HOOK-AND-LOOP COMPONENT EMBEDDED WITH FOAM MATERIAL AND CUSHION THEREOF

Abstract

A hook-and-loop component embedded with a foam material is disclosed herein and includes a band body having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and the second surface being opposite to each other and the hook-and-loop component is characterized in that: a plurality of pores disposed on the band body; a plurality of hair loops disposed on the first surface; and a magnetic material disposed on the second surface and is corresponding to a disposed position of the hair loops;. The disposed position of the hair loops and the magnetic material includes an interval away from an edge of the first surface and the second surface.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/682,369 entitled “HOOK-AND-LOOP COMPONENT EMBEDDED WITH FOAM MATERIAL AND CUSHION THEREOF” filed on Nov. 20, 2012 which claimed a foreign priority of TW 101137885, filed on Oct. 15, 2012.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is related to a hook-and-loop component, and more particularly to a hook-and-loop component embedded with a foam material in a mold.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The hook-and-loop strip in prior art is invented by a Swiss engineer George de Mestral in accordance with the idea of burrs. Hook-and-loop strip is configured to connect a component with tiny hooks and another component with hair loops together. When the hooks and loops are pressed together, the two pieces fasten or bind together.

The hook-and-loop strip is easy to assemble and detach. In recent year, the hook-and-loop is usually applied to operate in coordination with other components. When the hook-and-loop strip is used with a foam component, such as a cushion or chair cushion, the hook of the hook-and-loop strip is faced to outside. The hook-and-loop strip is combined with the chair cushion for connecting to another component with a corresponding hair loop. The manufacturing method of the hook-and-loop strip and the chair cushion is to put the hook-and-loop strip in a predetermined position of a mold, and a foam material is filled therein. After the foam material is solidified, the hook-and-loop strip and the chair cushion are formed together.

However, the hook of the hook-and-loop strip used in the chair cushion is a hard material. In order to protect the hook being not covered by the foam material, it is necessary to include some extra works. For example, a disclosure in U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,540 includes an elastic seal portion to prevent the foam material filling into the hook during the foaming process and also includes a special mold to protect the hook. But extra works require extra manufacturing time, and it increases manufacturing cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to solve the problems described above, one main object of the present invention is to provide a hook-and-loop component embedded with a foam material. By using a magnetic material on the hook-and-loop component, the hook-and-loop component with hair loops can be fixed in the foaming mold process during the foaming process. After the foaming process, the hook-and-loop component can be detached easily from the mold.

According to objects above, a hook-and-loop component embedded with a foam material is disclosed in the present invention and includes a band body having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and the second surface being opposite to each other and the hook-and-loop component is characterized in that: a plurality of pores disposed on the band body; a plurality of hair loops disposed on the first surface; and a magnetic material disposed on the second surface and is corresponding to a disposed position of the hair loops;. The disposed position of the hair loops and the magnetic material includes an interval away from an edge of the first surface and the second surface.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cushion with a hook-and-loop component. By disposing the magnetic material on the hook-and-loop component, the hook-and-loop component with hair loops can be fixed by the magnetic force during the foaming process. After the foaming process, the hook-and-loop component is easily detached from the mold. By the pores of the hook-and-loop component, the hook-and-loop component is fixed in the cushion.

According to the object described above, a cushion with a hook-and-loop component is provided in the present invention and includes a chair cushion with a hook-and-loop component having a foam material chair body and at least one hook-and-loop component, and the foam material and the hook-and-loop component are integrally formed. The hook-and-loop component includes a band body having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and the second surface being opposite to each other and the hook-and-loop component is characterized in that: a plurality of pores disposed on the band body; a plurality of hair loops disposed on the first surface; and a magnetic material disposed on the second surface and is corresponding to a disposed position of the hair loops;. The disposed position of the hair loops and the magnetic material includes an interval away from an edge of the first surface and the second surface.

In accordance with the hook-and-loop component provided in the present invention to substitute the cushion with hook, the manufacturing time for extra manufacturing work is saved and the manufacturing cost is reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a view illustrating a hook-and-loop component in one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a A-A sectional view of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2A is a view illustrating hook-and-loop component is embedded with a foam material in one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2B, it is a view illustrating the hook-and-loop component is foam filling within the mold in one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a chair cushion with the hook-and-loop component in one embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A hook-and-loop component embedded with a foam material and a cushion thereof are disclosed in the present invention. The detailed description of the present invention will be discussed in the following embodiments, which are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, but can be adapted for other applications. While drawings are illustrated in details, it is appreciated that the quantity of the disclosed components may be greater or less than that disclosed, except expressly restricting the amount of the components.

