Manufacturing method and manufacturing device for seat pad reinforcing cloth, and molding die

Abstract

Provided are: a method and an apparatus for producing a seat-pad reinforcing cloth that enables uniform growth of urethane foam even in the thinnest part of a urethane seat pad, elimination of the need for preparing a large-size material even when the seat-pad reinforcing cloth has a complex shape, and requiring no deburring work after formation of the seat pad, thereby enabling elimination of human work as much as possible; and a molding die.　The production method comprises: a step for laying a seat-pad reinforcing cloth material over a molding die; a top-end hot press molding step for subjecting a top-end of an upper seat-ridge portion of the seat-pad reinforcing cloth laid over the molding die to hot press molding from above by a top-end hot press-molding device and forming wrinkles on the periphery of a posterior portion of the area subjected to the hot press molding; a posterior-portion hot press molding step for subjecting all of the wrinkles formed by the top-end hot press molding step to hot press molding by a posterior-portion hot press molding device; and an anterior-portion hot press molding step for performing hot press molding by an anterior-portion hot press molding device.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a seat pad reinforcing cloth used in a urethane seat pad of a vehicle seat, and a molding die. [Background technology]

[0002] A urethane seat pad used in an automobile seat, which is a vehicle seat, is shown in Figures 23 and 24. As shown in Figures 23 and 24, a urethane seat pad 102 is used in a seat back portion (backrest portion) 100 of an automobile seat. This urethane seat pad has a seat pad reinforcing cloth (also called a nonwoven fabric spring support material) 104 attached to its back surface. This seat pad reinforcing cloth 104 is produced by molding or three-dimensional sewing a seat pad reinforcing cloth material 105 having a shape as shown in Figure 25.

[0003] As shown in Fig. 26 (longitudinal cross section along line A-A in Fig. 23) and Fig. 27 (partial cross section along line B-B in Fig. 24), this urethane sheet pad 102 is manufactured by attaching and setting the sheet pad reinforcing cloth 104 when the dedicated foaming molds 106 (lower mold), 108 (middle mold), and 110 (upper mold) are in an open state, injecting urethane stock solution 112, then closing the mold and forming (foam growth, resin solidification) takes place inside the mold, the mold is heated, and after a certain period of time the mold is opened and released. Reference numeral 113 denotes carbon dioxide generated during the foam growth process.

[0004] In recent years, in response to increased demands for safety and comfort, car seats have become more functional, with built-in airbags and sensing devices being installed. As a result, the shapes of urethane seat pads have rapidly become more complex (thinner, bag-like, etc.), and as a result, the difficulty of molding them has increased.

[0005] In many cases, when the urethane foaming of the urethane sheet pad 102 is performed, a sheet pad reinforcing cloth 104 made of a fiber-based nonwoven fabric as shown in Fig. 26 and Fig. 27 is insert-molded for the purpose of reinforcement during molding (protection of thin parts), absorption of gas generated in the foaming mold during foaming, and discharging the gas generated in the foaming mold to the outside of the foaming mold. As shown in Fig. 26, the gas G generated in the foaming mold is discharged to the outside of the foaming mold through a narrow gap between the dedicated foaming molds 106 (lower mold), 108 (middle mold), and 110 (upper mold). Therefore, if the urethane stock solution 112 is not uniformly foamed, the gas G generated in the foaming mold will not be discharged to the outside of the foaming mold and will remain, causing a defective product of the urethane sheet pad 102. The arrow in Fig. 27 indicates the direction of growth of the foaming of the urethane stock solution 112.

[0006] As the shapes of automobile seats have become more complex, the requirements for the seat pad reinforcing fabric have also become more sophisticated, requiring higher quality.

[0007] In recent years, due to its structure, the urethane sheet pad 102 has a particularly thin portion P in the upper ridge line of the seat located in the upper half of the seat, including the vicinity of the head of the person sitting and the portion where the airbag is stored, as shown in Fig. 28 (longitudinal cross section along line A-A in Fig. 23) and Fig. 29 (transverse cross section along line B-B in Fig. 24). The thickness of this thin portion P is approximately 10 mm. For this reason, unless the upper ridge line of the seat located in the upper half of the seat, including the vicinity of the head and the portion where the airbag is stored, is foamed neatly and uniformly in the foaming molds 106, 108, 110 shown in Figs. 26 and 27, it is difficult to produce a urethane sheet pad with a uniform finish as a whole.

[0008] In order to set the seat pad reinforcing cloth 104 in the foaming molds 106, 108, 110 and foam the urethane foaming material, it is necessary to attach and set in the foaming mold a seat pad reinforcing cloth that is free of burrs and wrinkles and can be attached to the foaming mold with high precision in order for the urethane foaming material to foam neatly and uniformly from corner to corner. For this purpose, there was a demand for a seat pad reinforcing cloth that is free of burrs and wrinkles and has a high precision that fits the foaming mold with high precision.

[0009] Conventionally, the following methods have been used to manufacture seat pad reinforcing fabrics.

[0010] The first method is to manufacture the seat pad reinforcing fabric by cutting the reinforcing fabric material into the necessary parts and sewing each cut part three-dimensionally with a sewing machine or the like. With this method, the sewing process is all done by hand (sewing by machine), so there is variation in quality and many issues with costs. In particular, simple sewing results in poor accuracy and does not fit the customer's foam mold, which naturally requires a lot of re-sewing, increases the production preparation time, and ultimately results in complex three-dimensional sewing, which increases costs.

