VEHICLE SEAT PAD

• US 20100176633A1
• Filed: 01/12/2009
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC (Forvia SE)
• Original Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, Inc. (Forvia SE)
• Inventors: Brosnan, Karen, Fender, Robert, Brncick, Gregory, Lafferty, Lola
• Granted Patent: US 8,328,279 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/228.110
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5816 attachments thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5825 by hooks, staples, clips, snap fasteners or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/585 by buckle passages
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5883 by sewing, stitching or threading
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/7041 Fixation of covers and springs

Abstract

A pad is adapted to set on a seat pan included in a vehicle seat. The pad includes a cushion on the seat pan and a cushion cover on the cushion.

Claims

1. An occupant-support base for a vehicle seat, the occupant-support base comprising

a seat pan and

a pad coupled to the seat pan, the pad including a cushion on the seat pan and a cushion cover coupled to the cushion to locate the cushion between the seat pan and the cushion cover, wherein the cushion cover includes a drawstring carrier formed to include a first drawstring channel and arranged to mate with the cushion and a first drawstring arranged to extend through the first drawstring channel and configured to provide means for drawing the first drawstring carrier toward the cushion to retain the cushion cover on the cushion.

2. The occupant-support base of claim 1, wherein the cushion cover includes an inner sheet covering the cushion and an outer sheet covering the inner sheet and the outer sheet is formed to include the first drawstring channel.

3. The occupant-support base of claim 2, wherein the outer sheet includes the drawstring carrier and a panel coupled to the inner sheet and to the drawstring carrier, the cushion includes a cover-mount flange, and the drawstring carrier engages the cover-mount flange in response to tightening movement of the first drawstring in the first drawstring channel to retain the cushion cover on the cushion.

4. The occupant-support base of claim 3, wherein the inner sheet includes a top surface facing toward the outer sheet, a bottom surface facing toward the cushion, and an end edge extending between the top and bottom surfaces, and the cover-mount flange of the cushion is located in a space provided between the bottom surface of the inner sheet and the drawstring carrier of the cushion.

5. The occupant-support base of claim 4, wherein the panel of the outer sheet includes a top section facing toward the top surface of the inner sheet and an end section facing toward the end edge of the inner sheet and interconnecting the top section and drawstring carrier.

6. The occupant-support base of claim 2, wherein the outer sheet includes a top section coupled to the inner sheet and a perimeter strip appended to the top section, the perimeter strip is configured to include a folded section formed to include the first drawstring channel and an end section arranged to interconnect the folded section and the top section.

7. The occupant-support base of claim 6, the inner sheet includes a top surface facing toward the top section of the outer sheet, a bottom surface facing toward the cushion, and an end edge facing toward the end section of the perimeter strip of the outer sheet.

8. The occupant-support base of claim 1, wherein the cushion cover includes an inner sheet covering the cushion and an outer sheet covering the inner sheet and the inner sheet is formed to include the first drawstring channel.

9. The occupant-support base of claim 8, wherein the inner sheet includes the drawstring carrier and a panel coupled to the outer sheet and to the drawstring carrier, the cushion includes a cover-mount flange, and the drawstring carrier and the panel cooperate to trap the cover-mount flange therebetween in response to tightening movement of the first drawstring in the first drawstring channel to retain the cushion cover on the cushion.

10. The occupant-support base of claim 9, wherein a portion of the inner sheet is interposed between the cover-mount flange and the outer sheet.

11. The occupant-support base of claim 9, wherein a portion of the outer sheet is interposed between the drawstring carrier and the cover-mount flange.

12. The occupant-support base of claim 11, wherein a portion of the inner sheet is interposed between the cover-mount flange and the outer sheet.

13. The occupant-support base of claim 1, further comprising a cushion retainer separated from the cushion cover and wherein the cushion retainer is coupled to each of the cushion and the seat pan to retain the cushion in a stationary position on the seat pan.

14. The occupant-support base of claim 13, wherein the cushion includes a top surface facing upwardly toward the cushion cover, a bottom surface facing downwardly toward the seat pan, and a perimeter edge extending between the top and bottom surfaces, and wherein the cushion cover covers an upper portion of the perimeter edge of the cushion while the cushion retainer covers a lower portion of the perimeter edge of the cushion to cause an intermediate portion of the perimeter edge extending between the upper and lower portions to remain uncovered and exposed.

