Abstract:
A fabric having a plastic member integrally connected thereto. A frame member component of plastic is provided with a metal wire extending therethrough. The frame member component is placed in contact with the web, and the wire is heated to soften the plastic of the frame member component, bonding it to the web.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefits of United States Provisional Application Serial No. 60/428,599 filed Nov. 22, 2002. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to articles of manufacture having a suspended or stretched fabric component, such as lawn chairs and other furniture; and more particularly, the present invention relates to an assembly for holding a piece of material, such as fabric, between two members.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Many articles of manufacture include stretched fabric components. For example, it is known to provide stretched fabric or stretched woven webs on furniture such as lawn furniture, home furniture, office seating, automotive seating, airline seating and the like. In a known process for manufacturing such articles, a ridged frame is provided with a channel therein. The fabric is attached to a sub-frame component, such as a metal or plastic extrusion, and the sub-frame member is inserted in the channel of the ridged frame.  
           [0004]    The known procedures and structures that have been used for attaching the fabric to the sub-frame member have created difficulties and disadvantages. It is known to wrap a margin portion of the fabric at least partly around the sub-frame component, and to fasten the fabric to the sub-frame by means of rivets, screws or other fasteners. A disadvantage of this construction is that it can be time consuming and expensive to complete. Further, the strains and forces exerted on the fabric are localized at the discrete points of attachment between the fabric and sub-frame, thereby requiring reinforcement of the fabric such as with grommets, or the use of stronger fabrics.  
           [0005]    It is also known to wrap the fabric around the sub-frame member completely, thereby encircle the sub-frame member, and to stitch the wrapped fabric to itself, thereby forming a sleeve in which the sub-frame member is received. This construction also presents disadvantages, including the time required for stitching the fabric and the need to use additional fabric material sufficient to wrap the sub-frame member and complete the stitched scam. The additional time required in manufacture, and the need for additional fabric to form the sleeve add significant cost and expense to the completed article. When the material is stitched, needles can cause damage to fibers, weakening the fabric. Further, the frame member is loosely received in the sleeve, allowing some relative relocation of the frame member and fabric. The sliding friction created can cause premature wear of the material forming the sleeve, leading to premature failure of the article. During assembly, the sub-frame member can slide completely out of the sleeve.  
           [0006]    It also is known to attached fabrics to frames using adhesives and with heat fusible resins. However, the materials required and processes of manufacture are expensive and require expensive and complicated equipment. Some are limited in the frame geometry for which the process can be used. Some are no less wasteful of fabric than are various sewing techniques.  
           [0007]    What is needed in the art is a procedure and construction by which fabric can be joined directly to a frame member using a minimal amount of fabric, decreasing production time and distributing forces more evenly along the length of the frame member.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The present invention provides a process by which a frame component is bonded directly on to a fabric web using induction heating of a target component embedded in the frame component to heat and melt the frame material.  
           [0009]    In one form thereof, the present invention provides a fabric assembly for suspension in a frame. A fabric web has an edge and a margin portion adjacent the edge. A frame member is bonded to the margin portion. A heat-localizing member is provided within the frame member and is conductive for receiving and localizing heat to facilitate bonding of the frame member and the web by transfer of heat from the heat localizing member to the frame member.  
           [0010]    In another form thereof, the present invention provides a method for making a suspendable web with steps of providing a fabric web; forming a frame member having a heat conductor embedded therein; placing the frame member on the web; and heating the heat conductor to transfer heat to the frame member and thereby softening the frame member to bond the frame member and web together  
           [0011]    In still another form thereof, the present invention provides a method for attaching a plastic member to a fabric web with steps of: forming the plastic member in complementary male and female components; embedding a heat conducting element in at least one of the components; positioning the components on opposite sides of the web; heating the heat conducting element sufficiently to soften plastic from at least one of the components; and hardening the softened plastic to bond the member to the web.  
           [0012]    An advantage of the present invention is providing a process by which a frame member can be attached directly to a fabric web, thereby integrally bonding the frame member and fabric together.  
           [0013]    Another advantage of the present invention is providing an integral frame and fabric assembly that distributes forces along the length of the frame, eliminating localization of the forces at connecting points between the fabric and frame.  
           [0014]    Still another advantage of the present invention is providing a frame and fabric construction reducing the amount of fabric material required for the assembly.  
           [0015]    A further advantage is providing a process by which an extruded frame member can be attached to a fabric web with reduced manufacturing time and expense.  
           [0016]    A still further advantage of the present invention is providing a frame and fabric construction that seals the fabric edge, minimizing the potential for fraying.  
