Foam pad and method for producing foam pad

Abstract

Foam corner waste sections may be crushed into foam particles or cut into foam sections, and then made into foams by high temperature and high pressure or adhesives. The foam may be cut to make useful articles such as mats. By utilizing the waste foam section, the waste of foam edge waste is reduced, the environmental pollution caused by the combustion of the foam waste is reduced, more environmental protection is provided, and resources are saved. Because the recycled foam layer can be quickly dried, the resulting foam article has a reduced water retention, provides better cushioning, and improves comfort in use. A non-slip layer may be used having a mesh-like hollow structure, which may greatly reduce the weight of the non-slip layer and may make the mat lighter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a foam pad and a method for making a foam pad. Background Art

[0002] In many cases, virgin foam sheets are edge trimmed to create a size and shape for a product, and the trimmed edges are discarded or recycled to create rebonded foam, such as is commonly used in carpet padding. These virgin foam sheets often have a consistent and specific density, which may not be useful in making carpet padding.

[0003] Meanwhile, foam pads, such as those commonly used in kitchens, bathrooms and workstations, are made from virgin foam with the density required for each specific type of pad. To date, the inconsistent nature of the recombination has not provided these pads with an acceptable feel and desired comfort and therefore have not been used.

[0004] Furthermore, closed cell foam is not a desirable product for use in pads that are intended to be washable. Closed cell foam, commonly referred to as "memory foam," does not dry as quickly as open cell foam. Pad buyers and users expect foam pads to be washable in a home washing machine and dryable in the expected time. However, closed cell foam takes considerable time to dry in a home dryer, which is undesirable. Summary of the invention

[0005] To this end, the present invention relates to a foam pad and a method as defined in the appended independent claims, wherein preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

[0006] In a first independent aspect, the present invention is directed to a pad comprising: a cushion layer, the cushion layer comprising a thickness, a top side, a bottom side, and wherein the top side is bonded to a fabric layer; the cushion layer comprises a foam sheet having a first density; and wherein the foam sheet comprises (comprised of) a plurality of foam particles having a first size range and a first density range.

[0007] In a second independent aspect, the present invention is directed to a pad comprising: a cushioning layer, the cushioning layer comprising a thickness, a top side, a bottom side, and wherein the top side is bonded to a fabric layer; wherein the cushioning layer has a first density and comprises a first plurality of foam particles having a second density bonded together; and wherein the first density is greater than the second density.

[0008] Additionally, in a third independent aspect, a method of forming a cushion includes: grinding at least a section of foam having a first density to form a plurality of foam particles, wherein the foam particles have a size within a first size range of 1 mm to 15 mm; mixing the plurality of particles with glue; applying heat and compression to the plurality of foam particles mixed with the glue to form a foam body having a second density, wherein the second density is greater than the first density; cutting a portion of the foam body to form a cushioning pad having a first side, a second side, and a thickness; and bonding a fabric layer to the first side.

[0009] In many applications, a large cylinder of virgin foam can be formed at a specific density. The foam cylinder can then be sheared axially by a blade to remove a specific thickness of foam, which can then be used to make foam-based products. For example, the foam can be cut into pillows, cushions, pads, and other products. When making most of these products, some edges can be cut off to provide crisp, clean edges. These edge pieces are usually discarded and / or used to make rebonds.

[0010] Lighter density edge pieces may not be suitable for making rebonded foams to be used as carpet pads. Lighter foams such as these may have a density in the range of 10 to 40 kg / m3, with an average value between 20 and 30 kg / m3. In this form, such foams are also not suitable for making pads, because the density of the foam used for pads is between 60 and 80 kg / m3 for bathroom pads and between 100 and 160 kg / m3 for kitchen pads. Pads for other applications (e.g., workstation pads) may extend across these ranges to 40 to 200 kg / m3.

[0011] Applicants have invented methods for forming such lighter density foams into new foam products with configured densities that can be used in many different applications. The present disclosure uses bathroom mats and kitchen mats as exemplary embodiments, however, those of ordinary skill in the art, with the teachings herein in hand, will recognize that the invention disclosed herein can be applied in many other embodiments.

[0012] If it is desired to use virgin foam or a discarded portion of virgin foam, it is first shredded into particles. Applicants have found that conventional shredding methods can be used that will produce irregularly shaped particles. This means that upon inspection, the particles may appear to be generally spherical, but may have some irregularities from a true spherical shape. Such irregularities may include flat surfaces and surfaces with protrusions. Applicants have found that minor irregularities such as these can provide more surface area for bonding than true spherical particles.

