Patent Application
20210331806
Aircraft seat cushions and aircraft seat covers for passenger seats are used extensively onboard aircraft. The cushions and seat covers provide physical comfort for the passenger, are often designed to be pleasing to the eye of the passenger, and create a relaxing ambience while the passenger is on board the aircraft.
Passenger seats may have one or more layers of seat cushion and covers. For instance, a seat cushion may be attached to a seat frame, and the seat cover may then be attached to the seat cushion. Alternatively, the seat cover and seat cushion may be designed as one piece, which is then attached to the seat frame.
Seat covers are often attached using technologies that allow the seat cover to be easily removed for cleaning or replacing. Types of attachment devices used for temporarily attaching seat covers include snap fasteners (e.g., press studs), hook and loops fasteners, hook and eye fasteners, and magnets. Once a seat cover is attached to a seat using these attachment devices, the capability of the cover seat to be adjusted upon the seat is greatly reduced. This is often problematic when there is an adjustment needed for the seat cover, such as to remove a wrinkle or to reposition the seat cover. Additionally, these attachment devices often engage prematurely, attaching the seat cover to the seat in an incorrect orientation, requiring removal and/or repositioning. The repositioning process can add to the time required to properly attach the seat cover and can be frustrating to the operator.
A system for attaching a seat cover to at least one of a seat, seat cushion, or seat frame is disclosed. In one or more embodiments, the system includes a at least one of a seat, seat cushion, or seat frame. The system further includes a hook and loop fastener structure. The hook and loop fastener structure includes a first part of the hook and loop fastener structure attached to the, seat, seat cushion, and/or seat frame. The first part of the hook and loop fastener structure may further include a plurality of hooks configured to align in a single direction. The hook and loop fastener structure further includes a second part of the hook and loop fastener structure attached to the interior surface of the. The system further includes an interface between the first part of the hook and loop fastener and the second part of the hook and loop fastener. A portion of the interface is configured to restrict sliding of the first part of the hook and loop fastener against the second part of the hook and loop fastener in a first direction. The portion of the interface is further configured to restrict sliding of the first part of the hook and loop fastener against the second part of the hook and loop fastener in a second direction.
In some embodiments of the system, the first part of the hook and loop fastener structure further includes a plurality of hooks. The plurality of hooks is configured to align in a single direction. The second part of the hook and loop fastener includes a plurality of loops. The plurality of loops is configured to attach to at least a portion of the plurality of hooks.
In some embodiments of the system, the second part of the hook and loop fastener structure further includes a plurality of hooks. The plurality of hooks is configured to align in a single direction. The first part of the hook and loop fastener further includes a plurality of loops. The plurality of loops is configured to attach to at least a portion of the plurality of hooks.
A method for attaching a seat cover to at least one of a seat, seat cushion, or seat frame is also disclosed. In one or more embodiments, the method includes providing a seat cover and at least one of the seat, seat cushion, or seat frame. The method also includes providing a first a first part of a hook and loop fastener structure attached to at least one of the at least one of the seat, seat cushion, seat frame or an interior surface of the seat cover. The first part of the hook and loop fastener may further include a plurality of hooks configured to align in a single direction. The method may also include providing a second part of the hook and loop fastener structure attached to at least one of the seat, seat cushion, seat frame or an interior surface of the seat cover. The second part of the hook and loop fastener structure may further include a plurality of loops. The second part of the hook and loop fastener structure may be further configured so that at least a portion of the plurality of loops is configured to attach to at least a portion of the plurality of hooks.
In some embodiments of the method, the method may further include at least one of adjusting the seat cover or pressing the seat cover against the seat, seat cushion, and/or seat frame.
This Summary is provided solely as an introduction to subject matter that is fully described in the Detailed Description and Drawings. The Summary should not be considered to describe essential features nor be used to determine the scope of the Claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that both the foregoing Summary and the following Detailed Description are example and explanatory only and are not necessarily restrictive of the subject matter claimed.
