Automotive Seat Leather Retanning and Drying for Wrinkle Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Leather used for automobile seats experiences wrinkling issues, particularly in concave curved portions, due to adhesive and boarding/alighting forces, which existing methods fail to adequately address while maintaining necessary durability and flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a multi-stage retanning process with specific retanning agents and resins, combined with reduced-pressure and atmospheric-pressure drying, to enhance fiber bonding and flexibility, reducing wrinkling and maintaining leather softness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If chrome-free tanning with low thermal shrinkage is used and fibers are compressed by vacuum drying, then wrinkling is suppressed, but the leather becomes very hard and loses flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the drying process parameters - specifically using atmospheric pressure drying instead of vacuum drying, and maintaining specific temperature ranges (35-45°C) to prevent excessive fiber compression while removing moisture, thereby maintaining leather flexibility while still suppressing wrinkles
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining multiple retanning agents (synthetic retanning agents and resin retanning agents) and fatliquoring agents in specific formulations to achieve both wrinkle suppression and flexibility maintenance through the synergistic effects of different material components
2Ease of operation
If repeated boarding and alighting occur, then friction is generated, but wrinkling occurs at protruding portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing retanning and fatliquoring treatments before the leather is installed in the automobile seat, pre-conditioning the leather fibers to be more resistant to friction-induced wrinkling from repeated boarding and alighting operations
3Ease of manufacture
If cushioning material is attached by adhesion instead of stitching, then manufacturing is simplified, but wrinkling occurs in concave curved portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by treating the leather with specific retanning and fatliquoring agents that create localized fiber reinforcement and flexibility enhancement, particularly in areas prone to wrinkling such as concave curved portions, while maintaining the simplified adhesive attachment method
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
The method effectively suppresses wrinkling and maintains flexibility, making the leather suitable for automobile seats by improving fiber bonding and resin distribution within the leather.
Implementation Method 1
a retanning agent configured by a synthetic tanning agent and resin... enhancing the restorative force for elongation
Implementation Method 2
the leather fibers are further compressed by vacuum drying
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a method of manufacturing leather, which not only significantly suppresses the occurrence of adhesive wrinkling and boarding/alighting wrinkling when used for an automobile seat, for example, but also exhibits appropriate flexibility.The present invention is a method of manufacturing leather including a pretreatment step, a tanning step, a retanning step, and a drying and finishing step in this order, the retanning process including, in the following order, subjecting a shaving leather obtained from the tanning process to a stage of performing treatment using a predetermined retanning agent and a predetermined resin, a stage of performing treatment using a predetermined retanning agent, a predetermined resin, and a predetermined fatliquoring agent, and a stage of performing treatment using a predetermined resin and a predetermined fatliquoring agent, and the drying in the drying and finishing process including, in the following order, subjecting a leather obtained from the retanning process to a stage of drying under reduced pressure under predetermined conditions and a step of drying at atmospheric pressure under predetermined conditions.