SEAT BACK FRAME FOR VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME

• US 20140232158A1
• Filed: 08/10/2011
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adient US, LLC (Adient plc), Teijin Limited
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc), Teijin Limited
• Inventors: Sano, Atsushi, Yagi, Yutaka
• Granted Patent: US 9,481,279 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/354.1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/68 by incorporating or moulding on preformed parts, e.g. inserts or layers , e.g. foam blocks mould constructions therefor B29C33/12; joining preformed parts by moulding B29C65/70
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/683 Pretreatment of the preformed part, e.g. insert
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/22 the back-rest being adjustable B60N2/2878 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/68 Seat frames
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/682 Joining means
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2205/50 Interlocking shaft arrangements transmitting movement between hinge mechanisms on both sides of a seat

Abstract

A seat hack frame (100) for a vehicle made of a fiber-reinforced composite material containing a thermoplastic resin matrix and a reinforcing fiber, the seat back frame (100) including a seat back frame body (1), a metal plate (3) welded to the seat back frame body (1) at a reclining device (2) attaching position, and a metal reclining device (2) weld joined to the metal plate (3).

Claims

1. A seat back frame for a vehicle made of a fiber-reinforced composite material containing a thermoplastic resin matrix and a reinforcing fiber, the seat back frame comprising:

a seat back frame body;

a metal plate welded to the seat back frame body at a reclining device attaching position; and

a metal reclining device weld joined to the metal plate.

2. The seat back frame for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the metal plate is in a circular plate shape or an oval plate shape.

3. The seat back frame for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the seat back frame body has an opening portion having a smaller shape than the metal plate at the reclining device attaching position.

4. The seat back frame for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the metal plate has a through-hole through which a drive shaft to be attached to the reclining device penetrates.

5. The seat back frame for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of one surface of the metal plate excluding a region weld joined to the reclining device is welded to the seat back frame body.

6. The seat back frame for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of both surfaces of the metal plate excluding regions joined to the reclining device is welded to the seat back frame body.

7. The seat back frame for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the seat back frame body includes an upper frame and left and right side frames, and

the metal plate is welded to each of the left and right side frames.

8. The seat back frame for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the seat back frame for a vehicle is designed for a front seat.

9. A method of manufacturing a seat back frame for a vehicle made of a fiber-reinforced composite material containing a thermoplastic resin matrix and a reinforcing fiber, the seat back frame including a seat back frame body, a metal plate welded to the seat back frame body at a reclining device attaching position, and a metal reclining device weld joined to the metal plate, the method comprising:

heating and softening the fiber-reinforced composite material containing the thermoplastic resin matrix and the reinforcing fiber; and

shaping the softened fiber-reinforced composite material by cold press molding into a shape of the seat back frame body and, during the shaping, welding the metal plate to the seat back frame body by insert molding.

10. The method of manufacturing the seat back frame for a vehicle according to claim 9, the method further comprising heating the metal plate with an induction heater before performing the cold press molding.