Method for the manufacture of pillows and cushions with spacer fabric, spacer woven fabric and spacer knitted fabric

Abstract

A method for the manufacture of pillows and cushions with spacer fabric, spacer woven fabric and spacer knitted fabric. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

1 . Method for the manufacture of pillows and cushions of spacer fabrics, spacer woven fabrics or spacer knitted fabrics or similar material made of thermoplastic synthetic, whereby in each fabric, woven fabric or knitted fabric or similar material, two spaced plies are provided which are connected to each other by elements such as filaments, fibers or threads, wherein plies of the material are laid on top of one another in a stepped fashion and/or are heated and deformed to the extent that a permanent deformation is achieved in which all or part of the contour of a pillow or cushion results. 
   
   
       2 . Method according to  claim 1 , including the use of plies, which form the steps by different dimensions in length and/or width and/or diameter and/or rounding. 
   
   
       3 . Method according to  claim 2 , including the use of plies with steps, which viewed in the cross section of the pillow of cushion run progressively on the contour from the center outward. 
   
   
       4 . Method according to  claim 3 , including at least one of the following:
 a) the ply that has the largest dimensions lies in the middle and the smaller plies lie on it; and   b) the ply that has the largest dimensions lies on the outside and forms all or part of the pillow contour or cushion contour, whereby the plies with smaller dimensions are surrounded by the largest ply.   
   
   
       5 . Method according to  claim 4 , including the use of single-ply or multiple-ply layers and/or by the use of layers, all or some of which have a different elasticity. 
   
   
       6 . Method according to  claim 5 , wherein at least one of:
 the plies are pleated from strips of material that are previously or subsequently cut to size; and   the threads, fibers and filaments differ from one another in number and/or in length and/or in diameter and/or in position and/or in their material properties from one another.   
   
   
       7 . (canceled) 
   
   
       8 . Method according to  claim 6 , wherein the heating for the hot forming of the material comprising fabric, woven fabric or knitted fabric or similar materials is done with a gas and/or liquid and/or solid thermal transfer medium. 
   
   
       9 . Method according to  claim 8 , wherein the fabric, woven fabric or knitted fabric or similar material is permeated by the gas and/or liquid thermal transfer medium and/or is brought into contact with a solid object that acts as the thermal transfer medium, preferably in a mold. 
   
   
       10 . Method according to  claim 9 , wherein a heating of the plastic takes place to a temperature that is at last 5%, preferably at least 10% and particularly preferably up to 20% below the temperature of the melting point. 
   
   
       11 . Method according to  claim 10 , wherein the temperature of the hot gas used as the thermal transfer medium is at least 10%, preferably at least 20%, and particularly preferably up to 30% higher than the temperature of the melting point. 
   
   
       12 . Method according to  claim 11 , wherein the gas and/or liquid thermal transfer medium is introduced between spacer fabrics, spacer woven fabrics or spacer knitted fabrics between the spaced layers and/or from outside. 
   
   
       13 . Method according to  claim 12 , including the use of gas and/or liquid thermal transfer media at an overpressure of 1 bar, preferably of at least 2 bar and even more preferably of at least 3 bar with respect to the ambient pressure. 
   
   
       14 . Method according to  claim 13 , wherein the used gas and/or liquid thermal transfer medium is evacuated with a vacuum. 
   
   
       15 . Method according to  claim 14 , including a tempering after the hot forming. 
   
   
       16 . Method according to  claim 15 , including the use of a continuous furnace for the tempering. 
   
   
       17 . Method according to  claim 16 , including a cooling of the hot-formed and/or tempered plastic. 
   
   
       18 . Method according to  claim 17 , including treatment with a gas or liquid coolant. 
   
   
       19 . Method according to  claim 18 , wherein the coolant flows through the fabric, knitted fabric or spacer fabric. 
   
   
       20 - 44 . (canceled) 
   