[0011] The second method is called cold press molding, in which male and female molds are prepared, and a preheated material is cold-pressed to form the shape, producing the seat pad reinforcing fabric. In this method, the molding is done using a metal mold, so the shape quality is improved, but since the mold is a press type, there are issues with the mold production lead time (production preparation period) and complex shapes. In addition, during press molding, it is necessary to cut off burrs called ears, which require manual finishing work using scissors or mechanical cutting using a dedicated burr removal mold (a cutting jig). Therefore, since manual finishing work and creating burr removal molds take time, the production preparation period becomes longer, which is an obstacle to shortening the period. Moreover, in recent years, molding complex bag shapes has required molds with special structures, which has led to the problem of longer production preparation times.

[0012] A third method is shown in Patent Document 1, in which a dedicated mold (generally an aluminum casting mold) with ventilation holes is prepared, a roughly cut nonwoven fabric sheet having approximately the same outer shape is fixed to the dedicated mold, the fixed nonwoven fabric sheet is covered with a separately prepared cover material (bag-shaped), the inside of the cover bag is heated and melted, and then sucked and held in shape to three-dimensionally mold the nonwoven fabric sheet into a shape that follows the outer shape of the mold, thereby producing a seat pad reinforcing fabric.

[0013] In the third method described above, the shape quality of the seat pad reinforcing fabric after molding is almost satisfactory. However, the nonwoven fabric sheet that is the material of the seat pad reinforcing fabric shrinks due to heat during molding, and although the shape precision is satisfactory, the next most important factor, the product terminal position (precision), is not stable, so it is necessary to prepare a nonwoven fabric sheet with a larger shape as the material. However, doing so results in parts where the material protrudes from the desired terminal shape, and the resulting burrs (also called ears) must be manually finished with scissors in a later process, which is a factor in increasing manufacturing costs.

[0014] In addition, the heating and melting process of the nonwoven fabric sheet used as the raw material for molding, and the subsequent suction process, each required large-scale power equipment such as a boiler as a heat source and a vacuum pump for suction, which required high energy costs. These were negative cost factors such as increased man-hours and higher manufacturing costs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0015] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4503538 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0016] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional technology, and aims to provide a manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus for a seat pad reinforcing cloth, and a molding die, which allow urethane foam to grow evenly even in the thinnest part of the urethane seat pad, eliminate the need to prepare a larger material even if the seat pad reinforcing cloth has a complex shape, and eliminate the need for deburring after molding, thereby minimizing manual labor as much as possible. [Means for solving the problem]

[0017] In order to solve the above problems, the manufacturing method of the seat pad reinforcing cloth of the present invention is a manufacturing method of the seat pad reinforcing cloth of a vehicle seat, and includes a step of covering a mold for molding the seat pad reinforcing cloth with a seat pad reinforcing cloth material, an upper end portion heating and pressing molding step of heating and pressing an upper end portion of a seat upper ridge line portion of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material covered on the mold from above with an upper end portion heating and pressing molding device to generate wrinkles around a rear portion of the heated and pressed molded portion from above of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material, and This is a manufacturing method for a seat pad reinforcing cloth including a molding step of a seat upper ridge portion of a seat pad reinforcing cloth, the method including: a rear heating and press molding step of heating and press molding, by a rear heating and press molding device, a rear portion of the line portion that has not been heated and press molded by the upper end heating and press molding device, together with wrinkles generated by the upper end heating and press molding step; and a front heating and press molding step of heating and press molding, by a front heating and press molding device, a front portion of the seat upper ridge portion of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material covered over the molding die, that has not been heated and press molded by the upper end heating and press molding device.

[0018] After the molding process of the upper ridge portion of the seat, it is preferable that the process includes the steps of: heat-press molding one side of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material covered on the mold; heat-press molding the other side of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material covered on the mold; and automatically demolding the seat pad reinforcing cloth material covered on the mold by a demolding mechanism.

[0019] It is preferable that the step of heat-press molding one side and / or the other side of the seat-pad reinforcing cloth material covered on the mold is a sandwich heat-press molding step in which the one side and / or the other side of the seat-pad reinforcing cloth material covered on the airbag portion of the mold is sandwiched and heat-press molded.

[0020] It is preferable to include a cut line forming step of cutting a portion of one side or the other side of the seat pad reinforcing fabric material covering the mold, in line with the ridge line of the one side or the other side, prior to the step of automatically demolding by the demolding mechanism.

[0021] The manufacturing apparatus for seat pad reinforcing cloth of the present invention is a manufacturing apparatus for seat pad reinforcing cloth for a vehicle seat, and includes: a molding die on which a seat pad reinforcing cloth material is placed in order to mold the seat pad reinforcing cloth; an upper end heating and press molding device that heats and presses the upper end of the molding die from above to generate wrinkles around the rear part of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material at the point where the seat pad reinforcing cloth material is heated and press molded from above, of the seat upper ridge line portion of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material placed on the molding die; a rear heating and press molding device that presses and molds the rear part of the seat upper ridge line portion of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material placed on the molding die, which has not been press molded by the upper end heating and press molding device, together with the wrinkles generated by press molding by the upper end heating and press molding device; and a front heating and press molding device that heats and press molds the front part of the seat upper ridge line portion of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material placed on the molding die, which has not been heated and press molded by the upper end heating and press molding device.

