US 12,246,483 B1
Self-rising board molding
Andrea Piana, Cartersville, GA (US); Andy Hollis, Cartersville, GA (US); Mehran Jafari, Cartersville, GA (US); Helias Andriessen, Cartersville, GA (US); Sang-hoon Lim, Cartersville, GA (US); and Eric McCann, Cartersville, GA (US)
Assigned to Piana Nonwovens LLC, Cartersville, GA (US)
Filed by PIANA NONWOVENS, LLC., Cartersvile, GA (US)
Filed on Jul. 30, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/788,861.
Application 18/788,861 is a continuation of application No. 18/644,909, filed on Apr. 24, 2024.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B29C 61/04 (2006.01); B29C 61/06 (2006.01); B32B 5/02 (2006.01); B32B 5/26 (2006.01); B29K 105/08 (2006.01); B29K 221/00 (2006.01); B29K 267/00 (2006.01); B29L 31/00 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 61/0658 (2013.01) [B29C 61/04 (2013.01); B32B 5/022 (2013.01); B32B 5/266 (2021.05); B29C 2793/0081 (2013.01); B29K 2105/0854 (2013.01); B29K 2221/003 (2013.01); B29K 2267/003 (2013.01); B29L 2031/771 (2013.01); B32B 2250/20 (2013.01); B32B 2262/0207 (2013.01); B32B 2262/0253 (2013.01); B32B 2262/0284 (2013.01); B32B 2262/16 (2021.05); B32B 2479/00 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of manufacturing a three dimensional object, comprising
placing in a mold one or more layers of nonwoven formed from a mixture of fibers comprising staple fibers, and one or more of binder fibers and bicomponent fibers,
wherein the nonwoven is configured in a vertically lapped configuration,
wherein at least some staple fibers of the nonwoven are joined together by binder material from the one or more of binder fibers or bicomponent fibers,
wherein the binder material has a melting temperature below a melting or decomposition temperature of the staple fibers,
wherein the nonwoven is present in a compressed state having first height, first length, and first width dimensions, wherein at least one of the first height, first length, and first width dimensions is or are smaller than a second height, a second length, and a second width dimension that the nonwoven would have in an uncompressed state;
steam heating the one or more layers such that the one or more layers expand in one or more dimensions to fill or at least partially fill the mold;
cooling the one or more layers after they are in an expanded state inside the mold from steam heating.