JP7830135B2 - Pad and method for manufacturing a pad - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a pad and a method for manufacturing the pad.

Conventionally, sleeper pads with protrusions on their surface have been known. These protrusions are embedded in the concrete sleepers formed on the pad, preventing the pad from falling off the sleepers (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 6674504

Such a pad preferably has a protruding portion with a shape that prevents it from peeling off the mounting member (in the example of Patent Document 1, a concrete sleeper), and further preferably has a structure that makes it difficult for the protruding portion to peel off the pad. The object of this disclosure is to provide a novel pad and a method for manufacturing the pad.

The pad according to this disclosure comprises a first layer, a filamentous member, and a second layer. The first layer has a back surface and a surface opposite to the back surface. The filamentous member penetrates the first layer and has a plurality of loop portions and engaging portions. The plurality of loop portions protrude from the surface. The engaging portions connect the plurality of loop portions and are located at least partially on the back surface. The second layer contains a foamed material and is bonded to the back surface.

The method for manufacturing a pad according to this disclosure comprises the steps of: passing a filamentous member through a first layer to form a plurality of loop portions and engaging portions. The first layer has a back surface and a surface opposite to the back surface. The plurality of loop portions protrude from the surface of the first layer. The engaging portions connect the plurality of loop portions and are positioned at least partially on the back surface. Furthermore, the method for manufacturing a pad according to this disclosure comprises the steps of: foaming a foamed material to form a second layer; and bonding the first layer, which is integrated with the filamentous member, to the second layer.

This pad allows for the placement of a loop portion protruding from the surface of the first layer between the mounting member and the pad. This prevents the mounting member and the pad from separating. Furthermore, this pad allows for the placement of an engaging portion exposed on the back surface of the first layer between the back surface of the first layer and the second layer. This prevents the first and second layers from separating. Moreover, this pad manufacturing method allows for the simple and efficient production of a pad with the loop portion and engaging portion formed on the first layer.

This disclosure provides a novel pad and a method for manufacturing the pad.

A perspective view of the pad in an embodiment of the present disclosure. A cross-sectional view of the pad in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Cross-sectional view of a pad in another embodiment of the present disclosure. A schematic diagram showing a method for manufacturing a pad in an embodiment of this disclosure.

The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the pad 1 in the embodiment of this disclosure. In Figure 1, the vertical direction H is defined as the upper side being the top of the paper and the lower side being the bottom, but this does not necessarily coincide with the actual direction of gravity. Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pad 1 in the section A-A of Figure 1.

As shown in Figure 1, pad 1 has predetermined lengths in the width direction (an example of a first direction) W, the depth direction (an example of a second direction) D, and the vertical direction H. In this embodiment, pad 1 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and used as a railway sleeper pad. Specifically, pad 1 and the sleeper are bonded together by pouring ready-mix concrete, which will form the sleeper, onto the upper side of pad 1 in the vertical direction H and allowing it to harden. Pad 1, in its integrated state with the sleeper, is then placed on the railway track as a vibration-damping and sound-damping material.

The pad 1 is not limited to this example; it can be formed in a variety of sizes and shapes to suit different applications. For example, the pad 1 may be used as a wall material for vibration isolation and sound insulation in residential buildings, or as a damper placed between electric machinery and the floor. In this case, the pad 1 is positioned as a vibration isolation and sound insulation material with the mounting member adhered to its upper side in the vertical direction H.

As shown in Figure 1, the pad 1 comprises a first layer 2, a plurality of filamentous members 4, a second layer 6, and a third layer 8.

The first layer 2 has a back surface 21 and a front surface 22 opposite to the back surface 21. In this embodiment, the first layer 2 is a woven fabric containing a woven material. The first layer 2 is arranged such that the front surface 22 is on the upper side in the vertical direction H, and the back surface 21 is on the lower side in the vertical direction H. Therefore, in this embodiment, the front surface 22 of the first layer 2 becomes the upper surface of the pad 1.