[0022] It is preferable that the shape of the heated press portion of the upper end heated press molding device has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the upper end of the mold, the shape of the heated press portion of the rear heated press molding device has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the rear part of the mold, and the shape of the heated press portion of the front heated press molding device has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the front part of the mold.

[0023] It is preferable that the seat upper ridge portion of the seat pad reinforcing fabric material placed over the mold is located above half of the seat pad reinforcing fabric material placed over the mold.

[0024] It is preferable that the molding machine further includes a one-side heating and press molding device that heats and press molds one side of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material covered on the molding die, an other-side heating and press molding device that heats and press molds the other side of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material covered on the molding die, and a demolding mechanism that automatically demolds the seat pad reinforcing cloth material covered on the molding die.

[0025] It is preferable that the one-side heating and press molding device and / or the other-side heating and press molding device is a clamping heating and press molding device that clamps and heats and press molds one side and / or the other side of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material covering the airbag portion of the molding mold.

[0026] It is preferable that the demolding mechanism includes a mechanism for picking and placing the seat pad reinforcing fabric material placed on the molding die.

[0027] It is preferable that the molding tool further includes a cut line forming device for cutting a cut line into a portion of one side or the other side of the seat pad reinforcing fabric material placed over the molding tool, the cut line being aligned with the ridge line of the one side or the other side.

[0028] The scoring device is preferably a CO2 laser marker.

[0029] The molding die of the present invention is a molding die used in the manufacturing apparatus for the seat pad reinforcement cloth, and includes a hollow mold body made of resin formed by a 3D printer, a suction port provided in the hollow mold body, and a pick hook provided in the hollow mold body. Effect of the Invention

[0030] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method and apparatus for manufacturing a seat pad reinforcing cloth, as well as a molding die, which allows urethane foam to grow uniformly even in the thinnest part of the urethane seat pad, eliminates the need to prepare a larger material even if the seat pad reinforcing cloth has a complex shape, and eliminates the need for deburring work after molding, thereby achieving the remarkable effect of minimizing human labor. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall view showing one embodiment of a manufacturing apparatus for a seat pad reinforcing cloth of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 1 showing a state before the upper ridge line portion of the sheet is formed. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the state of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a seat pad reinforcing cloth material is placed over the seat pad in the state shown in FIG. 3 . [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a main part showing a state in which heating and press molding is performed from above by an upper end heating and press molding device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the state of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged schematic view of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a main portion showing a state in which the rear portion is being heat-press-molded by a rear heat-press-molding device. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the state of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main portion showing a state in which the front portion is being heat-press molded by the front portion heat-press molding device. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the state of FIG. 10. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a comparative schematic diagram showing a state in which the rear part is heated and press-molded by the rear heating and press-molding device, and then heated and press-molded from above by the upper end heating and press-molding device. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main portion showing a state in which one side is being heat-press molded by a one-side heat-press molding device. [Figure 14] 1 is an enlarged view of a main portion of a sandwiching heat press molding device, showing a state in which the other side is sandwiched by a heat press molding device on one side and heat press molding is performed, and the outside of the other side is heat press molding. FIG. [Figure 15] 1 is an enlarged view of a main portion of a sandwiching heat press molding device, showing a state in which the other side is sandwiched by a heat press molding device on one side and heat press molding is performed, and the inside of the other side is heat press molding. FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a main portion showing an embodiment in which a score line forming device is provided. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a main portion of a urethane sheet pad with score lines. [Figure 18] 1 shows a urethane sheet pad with score lines, where (a) is a cross-sectional view and (b) is an enlarged view of a main part of (a). [Figure 19] 11 is an enlarged view of a main portion showing how the seat pad reinforcing fabric material is peeled off from the molding die by a demolding mechanism after molding. FIG. [Figure 20] 10 is an enlarged view of a main portion showing how the seat pad reinforcing fabric material is picked up and placed from the molding die by a demolding mechanism after molding. FIG. [Figure 21] FIG. 20 is an enlarged view of the essential part, showing the state of peeling off from the mold in FIG. 19, seen from a different angle. [Figure 22] 10 is an enlarged view of a main portion, which is a schematic diagram showing how the seat pad reinforcing fabric material is picked up and placed from the molding die by a demolding mechanism after molding. FIG. [Figure 23] 1 is a front perspective view of a urethane seat pad used in an automobile seat; [Figure 24] 1 is a perspective view of a urethane seat pad used in an automobile seat, as viewed from the back side. [Diagram 25] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing an example of the shape of a seat pad reinforcing cloth material. [Figure 26] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing how a urethane sheet pad is foam-molded using a special mold. [Figure 27]FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing how a urethane sheet pad is foam-molded using a special mold. [Figure 28] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the urethane sheet pad. [Figure 29] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the urethane sheet pad. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] The following describes the embodiments of the present invention, but these embodiments are shown by way of example only, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. In the drawings, the same members are represented by the same reference numerals.

