ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY LAYERED SEATING ASSEMBLY

• US 20080018162A1
• Filed: 07/20/2006
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: O'Bannon, Terry R., Ali, Asad S., Ziolek, Scott A., Galbreath, Ashford A., Folkert, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,585,030 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/452.48
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/70 Upholstery springs ; Upholstery
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 297/01 Foam
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 297/02 Molded

Abstract

The present invention relates to an environmentally friendly layered vehicle seat assembly and a method of making the same. In at least one embodiment, the vehicle seat assembly comprises a cushion composite comprising a structural layer and a cushion layer adjacent to the structural layer, and a trim material secured over the cushion composite.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:

a cushion composite comprising a structural layer and a cushion layer adjacent to the structural layer; and

a trim material secured over the cushion composite.

2. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the cushion composite further comprises a comfort pad disposed between the structural layer and the trim material.

3. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 2 wherein the comfort pad is disposed between the cushion layer and the trim material.

4. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the structural layer comprises expanded polyolefin.

5. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 4 wherein the expanded polyolefin comprises expanded polypropylene.

6. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 4 wherein the cushion pad comprises a soy-based polyurethane.

7. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 further comprising a frame, wherein the structural layer is disposed between the frame and the cushion layer.

8. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 5 wherein the structural layer has an average thickness of 5 to 100 mm.

9. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 8 wherein the cushion layer has an average thickness of 20 to 100 mm.

10. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 9 wherein the comfort pad has an average thickness of 2 to 30 mm.

11. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 10 wherein the comfort pad is made of non-woven compressed fibrous material.

12. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 11 wherein the trim material is made of polymeric material.

13. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the structural layer has a density of 1.75 to 7.0 pcf, as measured in accordance with ASTM test method No. D3574.

14. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 13 wherein the structural layer has a hardness of 150 to 250 N, as measured in accordance with ASTM test method No. D3574.

15. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 14 wherein the structural layer has a compression strength of 20 to 100 psi, as measured in accordance with ASTM test method No. D3574.

16. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 15 wherein the cushion layer has a density of 1.5 to 4.5 pcf, as measured in accordance with ASTM test method No. D3574.

17. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 16 wherein the cushion layer has a hysteresis of 18 to 30 KPa, as measured in accordance with ASTM test method No. D3574.

18. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 17 wherein the structural layer comprises expanded polypropylene.

19. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:

a cushion composite comprising an EPP structural layer having a density of 1.75 to 7.0 pcf, as measured in accordance with ASTM test method No. D3574, a soy-based foam cushion layer adjacent to the structural layer and having a density of above 3.0 pcf, as measured in accordance with ASTM test method No. D3574, and a comfort pad adjacent the cushion layer, the structural layer having an average thickness of 5 to 100 mm, the cushion layer having an average thickness of 20 to 100 mm, and the comfort layer having an average thickness of 2 to 30 mm; and

a trim material secured over the cushion composite.

20. A method of manufacturing vehicle seat assembly, said method comprising:

providing a cushion composite comprising a structural layer and a cushion layer adjacent to the structural layer; and

securing a trim material over the cushion composite.