Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus for oxidation having an oven for oxidation having a heat treatment chamber having a plurality of slits through which fiber strands running horizontally leave or returned strands enter and capable of sending hot air vertically from above the fiber strands to allow the fiber strands to have oxidation, and a device for feeding hot air into the heat treatment chamber, and a plurality of returning rollers which are provided at the two outsides of the oven for oxidation and which return the fiber strands entering and leaving through said slits, into the oven for oxidation, wherein each gap formed between fiber strands and each side wall of heat treatment chamber parallel to the running direction of fiber strands running in the heat treatment chamber, or each gap formed between fiber strands and each channeling-preventing plate interposed between the side wall and the fiber strands in parallel to the running direction of fiber strands is set at 150 mm or less.

Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus for oxidation having: an oven for oxidation having a heat treatment chamber having a plurality of slits through which fiber strands running horizontally leave or returned strands enter and capable of sending hot air vertically from above the fiber strands to allow the fiber strands to have oxidation, and a means for feeding hot air into the heat treatment chamber, and a plurality of returning rollers which are provided at the two outsides of the oven for oxidation and which return the fiber strands entering and leaving through said slits, into the oven for oxidation, wherein each gap formed between fiber strands and each side wall of heat treatment chamber parallel to the running direction of fiber strands running in the heat treatment chamber, or each gap formed between fiber strands and each channeling-preventing plate interposed between the side wall and the fiber strands in parallel to the running direction of fiber strands is set at 150 mm or less.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus and method for shaping fibrous elastic bodies. The apparatus includes a preliminary shaping die and a final shaping die. A fiber material, which includes a binder fiber and a matrix fiber, is used to form the elastic bodies. The binder fiber has a lower melting point than the matrix fiber. The fiber material is placed into the preliminary shaping die and half melted to bond the unmelted matrix fiber and thereby form the preliminary shaped item. The preliminary shaped item has a preliminary shape of an objective article to be shaped. The preliminary shaped item is then transferred to the final shaping die, in which it is further heated and clamped to shape the objective article.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for producing a cushion structure having excellent quality in a short time by the final heat-molding of a fiber aggregate containing binder fibers by compression molding a fiber aggregate in multiple stages leaving the thermal shrinkage margin, passing hot gas through a by-pass channel on the side wall part of the molded article to eliminate the problem of insufficient heating of the side face of the molded article and detecting the completion of the filling of the fiber aggregate into the mold cavity by the pressure variation in the mold cavity.

Abstract: A process for preparing a cushion structure by loosening fiber aggregate comprising crimped staple fibers and binder fibers, having a melting points below that of the matrix fibers and dispersed therein, filling the loosened aggregate into gas-permeable mold cavity accompanied with a pressurized air system, and thermoforming the same by heating followed by cooling, wherein the matrix fibers are non-elastomeric, crimped polyester staple fibers and the binder fibers are conjugated staple fibers, comprising a thermoplastic elastomer having a melting point at least 40.degree. C. below that of the matrix fibers and non-elastomeric polyester, the thermoplastic elastomer occupying at least one half of the surface area of the conjugated fibers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for molding a cushion member from a fiber mixture by a filling process comprising filling a fiber mixture composed of synthetic matrix fibers and binder fibers dispersed therein into a mold cavity of an air-permeable mold by a transportation air stream and a heat-treatment process comprising making a molding air stream for heating and/or cooling the fiber mixture filled in the mold cavity to pass through the fiber mixture, wherein a contact surface of the mold with the fiber mixture is divided into a plurality of contact sections, and a flow rate and/or pressure of an air stream passing through each of the contact sections are regulated to a predetermined condition so that the air stream in the mold cavity is differently controlled in the filling process and the heat-treatment process.