Process for making seats with additional gel padding, seat obtained therewith and equipment for implementing said process

Abstract

A process is disclosed for making seats, for example bicycle seats, which include at least one shell, at least one covering sheet or covering, and at least one gel padding element, which adheres to at least one intermediate adhesion sheet made of a material having micro holes or holes or a woven fabric, which in turn adheres to a surface of the at least one covering. Equipment configured to implement such process is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A process of making seats comprising a shell (S), a covering (C), and an additional gel padding element (G), comprising: preparing the covering (C); cutting to size an intermediate adhesion sheet (A) made of a material provided with micro holes or a woven fabric; applying said adhesion sheet (A) onto a surface (C1) of said covering (C) in a stable manner, in a position in which said additional padding element (G) must be made; positioning said covering (C), together with said adhesion sheets (A) applied thereon, into a first mold (M1) shaped so that it is provided with one or more concave portions (M11) for creation of said additional gel padding element (G); and casting a given quantity of gel onto said adhesion sheet (A), wherein the gel penetrates into said micro holes or holes present in the woven fabric of said adhesion sheet (A) so as to form said additional gel padding element (G) having a predetermined shape and size, wherein said additional gel padding element (G) remains adherent to said adhesion sheet (A).

2. The process according to claim 1, further comprising: removing said covering (C), together with said adhesion sheet (A) and said additional gel padding element (G), from said first mold (M1) and positioning said covering (C), said adhesion sheet (A) and said additional gel padding element (G) inside a second conveniently shaped mold (M2); and positioning said shell (S) inside said second mold (M2), wherein a casting and the successive expansion of a material forming a main padding element (P) between said covering (C) and said shell (S) is carried out in said second mold (M2), in such a way that said additional gel padding element (G) is interposed between said main padding element (P) and said covering (C).

3. A seat comprising: at least one shell (S); at least one covering (C); and at least one additional gel padding element (G), wherein said at least one additional gel padding element (G) adheres to at least one intermediate adhesion sheet (A) made of a material provided with micro holes or holes, or provided in a woven fabric, in turn adhering to a surface (C1) of said at least one covering (C).

4. The seat according to claim 3, wherein said at least one intermediate adhesion sheet (A), together with said at least one additional gel padding element (G) applied thereon, adheres to the surface (C1) of said at least one covering (C) facing towards said at least one shell (S).

5. The seat according to claim 3, wherein a shape and size of said at least one adhesion sheet (A) substantially corresponds to a shape and size of said at least one additional gel padding element (G) to be produced.

6. The seat according to claim 3, further comprising at least one main padding element (P) made from a foam material, arranged between said at least one shell (S) and said at least one covering (C).

7. The seat according to claim 3, wherein said seat is configured as a bicycle seat.

8. Equipment for implementing a process of making a seat according to claim 1, comprising at least one first mold (M1), which in turn comprises: a female die (M10) provided with one or more concave portions (M11) and adapted to house said covering (C) positioned in reverse with at least one adhesion sheet (A) applied thereto; a suction system adapted to suck air from inside of the female die (M10) in order to make said covering (C), together with said adhesion sheet (A) applied thereto, adhere to walls of said female die (M10); at least one locking plate (M12) positioned on said female die (M10) to hold said covering (C) in position; and means for pouring gel into said one or more concave portions (M11) in order to obtain said additional gel padding element (G).

9. The equipment according to claim 8, further comprising a second mold (M2), which in turn comprises: a second female half-die (M20) provided with one or more second concave portions (M21) and adapted to house said covering (C) positioned in reverse with said adhesion sheet (A) and said additional gel padding element (G) applied thereto; a suction system adapted to suck air from inside the second female half-die (M20), in order to make said covering (C), together with said adhesion sheet (A) and said additional padding element (G) applied thereto, to walls of said second female half-die (M20); and a second male die (M22) configured to carry a shell (S), so that, when said second mold (M2) is closed, between said shell (S) and said covering (C) with said additional padding element (G) applied thereto, a space is defined which is adapted for expansion of polyurethane material injected or poured into said second mold (M2) a main padding element (P) of the seat.

10. The equipment according to claim 9, further comprising a carousel or rotary structure which is adapted to accommodate a plurality of said second molds (M2) and rotatable to bring each second mold (M2) to different successive stations, wherein a single one of a plurality of processing steps is performed in each of the different successive stations, the plurality of processing steps comprising: laying and positioning of said covering (C) together with said adhesion sheet (A) and said additional padding element (G) applied thereto, introducing a polyurethane material, positioning the shell (S), closing said second mold (M2), expanding the polyurethane material and molding the seat.

Description

[0035] The characteristics of the new process and of the seat produced with the new procedure will be better explained by the following description with reference to the drawings, enclosed by way of a non-limiting example.

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a first part of the seat manufacturing process, while FIG. 2 shows the manufacturing step of two additional padding elements (G) made of gel in a first mould (M1).

[0037] FIG. 3 shows a possible embodiment of a covering (C) to make a bicycle seat, where two specular adhesion sheets (A) and two additional gel padding elements (G) are applied on said adhesion sheets (A), with a corresponding shape and also specular to each other.

[0038] FIG. 4 shows a diagram of the second part of the process where the covering of FIG. 3, with adhesion sheets (A) and additional padding elements (G) applied, is placed in a second mould (M2).

