STUFFING

Abstract: A stuffing (1) consists of a plurality of preferably loosely disposed individual stuffing elements (2) of an elastic material. Each stuffing element (2) is shaped as a thin foil-like piece of sheet with at least one curvature. The stuffing is formed from a starting object which preferably consists of a plastics material, and which is worked in cold or hot state to form the stuffing elements. A number of various semi-manufactured articles of plastics, such as foils, sheets and rods may be used as starting material, and the stuffing elements may moreover be produced directly from a plastics granulate. The stuffing is advantageously used for bed clothes, such as eiderdowns and pillows, for mattresses and upholstered furniture, and as insulation in houses and thermal installations in general.

Description: Stuf f ing The invention concerns a stuffing which consists of a plurality of preferably loosely disposed individual stuffing elements of an elastic material. Stuffing of this type is widely used for i-a. pillows, eiderdowns and similar bedclothes, for padding of mattres- ses and upholstered furniture and as thermal insulation in e.g. buildings. Originally, the stuffing has been natu¬ rally occurring products alone, such as down, feathers, kapok and curled hair, but nowadays there is also a wide choice of artificially produced materials, such as foamed plastics and fibres of so different materials as plastics, glass and stone. In all cases the consumption of stuffing is very considerable, and it is therefore generally re¬ quired that the stuffing must be available at a reasonable price, and that it must be easy and safe to work with the stuffing, but the stuffing must at the same time also be capable of complying with a large number of technical specifications which can vary from one application to the other, but which generally comprise standards of density, elastic deformability, insulation capacity and wash- ability, and in most cases the stuffing must additionally be flame retarding and may not cause discomfort to aller¬ gies. However, it has been found that the known stuffing materials, in spite of their variety, have not in all cases been fully capable of satisfying the above-mentioned requirements. The object of the invention is to provide a stuffing of the type mentioned in the opening paragraph, which is so adapted that it can satisfy these requirements better than before. This is achieved in that the stuffing of the invention is characterized in that each stuffing element is shaped as a thin foil-like piece of sheet with at least one curvature. This entails that the stuffing will be relatively inexpen¬ sive to produce and also be very light and elastic since an air volume very large in percentage will occur between the stuffing elements, and the individual elements will act as a sort of leaf springs which elastically transfer forces from a possible load from one element to the other. Further, according to the invention, the elastic material may be a plastics material, it being achieved in connec¬ tion with the configuration of the stuffing that the stuf¬ fing can easily be cleaned by e.g. boiling and autoclaving at bacteria-killing temperatures, and when the plastics material is additionally cross-linked, the strength and elasticity of each individual plate-shaped stuffing ele¬ ment will be equally good in all directions. Moreover, in an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the plastics material may belong to the group of polyethy¬ lene, polypropylene, polyester, polyvinyl chloride and polyvinyl acetate, or may be physical mixtures, copolymers and laminates of these. The stuffing hereby obtains great strength and elasticity and will not cause any discomfort to allergies. If polyethylene or polypropylene is used, the stuffing will moreover be flame retarding. Additionally, according to the invention, the plastics ma- terial may contain a large number of evenly distributed small air cells to obtain a particularly light stuffing having a good thermal insulation capacity. In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention each of the thin foil-like pieces of sheet has a thickness of 1-75 μ , preferably 5-30 μm, and in particular 1-20 μm, as well as an extent of 1-100 mm, preferably 1-30 mm, and in particular 1-15 mm, and when stuffing elements of va¬ rious sizes, thicknesses and configurations are mixed, the stuffing of the invention may additionally be adapted carefully to the various applications. The invention also concerns a method of making the above- mentioned stuffing, and this method is characterized ac¬ cording to the invention by providing a starting object, preferably of plastics, and then forming from said object in cold or hot state a plurality of stuffing elements in the form of thin, foil-like pieces of sheet. This involves the advantage that commercially available semi-manufac¬ tured articles may be used for the production of the stuf- fing elements. Thus, according to the invention, a plastics sheet may be used as starting object, which is torn and/or cut into suitable pieces of sheet, each of which is permanently de- formed with at least one curvature, or a starting object with a relatively large thickness may be used, which is reduced to the indended thickness of the stuffing element, preferably by rolling or pressing with simultaneous or subsequent tearing and/or cutting into suitable pieces of sheet, each of which is deformed permanently with at least one curvature. In a particularly expedient embodiment of the method of the invention the stuffing element may be formed from their respective, e.g. ball-shaped