Three dimensional surface shaping of synthetic foam pads by continuous rotary process

摘要

Three-dimensionally shaped synthetic foam surfaces are made by pressing an originally plane surface (26) of a foam slab (20) against a die (12) having raised die portions (28) corresponding to desired raised portions (42) on the shaped surface separated by die depressions (30) corresponding to desired depressions (48) on the shaped surface, with sufficient force to extrude portions of the slab (20) into the die depressions (30), and cutting away the portions while so extruded. The method may be practiced as a continuous rotary process by compressing foam between a die roller (12) and a pressure roller (14) and slicing away the extruded portions along a plane tangent to the die roller (12).