[0013] In addition to shredding, applicants have discovered that cutting foam pieces into cubes or quasi-cubes is possible. Applicants anticipate that other shapes, such as pyramids, prisms, and cylinders, will also be acceptable shapes useful in the inventions disclosed and taught herein. However, since shredding may be easier to accomplish and provide acceptable results, the examples used within this specification will be, but are not limited to, shredded foam for generally spherical shapes.

[0014] The lighter density foam pieces that applicants have used in the inventions disclosed and taught herein have densities between 10 and 40 kg / m3, with most discarded foam having densities between 20 and 30 kg / m3. In the art, the density of a foam is usually expressed as "kg / m3", which is described as "D". Thus, a 30D foam has a density of 30 kg / m3. It should be clear to those skilled in the art, with the invention disclosed herein, that other foam densities can be used to produce foam articles with configurable densities for many uses.

[0015] Applicants have found that most people prefer low-density foam for bathroom mats and high-density foam for kitchen mats. Bathroom mats typically have a density between about 60D and 80D, which is considered "soft". Kitchen mats typically have a density between about 100D and 180D, which is considered "hard". Workstation mats may have a density between 40D and 200D.

[0016] Other contemplated embodiments include the use of shredded rebonded foam particles. In most cases, the rebonded foam has a density of 95D to over 100D.

[0017] In an embodiment of making foam for bath and kitchen mats, shredding the foam will produce a particle size range of between 1 millimeter (mm) and 15 mm when measuring them across. If the particles were actually spheres, this would mean that the particles would have a diameter of between 1 mm and 15 mm. A number of different methods can be used to ensure that only particles between 1 mm and 15 mm are used, and the applicant has found satisfactory results using a progressive screen.

[0018] If it is desired to use particles in the full range of 1-15 mm, a screen with a 15 mm opening in the transverse direction can be used. This will allow particles with a size of up to 15 mm in the transverse direction to pass through the screen. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that some particles that are less than 1 mm in the transverse direction will also pass through the screen. In a normal shredder, these situations are usually rare, and no difficulty has been found to include them in the remainder of the process. One of ordinary skill in the art will also recognize that particles that are greater than 15 mm in the transverse direction may also pass through the screen. This may occur if the particle is roughly oval, with a minor axis of 15 mm or less and a major axis of 15 mm or more, and the particle can then pass through the screen along its minor axis. Applicants have found that having some particles greater than 15 mm does not present any difficulty in the methods and articles disclosed herein.

[0019] In this exemplary process, particles having a size greater than 15 mm may be collected and sent back to the shredder so that the resulting particles will have a size less than 15 mm.

[0020] Some portions of the foam particles may be captured for specific uses. For example, particles having a range of 1 mm to 8 mm may be captured as one portion, and particles having a range of 8 mm to 15 mm may be captured as a second portion. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that different sieves may be used to collect these portions.

[0021] Once the desired specific size particle fraction is collected, the particles can be mixed with glue and pressed together into a single body. Although any shape can be used with the invention disclosed and taught herein, applicants have found that forming the body into a cylinder can benefit the process of making a pad using a foam.

[0022] When foam particles are pressed together with glue, a specific density can be obtained. For example, a shaped cylinder can be used to form the foam body. The cylinder can be closed at one end and have a cap that can fit tightly into the open end. A specific weight of the particle and glue mixture can be weighed into the cylinder, and the cap can be pressed down on the mixture until a specific volume is reached, thereby producing a body with a known density. Once the glue solidifies, the body can be released from the cylinder without changing its volume. That is, the foam body will not expand any substantial amount after being released from the form.

[0023] In one of many embodiments, for a given weight of particles, glue and particles can be set to a desired volume using high pressure and high temperature. In one of many embodiments that can be imagined when those of ordinary skill in the art grasp the teaching disclosed herein and the disclosure, when foam particles and glue are loaded into a cylinder, the temperature of the foam particles and the glue can be in ambient room temperature. The cylinder and content can be maintained at this temperature. In an alternative embodiment, the glue can be a heat-curable glue, and the temperature is controlled in this way so that the glue solidifies and / or solidifies when in the cylinder. Similarly, when the glue solidifies, a greater pressure can be applied to force the foam particles to compress. In this way, once the glue solidifies, even after the forming body is removed from the forming cylinder, the foam particles can also remain in a compressed state.