[0033] 1 to 22, reference numeral 10 denotes a manufacturing apparatus for the seat pad reinforcing cloth of the present invention. The manufacturing apparatus 10 for the seat pad reinforcing cloth is an apparatus for manufacturing a seat pad reinforcing cloth 104 for a vehicle seat, and includes a mold 14 on which a seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 is placed to mold the seat pad reinforcing cloth 104, an upper end heating and press molding device 20 that heats and presses an upper end 18 of the mold 14 from above among a seat upper ridge line portion 16 of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 placed on the mold 14, and generates wrinkles 19 around a rear portion of the portion of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 that has been heated and pressed from above; The manufacturing apparatus for seat pad reinforcing cloth includes a rear heating and press molding device 24 that presses and molds a rear portion 22 of the sheet upper ridge portion 16 of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 that has not been pressed and molded by the upper end heating and press molding device 20, together with wrinkles 19 generated by pressing and molding by the upper end heating and press molding device 20, and a front heating and press molding device 28 that heats and press molds a front portion 26 of the sheet upper ridge portion 16 of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 placed over the molding die 14 that has not been heated and press molded by the upper end heating and press molding device 20.

[0034] In the illustrated example, the mold 14 is an example of a mold for a seat back portion. The manufacturing device and manufacturing method of the seat pad reinforcing cloth of the present invention can be suitably used for the seat pad reinforcing cloth of the seat back portion. In addition, the mold of the present invention described later is also suitably used as a mold for the seat back portion.

[0035] The seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 is not particularly limited as long as it is a material that has air permeability, and for example, nonwoven fabric or felt can be used. In addition, sheets used for molding the seat pad reinforcing cloth disclosed in Patent Document 1, such as a sheet in which a granular thermoplastic resin is contained in a nonwoven fabric, or a nonwoven fabric sheet in which low melting point fibers and high melting point fibers are mixed, a sheet in which a cotton-like felt or a felted felt is contained in a granular thermoplastic resin, or a cotton-like felt or a felted felt in which low melting point fibers and high melting point fibers are mixed, can be suitably used. The seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 can be a seat pad reinforcing cloth material 105 having a shape as shown in FIG. 25, but in the case of the present invention, since it is not necessary to make it into a larger shape as in the conventional case, a seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 designed to have a more optimal shape to match the mold 14 is used. Note that the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 may be drawn transparent in the drawings for convenience (for example, FIG. 1).

[0036] In addition, the upper end heating press molding device 20, the rear heating press molding device 24, and the front heating press molding device 28 are preferably heating attachments (heating press tools) for heating and pressing the respective parts, and for example, electric heating attachments having a structure that is heated by electricity, such as an electric iron, can be applied. In this way, by using the heating attachments of the upper end heating press molding device 20, the rear heating press molding device 24, and the front heating press molding device 28, localized heating and pressing can be performed, so there is no shrinkage of the material, and no need to use a large material, which has the advantage of reducing labor, materials, and energy during molding, leading to cost reduction.

[0037] Furthermore, by preliminarily soaking the seat-pad reinforcing cloth material 12 with moisture (water mist), the soaked moisture vaporizes and instantly circulates through the seat-pad reinforcing cloth material 12 when it is heated and pressed by the rear heating and pressing device 24 and the front heating and pressing device 28, allowing for more suitable embossing. Therefore, in the manufacturing method for the seat-pad reinforcing cloth of the present invention described below, it is preferable to include a step of preliminarily soaking the seat-pad reinforcing cloth material 12 with moisture.

[0038] As shown in Figures 2 to 11, the shape of the heating and pressing portion 30 of the upper end heating and pressing device 20 corresponds to the shape of the upper end 18 of the mold 14, the shape of the heating and pressing portion 32 of the rear heating and pressing device 24 corresponds to the shape of the rear portion 22 of the mold 14, and the shape of the heating and pressing portion 34 of the front heating and pressing device 28 corresponds to the shape of the front portion 26 of the mold 14.

[0039] In the illustrated example, the sheet upper ridge line portion 16 of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 placed over the mold 14 is located above the half of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 placed over the mold 14. In other words, the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 placed over the mold 14 in the portion corresponding to the upper half of line BB of the urethane seat pad 102 shown in Figure 24 corresponds to the sheet upper ridge line portion 16.

[0040] 1 and 13 to 15, the manufacturing apparatus 10 for the seat-pad reinforcing cloth includes a one-side heating and press molding device 38 for heating and press molding one side 36 of the seat-pad reinforcing cloth material 12 placed over the mold 14, and an other-side heating and press molding device 42 for heating and press molding the other side 40 of the seat-pad reinforcing cloth material 12 placed over the mold 14. Both the one-side heating and press molding device 38 and the other-side heating and press molding device 42 are slidable toward and away from each other, as shown by the arrows in FIGS.

[0041] The one-side heat press molding device 38 and / or the other-side heat press molding device 42 are preferably sandwiching heat press molding devices 46 that sandwich and heat press molding the one side 36 and / or the other side 40 of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 covered by the airbag portion 44 of the molding die 14. In the illustrated example, the other-side heat press molding device 42 is a sandwiching heat press molding device 46 that sandwiches and heat press molding the other side 40 of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 covered by the airbag portion 44 of the molding die 14. The other side 40 is raised higher than the one side 36 due to the presence of the airbag portion 44, and therefore needs to be sandwiched and heat press molded.

[0042] In some automobile seats, airbags are provided on both sides (i.e., one side and the other side) of the seat back, and in such cases, the one-side heat press molding device 38 and the other-side heat press molding device 42 are preferably sandwiching heat press molding devices that sandwich and heat press molding the airbag parts on both sides of the one side and the other side of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 covered with the airbag part of the molding die. In the case of an automobile seat that does not have an airbag on either side of the seat back, the one-side heat press molding device 38 and / or the other-side heat press molding device 42 do not need to be sandwiching heat press molding devices that sandwich and heat press molding the one side and / or the other side.

