JP4638112B2 - Method for producing gel cushion for reducing membrane effect - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for producing a gel cushion which reduces the membrane effect of the type described in European patent application EP 96400277.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As prior art, FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C show the technical problems described in the European patent application EP 96400277 and solved by the invention disclosed therein. FIG. 1A shows a gel cushion 1 having a conventional structure in the shape of a nose pad used for a spectacle frame. The cushion 1 includes a thermoformed thin elastic film 2 and a support pad 3 to which an edge of the film 2 is sealed or bonded. The membrane 2 forms, together with the front surface of the support pad 3, an airtight pocket in which a gel material 4 generally made of silicon gel is enclosed.
[0003]
When the cushion 1 is crushed, especially when the cushion 1 is pressed against the nose, the gel-like substance 4 provides excellent comfort by absorbing the pressure and impact applied to the cushion 1. Yes. However, when the reaction when the cushion 1 is crushed is considered more carefully, the gel material 4 is compressed and the membrane 2 is stretched as the pressure applied to the cushion 1 increases as shown in FIG. 1B. By doing so, it can be seen that the stretching effect of the membrane 2 becomes dominant and the gel effect of the gel-like substance 4 is lost. Such a stretching effect is referred to as “membrane effect” in European Patent Application EP 96400277. Therefore, when the cushion 1 is pressed against the nose, as shown in FIG. 1C, the cushion 1 is crushed by the weight of the spectacle frame, and the membrane effect is more dominant than the gel effect. Such a result clearly impairs comfort.
[0004]
FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a cushion 5 as an example of a gel-like cushion that reduces the membrane effect of the type described in European Patent Application EP 96400277. The cushion 5 does not cause the inconvenience as described above. The cushion 5 includes a flexible film 6 that seals the gel-like substance 7 and a support pad 8 in which an edge of the film 6 is sealed, like the cushion described above. The membrane 6 has at least one fold, here two folds 9, 9 ′ towards the inside of the cushion 5. The creases 9 and 9 ′ form slits on the surface of the cushion 5. The gel-like substance 7 maintains the exact shape of the creases 9, 9 ′. When the cushion 5 is crushed, as shown in FIG. 2B, the membrane 6 is pressed by the compressed gel substance 7, and the folds 9, 9 ′ of the membrane 6 are opened. As described above, when the film 6 is pressed, the folds 9 and 9 'of the film 6 are opened so that the surface of the film 6 is expanded. Therefore, it is possible to extend the moment when the film 6 reaches the stretched state. . Therefore, the reaction when the cushion 5 is crushed is mainly performed by the gel substance 7 as shown by the arrows. At this time, the sensation of the membrane 6 stretching due to the membrane effect has been removed, or at least its occurrence has been prolonged. Such a result significantly improves the comfort provided by the cushion 5.
[0005]
FIG. 3 shows the manufacturing process of the cushion described in the above-mentioned European patent application. In this manufacturing process, first, a thermoforming mold 10 is prepared in which at least one fold, for example, two folds 11, 11 ′ corresponding to the folds 9, 9 ′ of the cushion 5 shown in FIG. To do. Next, the membrane 6 is softened by a heat source and pressed against the bottom of the mold 10 by the suction device 12. The cushion cavity thus formed is filled with a liquid formulation 7 that is polymerized and solidified into a gel. Next, before the liquid formulation 7 is completely polymerized, the support pad 8 described above is placed and the edge of the membrane 6 is sealed to the support pad 8, thereby sealing the cushion 5. And after the cushion 5 is sealed, the liquid compound 7 is completely polymerized, and the manufacturing process of the cushion 5 is completed.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The objective of this invention is providing the manufacturing method which can comprise what replaces the cushion mentioned above as a manufacturing method of the cushion which reduces a membrane effect.
[0007]
Actually, the above-described conventional manufacturing method does not cause any inconvenience in itself. For example, an optimum method according to available manufacturing equipment, operator expertise, manufacturing cost, etc. Is always useful and provides sufficient satisfaction in the industrial field of producing similar products by different methods.
