Woodbridge Foam Corporation

Proprietect L.p.

Robert B Magee

Leslie E Clark

Craig A Hunter

Wilfred W Cheng

Larry A Genyn

Edgardo A San Miguel

David J L Miller

Gerry V Wetering

Gerry Vande Wetering

Leslie E Clarck

David JL Miller

There is disclosed an improved seat element having a seating surface element that incorporates a plurality of peak portions and a plurality of valley portions. Preferably, the plurality of peak portions and the plurality of valley portions is incorporated in an outermost surface of the seating surface element. The term 'outermost surface' is intended to include an area of the seating surface element for contact by and/or support of an occupant of the seat element and does not include, for example, grooves or trenches in which there is disposed a component for attachment of a trim cover. A process and a mold for production of such a seat element are also described.

Foam seat element, mold for the production thereof and method to manufacture the mold

A mold for producing foamed articles includes an upper mold and a lower mold which define a mold cavity. A vent is provided in communication with the mold cavity and has a vent passageway with an entrance and an exit. Structure is also provided for sealingly engaging the upper mold with the lower mold to cause, in cooperation with the predetermined size and shape of the vent passageway, liquid foam polymeric composition expanding inside the mold cavity to enter the vent entrance but to not exit from the vent exit to cause at least partial curing of the foam composition within the vent passageway. Preferably, the vent may be ribbon-shaped so that a ribbon of foamed composition adheres to the foamed article and may be folded flat against the article thus avoiding the labor step of trimming the flash from the product. Additionally, or alternatively, the vent may comprise a vent passageway with an obstruction disposed therein to provide one or more openings between the outer surface of the obstruction and the inner surface of the vent passageway. The foam composition in these openings may be expelled by driving the obstruction axially within the passageway. Again, the labor step of hand trimming the flash is avoided.

Mold having vent passageways to obivate trimming of flash

A mold for producing foamed articles includes an upper mold and a lower mold which define a mold cavity. A vent is provided in communication with the mold cavity and has a vent passageway with an entrance and an exit. Structure is also provided for sealingly engaging the upper mold with the lower mold to cause, in cooperation with the predetermined size and shape of the vent passageway, liquid foam polymeric composition expanding inside the mold cavity to enter the vent entrance but to not exit from the vent exit to cause at least partial curing of the foam composition within the vent passageway. Preferably, the vent may be ribbon-shaped so that a ribbon of foamed composition adheres to the foamed article and may be folded flat against the article thus avoiding the labor step of trimming the flash from the product. Additionally, or alternatively, the vent may include a vent passageway with an obstruction disposed therein to provide one or more openings between the outer surface of the obstruction and the inner surface of the vent passageway. The foam composition in these openings may be expelled by driving the obstruction axially within the passageway. Again, the labor step of hand trimming the flash is avoided.

Mold having vent passageways to obviate trimming of flash

A novel method of molding an article includes providing a mold with a vent of a pre-determined size such that, due to the difference in viscosities, gases to be vented from the mold may easily pass through the vent while the material to be molded cannot quickly pass through the vent. In fact, the vent is designed such that the material to be molded which enters the vent, does not exit the end of the vent. In the most preferred embodiment, the vent is in the form of a thin ribbon-like groove so that the material to be molded which does enter the vent forms a thin ribbon of extruded material which need not be removed prior to a finish cover being applied to the molded article.

Method of using a vented mold

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Caledon East, Canada

Robert B Magee