           [0017]    Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims and drawings in which like numerals are used to designate like features. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fabric and frame member assembly in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the assembly shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another form of an assembly in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly shown in FIG. 3, the cross section having been taken along line  4 - 4  of FIG. 3;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a suitable manufacturing process in accordance with the present invention for making the frame components; and  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of an assembly process for assembling a fabric holding assembly in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
       [0024]    Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use herein of “including”, “comprising” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof, as well as additional items and equivalents thereof.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0025]    Referring now more specifically to the drawings and to FIG. 1 in particular, numeral  10  designates a suspendable fabric assembly in accordance with the present invention. Assembly  10  includes a fabric web  12  and first and second frame members  14  and  16 , on opposite sides thereof. Assembly  10  is suitable for suspension in a frame, as known to those skilled in the art, and can be used for the manufacture of lawn furniture, office furniture and other structures requiring suspension of a material web between supporting members.  
         [0026]    Web  12  can be of any material suitable for the final application and use for assembly  10 . Woven cloth fabrics of both natural and man-made fibers are suitable, as are other synthetic fabrics of plastic or the like. Web  12  can be provided in different weave patterns, as desirable and advantageous for the final use and application of assembly  10 .  
         [0027]    Web  12  has first and second edges  18  and  20 , respectively, and first and second margin portions  22  and  24  adjacent edges  18  and  20 , respectively. First and second frame members  14  and  16  are adhered to web  12  along first and second margin portions  22  and  24  respectively. The width of web  12  is selected for the final use of suspendable web  12 , and substantially the full width of web  12  is used, without the need for extra width of web  12  to wrap frame members  14  and  16 . Only a small amount of web  12  is required for capture in frame members  14  and  16 . Web  12  has opposed surfaces  26  and  28 , and margin portions  22  and  24  extend inwardly from edges  18  and  20 , respectively, on each surface  26  and  28 . Thus, first margin portion  22  extends inwardly from first edge  18  on both surfaces  26  and  28 , and second margin portion  24  extends inwardly from second edge  20  on both surfaces  26  and  28 .  
         [0028]    Assembly  10  is shown with two frame members  14  and  16  attached thereto on opposite edges  18  and  20 . However, it should be understood that the present invention is useful for attaching more or fewer frame members to fabric web  12 , for attaching frame members on adjacent edges of fabric  12 , and even for attaching a plastic body at an intermediate location between edges of fabric web  12 .  
         [0029]    First and second frame members  14  and  16  are made of extrudable material, such as plastic, suitable for the final application and use of suspendable fabric assembly  10 . Members  14  and  16  encapsulate edges  18  and  20 , respectively, with each body  16  and  18  adhered to opposed first and second surfaces  26  and  28  of margins  22  and  24 , respectively.  
         [0030]    First frame member  14  includes a male component  30  and a female component  32  provided on opposite sides of fabric web  12 . Male component  30  is somewhat T-shaped in cross section, having an elongated base  34  and a dome  36 . Female component  32  is a U-shaped channel in which base  34  of male component  30  is loosely received. First margin portion  22  of web  12  is disposed between male component  30  and female component  32  in a clamping-like arrangement as shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0031]    An elongated, heat-localizing, conductive member  38  is disposed within base  34  of male member  30 , near a bottom edge  40  thereof. Heat localizing, conductive member  38  is a wire or rod of metal to facilitate welding or bonding of male and female components  30  and  32  to fabric web  12 . Copper is a suitable material for heat localizing member  38 , although other metals and non-metal materials also can be used. During manufacture of assembly  10 , heat localizing conductive member  38  is heated, and transfers heat to male and female components  30  and  32 , causing localized softening and melting thereof to facilitate bonding with fabric web  12 .  
         [0032]    Second frame member  18  is similar to first frame  16 , having a male component  50 , a female component  52  and a heat-localizing, conductive member  58 . However, first and second frame members  16  and  18  need not be the same, and can be differently configured as advantageous for final use of assembly  10 .  
         [0033]    [0033]FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a modified frame member  60  including a modified male component  62  and a modified female component  64 . A groove  66  is provided in female component  64  to receive a flange  68  from male component  62 . Male and female components  62  and  64  are thereby interlocking, to facilitate assembly. Frame member  60  includes a heat-localizing, conductive member  38  as described previously. Other types of interlocking constructions also can be used, such as, for example, interference fits, snap fits, undercut fits and the like that will trap and hold the fabric to facilitate assembly.  
         [0034]    Heat localizing, conductive members  38  and  58  can be heated by a variety of different processes. For example, the assembly of fabric web  12 , male and female components  30 ,  50  or  62  and  32 ,  52  or  64  and heat localizing conductive members  38  or  58  can be passed through an induction heater. In the induction heater, sufficient heat is generated within conductive members  38 ,  58  to cause localized softening of the plastic material of male and female components  30 ,  50 ,  62  and  32 ,  52 ,  64 , facilitating bonding thereof to each other and to fabric web  12  therebetween. The intermingling of plastic from male members  30 ,  50 ,  62  and female members  32 ,  52 ,  64  with fabric web  12  is indicated by region  70  in FIG. 4 with respect to modified frame member  60 . Pressure can be applied together with heating to further facilitate bonding with fabric web  12 . With sufficient heat and pressure, plastic from frame members  14 ,  16  and  60  can be caused to flow through web  12 , between the fibers thereof, creating an interlocking bond with the fibers upon cooling.  
