Process for producing laminated resin foam

Claim 2

A process for producing a laminated product having at least two integrally bonded, vertically spaced resin foam layers in a mold cavity comprising the steps of: dividing said mold cavity at one end thereof by a partition into two vertically spaced spaces that both communicate longitudinally with the remainder of the mold cavity; supplying a first foamable resin liquid to a first of said spaces; supplying a second foamable resin liquid to a second of said spaces; establishing expansion of said first and second foamable resin liquids initially separately in said spaces into the respective of said layers; and thereafter, directing the expansion of said first and second resin liquids by said partition longitudinally from said spaces into the remainder of said mold cavity to place the layers produced by said liquids into mutual bonded contiguity until said mold cavity is filled.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 including the step of curing the molded product.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 in which said second space that receives said second foamable resin liquid is above that receiving said first foamable resin liquid and including the step of expanding said foamable resin liquids into said remainder of said mold cavity to place the layer produced by said second foamable resin liquid into mutual bonded contiguity with the upper surface of the layer produced by said first foamable resin liquid.

Claim 5

The process of claim 3 in which the foam layered formed by said second foamable liquid resin is less flexible than that formed by said first foamable liquid resin.

Claim 6

The process of claim 4 including the step of dividing the flow of said second foamable liquid resin and directing it along three discrete paths contiguous with said layer formed by said first foamable liquid resin along the top and opposite sides thereof.

Claim 7

The process of claim 1 including the step of wetting substantially the entire bottom surface of said mold cavity with said first foamable resin liquid prior to causing said first and second foamable resin liquids to expand.

Claim 8

The process of claim 6 in which the surface of said mold cavity is wetted by supplying said first foamable resin liquid to said mold cavity at a location remote from said first space and causing it to flow by gravity along the surface of said mold cavity from said remote location to said first space.

Claim 9

The process of claim 7 including the step of obstructing the flow of said first foamable resin liquid between said remote location and said first space to retain an increased amount of said first foamable resin liquid in the region of said remote location when expansion of said foamable resin liquids is initiated.

Claim 10

The process of claim 8 including the step of covering said mold cavity surface with a surface skin prior to supplying said first foamable resin liquid to said remote location whereby said surface skin is wetted by said first foamable resin liquid in flowing from said remote location to said first space.

Claim 11

The process of claim 9 including the step of evacuating gas from the region of said mold cavity between said mold cavity surface and said surface skin to conform said surface skin tightly with said mold cavity surface.

Claim 12

The process of claim 2 in which said partition is inflatable and including the step of maintaining said partition inflated at least during the expansion of said first and second foamable resin liquids and during the curing thereof and, thereafter, deflating said partition for removal from said product.

Claim 13

A process for producing a composite product having a laminated central section containing at least two layers of integrally bonded resin foam materials of different characteristic properties and oppositely spaced side sections formed of one of said resin foam materials in a mold cavity having a central region for the formation of said laminated central section and grooves in lateral oppositely spaced relation to said central region for the formation of said oppositely spaced side sections, comprising the steps of: dividing said mold cavity in said central region at one end thereof by a partition into two vertically spaced, laterally extending spaces that communicate with the remainder of said mold cavity; supplying a first foamable resin liquid to a first space in said central region of said mold cavity; supplying a second foamable resin liquid to a second space in said central region of said mold cavity; diverting part of said second foamable resin liquid from said second space in said mold cavity into each of said grooves; and directing the expansion of said first and second foamable resin liquids in said spaces into laterally extending layers initially separately and, thereafter, outwardly from said spaces into mutual, bonded contiguity and into bonded contiguity with the diverted part of said second foamable resin liquid expanded from said grooves until said mold cavity is filled, whereby said central section of said product contains bonded laminated layers of said first and second foamable resin liquid and said side sections are formed by the expanded second foamable resin liquid and are bonded to said layers of said central section.

Claim 14

A process for producing a composite product having a laminated central section containing at least two layers of integrally bonded resin foam materials of different characteristic properties and oppositely spaced side sections formed of one of said resin foam materials in a mold cavity having a central region for the formation of said laminated central section and grooves in lateral oppositely spaced relation to said central region for the formation of said oppositely spaced side sections, comprising the steps of: dividing said mold cavity in said central region at one end thereof by a partition into two vertically spaced, laterally extending spaces that communicate with the remainder of said mold cavity; supplying a first foamable resin liquid to a first space in said central region of said mold cavity; supplying a second foamable resin liquid to a second space in said central region of said mold cavity; diverting part of said second foamable resin liquid from said second space in said mold cavity into each of said grooves; and directing the expansion of said first and second foamable resin liquids in said spaces into laterally extending layers initially separately and, thereafter, outwardly from said spaces into mutual, bonded contiguity and into bonded contiguity with the diverted part of said second foamable resin liquid expanded from said grooves until said mold cavity is filled, whereby said central section of said product contains bonded laminated layers of said first and second foamable resin liquid and said side sections are formed by the expanded second foamable resin liquid and are bonded to said layers of said central section.

Claim 15

The process of claim 12 including the step of curing the molded product.

Claim 16

The process of claim 13 in which the expansion of said second foamable resin liquid places a layer produced thereby in overlying bonded contact with the layer produced by said first foamable resin liquid in said central region of said mold cavity and side sections bonded to said layers on laterally spaced sides thereof.

Claim 17

The process of claim 14 in which the expanded product of said second foamable resin liquid is less flexible than that of said first foamable resin liquid.

Claim 18

The process of claim 15 including the step of wetting substantially the entire bottom surface of the central region of said mold cavity with said first foamable resin liquid prior to causing said first and second foamable resin liquids to expand.

Claim 19

The process of claim 16 in which said bottom surface of said central region of said mold cavity is wetted by supplying said first foamable resin liquid to said bottom surface of said mold cavity at a location remote from said first space and causing it to flow by gravity from said remote location to said first space.

Claim 20

The process of claim 17 including the step of obstructing the flow of said first foamable resin liquid between said remote location and said first space to retain an increased amount of said first foamable resin liquid in the region of said remote location when expansion of said foamable resin liquids is initiated.