point of the low-melting fiber such as a hot melt web to give an adhesive ability, 4 is a backing base fabric laminated on the back surface of the fiber web layer 1 as necessary. is there.
The mixing ratio of the filament 1a of the high melting point fiber and the filament 1b of the low melting point fiber in the fiber web layer 1 composed of the mixed fiber is usually about 7: 3 to 9: 1. Normally about 100 to 500 g / m ² .

A fibrous web layer 1 comprising the above-mentioned mixed fiber
As the filament 1a of the high melting point fiber, for example, a polypropylene fiber, a polyester fiber, a polyamide fiber or the like having a melting point of 200 to 240 ° C. and about 2 to 13 denier is used. As the filament 1b, for example, a polyester fiber or a polypropylene fiber having a melting point of 100 to 160 ° C.
デ 6 denier is used. The low-melting fiber filament 1b is not entirely low-melting.
Core-sheath fibers in which the surface of a core material made of a polyester-based resin or a resin having a relatively high melting point is coated with a low-melting resin such as a polyester resin or a polypropylene resin having a melting point of 100 to 160 ° C can also be used.

On the other hand, the present invention is extremely effective when the skin material 2 has a relatively high melting point, a breathability and a raised surface on the surface, such as a fabric material made of polyester fiber. . As the adhesive layer 3, a thin web made of filaments of a low melting point fiber of a total fusion type having a melting point of 100 to 160 ° C., a basis weight of about 10 to 50 g / m ² and about ² to 6 denier, or a certain amount of ventilation Sheet type hot melt web etc. having properties are used,
Furthermore, the backing base cloth 4 is made of a high-density nonwoven fabric structure generally called a spunbond cloth, and is used for the purpose of improving the strength of the seat cover as required.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 5 denotes a pre-heat setting chamber. Prior to heat setting, the fibrous web layer 1 is heat-treated with hot air having a melting point higher than that of the low-melting fiber to fuse the low-melting fiber to the high-melting fiber. Thus, the state is temporarily fixed. Further, reference numeral 10 denotes a needle punching machine for performing a needle sticking process on the preheat-set fiber web layer 1, reference numeral 11 denotes a heat setting chamber, and the heat setting chamber 11 includes a heating zone 11a and a cooling zone 11b. A belt conveyor 13 for conveyance, which is formed continuously and has a permeable belt material such as a mesh wire mesh as a conveyor belt, is installed so as to pass through each of the zones, and inside the cooling zone 11b. The pressure plate 12 is provided on the upper side corresponding to the belt conveyor 13. The pressing plate 12 is for compressing the fibrous web layer to a predetermined thickness while performing a cooling process.In the illustrated example, the pressing plate 12 is a belt conveyor made of a metal plate conveyor belt such as a stainless steel plate. The material to be processed passed by the pressure members 14 and 15 such as a pair of upper and lower pressure rollers provided inside the pressure plate 12 and the belt conveyor 13.
And pressurized. The pressure plate 12 can be made of a gas-permeable band such as a mesh wire mesh, similarly to the belt conveyor 13.
Instead of a belt conveyor, it may be a simple plate-shaped pressing member. The pressure plate 12 is adjusted to a temperature of 30 ° C. or lower by a general cooling means such as a fan (not shown) that sends cold air of about 10 to 30 ° C. into the cooling zone 11b. Pressure compression while cooling.

Next, the molding process of the seat cover of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. First, when the material to be processed is sent to the line in a state where the backing fabric 4 is overlaid on the back surface of the fiber web layer 1, the number of penetrations is reduced to about several tens by the needle punching machine 10 according to a conventional method. A needle piercing process is performed, thereby forming a laminate in which the fiber web layer 1 and the backing base fabric 4 are entangled and integrated. Subsequently, the laminate is placed in a preheat setting chamber 5 before the heat setting described later.
Is heated by hot air at a temperature of 120 to 180 ° C., which is a temperature at which only the low-melting fiber filament 1b sufficiently melts, and the low-melting fiber filament 1b whose surface is melted melts at the contact point with the high-melting fiber filament 1a. It is in a state of being temporarily fixed by being adhered. The temporary fixing step in the preheat setting chamber 5 is for preventing the skin material 2 from discoloring in the heat setting step described later, and is a characteristic configuration of the present invention.

Next, the skin material 2 is superposed on the surface of the preheat-set fiber web layer 1 via the adhesive layer 3 and sent to the heat setting chamber 11, where the adhesive layer 3 is melted and the skin material 2 is melted. Is bonded to the fiber web layer 1 and heat-set to be sent out as a product. The bonding in the heat-setting chamber 11 and the heat-setting step are also characteristic features of the present invention. That is, when the material to be treated is sent to the heating zone 11a of the heat setting chamber 11, the adhesive layer is formed in the heat setting chamber 11 with the filament 1b of the low melting point fiber which is lower than the melting point of the filament 1a of the high melting point fiber. 120 to 140 ° C., which is a temperature not lower than the melting point of 3 and at which the discoloration of the skin material 2 does not occur.
A degree of hot air is supplied from the front side of the skin material 2 toward the back side of the fibrous web layer 1, and only the filament 1b of the low melting point fiber and the adhesive layer 3 are melted by the supply of the hot air, and The surface where the filament 1b of the high melting point fiber can be bonded at the contact point with the filament 1a of the high melting point fiber is in a molten state, and the fiber web layer 1
And the skin material 2 can be bonded by the melted bonding layer 3. In this case, even if only the wind pressure due to the supply of hot air having a wind speed of about 0.5 to 3 m / s acts on the skin material 2, it is not intentionally pressurized by the pressurizing member. There is no occurrence of a phenomenon in which hair is fallen by being pressed by the pressing member. Further, conventionally, the heat setting treatment was performed at about 150 to 180 ° C. in order to increase the adhesive strength. However, in the present invention, since the preheating setting has been performed as described above, the filament 1 b of the low melting point fiber and the high melting point The filament 1a of the fiber is in a state of being temporarily fixed, and at least the melting point of the adhesive layer 3 (for example, about 1
Heat treatment may be performed at a temperature of 10 ° C. or higher. As a result,
The discoloration of the skin material 2 is completely prevented.

