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：
C LA I M S
1 . A method of manufacturing a cover layer (23) of a fleece material for an innerspring unit (20), comprising the steps of:
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 (26-28), which extends between the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longi- tudinal direction, to the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25), the transverse fleece web (26-28) attached to the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) forming together with the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) a frame-like structure serving as the cover layer (23).
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
supplying the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) as endless longitudinal fleece webs, and
repeatedly cutting the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) to repeatedly obtain a frame-like structure formed by two segments of the two longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) and two successive transverse fleece webs (26-28) attached to the two segments of the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25).
3. The method of claim 1 or claim 2,
wherein the step of attaching the transverse fleece web (26-28) comprises welding the transverse fleece web (26-28) to each of the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25).
4. The method any one of claims 1 -3,
wherein the step of repeatedly attaching the transverse fleece web (26-28) is carried out while the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) are conveyed in the longitudinal direction by a respective conveying device (8).
5. The method of claim 4,
wherein the step of repeatedly attaching the transverse fleece web (26-28) comprises the following steps repeatedly performed for each transverse fleece web (26- 28) of the frame-like structure:
holding the transverse fleece web (26-28) with a holding device (1 -3) and positioning the transverse fleece web (26-28) with the holding device (1 -3) at the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25);
attaching the transverse fleece web (26-28) adjacent to a first transverse edge of the transverse fleece web (26-28) to the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25);
releasing the holding device (1 -3) so that the transverse fleece web (26-28) attached to the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) is conveyed together with the longitudi- nal fleece webs (24, 25);
cutting the transverse fleece web (26-28) to a desired width in the longitudinal direction to obtain a second transverse edge of the transverse fleece web (26-28); and attaching the transverse fleece web (26-28) adjacent to the second transverse edge to the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25).
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising activating the holding device (1 -3) to hold the transverse fleece web (26-28) before the step of cutting.
7. The method of any one of claims 1 -6, further comprising
supplying a fleece material from a storage device (31 a) and repeatedly cutting the fleece material to obtain the transverse fleece web (26-28).
8. The method of any one of claims 1 -7,
wherein the method is carried out as a fully automated process in an innerspring unit assembly machine (30).
9. The method of any one of claims 1 -8,
wherein the cover layer (23) of the fleece material is manufactured as the framelike structure comprising a closed edge area (21 ) where fleece material of the longitu- dinal fleece webs (24, 25) or fleece material of the transverse fleece web (26-28) is present and a middle area (22) surrounded by the edge area, where no fleece material is present.
10. A method of manufacturing an innerspring unit (20) comprising a plurality of pock- eted springs (29), comprising the steps of:
manufacturing a cover layer (23) of a fleece material according to the method of any one of claims 1 -8; and
attaching the cover layer (23) to a surface of a body comprising the plurality of pocketed springs (29) to form the innerspring unit (20).
1 1 . The method of claim 10,
wherein the step of manufacturing the cover layer (23) is carried out at a first automated station (32) of an innerspring unit assembly machine (30); and
wherein the step of attaching the cover layer (23) to the body comprising the plurality of pocketed springs (29) is carried out at a second automated station (34) of the innerspring unit assembly machine (30).
12. The method of claim 1 1 ,
wherein the first automated station (32) and the second automated station (34) are located apart from one another; and
wherein the method further comprises conveying the cover layer (23) by means of a conveying device (8) conveying the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) from the first station (32) to the second station (34).
13. The method of any one of claims 10-12, further comprising:
manufacturing a first cover layer (23) and a second cover layer (23); and attaching the first cover layer (23) to a top surface of the body comprising the plurality of pocketed springs (29) and the second cover layer (23) to a bottom surface of the body comprising the plurality of pocketed springs (29). 14. An apparatus (32) for manufacturing a cover layer (23) of a fleece material for an innerspring unit (20), comprising:
a supply device (8, 31 b) for supplying at least two longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) such that they extend substantially parallel in a longitudinal direction and are spaced from one another; and
an attachment device (1 -6) for repeatedly attaching a transverse fleece web (26- 28), 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 (26-28) attached to the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) forming together with the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) a frame-like structure serving as the cover layer (23).
