Cushion retention for a vehicle seat

• US 4,065,181 A
• Filed: 08/30/1976
• Issued: 12/27/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Manetta, John A., Gunlock, Donald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, James C.
• Application Number:
  US05/718,882
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 5/353.1-353.8, 297/218-220, 297/391, 297/396, 297/452, 297/455, 297/456, 297/DIG. 1, 297/DIG. 2, 297/458-460
• US Class Current: 297/440.22
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/7023 Coach-like constructions

Abstract

The support members for a vehicle seat include a molded plastic seat bottom support and a molded plastic seat back support. Cushion members for mounting on the supports include a cushion bun of resilient foam and a seat cover for enveloping the cushion bun. The seat cover has an opening in the underside thereof which permits insertion of the cushion bun when the cushion bun is compressed. A fastening device for mounting the cushion member includes a projecting element, preferably a headed stud, provided on the cushion member. A mating receptacle element, preferably a slot or key hole slot, is provided on the support. The projecting element and the receptacle element are positioned for mating engagement when the cushion bun is forcibly stressed to vary the spaced relation between the fastening devices provided at the respective ends of the cushion member. Termination of the stressing effort applied to the cushion allows the resilience of the cushion bun and the tension exerted thereon by the seat cover to return the ends of the cushion member toward their normal spaced relation so that the projecting elements are captured in their mating receptacle elements to mount the cushion member on the support member. A rigid panel of cardboard or the like is molded in situ on the underface of the cushion bun and has an edge coextensive with the edge of the cushion bun to resist the tension on the seat cover from compressing the corners of the cushion bun. A pair of these rigid panels may be employed which are spaced from one another so as to permit the compression of the cushion member and insertion of the cushion bun into the opening of the seat cover as well as deformation of the cushion bun sufficiently to align the projecting elements and mating receptacle elements of the fastening devices which are mounted on the rigid panels.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat back comprising:

a molded plastic frame member having a forwardly facing cushion supporting face and a rearwardly facing decorative face;

a headrest support portion integral with the frame member and extending upwardly therefrom;

a cushion member having a cushion bun of resilient foam and a seat cover enveloping the cushion bun and having an opening in the rearward face thereof defined by edge portions of the seat cover;

said seat cover being engaged over the integral headrest portion of the frame member and fastened thereto;

and fastening means acting respectively between the frame member and the cushion member, said fastening means including a projecting element mounted on one of the members and a mating receptacle element provided on the other member, the fastening means being engageable when the cushion member is stressed longitudinally to move the element mounted on the cushion member in the direction away from the integral headrest support portion, the projecting element being engaged in the mating receptacle element when the resilience of the cushion bun moves the element mounted on the cushion member in the direction toward the integral headrest portion.

2. A seat comprising:

a cushion bun of resilient foam having a leading edge portion and side edge portions;

a support member having a generally planar base wall to support the cushion bun and sidewalls rising generally perpendicularly from the base wall adjacent the side edge portions of the cushion bun to support the side edges of the cushion bun;

first and second rigid panel members respectively secured to the cushion bun and being spaced from one another to permit longitudinal compression of the cushion bun, the first rigid panel member being generally U-shaped;

a seat cover for enveloping the cushion bun and having an opening in the underside thereof of a size sufficient to permit insertion of the cushion bun only when the cushion bun is compressed, the cushion bun being compressed somewhat within the seat cover to exert a tension on the seat cover;

attachement means acting between the seat cover and the first and second rigid panel members to attach the seat cover to the cushion bun;

said U-shaped first rigid panel having an outer edge coextensive with the leading and side edge portions of the cushion bun to provide rigidity and prevent the tension of the seat cover from altering the shape of the cushion bun by compressing the edge portions of the cushion bun;

and fastening means acting between the support member and the first and second rigid panel members to mount the cushion bun on the support member.

3. A seat comprising:

a support member;

a cushion bun of resilient foam for mounting on the support member;

first and second rigid panel members respectively secured to the cushion bun and being longitudinally spaced from one another to permit longitudinal compression of the cushion bun;

and fastening means acting respectively between the support member and the first and second panel members, said fastening means including a projecting element mounted on one of the members and a mating receptacle element provided on the other member, the fastening means being engageable when the cushion bun is compressed longitudinally to move the elements mounted on the panel members into closer longitudinally spaced relation and the projecting elements being captured in the mating receptacle elements when the resilience of the cushion bun moves the first and second panel members to further apart longitudinally spaced relation.

4. A seat structure comprising:

a support member;

a cushion bun of resilient foam for mounting on the support member;

a seat cover for enveloping the cushion bun and having an opening in the underside thereof having a size sufficient to permit insertion of the cushion bun only when the cushion bun is compressed;

first and second rigid panel members respectively secured to longitudinally spaced opposite edge portions of the cushion bun and being longitudinally spaced from one another to permit longitudinal compression of the cushion bun;

and fastening means acting respectively between the support member and the first and second panel members, each such fastening means including a projecting element provided on one of the members and a mating receptacle element provided on the other member, the fastening means being positioned for mating engagement when the cushion bun is compressed longitudinally to move the elements mounted on the panel members into closer longitudinally spaced relation, the projecting elements being captured in the mating receptacle elements when the longitudinal compression is relieved and the resilience of the cushion bun moves the first and second panel members to further apart longitudinally spaced relation.

5. A seat comprising:

a molded plastic support member;

a cushion bun of resilient foam for mounting on the support member;

first and second panel members respectively secured to longitudinally spaced opposite edge portions of the cushion bun and being longitudinally spaced from one another to permit longitudinal compression of the cushion bun;

a headed stud mounted on each of the panel members and having a relatively narrow shank and a larger head;

key hole slots provided at longitudinally spaced positions in the molded plastic support member for receiving the headed studs, each of the key hole slots having an entry opening adapted to permit insertion of the head of the headed stud and a relatively narrow longitudinally extending opening adapted to receive the shank of the headed stud so that the head of the headed stud overlies the undersurface of the support member to attach the panel member and the cushion bun on the support member, the key hole slots being arranged with the longitudinally extending openings pointing outwardly toward the edge portion of the support member and being positioned with respect to the headed studs so that when the cushion bun is longitudinally compressed the heads of the headed studs are spaced relative one another for entry into the entry openings of the key hole slots and when the cushion bun is expanded the headed studs are located with the shank portion received in the longitudinally extending opening to attach the cushion bun on the support member.

6. In a seat, the combination comprising:

a cushion bun of resilient foam having an underface and an edge wall;

a support member having a generally planar support wall adapted for supporting engagement by the underface of the cushion bun and having sidewalls extending generally perpendicularly from the support wall adjacent the edge wall of the cushion bun to support the edge wall of the cushion bun;

a seat cover for enveloping the cushion bun and having an opening in the underside thereof overlying the support wall of the support member and having a size sufficient to permit insertion of the cushion bun only when the cushion bun is compressed, the cushion bun being in a somewhat compressed state when installed within the seat cover so that the seat cover and cushion bun exert opposing forces on one another;

rigid panel means secured to the underface of the cushion bun along only a portion thereof not interfering with compression of the cushion bun sufficient to permit insertion of the cushion bun into the seat cover;

attachment means acting between the seat cover and the rigid panel means to attach the seat cover to the cushion bun;

and fastening means acting between the support member and the rigid panel means to mount the cushion bun on the support member;

the rigid panel means having an outer edge being generally coextensive with the edge wall of the cushion bun to provide rigidity and prevent the opposing forces imposed by the seat cover and cushion bun from altering the shape of the cushion bun by compressing of the cushion bun at the juncture between the underface and edge wall.