or polyhedral, rela¬ tively thick starting objects, which are rolled or pressed down to a piece of sheet with desired thickness and at least one curvature. This entails that the stuffing ele¬ ments may be produced directly from a suitable plastics granulate. For purposes with e.g. particularly great strength and elasticity requirements may be used a curable plastics material, which may additionally be reinforced with e.g. glass fibre, there being used, according to the invention, a starting object in the form of a rod, tube, block or sheet with a relatively large thickness, and this starting object is subjected to chipping working, such as turning, milling or planing to form a plurality of stuffing ele¬ ments in the form of thin, foil-like pieces of sheet. Finally, according to the invention, there may be added to the treatment zone in which the forming of the stuffing elements takes place, a cooling and lubricating liquid having such a consistency and composition that the liquid upon drying leaves a rubber-like coating on the resulting stuffing elements. This improves the wear resistance of the stuffing elements and reduces or eliminates the noise which may occur when the stuffing elements rub against each other. The invention additionally concerns a use of the above- mentioned stuffing, which is characterized according to the invention in that the stuffing is used for stuffing bedclothes, such as pillows or eiderdowns, for padding of mattresses and upholstered furniture, and as thermal insu¬ lation in e.g. houses, refrigerating furniture and similar thermal installations. The invention will be explained more fully below with re- ference to the drawings, in which fig. 1 shows part of a stuffing of the invention, fig. 2 shows a single one of the stuffing elements belong- ing to the stuffing shown in fig. 1, fig. 3 shows schematically how the stuffing elements are produced on the basis of a plastics sheet, fig. 4 shows schematically how the stuffing elements are produced on the basis of a relatively thick, elongate starting object of plastics, fig. 5 shows schematically how the stuffing elements are produced on the basis of a plastics granulate, and fig. 6 shows schematically how the stuffing elements are produced as chips removed by turning from a plastics rod. Fig. 1 shows part of a stuffing which is generally indi- cated by 1 and consists of a large number of stuffing ele¬ ments 2, which are disposed in a random order in loose contact with each other. Fig. 2 shows by way of example a single one of these stuffing elements 2 consisting of a thin, foil-like piece of sheet, which in this case curves in many directions. Further, this piece of sheet may have any contour and any shape, but must in all cases have at least one curvature and must be made of an elastic mate¬ rial, such as plastics. When the stuffing 1 is subjected to a load, the forces are transferred from one stuffing element 2 to another stuf¬ fing element 2 through the overall stuffing, whereby each individual stuffing element will bend in a proportion corresponding to the size and direction of the forces. Since, however, the moment of resistance to such bending is inversely proportional to the third power of the thick¬ ness, and since this, as mentioned, is extremely small, each individual stuffing element can stand a considerable degree of bending without receiving permanent deforma- tions, so that the stuffing as a whole is given a surpris¬ ingly good elastic deformability, which can moreover be adapted to any desired purpose by suitable selection of material and shaping of the individual stuffing elements. A plastics material from the group of polyethylene, poly- propylene, polyester, polyvinyl chloride and polyvinyl acetate, or physical mixtures, copolymers and laminates of these are preferably used for the making of the stuffing, so that the stuffing obtains a particularly good strength and elasticity as well as, when the plastics is cross- linked, in particular uniform mechanical properties in all directions. The stuffing can at the same time be washed by e.g. boiling and autoclaving at bacteria-killing tempera¬ tures and causes no discomfort to allergies. When the ma¬ terial is polyethylene or polypropylene the stuffing will moreover be flame retarding. In consequence of the air gap large in percentage, which occurs naturally between the stuffing elements, the stuf¬ fing has an advantageous small density and an excellent thermal insulation capacity. These properties may be im¬ proved additionally by using a plastics material which itself contains a multitude of small air cells. The stuffing may particularly be adapted to the individual applications by mixing stuffing elements having various thicknesses, sizes and configurations. Each stuffing ele¬ ments then has a thickness of between 1 and 75 μm, prefer¬ ably between 5 and 30 μm, and in particular between 10 and 20 μm, as well as an extent of between 1 and 100 mm, pre- ferably between 1 and 30 mm, and in particular between 1 and 15 mm. Fig. 3 schematically shows a plant for producing the stuffing elements 2. A plastics sheet 3 with a thickness corresponding to the finished stuffing elements 2 are pulled by means of a pair of rollers 5 from a supply reel 4, and is fed successively to a working station which is generally indicated by 6. The actual forming of the stuf¬ fing elements 2 takes place in this station, the sheet 3 being torn and/or cut into suitable pieces of sheet, which are simultaneously deformed so as to obtain the desired shape. In the example shown in fig. 3 the working station 6 consists of a generally relatively