[0008]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a modified form of the cushion that reduces the membrane effect performed so far.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The object is to provide a method for producing a gel cushion for a nose pad of a spectacle frame comprising a gel-like substance at least partially sealed by a membrane, wherein the membrane is thermoformed in a mold And a filling step of filling a liquid composition prepared so as to solidify into a gel after polymerization inside the inside surrounded by the film after thermoforming, and a cushion support member at the edge of the film after thermoforming A sealing step for sealing or adhering the liquid formulation inside the membrane , and a polymerization step for polymerizing the liquid formulation so that the liquid formulation is solidified into a gel-like substance. In the method for producing a gel cushion, the method further comprises a deformation step of deforming the film by applying a deformation force to at least one portion of the film after the thermoforming after the thermoforming step, Said deformation of Is provided after the sealing step and before the liquid formulation is completely solidified, so that at least one recess or undulation is permanently retained on the surface of the membrane. Is achieved.
[0010]
According to one embodiment, the deformation step is performed before the filling step , while the film after thermoforming is located in the mold, wherein a part of the film is completely removed from the mold. drawn away in, it intends lines by other portions of the film exerts a deforming force to the at least one portion of the film to be retained by suction.
[0011]
According to an embodiment, the deformation step is performed by a mold means having at least one movable part that moves toward the inside of the mold so as to apply the deformation force to the film.
[0012]
According to an embodiment, the mold is formed of a member having flexibility and elasticity, and is provided so that the film is deformed by the deformation of the mold, and the deformation step includes: Before the filling step, while the film after thermoforming is located in the mold, a deformation force is applied to at least one part of the mold so as to completely deform the mold. It intends row by.
[0013]
According to one embodiment, the deforming step of the film, or after the said sealing step, and Oite while the liquid formulation is polymerized, adding deformation force on at least one portion of said film There line by, after which the liquid formulation is polymerized, the shape of the membrane by the shape retaining effect of the gel-like substance Ru is finally formed.
[0014]
According to one embodiment, the deforming force is obtained by thermoforming a member having at least one convex portion provided on the surface so as to leave a mark on the surface of the film when the polymerization step is completed. It is obtained by pressing against the surface of the membrane .
[0015]
According to one embodiment, the thickness of the cushion support member is provided to be greater than the thickness of the membrane, and the edge of the membrane is relative to one surface of the cushion support member on the gel-like substance side. The cushion support member was sealed so as to form an angle between 1 ° and 90 °.
[0016]
The present invention also relates to a gel-like cushions which are manufactured by the manufacturing method described above.
[0017]
According to one embodiment, the membrane has a predetermined shape formed by imprints.
[0018]
According to an embodiment, the edge of the cushion support member has an angle between 1 ° and 90 ° with respect to one surface of the cushion support member on the gel-like substance side. It was sealed to the part.
[0019]
According to one embodiment, the membrane comprises a polyurethane film.
[0020]
According to one embodiment, the membrane comprises two flexible films juxtaposed.
[0021]
According to one embodiment, the gel material comprises silicon gel.
[0022]
According to an embodiment, the one side of the cushion support member on the side of the gel material is provided with a mark that is enlarged by the expansion effect of the gel material enclosed between the membrane and the cushion support member. .
[0023]
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention relate to the following drawings in the following description of two embodiments of a manufacturing method according to the present invention and a cushion effect which reduces the membrane effect produced by the manufacturing method. Will be described in more detail.
[0024]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
4A to 4D show the main steps of the method for manufacturing a gel cushion for reducing the membrane effect according to the present invention.
[0025]
In the first manufacturing process, the flexible film 20 is thermoformed in a conventional porous mold 30 having a gently curved shape without a fold. The film 30 is made of, for example, a polyurethane film having a thickness of several tenths of a micrometer. As a variant, the membrane 30 is constituted by two thin polyurethane films (not shown) superimposed. The mold 30 is provided integrally with a frame 31 having a suction chamber 32. The suction chamber 32 is connected to the pump device 33. Thermoforming is performed in the presence of a heat source such as infrared IR. By operating the pump device 33, the membrane 20 is sucked and pressed against the bottom of the mold 30 to form a cushion cavity 40 that matches the shape of the mold.
