Method of manufacturing molded upholstery panels

Claim 1

A method of manufacturing a padding upholstered, decorative panel having a decorative fabric surface and polymeric resin foam padding, which comprises; (a) providing a panel base support which comprises; a core of non-woven, synthetic textile fibers; a base first layer of heat fusible, synthetic, thermoplastic textile melt fibers; a base second layer of heat fusible, synthetic, thermoplastic textile melt fibers; said first and second layers sandwiching the core, fibers of said first and second layers and the core being interengaged with each other, said interengagement being of the character obtained by needling; (b) providing a panel intermediate layer of a synthetic, open or closed cell, thermoplastic polymeric resin foam; (c) providing an outer, surface layer of a decorative, surface upholstery materials; (d) assembling the intermediate layer (b) with the surface layer (c) and securing said layers (b) and (c) together; (e) providing a mold adapted by size and configuration to receive the assembly, said mold including a means for applying heat and pressure along the peripheral edges of the assembled layers (a), (b) and (c) when the assembly is received in the mold; (f) inserting the assembly (d) in the mold; (g) heating the base support (a) to a temperature sufficient to fuse the melt fibers; (h) inserting the heated base support (a) in the mold in a position wherein said support (a) contacts the exposed surface of the foam layer (b); (i) applying heat and pressure on the assembly in the mold; whereby peripheral edge portions of the surface layer (c) are bonded to the base layer (a); (j) cooling the molded panel; and (k) demolding the molded panel.

Claim 2

A method of manufacturing a padding upholstered, decorative panel having a decorative fabric surface and polymeric resin foam padding, which comprises; (a) providing a panel base support which comprises; a core of non-woven, synthetic textile fibers; a base first layer of heat fusible, synthetic, thermoplastic textile melt fibers; a base second layer of heat fusible, synthetic, thermoplastic textile melt fibers; said first and second layers sandwiching the core, fibers of said first and second layers and the core being interengaged with each other, said interengagement being of the character obtained by needling; (b) providing a panel intermediate layer of a synthetic, open or closed cell, thermoplastic polymeric resin foam; (c) providing an outer, surface layer of a decorative, surface upholstery materials; (d) assembling the intermediate layer (b) with the surface layer (c) and securing said layers (b) and (c) together; (e) providing a mold adapted by size and configuration to receive the assembly, said mold including a means for applying heat and pressure along the peripheral edges of the assembled layers (a), (b) and (c) when the assembly is received in the mold; (f) inserting the assembly (d) in the mold; (g) heating the base support (a) to a temperature sufficient to fuse the melt fibers; (h) inserting the heated base support (a) in the mold in a position wherein said support (a) contacts the exposed surface of the foam layer (b); (i) applying heat and pressure on the assembly in the mold; whereby peripheral edge portions of the surface layer (c) are bonded to the base layer (a); (j) cooling the molded panel; and (k) demolding the molded panel.