Patent Publication Number: US-2013233484-A1

Title: Process of Laminating Border For Bedding Product Without Heat

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of the filing of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/609,545 filed Mar. 12, 2012 entitled “Process of Laminating Border For Bedding Product Without Heat”, which is fully incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to borders for bedding and seating products, and the methods for making such products. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Materials for use in bedding or seating products have been manufactured by combining multiple different layers of material and sewing or quilting them together. It is known to use a slitter in combination with a quilting machine to make a quilted product a desired width or size. One product, known as a border and used in the manufacture of a bedding product, has been produced in this manner. The thread used in the quilting process combines the layers together so they do not separate. 
     In the bedding industry, it is known to combine a ticking or outer layer with a layer of fiber or foam using a heated or hot melt adhesive. The adhesive is applied between the ticking layer and the layer of fiber or foam and then it all is passed through a heated “calendar” drum. One of the difficulties with using this method to combine multiple layers is that once the process starts, it cannot be stopped. If the process is stopped, the portion of the product inside the heated drum section becomes damaged or burnt. Another difficulty with using this method to combine multiple layers is that the temperature necessary to melt the adhesive (between 167 and 392 degrees Fahrenheit) can create material handling issues. 
     Thus, a need exists in the art for a “cold” method of creating a multi-layered material used to make a border for a bedding product which does not use heat. There is further a need for a method which may be stopped and started while processing material without damaging the material. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the invention, a method of producing a laminated border for a mattress comprises the following steps. First, a ticking layer unrolled from a roll of ticking material and at least one layer of foam or fiber is provided. The ticking layer is secured to the at least one layer of foam or fiber with a layer of adhesive without using heat to create a multi-layered web. The multi-layered web may be any number of layers. A layer of adhesive is sandwiched between two adjacent layers regardless of the type of material. The multi-layered web may have a backing. 
     The layer of adhesive is unrolled from a roll of backed adhesive. For purposes of this document, backed adhesive comprises a layer of double-sided adhesive, one side being adhered to a backing layer. After the backed adhesive layer is unrolled and the layer of adhesive applied to a layer of ticking or foam or fiber or backing, the backing of the backing adhesive is wound up to be discarded. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, the adhesive may be sprayed onto one or more of the layers of material before the materials are pressed together without the use of heat. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, a slitter attachment may be added onto the apparatus which performs the methods disclosed herein. The slitter attachment slits the multi-layered web to a desired width. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the figures, corresponding or like numbers or characters indicate corresponding or like structures. 
         FIG. 1  is a partially disassembled perspective view of a casing adapted to receive a spring or foam core therein. 
         FIG. 1A  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  1 A- 1 A of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic side view of an apparatus adapted to perform at least some of the methods of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2A  is a diagrammatic side cross-sectional view of area  2 A of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 3  is a disassembled perspective view of one embodiment of border made in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a disassembled perspective view of another embodiment of border made in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a diagrammatic perspective view of an apparatus adapted to perform at least some of the methods of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a diagrammatic perspective view of another apparatus adapted to perform at least some of the methods of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the figures, a casing adapted to receive and retain an insert (not shown), such as a spring core or foam core or any combination thereof, is generally indicated by the numeral  10 . The casing  10  includes a bottom  12 , a top  14  and a sidewall or border  16  having a flange  18  extending inwardly from an upper edge of the border  16 . Many features of the apparatus and method described herein are discussed in the context of making a border for a mattress, but may be used to make other portions of bedding or seating products. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1A , the border  16  comprises an outer layer of ticking  20  and an inner layer of foam or fiber  22  secured together with a layer of double-sided adhesive  24 . The double-sided adhesive  24  enables the two layers  20 ,  22  to be connected together without the use of sewing or heating. Pressure applied to the layers in a manner described below from rollers is enough to secure the layers into a unitary product which will not separate into its individual layers under normal wear conditions. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates the outer ticking layer  20  separated from the adhesive layer  24  and separated from the layer  22  of fiber. The thickness and size of these layers shown in the drawings is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting. 
       FIG. 4  shows an outer ticking layer  20  spaced above a layer of double-sided adhesive  24  spaced above a layer of foam  26  spaced above a layer of double-sided adhesive  24  spaced above a layer of fiber  22 . The thickness and size of these layers shown in the drawings is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting. Although the drawings show specific numbers of layers, the present invention is not intended to be limited to any number of layers of ticking, fiber or foam or backing layers. Between adjacent layers of foam and fiber resides a layer of double-sided adhesive  24 , regardless of the number of layers. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an apparatus  30  for use with a quilter. The apparatus comprises a plurality of rollers used to make a multi-layered or laminated product for a mattress or box spring or any bedding or seating product without using heat. The method of making the laminated product includes the following steps. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 2A , a layer of foam or fiber material  32  is unrolled from a roll  34  of foam or fiber and passed underneath a roller  35 . A layer of ticking material  36  is similarly unrolled from a roll of ticking material  38  and passed over a roller  40 . A layer of backed adhesive  42  is unwound from a roll  44  of backed adhesive and passed around roller  46 . The layer of backed adhesive  42  comprises a layer of backing  48  and a layer of double-sided adhesive  43  secured together. At roller  46 , the layer of double-sided adhesive  43  separates from the layer of backing  48  and adheres to one side of the layer of ticking material  36 . The resulting multi-layered web  50  comprising a layer of ticking  36  and a layer of double-sided adhesive  43  passes around roller  35  (down the left side of roller  35  as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 2A ) where the adhesive layer  43  of the multi-layered web  50  attaches to one side of the layer of foam or fiber material  32 . The multi-layered web  52 , extending further around roller  35  and comprising three layers, a layer of foam/fiber, a layer of adhesive and a layer of ticking, is passed around roller  54 . 