The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. The use of the same reference numbers in different instances in the description and the figures may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments or examples (“examples”) of the present disclosure are disclosed in the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. The drawings are not necessarily to scale. In general, operations of disclosed processes may be performed in an arbitrary order, unless otherwise provided in the claims. In the drawings:
Before explaining one or more embodiments of the disclosure in detail, it is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited in their application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components or steps or methodologies set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. In the following detailed description of embodiments, numerous specific details may be set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the instant disclosure that the embodiments disclosed herein may be practiced without some of these specific details. In other instances, well-known features may not be described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the instant disclosure.
As used herein a letter following a reference numeral is intended to reference an embodiment of the feature or element that may be similar, but not necessarily identical, to a previously described element or feature bearing the same reference numeral (e.g., 1, 1a, 1b). Such shorthand notations are used for purposes of convenience only and should not be construed to limit the disclosure in any way unless expressly stated to the contrary.
Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by anyone of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).
In addition, use of “a” or “an” may be employed to describe elements and components of embodiments disclosed herein. This is done merely for convenience and “a” and “an” are intended to include “one” or “at least one,” and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.
Finally, as used herein any reference to “one embodiment” or “some embodiments” means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment disclosed herein. The appearances of the phrase “in some embodiments” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, and embodiments may include one or more of the features expressly described or inherently present herein, or any combination of sub-combination of two or more such features, along with any other features which may not necessarily be expressly described or inherently present in the instant disclosure.
Broadly, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a system and apparatus for attaching a seat cover to a seat frame. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a system an apparatus for using unidirectional hook-and-loop fasteners to attach a seat cover to a seat frame.
The first backing layer 108 and second backing layer 120 may be formed of any material known in the art to be used as a hook and loop fastener structure 100, including but not limited to fabric (e.g., cotton, polyester, and aramid fabrics), plastic (e.g., polypropylene), rubber, metal. The first backing layer 108 and second backing layer 120 may be formed of similar materials. Alternatively, the first backing layer 108 and second backing layer 120 may be formed of different materials.
The hooks 104 and loops 116 may be formed of any material known in the art for making hooks 104 and loops 116 for hook and loop fastener structures 100, including but not limited to plastic (e.g., nylon, polyester), rubber, or metal. The hooks 104 and loops 116 may be attached to the first backing layer 108 or second backing layer 120 by any method known in the art for attachment, including but not limited to using adhesives, stamping, and weaving.
The distribution of the hooks 104 and loops 116 on the first backing layer 108 and second backing layer 120, respectively, may be of any distribution known in the art for placing hooks 104 and loops 116 on a backing layer of a hook and loop fastener structure 100. For instance, the hooks 104 and loops 116 may be arranged randomly. In another instance, the hooks 104 and loops 116 may be arranged in an arrayed pattern. The hooks 104 and loops 116 may have similar distributions on their respective backing layers. Alternatively, the hooks and loops may have non-similar distributions on their respective backing layers.
The orientation of the loops 116 on the second backing layer 120 may be of any orientation known on the art for orientating loops 116 in a hook and loop fastener structure 100. For instance, the loops 116 may be oriented randomly along a vertical axis relative to the second backing layer 120. In another instance, the loops 116 may be oriented in a single orientation, as in
The orientation of the hooks on the first backing layer 108 may be oriented in a substantially single direction (e.g., unidirectional) along the first backing layer 108, as shown in
A unidirectional hook and loop fastener structure 100 has binding characteristics that are different than traditional hook-and-loop fasteners. For instance, the hook-side 112 and loop-side component 124 of the unidirectional hook and loop fastener structure 100 can slide against each other as long as the hooks are not orientated to insert themselves into the loops 116. However, if the sliding motion changes so that the hooks 104 are oriented to insert into the loops 166, the hook and loop fastener structure 100 will immediately fasten. To unfasten the hook and loop fastener structure 100 at this point, the hook-side 112 and loop-side component 124s must be pulled into the initial sliding direction, or be pulled apart in opposite directions. It should be noted that the components of the unidirectional hoop and loop fastener structure 100 will attach to each other with some affinity regardless of the orientation of the hooks 104, and that the affinity increases with increasing numbers of hook-loop interactions.