15. The apparatus (32) of claim 14,
wherein the supply device (8, 31 b) is configured to supply the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) as endless longitudinal fleece webs, and
wherein the apparatus (32) further comprises a cutting device (9) for repeatedly cutting the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) to repeatedly obtain a frame-like structure
formed by two segments of the two longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) and two successive transverse fleece webs (26-28) attached to the two segments of the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25). 16. The apparatus (32) of claim 14 or claim 15,
wherein the attachment device comprises a welding device (4) for welding the transverse fleece web (26-28) to each of the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25).
17. The apparatus (32) any one of claims 14-16,
further comprising a conveying device (8) for conveying the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) in the longitudinal direction,
wherein the attachment device (1 -6) is configured to repeatedly attach the transverse fleece web (26-28) to the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) while the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) are conveyed by the respective conveying device (8).
18. The apparatus (32) of claim 17, wherein the attachment device comprises:
a holding device (1 -3) for holding the transverse fleece web (26-28) and positioning the transverse fleece web (26-28) with the holding device (1 -3) at the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25);
an attachment unit (4) for attaching the transverse fleece web (26-28) adjacent to a first transverse edge of the transverse fleece web (26-28) to the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25);
a control unit (10) for releasing the holding device (1 -3) so that the transverse fleece web (26-28) attached to the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) is conveyed to- gether with the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25); and
a cutting device (5) for cutting the transverse fleece web (26-28) to a desired width in the longitudinal direction to obtain a second transverse edge of the transverse fleece web (26-28); and
wherein the attachment unit (4) is also provided for attaching the transverse fleece web (26-28) adjacent to the second transverse edge to the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25).
19. The apparatus (32) of claim 18, wherein the control unit (10) is configured to activate the holding device (1 -3) again to hold the transverse fleece web (26-28) after it has been conveyed together with the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) and before the transverse fleece web (26-28) is cut by the cutting device (5).
20. The apparatus (32) of any one of claims 14-19, further comprising a storage device (31 a) for supplying a fleece material and a cutting device (5) for repeatedly cutting the fleece material to obtain the transverse fleece web (26-28). 21 . The apparatus (32) of any one of claims 14-20,
further comprising a control unit (10) to control the apparatus (32) to manufacture the cover layer (23) in a fully automated process.
22. The apparatus (32) of any one of claims 14-21 ,
wherein the apparatus (32) is configured to manufacture the cover layer (23) of the fleece material as the frame-like structure comprising a closed edge area (21 ) where fleece material of the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25) or the transverse fleece web (26-28) is present and a middle area (22) surrounded by the edge area, where no fleece material is present.
23. An innerspring unit assembly machine (30), comprising
the apparatus (32) of any one of claims 14-22 for manufacturing the cover layer (23); and
a station (34) for attaching the cover layer (23) to a surface of a body comprising a plurality of pocketed springs (29) to form an innerspring unit (20).
24. The innerspring unit assembly machine (30) of claim 23,
wherein the apparatus (32) and the station (34) are located apart from one another; and
wherein the innerspring unit assembly machine (30) comprises a conveying device (8) for conveying the cover layer (23) from the apparatus (32) to the station (34) by conveying the longitudinal fleece webs (24, 25).
25. The innerspring unit assembly machine (30) of claim 23 or claim 24,
wherein the innerspring unit assembly machine (30) is configured to carry out the method of any one of claims 1 -13.
26. An innerspring unit (20), comprising
a body comprising a plurality of pocketed springs (29); and
at least one cover layer (23) of a fleece material attached to a surface of the body comprising the plurality of springs (29), wherein the cover layer (23) of the fleece material is manufactured as a frame-like structure comprising a closed edge area (21 )
where the fleece material is present and a middle area (22) surrounded by the edge area (21 ) where no fleece material is present.
27. The innerspring unit (20) of claim 26,
wherein a first cover layer (23) is attached to a top surface of the body comprising the plurality of springs (29) and a second cover layer (23) is attached to a bottom surface of the body comprising the plurality of springs (29).
28. The innerspring unit (20) of claim 26 or claim 27,
wherein the innerspring unit (20) is manufactured by the method of any one of claims 10-13.