IP Library Granted Patent US 7,201,625
Granted Patent B2
US 7,201,625 · App. 11/271,920 · Granted Apr 10, 2007

Foam product having outer skin and method for producing the same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,201,625
App. No.
11/271,920
Granted
Apr 10, 2007
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for producing a foam product having an outer skin is provided. The outer skin is firstly placed in a mold and then a plurality of polystyrene foam beads are introduced into the mold in order to fill a cavity of the mold with the foam beads, which are heat-bonded with one another under steam pressure subsequently. Accordingly, a surface of the outer skin, which contacts with the foam beads, is entirely heat-bonded with the foam beads. Thus, the foam product with the outer skin is produced and the foam product comprises the outer skin and a polystyrene foam core composed of the foam beads, which are heat-bonded with one another without any spaces.

Claims (96)

1. A method for producing a foam product comprising the steps of:

providing a mold defining a cavity having dimensions identical to those of the foam product;

placing a plastic skin in the cavity, wherein the plastic skin is produced by the following steps:

providing a polyethylene foam skin, which has a density in a range of 1.5 to 12 PCF and a thickness in a range of 1 to 6 mm;

forming a plastic plate on a first surface of the polyethylene foam skin,

wherein the plastic plate is made of wear-resistant plastic; and

forming a bonding film on a second surface of the polyethylene foam skin, so as to allow the second surface of the polyethylene foam skin heat-bonding with polystyrene foam beads;

filling the cavity of the mold with polystyrene foam beads; and

injecting steam into the cavity, whereby the polystyrene foam beads are heat-bonded with one another and the plastic skin is accordingly heat-bonded with the polystyrene foam beads entirely under the steam.

2. A method for producing a foam product comprising the steps of:

providing a mold defining a cavity having dimensions identical to those of the foam product;

placing a plastic skin in the cavity, wherein the plastic skin is produced by the following steps:

providing a polyethylene foam skin, which has a density in a range of 1.5 to 12 PCF and a thickness in a range of 1 to 6 mm;

providing a plastic film, which has visible patterns therein;

causing a first surface of the plastic film to heat-bond with a first surface of the polyethylene foam skin;

forming a plastic plate on a second surface of the plastic film, wherein the plastic plate is made of wear-resistant plastic and has a thickness greater than the plastic film; and

forming a bonding film on a second surface of the polyethylene foam skin, so as to allow the second surface of the polyethylene foam skin heat-bonding with the polystyrene foam beads;

filling the cavity of the mold with polystyrene foam beads; and

injecting steam into the cavity, whereby the polystyrene foam beads are heat-bonded with one another and the plastic skin is accordingly heat-bonded with the polystyrene foam beads entirely under the steam.

3. The method of the claim 2 , wherein the plastic film is produced by the following steps:

providing a first film;

printing the patterns on a surface of the first film; and

forming a second film on the surface of the first film via extrusion coating processes, so as to cover the patterns.

4. A method for producing a foam product comprising the steps of:

providing a mold defining a cavity having dimensions identical to those of the foam product;

placing a plastic skin in the cavity, wherein the plastic skin is produced by the following steps:

providing a plastic film, which has visible patterns therein, wherein the plastic film is produced by the following steps:

providing a first film;

printing the patterns on a surface of the first film; and

forming a second film on the surface of the first film via extrusion coating processes, so as to cover the patterns; and

forming a bonding film on the plastic film to allow the heat-bonding of the plastic film with polystyrene foam beads;

filling the cavity of the mold with polystyrene foam beads; and

injecting steam into the cavity, whereby the polystyrene foam beads are heat-bonded with one another and the plastic skin is accordingly heat-bonded with the polystyrene foam beads entirely under the steam.

5. A method for producing a foam product comprising the steps of:

providing a mold defining a cavity having dimensions identical to those of the foam product;

placing a plastic skin in the cavity, wherein the plastic skin is produced by the following steps:

providing a polyethylene foam skin, which has a density in a range of 1.5 to 12 PCF and a thickness in a range of 1 to 6 mm;

providing a plastic film, which has visible patterns therein, wherein the plastic film is produced by the following steps:

providing a first film;

printing the patterns on a surface of the first film; and

forming a second film on the surface of the first film via extrusion coating processes, so as to cover the patterns;

causing the plastic film to heat-bond with a first surface of the polyethylene foam skin; and

forming a bonding film on a second surface of the polyethylene foam skin, so as to allow the second surface of the polyethylene foam skin heat-bonding with the polystyrene foam beads;

filling the cavity of the mold with polystyrene foam beads; and

injecting steam into the cavity, whereby the polystyrene foam beads are heat-bonded with one another and the plastic skin is accordingly heat-bonded with the polystyrene foam beads entirely under the steam.

6. A foam product comprising:

a first foam product comprising a first core and a first plastic outer skin formed on a top and edges of the first core, wherein the first core is composed of foam beads, which are heat-bonded with one another; and

a second foam product comprising a second core and a second plastic outer skin formed on a top and edges of the second core, wherein the second core is composed of foam beads, which are heat-bonded with one another, and a bottom of the second core is connected to a bottom of the first core accordingly, so as to integrate the first foam product and the second foam product into the foam product.

7. The foam product of claim 6 , wherein the first plastic outer skin comprises a plastic film having visible patterns therein.

8. The foam product of claim 7 , wherein the second plastic outer skin comprises a plastic film having visible patterns therein.