As shown in Figure 2, the thread-like member 4 contains resin thread and penetrates the first layer 2 , being sewn into the first layer 2. In this embodiment, the thread-like member 4 is sewn into the pre-made first layer 2 using an industrial sewing machine or the like. However, it is not limited to this, and the thread-like member 4 may also be knitted into the first layer 2 at the same time as the first layer 2 is created. The thread-like member 4 is sewn continuously from one end to the other of the first layer 2 along the width direction W. The thread-like member 4 may be sewn into the first layer 2 along the depth direction D, or it may be sewn diagonally with respect to the width direction W and the depth direction D.

Multiple thread-like members 4 may be arranged at intervals in a direction intersecting the direction in which they are sewn into the first layer 2. In this embodiment, multiple thread-like members 4 are arranged evenly at regular intervals in the depth direction D.

The thread-like member 4 has multiple loop portions 41 and engaging portions 42.

The loop portion 41 protrudes from the surface 22 of the first layer 2. That is, the upper part 411 of the loop portion 41 is spaced above the surface 22 of the first layer 2 in the vertical direction H. The loop portion has a width 412 and a height 413. In this embodiment, the width 412 of the loop portion 41 is approximately the same as the height 413. Furthermore, the spacing 414 between adjacent loop portions 41 of a single filamentous member 4 may be determined based on the width 412 and height 413 of the loop portion 41. However, the size of the loop portion 41 can be varied depending on the application and shape of the pad 1. In this embodiment, multiple loop portions 41 are formed on a single filamentous member 4. That is, multiple loop portions 41 are regularly arranged on a single filamentous member 4 with spacing 414 between them in the width direction of the first layer 2.

With this configuration, during the process of forming the sleepers from fresh concrete, the multiple loop portions 41 of the pad 1 are fixed in a state where they are embedded in the fresh concrete. As a result, a layer is formed between the pad 1 and the sleeper, with the multiple loop portions 41 embedded in the concrete. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the integrally formed pad 1 and sleeper from separating.

In this embodiment, the loop portion 41 of the pad 1 used as a sleeper pad is formed to have a width 412 of approximately 2 mm, a height 413 of approximately 3 mm, and a spacing 414 between adjacent loop portions 41 of approximately 3 mm.

The engaging portion 42 connects multiple loop portions 41. The engaging portion 42 is positioned at least partially on the back surface 21. In this embodiment, the engaging portion 42 is positioned between two adjacent loop portions 41 to connect them. The engaging portion 42 includes a first portion that extends from the end of one loop portion 41 and penetrates from the front surface 22 to the back surface 21 of the first layer 2, a second portion that is exposed and positioned on the back surface 21, and a third portion that extends from the back surface 21 to the front surface 22 and is continuous with the loop portion 41 positioned next to the first loop portion 41. A portion 421 of the engaging portion 42 is positioned with a predetermined length 422 exposed on the back surface 21.

In this embodiment, the engaging portion 42 penetrates along the vertical direction H, that is, perpendicular to the first layer 2. Therefore, the predetermined length 422 of the engaging portion 42 is approximately the same as the distance 414 between adjacent loop portions 41. However, the angle at which the engaging portion 42 penetrates the first layer 2 can also be varied to various sizes depending on the application and shape of the pad 1.

A portion 421 of the engaging portion 42 is positioned between the back surface 21 of the first layer 2 and the second layer 6, which will be described later. As a result, the first layer 2 and the second layer 6 are bonded together, with the portion 421 of the engaging portion 42 wrapped around it. Therefore, the portion 421 of the engaging portion 42 prevents the first layer 2 and the second layer 6 from separating. Furthermore, because the engaging portion 42 is positioned between the first layer 2 and the second layer 6 and bonded together as one unit, the filamentous member 4 is prevented from detaching from the first layer 2. This prevents the loop portion 41 of the filamentous member 4 from unintentionally detaching and deforming on the surface 22 of the first layer 2.

