Method of making cushion material from foam slabs and comminuted soft foam scrap

Claim 1

A method of making a cushion material, which comprises: forming a plurality of cushion layers made of a plurality of polyurethane foam slabs in piles cut in a predetermined form; applying between said polyurethane foam slabs at selected portions thereof varying amounts of a solidifiable bonding agent, greater amounts being applied at portions which are to be relatively harder or retained in a deformed configuration and lesser amounts being applied at portions which are to be relatively softer; and inserting said cushion layers in a pair of forming dies and compressing said layers therein to solidify said bonding agent, and to shape said cushion layers into a form along an inner shape of said forming dies.

Claim 2

A method of making a cushion material, which comprises: forming a plurality of cushion layers made of a plurality of polyurethane foam slabs in piles cut in a predetermined form; applying between said polyurethane foam slabs at selected portions thereof varying amounts of a solidifiable bonding agent, greater amounts being applied at portions which are to be relatively harder or retained in a deformed configuration and lesser amounts being applied at portions which are to be relatively softer; and inserting said cushion layers in a pair of forming dies and compressing said layers therein to solidify said bonding agent, and to shape said cushion layers into a form along an inner shape of said forming dies.

Claim 6

A method of making a cushion material, which comprises: providing a pair of dies adapted to be heated by steam, either directly or through inlet holes in said pair of dies; chopping or comminuting soft polyurethane foam scrap into chips and applying a solidifiable bonding agent comprising a urethane prepolymer containing 1 to 20% of free isocyanate (NCO) synthesized from polyether glycol and tolylenedi-isocyanate, to said chips; placing in said pair of dies, said polyurethane foam chips applied with said bonding agent; fully closing said pair of dies, injecting a small amount of steam into said dies, and compressing said chips therein for a predetermined time, to form a first cushion layer made of said polyurethane foam chips; cutting a soft polyurethane foam into a polyurethane foam slab in a predetermined form and applying a solidifiable bonding agent to said slab; setting said polyurethane foam slab into a second pair of dies for forming an integral cushion material; setting said first cushion layer mass made of said polyurethane foam chips on said polyurethane foam slab set in said second pair of dies; fully closing said second pair of dies, injecting a small amount of steam into said second pair of dies and compressing said slab and chips therein for a predetermined time, to form a second cushion layer constituted by said polyurethane foam slab, while bonding integrally on said second cushion layer, said first cushion layer constituted by said polyurethane foam chips.

Claim 7

A method of making a cushion material, which comprises: providing a pair of dies adapted to be heated by steam, either directly or through inlet holes in said pair of dies; chopping or comminuting soft polyurethane foam scrap into chips and applying a solidifiable bonding agent comprising a urethane prepolymer containing 1 to 20% of free isocyanate (NCO) synthesized from polyether glycol and tolylenedi-isocyanate, to said chips; placing in said pair of dies, said polyurethane foam chips applied with said bonding agent; fully closing said pair of dies, injecting a small amount of steam into said dies, and compressing said chips therein for a predetermined time, to form a first cushion layer made of said polyurethane foam chips; cutting a soft polyurethane foam into a polyurethane foam slab in a predetermined form and applying a solidifiable bonding agent to said slab; setting said polyurethane foam slab into a second pair of dies for forming an integral cushion material; setting said first cushion layer mass made of said polyurethane foam chips on said polyurethane foam slab set in said second pair of dies; fully closing said second pair of dies, injecting a small amount of steam into said second pair of dies and compressing said slab and chips therein for a predetermined time, to form a second cushion layer constituted by said polyurethane foam slab, while bonding integrally on said second cushion layer, said first cushion layer constituted by said polyurethane foam chips.

