摘要：
A cover layer (23) of a fleece material for an innerspring unit (20) comprising a plurality of pocketed springs (29) is manufactured by supplying at least two longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25), which extend substantially parallel in a longitudinal direction and are spaced from one another, and repeatedly attaching a transverse fleece web (26, 27), which extends between the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, to the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25). The transverse fleece web segments (26, 27) are attached to the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) such that they form together with the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) a framelike structure (21) serving as the cover layer (23).
权利要求：
We claim: 1. A method of manufacturing a cover layer of a fleece material for an innerspring unit, comprising the steps of: supplying at least two longitudinal fleece webs with a supply device such that they extend substantially parallel in a longitudinal direction and are spaced from one another; and repeatedly attaching with an attachment device a transverse fleece web to the longitudinal fleece webs such that it extends between the longitudinal fleece webs in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the transverse fleece web attached to the longitudinal fleece webs forming together with the longitudinal fleece webs a frame-like structure serving as the cover layer, wherein the method is carried out as a fully automated process in an innerspring unit assembly machine.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: supplying the longitudinal fleece webs as endless longitudinal fleece webs, and repeatedly cutting the longitudinal fleece webs to repeatedly obtain a frame- like structure formed by two segments of the two longitudinal fleece webs and two successive transverse fleece webs attached to the two segments of the longitudinal fleece webs.
3. The method of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the step of attaching the transverse fleece web comprises welding the transverse fleece web to each of the longitudinal fleece webs.
4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the step of repeatedly attaching the transverse fleece web is carried out while the longitudinal fleece webs are conveyed in the longitudinal direction by a respective conveying device. - 15 -
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of repeatedly attaching the transverse fleece web comprises the following steps repeatedly performed for each transverse fleece web of the frame-like structure: holding the transverse fleece web with a holding device and positioning the transverse fleece web with the holding device at the longitudinal fleece webs; attaching the transverse fleece web adjacent to a first transverse edge of the transverse fleece web to the longitudinal fleece webs; releasing the holding device so that the transverse fleece web attached to the longitudinal fleece webs is conveyed together with the longitudinal fleece webs; cutting the transverse fleece web to a desired width in the longitudinal direction to obtain a second transverse edge of the transverse fleece web; and attaching the transverse fleece web adjacent to the second transverse edge to the longitudinal fleece webs.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising activating the holding device to hold the transverse fleece web before the step of cutting.
7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising supplying a fleece material from a storage device and repeatedly cutting the fleece material to obtain the transverse fleece web.
8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the cover layer of the fleece material is manufactured as the frame- like structure comprising a closed edge area where fleece material of the longitudinal fleece webs or fleece material of the transverse fleece web is present and a middle area surrounded by the edge area, where no fleece material is present.
9. A method of manufacturing an innerspring unit comprising a plurality of pocketed springs, comprising the steps of: manufacturing a cover layer of a fleece material according to the method of any one of claims 1-7; and attaching the cover layer to a surface of a body comprising the plurality of pocketed springs to form the innerspring unit. - 16 -
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of manufacturing the cover layer is carried out at a first automated station of an innerspring unit assembly machine; and wherein the step of attaching the cover layer to the body comprising the plurality of pocketed springs is carried out at a second automated station of the innerspring unit assembly machine.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first automated station and the second automated station are located apart from one another; and wherein the method further comprises conveying the cover layer by means of a conveying device conveying the longitudinal fleece webs from the first station to the second station.
12. The method of any one of claims 9 to 11, further comprising: manufacturing a first cover layer and a second cover layer; and attaching the first cover layer to a top surface of the body comprising the plurality of pocketed springs and the second cover layer to a bottom surface of the body comprising the plurality of pocketed springs.
13. An apparatus for manufacturing a cover layer of a fleece material for an innerspring unit, comprising: a supply device for supplying at least two longitudinal fleece webs such that they extend substantially parallel in a longitudinal direction and are spaced from one another; and an attachment device for repeatedly attaching a transverse fleece web, which extends between the longitudinal fleece webs in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, to the longitudinal fleece webs, the transverse fleece web attached to the longitudinal fleece webs forming together with the longitudinal fleece webs a frame-like structure serving as the cover layer.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the supply device is configured to supply the longitudinal fleece webs as endless longitudinal fleece webs, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a cutting device for repeatedly cutting the longitudinal fleece webs to repeatedly obtain a frame-like structure formed by two segments of the two longitudinal fleece webs and two successive transverse fleece webs attached to the two segments of the longitudinal fleece webs.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 or claim 14, wherein the attachment device comprises a welding device for welding the transverse fleece web to each of the longitudinal fleece webs.
16. The apparatus of any one of claims 13 to 15, further comprising a conveying device for conveying the longitudinal fleece webs in the longitudinal direction, wherein the attachment device is configured to repeatedly attach the transverse fleece web to the longitudinal fleece webs while the longitudinal fleece webs are conveyed by the respective conveying device.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the attachment device comprises: a holding device for holding the transverse fleece web and positioning the transverse fleece web with the holding device at the longitudinal fleece webs; an attachment unit for attaching the transverse fleece web adjacent to a first transverse edge of the transverse fleece web to the longitudinal fleece webs; a control unit for releasing the holding device so that the transverse fleece web attached to the longitudinal fleece webs is conveyed together with the longitudinal fleece webs; and a cutting device for cutting the transverse fleece web to a desired width in the longitudinal direction to obtain a second transverse edge of the transverse fleece web; and wherein the attachment unit is also provided for attaching the transverse fleece web adjacent to the second transverse edge to the longitudinal fleece webs.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the control unit is configured to activate the holding device again to hold the transverse fleece web after it has been conveyed together with the longitudinal fleece webs and before the transverse fleece web is cut by the cutting device.
19. The apparatus of any one of claims 13 to 18, further comprising a storage device for supplying a fleece material and a cutting device for repeatedly cutting the fleece material to obtain the transverse fleece web.
20. The apparatus of any one of claims 13 to 19, further comprising a control unit to control the apparatus to manufacture the cover layer in a fully automated process.
21. The apparatus of any one of claims 13 to 20, wherein the apparatus is configured to manufacture the cover layer of the fleece material as the frame-like structure comprising a closed edge area where fleece material of the longitudinal fleece webs or the transverse fleece web is present and a middle area surrounded by the edge area, where no fleece material is present.
22. An innerspring unit assembly machine, comprising the apparatus of any one of claims 13 to 21 for manufacturing the cover layer; and a station for attaching the cover layer to a surface of a body comprising a plurality of pocketed springs to form an innerspring unit.
23. The innerspring unit assembly machine of claim 22, wherein the apparatus and the station are located apart from one another; and wherein the innerspring unit assembly machine comprises a conveying device for conveying the cover layer from the apparatus to the station by conveying the longitudinal fleece webs.