VEHICLE SEAT ASSEMBLY HAVING A HARDNESS GRADIENT VIA "A" SURFACE INTRUSIONS AND/OR PROTRUSIONS

• US 20100107392A1
• Filed: 01/12/2010
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Ali, Asad S., Galbreath, Ashford A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,038,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/91.100
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/029 of non-adjustable shape adapted to a user contour or ergonomic seating positions
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/58 Seat coverings
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/646 shape of the cushion
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/70 Upholstery springs ; Upholstery
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/986 Side-rests B60N2/2872, B60N2/885 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B68G 13/00 Upholstered panels making upholstery from plastics B29D99/0092; specially adapted for sound-absorption E04B, G10K , e.g. G10K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: B68G 7/00 Making upholstery manufacturing upholstered panels B68G13/00 ; from plastics B29D99/0092; sewing-machines D05B
• CPC Class Codes: B68G 7/05 Covering or enveloping cores of pads in plastics material using a matching die B29C63/025
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/48 Upholstered article making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/481 Method

Abstract

In at least one embodiment, the present invention provides a vehicle seat assembly comprising a cushion having an “A” surface and a “B” surface, a central portion, and two bolster areas, with each bolster area being adjacent the central portion, with the cushion having a plurality of intrusions extending from the “A” surface towards the “B” surface to form a hardness gradient between at least one of the bolster areas and the central portion of between 8% to 25%.

Claims

1. A method of making a vehicle seat assembly, the method comprising:

providing a cushion having an “

A”

surface, a “

B”

surface, a central portion, and two bolster areas, with each bolster area being adjacent the central portion, the cushion having a plurality of intrusions extending from the “

A”

surface towards the “

B”

surface to form a hardness gradient between at least one of the bolster areas and the central portion of between 8% to 25%, the intrusions decreasing in size as they extend from “

A”

surface toward the “

B”

surface;

securing the cushion to a frame; and

covering the cushion with a trim member.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the cushion comprises a seat bottom cushion, with the central portion having a front half having a lower hardness than the rear half.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one bolster areas has a hardness that is at least 8% to 25% greater than the hardness of the central portion, the bolster areas capable of being a relatively higher load than that of the central portion and providing resistance to premature wear during egress from and ingress to the vehicle seat assembly.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the providing step comprises molding a polymeric material to form a foam cushion.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the central portion has holes formed in the “

A”

surface of the center area to provide a reduced hardness relative to the at least one bolster area.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the holes have a diameter of 0.2 to 5.0 cm. and a length of 0.1 to 5 cm.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the holes are formed during the molding of the cushion.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the location, shape and/or size of the holes are based upon occupant pressure modeling.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein an area of the central portion determined to be subjected to a relatively high occupant pressure has less and/or smaller holes than an area of the central portion determined to be subjected to a relatively low occupant pressure.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the holes are formed on a sub cushion assembly that is attached to a main cushion assembly.

11. A method of making a vehicle seat assembly, the method comprising:

providing a cushion having an “

A”

surface adjacent to the occupant when the occupant is seated in the seat assembly, a “

B”

surface, a central portion, two side bolster areas laterally spaced from each other and adjacent the central portion, and a front bolster area extending in front of the central portion and between the side bolster areas, wherein each of the side bolster areas have an uppermost surface portion elevated relative to an uppermost surface portion of the central portion to enable the bolster areas to be capable of supporting an increased load relative to the central portion when the occupant gets in or out of the seat assembly, the central portion of the cushion having a first plurality of intrusions extending from the “

A”

surface towards the “

B”

surface to form a hardness gradient between at least one of the side bolster areas and the central portion of between 8% to 25%, and the front bolster area has a second plurality of intrusions, less than the first plurality of intrusions, extending from the “

A”

surface towards the “

B”

surface to form a hardness gradient between the front bolster area and the central portion of 5% to 20%, wherein the side bolster areas do not have any pronounced holes formed therein;

securing the cushion to a frame; and

covering the cushion with a trim member.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the central portion has holes formed in the “

A”

surface of the center area to provide a reduced hardness relative to the at least one bolster area.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the holes have a diameter of 0.2 to 5.0 cm. and a length of 0.1 to 5 cm. and wherein the side bolster areas are laterally spaced from each other and comprise the outermost inboard and outboard sides of the vehicle seat assembly.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the holes are formed during molding of the cushion.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein an area of the central portion determined to be subjected to a relatively high occupant pressure has less and/or smaller holes than an area of the central portion determined to be subjected to a relatively low occupant pressure.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the holes are formed on a sub cushion assembly that is attached to a main cushion assembly.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the “

A”

surface has protrusions formed therein that extend from the “

A”

surface, away from the “

B”

surface, a distance of 0.1 to 5.0 cm.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the central portion comprises a front half adjacent the front bolster area and a rear half spaced from the front bolster area and adjacent the front half, the front half having a hardness gradient relative to at least one of the side bolster areas of between 8% to 15% and the rear half having a hardness gradient relative to at least one of the side bolster areas of between 12% to 25%.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the central portion has a hardness ranging between 100 and 300 Newtons when measured by ASTM D-3574 method, and wherein the intrusions have a length of no more than 5 cm. from the “

A”

surface and do not extend through the “

B”

surface.

20. A method of making a vehicle seat assembly, the method comprising:

providing a cushion having an “

A”

surface adjacent to the occupant when the occupant is seated in the seat assembly, a “

B”

surface, a central portion, and two side bolster areas laterally spaced from each other and adjacent the central portion, wherein each of the side bolster areas have an uppermost surface portion elevated relative to an uppermost surface portion of the central portion, the central portion of the cushion has a first plurality of intrusions extending from the “

A”

surface towards the “

B”

surface to form a hardness gradient between at least one of the side bolster areas and the central portion of between 8% to 25%, wherein the side bolster areas do not have any pronounced holes formed therein;

securing the cushion to a frame; and

covering the cushion with a trim member.