[0026]
And according to the present invention, the membrane 20 is deformed at at least one location on the surface so as to reduce the volume of the cushion cavity 40. For this purpose, the mold 30 is provided with at least one deformable region. As shown in FIG. 4B, this deformable region is constituted by a movable portion 34 slidably provided in the frame 31. The upper end of the movable part 34 is exposed inside the mold 30.
[0027]
Therefore, in the process shown in FIG. 4B, suction is maintained and the movable portion 34 is pushed toward the center of the mold. The upper end of the movable part 34 constitutes a convex part that presses the film 20 to separate a part of the film 20 from the mold 30. The other part of the membrane remains pressed against the mold 30 by suction. When the cushion cavity 40 is filled with a polymerizable liquid formulation 21 having two or three components, the deformation force applied to the membrane 20 is maintained. The liquid formulation 21 preferably consists of a silicone based formulation.
[0028]
In the process shown in FIG. 4C, when the cushion cavity 40 is sealed by the pad 22 made of plastic, the deformation force applied to the membrane 20 is maintained as it is. From now on, the pad 22 constitutes a support pad for the cushion 40. The pad 22 is pressed against the corner of the thermoforming cavity so that it contacts the edge of the membrane 20. The edge of the membrane 20 is sealed to the pad 22 by a conventional method using a flat annular resistor 35. The resistor 35 is embedded in the mold 30 so as to be positioned at the corner of the thermoforming cavity. The resistor 35 is connected to a power source 36 that supplies a current I so that the temperature reaches 200 ° in a very short time. In this sealing process, a considerably large pressing force is applied to the support pad 22 so as to extrude the liquid composition 21 located between the membrane 20 and the pad 22.
[0029]
According to the present invention, the deformation force applied to the membrane 20 by the movable part 34 is released after the cushion 40 is sealed and before the liquid formulation 21 is completely polymerized. The shape of the cushion 40 which appears after being released from the pressure, for information only and not intended to be limiting, is shown an example in FIG. 4D. Since this shape is a result of the balance between the surface tension to be restored to the initial shape applied by thermoforming applied to the membrane 20 and the internal pressure in the cushion 40, it becomes a random shape and can be clearly described. Can not. In fact, it without the liquid formulation 21 is widened, nor fall within the cushion 40 air is sealed. The shape of the cushion 40 having at least one recess or undulation is fixed to the final shape by polymerizing (crosslinking) the liquid compound 21 at room temperature or in a heater.
[0030]
The shape of the cushion 40 with such at least one recess or undulation so as to perform the same function as the shape of the cushion with at least one fold forming a slit as described in European Patent Application EP 96400277 It has become. Actually, when the cushion is crushed, the surface of the membrane 20 expands, so that the occurrence of the membrane effect can be postponed accordingly.
[0031]
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other variations and embodiments are possible in the manufacturing method described above. In particular, the mold 30 may include, for example, two movable parts arranged in the vicinity of the corners of the thermoforming cavity as the plurality of movable parts constituting the convex part. According to another variation, the mold 30 may be formed of a flexible elastic material. In this case, the mold is deformed by applying a deformation force directly to the bottom of the mold, and at the same time, the film is deformed. Further, the mold returns to the initial shape by releasing the deformation force. Furthermore, you may comprise so that a deformation | transformation force may be applied by the means to spray compressed air to a film | membrane through the at least 1 hole formed in the metal mold | die, or the means to spray compressed air to a deformable metal mold | die.
[0032]
5A to 5C show a manufacturing method according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Here, the cushion 50 manufactured by a conventional method comprises a thermoformed membrane 51, a liquid composition 52 that has not yet been polymerized, and a support pad 53. The surface of the cushion 50 is pressed against the structural member 55 as the cushion 50 moves relative to the structural member 55 before the liquid formulation 52 is fully polymerized, as shown in FIG. 5A. The structural member 55 includes a substantially flat surface and at least one portion constituting the convex portion 56.
