Trim Assembly

• US 20120274116A1
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Palmer, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,733,834 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/396
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5841 by clamping means
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/585 by buckle passages

Abstract

A trim assembly for a seat back of a vehicle seat is provided. The seat back has a seat frame and a seat cushion. The trim assembly includes a backboard securable to the seat frame and adapted to form a rear surface of the seat back. The backboard has a channel formed therein and a plurality of spaced apart retaining windows formed along a length of the channel. A trim cover is adapted to cover the seat cushion and form a front surface of the seat back. The trim cover has a cover material portion and a trim retainer connected to the cover material portion. The trim retainer includes an engagement feature. The trim retainer is insertable into the channel such that the engagement feature cooperates with the retaining windows for securing the trim cover to the backboard.

Claims

1. A trim assembly for a seat back of a vehicle seat having a seat frame and a seat cushion, the trim assembly comprising:

a backboard securable to the seat frame and adapted to form a rear surface of the seat back, the backboard having a channel formed therein and a plurality of spaced apart retaining windows formed along a length of the channel; and

a trim cover adapted to cover the seat cushion and form a front surface of the seat back, the trim cover having a cover material portion and a trim retainer connected to the cover material portion, the trim retainer having an engagement feature,

wherein the trim retainer is insertable into the channel such that the engagement feature cooperates with the retaining windows for securing the trim cover to the backboard.

2. The trim assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of retaining windows are formed along at least one side wall of the channel.

3. The trim assembly of claim 2 wherein each of the backboard includes a plurality of projections extending from the side wall adjacent the retaining windows, and the engagement feature cooperates with the projections when the trim retainer is inserted into the channel, thereby preventing the trim retainer from being removed from the channel.

4. The trim assembly of claim 1 wherein the channel further comprises at least one end opening formed at a distal end of the channel;

and the trim retainer further comprises a free end not joined to the cover material portion, the free end being adapted to be inserted through the end opening to secure the trim retainer to the backboard.

5. The trim assembly of claim 1 wherein the trim retainer has a cross section with a first portion shaped to define the engagement feature, and a second portion shaped to define a T-shaped feature adapted to form a generally flat region along the cover material portion adjacent the backboard when the trim cover is secured to the backboard.

6. The trim assembly of claim 5 wherein the cover material portion is joined to the trim retainer at a location between the first portion and the second portion.

7. A vehicle seat assembly having a trim assembly according to claim 1, the vehicle seat assembly further comprising:

a seat back frame adapted to be secured to a vehicle; and

a cushion supported on the seat back frame and having a front surface;

wherein the backboard is secured the seat back frame forming a rear surface of the vehicle seat assembly, and the trim cover covers the front surface of the cushion.

8. The seat assembly of claim 7 wherein the channel extends along a periphery of the backboard.

9. The seat assembly of claim 8 wherein seat back frame is formed to integrally include a seat back portion and a head restraint portion, the backboard formed as one piece thereby forming the rear surface of the seat back portion and the head restraint portion.

10. The seat assembly of claim 8 wherein the channel includes at least one curvature portion along the periphery of the backboard.

11. The seat assembly of claim 8 wherein a distance between the retaining windows varies along the periphery of the backboard.

12. The seat assembly of claim 11 wherein a diameter of the retaining windows varies along the periphery of the backboard, wherein the distance between the retaining windows is at least twice the diameter of the retaining windows.

13. The seat assembly of claim 7 wherein the backboard has an appearance surface substantially similar to a surface of the cover material portion so that the backboard and the trim cover form a generally continuous seat trim appearance surface.

14. The seat assembly of claim 7 wherein the retaining windows are formed along a least one side wall of the channel, the channel further comprising a pair of end openings formed at adjacent opposing distal ends of the channel;

and the trim retainer further comprises a free end which is inserted through the end openings in order to secure the trim retainer to the channel and prevent the trim retainer from being removed from the channel once inserted.

15. A trim assembly for a seat back of a vehicle seat having a seat frame and a seat cushion, the trim assembly comprising:

a backboard securable to the seat frame and adapted to form a rear surface of the seat back, the backboard having a channel formed therein, the channel having a plurality of spaced projections formed along a length of the channel; and

a trim cover adapted to cover the seat cushion and form a front surface of the seat back, the trim cover having a cover material portion and a trim retainer connected to the cover material portion, the trim retainer having an engagement feature,

wherein the trim retainer is insertable into the channel such that the engagement feature cooperates with the projections for securing the trim cover to the backboard.

16. The trim assembly of claim 15 wherein the plurality of projections are formed along at least one side wall of the channel.

17. The trim assembly of claim 16 wherein each of the backboard includes a plurality of recesses formed in the side wall adjacent the projections, and the engagement feature cooperates with the projections and recess when the trim retainer is inserted into the channel, thereby preventing the trim retainer from being removed from the channel.

18. A method of making a back panel for use with a vehicle seat having a seat back frame, the back panel being securable to the frame and configured to secure a trim cover to the vehicle seat, the method comprising:

injecting plastic into a mold to form the back panel such that the back panel has a channel and a plurality of spaced apart retaining windows formed along a length of the channel, the channel being configured to receive a retainer of the trim cover, and the windows being cooperable with an engagement feature of the retainer to secure the trim cover to the vehicle seat.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the mold has first and second mold tools that engage each other along a parting line, one of the mold tools is movable away from the other mold tool in a direction generally parallel to the parting line, and the windows are formed in the mold at the parting line.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the back panel is formed such that the back panel includes a plurality of spaced apart projections that are aligned with the windows and that are engageable with the retainer when the retainer is received in the channel, wherein the projections are formed in the mold adjacent the parting line.