Patent ID: 6495206
Filing Date: 2002-12-17
Classification: B29C

Abstract:
A method of producing a foamed sheet textile comprising:a) extruding a heated, extrudable, thermoplastic polymeric melt from a linear extrusion die in the form of a sheet or film with two faces, the melt containing as expanding agents: i) a first extrusion-activated gas source dispersed within said melt; and ii) thermally expandable micro-spheres having encapsulating shells dispersed within said melt; b) allowing the expanding agents to commence expanding upon exiting the die, with the gas source providing gases to form a compressible foamed matrix in the melt and the micro-spheres expanding into compression resistant, expanded micro-spheres suspended within said foamed matrix, thereby providing a foaming melt; c) depositing the foaming melt onto the surface of a permeable fabric carrier in sheet form to allow a first face of the foaming melt to be positioned to at least partially penetrate said carrier surface; d) advancing the permeable fabric carrier with the foaming melt present on its surface to paired first and second counter-rotating rollers having a restricting gap there between to serve as a rotating gate, the first of said rollers conveying the permeable carrier through said gap, the second of said two rollers contacting a second face of the foaming melt to confine the foaming melt between the carrier and the second of said two rollers e) causing the foaming melt as it is passed through the gap and is still foaming: i) to be restricted by the gap to thereby limit the height of the melt deposited on the carrier, and ii) to penetrate into the surface of the carrier; and f) allowing the foaming melt so formed to set to provide a flexible, resilient, compression-resistant, foamed polymeric layer that is bonded to the carrier to form the resulting textile.