[0033]
As shown in FIG. 5B, the portion constituting the convex portion 56 deforms the cushion film 51. When the liquid compound 52 is polymerized, the structural member 55 presses the cushion 50. When the polymerization is completed, the film 51 has at least one recess or undulation formed by the imprint of the portion constituting the protrusion 56, as shown in FIG. 5C. This shape becomes the final shape due to the shape retention effect of the gel substance 52. Also, even after being crushed for a long time, it always returns to this shape. This shape makes it possible to reduce the membrane effect because the membrane 51 spreads when crushed like the cushion described above.
[0034]
Unlike the manufacturing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention, since the deforming force is applied after the cushion 50 is sealed, the membrane is deformed with a constant volume. . Since the liquid formulation 52 cannot be compressed, the volume of the cushion cannot be reduced. Thus, the two manufacturing steps described above are similar in that they comprise a step of elastically deforming the cushion membrane after the membrane has been thermoformed and before the liquid formulation is fully polymerized. It has characteristics. Also, in the first case, the deformation is performed before the liquid composition is filled, and in the second case, the deformation is performed after the liquid composition is filled and after the cushion is sealed. There is a difference that is done.
[0035]
In the manufacturing method according to the second embodiment of the present invention, other modifications are possible. For example, you may comprise so that a deformation | transformation of a cushion may be performed by the means which consists of the movable part 34 of the metal mold | die 30 mentioned above. In this case, after the cushion is sealed by the means including the support pad, the movable portion 34 presses the membrane, but the step of deforming is performed by the step shown in FIG. 4C. In this case, polymerization is performed in a mold. Furthermore, the structural member 55 shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B may include a plurality of convex portions having small or large dimensions, for example, may include a plurality of convex portions provided in a sawtooth shape. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 6, you may comprise so that the deformation | transformation of the film | membrane 61 of the cushion 60 provided with the liquid compound 62 which is not superposed | polymerized may be performed by the means which consists of the mesh-shaped member 65. FIG. When the polymerization is completed, the mesh-like member 65 leaves a mark on the cushion 60. The cushion 60 has a shape including a plurality of undulations.
[0036]
In general, it will be appreciated that the manufacturing process described above is useful for manufacturing a plurality of cushions together, particularly for mold equipment with a plurality of thermoforming cavities. In this case, a plurality of cushions can be connected and manufactured by using a means consisting of one large support pad divided into a plurality of support pads. One large support pad is divided into a plurality of support pads by punching, for example.
[0037]
FIG. 7 shows a cushion 70 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cushion 70 is different from the cushion described above in that the edge of the membrane 72 is sealed. The edge of the film 72 is sealed to the support pad 71 so as to form an angle “A” different from 0 ° with respect to one surface of the support pad 71 on the gel-like substance side. For this configuration, the film 72 is sealed around the periphery of the support pad 71 provided obliquely so as to form an angle “A”. In practice, the angle “A” can be between 1 ° and 90 ° (so as to seal on a straight side). The case where the angle “A” is 0 ° corresponds to the case where the angle “A” is sealed on one plane like the above-described cushion.
[0038]
Yet another improvement contemplated by the applicant relates to the mark on the gel cushion. The purpose of this mark is to form serial numbers, trademarks, decorative initials or other words, logos or designs that need to be displayed on the cushion, etc. The mark may be formed on the cushion film by means of a non-destructive method such as an inkjet printing method. However, this method results in a fine finish and is expensive to implement.
[0039]
An improved aspect of the present invention is to form a mark, for example the letter “xyz”, inside the cushion support pad 79 before the membrane is sealed to the support pad, as shown in FIG. 8A. In most cases, especially in the case of a nose pad, the support pad 79 is thicker and stronger than the membrane, so that a grinding process such as laser machining can be used. When the cushion 80 is completed, as shown in FIG. 8B, the mark is enlarged due to the expansion effect of the translucent gel-like substance 81 enclosed between the support pad 79 and the membrane. The initial mark (xyz) appears enlarged to (XYZ) as shown in FIG. 8B.