It should be known that the ability of the components of the unidirectional hook and loop fastener structure 100 to slide upon each other is relative to the general orientation of the hooks 104 to the loops 116. The components of the hook and loop fastener structure 100 are the most resistive to sliding when the sliding direction orients the hooks 104 into the loops 116 (e.g., a first direction), and are the least resistive to sliding when the sliding direction orients the hooks 104 out of, and away from, the loops 116 (e.g., a second direction). Sliding forces from alternative directions (e.g., sliding of the hooks in a perpendicular direction where the loops 116 are forced against the side of the hooks 104) will require an intermediate amount of force, based on the ability of hooks 104 to insert into loops 116 during movement. Therefore, the terms “first direction” and “second direction” refer to the general sliding directions of the components of the hook and loop fastener structure 100 that are more resistant, or less resistant, to sliding motion, respectively.
The hook-side component 112 and the loop-side component 124 may be installed so that the two components are parallel to each other when the seat cover 210 is attached to the seat backrest 210 (e.g., the hooks 104 are aligned to fasten to the loops 116). However, the alignment of the hook-side component to the loop-side component may be configured to be an alignment other than parallel. For instance, the alignment of the hook-side component 112 to the loop-side component may be altered so that one component is rotated 20 degrees off of parallel. In another instance, the alignment of the hook-side component 112 to the loop-side component may be altered so that one component is rotated 90 degrees off of parallel. In still another instance, the alignment of the hook-side component 112 to the loop-side component may be altered so that one component is rotated five degrees off of parallel. Therefore, the above description should not be interpreted as a limitation of the present disclosure, but merely as an illustration.
The component of the hook and loop fastener structure 100 that is attached to the seat backrest 200 may be either the hook-side component 112 (e.g., as in
The hook-side 112 and/or loop-side component 124 of the hook and loop fastener structure 100 is attached to the seat cover 210 by any means known in the art to attach a hook and loop fastener structure 100 to a seat cover 210, including but not limited to sewing, gluing, and heating (e.g., iron on). The component of the hook and loop fastener structure 100 attached to the seat cover 210 may be arranged in any configuration that allow the seat cover 210 to attach to the seat backrest 200. For instance, the hook and loop fastener structure 100 may be arranged in an series of parallel, or near parallel, strips, as in
It should be understood that a seat may include several layers, each of which may use hook and loop fastener structure 100 technology. For instance, a seat may include a seat frame and seat cover 210. In another instance, the seat may include a seat frame, a cushion layer, and a seat cover 210. In another instance, the seat may include a seat frame and a seat cover 210 with a cushion layer embedded within the seat cover 210. In still another instance, the seat cover 210 may be designed to fit over another seat cover 210 (e.g., the seat cover fits over a fully functional seat). The seat may also contain other layers that add functionality to the seat (e.g., stability, temperature control, or fireproofing). One or more layers of the seat may be attached to another layer of the seat by a unidirectional hook and loop fastener structure 100. Therefore, the description herein should not be interpreted as a limitation or the present disclosure, but merely as an illustration.
In some embodiments, the unidirectional hook and loop fastener structure 100 is oriented so that the hook-side component 112 and loop-side component 124 of the hook and loop fastener structure 100 do not engage when the seat cover is slid over the component of the seat to be covered.