[0039] FIG. 5 shows a diagram of the second mould (M2) closed, in which the polymer material (P) expands for the final moulding of the seat.

[0040] The new seat is obtained by cutting to size one or more intermediate adhesion sheets (A) made, for example, of material with micro holes or woven fabric.

[0041] Said adhesion sheets (A) are applied and in any case bonded, for example glued, onto a surface (C1) of at least one covering sheet or covering (C), which is in turn pre-cut to size. Said adhesion sheets (A) are applied in predefined positions, for example as in FIG. 3, so as to be symmetrically arranged on the two sides of the seat to be obtained.

[0042] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first mould (M1) according to a first embodiment, comprised of a female half-die (M10) and a locking plate (M12).

[0043] Said female half-die (M10) has one or more concave portions (M11), each corresponding substantially to an additional padding element (G) to be created in the seat, as described and claimed below.

[0044] Said covering (C) with adhesion sheets (A) is placed upside down on the female half-die (M10) through the use of possible centering means.

[0045] Said female half-die (M10) also comprises ducts (M13) connected to an air intake system from inside the female half-die (M10) itself.

[0046] By means of said aforementioned suction system, the air is sucked through said ducts (M13), so that the covering (C) adheres to the walls of said female half-die (M10) and said one or more concave portions (M11).

[0047] Said locking plate (M12) is then positioned on said female half-die (M10) to keep the covering (C) still during the subsequent injection or casting of the gel in said one or more concave portions (M11) to make one or more additional gel padding elements (G).

[0048] In particular, on each of said adhesion sheets (A) a certain quantity of gel is cast and at least partially set, which penetrates the micro-holes or into the weft of the adhesion sheets (A), to create an additional padding element (G) of a predetermined shape and size which is integrally constrained to the corresponding adhesion sheet (A) in turn having a predefined shape and size.

[0049] From these initial steps of the process, when the gel is properly set after a certain period of time a covering (C) is obtained as shown in FIG. 3, with said adhesion sheets (A) integrally bonded to said additional padding elements (G) applied.

[0050] The new process comprises further steps which provide for the positioning of said covering (C), together with said adhesion sheets (A) and said additional padding elements (G) applied, in a second mould (M2), in turn comprised of two half-dies (M20, M22): a female half-die (M20) and a male half-die (M22).

[0051] Said female half-die (M20) has one or more concave portions (M21) and ducts (M23) connected to an air intake system. Said female half-die (M20) is suited to house said covering (C) upside down, so that said adhesion sheets (A) and said additional padding elements (G) are facing the inside of the mould (M2).

[0052] By means of said aforementioned suction system, the air is sucked through said ducts (M23) so that said covering (C) adheres to the walls of said female half-die (M20).

[0053] Said male half-die (M22) is configured so as to hold a shell (S), so that, when the second mould (M2) is closed as shown in FIG. 4, a space is created for the expansion of the polyurethane material used for the main padding (P) of the seat between said shell (S) and said covering (C) with said additional padding elements (G) applied.

[0054] The seat thus obtained comprises at least one shell (S), at least one covering (C) and at least one additional gel padding element (G), where said at least one additional gel padding element (G) is bonded to at least one intermediate adhesion sheet (A), in turn bonded to a surface (C1) of said at least one covering (C).

[0055] In particular, said adhesion sheet (A) with said at least one additional gel padding element (G) applied is bonded to the surface (C1) of said at least one covering (C) facing the shell (S).

[0056] The new seat also comprises at least one main padding (P) made of polyurethane material located between said at least one shell (S) and said at least one covering (C). Said seat is suitably designed to be a bicycle seat.

[0057] The equipment to carry out the above described procedure comprises a first mould (M1) with means for casting the gel into the concave portions (M11) of the mould (M1) itself, used to make one or more additional gel padding elements (G), and a second mould (M2) for the final stages of the polyurethane foam expansion of the main padding (P) and the bonding of the covering (C) on a shell (S).

[0058] In one possible embodiment, the equipment comprises a carousel or rotary structure supporting a plurality of said second moulds (M2), not shown in the figures, the rotation of which, moves each second mould (M2) to different processing stations or steps, where a single process is carried out, namely: placement and correct positioning of said covering (C) together with the adhesion sheets (A) and the additional padding elements (G) applied thereto, the introduction of the polyurethane material, positioning of the shell (S), closure of said second mould (M2), expansion of the polyurethane material and the final moulding of the seat.

[0059] Alternatively, the second moulds may not be mounted on a movable structure but on a fixed structure, for example on a workbench.

[0060] The equipment above further comprises at least one first system for sucking the air from the inside of said first mould (M1), to ensure the correct positioning of the covering (C) with said one or more adhesion sheets (A) applied before the gel is cast.

[0061] A further suction system is connected to one or more of said second moulds (M2), for the suction of the air from inside said second moulds (M2), to ensure the correct positioning of said covering (C), together with said additional padding elements (G) applied on said adhesion sheets (A), before the polyurethane material to be expanded is cast.

[0062] These specifications are sufficient for the expert person to make the invention, as a result, in the practical application there may be variations without prejudice to the substance of the innovative concept.

[0063] Therefore, with reference to the preceding description and the attached drawings the following claims are made.