Variable-Density Resin Wadding for Soft Thermal Insulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional wadding production methods result in reduced bulk, stiffness, and high energy consumption, with significant material waste and environmental impact due to resin scattering and the need for high resin application to prevent fiber loss, leading to stiff and less insulating products.
Innovation Solution
A wadding structure with a variable-density resin finish applied via a wipe-apply treatment, ensuring the resin only binds the surface fibers while allowing internal fibers to remain free, reducing material usage and energy consumption by using a more efficient evaporation and cross-linking process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If resin is applied via spraying to bind fibres, then fibre retention is improved, but bulk is reduced and stiffness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a porous resin layer on the wadding surface that binds fibers while maintaining air pockets and porosity. This porous structure allows the resin to retain fibers effectively while preserving the bulk and softness of the wadding, avoiding the densification caused by traditional spraying methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The resin application is localized to the surface layer of the wadding rather than penetrating throughout. This local quality approach ensures that fibers at the surface are bound for retention while the internal structure remains uncompressed and fluffy, maintaining bulk and reducing stiffness.
2Reliability
If large amounts of resin are sprayed to bind fibres, then fibre retention is improved, but material waste increases due to scattering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical spraying system with a foam application system. The resin is converted to foam form and applied uniformly to the wadding surface, eliminating the scattering problem inherent in spray application. This substitution ensures nearly 100% resin utilization with no material waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The resin is transformed from liquid spray form to foam form through parameter changes in physical state. This foam state allows for controlled, uniform application that adheres precisely to the wadding surface without scattering, achieving complete resin utilization and eliminating material waste.
3Reliability
If traditional spraying and oven drying is used, then fibre binding is achieved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the phase transition of water in the foam resin from liquid to vapor during a low-temperature drying process. The foam structure allows rapid evaporation at lower temperatures compared to traditional oven drying, significantly reducing energy consumption while still achieving effective fiber binding through the resin.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the high-temperature oven drying system with a low-temperature evaporation system. The foam resin structure enables water removal at much lower temperatures through increased surface area and porosity, reducing the thermal energy required for drying while maintaining effective fiber binding.
4Reliability
If resin is sprayed to bind fibres, then fibre retention is improved, but the product becomes stiff
Solution Approach 1:
The porous resin layer maintains air pockets and open structures that prevent stiffness. The porosity allows the resin-bound fiber matrix to remain flexible and soft while still providing effective fiber retention, avoiding the rigid, stiff structure produced by traditional spraying that densifies the material.
Solution Approach 2:
The resin application is confined to the surface layer, creating a flexible skin that binds fibers for retention while leaving the bulk material soft and pliable. This local binding approach prevents the throughout-penetration stiffening effect of traditional spraying, maintaining overall product softness.
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 solution results in a softer, more insulating, and durable wadding with reduced material waste and energy consumption, maintaining original fiber bulk and softness, and enabling the use of thinner fabrics while minimizing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of fibres bound together by a resin with uniform finish
Implementation Method 2
passing said resined lap through an oven to cause evaporation of the water contained in the polymeric dispersion
Implementation Method 3
cross-linking of the variable-density resin
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A wadding structure for use as padding, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of fibres bound together by means of a resin with variable-density uniform finish. The variable-density finish may have a higher or lower density according to the need. The density of the finish entails a variation of the thickness of the product, which on average can guarantee a bulk 30% greater than that of a wadding produced in a traditional way with resin-spraying finish. A greater bulk of the product entails a greater heat value, typically approximately 20% greater, as it is precisely the amount of air embedded in the structure of the wadding that determines its thermal insulation.