U.S. patent application number 13/082007 was filed with the patent office on 2011-08-25 for process for making noise absorber carpet.
This patent application is currently assigned to Kabushiki Kaisha Daiwa. Invention is credited to Kohei Yamada.
Application Number | 20110203717 13/082007 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41257273 |
Filed Date | 2011-08-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110203717 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yamada; Kohei |
August 25, 2011 |
PROCESS FOR MAKING NOISE ABSORBER CARPET
Abstract
A process for making a noise absorber carpet including a fabric
layer and a resinous backing layer, the process including providing
an uncured resinous backing layer within a mold having perforation
pins, heating the backing layer to activate the resin, providing a
fabric layer, pressing the fabric layer into the backing layer
while maintaining the heating process to the backing layer, and
providing a cooling medium to cool the mold to fix and cure the
perforations within the backing layer thereby forming noise
absorber perforations in the resinous backing layer.
Inventors: |
Yamada; Kohei; (Hashima-Gun,
JP) |
Assignee: |
Kabushiki Kaisha Daiwa
Gifu-ken
JP
Kabushiki Kaisha Yachiyo
Gifu-ken
JP
Kabushiki Kaisha Shoei
Gifu-ken
JP
|
Family ID: |
41257273 |
Appl. No.: |
13/082007 |
Filed: |
April 7, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12113550 |
May 1, 2008 |
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13082007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
156/72 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29C 2043/023 20130101;
B29C 2043/3266 20130101; B29C 2035/1658 20130101; B29L 2031/737
20130101; B29C 33/76 20130101; B29L 2031/7652 20130101; B29C
33/0033 20130101; B29C 2791/008 20130101; B29C 43/021 20130101;
B29C 33/02 20130101; B29K 2995/0091 20130101; B29L 2031/721
20130101; B29L 2031/3017 20130101; Y10T 428/23979 20150401; B29C
2793/0045 20130101; B29L 2031/7322 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
156/72 |
International
Class: |
D05C 15/00 20060101
D05C015/00 |
Claims
1. A process for making a noise absorber carpet comprised of a
fabric layer portion and a resinous backing layer portion,
comprising the steps of: (a) providing an uncured resinous backing
layer within a mold having perforation pins; (b) heating the
resinous backing layer to activate the resin; (c) providing a
fabric layer portion; (d) pressing the fabric layer portion into
the resinous backing layer portion while maintaining the heating
process to the resinous backing layer portion; and (e) providing a
cooling medium to cool the mold to fix and cure perforations in the
backing layer thereby forming noise absorber perforations in the
resinous backing layer.
2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the mold further
includes slippage prevention spike forming depressions, and the
process further comprises providing the resinous backing layer
portion with slippage prevention spikes formed by contact with the
spike forming depressions in the mold.
3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the step of pressing
the fabric layer portion into the resinous backing layer portion is
done on a flat press.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a divisional patent application claiming
priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/113,550 filed May
1, 2008, the contents of which are incorporated by reference
herein.
TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND
[0002] The present invention generally relates to a process and a
system to make a noise absorber carpet, rug or mat, hereinafter
referred to as Acarpet@, generally used where noise damping or
absorption is desired, including cars, buses, trains and airplanes
as well as buildings and houses. More particularly, this invention
relates to a process and a system to make a noise absorber carpet
comprised of a fabric layer portion and a perforated backing layer
portion.
[0003] A conventional noise damping or absorber car carpet is
generally comprised of a piled fabric layer and a resilient plastic
backing layer. The backing layer is generally formed of a synthetic
resin material such as a vinyl chloride resin material. Such a car
carpet may effectively block noises coming from below but will not
effectively absorb noises coming from above, rather repelling the
noises back into the car compartment.
[0004] Many carpets also utilized a series of spikes on the
underneath side for abrasion purposes. Typical carpets were
constructed with the use of a heated press provided with spike pins
to produce spikes. However, the spikes lacked sufficient rigidity
because of the heat pressing operation. The spikes would not grasp
underlying layers effectively due to this insufficient
rigidity.
[0005] Therefore a need remains to provide a carpet with
perforation spikes of sufficient rigidity and effective noise
dampening characteristics.
SUMMARY
[0006] Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a process to make a noise absorber carpet comprised of a
fabric layer portion and a perforated resinous backing layer
portion at low costs.
[0007] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
system to make a noise absorber carpet comprised of a fabric layer
portion and a perforated resinous backing layer portion with
abrasion spikes at low costs.
[0008] Other objects of the present invention will be known from
the following description.