large roller 7 with a web 8 of e.g. a suitable hard rubber, and a smaller shap¬ ing roller 9 which consists of hardened steel and has a suitable pattern 10 in the surface. When the rollers 7, 9 rotate in the direction shown by the arrows, the rubber web 8 of the roller 7 will be pressed into the pattern 10 of the roller 9 with the plastics sheet 3 between these, so that the sheet is cut into suitable pieces 2 which si- multaneously receive an imprint of the pattern 10 of the roller 9. According to the shape of this pattern the stuffing elements 2 may thus be formed with any desired configuration. The mechanical properties of the finished stuffing ele¬ ments 2, including strength and elasticity, depend partly upon the working degre'e, partly upon the starting material 3. If this is a hard, elastic material, the process can advantageously be caused to proceed in a hot state by heating the plastics sheet 3 by suitable heating means (not shown) before the actual working. Additionally, a cooling and lubricating agent may be added during the working process via nozzles 11, and said cooling and lub¬ ricating agent may have a composition such that the liquid upon drying leaves a rubber-like coating on the stuffing elements. The wear resistance of the individual stuffing elements is increased hereby, and any noise from the mu¬ tual rubbing of the elements in use is reduced or elimi¬ nated completely, which is advantageous in particular when the stuffing is used for bedclothes, such as pillows and eiderdowns. Fig. 4 shows a second plant for producing the stuffing elements 2. This plant corresponds completely to the one shown in fig. 3, except that the plastics sheet 3 is re¬ placed by a starting object 12 having a relatively large thickness, which is then rolled in cold or hot state down to sheet thickness by means of the rollers 5. Commercially available semi-manufactured articles in the form of e.g. sheets and rods may advantageously be used as the starting object 12. The actual working to stuffing elements takes place in the same manner as described above with reference to fig. 3 and will therefore not be discussed additionally here. Fig. 5 schematically shows a third plant for producing the stuffing elements 2. In this case the starting material is a suitable finely divided granulate 13 which is stored in a supply hopper 15 from which the individual grains 14 of the granulate 13 are added mutually spaced to an endless belt conveyor 16 which feeds the grains 14 in the direc- tion shown by the arrow. The grains are heated during this movement with a heating means 17 by e.g. radiant heat or hot air, following which the grains now heated drop verti¬ cally down between two front rollers 18, which roll the individual grains down to a suitable thickness, following which they continue to a working station 19 where the grains 14 are shaped to the final shape of the stuffing elements 2. In this case too, the working station com¬ prises a relatively large roller 20 with a suitable hard rubber web 21 and a smaller shaping roller 22 with a pattern 23 in the surface. A cooling and lubricating agent is added via spray nozzles 24, and the working station 19 generally operates in quite the same manner as described with reference to figs. 3 and 4; however, the pattern 23 in the shaping roller 22 is not provided with cutting mem- bers since each individual grain automatically becomes a stuffing element so that the often complicated tearing or cutting process is eliminated in this case. Another advan¬ tage provided by the plant shown in fig. 5 is that the ' plant is capable of producing the stuffing elements di¬ rectly from a granulate, thereby completely obviating the often considerably costs incidental to first producing a semimanufacture of the granulate. Finally, fig. 6 schematically shows a fourth plant for producing the stuffing elements 2, which are produced by chipping of a rod, tube, block or plate with a relatively large thickness by means of chipping working, such as turning, milling or planing. In this case, will simulta¬ neous supply of a cooling and lubricating agent from a spray nozzle 27, a rod 26 is turned by means of a turning tool 25 into turnings 2, each of which forms an individual stuffing element. The advantage of this embodiment of the method is in particular that very strong and elastic plas¬ tics materials may be used, e.g. curable and optionally additionally reinforced plastics materials, as well as hard and elastic foamed plastics materials from which par¬ ticularly light, elastic and thermally insulating stuffing elements may be formed. The stuffing described above is suitable for a large num- ber of various purposes. These include e.g. bedclothes, such as eiderdowns and pillows where the stuffing can advantageously replace e.g. down and feathers owing to the lightness and soft, elastic deformability of the stuffing as well as its ability to withstand boiling and autoclaving at bacteria-killing tem¬ peratures, to which should be added that the stuffing does not cause any discomfort to allergies, which is of great importance in particular when the stuffing is to be used for bedclothes at hospitals and similar institutions. The stuffing may also be adapted so that it can withstand rather huge loads, and this variant is useful in parti¬ cular for padding of mattresses and upholstered furniture. Owing to the great thermal insulation capacity of the stuffing it may moreover be used as insulation in houses and thermal installations in general. A stuffing whose material contains a large number of evenly distributed small air cells is particularly useful for this purpose.

