VEHICULAR TRIM APPLICATIONS USING FILM ADHESIVE IN LIEU OF STITCHING

• US 20110037243A1
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adient Luxembourg Holding S..R.L.
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Thimm, David, Smith, Sandra L., Stapleton, Teresa A., Laframboise, Gregg, Koester, Daniel J., Howell, Marie R., Doerer, Richard P., Suiter, Jeffrey, Potes, Duane JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,398,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/00 Details or accessories for chairs, beds, or the like, not provided for in other groups of this subclass, e.g. upholstery fasteners, mattress protectors, stretching devices for mattress nets
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4815 Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/5057 positioned between the surfaces to be joined B29C65/5035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/43 Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles B29C66/45 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/5326 said single elements being substantially flat
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/30 Vehicles, e.g. ships or aircraft, or body parts thereof vanes or blades B29L2031/08, air bags B29L2022/027
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/771 Seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/58 Seat coverings
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/5808 comprising opening zones for airbags
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1002 with permanent bending or reshaping or surface deformation of self sustaining lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/15 Sheet, web, or layer weakened to permit separation through thickness

Abstract

A vehicle seat configured to retain an air bag. The vehicle seat uses selective use of adhesive tape in place of stitching to provide easier manufacturing, lower cost, improved durability and easier repairs, as well as having the adhesive tape be configured to rupture as needed in response to activation of the air bag.

Claims

1. A seat having an air bag, said seat comprising:

a cushion portion defining a shape, and an opening in said cushion portion configured to allow the passage of the air bag;

a surface material having a finish surface and an opposed inner surface, said surface material covering said cushion portion and wherein said surface material forms a seam extending along said opening in said cushion portion and wherein said seam is free from stitching along said opening.

2. The seat of claim 1 wherein said seam includes a first portion of surface material and a second portion surface material joined with an adhesive tape.

3. The seat of claim 1 wherein said first portion of surface material and said second portion of surface material are formed from a single piece of surface material.

4. The seat of claim 1 wherein said first portion of surface material and said second portion of surface material are each formed from different pieces of surface material.

5. The seat of claim 2 wherein said adhesive tape is applied to both finish surface on both of the joined first and second surface materials.

6. The seat of claim 5 wherein said adhesive tape is perforated to allow separation of said seam and passage of the air bag.

7. The seat of claim 5 wherein said seam is a butt joint, and said adhesive tape is applied to the inner surface.

8. The seat of claim 1 further including a patch of surface material applied with adhesive tape over said seam.

9. The seat of claim 8 further wherein said patch has a finish surface and an inner surface and wherein said inner surface is scored substantially along said seam.

10. The seat of claim 8 wherein adhesive tape is applied to the inner surface of said surface material across said seam.

11. The seat of claim 10 wherein said adhesive tape includes an area of reduced strength extending along said seam.

12. The seat of claim 1 further including a patch of surface material applied with adhesive tape and wherein said adhesive tape has varied retention force across said surface patch.

13. The seat of claim 12 wherein said patch includes a first side and a second side on the opposing side of said seam and wherein one of said first and second sides has less retention force than the other of said first and second sides.

14. The seat of claim 13 wherein said patch is configured to break free of said surface material on said side having less retention force.

15. The seat of claim 1 wherein said seam includes a portion extending beyond said opening on at least one side and wherein said seam extending beyond said opening is substantially free of stitching.

16. The seat of claim 15 wherein said portion of said portion extending beyond said opening is joined with a first taped adhesive having a first retention force.

17. The seat of claim 16 wherein said portion of said seam extending along said opening is joined with a second taped adhesive having a second retention force and wherein said first retention force is greater than said second retention force.

18. The seat of claim 17 wherein said seam is joined with a single taped adhesive and wherein said taped adhesive along said opening has less retention force then said taped adhesive along said portion extending beyond said opening.

19. The seat of claim 18 wherein said retention force is varied by differing the amount of heat, pressure or application time of heat and pressure applied to the seam along said opening and the portion extending beyond said opening.

20. The seat of claim 1 wherein said seam includes a first portion of surface material and a portion of second surface material joined with adhesive tape and wherein one of said first and second surface materials is folded about itself and joined together with a sewn deck stitch, such that said seam free from stitching along said opening may join the finish surface of said first portion of surface material to the finish surface of said second portion of surface material.

21. The seat of claim 1 wherein said seam includes a taped adhesive.

22. The seat of claim 21 wherein said taped adhesive includes a weakened area.

23. The seat of claim 22 wherein said weakened area is perforated.

24. The seat of claim 22 wherein said weakened area is bounded by reinforced areas.

25. The seat of claim 24 wherein said bounded areas are configured to limit rupturing of said weakened area to a defined opening.

26. The seat of claim 21 wherein said taped adhesive includes a tab that extends visibly outward of the seam.

27. The seat of claim 21 wherein said taped adhesive includes a heat and pressure sensitive adhesive.

28. A taped adhesive for seat seams comprising:

a longitudinal extent;

a first bonding surface and a second opposed bonding surface;

a circumferential extent; and

a weakened area capable of rupturing.

29. The taped adhesive of claim 28 wherein said weakened area is bounded about said circumferential extent with a strengthened area.

30. The taped adhesive of claim 29 wherein said strengthened area is configured to retain the integrity of the circumferential extent upon rupturing of the weakened area.

31. The taped adhesive of claim 28 wherein said weakened area creates a defined opening upon rupturing.

32. The taped adhesive of claim 28 further including a lateral extent and wherein each of said bonding surfaces includes a retention force when applied to another surface and wherein the retention force varies across at least one of the longitudinal and lateral extents.

33. The taped adhesive of claim 28 wherein said bonding surfaces includes a heat and pressure sensitive adhesive.

34. A seat having an air bag, said seat comprising

a cushion defining a shape and an opening in said cushion configured to allow passage of the air bag;

and

a surface material having a finish surface and an opposed inner surface, said surface material covering said cushion and wherein a taped adhesive is applied to at least one of the finish and inner surface of the surface material proximate to said opening.