It should be noted that the sliding direction of the seat cover 200 should not be limited to the example illustrated in
It should also be noted that the orientation of the hooks 104 of the unidirectional hook and loop fastener structure 100 should not limited to the example illustrated in
The unidirectional hook and loop fastener structure 100 may also be oriented in more than one direction (e.g., multiple sections of the unidirectional hook and loop fastener structure 100, with hooks 104 of each section aligned in a single direction, are themselves aligned in different directions). For instance, one hook-side component 112 with hooks oriented towards the top of a seat backrest may be attached to the top of the seat backrest, and one hook-side component 112 with hooks oriented towards the bottom of the seat backrest may be attached to the bottom to the seat backrest. By attaching loop-side components 124 in the corresponding areas on the interior side of the seat cover 210 and sliding the seat cover 210 over the seat backrest 200, the hook-side components 112 and the loop-side components 124 will engage. The seat cover may be further pulled taut by sliding the top and bottom ends of the seat cover 210 away from each other, with the action of the opposing unidirectional hook and loop fastener structures 100 adhering to the stretched fabric, resulting in a more aesthetically pleasing surface free of wrinkles. Strategies to stretch and hold material in this manner may require many different orientations and number of unidirectional hook and loop fastener structures 100. For instance, the unidirectional hook and loop fastener structures may be oriented in a circle, with the hooks 104 of the hook-side components 112 all facing outward. In another instance, the unidirectional hook and loop fastener structures may be oriented in a square, with the hooks 104 of the hook-side components 112 all facing outward. Many other combinations are possible. Therefore, the above description should not be interpreted as a limitation of the present disclosure, but merely as an illustration
The unidirectional hook and loop fastener structure 100 may also be used for other passenger chair or cabin components that would benefit from easy-on or easy-off applications. For example, the unidirectional hook and loop fastener structure 100 may be used to adhere a panel to a closeout on the passenger seat (e.g., such as an opening that allows technicians access to a seat-recline mechanism).
In some embodiments, the unidirectional hook and loop fastener 100 may be oriented to prevent movement of objects during unintended aircraft movement such as turbulence or hard braking upon landing. For example, the unidirectional hook and loop fastener structure 100 may be used to attach a cushion to a seat frame so that the cushion will resist sliding off of the seat frame during a hard-braking procedure upon landing.
In some embodiments, the hook-side component 112 of the hook and loop fastener structure 100 will be labeled, marked and/or otherwise modified to indicate the which direction the hooks 104 are pointing, as the hooks are small and difficult to see with the naked eye. The labeling, marking, or modifying of the hook-side component 112 may include any type of modification known in the art for modifying a hook and loop fastener structure 100, including but not limited to the use of color, size, numbers, letters, symbols, shapes, or any other descriptive element. For instance, the hook-side component 112 may be labeled with arrows 200 to indicate hook 104 orientation. In another instance, the hook-side component 112s may be cut to form arrow-like shapes that indicate hook 104 orientation. In another instance, an indicator of orientation may be sewn into the hook-side component 112. In another instance, a number, or the orientation of a number, may indicate the orientation of the hooks 104. In still another instance, the hook-side component 112 strip may have two colors (e.g., black and white) marking a respective side of the strip parallel to each other, wherein the black side of the hook-side component strip indicates the direction that the hooks 104 are orientated.
The method 500 further includes a step 520 of providing a seat cover 210. As described herein, the seat cover 210 may be of any size, shape and/or material used to cover a portion of, or an entirety of, a seat, seat cushion, and/or seat frame. The method 500 further includes a step 530 of providing a first backing layer 108 attached to at least one of the seat, seat cushion, or seat frame, or an interior surface of the seat cover comprising a plurality of hooks 104 configured to attach in a single direction. The hook-side component 112 of the hook and loop fastener structure 100 may be attached to the interior surface of the seat cover 210 or the seat, seat cushion, and or seat frame, depending on the needs of the user. For instance, the hook-side component 112 of the hook and loop fastener structure 100 may be attached to the interior surface of the seat cover 210. In another instance, the hook-side component 112 of the hook and loop fastener structure 100 may be attached to the surface of the seat, seat cushion, or seat frame. In still another instance, the hook-side component 112 of the seat cover may be attached to both the interior surface of the seat cover 210 and the seat, seat cushion, or seat frame (e.g., each component matches as a complement pair). It should be noted that the interior surface of the seat cover 210 is the side of the seat cover 210 facing the seat, seat cushion, or seat frame.
