Fiber molded article having cushioning property, and product obtained using same

Abstract

Provided is a fiber molded body which has excellent durability against repeated compression and also has excellent flexibility and a cushioning property. The fiber molded body forms, on a surface of the fiber molded body, the ridges having a compressed and flattened shape in the thickness direction of the fiber molded body; or the fiber molded body forms a continuous curved surface with the fiber layer which forms the ridges and extends from both sides of the ridges in the thickness direction of the fiber molded body, and portions of the fiber layer of mutually adjacent ridges which form ridges and extend in the thickness direction of the fiber molded body come into close contact with each other in the thickness direction of the fiber molded body.

1 . A fiber molded body having a structure in which a fiber layer formed by opening a bundle of continuous fibers having crimps and extending in one direction is folded in a direction in which the continuous fibers extend so that ridges repeatedly appear on a surface of the fiber layer;
 wherein the fiber molded body forms, on a surface of the fiber molded body, the ridges having a compressed and flattened shape in a thickness direction of the fiber molded body; or   wherein the fiber molded body forms a continuous curved surface with the fiber layer which forms the ridges and extends from both sides of the ridges in the thickness direction of the fiber molded body, and   portions of the fiber layer of mutually adjacent ridges which form ridges and extend in the thickness direction of the fiber molded body come into close contact with each other in the thickness direction of the fiber molded body.   
     
     
         2 . The fiber molded body of  claim 1 , wherein the continuous fibers are thermobondable continuous fibers, and the portions of the fiber layer of the mutually adjacent ridges come into close contact with each other in the thickness direction of the fiber molded body by bonding through thermal bonding of the thermobondable continuous fibers of the fiber layer. 
     
     
         3 . The fiber molded body of  claim 2 , wherein at least a part of the thermobondable continuous fibers constituting the fiber layer in close contact with each other in the thickness direction of the fiber molded body is entangled in the fiber layer of adjacent ridges, and the thermobondable continuous fibers constituting the fiber layer and the entangled thermobondable continuous fibers are bonded to each other in the fiber layer of the ridges by thermal bonding. 
     
     
         4 . A fiber molded body, wherein an engraved pattern is additionally formed on the surface having the ridges of the fiber molded body set forth in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         5 . The fiber molded body of  claim 1 , wherein the continuous fibers are sheath/core type composite continuous fibers comprising polyester as a core and polyethylene as a sheath. 
     
     
         6 . A product obtained using the fiber molded body set forth in  claim 1 .