         [0035]    It should be understood that the configurations of the separate parts of the frame members can vary as needed for the final use of assembly  10 . The shapes of male components  30 ,  50 ,  62  and female components  32 ,  52 ,  64  shown and described herein are merely for illustration purposes in explaining the present invention, and should not be considered limiting on the present invention. Further, while heat localizing members  38  and  58  have been shown and described herein to be imbedded in male components  30 ,  50  and  62 , heat localizing members  38 ,  58  instead could be provided in female components  32 ,  52  and  62 , or in both the male and female components.  
         [0036]    Manufacture of assembly  10  can include inline profile extrusion or injection molding with heat localizing member  38 ,  58  imbedded during the extrusion or injection molding process of one of the frame members, or both members. FIG. 5 illustrates one suitable forming process  100 . A wire dispenser  102  dispenses a continuous strand of wire  104  to a wire straightener  106 . The straightened wire is passed through a heater  108 , which may be an induction heater or other conventional heating means. Wire  104  is heated to facilitate bonding with plastic to be extruded thereon. Alternative, heating wire  104  can be omitted, if sufficient bonding occurs without heating. The straightened and heated wire is moved to an extruder  110 , at which the desired configuration of a frame component extrusion  112 , such as for example male component  30 , is formed on and around wire  104 . The formed extrusion  112 , with wire  104  embedded therein, is passed from extruder  110  to a cooling section  114 , which may include a plurality of cooling zones  116 ,  118 ,  120  as needed. Three cooling zones  116 ,  118  and  120  are shown in FIG. 5; however, more or fewer zones can be used. Within cooling section  114 , cooling can occur naturally by convection with ambient air, or blowers can be used to increase air movement, and active chilling circuits can be provided, as needed. Movement of extrusion  112  along process  100  is controlled with a pull control unit  122 . A cutter  124  is provided for segmenting extrusion  112  into desirable lengths for accumulation in a storage cartridge  126 .  
         [0037]    A similar process, with or without embedding of wire, can be used for forming a complementary frame component, such as female component  32 .  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 6 illustrates a suitable assembling process  140  for assembling fabric assembly  10 . A web dispenser  142  dispenses web  12 , and male and female component dispensers  144  and  146  apply male component  30  and female component  32 , respectively to web  12 . A pinch roll couple  148  presses frame components  30  and  32  together as the assembled parts are fed to an induction heater  150 . Wire  104 , functioning as heat localizing member  38 , is heated in induction heater  150  and transfers heat to male and female components  30  and  32 . The plastic material of male and female components  30  and  32  is heated and softened, to bond with web  12 . Pressure to facilitate bonding is provided by second pinch roll couple  152 , which may be within or after induction heater  150 , to press components  30  and  32  together during or just after heating. A cooling section  154  is provided to complete bonding of the softened frame member components to the web. A cutter  156  is provided to cut web  12  and or assembled frame members  14 ,  16 .  
         [0039]    Induction heater  150  is provided with appropriate geometry to provide even heating along the length of assembly  10 , thereby allowing for even heating of conductive member  38 . If heater  150  is encapsulated in nonconductive material it can be used also to apply pressure directly or indirectly against frame members  14  and  16 . Controlling power applied and frequency at heater  150 , residence time of the assembly therein and pressure applied in relationship to material characteristics such as thermal conductivity achieves the desired level of softening or melting in frame members  14 ,  16 .  
         [0040]    It should be understood that forming process  100  and assembling process  140  can be combined in a single process line, without the need for a storage cartridge  126  and subsequent component dispensers  144  and  146 . The components can be formed and assembled on web  12  in a continuous process. As yet another alternative, components  30  and  32  can be extruded directly on web  12 . Frame members also can be formed by other techniques, such as injection molding, and subsequently placed on fabric web  12 . Fabric web  12  can be stretched before bonding to frame members  14  and  16 , to reduce post assembly fabric distortion.  
         [0041]    The process for forming a fabric holding assembly, and the fabric holding assembly formed thereby of the present invention provide improved suspension webs for use in furniture and other similar articles. Production steps are reduced and costs minimized, with fewer steps required. Web  12  can be less wide than with previous processes, since it is no longer necessary to use the margin of the fabric to wrap a sub-frame. Therefore, material requirements are reduced and costs are lessened. A stronger, less expensive suspendable web is provided, with frame member components thereof bonded to the web along extended lengths to distribute forces more evenly.  
         [0042]    Variations and modifications of the foregoing are within the scope of the present invention. It is understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text and/or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the present invention. The embodiments described herein explain the best modes known for practicing the invention and will enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention. The claims are to be construed to include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art.  
         [0043]    Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.