   
       45 . Method according to  claim 19 , including at least one of (A) to (Y), wherein (A) to (Y) comprise the following:
 (A) a drying of the fabric, woven fabric or knitted fabric after cooling with a liquid coolant;   (B) the use of evacuated gas from the previous heating with a gas thermal transfer medium for the drying;   (C) the use of a mold which can be heated and/or cooled by a heating medium and/or coolant respectively;   (D) the heating medium and/or coolant is guided between the spaced plies by means of lances;   (E) the lances are in the form of spikes and penetrate through the spaced plies into the area in between;   (F) the use of plates and mold parts that are provided with spike-shaped lances for the introduction of heating medium and/or coolant;   (F) the use of a mold with feed openings for gas and/or liquid thermal transfer media and drain openings for gas and/or liquid thermal transfer media;   (H) the use of a mold with a plurality of openings located next to one another;   (I) a grid structure or structure of a plate with apertures for the feed or discharge;   (J) the use of a mold with closable apertures;   (K) the shaping of pillows from outside and/or from inside;   (L) the shaping of pleats;   (M) the molding and/or shaping of rounded edges and/or edges;   (N) the use of fabric, woven fabric or knitted fabric as blanks which are provided at least on one side, on both sides or in places with a suction surface to which a vacuum is applied to bring the blank into contact with a shaping contour;   (O) the attachment of films as the suction surface;   (P) the use of pasted-on films and by the location of suction apertures at the corresponding surfaces in the mold;   (Q) the use of film patches or film pieces which on account of their size and/or shape and/or distance have no adverse effect on the permeability of the fabric, woven fabric or knitted fabric, and by the placement of suction apertures on the corresponding surfaces in the mold;   (R) the use of layers with a grammage of up to 600 grams per square meter for pillows and/or a grammage of up to 1500 grams per square meter for cushions;   (S) the use of layers of fabric, woven fabric or knitted fabric with a thickness up to 50 mm, preferably up to 35 mm and even more preferably up too 25 mm;   (T) the use of layers with different thicknesses and/or different compression hardness characteristics;   (U) the pillows are not squashed flat when used as a support pillow for persons with a body weight of at least 50 kg, preferably a body weight of at least 100 kg, and that the cushions are not squashed flat when sat on by persons with a body weight of at least 50 kg, preferably a body weight of at least 100 kg;   (V) the use of a pillow filling and a pillowcase, whereby the pillow filling has, on the outside, plies with a large surface area which enclose the rest of the pillow filling in the manner of a pillowcase;   (W) the plies of a pillow or cushion are connected with one another by sewing and/or needle bonding and/or welding and/or adhesive;   (X) pillows are used, whereby the outside layer of the pillow filling also forms the pillow cover; and   (Y) the pillow filling can be washed simultaneously with the pillow cover.   
   
   
       46 . Method according to  claim 19 , including all of (A) to (Y), wherein (A) to (Y) comprise the following:
 (A) a drying of the fabric, woven fabric or knitted fabric after cooling with a liquid coolant;   (B) the use of evacuated gas from the previous heating with a gas thermal transfer medium for the drying;   (C) the use of a mold which can be heated and/or cooled by a heating medium and/or coolant respectively;   (D) the heating medium and/or coolant is guided between the spaced plies by means of lances;   (E) the lances are in the form of spikes and penetrate through the spaced plies into the area in between;   (F) the use of plates and mold parts that are provided with spike-shaped lances for the introduction of heating medium and/or coolant;   (F) the use of a mold with feed openings for gas and/or liquid thermal transfer media and drain openings for gas and/or liquid thermal transfer media;   (H) the use of a mold with a plurality of openings located next to one another;   (I) a grid structure or structure of a plate with apertures for the feed or discharge;   (J) the use of a mold with closable apertures;   (K) the shaping of pillows from outside and/or from inside;   (L) the shaping of pleats;   (M) the molding and/or shaping of rounded edges and/or edges;   (N) the use of fabric, woven fabric or knitted fabric as blanks which are provided at least on one side, on both sides or in places with a suction surface to which a vacuum is applied to bring the blank into contact with a shaping contour;   (O) the attachment of films as the suction surface;   (P) the use of pasted-on films and by the location of suction apertures at the corresponding surfaces in the mold;   (Q) the use of film patches or film pieces which on account of their size and/or shape and/or distance have no adverse effect on the permeability of the fabric, woven fabric or knitted fabric, and by the placement of suction apertures on the corresponding surfaces in the mold;   (R) the use of layers with a grammage of up to 600 grams per square meter for pillows and/or a grammage of up to 1500 grams per square meter for cushions;   (S) the use of layers of fabric, woven fabric or knitted fabric with a thickness up to 50 mm, preferably up to 35 mm and even more preferably up too 25 mm;   (T) the use of layers with different thicknesses and/or different compression hardness characteristics;   (U) the pillows are not squashed flat when used as a support pillow for persons with a body weight of at least 50 kg, preferably a body weight of at least 100 kg, and that the cushions are not squashed flat when sat on by persons with a body weight of at least 50 kg, preferably a body weight of at least 100 kg;   (V) the use of a pillow filling and a pillowcase, whereby the pillow filling has, on the outside, plies with a large surface area which enclose the rest of the pillow filling in the manner of a pillowcase;   (W) the plies of a pillow or cushion are connected with one another by sewing and/or needle bonding and/or welding and/or adhesive;   (X) pillows are used, whereby the outside layer of the pillow filling also forms the pillow cover; and   (Y) the pillow filling can be washed simultaneously with the pillow cover.