[0009] These and other objects of the present invention are
achieved in the preferred embodiments disclosed below by providing
a noise absorber carpet comprised of a fabric layer and a resinous
backing layer. The resinous backing layer is formed by heating a
resinous material in a mold having perforation pins. The fabric
layer portion and the resinous backing layer portion are bonded
with a press, and the resinous backing layer is provided with noise
absorbing perforations formed by contact with the perforation pins
of the mold. The perforations are cooled by a cooling medium after
the bonding of the resinous backing layer portion with the fabric
layer portion, thereby providing for instant curing and fixation of
the shape of the perforations.
[0010] According to another embodiment of the invention, the
backing layer portion comprises a formed resin of an open-cell
type.
[0011] According to another embodiment of the invention, the press
is a flat press.
[0012] According to another embodiment of the invention, the noise
absorbing perforations include noise absorbing pores.
[0013] According to another embodiment of the invention, the carpet
further includes slippage prevention spikes formed by corresponding
slippage prevention spikes in the mold.
[0014] According to another embodiment of the invention, a process
for making a noise absorber carpet comprised of a fabric layer
portion and a resinous backing layer portion is provided including
the steps of providing an uncured resinous backing layer within a
mold having perforation pins, heating the resinous backing layer to
activate the resin, providing a fabric layer, pressing the fabric
layer into the resinous backing layer while maintaining the heating
process to the resinous backing layer, and providing a cooling
medium to cool the mold to fix and cure the perforation pins within
the backing layer thereby forming noise absorbing perforations in
the resinous backing layer.
[0015] According to another embodiment of the invention, a system
for making a noise absorber carpet including a fabric layer and a
resinous backing layer is provided. The system includes a mold with
perforation pins which is heated to activate the resinous backing
layer and is pressed against a fabric layer to bond the resinous
backing layer portion with the fabric layer. The perforation pins
are cooled for instant curing and fixation of the shape of the
perforations thereby providing for noise absorbing perforations in
the resinous backing layer.
[0016] According to another embodiment of the invention, the system
further includes an ultrasonic generator to provide ultrasonic
vibrations.
[0017] According to another embodiment of the invention, the
cooling medium is a fluid.
[0018] According to another embodiment of the invention, the
cooling medium is water.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The subject matter that is regarded as the invention may be
best understood by reference to the following description taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures in which:
[0020] FIG. 1 shows a mold adapted for receiving a resinous
material to form a resinous backing layer for a carpet;
[0021] FIG. 2a shows the mold of FIG. 1 having the resinous
material applied within the mold;
[0022] FIG. 2b shows an enlarged partial view of the mold shown in
FIG. 2a;
[0023] FIG. 3 shows the mold being heated in order to activate the
resinous material;
[0024] FIG. 4 shows the fabric layer being placed upon the resinous
material;
[0025] FIG. 5 shows the process of pressing the carpet for making a
spiked noise absorber carpet comprised of a fabric layer and two
perforated resinous backing layers;
[0026] FIG. 6 shows the mold being cooled by a cooling medium;
and
[0027] FIGS. 7a, and 7b show a circular conical perforation pin and
a star-shaped perforation pin, respectively.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] Referring to the drawings wherein identical reference
numerals denote the same elements throughout the various views, the
process and the system of the present invention for making
perforated noise absorber carpets are described hereunder in
connection with the accompanying drawings.
[0029] A spiked noise absorber carpet comprised of a fabric layer
and a resinous backing layer according to a preferred embodiment of
the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 through 6.
[0030] FIG. 1 shows a carpet mold 22 having a plurality of
perforation spikes 16. The perforation spikes 16 may extend from
the mold 22 in any manner of appropriate directions or lengths and
are not intended to be limited by the illustrations.
[0031] FIG. 2a shows the carpet mold 22 of FIG. 1 with a resinous
backing layer 15 supplied within the mold. As shown in FIG. 2, the
perforation pins 16 extend through the backing layer 15. In some
embodiments, the perforation pins may extend only partially through
the resinous backing layer. The pins may be any appropriate shape
as shown in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 2b, the perforations pins 16
extend in a generally upward direction. Slippage prevention spikes
15a are provided within the mold.
[0032] FIG. 3 shows the mold 22 being heated by a heating source
32. This activates the resinous backing layer 15 and prepares it
for pressing onto the fabric layer 11 as shown in FIG. 4. The
fabric used to provide the fabric sheet material forming the fabric
layer 11 may be a nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, knitted fabric,
paper or any combination thereof. The fabric layer may be provided
with pile 12 to provide a cushioning effect and an improved
appearance. The fabric layer may be a single layer or multiple
layers, as shown with fabric layer 14 and internal fabric layer
13.
