Flexible material

Abstract

A flexible material includes a plurality of separate resilient elements joined to a flexible, resiliently stretchable substrate. Such a material is suitable for providing protective war for human and animal bodies. Preferably, the elements includes a foam material such as a closed cell polyethylene foam and the substrate includes a knitted fabric. In an advantageous embodiment, a second flexible substrate is bonded over the elements to sandwich them between the two layers of substrate.

1. A method of manufacturing a flexible material comprising the steps of
 providing a sheet of a resilient material;   cutting the sheet into a plurality of spaced separate elements using a cutter which is pressed into the sheet to cut therethrough;   making one side of the plurality of spaced separate elements to stand proud of a surface of a jig provided to hold the elements in place; and   bonding a flexible resiliently stretchable substrate to one side of the separate elements by heating the substrate either to activate an adhesive applied between said one side of the separate elements and the substrate or to weld the separate elements to the substrate.   
     
     
       2. The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the sheet is cut into a plurality of separate elements using a cutter which acts as the jig after cutting through the resilient material to hold the elements in place while the substrate is applied thereto. 
     
     
       3. The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the cutter is adapted so that said one side of each of the cut elements is made to stand proud of a surface of the cutter after cutting through said sheet of resilient material. 
     
     
       4. The method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein any excess resilient material located between the plurality of spaced separate elements is retained in the cutter. 
     
     
       5. The method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein any excess resilient material is removed from between the plurality of spaced separate elements prior to the elements being bonded to the substrate. 
     
     
       6. The method as claimed in any of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of spaced separate elements comprise a foam material. 
     
     
       7. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 bonding a second flexible substrate to an opposite side of the plurality of spaced separate elements to said one side.   
     
     
       8. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least said one side of the sheet is coated with a hot-melt adhesive prior to being cut into the plurality of spaced separate elements. 
     
     
       9. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the side of the substrate adjacent said one side of the plurality of spaced separate elements is coated with a hot-melt adhesive. 
     
     
       10. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a sheet of hot-melt film is interposed between said one side of the plurality of spaced separate elements and the substrate so as to provide said adhesive. 
     
     
       11. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the sheet of resilient material is cut into strips in a first direction using a plurality of rolling cutters and then cut in a second direction at an angle to the first direction to form the plurality of spaced separate elements. 
     
     
       12. The method as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the rolling cutters are moved sideways after each cut to cut narrow strips of material in both directions to space the elements apart, the narrow strips of material being removed to leave the plurality of spaced separate elements spaced from one another. 
     
     
       13. The method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the substrate is heated by a heated platen which either activates the adhesive or melts the surface and thereby bonds the substrate and the plurality of spaced separate elements together. 
     
     
       14. The method as claimed  claim 10 , wherein the substrate is heated by passing the substrate and the adjacent plurality of spaced separate elements between heated nip rollers. 
     
     
       15. A method of manufacturing a flexible resiliently compressible material, the method comprising:
 providing a first resiliently stretchable fabric substrate;   cutting a sheet of resiliently compressible foam with a cutter that goes completely through the foam to provide an array of a plurality of separate individual resiliently compressible elements in a spaced apart relationship, the individual elements having a top surface and bottom surface in an array of top surfaces and bottom surfaces;   providing a second resiliently stretchable fabric substrate;   contacting the top surfaces and the bottom surfaces of the plurality of resiliently compressible elements with the first and second resiliently stretchable fabric substrates; and   bonding the top and bottom surfaces of compressible elements to the first and second resiliently stretchable fabric substrates while the elements are held in a spaced apart relation with spaces of about 2 mm between the elements, the bonding selected from the group consisting of adhesively bonding and welding, the fabric substrates not bonded to each other in the spaces of about 2 mm and to provide the flexible resiliently compressible material with the elements being distributed between the substrates at a density of from about 250 to about 8000 elements/m 2 .   
     
     
       16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the elements are distributed between the substrates at a density of from about 4000 to about 8000 elements/m 2 . 
     
     
       17. The method according to claim 15 wherein the top and bottom surfaces of the elements are flat. 
     
     
       18. The method according to claim 17 wherein the elements are distributed between the substrates at a density of from about 4000 to about 6000 elements/m 2 . 
     
     
       19. The method according to claim 15 wherein the elements are comprised of layers of foam having different densities. 
     
     
       20. The method according to claim 15 wherein the elements are comprised of closed cell foam. 
     
     
       21. The method according to claim 15 wherein the elements are comprised of polyethylene foam. 
     
     
       22. A method of manufacturing a flexible resiliently compressible material, the method comprising:
 providing a first resiliently stretchable fabric substrate;   cutting a sheet of resiliently compressible foam with a cutting grid that goes completely through the foam to provide an array of a plurality of separate individual resiliently compressible elements in a spaced apart relationship, the individual elements having a top surface and a bottom surface in an array of top surfaces and bottom surfaces and which top surfaces and bottom surfaces are flat;   providing a second resiliently stretchable fabric substrate;   contacting the top surfaces and the bottom surfaces of the plurality of resiliently compressible elements with the first and second resiliently stretchable fabric substrates;   holding the resiliently compressible elements in spaced relation in an array created by the cutting grid after the cutting grid cuts the resiliently compressible foam; and   bonding the top and bottom surfaces of compressible elements to the first and second resiliently stretchable fabric substrates while the elements are held in a spaced apart relation with spaces of about 2 mm between the elements, the bonding selected from the group consisting of adhesively bonding and welding, the fabric substrates not bonded to each other in the spaces of about 2 mm and to provide the flexible resiliently compressible material with the elements being distributed between the substrates at a density of from about 250 to about 8000 elements/m 2 .   
     
