EP0305207A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Semirigid luggage shell and method for its production
Assignee: Gates Formed Fibre Products Inc
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Filing: 1988-08-26
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-08-26
Abstract
Abstract A resilient, low modulus, semirigid shell for use as a component of an article of luggage. The shell comprises a first nonwoven batt (14) of thermoplastic resin fibers and an exterior material (10) attached to the first nonwoven batt (14). The first batt and exterior material are thermally formed to a predetermined shape. The shell may also include one or more additional component layers selected from a second nonwoven, fibrous batt (12), a layer of backing material (11), a water impermeable film, and a lining material (16). In manufacturing the shell, the exterior material is attached to a first portion of a substrate material which is comprised of the nonwoven batt of thermoplastic resin fibers. A second portion of the substrate material is secured to an apparatus for thermal forming and the exterior material and substrate material are thermally formed to a resilient, low modulus, semirigid shell having a predetermined configuration.
Inventors
- 👤 Gerald J. Smith
- 👤 Ronald W. Adams
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 23:35
CPC Classifications
A; A45; A45C; A45C7/00; A45C7/0018; A45C7/0045; A45C5/00; A45C5/02; B; B29; B29C; B29C70/00; B29C70/04; B29C70/06; B29C70/08; B29C70/28; B29C70/30; B29C70/34; B29C70/345; B29K; B29K2105/00; B29K2105/06; B29K2105/08; B29K2105/0854; B29L; B29L2009/00; B29L2031/00; B29L2031/7418; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/10; Y10T156/1002; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/23; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24033; Y10T428/24058; Y10T428/24074; Y10T428/24091; Y10T428/24099; Y10T428/24107; Y10T428/24628; Y10T428/24636; Y10T428/24802; Y10T428/2481; Y10T428/24818; Y10T428/24942; Y10T428/249921; Y10T428/249953; Y10T428/249976; Y10T428/29; Y10T428/2913; Y10T428/2915; Y10T442/00; Y10T442/30; Y10T442/3707; Y10T442/3724; Y10T442/3732; Y10T442/374; Y10T442/60; Y10T442/659; Y10T442/666; Y10T442/667; Y10T442/668
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
62 words
A resilient, low modulus, semirigid shell for use as a component of an article of luggage comprising: a first nonwoven batt comprised of thermoplastic resin fibers and defining a first and a second face; and an exterior material attached to said first face of said first nonwoven batt, said first nonwoven batt and said exterior material being thermally formed to a configuration.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
62 words
A resilient, low modulus, semirigid shell for use as a component of an article of luggage comprising: a first nonwoven batt comprised of thermoplastic resin fibers and defining a first and a second face; and an exterior material attached to said first face of said first nonwoven batt, said first nonwoven batt and said exterior material being thermally formed to a configuration.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
The shell of claim 1 wherein said first nonwoven batt is comprised of at least a portion of thermoplastic resin fibers which soften during thermal forming and reharden upon subsequent cooling to form a plurality of bonds.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The shell of claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic resin fibers comprising said first nonwoven batt are interengaged and consolidated by needlepunching.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
41 words
The shell of claim 1 wherein said first nonwoven batt is comprised of at least one type of thermoplastic resin fibers selected from the group consisting of fibers of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, nylons, polyphenylene sulfides, polyether sulfones, polyether-ether ketones, or polybenzimidazoles.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The shell of claim 1 wherein said first nonwoven batt is further comprised of fibers selected from the group consisting of rayon, other celluloisic materials, carbon, aramids, glass, or thermoset plastics.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
The shell of claim 1 further comprising: a second nonwoven, fibrous batt interposed and attached to said first nonwoven batt and said exterior material and being thermally formed with said first nonwoven batt and said exterior material to said configuration.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
The shell of claim 6 wherein said second nonwoven, fibrous batt is comprised of at least one type of thermoplastic resin fibers selected from the group consisting of fibers of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, nylons, polyphenylene sulfides, polyether sulfones, polyether-ether ketones, or polybenzimidazoles.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
The shell of claim 6 wherein said second nonwoven, fibrous batt is comprised of fibers selected from the group consisting of rayon, other cellulosic materials, carbon, aramids, glass, or thermoset plastics.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
The shell of claim 1 further comprising: a closed cell foam material interposed and attached to said first nonwoven batt and said exterior material and being thermally formed with said first nonwoven batt and said exterior material to said configuration.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
The shell of claim 6 wherein said thermoplastic resin fibers comprising said second nonwoven, fibrous batt are interengaged and consolidated by needlepunching.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The shell of claim 6 wherein said second nonwoven, fibrous batt is attached to said first nonwoven batt by an adhesive.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The shell of claim 6 wherein said second nonwoven fibrous batt is attached to said first nonwoven batt by an fusion bonding.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
The shell of claim wherein said second nonwoven fibrous batt is attached to said first nonwoven batt by needlepunching.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
The shell of claim 6 wherein said exterior material is a polymer and said shell further comprises: a layer of nonwoven material interposed between and attached to said exterior material and said second nonwoven, fibrous batt.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
12 words
The shell of claims 14 wherein said exterior material is a vinyl.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
47 words
The shell of claim 6 wherein said exterior material is a woven cloth and said shell further comprises: a water impermeable film of a polymer which is flexible, durable, and resilient at ambient temperature interposed and attached to said exterior material and said second nonwoven, fibrous batt.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
The shell of claim 1 further comprising: a lining material secured to said second face of said first nonwoven batt.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
26 words
The shell of claim 17 wherein said lining material is selected from the group consisting of a nonwoven fabric, a knit fabric, or a woven fabric.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
35 words
The shell of claim 17 further comprising: a water impermeable film of a polymer which is flexible, durable, and resilient at ambient temperature interposed and attached to said lining material and said first nonwoven batt.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
37 words
The shell of claim 6 further comprising: a water impermeable film of a polymer which is flexible, durable, and resilient at ambient temperature interposed and attached to said first nonwoven batt and said second nonwoven, fibrous batt.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
24 words
The shell of claim 16, 19 or 20 wherein said polymer is selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, and thermoplastics.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
20 words
The shell of claim 16, 19 or 20 wherein said water impermeable film is a linear low density polyethylene film.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
35 words
The shell of claim 13 wherein said second nonwoven, fibrous batt is comprised of thermoplastic resin fibers having a higher temperature softening point than said portion of thermoplastic resin fibers of said first nonwoven batt.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
15 words
An article of luggage having at least one shell as defined in any preceding claim.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of manufacturing a luggage shell comprising: attaching an exterior material to a first portion of a substrate material comprised of a nonwoven batt of thermoplastic resin fibres; releasably securing a second portion of said substrate material to an apparatus for thermal forming; and thermally forming said exterior material and said substrate material to form a shell having a predetermined configuration which is resilient and semirigid and has a low modulus.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of manufacturing a luggage shell comprising: attaching an exterior material to a first portion of a substrate material comprised of a nonwoven batt of thermoplastic resin fibres; releasably securing a second portion of said substrate material to an apparatus for thermal forming; and thermally forming said exterior material and said substrate material to form a shell having a predetermined configuration which is resilient and semirigid and has a low modulus.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
34 words
2 . The method of claim 25 wherein a portion of said thermoplastic resin fibers of said nonwoven batt soften during thermal forming and reharden upon subsequent cooling to form a plurality of bonds.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 25 wherein said predetermined configuration is devoid of separations between said exterior material and said substrate material.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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