9. The foam product of claim 7 , wherein the second plastic outer skin comprises:

a polyethylene foam skin, having a density in a range of 1.5 to 12 PCF and a thickness in a range of 1 to 6 mm; and

a plastic plate, heat-bonded with the polyethylene foam skin, wherein the plastic plate is made of wear-resistant plastic.

10. The foam product of claim 7 , wherein the second plastic outer skin comprises:

a polyethylene foam skin, having a density in a range of 1.5 to 12 PCF and a thickness in a range of 1 to 6 mm;

a plastic film, heat-bonded with the polyethylene foam skin, wherein the plastic film has visible patterns therein; and

a plastic plate, heat-bonded with the plastic film, wherein the plastic plate is made of wear-resistant plastic and has a thickness greater than the plastic film.

11. The foam product of claim 6 , wherein the first plastic outer skin comprises:

a polyethylene foam skin, having a density in a range of 1.5 to 12 PCF and a thickness in a range of 1 to 6 mm; and

a plastic film, heat-bonded with the polyethylene foam skin, wherein the plastic film has visible patterns therein.

12. The foam product of claim 11 , wherein the second plastic outer skin comprises:

a polyethylene foam skin, having a density in a range of 1.5 to 12 PCF and a thickness in a range of 1 to 6 mm; and

a plastic plate, heat-bonded with the polyethylene foam skin, wherein the plastic plate is made of wear-resistant plastic.

13. The foam product of claim 11 , wherein the second plastic outer skin comprises:

a polyethylene foam skin, having a density in a range of 1.5 to 12 PCF and a thickness in a range of 1 to 6 mm;

a plastic film, heat-bonded with the polyethylene foam skin, wherein the plastic film has visible patterns therein; and

a plastic plate, heat-bonded with the plastic film, wherein the plastic plate is made of wear-resistant plastic and has a thickness greater than the plastic film.

14. The foam product of claim 6 , wherein the foam beads of the first core and the second core are polystyrene foam beads.

15. The foam product of claim 14 , wherein the first plastic outer skin comprises:

a plastic film, having visible patterns therein; and

a bonding film, formed on a surface of the plastic film, so as to allow the surface of the plastic film heat-bonding with the polystyrene foam beads.

16. The foam product of claim 15 , wherein the second plastic outer skin comprises:

a plastic film, having visible patterns therein; and

a bonding film, formed on a surface of the plastic film, so as to allow the surface of the plastic film heat-bonding with the polystyrene foam beads.

17. The foam product of claim 15 , wherein the second plastic outer skin comprises:

a polyethylene foam skin, having a density in a range of 1.5 to 12 PCF and a thickness in a range of 1 to 6 mm;

a plastic plate, heat-bonded with a first surface of the polyethylene foam skin, wherein the plastic plate is made of wear-resistant plastic; and

a bonding film, formed on a second surface of the polyethylene foam skin, so as to allow the second surface of the polyethylene foam skin heat-bonding with the polystyrene foam beads.

18. The foam product of claim 15 , wherein the second plastic outer skin comprises:

a polyethylene foam skin, having a density in a range of 1.5 to 12 PCF and a thickness in a range of 1 to 6 mm;

a plastic film, heat-bonded with a first surface of the polyethylene foam skin, wherein the plastic film has visible patterns therein; and

a plastic plate, heat-bonded with the plastic film, wherein the plastic plate is made of wear-resistant plastic and has a thickness greater than the plastic film.; and

a bonding film, formed on a second surface of the polyethylene foam skin, so as to allow the second surface of the polyethylene foam skin heat-bonding with the polystyrene foam beads.

19. The foam product of claim 14 , wherein the first plastic outer skin comprises:

a polyethylene foam skin, having a density in a range of 1.5 to 12 PCF and a thickness in a range of 1 to 6 mm;

a plastic film, heat-bonded with a first surface of the polyethylene foam skin, wherein the plastic film has visible patterns therein; and

a bonding film, formed on a second surface of the polyethylene foam skin, so as to allow the second surface of the polyethylene foam skin heat-bonding with the polystyrene foam beads.

20. The foam product of claim 19 , wherein the second plastic outer skin comprises:

a polyethylene foam skin, having a density in a range of 1.5 to 12 PCF and a thickness in a range of 1 to 6 mm;

a plastic plate, heat-bonded with a first surface of the polyethylene foam skin, wherein the plastic plate is made of wear-resistant plastic; and

a bonding film, formed on a second surface of the polyethylene foam skin, so as to allow the second surface of the polyethylene foam skin heat-bonding with the polystyrene foam beads.

21. The foam product of claim 19 , wherein the second plastic outer skin comprises:

a polyethylene foam skin, having a density in a range of 1.5 to 12 PCF and a thickness in a range of 1 to 6 mm;

a plastic film, heat-bonded with a first surface of the polyethylene foam skin, wherein the plastic film has visible patterns therein; and

a plastic plate, heat-bonded with the plastic film, wherein the plastic plate is made of wear-resistant plastic and has a thickness greater than the plastic film; and

a bonding film, formed on a second surface of the polyethylene foam skin, so as to allow the second surface of the polyethylene foam skin heat-bonding with the polystyrene foam beads.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 17, 2015
From: YEH, TZONG IN
To: AGIT GLOBAL IP HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 037318/0574 →
Priority Claims (1)
TW 94132879 A · Sep 22, 2005 · national
Continuity (4)
Continuation In Part 1110386100 · Apr 12, 2005
Continuation In Part 1101843000 · Dec 20, 2004
Continuation In Part 1079709400 · Mar 11, 2004
Related Publication 20060105650A1 · May 18, 2006