LEATHER TRIM COVER ASSEMBLY WITH STRETCH REDUCTION

• US 20120175935A1
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Severinski, Paul S., Henn, Karl, Chen, Pusheng, Welch, Thomas A. Sr., Hulme, Larry, Paruszkiewicz, William, Messina, Benedict J., Patterson, Louella, Orlando, Bryan
• Granted Patent: US 8,783,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/452.38
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5891 characterised by the manufacturing process; manufacturing seat coverings not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/481 Method

Abstract

The present invention relates a vehicle seat assembly comprising a frame, a cushion supported on the frame, and a trim cover assembly secured over the cushion, the trim cover assembly comprising a leather trim material and a reinforcing layer secured to the leather trim material, the reinforcing layer being less flexible than the leather trim material, the trim cover assembly having a percent reduction in stretch relative to a similar trim cover assembly not having the reinforcing layer of 40% to 95% as measured according to SAE J855.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:

a frame;

a cushion supported on the frame; and

a trim cover assembly secured over the cushion, the trim cover assembly comprising a leather trim material and a reinforcing layer secured to the leather trim material, the reinforcing layer being less flexible than the leather trim material, the trim cover assembly having a percent reduction in stretch relative to a similar trim cover assembly not having the reinforcing layer of 40% to 95% as measured according to SAE J855.

2. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the reinforcing layer comprises a scrim.

3. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 2 wherein the leather trim material has a first surface area and the scrim has a second surface area, the second surface area being 10-80% of the first surface area.

4. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the trim cover assembly has a set of less than 2% as measured according to SAE J855.

5. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 2 wherein the scrim has a plurality of interconnecting strands having an average thickness of 0.1 to 4.0 mm, wherein the strands interconnect to form openings having an average surface area of 0.25 to 5.0 mm².

6. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the trim cover assembly has a set of less than 1% as measured according to SAE J855, the trim cover assembly further having a percent reduction in stretch relative to a similar trim cover assembly not having the reinforcing layer of 50% to 90% as measured according to SAE J855.

7. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the leather trim material has a first surface area and main body contacting portion comprising 30-50% of the first surface area, and the reinforcing layer is secured to the leather trim material under the main body contacting portion.

8. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 7 wherein main body portion is defined by stitching and the reinforcing layer is secured to the leather trim material by the stitching.

9. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 8 wherein the reinforcing layer comprises a scrim defined by a plurality of intersecting strands.

10. A trim cover assembly securable over a cushion supported on a frame, said trim cover assembly comprising:

a leather trim material; and

a reinforcing layer secured to the leather trim material, the reinforcing layer being less flexible than the leather trim material, the trim cover assembly having a percent reduction in stretch relative to a similar trim cover assembly not having the reinforcing layer of 40% to 95% as measured according to SAE J855.

11. The trim cover assembly of claim 10 wherein the reinforcing layer comprises a scrim.

12. The trim cover assembly of claim 11 wherein the leather trim material has a first surface area and the scrim has a second surface area, the second surface area being 10-80% of the first surface area.

13. The trim cover assembly of claim 11 wherein the trim cover assembly has a set of less than 2% as measured according to SAE J855.

14. The trim cover assembly of claim 11 wherein the scrim has a plurality of interconnecting strands having an average thickness of 0.1 to 4.0 mm, wherein the strands interconnect to form openings having an average surface area of 0.25 to 5.0 mm².

15. The trim cover assembly of claim 11 wherein the trim cover assembly has a set of less than 1% as measured according to SAE J855, the trim cover assembly further having a percent reduction in stretch relative to a similar trim cover assembly not having the scrim of 50% to 90% as measured according to SAE J855.

16. The trim cover assembly of claim 15 wherein the leather trim material has a first surface area and main body contacting portion comprising 30-50% of the first surface area, and the scrim is secured to the leather trim material under the main body contacting portion.

17. The trim cover assembly of claim 16 wherein main body portion is defined by stitching and the scrim is secured to the leather trim material by the stitching.

18. The trim cover assembly of claim 11 wherein the reinforcing layer comprises a scrim defined by a plurality of intersecting strands.

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

providing a cushion assembly comprising a cushion supported on a frame; and

securing a trim cover assembly over the cushion assembly, the trim cover assembly comprising a leather trim material and a reinforcing layer secured to the leather trim material, the trim cover assembly having a percent reduction in stretch relative to a similar trim cover assembly not having the reinforcing layer of 40% to 95% as measured according to SAE J855.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the reinforcing layer comprises a scrim sewn to the leather trim material.