[0043] Fig. 16 shows an embodiment in which an incision line forming device 62 is provided in the manufacturing apparatus 10 for manufacturing a seat-pad reinforcing cloth for making an incision line in accordance with the ridge line of one side surface 36 or the other side surface 40 of the seat-pad reinforcing cloth material 12 placed over the mold 14. The incision line forming device 62 is provided in the demolding mechanism 47 of the manufacturing apparatus 10 for manufacturing a seat-pad reinforcing cloth. In the illustrated example, a CO2 laser marker is installed as the incision line forming device 62. In Fig. 16, reference numeral 64 denotes a laser beam. A commercially available CO2 laser marker can be used as the CO2 laser marker.

[0044] As shown in Figs. 17 and 18, the cut line forming device 62 has the effect of making it easier for the airbag to pop out from the airbag portion 44 by forming a cut line 68. For this reason, the cut line 68 is formed by the cut line forming device 62 in a part of the one side surface 36 or the other side surface 40 (the other side surface 40 in the illustrated example) on the side where the airbag portion 44 of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 placed over the molding die 14 is present, in alignment with the ridge line of the one side surface 36 or the other side surface 40 (the other side surface 40 in the illustrated example). The cut line 68 is a dotted cut line, and is processed so that the airbag can pop out easily. In this way, the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 has an easy-to-open portion that is processed so that the airbag can pop out easily.

[0045] Fig. 18(a) is a cross-sectional view of a urethane sheet pad 66 with a cut line 68, and Fig. 18(b) is an enlarged view of a main part of Fig. 18(a). As can be clearly seen in Fig. 18(a) and Fig. 18(b), the cut line 68 is a dotted cut line, so that the urethane sheet pad 66 has an easy-to-open portion where the cut line 68 is processed to make it easier for the airbag to pop out.

[0046] Furthermore, the manufacturing apparatus 10 for the seat-pad reinforcing cloth is provided with a demolding mechanism 47 for automatically demolding the seat-pad reinforcing cloth material 12 placed on the molding die 14, as shown in Figs.

[0047] The demolding mechanism 47 includes a mechanism for picking and placing the seat-pad reinforcing cloth material 12 placed on the molding die 14. More specifically, the demolding mechanism 47 includes a peeling arm unit 48 for peeling the seat-pad reinforcing cloth material 12 from the molding die 14, and a pickup unit 50 for picking up and transporting the seat-pad reinforcing cloth material 12 peeled off from the molding die 14 (see FIG. 20).

[0048] The mold 14 is one embodiment of the mold of the present invention. The mold 14 is a mold including a hollow mold body 52 made of resin formed by a 3D printer, a suction port 54 provided in the hollow mold body 52, and a pick hook stopper portion 60 provided in the hollow mold body. The hollow mold body 52 is provided with a plurality of holes, and air is sucked from the suction port 54 as shown in FIG. 5, for example, so that the sheet pad reinforcing cloth material 12 is cooled immediately after heating. In addition, it is preferable that the part that is heated by the heating attachment (heating pressing tool) which is a heating and pressing molding device is made of heat-resistant resin, and the general part that is not heated is made of general-purpose inexpensive resin (non-heat-resistant resin).

[0049] Next, a method for producing a reinforcing cloth for a seat pad according to the present invention using the manufacturing apparatus 10 for producing the reinforcing cloth for a seat pad will be described.

[0050] The method for manufacturing the seat pad reinforcing cloth of the present invention includes a step of placing the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 on a mold 14 for molding the seat pad reinforcing cloth, an upper end heating and press molding step (FIG. 6 (1)) of heating and press molding the upper end 18 of the sheet upper ridge line portion 16 of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 placed on the mold 14 from above with an upper end heating and press molding device 20 to generate wrinkles 19 around the rear portion 22 of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 heated and press molded from above, and a step of pressing the upper end 18 of the sheet upper ridge line portion 16 of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 placed on the mold 14 with the upper end heating and press molding device 20 to generate wrinkles 19 around the rear portion 22 of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 heated and press molded from above with the upper end heating and press molding device 20. This is a method for manufacturing a seat pad reinforcing cloth, which includes a rear heating and press molding process (FIG. 9 (2)) in which the unpressed rear portion 22 is heated and press molded by a rear heating and press molding device 24 together with the wrinkles 19 generated by the upper end heating and press molding process, and a front heating and press molding process (FIG. 11 (3)) in which a front portion 26 of the sheet upper ridge portion 16 of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 placed over the molding die 14, which was not heated and press molded by the upper end heating and press molding device 20, is heated and press molded by a front heating and press molding device 28.

[0051] After the sheet-pad reinforcing cloth material 12 is placed over the mold 14 for forming the sheet-pad reinforcing cloth, a water mist is applied to the sheet-pad reinforcing cloth material 12 .

[0052] The most suitable size of the reinforcing cloth material 12 for the seat pad is placed on the mold 14, which is made to have a shape almost the same as that of the urethane seat pad, and only the parts that need to be molded are locally heated and molded using a heating and pressing molding device, which is a heating attachment. By doing so, the reinforcing cloth material 12 for the seat pad does not undergo significant thermal shrinkage, and the molded reinforcing cloth for the seat pad does not have ears, so cutting after molding is not necessary, and it is possible to reduce costs significantly. The loss of material for the reinforcing cloth material 12 for the seat pad can also be reduced. As described above, the reinforcing cloth material 12 for the seat pad is preferably a sheet containing a thermoplastic resin in the nonwoven fabric disclosed in Patent Document 1, or a nonwoven fabric sheet containing a low melting point fiber and a high melting point fiber. By using such a sheet, not only is it easy to mold the reinforcing cloth for the seat pad, but the post-molding synthesis is moderate, and the shape is well maintained.