Next, when the material to be processed is sent to the cooling zone 11b of the heat setting chamber 11 in a state where the filament 1b of the low melting point fiber and the adhesive layer 3 are melted as described above, the cooling zone 11b Is positively pressed by the pressure plate 12 whose temperature is adjusted to 30 ° C. or less. When the positive pressure is applied by the pressing plate 12 immediately after the low-melting fiber filament 1b and the adhesive layer 3 are sent to the cooling zone 11b in a molten state, the pressing by the pressing plate 12 Cooling is performed while the compression pressure is dispersed throughout, but the pressing force is transmitted via the skin material 2 between the surface of the fibrous web layer 1 and the adhesive layer 3 which are in a molten state in the initial stage of cooling, and the surface is smoothed. The skin material 2 is adhered while being cooled, and at the same time, the fiber web layer is compressed to a predetermined thickness while being cooled while the compression pressure is dispersed throughout the fiber web layer. Then, when the cooling proceeds to 70 to 90 ° C., which is the softening point of the low-melting fiber filament 1 b and the adhesive layer 3, the low-melting fiber filament 1 b melted earlier becomes the high-melting fiber filament 1 a in contact therewith. We fuse. When a core-sheath fiber filament is used as the low-melting fiber filament 1b, only the sheath portion is fused and the core portion is not affected at all by the heat, so that the fiber web layer 1 having higher strength is obtained. It is particularly preferable because it can be performed.

[0013] When the cooling zone 11b finally cools down to a temperature range of 10 to 30 ° C, the softened low-melting fiber filament 1b and the adhesive layer 3 are both completely cooled, and the adhesive force is reduced. While being reinforced, the mixed fiber web 1 is compressed to a predetermined thickness by being sandwiched between the conveyor belts by the action of the pressing members 14 and 15, and is set in this compressed state. Will be held. During this pressing, the surface of the skin material 2 is
2 but pressurized at a low temperature of 30 ° C. or less, so that the hair material of the skin material 2 does not cause the hair falling phenomenon and the skin material 2 does not cause the whitening phenomenon, and the appearance quality is improved. An excellent product can be produced, and the pressure is applied in a state where the compression pressure is dispersed by the pressing plate 12, so that the adhesive strength is uniform, and the skin material 2 is smoothed by pressing in the molten state. Is bonded to the fibrous web 1 which has been formed via the smoothed adhesive layer 3.
Even with a thin skin material, a high quality product with a smooth surface can be obtained without being affected by the unevenness of the fibrous web 1.

[0014]

As is clear from the above description, the present invention does not affect the surface of the skin material during heat setting, does not suffer from discoloration, has no hair fall or whitening, and has good appearance quality. An excellent product can be produced, and excellent productivity can be exhibited to efficiently perform mass production at low cost. Therefore, the present invention greatly contributes to industrial development as a method of manufacturing a seat cover that has eliminated the conventional problems.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a molding process of a seat cover according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a seat cover manufactured according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fiber web layer 1a Filament of high melting point fiber 1b Filament of low melting point fiber 2 Skin material 3 Adhesive layer 4 Backing base cloth 5 Preheat set room 10 Needle punch machine 11 Heat set room 11a Heating zone 11b Cooling zone 12 Pressure plate

Claims (6)

[Claims] An air-permeable skin material is laminated on a surface of a fibrous web layer made of a mixed fiber of a high-melting fiber and a low-melting fiber via a hot-melt adhesive layer, and hot air passes through the adhesive layer. In the method for manufacturing a seat cover in which the skin material is adhered to the fiber web layer and the fiber web layer is heat-set, the fiber web layer is heated by hot air having a melting point of the low melting point fiber or higher prior to the heat setting. After applying a preheat set to treat, the low-melting fiber was fused to the high-melting fiber, and after overlaying the skin material,
Heating is performed by supplying hot air at a temperature below the temperature at which the skin material does not cause discoloration to melt the low-melting fiber of the fibrous web layer and the hot-melt adhesive layer, and then cool while pressing with a pressure plate. A method for manufacturing a seat cover, comprising compressing a fibrous web layer to a predetermined thickness. 2. The heat setting is performed by hot air supplied from the front side of the skin material to the back side of the fiber web layer without positively pressing the fiber web layer and the skin material, and then positively applied by the pressure plate. The production of the seat cover according to claim 1, wherein the surface cover of the molten fibrous web layer and the adhesive layer are pressurized and smoothed by applying pressure to cool the fibrous web layer and compress the fibrous web layer to a predetermined thickness. Method. 3. The method for producing a seat cover according to claim 1, wherein the skin material is a fabric having a raised surface. 4. A backing fabric comprising a high-density nonwoven fabric structure is laminated on the back surface of the fiber web layer.
The method for manufacturing a seat cover according to item 1. 5. The method for manufacturing a seat cover according to claim 1, wherein the fiber web layer is entangled by needle sticking before performing the preheat setting. 6. The core-sheath fiber according to claim 1, wherein the low-melting fiber is a high-melting core material covered with a low-melting sheath material.
Or the method of manufacturing a seat cover according to 4 or 5.