Please refer to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, which are respectively illustrating a view and an A-A line sectional view of FIG. 1A of a hook-and-loop component in one embodiment of the present invention. The hook-and-loop component 1 includes a band body 10, a plurality of hair hoops 30 and a magnetic material 20. The band body includes a first surface 101 and a second surface 103 and the first surface 101 and the second surface 103 are opposite to each other. The material of the band body is nonwoven fabric or fiber fabric and includes a plurality of pores 105. The hair loops 30 are disposed on an area of the first surface 101 of the band body 10 with an interval D existing between a side edge of the disposed area and an edge 1011 of the first surface 101. In addition, in the second surface 103 which is opposite to the first surface, the magnetic material 20 is disposed on an area of the second surface 103 corresponding to the disposed area of the hair loops 30, with the same interval D existing between a side edge of the disposed area of the magnetic material 20 and an edge 1031 of the second surface 103. The magnetic material 20 is preferred to be powder material to include an even magnetic effect and the main material thereof is preferred to be metal powder or metal alloy powder. It is important for the magnetic material to be connected by a magnet.

Thereafter, please refer to FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, it is a view illustrating hook-and-loop component to be embedded with a foam material 70 in one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, because the hook-and-loop component 1 is configured to be embedded with a foam material 70 and exposed the hair loops 30 for connecting, a mold 40 is provided to fix the hook-and-loop component 1 and the foam material 70 can be formed on the hook-and-loop component 1. As shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, when the hook-and-loop component 1 is to be embedded with the foam material 70, the first surface 101 of the hook-and-loop component 1 is firstly reversed and then disposed on a surface of the mold 40. The mold 40 is provided with a magnet 401 such that the magnetic material 20 on the hook-and-loop component 1 will be attracted by the surface of the mold 40 and the reversed hook-and-loop component 1 is firmly adhered to the surface of the mold 40. In addition, because the hair loops 30 are soft fiber material, the hair loops 30 are pressed to be compact between the reversed hook-and-loop component 1 and the mold 40 when the reversed hook-and-loop component 1 is firmly adhered to the mold 40. As a result, the first surface 101 of the hook-and-loop component 1 is adhered to the surface of the mold 40 because of the magnetic force between the magnet 401 and the magnetic material 20 and there is no gap between the surface of the mold 40 and the first surface 101 of the hook-and-loop component 1.

Now, please refer to FIG. 2B, it is a view illustrating a foam material 70 is filling the hook-and-loop component 1 within the mold 40 in one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2B, during the foaming process, the foam material 70 fills the pores 105 of the band body 10 in the hook-and-loop component 1 via the area on the second surface 103 with the interval D. Since the reversed hook-and-loop component 1 is firmly adhered to the surface of the mold 40, the hair loops 30 are pressed between the reversed hook-and-loop component 1 and the mold 40 without any gap survive therebetween. That is to say the pores 105 existing between the hair loops 30 and the magnetic material 20 are barred at top and bottom to prevent filling of the foam material 70.

On the other hand, since the area with the interval D is not provided with the magnetic material 20 on the top and is not provided with the hair loop 30 on the bottom, the first surface 101 of the area with the interval D is not firmly adhered to the surface of the mold 40 and there will be a gap 50 existing between the first surface 101 and the surface of the mold. During the foaming process, the foam material 70 will enter the gap 50 to fill.

Therefore, the foam material 70 can only fills the pores 105 of the band body 10 in the hook-and-loop component 1 via the area on the second surface 103 with the interval D and via the area on the first surface 101 with the interval D through the gap 50.

It is to be noted that the foam material 70 will be gradually hardened when filling the pores 105 of the band body 10 in the hook-and-loop component 1, and therefore a proper chosen interval D enables the foam material 70 to fill only the pores 105 within the band body 10 of the area with the interval D and become hardened before reach the pores 105 of the band body 10 of the disposed area of the hair loops 30 and the magnetic material 20.

