Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
  • A47C31/00—Details or accessories for chairs, beds, or the like, not provided for in other groups of this subclass, e.g. upholstery fasteners, mattress protectors, stretching devices for mattress nets
  • A47C31/001—Fireproof means
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
  • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
  • D04H1/40—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties
  • D04H1/54—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties by welding together the fibres, e.g. by partially melting or dissolving
  • D04H1/541—Composite fibres, e.g. sheath-core, sea-island or side-by-side; Mixed fibres
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
  • A47C27/00—Spring, stuffed or fluid mattresses or cushions specially adapted for chairs, beds or sofas
  • A47C27/12—Spring, stuffed or fluid mattresses or cushions specially adapted for chairs, beds or sofas with fibrous inlays, e.g. made of wool, of cotton
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
  • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
  • D04H1/02—Cotton wool; Wadding
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D04—BRAIDING; LACE-MAKING; KNITTING; TRIMMINGS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS
  • D04H—MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING ; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION
  • D04H1/00—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres
  • D04H1/40—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties
  • D04H1/54—Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres from fleeces or layers composed of fibres without existing or potential cohesive properties by welding together the fibres, e.g. by partially melting or dissolving
  • D04H1/541—Composite fibres, e.g. sheath-core, sea-island or side-by-side; Mixed fibres
  • D04H1/5418—Mixed fibres, e.g. at least two chemically different fibres or fibre blends

Definitions

• Textile fibre webs are widely used for bed mattress fillings to provide a structure which is both comfortable and resilient. To comply with fire safety requirements, the characteristics of the filling material must ensure resistance to smouldering and flaming ignition.
• bed mattress fillings are produced either from a polyester staple fibre or from a cellulosic, usually cotton, fibre.
• Polyester-based mattress fillings demonstrate good load bearing characteristics and are non-ignitable with smouldering cigarette and small flaming ignition sources. However, such fillings have a tendency to melt under the influence of an ignition source and thus may expose lower layers of the filling assembly to ignition.
• Cotton based fillings have reduced load bearing characteristics but show an ability to absorb moisture (perspiration) and thereby provide a more comfortable sleeping surface. When subjected to an ignition source, cotton will char to form a protective barrier, but progressive smouldering of the cotton occurs. Conventionally, cotton materials are chemically treated to prevent smoulder and a common method is to apply approximately 10% by weight of boric acid powder.
• An object of the present invention is to provide a blend of textile fibres for a bed mattress filling which improves fire safety performance without the need to apply fire-retardant chemicals but yet provides the comfort and load bearing characteristics of cellulosic and polymeric fibres.
• a bed mattress fibre filling material including a blend of cellulosic fibre and a polymeric fibre having a melting temperature lower than its temperature of decomposition; characterised in that the cellulosic fibre represents between 45% and 65% of the blend and the polymeric fibre represents between 35% and 55% of the blend.
• the invention includes a bed mattress having a fibre filling as aforesaid.
• the cellulosic fibre represents between 50% and 65% of the blend and the polymeric fibre represents between 35% and 50% of the blend.
• a textile fibre web for use as a bed mattress filling material comprises a blend of polyester and cotton fibres.
• the web of fibres may be formed by any standard web forming technique for example carding and cross laying, air laying, straight laying, and may be provided as a non-bonded web, a chemically bonded web, a thermally bonded web or a mechanically bonded web, for example by needling.
• Cotton rich blends are prone to smouldering ignition and polyester rich blends are prone to flaming ignition.
• a range of blend proportions is provided wherein smouldering ignition is prevented by polyester additions and flaming ignition is prevented by cotton additions. In broad terms this range is represented by between 45% and 65% cotton and between 35% and 55% polyester with the preferred range being from 50% to 65% cotton and from 35% to 50% polyester.
• the polyester fibres are typically 1.7 dtex to 50 dtex with a staple length of between 25mm and 100mm.
• the product weight range is typically from 50grams per square metre to 4,000 grams per square metre depending upon the intended use. For example, a lightweight filling at 300 grams per square metre may be used to provide a protective fire resistant cover or layer superimposed on less fire resistant materials where a web of 1,500 grams per square metre may be used.
• the product had a weight of 1200 g/m 2 and a thickness of approximately 60mm making it ideally suited for use as a bed mattress filling material.
• the increased bulk (thickness) and the increased support demonstrate a significant increase in filling performance of the example product.
• a bed mattress comprising a non-fire retardant insulator pad and the example product as a filling gave the following results when tested for ignitability. Fillings assembly UK - Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations schedule 2 part 4 no ignition Bed Mattress BS EN 597 - 1 (cigarette test) no ignition BS EN 597 - 2 (match test) no ignition BS6807 ignition source 5 no ignition BS 7177 Low hazard (including ignition source (0/NS) no ignition
• a blend of fibres of composition Polyester 7 dtex 60mm 35% Cotton 65% was formed into a non-bonded web by carding and cross lapping. The web was layered on to a paper carrier to assist handling. The non-bonded web had a weight of 300g/m 2 .
• the example product was used as the top layer in a bed mattress filling assembly and imparted non-ignitable properties to the fillings assembly and to the bed mattress as follows.
• BS EN 597 - 1 (cigarette test)
• BS EN 597 - 2 (match test)
• no ignition BS 6807 ignition source 5 no ignition BS 7177 low hazard (including ignition source 0/NS no ignition
• the filling may contain additional components representing no more than 20% of the overall blend.
• additional components representing no more than 20% of the overall blend. Examples are wool, PVC and some acrylics having a melting temperature greater than their temperature of decomposition. Such additional components could enhance the fire retardant properties of the product.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Mattresses And Other Support Structures For Chairs And Beds (AREA)
• Nonwoven Fabrics (AREA)
• Laminated Bodies (AREA)
• Bedding Items (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (3)

Family

ID=9902436

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (2)

Family Cites Families (11)

• 2000
  • 2000-11-02 GB GBGB0026804.5A patent/GB0026804D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2001
  • 2001-11-02 EP EP01309328A patent/EP1203546B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-11-02 DE DE60119661T patent/DE60119661D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-11-02 ES ES01309328T patent/ES2264963T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-11-02 AT AT01309328T patent/ATE326156T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2001-11-02 GB GB0126376A patent/GB2369127C2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime

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