15. The occupant-support base of claim 13, wherein the cushion retainer includes a second drawstring and a folded sheet including a second drawstring carrier formed to include a second drawstring channel, the folded sheet includes a top rim arranged to mate with the cushion, a bottom rim arranged to mate with the seat pan and configured to define the second drawstring carrier, and an outer rim arranged to interconnect the top and bottom rims and cover edge portions of the cushion and the seat pan, and the second drawstring is arranged to extend through the second drawstring channel and configured to provide means for drawing the bottom rim of the cushion retainer toward the seat pan to retain the cushion in the stationary position on the seat pan.

16. The occupant-support base of claim 13, wherein the seat pan includes a perimeter edge, the cushion retainer includes a perimeter flange coupled to the cushion and formed to include an edge-receiving channel receiving the perimeter edge of the seat pan therein, the perimeter flange includes a top rim arranged to mate with an upwardly facing surface of the seat pan, a bottom rim arranged to mate with a downwardly facing surface of the seat pan, the perimeter edge of the seat pan is arranged to extend between the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces, and the cushion retainer further includes a second drawstring arranged to pass through a series of apertures formed in the bottom rim of the perimeter flange and configured to provide means for drawing the bottom rim of the perimeter flange toward the seat pan to retain the cushion in the stationary position on the seat pan.

17. The occupant-support base of claim 1, wherein the cushion includes a cover-mount flange and a stiffener coupled to the cover-mount flange to rigidify the cover-mount flange and the cushion cover mates with the cover-mount flange and the stiffener.

18. The occupant-support base of claim 17, wherein the cushion further includes a deformable elastic bed coupled to the cover-mount flange and the stiffener is a stiffener ridge arranged to extend downwardly in a direction toward the seat pan and lie in spaced-apart relation to the deformable elastic bed to locate the drawstring carrier and the first drawstring in a downwardly opening channel bounded by the deformable elastic bed, the cover-mount flange, and the stiffener ridge.

19. The occupant-support base of claim 18, wherein the stiffener ridge is coupled to a perimeter edge of the cover-mount flange.

20. The occupant-support base of claim 18, wherein the cover-mount flange is made of an elastomeric material and the stiffener ridge is made of the same elastomeric material and cooperates with the cover-mount flange to define a monolithic element.

21. The occupant-support base of claim 18, wherein the stiffener ridge is configured to define means for blocking separation of the drawstring carrier from the deformable elastic bed after the first drawstring has been tightened to retain the cushion cover on the cushion.

22. The occupant-support base of claim 17, wherein the stiffener is a stiffener band mounted on an upwardly facing surface of the cover-mount flange and arranged to locate the cover-mount flange between the stiffener band and the seat pan.

23. The occupant-support base of claim 17, wherein the stiffener is a stiffener band mounted on a downwardly facing surface of the cover-mount flange and arranged to locate the stiffener band between the cover-mount flange and the seat pan.

24. An occupant-support base for a vehicle seat, the occupant-support base comprising

a seat pan,

a pad including a cushion and a cushion cover coupled to the cushion, the cushion including a top surface facing upwardly toward the cushion cover, a bottom surface facing downwardly toward the seat pan, and a perimeter edge extending between the top and bottom surfaces, and

a cushion retainer separated from the cushion cover and coupled to each of the cushion and the seat pan to retain the cushion in a stationary position on the seat pan, and wherein the cushion cover covers an upper portion of the perimeter edge of the cushion while the cushion retainer covers a lower portion of the perimeter edge of the cushion to cause an intermediate portion of the cushion extending between the upper and lower portions to remain exposed and uncovered.

25. The occupant-support base of claim 24, wherein the cushion includes an elastic bed positioned to lie between the seat pan and the cushion cover and a cover-mount flange coupled to the elastic bed and the cushion cover includes an upper member arranged to mate with an upwardly facing surface of the cover-mount flange and a lower member arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the upper member and mate with a downwardly facing surface of the cover mount flange to trap the cover-mount flange between the upper and lower members.