[0033] The resinous backing material 15 may be a
styrene-butadiene-styrene copolymer, acrylonitrile-butadiene
copolymer, urethane resin, styrene-butadiene rubber,
acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, butadiene rubber, natural rubber,
isoprene rubber or a combination thereof.
[0034] The backing material 15 may contain a conventional foaming
agent to provide continuous open cells in the backing material 15
such as fatty acid soap, sodiumalkylaryl sulfonate, higher alcohol
sodium sulfate, or N-octadecyl monoamide disodium sulfosuccinate in
order to improve the noise absorption property of the noise
absorber carpet. Noises hitting and/or passing through the
continuous open cells are effectively absorbed and damped.
[0035] The backing material 15 may also contain a conventional
filler, extender, thickener and/or dispersant in order to improve
the quality of the noise absorber carpet 10. The filler may be
polyacrylic acid soda, carboxylmethylcellulose, aluminum hydroxide
or antimony oxide. The thickener may be polyacrylic acid soda,
carboxymethylcellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, casein or fermented
polysacoharides. Low molecule polyacrylic acid soda is preferred.
The dispersant may be tripolyphosphoric soda or hexametaphosphoric
acid soda.
[0036] In an embodiment of the present invention, the heating
source 32 heats the resinous material 15 in the range of 70 to
210.quadrature.C. In another embodiment, the resinous material 15
is heated in the range of 70 to 150.quadrature.C.
[0037] FIG. 5 shows the pressing of the noise absorber carpet 10
consisting of a fabric layer 11 on which pile 12 is provided,
perforated adhesive layer 14, internal fabric layer 13 and spiked
resinous backing layer 15 having slippage prevention spikes 15a.
The piled fabric layer 11 and the internal fabric layer 13 are
bonded with the perforated adhesive layer 14. The internal fabric
layer 13 is heat bonded with the resinous backing layer 15.
[0038] The perforated adhesive layer 14 may be prepared by forming
a web-like adhesive net and heat pressing the adhesive net between
the two fabric layers 11 and 13. The perforated adhesive layer 14
partially let noises coming through the piled top fabric layer 14
pass through and be absorbed by the internal fabric layer 13 and
the resinous backing layer 15, and partially consumes noise energy
by vibrating between the two fabric layers 11 and 13.
[0039] The top fabric layer 11 and the internal fabric layer 13 may
be of an identical fabric material or may be of different fabric
materials. In an embodiment of the present invention, the top
fabric layer 11 is a nonwoven polyester fabric sheet of 300
g/m.sup.2 and the internal fabric layer 13 is a nonwoven polyester
fabric sheet of 300 g/m.sup.2. In another embodiment of the present
invention, the top fabric layer 11 is a nonwoven polyester fabric
sheet of 200 g/m.sup.2 and the internal fabric layer 13 is a
nonwoven polyester fabric sheet of 350 g/m.sup.2. In another
embodiment of the present invention, the fiber used in the top
fabric layer 11 and the fiber used in the internal fabric layer 13
are different in fiber size.
[0040] FIG. 6 shows the noise absorber carpet 10 being cooled by a
cooling medium 26. The press 22 may be cooled by a cooling medium
26 in a range between 10 to 50.quadrature.C to assist formation of
the perforations 16. The cooling medium 26 may employ a cooling gas
20 that is supplied from an external source 24. An ultrasonic
generator is connected with the press to provide ultrasonic
generations.
[0041] FIGS. 7a and 7b show various shapes of perforation pins 16
as may be used for the present invention and are not intended as
limiting but are provided for illustration purposes only. In an
embodiment of the present invention, the perforation pin 16 of FIG.
2 and FIG. 2a is a circular cone 122 to provide circular
perforations 123. In another embodiment of the present invention,
the perforation pin 16 of FIGS. 2 and 2a is a star-shaped cone 124
to provide star-shaped perforations 125. The size of the
perforation pin 16 and thus the size of the perforation may be
selected for a particular noise absorber carpet. In a preferred
embodiment, the diameter of the perforation pin 16 is 1.5 mm.
[0042] The foregoing has described a process for making a noise
absorber carpet. While specific embodiments of the present
invention have been described, it will be apparent to those skilled
in the art that various modifications thereto can be made without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly,
the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the
invention and the best mode for practicing the invention are
provided for the purpose of illustration only and not for the
purpose of limitation, the invention being defined by the
claims.
* * * * *