A portion 421 of the engaging portion 42 does not protrude from the back surface 21, but is exposed along the back surface 21. The size 422 of the engaging portion 42 exposed on the back surface 21 may be determined based on the width 412, height 413, and spacing 414 of the loop portion 41. However, the size of the engaging portion 42 can be varied depending on the application and shape of the pad 1.

In this embodiment, the engagement portion 42 of the pad 1 used as a sleeper pad is formed such that the size 422 exposed on the back surface 21 is approximately 3 mm.

The loop portion 41 and the engaging portion 42 are arranged alternately and continuously in the first layer 2 from one end to the other in the width direction W, which is the direction in which the thread-like member 4 extends. That is, in this embodiment, a single thread-like member 4 is sewn seamlessly from one end to the other in the width direction W of the first layer 2, and the loop portion 41 and the engaging portion 42 are arranged regularly and alternately.

The pad 1 may comprise a plurality of filamentous members 4. The plurality of filamentous members 4 may be arranged parallel to each other or intersect. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the plurality of filamentous members 4 are arranged at predetermined intervals 43 in the depth direction D. On the surface 22 of the first layer 2, the loop portions 41 of one filamentous member 4 are regularly arranged along the width direction W at predetermined intervals 414, and the loop portions 41 of a plurality of filamentous members 4 are regularly arranged along the depth direction D at predetermined intervals 43. That is, in this embodiment, the loop portions 41 of the plurality of filamentous members 4 are regularly distributed at equal intervals in the width direction W and the depth direction D on the surface 22 of the first layer 2.

Furthermore, adjacent thread-like members 4 in the depth direction D may be arranged with their loop portions 411 centers 415 spaced apart along the width direction W, or they may be arranged to coincide in the width direction W. As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, adjacent thread-like members 4 in the depth direction D are arranged with their loop portions 411 centers 415 spaced apart along the width direction W. In Figure 2, for clarity, the second thread-like member 4b is shown with a dashed line. In this embodiment, the first thread-like member 4a and the second thread-like member 4b adjacent in the depth direction are arranged with their loop portions 41a and 41b centers spaced apart by a length 44 along the width direction W. That is, the second thread-like member 4b is offset from the first thread-like member 4a by a distance of 44 in the width direction W. In this embodiment, the distance 44 between the loop portion 41a of the first filamentous member 4a and the loop portion 41b of the second filamentous member 4b is approximately the same as the size 412 of the loop portion 41. That is, along the depth direction D, the loop portions 41a of the first filamentous member 4a and the loop portions 41b of the second filamentous member 4b are arranged alternately. As a result, multiple loop portions 41 are evenly distributed on the surface 22 of the first layer 2 of the pad 1 in both the width direction W and the depth direction D.

The second layer 6 contains a foamed material. In this embodiment, the second layer 6 is a foamed molded member made of foamed polyurethane. The second layer 6 is molded to be thicker than the first layer 2 and the third layer 8 (described later) in the vertical direction H. In this embodiment, the second layer 6 is formed to be the same size as the first layer 2 in the width direction W and depth direction D. Furthermore, the second layer 6 is formed uniformly in the width direction W and depth direction D with a thickness of approximately 5 mm to 200 mm. However, the thickness of the second layer 6 can be changed to various sizes depending on the application and shape of the pad 1.

The third layer 8 contains a nonwoven fabric material. In this embodiment, the third layer 8 is a nonwoven fabric. The third layer 8 is formed with the same or greater thickness as the first layer 2 in the vertical direction H. The third layer 8 is not limited to this and may also include a metal plate, film, etc. In this embodiment, the third layer 8 is formed to the same size as the first layer 2 and the second layer 6 in the width direction W and depth direction D. Furthermore, the third layer 8 is formed with a thickness of approximately 5 mm and is uniformly formed in the width direction W and depth direction D. However, the thickness of the third layer 8 can be changed to various sizes depending on the application and shape of the pad 1. Also, the third layer 8 may be omitted depending on the application and shape of the pad 1.