As a result, the foam material 70 is only embedded with the portion of the hook-and-loop component having the interval D and covers the edge 1011 of the first surface 101, and the hair loops 30 are not polluted by the foam material 70. Accordingly, not only the hook-and-loop component 1 is firmly embedded with the foam material 70, but also the hair loops 30 are protected from polluting by the foam material 70 during the foaming process. In the present invention, the number, shape or position of the magnet 401 in the mold 40 is not limited herein, as long as the magnet 401 can connect the hook-and-loop component 1.

Please refer to FIG. 3, it is a view illustrating a chair cushion with the hook-and-loop component in one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the chair cushion includes a foam material chair body 60 and at least one hook-and-loop component 1. The foam material chair body 60 and the hook-and-loop component 1 are formed integrally. The hook-and-loop component 1 is the same as the hook-and-loop component 1 is the previous embodiment and includes a band body 10, a magnetic material 20 and a hair loop 30. The hair loops 30 are disposed on the first surface 101 of the band body 10 with an interval D existing between the disposed area and an edge 1011 of the first surface 101. In addition, in the second surface 103 which is opposite to the first surface, the magnetic material 20 is disposed on the corresponding position of the hair loops 30 with the same interval D existing between the disposed area and an edge 1031 of the second surface 103. The characteristic of the components and the connective relationship are the same as the previous embodiment, the detail description is omitted herein. For example, the foam material chair body 60 is embedded within the pores 105 in the edge 1011 of the hook-and-loop component 1 and the foam material chair body 60 covers the edge 1011 of the first surface 101 of the hook-and-loop component 1.

In addition, in the preferred embodiment, the foam material chair body further includes at least one concave 601 and the hook-and-loop component 1 can be disposed therein to enhance the match of the chair cushion 2 with other components with the corresponding hook-and-loop component (such as chair cushion cover or the hook of the chair back main body).

The hook-and-loop component provided in the present invention is to substitute the chair cushion with hook to save the process time for extra manufacturing works so as to reduce the manufacturing cost.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention, which is intended to be limited solely by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A hook-and-loop component embedded with a foam material, comprising:

a band body having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and the second surface being opposite to each other, the band body being made of nonwoven fabric or fiber fabric;

a plurality of pores disposed within the band body;

a plurality of hair loops being soft fiber materials disposed on a first area of the first surface; and

a magnetic material disposed on a second area of the second surface corresponding in position to the first area;

wherein a side edge of the first area is distant from an edge of the first surface with an interval while a side edge of the second area is distant from an edge of the second surface with the same interval; and

wherein only the pores within the interval are filled with the foam material and the foam material covers the edge of the first surface and the edge of the second surface, and the foam material does not reach the pores between the first area and the second area due to that the foam material become hardened during filling the pores within the interval.

2. The hook-and-loop component of claim 1, wherein the hook-and-loop component is fixed in a mold with the first area of the first surface being firmly adhered to the mold and the hair loops are pressed to be compact during a process of being embedded with the foam material, and a gap is existed between the first surface with the interval and a surface of the mold.

3. The hook-and-loop component of claim 1, wherein the magnetic material is powder.

4. The hook-and-loop component of claim 3, wherein the magnetic material is metal powder.

5. The hook-and-loop component of claim 3, wherein the magnetic material is metal alloy powder.

6. A chair cushion with a hook-and-loop component comprising a foam material made chair body and at least one hook-and-loop component, and the foam material of the chair body and the hook-and-loop component are integrally formed, the hook-and-loop comprising a band body having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and the second surface being opposite to each other and the hook-and-loop, the hook-and-loop component comprising:

a plurality of pores disposed within the band body, and the band body is made of nonwoven fabric or fiber fabric;

a plurality of hair loops being soft fiber materials disposed on a first area of the first surface; and

a magnetic material disposed on a second area of the second surface corresponding in position to the first area;

wherein a side edge of the first area is distant from an edge of the first surface with an interval while a side edge of the second area is distant from an edge of the second surface with the same interval; and

wherein only the pores within the interval are filled with the foam material and the foam material covers the edge of the first surface and the edge of the second surface;

wherein the hook-and-loop component is fixed in a mold with the first area of the first surface being firmly adhered to the mold and the hair loops are pressed to be compact during a process of being embedded with the foam material, and a gap is existed between the first surface with the interval and a surface of the mold; and

wherein the foam material is gradually hardened when filling the pores within the interval and does not reach the pores between the first area and the second area such that the hair loops are not polluted by the foam material.

7. The chair cushion with the hook-and-loop component of claim 6, wherein the foam material chair body includes at least one concave for disposing the hook-and-loop component.