[0053] Furthermore, when the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 is placed over the mold 14 for forming the seat pad reinforcing cloth and fixed thereto, it is preferable to fix the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 to the mold 14 by a magnet. Furthermore, by simultaneously performing a method of fixing the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 to the mold 14 while sucking through the suction port 54, it is possible to fix the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 in a preferable state without misalignment.

[0054] For comparison, FIG. 12 shows a state in which the rear portion 22 is first heated and press-molded ((1) of FIG. 12) by the rear heating and press-molding device 24, and then the upper end portion 18 of the seat upper ridge portion 16 of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 is heated and press-molded from above by the upper end heating and press-molding device 20. In this way, if the rear portion 22 is first heated and press-molded by the rear heating and press-molding device 24, and then the upper end portion 18 of the seat upper ridge portion 16 of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 is heated and press-molded from above by the upper end heating and press-molding device 20, a crushed portion 58 of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 will occur. Such a crushed portion 58 will cause burrs, resulting in a defective product. Therefore, as described above, it is important to perform the rear heating and press-molding process ((2) of FIG. 9) after the upper end heating and press-molding process ((1) of FIG. 6), and then the front heating and press-molding process ((3) of FIG. 11).

[0055] In addition, preferably, the manufacturing method for the seat pad reinforcing cloth of the present invention includes, after the molding process of the seat upper ridge portion 16, a process of heat-press molding one side 36 of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 placed over the molding die 14, a process of heat-press molding the other side 40 of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 placed over the molding die 14, and a process of automatically demolding the seat pad reinforcing cloth material 12 placed over the molding die 14 by a demolding mechanism 47.

[0056] It is also preferable to include a cut line forming step of making cut lines 68 with the cut line forming device 62 in part of one side surface 36 or the other side surface 40 (the other side surface 40 in the illustrated example) of the seat-pad reinforcing fabric material 12 placed over the molding die 14, in line with the ridge line of the one side surface 36 or the other side surface 40 (the other side surface 40 in the illustrated example) before the automatic demolding step by the demolding mechanism 47. As shown in Figures 17 and 18, forming the cut lines 68 has the effect of making it easier for the airbag to pop out of the airbag section 44.

[0057] When the molded product (seat pad reinforcing fabric) is removed from the mold 14, as shown in Fig. 19, the pick latch 60 previously installed on the mold 14 is gripped by the claws of the peeling arm 48 of the demolding mechanism 47 to peel off the molded product, and then the claws of the pickup unit 50 are lowered onto the latch 56 installed on the shoulder of the mold 14 and gripped up, automating the demolding of the product that was previously done manually. Note that the latch 56 is also a latch for a pick, so the concept of the pick latch provided on the mold 14 of the present invention includes both the pick latch 60 and the latch 56.

[0058] In addition, the process of heat-press molding one side 36 and / or the other side 40 of the seat-pad reinforcing cloth material 12 covered by the molding die 14 is a sandwich heat-press molding in which the one side 36 and / or the other side 40 of the seat-pad reinforcing cloth material 12 covered by the airbag portion 44 of the molding die 14 is sandwiched and heat-press molded.

[0059] In the illustrated example, the other side surface heating and press molding device 42 is a clamping heating and press molding device 46 that clamps and heats and press molds the other side surface 40 of the seat pad reinforcing fabric material 12 that is covered by the airbag portion 44 of the molding die 14. The other side surface 40 is raised higher than the one side surface 36 due to the presence of the airbag portion 44, and therefore needs to be clamped and heat-press molded.

[0060] The method for producing a seat pad reinforcing cloth of the present invention has the following features.

[0061] 1. When molding the seat pad reinforcing cloth, a method was adopted in which heat was not applied to the entire surface of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material. When heat is applied to the entire surface of the seat pad reinforcing fabric material during molding, as in the method described in Patent Document 1, the seat pad reinforcing fabric material will undergo "thermal shrinkage." For this reason, in the past, the seat pad reinforcing fabric material was roughly cut larger than the required dimensions in advance in anticipation of thermal shrinkage, but when the seat pad reinforcing fabric material was placed over the mold and set, depending on the variation in the setting work for placing the material over and the variation in molding conditions, protrusions outside the normal shape range would occur, and these would become ears (burrs) after molding. Therefore, it becomes necessary to remove the unnecessary parts (edges, burrs) after molding.

[0062] For this reason, in the present invention, heat is not applied to the entire surface during molding, and only the areas required for use are partially shaped (molded) using a heating attachment (heating press), which is a heat press molding device, and the rest is not molded.

[0063] Furthermore, according to the present invention, a large-scale power source (heat source boiler) and a power source for suction (vacuum pump, etc.) are not required, and energy savings are achieved. Furthermore, in order to shorten the molding time, the part of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material (the seat pad reinforcing cloth material described in Patent Document 1 is suitable) that is to be heated and pressed is soaked in moisture (water mist) in advance. When pressure is applied with the heating attachment (heating press), the soaked moisture evaporates and instantly circulates throughout the material, allowing it to be embossed and molded.