Claims: P a t e n t C l a i m s 1. A stuffing consisting of a plurality of preferably loosely disposed individual stuffing elements of an elas¬ tic material, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that each stuffing element is shaped as a thin, foil-like piece of . sheet with at least one curvature. 2. A stuffing according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that the elastic material is a plastics ma¬ terial. 3. A stuffing according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r - i z e d in that the plastics material is cross-linked. 4. A stuffing according to claim 2 or 3, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the plastics material is selected form the group of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, polyvinyl chloride and polyvinyl acetate or from physical mixtures, copolymers and laminates of these. 5. A stuffing according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that the plastics material contains a large number of evenly distributed small air cells. 6. A stuffing according to one or more of claims 1-5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that each piece of sheet has a thickness of 1-75 μm, preferably 5-30 μm, and in parti- cular 10-20 μm, as well as an extend of 1-100 mm, prefer¬ ably 1-30 mm and in particular 1-15 mm. 7. A stuffing according to one or more of claims 1-6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it comprises stuffing elements of various thickness, size and configuration. 8. A method of producing a stuffing of the type defined in claims 1-7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by providing a starting object, preferably of plastics and then forming from said starting object in cold or hot state a plurality of stuffing elements in the form of thin, foil-like pieces of sheet. 9. A method according to claim 8, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e by using as starting object a plastics sheet which is torn and/or cut into suitable pieces of sheet, each of which is deformed permanently with at least one curvature. 10. A method according to claim 8, c h a r a c t e r - i z e d by using a starting object having a relatively large thickness, which is reduced to the intended thick¬ ness of the stuffing element, preferably by rolling or pressing with simultaneous or subsequent tearing and/or cutting into suitable pieces of sheet, each of which is deformed permanently with at least one curvature. 11. A method according to claim 8, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that the stuffing elements are shaped from their respective e.g. ball-shaped or polyhedral relatively thick starting objects, which are rolled or pressed down to a piece of sheet with desired thickness and at least one curvature. 12. A method according to claim 8, c h a r a c t e r - i z e d by using a starting object in the form of a rod, tube, block or plate with a relatively large thickness, and subjecting this starting object to chipping working, such as turning, milling or planing to form a plurality of stuffing elements in the form of thin, foil-like pieces of sheet. 13. A method according to one or more of claims 8-12, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by adding to at least the treatment zone in which the forming of the filling ele¬ ments takes place, a cooling and lubricating liquid having such consistency and composition that the liquid upon dry¬ ing leaves a rubber-like coating on the resulting stuffing elements. 14. Bedclothes, such as a pillow or an eiderdown, c h a - r a c t e r i z e d in that it is stuffed with a stuffing of the type defined in claims 1-7. 15. A mattress, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it is stuffed with a stuffing of the type defined in claims 1-7. 16. Upholstered furniture, such as a chair or a sofa, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it is padded with a stuffing of the type defined in claims 1-7. 17. A thermal insulation in a house, refrigerating furni¬ ture or other thermal installation, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that the insulation consists of a stuffing of the type defined in claims 1-7.

Inventors: FOSS LARS, FOSS, LARS
Applicants: FOSSNIT AS, FOSSNIT A/S
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B68G1
IPC codes: B68G1