Claim 8

A method of making a cushion material, which comprises: providing a pair of dies adapted to be heated by steam, either directly or through inlet holes in said pair of dies; applying a solidifiable bonding agent to a polyurethane foam slab in a predetermined form; setting said polyurethane foam slab into said pair of dies; fully closing said pair of dies, injecting a small amount of steam into said pair of dies, and compressing said slab therein for a predetermined time to form a first cushion layer made of said polyurethane foam slab; providing a second pair of dies adapted to be heated by steam for forming polyurethane foam chips into a layer; applying a bonding agent comprising a urethane prepolymer containing 1 to 20% of free isocyanate (NCO) synthesized from polyether glycol and tolylenediisocyanate agent to polyurethane foam chips obtained by chopping or comminuting soft polyurethane foam scrap; placing said polyurethane foam chips into said second polyurethane foam chip layer-forming pair of dies; fully closing said second polyurethane foam chip layer-forming pair of dies, injecting a small amount of steam into said second pair of dies and compressing said chips therein for a predetermined time, to form a second cushion layer constituted by said polyurethane foam chips; and placing said first cushion layer of polyurethane foam slab on said second cushion layer of polyurethane foam chips and bonding them together with a bonding agent.

Claim 9

A method of making a cushion material, which comprises: providing a pair of dies adapted to be heated by steam, either directly or through inlet holes in said pair of dies; applying a solidifiable bonding agent to a polyurethane foam slab in a predetermined form; setting said polyurethane foam slab into said pair of dies; fully closing said pair of dies, injecting a small amount of steam into said pair of dies, and compressing said slab therein for a predetermined time to form a first cushion layer made of said polyurethane foam slab; providing a second pair of dies adapted to be heated by steam for forming polyurethane foam chips into a layer; applying a bonding agent comprising a urethane prepolymer containing 1 to 20% of free isocyanate (NCO) synthesized from polyether glycol and tolylenediisocyanate agent to polyurethane foam chips obtained by chopping or comminuting soft polyurethane foam scrap; placing said polyurethane foam chips into said second polyurethane foam chip layer-forming pair of dies; fully closing said second polyurethane foam chip layer-forming pair of dies, injecting a small amount of steam into said second pair of dies and compressing said chips therein for a predetermined time, to form a second cushion layer constituted by said polyurethane foam chips; and placing said first cushion layer of polyurethane foam slab on said second cushion layer of polyurethane foam chips and bonding them together with a bonding agent.

Claim 10

A method of making a cushion material, which comprises: providing a pair of dies adapted to be heated by steam, for shaping said cushion material placed between said pair of dies by heating said cushion material with steam, either directly or through inlet holes in said pair of dies; applying a solidifiable bonding agent to a polyurethane foam slab made of a soft polyurethane foam cut in a predetermined form; setting said polyurethane foam slab applied with said bonding agent into said pair of dies; placing on said polyurethane foam slab set in said pair of forming dies, soft polyurethane foam scrap chopped or comminuted into chips and applied with a bonding agent comprising a urethane prepolymer containing 1 to 20% of free isocyanate (NCO) synthesized from polyether glycol and tolylenediisocyanate; fully closing said pair of dies, injecting a small amount of steam into said pair of dies, and compressing said slab and chips therein for a predetermined time, to integrally form a first cushion layer constituted by said polyurethane foam slab and second cushion layer constituted by said polyurethane foam chips.

Claim 11

A method of making a cushion material, which comprises: providing a pair of dies adapted to be heated by steam, for shaping said cushion material placed between said pair of dies by heating said cushion material with steam, either directly or through inlet holes in said pair of dies; applying a solidifiable bonding agent to a polyurethane foam slab made of a soft polyurethane foam cut in a predetermined form; setting said polyurethane foam slab applied with said bonding agent into said pair of dies; placing on said polyurethane foam slab set in said pair of forming dies, soft polyurethane foam scrap chopped or comminuted into chips and applied with a bonding agent comprising a urethane prepolymer containing 1 to 20% of free isocyanate (NCO) synthesized from polyether glycol and tolylenediisocyanate; fully closing said pair of dies, injecting a small amount of steam into said pair of dies, and compressing said slab and chips therein for a predetermined time, to integrally form a first cushion layer constituted by said polyurethane foam slab and second cushion layer constituted by said polyurethane foam chips.