[0064] By doing so, there is no shrinkage of the seat pad reinforcing fabric material, and no need to use larger materials, which reduces the amount of labor and materials required. It also reduces the energy required during molding, leading to lower costs.

[0065] 2. The shape of the seat pad reinforcing fabric material before molding has been minimized. By eliminating the need to completely heat mold the seat pad reinforcing fabric material, it is no longer necessary to design the shape of the seat pad reinforcing fabric material based on past experience, such as by anticipating thermal shrinkage in each part in advance. Therefore, in the present invention, it is sufficient to design the shape of the seat pad reinforcing fabric material so that it fits perfectly with the designed product shape after molding. This makes it possible to directly develop the material pattern design for the seat pad reinforcing fabric using commercially available CAD (Computer Aided Design) software from the product 3D data.

[0066] 3. It is now possible to use a resin mold (3D printer mold) instead of a metal mold to form the seat pad reinforcing fabric. By dissipating the heat during molding, the material used for the mold could also be changed from the conventional heat-resistant metal mold (aluminum casting mold) to resin. As a result, the mold production method could also be changed to a 3D printer-printed resin mold, which allows molds to be produced directly from mold CAD data. This led to a significant reduction in lead time and mold weight. Furthermore, heat-resistant resin was used for the parts that are exposed to heat by the heating attachment (heat press jig), which is a heat press molding device, and general-purpose low-cost resin (non-heat-resistant resin) was used for the general parts that are not exposed to heat, creating a hybrid mold structure that uses different types of resin for different materials.

[0067] 4. By using a 3D printer, the molding mold could be made hollow, thereby improving the cycle rate. Furthermore, by using a 3D printer to create the mold, a mold with a hollow structure can be easily made, and heat during molding can be discharged (exhausted) outside the mold through a pre-installed suction port, with the hollow part acting as a heat exhaust flow path. This allows the heat stored in the workpiece during molding to be quickly discharged, significantly shortening the molding cycle.

[0068] Another advantage of 3D printer modeling technology is that it can be used to mold objects that have a structure in which several parts move together, so several of the required mechanical structures can be incorporated into the mold and molded as a single unit. This means that there is no need to assemble the final mold, and operation can be checked immediately, speeding up prototyping. For example, it is possible to mold the integration of heat exhaust flow paths and suction ports, and the integration of mold mechanism parts for automatic demolding, and then immediately check their operation.

[0069] 5. The product (seat pad reinforcing cloth) formed in the mold that forms the seat pad reinforcing cloth is automatically picked and placed by a dedicated demolding mechanism. The mold is equipped with a pick stopper, so a method was developed for automatic demolding of the seat pad reinforcing cloth (spring support material) so that the product is first peeled off from the mold and then picked up and placed.

[0070] By manufacturing the seat pad reinforcing cloth in the manner described above, the urethane foam grows uniformly even in the thinnest part of the urethane seat pad, and even if the seat pad reinforcing cloth has a complex shape, there is no need to prepare a large material, and deburring work after molding is not required, thereby minimizing manual labor as much as possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 10: manufacturing device for seat pad reinforcing cloth, 12: seat pad reinforcing cloth material, 14: mold, 16: upper ridge of sheet, 18: upper end, 19: wrinkles, 20: upper end heating press molding device, 22: rear, 24: rear heating press molding device, 26: front, 28: front heating press molding device, 30, 32, 34: heating press section, 36: one side, 38: one side heating press molding device, 40: other side, 42: other side heating press molding device, 44: airbag section, 46: clamping heating press molding device, 47: demolding mechanism, 48: arm part, 50: pickup part, 52: hollow mold body, 54: suction port, 56: hook and stop part, 58: crushed part, 60: hook and stop part for pick, 62: cut line forming device, 64: laser light, 68: cut line, 100: seat back part, 66, 102: urethane seat pad, 104: seat pad reinforcing cloth, 105: seat pad reinforcing cloth material, 106: foaming mold (lower mold), 108: foaming mold (middle mold), 110: foaming mold (upper mold), 112: urethane concentrate, 113: carbon dioxide, G: gas generated in foaming mold, P: thin-walled part.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a seat pad reinforcing cloth for a vehicle seat, comprising: A process of covering a mold for forming the seat pad reinforcing cloth with a seat pad reinforcing cloth material designed to have a shape that fits the mold perfectly; and a process of heating and pressing the upper end of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material covered on the mold from above using an upper end heating and pressing molding device to generate wrinkles around the rear part of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material heated and pressed from above. a rear heating and press molding process in which a rear portion of the seat upper ridge portion of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material covered on the mold that has not been press molded by the upper end heating and press molding device is heated and press molded by a rear heating and press molding device together with the wrinkles generated by the upper end heating and press molding process; A front heating and press molding process in which a front portion of the seat upper ridge line portion of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material covered on the mold that has not been heated and press molded by the upper end heating and press molding device is heated and press molded by a front heating and press molding device; The seat pad reinforcing cloth has a molding process for a seat upper ridge portion, The molding die is a resin molding die having a hybrid mold structure made of different resin materials, which is formed by a 3D printer; The dissimilar resins are a heat-resistant resin and a non-heat-resistant resin, Of the molding die, the parts to which heat is applied by the upper end heating press molding device, the rear heating press molding device, and the front heating press molding device are made of the heat-resistant resin, and the parts to which heat is not applied by the upper end heating press molding device, the rear heating press molding device, and the front heating press molding device are made of the non-heat-resistant resin. A method for manufacturing seat pad reinforcing fabric.

