Vehicle seating cushion with lines to interconnect with line detents on a structural support

• US 10,604,041 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2017
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Johnston, Corbin Shea, Hoernke, Spencer Robert, Line, Johnathan Andrew, Mozurkewich, Kevin, Matusko, Andrew, Thiel, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Santos, Robert G
• Application Number:
  US15/583,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20180312088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 56559, 5653, 5652, 29745218, 29742526, 29745248, 29745252, 29745253, 29744022
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/021 Detachable or loose seat cushions
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/68 Seat frames
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/682 Joining means
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/70 Upholstery springs ; Upholstery

Abstract

A seating assembly for a vehicle comprising: a cushion comprising an outer edge and a plurality of lines; a carrier comprising a perimeter outer surface and a plurality of line detents near the perimeter outer surface of the carrier retaining the plurality of lines such that the cushion is interconnected with the carrier; wherein the plurality of lines and plurality of line detents are arranged to prevent the edge of the cushion from rolling up. The cushion can further comprise a rearward extending lip having an inwardly facing surface; wherein the cushion at least partially surrounds the carrier with at least a portion of the inwardly facing surface of the lip facing the perimeter outer surface of the carrier.

Claims

1. A cushion for a seating assembly of a vehicle comprising:

an outer edge;

a lip along the outer edge configured to partially surround a structural support, the lip comprising an inwardly facing surface; and

a plurality of lines that project inward from the inwardly facing surface of the lip, the plurality of lines arranged to interconnect with a plurality of detents on the structural support.

2. The cushion of claim 1 further comprising:

a first surface and a carrier facing surface that faces a generally opposite direction as the first surface;

wherein the plurality of lines are accessible for interconnection from the carrier facing surface.

3. The cushion of claim 1, each of the plurality of lines comprising a parallel portion that is parallel to the outer edge.

4. The cushion of claim 1,

the lip further comprising a recessed portion recessed into the inwardly facing surface;

and

one of the plurality of lines is disposed within the recessed portion and extends generally parallel to the inwardly facing surface.

5. The cushion of claim 2,

the first surface is a forward facing surface, and the lip extends generally rearward.

6. The cushion of claim 1, the lip further comprising an inward edge adjacent the inwardly facing surface;

wherein at least a portion of the plurality of lines project from the inwardly facing surface at an angle away from the inward edge.

7. The cushion of claim 1 further comprising:

a foam portion; and

a contiguous wire molded into the foam portion;

wherein the contiguous wire comprises an exposed portion forming at least one of the plurality of lines and embedded portions embedded into the foam portion before and after the at least one of the plurality of lines.

8. A carrier for a seating assembly of a vehicle comprising:

a cushion facing surface;

a peripheral lip that extends generally away from a general direction that the cushion facing surface faces, the peripheral lip defining a perimeter outer surface of the carrier; and

a plurality of line detents disposed at the peripheral lip arranged to receive and retain a plurality of lines positioned on a cushion and thereby interconnect the carrier and the cushion.

9. The carrier of claim 8,

at least one line detent of the plurality of line detents comprises a tab formed in the peripheral lip, the tab comprising an outer surface;

and

the perimeter outer surface of the carrier defines the outer surface of the tab.

10. The carrier of claim 9, the tab further comprising an inside surface and a tooth extending inward from the inside surface.

11. The carrier of claim 10, the tooth comprising a slide surface and a retaining surface;

wherein the slide surface and the retaining surface coincide at an apex; and

wherein the slide surface and the inside surface of the tab form an obtuse angle toward the apex.

12. The carrier of claim 10,

wherein the peripheral lip further comprises a first recess and a second recess that together define the tab.

13. The carrier of claim 8,

at least one line detent of the plurality of line detents comprises a tab, the tab comprising a transversely extending portion that extends away from the perimeter outer surface and an opposing section that faces the perimeter outer surface;

and

the perimeter outer surface, the transversely extending portion, and the opposing section forming a line retention channel.

14. The carrier of claim 13, the tab further comprising:

a tooth extending toward the perimeter outer surface;

wherein the tooth and the perimeter outer surface define an opening into the line retention channel;

wherein the distance between the opposing section and the perimeter outer surface defines a width of the line retention channel and the opening has a width; and

wherein the width of the opening is narrower than the width of the line retention channel.

15. A seating assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a carrier comprising;

a cushion facing surface;

a peripheral lip that extends generally away from a general direction that the cushion facing surface faces, the peripheral lip defining a perimeter outer surface of the carrier; and

a plurality of line detents disposed at the peripheral lip; and

a cushion disposed over the carrier, the cushion comprising;

an outer edge;

a lip along the outer edge at least partially surrounding the carrier, the lip comprising an inwardly facing surface that faces the perimeter outer surface of the carrier; and

a plurality of lines that project inward from the inwardly facing surface of the lip, each of the plurality of lines cooperating with the one of the plurality of line detents of the carrier to maintain the cushion over the carrier.

16. The seating assembly of claim 15,

at least one of the plurality of line detents of the carrier further comprises a tab, the tab comprising a transversely extending portion that extends away from the perimeter outer surface and an opposing section that faces the perimeter outer surface;

the perimeter outer surface, the transversely extending portion, and the opposing section form a line retention channel;

the lip of the cushion further comprises a recessed portion recessed into the inwardly facing surface, and the at least one of the plurality of lines is disposed within the recessed portion and extends generally parallel to the inwardly facing surface;

the at least one of the plurality of lines of the cushion is disposed in the line retention channel of the at least one line detent of the carrier; and

the opposing section of the at least one line detent of the carrier is disposed between the at least one of the plurality of lines of the cushion and the lip of the cushion.

17. The seating assembly of claim 15,

at least one of the plurality of lines comprises a parallel portion that is parallel to the outer edge;

and

at least one of the plurality of line detents comprises a tab formed in the peripheral lip of the carrier,

the tab comprising an outer surface defined by the perimeter outer surface of the carrier, an inside surface, and a tooth extending inward from the inside surface;

wherein the at least one of the plurality of lines is adjacent the inside surface and the tooth, with the tab disposed between the at least one of the plurality of lines and inwardly facing surface of the lip of the cushion.

18. The seating assembly of claim 15,

the cushion further comprises:

(i) a carrier facing surface that faces the cushion facing surface of the carrier; and

(ii) a forward facing surface that faces generally forward; and

the lip of the cushion extends generally rearward.

19. The seating assembly of claim 17,

the peripheral lip of the carrier further comprises a first recess and a second recess defining the tab;

and

the at least one of the plurality of lines extends through the first recess and the second recess.

20. The seating assembly of claim 19,

the cushion further comprising a foam portion and one or more contiguous wires molded into the foam portion, wherein the one or more contiguous wires each comprise at least one exposed portion forming at least one of the plurality of lines and embedded portions embedded into the foam portion before and after the at least one exposed portion.