     The multi-layered web  52  is then passed between three pinch rollers  56 ,  58  and  60  which apply pressure to combine the layers of the multi-layered web  52  into a unitary sheet or web which may pass through a border slitter attachment  62 . The border slitter attachment  62  comprises one or more blades which may be adjusted to cut the multi-layered web  52  to any desired width. Lastly, the multi-layered web  52  may be rolled up into a finished roll or rolls  64 . 
     If desired, the multi-layered web  52  may include one or more backing layers  66  unrolled from a roll  67 , shown in phantom in  FIGS. 2 and 2A . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates another apparatus  30   a  for use with a quilter. For simplicity, like numbers denote like parts, but with an “a” after the number. The apparatus  30   a  comprises a plurality of rollers used to make a multi-layered or laminated product for a mattress or box spring or any bedding or seating product without using heat. The method of making the laminated product includes the following steps. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , a layer of foam or fiber material  32   a  is unrolled from a roll  34   a  of foam or fiber and passed underneath a catwalk  70 . A layer of ticking material  36   a  is similarly unrolled from a roll  38   a  of ticking material. A sprayer  72 , comprising a source  74  of adhesive and a spray tube  76  having a plurality of nozzles  78 , is used to spray adhesive onto one side of the ticking material  36   a.  A multi-layered combined web  84 , comprising the layer of foam or fiber  34   a  and the layer of ticking material  36   a,  the sprayed layer of adhesive therebetween, is passed under a roller  80  and over another roller  82 . The resulting multi-layered web  84 , comprising a layer of ticking  36   a,  a layer of adhesive and a layer of foam or fiber  32   a,  is then passed between three pinch rollers  56   a,    58   a  and  60   a,  which apply pressure to combine the layers of the multi-layered web  84  into a unitary sheet or web, which may then pass over a roller  86  and through a border slitter attachment  62   a.  The border slitter attachment  62   a  comprises multiple blades  63   a  mounted on a shaft  65 . The blades  63   a  may be adjusted to cut the multi-layered web  84  to any number of pieces of any desired width. Lastly, the multi-layered web  84  may be rolled up into a finished roll or rolls  88 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates another apparatus  30   b  for use with a quilter. For simplicity, like numbers denote like parts, but with a letter “b” after the number. The apparatus  30   b  comprises a plurality of rollers used to make a multi-layered or laminated product for a mattress or box spring or any bedding or seating product without using heat. The method of making the laminated product includes the following steps. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , a layer of foam or fiber material  32   b  is unrolled from a roll  34   b  of foam or fiber and passed underneath a roller  35 . A layer of ticking material  36   b  is similarly unrolled from a roll  38   b  of ticking material and passed over a roller  40 . A layer of backed adhesive  42   b  is unwound from a roll  44   b  of backed adhesive and passed around roller  46 . The web or layer of backed adhesive  42   b  comprises a backing  48   b,  which extends the full width of the web  42   b  and a layer of double-sided adhesive  43   b,  which extends less than the full width of the web of backed adhesive  42   b.  At roller  46 , the layer of double-sided adhesive  43   b  separates from the layer of backing  48   b  and adheres to one side of the layer of ticking material  36   b.  The resulting multi-layered web  50   b,  comprising a layer of ticking  36   b  and a layer of double-sided adhesive  43   b,  passes around roller  35  (down the left side of roller  35  as shown in  FIG. 6 ) where the adhesive of the multi-layered web  50   b  attaches to one side of the layer of foam or fiber material  32   b.  The multi-layered web  50   b,  extending further around roller  35  and comprising three layers, a layer of foam/fiber, a layer of adhesive and a layer of ticking, is passed around roller  54 . 
     After passing roller  54 , a quilter  90  sews the layer of foam/fiber  32   b  and the layer of ticking  36   b  together without any adhesive. This happens only on the right side of the multi-layered web  50   b  in a pattern  92 . Although the pattern shown comprises diamonds, any desired quilted pattern may be incorporated into a multi-layered web. On the other side, the left side as shown in  FIG. 6 , the multi-layered web  50   b  comprises the layer of foam/fiber  32   b,  a layer of adhesive  43   b  and the layer of ticking  36   b.    
     The multi-layered web  50   b  may then pass between pinch rollers, as shown in  FIG. 2 , which apply pressure to combine the layers of the multi-layered web  50   b  into a unitary sheet or web, which may pass through a border slitter attachment like the one shown in  FIG. 2 . Lastly, the multi-layered web  50   b  may be rolled up into a finished roll or rolls as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     While the invention has been illustrated by the description of embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not intended to restrict, or in any way limit, the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broadest aspects is not limited to the specific details shown and described. The various features disclosed herein may be used in any combination necessary or desired for a particular application. Consequently, departures may be made from the details described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims which follow.