2. After the forming process of the upper ridge line portion of the sheet, A step of hot pressing and molding one side of the seat pad reinforcing fabric material covered on the molding die; a step of hot pressing and molding the other side of the seat pad reinforcing fabric material covered on the molding die; A step of automatically demolding the seat pad reinforcing fabric material covered on the molding die by a demolding mechanism; A method for producing the seat pad reinforcing fabric according to claim 1, comprising:

3. 3. The method for manufacturing a seat pad reinforcing cloth according to claim 2, wherein the step of heat press molding one side and / or the other side of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material covered on the mold is a sandwich heat press molding in which the one side and / or the other side of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material covered on the airbag portion of the mold is sandwiched and heat press molded.

4. 3. The method for manufacturing a seat pad reinforcing cloth as described in claim 2, further comprising a cut line forming step of cutting a portion of one or the other side of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material covered on the mold, the cut line being aligned with the ridge line of the one or the other side, prior to the step of automatically demolding by the demolding mechanism.

5. This is a manufacturing device for reinforcing cloth for vehicle seats, A mold in which a seat pad reinforcing cloth material designed to fit the mold is placed to mold the seat pad reinforcing cloth; An upper end heating and press molding device that heats and presses the upper end of the mold from above among the seat upper ridge line portion of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material covered on the mold, and generates wrinkles around the rear portion of the heat press molding portion from above of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material; A rear heating press molding device presses and molds the rear portion of the seat upper ridge portion of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material covered on the molding die, the rear portion not press molded by the upper end heating press molding device, together with the wrinkles generated by the press molding by the upper end heating press molding device; a front heating and press molding device for heating and press molding a front portion of the seat upper ridge line portion of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material placed on the mold that has not been heated and press molded by the upper end heating and press molding device; Including, The molding die is a resin molding die having a hybrid mold structure made of different resin materials, which is formed by a 3D printer; The dissimilar resins are a heat-resistant resin and a non-heat-resistant resin, The mold includes a portion to which heat is applied by the upper end heating press molding device, the rear heating press molding device, and the front heating press molding device, the portion being made of the heat-resistant resin; The portion not heated by the upper end heating press molding device, the rear heating press molding device, and the front heating press molding device is made of the non-heat resistant resin. Manufacturing equipment for seat pad reinforcing cloth.

6. 6. The manufacturing apparatus for a seat pad reinforcing cloth according to claim 5, wherein the shape of the heating and pressing portion of the upper end heating and pressing device has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the upper end of the mold, the shape of the heating and pressing portion of the rear heating and pressing device has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the rear part of the mold, and the shape of the heating and pressing portion of the front heating and pressing device has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the front part of the mold.

7. 6. The apparatus for manufacturing a seat pad reinforcing cloth according to claim 5, wherein the upper ridge portion of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material covering the mold is located above half of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material covering the mold.

8. A one-side heating and press molding device for heating and press molding one side of the seat pad reinforcing fabric material covered on the molding die; An other side heating and pressing molding device for heating and pressing the other side of the seat pad reinforcing fabric material covered on the molding die; A demolding mechanism that automatically demolds the seat pad reinforcing fabric material that is covered on the molding die; The apparatus for manufacturing a seat pad reinforcing cloth according to claim 5, further comprising:

9. The manufacturing apparatus for a seat pad reinforcing cloth according to claim 8, wherein the one side heating and press molding device and / or the other side heating and press molding device are clamping heating and press molding devices which clamp and heat and press mold one side and / or the other side of a seat pad reinforcing cloth material covered over an airbag portion of the mold.

10. The manufacturing apparatus for a seat-pad reinforcing cloth according to claim 8, wherein the demolding mechanism includes a mechanism for picking and placing the seat-pad reinforcing cloth material placed on the molding die.

11. The manufacturing apparatus for a seat pad reinforcing cloth according to claim 8, further comprising a cut line forming device for cutting a cut line into a portion of one or the other side of the seat pad reinforcing cloth material covered over the mold in accordance with the ridge line of the one or the other side.

12. The score line forming device is ２ The apparatus for manufacturing a seat pad reinforcing cloth according to claim 11, which is a laser marker.

13. A molding die used in the manufacturing apparatus for the seat pad reinforcing fabric according to any one of claims 5 to 12, A hollow mold body made of resin having a hybrid mold structure made of different resin materials and formed by a 3D printer, a suction port provided in the hollow mold body, and a pick latch provided in the hollow mold body; Including, The dissimilar resins are a heat-resistant resin and a non-heat-resistant resin, Of the molding die, the parts to which heat is applied by the upper end heating press molding device, the rear heating press molding device, and the front heating press molding device are made of the heat-resistant resin, and the parts to which heat is not applied by the upper end heating press molding device, the rear heating press molding device, and the front heating press molding device are made of the non-heat-resistant resin. A mold is covered with a seat pad reinforcing fabric material designed to fit snugly over the mold.

14. 2. The method for manufacturing a reinforcing cloth for a seat pad according to claim 1, further comprising a step of preliminarily moistening the portion of the reinforcing cloth material for the seat pad that is to be subjected to the heat pressing.

15. After the step of covering the seat pad reinforcing cloth material, The method for manufacturing a seat-pad reinforcing cloth according to claim 1, further comprising a step of fixing the seat-pad reinforcing cloth material to the mold by a magnet.

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