26. The occupant-support base of claim 25, wherein the cushion further includes a retainer-mount flange coupled to the elastic bed and arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the cover-mount flange, the cushion retainer includes a folded sheet including a top rim arranged to mate with the retainer-mount flange, a bottom rim arranged to mate with the seat pan, and an outer rim arranged to interconnect the top and bottom rims and cover edge portions of the retainer-mount flange and the seat pan.

27. The occupant-support base of claim 24, wherein the seat pan includes a perimeter edge, the cushion retainer includes a perimeter flange coupled to the cushion and formed to include an edge-receiving channel receiving the perimeter edge of the seat pan therein, and the perimeter flange includes a top rim arranged to mate with an upwardly facing surface of the seat pan and a bottom rim arranged to mate with a downwardly facing surface of the seat pan, the perimeter edge of the seat pan is arranged to extend between the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces.

28. An occupant-support base for a vehicle seat, the occupant-support base comprising

a cushion including a deformable elastic bed and a cushion-mount strip coupled to the deformable elastic bed and formed to include an eyelet, and

a seat pan including a tray arranged to underlie the deformable elastic bed, a rim coupled to a perimeter portion of the tray and arranged to lie alongside the cushion-mount strip, and a fastener coupled to the rim and the cushion-mount strip to retain the cushion in a stationary position on the tray of the seat pan.

29. The occupant-support base of claim 28, wherein the deformable elastic bed of the cushion includes a top shell and a bottom shell coupled to the top shell and positioned to lie between the top shell and the tray of the seat pan and the cushion-mount strip is coupled to the top shell.

30. The occupant-support base of claim 29, wherein the fastener includes a post coupled to the rim and arranged to pass through the eyelet and a head coupled to a free end of the post and arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the rim to trap a portion of the cushion-mount strip between the rim and the head.

31. The occupant-support base of claim 29, wherein the rim is formed to include a hole, the cushion-mount strip is positioned to lie alongside the rim to locate the eyelet in registry with the hole, and the fastener is arranged to extend through the eyelet and the hole to retain the cushion-mount strip in a stationary position on the rim.

32. The occupant-support base of claim 28, wherein the deformable elastic bed of the cushion includes a top shell and a bottom shell coupled to the top shell and positioned to lie between the top shell and the tray of the seat pan and the cushion-mount strip is coupled to the bottom shell.

33. The occupant-support base of claim 32, wherein the fastener includes a post coupled to the rim and arranged to pass through the eyelet and a head coupled to a free end of the post and arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the rim to trap a portion of the cushion-mount strip between the rim and the head.

34. The occupant-support base of claim 32, wherein the rim is formed to include a hole, the cushion-mount strip is positioned to lie alongside the rim to locate the eyelet in registry with the hole, and the fastener is arranged to extend through the eyelet and the hole to retain the cushion-mount strip in a stationary position on the rim.

35. An occupant-support base for a vehicle seat, the occupant-support base comprising

a seat pan and

a pad coupled to the seat pan, the pad including a cushion on the seat pan and a cushion cover coupled to the cushion to locate the cushion between the seat pan and the cushion cover, wherein the cushion cover includes a sheet arranged to cover the cushion and a sheet anchor and the sheet anchor includes an anchor strip coupled to the cushion and a fastener configured to provide means for temporarily coupling the sheet to the anchor strip to retain the sheet in place on the cushion.

36. The occupant-support base of claim 35, wherein the cushion includes a deformable elastic bed positioned to lie between the seat pan and the sheet and a cover-mount flange coupled to the deformable elastic bed and the anchor strip is coupled to the cover-mount flange.

37. The occupant-support base of claim 36, wherein the fastener includes an inside zipper track coupled to the anchor strip, an outside zipper track coupled to a perimeter edge of the sheet, and a sliding piece mating with the inside and outside zipper tracks to provide means for closing an opening to mate the anchor strip to the sheet by drawing together teeth included in each of the inside and outside zipper tracks to couple the sheet temporarily to the anchor strip to retain the cushion in place on the seat pan.