[0024] Although a whole range of foam particles can be used to make the foam, the applicant has found that it is advantageous to use foam particles of a specific size to better form the body to a desired and configurable density. The applicant has found that using smaller particles, such as particles between 1 mm and 8 mm, will take less pressure in the cylinder to make a higher density foam, while using larger particles, such as particles between 8 mm and 15 mm, will take less pressure in the cylinder to make a lower density foam. That is, using particles of about 1 to 8 mm will be used to make a foam of about 100D to 180D, which can be used to make kitchen mats. On the other hand, using particles of about 8 mm to 15 mm will be used to make a foam of about 60D to 80D, which can be used to make bathroom mats.

[0025] Although the examples of making bath mats and kitchen mats describe approximate values ​​of the resulting density, those skilled in the art, armed with the invention disclosed herein, will appreciate that the methods disclosed herein can be used to make very precise foams. For example, a set of foam particles of 1-8 mm can form foams of precisely any density between 100D-160D, with small variances.

[0026] In preferred embodiments, oil-based glues or adhesives may be used. Latex or other water-based glues may be used preferably when producing pads that are expected to be exposed to water during their use. However, in other embodiments, latex or other water-based glues may be used without departing from the scope of the invention disclosed and taught herein.

[0027] The foam particles and glue can be mixed and then loaded into the forming cylinder, or they can be mixed while in the forming cylinder. The purpose of mixing is to ensure that the foam particles are coated to a sufficient extent so that they adhere to adjacent foam particles. Before mixing, or even during mixing, additives such as antimicrobial agents, coloring additives, flame retardants, and / or any other additives known to those of ordinary skill in the art can be added to the mixture.

[0028] The cylinder selected for the form of the foam allows it to be sheared into long pads in a manner similar to shearing a cylinder of virgin foam. That is, the cylinder can be rotated axially with the blade at a radial distance from the center, and as the cylinder rotates, the blade is advanced toward the center. This can produce a long foam sheet of uniform thickness.

[0029] In another embodiment of the invention taught and disclosed herein, the foam segments produced by the methods disclosed herein can be joined together to form a cushion. Here, the foam segments having a length of about 10-50 mm and a length of 1-50 mm can be joined together to form a cushion. 2 The cross-sectional area of ​​the foam strips are bonded together to form the foam sheets.

[0030] This foam sheet can be cut to size like any other foam sheet, such as for use in a bathroom mat or kitchen mat. A suede surface can be added to the top side. If desired, a fabric can also be fixed between the suede surface and the sheet. At the bottom of the sheet, a non-slip pad can be fixed. Similarly, a piece of fabric can be fixed between the non-slip pad and the foam. The applicant has found that a piece of fabric bonded between the foam and one or both of the suede surface and the non-slip pad can form a better bond and prevent glue from seeping out. For example, in some loose suede surfaces, when pressed together with the foam, glue can rise into the individual strands. The fabric layer will prevent this seepage, which may be uncomfortable to walk on.

[0031] The washability of the pads produced is another of the many aspects of the invention disclosed and taught herein. Pads made from open-cell foams have desirable qualities so that they can be washed and dried in common household appliances such as washing machines and dryers. Ordinary users expect that pads can be dried in a dryer within normal dryer run time (usually about an hour). Pads made from unused open-cell foams meet this expectation. However, pads made from closed-cell foams typically take more than 1.5 to 2 hours to dry in an ordinary household dryer. Applicants have discovered that pads made from the invention disclosed and taught herein have the properties of unused open-cell foams and can be dried in an ordinary household dryer at the same time as pads made from unused open-cell foams.

[0032] This does not exclude the use of closed cell foam in the manufacture of foam as disclosed and taught herein. Applicants have found that some amount of closed cell foam can be chopped as described herein and mixed with some amount of open cell foam, then mixed with glue and pressed into a body. The resulting foam sheet retains the properties of open cell foam in terms of its softness / hardness, washability and drying properties.

[0033] Applicants have also discovered that the foam produced by the process and method disclosed herein is further recyclable. Such foam can be used to prepare rebonded foam, or used again in the process and method disclosed and taught herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] In order to better illustrate the characteristics of the invention, some preferred embodiments are described hereinafter, as examples without any limiting character, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0035] Figure 1 Representing a foam pad according to the present invention as disclosed and taught herein;

[0036] Figure 2 According to Figure 1 The section along line II-II in ;

[0037] Figure 3 Represents one of many possible configurations for a mesh;

[0038] Figure 4 represents one of many possible configurations for an anti-slip layer; and

[0039] Figure 5 The method according to the present invention can be used to manufacture Figure 1 Foam pad. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Figure 1 1 shows a foam mat 100 according to the present invention. It can be seen that a pile surface 10 covers the top and sides of the mat 100. The pile surface 10 can be any material suitable for use. For example, but not limitation, a bath mat can have a soft pile surface that may be more comfortable for bare feet, while a kitchen mat can have a short pile surface or simple fabric that is hard-wearing for standing with shoes.

