Foam upholstery components with injected foam adhesive sealing elements are used by preference for foam upholstery components for seat elements, seat backs, or head restraints. Such elements are especially for motor vehicle seats, the adhesive elements of the injected foam adhesive sealing elements are generally used in this process for fastening cover materials provided with adhesive sealing components with suitable adhesive elements to mate with the foam upholstery component.
In order to ensure functional efficiency of the adhesive sealing elements, it is of essential importance to protect the adhesive elements from penetration by the foam material during the foam injection process by means of a foam retaining cover. Cementing of the adhesive elements is thereby prevented. This projection can be accomplished by employing a conventional process in such a way that the front side of the adhesive sealing element, on which the adhesive elements are exposed, is fully covered by a covering element in the form of a layer of a sealing compound. Sealing arrangement may be removed after the foam injection molding process in order to expose the adhesive elements again.
An adhesive sealing component disclosed in EP 0 612 485 A1 is a thermoplastic material which may be fused and reused after removal.
Despite use of a recyclable sealing compound, this procedure is very costly because of the additional operating steps for application of the sealing elements, removal, and the measures required for reuse.
A generic process is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,654,070. In this process for production of a foam component, the cover has two lengthwise ferromagnetic strips cemented onto the edge of the underside of the adhesive sealing element. The edge cover strips may then be brought in contact with the magnetic mechanism of the foam component such that foam-sealing adhesive elements may be appointed in a recess of the foam injection mold. To ensure that the adhesive sealing element does not separate from the foam injection mold during the foam injection process, ferromagnetic retaining clips in addition are arranged at variable length from each other gripping the approximate center of the adhesive sealing element, such that it combines its action with an additional retaining magnet of the foam injection mold arranged below the recess. Based on the high degree of cleanliness required during foam injection, the foam injection mold itself is to be cleaned after a predetermined number of foam injection processes. Cleaning of the recess within the foam injection mold, based on it being recessed form the otherwise flush surface is time-consuming and consequently very costly, because the foam injection mold is not immediately available for reuse in the production process.
A comparable process is disclosed in WO-A-86/03164. A magnetic strip used as a ferromagnetic adhesive element is ultrasonically fused into an adhesive seal constructed of multiple layers. When this adhesive sealing element is arranged in a recess within the foam injection mold, the metal strip is held by the magnetic and retaining mechanisms arranged in the center of the recess. The adhesive sealing element with its edge cover is supported on each side of the mold recess in the foam injection mold on the top surface in the wall of the mold, and is supported and projects over this top surface in the wall of the mold. The actual sealing elements of the adhesive seating element, which are to be kept free of foam material to ensure later trouble-free contact with the corresponding material of the adhesive sealing element of the upholstery material or the like, are arranged within the recess. The loop elements on the back of the adhesive sealing element extend all the way through to allow improved contact of the foam material, and concomitantly improved hold of the adhesive sealing element with the foam component to be produced. The increased cleaning requirements of this solution is disadvantageous as well with respect to the recess provided in the foam injection mold.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds