LIGHTWEIGHT MODULAR BACK AND CUSHION ASSEMBLIES

• US 20180118067A1
• Filed: 11/02/2016
• Published: 05/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: LINE, JOHNATHAN ANDREW, KONDRAD, MARCUS SILVA, LYONS, DAVID FREDERICK, PREUSS, KEVIN WAYNE, FERRETTI, DANIEL
• Granted Patent: US 10,532,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/58 Seat coverings
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/64 Back-rests or cushions B60N2/2222 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/68 Seat frames
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/682 Joining means
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/70 Upholstery springs ; Upholstery

Abstract

A vehicle seating assembly for a motor vehicle has a lower seat and a seat back extending upwardly from the lower seat, and includes a cushion frame assembly having a lower seat cushion frame and a seat back cushion frame. A lower seat cushion module is mounted to the lower seat cushion frame of the cushion frame assembly, the lower seat cushion module comprising an EPP-based lower seat foam core and a lower seat trim cover fitted about an external surface of at least a portion of the foam core. A seat back cushion module is mounted to the seat back cushion frame of the cushion frame assembly, the seat back cushion module comprising an EPP-based seat back foam core and a seat back trim cover fitted about an external surface of at least a portion of the foam core.

Claims

1. A vehicle seating assembly for a motor vehicle having a lower seat and a seat back extending upwardly from the lower seat, the vehicle seating assembly comprising:

a cushion frame assembly having a lower seat cushion frame and a seat back cushion frame;

a lower seat cushion module mounted to the lower seat cushion frame of the cushion frame assembly, the lower seat cushion module comprising an EPP-based lower seat foam core and a lower seat trim cover fitted about an external surface of at least a portion of the lower seat foam core; and

a seat back cushion module mounted to the seat back cushion frame of the cushion frame assembly, the seat back cushion module comprising an EPP-based seat back foam core and a seat back trim cover fitted about an external surface of at least a portion of the seat back foam core.

2. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the lower seat cushion frame and the seat back cushion frame of the cushion frame assembly comprises an outer frame and each of the lower seat cushion module and the seat back cushion module comprise a pair of lateral outer side edges and an outer flange along each of the pair of lateral outer side edges, wherein the outer flange is supported by the outer frames of the cushion frame assembly when the lower seat cushion module and the seat back cushion module are assembled with the cushion frame assembly.

3. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the lower seat cushion frame and the seat back cushion frame of the cushion frame assembly comprises an outer frame and each of the lower seat cushion module and the seat back cushion module comprise an inner bearing surface proximate a pair of lateral outer side edges of each of the lower seat cushion module and the seat back cushion module to create an interference fit with an inner perimeter of the outer frames of the cushion frame assembly.

4. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 3, wherein each of the lower seat cushion frame and the seat back cushion frame of the cushion frame assembly comprise a pair of parallel lateral outer frame members and each of the parallel lateral outer frame members include a bolster armature and wherein each of the lower seat cushion module and the seat back cushion module comprise a recess along each lateral outer side edge corresponding with and adapted to receive the bolster armature.

5. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 4, wherein the recess along each lateral outer side edge of each of the lower seat cushion module and the seat back cushion module is disposed within and molded-in with each of the EPP-based lower seat foam core and the EPP-based seat back foam core.

6. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 4, wherein each of the EPP-based lower seat foam core and the EPP-based seat back foam core are provided with a plurality of evenly distributed holes.

7. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 6, wherein the plurality of evenly distributed holes forms a regular pattern and each of the plurality of evenly distributed holes is at least 25 mm diameter wide.

8. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the lower seat cushion module and the seat back cushion module comprise a plurality of planar recesses that are each adapted to receive a die cut comfort pad disposed between each of the EPP-based lower seat foam core and the lower seat trim cover and the EPP-based seat back foam core and the seat back trim cover, respectively.

9. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8, wherein the die cut comfort pads comprise die cut Mueller pads of variable thicknesses.

10. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8, wherein at least one of the EPP-based lower seat foam core and the EPP-based seat back foam core comprises a plurality of trenches disposed between the plurality of planar recesses, each of the plurality of trenches adapted to receive a die cut comfort pad.

11. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the EPP-based lower seat foam core or the EPP-based seat back foam core comprises an attachment feature for attachment of the lower seat trim cover or seat back trim cover.

12. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 11 wherein at least one of the lower seat trim cover or the seat back trim cover comprise a receiving cavity disposed at a front portion of the lower seat trim cover or an upper portion of the seat back trim cover and an attachment flap at a rear portion of the lower seat trim cover or on the seat back trim cover attachment, wherein the attachment flap is adapted to engage the attachment feature on the at least one of the EPP-based lower seat foam core and the EPP-based seat back foam core.

13. A seat assembly comprising a cushion frame assembly and a seat cushion module mounted to the cushion frame assembly, wherein the seat cushion module comprises an EPP-based foam core and the seat cushion module comprises an inner bearing surface proximate each of a pair of lateral outer side edges of the seat cushion module to create an interference fit with an inner perimeter of the cushion frame assembly.

14. The seat assembly of claim 13, wherein the seat cushion module has a first lateral width between the inner bearing surfaces of each of the pair of lateral outer side edges and the cushion frame assembly has a second lateral width between the inner perimeter of the cushion frame assembly, wherein the first lateral width exceeds the second lateral width prior to installation of the seat cushion module within the cushion frame assembly.

15. The seat assembly of claim 14, wherein the inner bearing surfaces of each of the pair of lateral outer side edges of the seat cushion module further comprises a resilient member that resiliently engages the cushion frame assembly subsequent installation of the seat cushion module within the cushion frame assembly.

16. The seat assembly of claim 15, wherein the cushion frame assembly has a lower seat cushion frame and a seat back cushion frame and a seat cushion module is installed on each of the lower seat cushion frame and the seat back cushion frame, respectively.

17. The seat assembly of claim 13, wherein the cushion frame assembly comprises side members, each of the side members including a bolster armature, and wherein the seat cushion module comprises a recess along a lateral outer side edge thereof corresponding with and adapted to receive the bolster armature.

18. The seat assembly of claim 17, wherein the recess along the lateral outer side edges of the seat cushion module is disposed and molded in within the EPP-based foam core.

19. A vehicle seating assembly for a motor vehicle having a lower seat and a seat back extending upwardly from the lower seat, the vehicle seating assembly comprising:

a cushion frame assembly having a lower seat cushion frame and a seat back cushion frame;

a lower seat cushion module mounted to the lower seat cushion frame of the cushion frame assembly, the lower seat cushion module comprising an EPP-based lower seat foam core and a lower seat trim cover fitted about an external surface of at least a portion of the lower seat foam core; and

a seat back cushion module mounted to the seat back cushion frame of the cushion frame assembly, the seat back cushion module comprising an EPP-based seat back foam core and a seat back trim cover fitted about an external surface of at least a portion of the seat back foam core;

each of the lower seat cushion frame and seat back cushion frame of the cushion frame assembly comprising an outer frame member and each of the lower seat cushion module and the seat back cushion module comprise an inner bearing surface proximate each of a pair of lateral outer side edges of the lower seat cushion module and the seat back cushion module to create an interference fit with an inner perimeter of the outer frame members of the lower seat cushion frame and the seat back cushion frame.

20. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 19, wherein the inner bearing surfaces of each of the pair of lateral outer side edges of the lower seat cushion module and seat back cushion module further comprises a resilient member that resiliently engages the cushion frame assembly subsequent installation of the lower seat cushion module and seat back cushion module within the lower seat cushion frame and the seat back cushion frame of the cushion frame assembly, respectively.