[0041] Figure 2 According to Figure 1 The cross section 200 of the line II-II in FIG. The suede surface 10 covers the fabric layer 20, which in turn covers the foam layer 50. The foam layer 50 is located on the anti-slip layer 40. The total height of the foam layer 50 can be between 5 mm and 30 mm, which is common for bathroom mats and kitchen mats.

[0042] It should be understood that the fabric layer 20 is optional and that another optional fabric layer (not shown) may be secured between the foam layer 50 and the anti-slip layer 40 .

[0043] The foam layer 50 is composed of foam particles 30, which can have a size of 1-15 mm. In a first embodiment, they can have a size between 1 and 8 mm. In another embodiment, they can have a size between 8 and 15 mm. Other embodiments can use other size ranges.

[0044] The anti-skid layer 40 may be secured to the bottom of the pad 100 using PVC glue or any other suitable bonding substance. The anti-skid pad 40 may be a single sheet, or it may have perforations or be made in the form of a net with open areas. Preparing the anti-skid pad 40 in the form of a net reduces the overall weight of the foam pad 100. It may also provide more open spaces that may allow water and water vapor to leave the foam pad 100 when it is dried.

[0045] The anti-skid pad 40 may be made of polyester or any other material suitable for preventing the foam pad 100 from sliding on a surface such as a floor. In some cases, it may be preferred to bond a mesh to the bottom of the foam pad 100 and then bond the anti-skid pad 40 to the mesh.

[0046] Similarly, the pile 10 and fabric layer 20 may be secured with PVC glue or any other suitable bonding substance. The pile 10 and fabric layer 20 may be secured to the foam layer 50 in such a manner as to allow air to flow into and out of the foam layer 50. This may further facilitate drying of the pad 100 both under ambient conditions and in a dryer.

[0047] The foam particles 30 can have the sizes and shapes disclosed herein and can be fixed together in the manner disclosed herein. As disclosed, these particles can be produced from foam sheets having a density between 10D and 40D for producing bathroom mats and kitchen mats, but can be made of foam with any density for other applications.

[0048] Applicants have discovered that pressing foam particles 30 together as disclosed herein may still leave some interstitial voids (not shown) between the foam particles 30. These interstitial voids may be considered flow channels between the open-cell foam particles, which flow channels may further help to allow water and water vapor to be removed from the foam pad 100 by pressing and / or drying.

[0049] like Figure 3As shown, the mesh 300 of the anti-slip layer may include a plurality of warp lines 311 arranged in parallel, a plurality of rectangular frame lines 312 are distributed along the length direction of the warp lines, and each corner of the rectangular frame line 312 and the warp line 311 may be connected by a diagonal line 313. The interval between adjacent warp lines 311 may be between 10 mm and 15 mm, and the rectangular area of ​​a single rectangular frame line 312 may be between 15 mm and 10 mm. 2 Up to 50mm 2 One of the many benefits of adopting this or similar forms may be to improve the uniformity of the anti-slip layer distribution when bonding the anti-slip layer 40 to the foam pad 100 and to improve the uniformity of the PVC hanging slurry on the mesh 300.

[0050] Figure 4 400. This shows one of many possible configurations of the anti-slip layer 400 that can be used in the invention disclosed and taught herein. As can be seen by those skilled in the art with the invention disclosed and taught herein, the anti-slip layer 400 can be configured to be applied directly to the bottom of the foam pad 100, or applied to the mesh 300. The exemplary anti-slip layer 400 has an opening 430 that can be configured to align with the opening of the mesh 300.

[0051] Figure 5 represents one of many possible methods according to the present invention disclosed and taught herein that can be used to make Figure 1 100 of foam pads.

[0052] In a first step 510, foam segments are collected and ground to form a plurality of foam particles. The step of grinding the foam may be chopping, cutting, or otherwise manipulating the foam to produce particles. Typically, this step involves the following operations: grinding at least one segment of foam to form a plurality of foam particles.

[0053] In the second step 520, the foam particles are mixed with glue. The foam particles can be all of the foam produced from the first step 510, or a subset of particles having a certain size range. Typically, this step involves the following operations: a plurality of foam particles are mixed with glue. This step can be performed in a separate mixing chamber, or directly in the forming chamber.