     
       23. The method according to claim 22 wherein the elements are distributed between the substrates at a density of from about 4000 to about 6000 elements/m 2 . 
     
     
       24. The method according to claim 22 wherein the elements are comprised of closed cell foam. 
     
     
       25. The method according to claim 22 wherein the elements are comprised of polyethylene foam. 
     
     
       26. A method of manufacturing a flexible resiliently compressible material, the method comprising:
 providing a first resiliently stretchable fabric substrate;   cutting a sheet of resiliently compressible foam with a cutting grid that goes completely through the foam to provide an array of a plurality of separate individual resiliently compressible elements in a spaced apart relationship, the individual elements having a top surface and a bottom surface in an array of top surfaces and bottom surfaces, the array of compressible elements standing proud with the top surfaces above a grid created by the cutting grid that went through the elements;   providing a second resiliently stretchable fabric substrate;   holding the resiliently compressible elements in spaced relation in the array of the plurality of separate spaced apart elements after cutting the resiliently compressible foam such that the elements stand proud; and   bonding the top surfaces of the compressible elements to one of the first and second resiliently stretchable fabric substrates while the elements stand proud and are held in a spaced apart relation with spaces of about 2 mm between the elements to provide a fabric/element combination, bonding one of the first and second fabric substrates to the fabric/element combination to provide the resiliently compressible material, the bonding selected from the group consisting of adhesively bonding and welding, the fabric substrates of the resiliently compressible material not bonded to each other in the spaces of about 2 mm and the elements being distributed between the substrates at a density of from about 250 to about 8000 elements/m 2 .   
     
     
       27. The method according to claim 26 wherein the elements are distributed between the substrates at a density of from about 4000 to about 6000 elements/m 2 . 
     
     
       28. The method according to claim 27 wherein the top and bottom surfaces of the elements are flat. 
     
     
       29. The method according to claim 28 wherein the elements are comprised of layers of foam having different densities. 
     
     
       30. The method according to claim 26 wherein the top and bottom surfaces of the elements are flat. 
     
     
       31. The method according to claim 30 wherein the elements are comprised of layers of foam having different densities. 
     
     
       32. The method according to claim 31 wherein the elements are distributed between the substrates at a density of from about 4000 to about 6000 elements/m 2 . 
     
     
       33. The method according to claim 26 wherein the elements are comprised of layers of foam having different densities. 
     
     
       34. The method according to claim 26 wherein the elements are comprised of closed cell foam. 
     
     
       35. The method according to claim 26 wherein the elements are comprised of polyethylene foam. 
     
     
       36. A method of manufacturing a flexible resiliently compressible material, the method comprising:
 providing a first resiliently stretchable fabric substrate;   cutting a sheet of resiliently compressible foam with a cutter that goes completely through the foam to provide an array of a plurality of separate individual resiliently compressible elements in a spaced apart relationship, the individual elements having a top surface and a bottom surface in an array of top surfaces and an array of bottom surfaces, the array of compressible elements standing proud in a grid which acts as a jig;   holding the resiliently compressible elements in spaced relation in the array of the plurality of separate spaced apart elements after cutting the resiliently compressible foam such that the elements stand proud;   providing a second resiliently stretchable fabric substrate; and   bonding one of the top and bottom arrays of surfaces of the compressible elements to one of the first and second resiliently stretchable fabric substrates while the elements stand proud in the grid and are held in a spaced apart relation with spaces of about 2 mm between the elements to provide a fabric/element combination, bonding one of the fabric substrates to the fabric/element combination to provide the resiliently compressible material, the bonding selected from the group consisting of adhesively bonding and welding, the fabric substrates of the resiliently compressible material not bonded to each other in the spaces of about 2 mm and with the elements being distributed between the substrates at a density of from about 250 to about 8000 elements/m 2 .   
     
     
       37. The method according to claim 36 wherein the elements are distributed between the substrates at a density of from about 4000 to about 6000 elements/m 2 . 
     
     
       38. The method according to claim 36 wherein the top and bottom surfaces of the elements are flat. 
     
     
       39. The method according to claim 36 wherein the elements are comprised of layers of foam having different densities. 
     
     
       40. The method according to claim 36 wherein the elements are comprised of closed cell foam.