Patent Application
20190337432
The present disclosure relates to a vehicle seating system.
Vehicle seating systems may comprise many different components and subsystems that work together so that the seating system provides both the desired functionality and aesthetic appearance. Some vehicle seating systems have a seat cushion made from a foam or other material supported on a frame or other support structure, and may be surrounded by a trim cover. The trim cover may be made from a cloth, leather, or other material. In order to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance, the trim cover may be wrapped tightly around an outside of the seat cushion. In some cases, this may deform the seat cushion or move it out of position relative to a seat support structure. It would therefore be desirable to have a vehicle seating system and method that facilitates maintaining components of the seating system in desired positions when the seating system is assembled.
At least some embodiments described herein may include a vehicle seating system having a frame structure and a cushion positioned in the frame structure. The cushion has a front side and a back side, and may include an anchor embedded therein. A suspension mat is positioned along the back side of the cushion, and a securing arrangement extends across a width of the cushion such that the suspension mat is positioned between the securing arrangement and the back side of the cushion. The securing arrangement further extends into the cushion, attaches to the anchor, and inhibits dislocation of the cushion from the suspension mat.
At least some embodiments described herein may include a vehicle seating system having a cushion with a front side and a back side, and an anchor embedded therein. An elastic support may be positioned adjacent to the back side of the cushion. The vehicle seating system may also include a securing arrangement having a portion positioned on an outside of the elastic support and another portion positioned inside the cushion and attached to the anchor such that the elastic support is captured between the securing arrangement and the back side of the cushion.
At least some embodiments described herein may include a method for producing a vehicle seating system that includes the step of positioning an anchor within a cushion having a front side and a back side. An elastic support may be positioned adjacent to the back side of the cushion. In addition, a first portion of a securing arrangement may be positioned on an outside of the elastic support such that the elastic support is captured between the securing arrangement and the back side of the cushion. A second portion of the securing arrangement may be positioned within the cushion, and the second portion of the securing arrangement may be attached to the anchor.
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
The suspension mat 16 is positioned along a back side 18 of the seat cushion 12. It includes a number of horizontal wire supports 20, only some of which are labeled in
As shown in
In the embodiment shown in
Returning to the cross-sectional view of the seating system 10 shown in
When the trim cover 36 is installed around the seat cushion 12, it may be desirable to wrap it tightly around the seat cushion 12 to provide a more functional and aesthetically pleasing assembly. As shown in
Because the trim cover 36 is attached to the trim wire 42, a large tensile force applied to the trim cover 36 as shown by the direction arrow 60 may cause a large tensile force to be applied to the trim wire 42 in direction generally toward a front of the seating system 10. This in turn may cause the cushion 12 to be pulled in a forward direction, thereby deforming it or otherwise dislocating it from the suspension mat 16—see the seat cushion 12′ and the trim wire 42′.
As described above, the securing arrangement 48 may serve number of functions, including keeping the suspension mat 16 secured to the back side 18 of the cushion 12, and keeping the cushion 12 from moving forward relative to the suspension mat 16, the frame 14, or both. In other embodiments, a securing arrangement, such as the securing arrangement 48 may be made from a relatively flexible material, and in some embodiments an elastic material may be used. In these embodiments, the cushion 12 may move somewhat forward in the presence of a tension applied to the trim cover 36—at least relative to the frame structure 14—but the elastic securing arrangement may still keep the suspension mat 16 positioned immediately adjacent the back side 18 of the cushion 12.
An example of a method for producing a vehicle seating system, and in particular, one that includes a securing arrangement such as described above, is now described. A vehicle seat cushion may include a cushion for a seat back, a cushion for a seat bottom, or both. Any of a number of different materials may be used to produce the cushion, such as urethane, polyurethane, or other polymeric or plant-based foam materials. Non-foam materials may also be used to produce a seat cushion, depending on the desired and required properties. Because many seat cushions are covered with a trim cover material, and the trim cover material is often anchored at one or more locations inside the cushion, a method for producing a vehicle seating system may include the step of positioning an anchor—for example, a trim wire—within a seat cushion. An example of this is illustrated in Figures in 1-3 with the trim wire 42 embedded in the seat cushion 12.
The seat cushion may then be positioned adjacent and attached to a support structure, such as a seat frame or other support structure—see, e.g., the seat cushion 12 attached to the frame structure 14 in
Once the suspension mat is in its desired position, a securing arrangement, such as the securing arrangement 48 may be positioned on an outside of the suspension mat so that it is captured between the securing arrangement and the backside of the cushion—see, e.g.,
After the securing arrangement is installed to maintain the position of the suspension mat relative to the back side of the cushion, a trim cover may be installed around an outside of the cushion. Where the trim cover is inserted into crevices in a front side of the cushion, it may be beneficial to attach it to an anchor, such as the trim wire, and in particular, attach it to the trim wire at a position very near the attachment of securing arrangement. The trim cover may be pulled around a side of the cushion in a generally rearward direction to apply a desired tension.
In embodiments having a securing arrangement made from a relatively stiff, relatively inflexible material, the cushion may experience little or no forward movement, and may maintain its desired position relative to the suspension mat. In other embodiments, where the securing arrangement is made from a more flexible material, the cushion may move forward somewhat in the presence of the tension applied to the trim cover, but the relative position of the cushion to the suspension mat may be maintained.
While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.