[0054] The third step 530 applies pressure and temperature to the mixture of glue and foam particles within the form. One form may be a cylinder, while another may be box-shaped. In any container, a mixture of glue and particles of a specific weight is compressed to a specific volume to produce a foam body with a certain density. Typically, this step involves the following operations: applying heat and compression to a plurality of foam particles mixed with glue to form a foam body.

[0055] In a fourth step 540, the foam is cut into a shape that can be used to produce a cushion or other article. Typically, this step involves the following operations: a portion of the foam is cut to form a cushion.

[0056] In a fifth step 550, at least one fabric layer is bonded to the foam block to create a pad. The fabric layer may be suede. Additionally, a non-slip pad may be secured to the bottom of the pad. Typically, this step involves the following operations: bonding a fabric layer to the top of the foam.

[0057] The invention is not in any way limited to the embodiments described herein above; rather, such floor panels and methods can be implemented according to various variants without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A pad comprising: a buffer layer, the buffer layer comprising a thickness, a top side, a bottom side, and wherein the top side is bonded to a fabric layer; The cushioning layer comprises a foam sheet having a first density; and The foam sheet includes a plurality of foam particles having a first size range and a first density range.

2. The mat of claim 1, further comprising an anti-slip layer bonded to a bottom side of the cushioning layer.

3. A pad according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The plurality of foam particles includes ground recycled foam.

4. A mat according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 3, wherein: The plurality of foam particles are bonded together using glue.

5. A mat according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, wherein: The first density is 40 to 200 kg / m3.

6. A mat according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, wherein: The foam particles of the first plurality of foam particles have a size of 1 mm to 8 mm, and the first density of the foam pad is 100 to 160 kg / m3.

7. The pad according to claim 6, wherein The density of the foam particles of the first plurality of foam particles is 25 to 40 kg / m3.

8. A mat according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, wherein: The size of the foam particles of the first plurality of foam particles is 8 mm to 15 mm, and the first density of the foam pad is 60 to 80 kg / m3.

9. The pad according to claim 8, wherein The density of the foam particles of the first plurality of foam particles is 10 to 25 kg / m3.

10. A pad comprising: a buffer layer, the buffer layer comprising a thickness, a top side, a bottom side, and wherein the top side is bonded to a fabric layer; wherein the cushioning layer has a first density and comprises a first plurality of foam particles having a second density bonded together; and Wherein, the first density is greater than the second density.

11. The pad according to claim 10, wherein The first plurality of foam particles includes open-cell foam particles.

12. A pad according to claim 10 or 11, wherein The first density is 40 to 200 kg / m3.

13. A mat according to any one of the preceding claims 10 to 12, wherein: The second density is 10 to 40 kg / m3.

14. A mat according to any one of the preceding claims 10 to 13, wherein: The foam particles of the first plurality of foam particles are irregularly shaped and are between 1 mm and 15 mm.

15. A mat according to any one of the preceding claims 10 to 14, wherein The size of the foam particles of the first plurality of foam particles is 1 mm to 8 mm, and the first density of the foam pad is 100 to 160 kg / m3, and wherein the density of the foam particles of the first plurality of foam particles is 25 to 40 kg / m3.

16. A mat according to any one of the preceding claims 10 to 14, wherein The size of the foam particles of the first plurality of foam particles is 8 mm to 15 mm, and the first density of the foam pad is 60 to 80 kg / m3, and wherein the density of the foam particles of the first plurality of foam particles is 10 to 25 kg / m3.

17. A method of forming a mat, comprising: grinding at least a section of foam having a first density to form a plurality of foam particles, wherein the foam particles have a size within a first size range of 1 mm to 15 mm; mixing the plurality of foam particles with glue; applying heat and compression to the plurality of foam particles mixed with glue to form a foam body having a second density, wherein the second density is greater than the first density; cutting a portion of the foam to form a cushion having a first side, a second side, and a thickness; and A fabric layer is bonded to the first side.

18. The method of forming a pad according to claim 17, wherein: The second density is configured by compressing a known amount of a plurality of pellets mixed with glue to a specific volume until the glue solidifies.

19. A method of forming a mat according to claim 17 or 18, wherein: The plurality of foam particles are selected from a second size range that is narrower than the first size range.

20. A method of forming a mat according to any one of the preceding claims 17 to 19, wherein: The foam body is a cylinder, and the cushion is formed by cutting a spiral portion along an axis of the cylinder.

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