Next, we will describe another embodiment of the pad 10 of this disclosure using Figure 3. Note that in this description, only the differences from the pad 1 of the embodiment shown in Figure 2 will be explained.

As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the engaging portion 42 penetrates from the surface 22 to the back surface 21 of the first layer 2, continuously with the loop portion 41, and is exposed to the back surface 21 in multiple stages. In this embodiment, after being exposed to the back surface 21 over a predetermined length 423, the engaging portion 42 folds back inside the first layer 2 and is then exposed to the back surface 21 again over a predetermined length 423. That is, in the embodiment of Figure 2, the engaging portion 42 is exposed to the back surface 21 once over a length 422 for each loop portion 41, whereas in this embodiment, the engaging portion 42 is exposed to the back surface 21 twice over a length 423 for each loop portion 41. In this embodiment, the engaging portion 42 is formed so that its length 423 is approximately 1.5 mm. As a result, the engaging portion 42 is positioned between the back surface 21 of the first layer 2 and the second layer 6, preventing the first layer 2 and the second layer from separating.

Beyond this, the length 423 at which the engaging portion 42 is exposed on the back surface 21 of the first layer 2 can be varied to various sizes depending on the application and shape of the pad 1. Furthermore, the number of times the pad 1 folds inside the first layer 2, i.e., the number of times the engaging portion 42 is exposed on the back surface 21 relative to the loop portion 41, can also be varied to various sizes.

Next, the manufacturing method of the pad 1 in the embodiment of this disclosure will be described using Figure 4. As shown in Figure 4, the manufacturing method M of the pad 1 of this disclosure comprises a loop portion forming step M1, a foam molding step M2, an adhesive step M3, a cutting step M4, and a stacking step M5.

The loop formation step M1 involves preparing a woven fabric member to form the first layer 2, passing the thread-like member 4 through the first layer 2, and forming a loop portion 41 and an engaging portion 42. In this embodiment, the first layer 2 and thread-like member 4 are formed by regularly sewing resin threads into a woven fabric member that has been formed to a predetermined size in the width direction W and depth direction D using a sewing machine. However, the first layer 2 and thread-like member 4 may also be formed by sewing resin threads into the woven fabric member and then cutting it to a predetermined size.

Next, in the foam molding process M2, the foam material is foamed to form the second layer 6. In this embodiment, the second layer 6 is formed by a molding method in which the foam material is poured into a mold formed to a predetermined shape, and the material is foamed and heated inside the mold.

Next, in the bonding step M3, the first layer 2 and the filamentous member 4 formed in the loop formation step M1 are bonded to the second layer 6 formed in the foam molding step M2. That is, in the bonding step M3, the back surface 21 of the first layer 2, which is integrated with the filamentous member 4, is bonded to the second layer 6. In this embodiment, the first layer 2 and the filamentous member 4 are bonded to the pre-formed second layer 6 to form a single unit. Furthermore, a third layer 8, which is a nonwoven fabric, may be bonded to the second layer 6.

The method is not limited to this; for example, the second layer 6 may be formed using a conveyor method, where foaming and heating are performed on a conveyor moving at a predetermined speed. The second layer 6, the first layer 2, and the filamentous member 4 may then be bonded together by arranging them in the foaming material during solidification. In this case, by arranging the first layer 2 with its back surface 21 (where the engaging portion 42 of the filamentous member 4 is exposed) against the foaming material during solidification, the foaming molding process M2 and the bonding process M3 can be completed simultaneously.

In this embodiment, the foam molding process M2 and the bonding process M3 were carried out in steps, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. That is, when forming the second layer 6 by the molding method, the foam molding process M2 and the bonding process M3 may be carried out simultaneously. Also, when forming the second layer 6 by the conveyor method, the foam molding process M2 and the bonding process M3 may be carried out in steps. Furthermore, various methods can be employed in carrying out the foam molding process M2 and the bonding process M3 depending on the application and shape of the pad 1.

