ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY LAYERED SEATING ASSEMBLY

• US 20110140500A1
• Filed: 02/17/2011
• Published: 06/16/2011
• 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 8,657,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/452.58
• 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 molded expanded polyolefin structural layer and a foam cushion layer, the foam cushion layer having an upper surface and bottom surface, the bottom surface of the foam cushion layer being disposed adjacent the structural layer; and

a trim material secured over the cushion composite, wherein the cushion layer and the trim material are not secured to each other such that they are separable from each other.

2. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the foam cushion layer is made of polyurethane and has a rigidity that is less than the rigidity of the structural layer.

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

4. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 3 wherein the expanded polyolefin comprises expanded polypropylene and the cushion layer comprises soy-based polyurethane.

5. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the cushion layer and the structural layer includes molded polymeric attachment clips.

6. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 further comprising a comfort pad disposed between the foam cushion layer and the trim material.

7. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 6 wherein the structural layer has an average thickness of 5 to 100 mm, the cushion layer has an average thickness of 20 to 100 mm, and the comfort pad has an average thickness of 2 to 30 mm.

8. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the foam cushion has a hysteresis of 18 to 30 KPa.

9. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 8 wherein the trim material is made of polymeric material.

10. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 4 wherein the structural layer has a density of 1.75 to 7.0 pcf.

11. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 10 wherein the structural layer has a hardness of 150 to 250 N, and a compression strength of 20 to 100 psi.

12. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the structural layer has a density of 1.75 to 7.0 pcf, a hardness of 150 to 250 N, and a compression strength of 20 to 100 psi and wherein the cushion layer has a density of 1.5 to 4.5 pcf.

13. A vehicle foam component assembly comprising:

a cushion composite comprising a molded expanded polyolefin structural layer and a foam cushion layer having a bottom surface, the foam cushion layer being in substantially uninterrupted contact with the structural layer across the bottom surface, and wherein the density of the cushion layer is less than a density of the structural layer; and

a trim material releasably secured over the cushion composite.

14. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 13 wherein the structural layer has a density of 1.75 to 7.0 pcf, a hardness of 150 to 250 N, and a compression strength of 20 to 100 psi and wherein the cushion layer has a density of 1.5 to 4.5 pcf.

15. The vehicle foam component assembly of claim 13 wherein the structural layer has a density of 1.75 to 7.0 pcf.

16. The vehicle foam component assembly of claim 13 wherein the structural layer has a hardness of 150 to 250 N.

17. The vehicle foam component assembly of claim 15 wherein the structural layer has a compressive strength of 20 to 100 psi.

18. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:

a cushion composite comprising a molded expanded polymeric structural layer adjacent a foam cushion layer; and

a trim layer secured over the cushion composite by a first securing means, wherein the first securing means is non-permanent securing.

19. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 18 wherein the structural layer has an average thickness of 5 to 100 mm and the cushion layer has an average thickness of 20 to 100 mm.

20. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 19 wherein the structural layer has a density of 1.75 to 7.0 pcf and a hardness of 150 to 250, and the cushion layer has a density of 1.5 to 4.5 pcf, and a hysteresis of 18 to 30 KPa.