Claim 12

A method of making a cushion material, which comprises: providing a pair of dies adapted to be heated by steam, either directly or through inlet holes in said pair of dyes, applying a solidifiable bonding agent to a polyurethane foam slab made of a soft polyurethane foam cut in a predetermined form; setting said polyurethane foam slab applied with said bonding agent in said pair of dies; fully closing said pair of dies, injecting a small amount of steam into said dies, and compressing said polyurethane foam slab for a predetermined time, to form said polyurethane foam slab into a first cushion layer; chopping or comminuting soft polyurethane foam scrap into chips, applying a bonding agent comprising a urethane prepolymer containing 1 to 20% of free isocyanate (NCO) synthesized from polyether glycol and tolylenediisocyanate to said chips, and placing said chips on said polyurethane foam slab already set in said dies; fully closing said pair of dies, injecting a small amount of steam and compressing said slab and chips therein for a predetermined time, to form integrally a second cushion layer made of said polyurethane foam chips on said first cushion layer made of said polyurethane foam slab.

Claim 13

A method of making a cushion material, which comprises: providing a pair of dies adapted to be heated by steam, either directly or through inlet holes in said pair of dyes, applying a solidifiable bonding agent to a polyurethane foam slab made of a soft polyurethane foam cut in a predetermined form; setting said polyurethane foam slab applied with said bonding agent in said pair of dies; fully closing said pair of dies, injecting a small amount of steam into said dies, and compressing said polyurethane foam slab for a predetermined time, to form said polyurethane foam slab into a first cushion layer; chopping or comminuting soft polyurethane foam scrap into chips, applying a bonding agent comprising a urethane prepolymer containing 1 to 20% of free isocyanate (NCO) synthesized from polyether glycol and tolylenediisocyanate to said chips, and placing said chips on said polyurethane foam slab already set in said dies; fully closing said pair of dies, injecting a small amount of steam and compressing said slab and chips therein for a predetermined time, to form integrally a second cushion layer made of said polyurethane foam chips on said first cushion layer made of said polyurethane foam slab.

Claim 14

A method of making cushion material, which comprises: forming a cushion layer made of a polyurethane foam slab cut in a predetermined form; injecting into selected portions of said polyurethane foam slab varying amounts of a solidifiable bonding agent, greater amounts being injected into portions which are to be relatively harder or retained in a deformed configuration and lesser amounts being injected into portions which are to be relatively softer; inserting said cushion layer in a pair of forming dies and compressing said layer, to solidify said bonding agent and to shape said cushion layer into a form along an inner shape of said forming dies.

Claim 15

A method of making cushion material, which comprises: forming a cushion layer made of a polyurethane foam slab cut in a predetermined form; injecting into selected portions of said polyurethane foam slab varying amounts of a solidifiable bonding agent, greater amounts being injected into portions which are to be relatively harder or retained in a deformed configuration and lesser amounts being injected into portions which are to be relatively softer; inserting said cushion layer in a pair of forming dies and compressing said layer, to solidify said bonding agent and to shape said cushion layer into a form along an inner shape of said forming dies.

Claim 20

A method of making a cushion material, which comprises: feeding a wide web of a soft polyurethane foam in one direction while forming a plurality of longitudinal and lateral cuts in a rear and/or front faces of said polyurethane foam slab in the course of feeding; bending said polyurethane foam slab having said cuts formed, over a curved face of a roller to open said cuts while feeding; applying a solidifiable bonding agent into said opened cuts; forming a cushion layer by cutting said polyurethane foam slab into a predetermined form; inserting said cushion layer in a pair of forming dies and compressing said layer therein to solidify said bonding agent, and to shape said cushion layer into a form along an inner shape of said forming dies.

Claim 21

A method of making a cushion material, which comprises: feeding a wide web of a soft polyurethane foam in one direction while forming a plurality of longitudinal and lateral cuts in a rear and/or front faces of said polyurethane foam slab in the course of feeding; bending said polyurethane foam slab having said cuts formed, over a curved face of a roller to open said cuts while feeding; applying a solidifiable bonding agent into said opened cuts; forming a cushion layer by cutting said polyurethane foam slab into a predetermined form; inserting said cushion layer in a pair of forming dies and compressing said layer therein to solidify said bonding agent, and to shape said cushion layer into a form along an inner shape of said forming dies.