Next, in cutting step M4, the integrated first layer 2, thread-like member 4, second layer 6, and third layer 8 are cut to a predetermined size to form the pad 1. In this embodiment, the first layer 2, thread-like member 4, second layer 6, and third layer 8 are cut after they have been integrated; however, the embodiment is not limited to this. The first layer 2 and thread-like member 4, which have been formed to a predetermined size beforehand, may be bonded to the second layer 6, which has been formed or cut to a predetermined size.

Finally, in the loading process M5, at least two pads 1 are placed on top of each other with their loop portions 41 facing each other. That is, in this embodiment, the two pads 1 are loaded in the vertical direction H so that their surfaces 22 face each other. As a result, the tip of the loop portion 41 of one pad 1 is in contact with the surface 22 of the first layer 2 of the other pad 1. At this time, the pads 1 may be stacked offset in the width direction W and depth direction D so that the tips of their loop portions 41 do not come into contact with each other. Therefore, the two pads 1 stacked in the vertical direction H have their loop portions 41 interfere with each other, restricting movement in the width direction W and depth direction D. As a result, it is possible to prevent the two pads 1 from moving or shifting during transport.

In this disclosure, at least two pads 1 are stacked in the vertical direction H, but the invention is not limited to this arrangement; the two pads 1 may also be stacked in the width direction W and the depth direction D.

As described above, this disclosure provides a novel pad and a method for manufacturing the pad.

1 (10): Pad 2: First layer 21: Back surface 22: Front surface 4: Thread-like member 41 (41a, 41b): Loop portion 42: Engaging portion 6: Second layer W: Width direction (first direction) D: Depth direction (second direction)
M: Manufacturing method M1: Loop part forming process M2: Foam molding process M3: Adhesive process M4: Cutting process

Claims (12)

A first layer having a back surface and a surface opposite to the said back surface,
A thread-like member that penetrates the first layer, having a plurality of loop portions protruding from the surface, and at least one engaging portion connecting the plurality of loop portions and at least partially located on the back surface,
A second layer containing foam material and bonded to the back surface,
Equipped with,
pad. The thread-like member includes a resin thread, and the loop portion and the engaging portion are arranged alternately and continuously.
The pad according to claim 1. The filamentous members comprise a plurality of the aforementioned thread-like members,
The thread-like members are arranged in a second direction that intersects the first direction in which the engaging portion and the loop portion are arranged side by side.
The pad according to claim 1 or 2. In the second direction, adjacent thread-like members are arranged such that, when viewed from the second direction, the centers of their respective loop portions are spaced apart along the first direction.
The pad according to claim 3. The thread-like member is continuous from one end to the other of the first layer in the first direction in which the engaging portion and the loop portion are arranged side by side.
The pad according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The process involves passing a filamentous member through a first layer having a back surface and a surface opposite to the back surface, thereby forming a plurality of loop portions protruding from the surface of the first layer, and engaging portions connecting the plurality of loop portions and at least partially positioned on the back surface.
A process of foaming the foam material to form a second layer,
A step of bonding the back surface of the first layer, which is integrated with the filamentous member, to the second layer,
Equipped with,
A method for manufacturing a pad according to claim 1. The process involves arranging at least two pads, each comprising the filamentous member, the first layer, and the second layer, with their loop portions facing each other and overlapping;
Furthermore,
A method for manufacturing a pad according to claim 6. The first layer has a first through hole and a second through hole different from the first through hole,
The loop portion is connected to the first engaging portion in the first through hole and the second engaging portion in the second through hole.
A pad according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The at least one engaging portion comprises a first portion connected to one of the loop portions and exposed on the back surface, and a second portion connected to the other loop portion and exposed on the back surface.
Includes an intermediate portion connected between the first portion and the second portion and located within the first layer.
A pad according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A vibration-damping material comprising a pad according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and 8 to 9. A soundproofing material comprising a pad according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and 8 to 9. A sleeper pad comprising the pad described in any one of claims 1 to 5 and 8 to 9.