Method for manufacturing a one-piece seat shell made of a fibre composite mat for use in a seat
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Solution Overview
Problem
The furniture industry faces challenges in producing seating furniture with a flexible surface design efficiently, as existing methods often require multiple steps and materials for forming and binding fiber composite materials.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a single fiber composite mat is formed into a one-piece seat shell in a single mold stroke, using heat to make the plastic component flowable and bond fibers together, allowing for various curvatures and incorporating stiffening or assembly structures directly during the process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If fiber composite materials are used for seat shells, then flexibility in surface design is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to multiple steps required for forming and binding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple manufacturing operations (cutting, heating, forming, and binding) into a single integrated mold stroke. The mold simultaneously punches out the contour and applies heat and pressure to form and bind the fiber composite material, eliminating the need for separate forming and binding steps while maintaining design flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold is designed to perform multiple functions in one operation: it acts as a cutting tool to punch out the contour, a heating device to melt the plastic binder, and a forming tool to shape the seat shell. This multi-functional approach reduces manufacturing complexity while enabling flexible surface designs.
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional multi-step manufacturing methods are used, then manufacturing precision can be maintained, but productivity decreases due to multiple process steps
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is made continuous by performing cutting, heating, forming, and binding in a single uninterrupted mold stroke. The fiber composite mat is punched, heated, and formed simultaneously without intermediate steps, maintaining precision while dramatically increasing throughput rate and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold is divided into functional zones that perform different operations simultaneously: cutting edges for contour punching, heating zones for melting the binder, and forming surfaces for shaping. This segmentation allows multiple operations to occur in parallel within a single stroke, improving both precision and productivity.
3Strength
If heat treatment is applied to make plastic flowable, then fiber binding is achieved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber composite mat is pre-cut to the exact contour before heating and forming. By punching the outline in advance during the same mold stroke, the heating process is confined to only the necessary areas, reducing energy consumption while ensuring adequate bond strength through targeted heat application to the plastic binder.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables the simple and efficient production of seat shells with customizable curvatures and high throughput, using recycled materials and minimizing waste, while ensuring structural stability and aesthetic appeal.
Implementation Method 1
The material can then be heated both before the actual pressing process, e.g. by means of a stream of hot air in an oven, and during it, e.g. by heating up the mold
Implementation Method 2
a plastic is often used as the base material for the fibers and/or the binder, which becomes flowable under the influence of heat
Implementation Method 3
The interplay of the heated plastic portion and the pressurization of the pressing process initiates a crosslinking, deformation and/or compression process within the fiber composite structure
Implementation Method 4
the melted plastic material is distributed between the fibers and thereby bonds them together
Implementation Method 5
a one-piece fiber mat with a plastic component that is brought into a deformable and/or flowable state by means of heat treatment
Data Source
Figure 1~3
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Figure 5
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a one-piece seat shell from a fiber composite mat for use in a piece of seating furniture, comprising heating the fiber composite mat to a forming temperature and pressing the heated fiber composite mat in a single working stroke of a forming tool into a planar molded part which is curved according to a shape of the seat shell, wherein the molded part is contour-cut from the fiber composite mat and pressed into shape in the working stroke, and wherein the fiber composite mat is designed as a one-piece flexible textile planar structure with a plastic component which has a melting temperature below the forming temperature.