[Brief description of the drawings]
1A, 1B and 1C show a conventional shock absorbing cushion.
2A and 2B are cross-sectional views of conventional cushions that reduce the membrane effect.
FIG. 3 shows a conventional cushion manufacturing process that reduces the membrane effect.
4A to 4D show a manufacturing process of a cushion for reducing the membrane effect according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
5A to 5C show a manufacturing process of a cushion for reducing the membrane effect according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 shows a modification of the manufacturing process according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 shows a gel cushion according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8A and 8B illustrate the features of the cushion according to the present invention.

Claims (13)

Gel cushion (40, 50, 60, 70) for a nose pad of an eyeglass frame comprising a gel material (21, 52, 62) at least partially sealed by a membrane (20, 51, 61, 72) A manufacturing method of
A thermoforming step of thermoforming the film in a mold (30);
A filling step of filling the liquid composition (21, 52, 62) prepared so as to be solidified into a gel after polymerization inside the film surrounded by the film after thermoforming;
A sealing step for sealing or adhering a cushion support member (22, 53, 63, 71) to an edge of the membrane after thermoforming, thereby sealing the liquid composition inside the membrane;
In a method for producing a gel cushion, comprising: a polymerization step of polymerizing the liquid formulation so that the liquid formulation is solidified into a gel material.
After the thermoforming step, the method further includes a deformation step of deforming the film by applying a deformation force to at least one portion of the film after thermoforming (FIGS. 4B, 5B, and 6).
The deforming force of the deforming step is released after the sealing step and before the liquid formulation is completely solidified to permanently retain at least one recess or undulation on the surface of the membrane The manufacturing method characterized by making it do.   In the deformation step, before the filling step, while the film (20) after thermoforming is located in the mold, a part of the film is completely separated from the mold, The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein a deforming force is applied to at least one portion of the film so that the other part of the film is held by the mold by suction.   The deformation step is performed by a mold means having at least one movable part (34) that moves toward the inside of the mold so as to apply the deformation force to the film (20). The manufacturing method according to claim 2. The mold is formed by a member having flexibility and elasticity, and is provided such that the film is deformed by the deformation of the mold.
The deformation step includes at least one location of the mold so that the mold is completely deformed while the film after thermoforming is located in the mold before the filling step. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the method is performed by applying a deformation force.   The deformation step of the membrane (51, 61) applies a deformation force to at least one location of the membrane after the sealing step and while the liquid formulation (52, 62) is polymerized. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein after the liquid compound is polymerized, the shape of the film is finally formed by the shape retention effect of the gel substance.   The deformation force is obtained by thermoforming a member (55, 65) having at least one convex portion (56, 65) provided on the surface so as to leave a mark on the surface of the film when the polymerization step is completed. The manufacturing method according to claim 5, wherein the manufacturing method is obtained by pressing against a surface of the film afterwards. The cushion support member (71) has a thickness greater than the thickness of the membrane,
The edge of the membrane (72) forms an angle (“A”) between 1 ° and 90 ° with respect to one surface of the cushion support member on the gel-like substance side. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the manufacturing method is sealed. Gel cushion (40,50,60,7 0) produced by the production method according to any of claims 1 to 7.   The edge of the membrane (72) forms an angle ("A") between 1 ° and 90 ° with respect to one surface of the cushion support member on the gel-like substance side ("A"). 71. Cushion (70) according to claim 8, sealed at both ends of 71), wherein both ends of the cushion support member have the same angle ("A").   The cushion according to claim 8, wherein the membrane is made of a polyurethane film.   The cushion according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the membrane includes two flexible films juxtaposed.   The cushion according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the gel substance is made of silicon gel.   Enlarging ("XYZ") on one surface of the cushion support member (79) on the gel-like substance side due to the enlargement effect of the gel-like substance (81) enclosed between the membrane and the cushion support member (79) Cushion (80) according to any of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that it is provided with a mark ("xyz").

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