The method 500 further includes a step 540 of providing a second backing layer 120 attached to the at least one of the seat, seat cushion, or seat frame, or the interior surface of the seat cover 210 comprising a plurality of loops 116, wherein the plurality of loops 116 is configured to attach to a least a portion of the plurality of hooks 104. The loop-side component 124 of the hook and loop fastener structure 100 may be attached to the seat cushion or seat frame, depending on the needs of the user. For instance, the loop-side 112 of the hook-and-loop fastener may be attached to the interior surface of the cover. In another instance, the loop-side of the hook-and-loop fastener may be attached to the surface of the seat, seat cushion, or seat frame. In still another instance, the loop-side 124 of the seat cover may be attached to both the interior surface of the seat cover and the seat, seat cushion, or seat frame (e.g., the loop-side is arranged to match with the hook-side attached to the other seat component.
The method 500 further includes a step 550 of sliding and/or positioning the seat cover over the at least one of the seat, seat cover, or seat frame. In the method 500, the orientation of the hooks 104 in the hook-side component 112 of the hook and loop fastener structure 100 may be oriented so that the hooks 104 are facing the same direction as the motion of the seat cover 210 relative to the seat, as seen in
The next step 560 of the method 500 includes adjusting the seat cover 210 and/or pressing the seat cover 210 against the seat, seat cushion, and/or seat frame. Once the unidirectional hook and loop fastener structures 100 has been slid or placed into the approximate position required, the seat cover 200 may still be adjusted. For instance, if the seat cover 210 is slid over the seat backrest 200 of an aircraft passenger seat, and the seat cover 210 is found to have an improper position (e.g., horizontally misaligned, not slid on far enough, or has a wrinkled appearance), the user may adjust the seat cover by pulling the seat cover in the direction needed. The user may pull or adjust the seat cover in any direction where the unidirectional hook and loop fastener structure 100 does not substantially restrict movement (e.g., in a direction where the plurality of hooks do not engage with the plurality of loops).
Unidirectional hook and loop fastener structures 100 were initially designed for applications that required a reduction of noise (e.g., stealth military operations), as the pulling apart of nondirectional hook and loop fastener structures is relatively loud. An example use of unidirectional hook and loop fastener structures 100 as a silent form of attachment technology is its use on security flaps for pouches (e.g., such as the security flap on a cell phone pouch), where one component (e.g., the hook-side) is attached to the flap of the pouch, and the other component (e.g., the loop-side) is attached to the side of the pouch. Upon contact, the hook-side and loop-side components will immediately bind. If the hooks 104 of the hook-side component 112 are orientated so that the tension of the flap over the pouch opening will draw the hooks 104 further into the loops 116 of the loop-side component 124, the flap will hold secure. However, a tug on the flap in the opposite direction will release the hooks 104 from the loops 116, and allow the flap to be removed stealthily.
In the embodiments of this disclosure, a discovered ability of unidirectional hook and loop fastener structures 100 to slide against each other in specific directions without engaging was used to create a system where a seat cover 210 may be oriented into place without prematurely attaching the components of the hook and loop fastener structures 100, a common occurrence in nondirectional hook and loop fastener structures. The embodiments do not intentionally make use of the ‘silent’ aspect of the unidirectional hook and loop fastener 100. For instance, the removal of a tight-fitting seat cover 210 from a frame utilizing unidirectional hook and loop fastener structures 100 may not allow the user to tug and lift away the hook-side component 112 from the loop-side 124 component as easily as you would for a flap securing a pouch. In this case, the only way to remove the seat cover 210 is to physically force the hook-side 112 and loop-side 124 components away from each other, similar as what is done for nondirectional hook and loop fastener structures, creating significant noise.
It is to be understood that embodiments of the methods disclosed herein may include one or more of the steps described herein. Further, such steps may be carried out in any desired order and two or more of the steps may be carried out simultaneously with one another. Two or more of the steps disclosed herein may be combined in a single step, and in some embodiments, one or more of the steps may be carried out as two or more sub-steps. Further, other steps or sub-steps may be carried in addition to, or as substitutes to one or more of the steps disclosed herein.
Although inventive concepts have been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the attached drawing figures, equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the claims. Components illustrated and described herein are merely examples of a system/device and components that may be used to implement embodiments of the inventive concepts and may be replaced with other devices and components without departing from the scope of the claims. Furthermore, any dimensions, degrees, and/or numerical ranges provided herein are to be understood as non-limiting examples unless otherwise specified in the claims.
