Seat and self-locking cushion assembly therefor

• US 4,544,205 A
• Filed: 06/16/1983
• Issued: 10/01/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Molnar, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Lyddane, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Falk, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US06/504,915
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 297/219, 297/223, 297/452, 297/455, 297/DIG. 1
• US Class Current: 297/452.14
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/02 Upholstery attaching means quilting, quilting means, fastening, fixing or finishing upholstery B68G7/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/24 Upholstered seats A47C7/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 297/01 Foam

Abstract

A self-locking cushion assembly (14) is connectable to and releasable from a seat shell (12) having a plurality of fingers (52,54) and a plurality of openings (56) without the use of tools or loose parts. The cushion assembly (14) includes a cushion (60) defining a plurality of recesses (62) and a peripheral frame (64) connected to the cushion (60) and having a plurality of projections (68), so that in use the fingers (52,54) extend upwardly within the recesses (62) and overlap the frame (64) and the projections (68) depend within the openings (56) in order to lockingly secure the cushion assembly (14) to the seat shell (12).

Claims

1. A self-locking cushion assembly for connection to a seat shell having a plurality of upwardly inclined fingers and a plurality of openings, comprising:

a cushion defining a plurality of inner face recesses; and

a supporting frame connected to the cushion and having a plurality of locking projections depending at a right angle therefrom each of the recesses being adapted in use to individually receive one of the inclined fingers with the frame being overlappingly retained by the inclined fingers, and each of the locking projections being adapted in use to individually extend downwardly within one of the openings for releasably securing the cushion assembly to the seat shell.

2. The cushion assembly of claim 1 wherein the fingers project in use into the cushion.

3. The cushion assembly of claim 1 wherein the supporting frame includes a plate-like polygonal ring.

4. The cushion assembly of claim 3 wherein the projections are right circular cylinders connected to the polygonal ring.

5. The cushion assembly of claim 4 wherein the fingers project in use into the cushion.

6. The cushion assembly of claim 4 including a cover extending over the cushion and being connected overlappingly to the polygonal ring.

7. The cushion assembly of claim 3 wherein the polygonal ring has a pair of apertures (78), two of the fingers extending in use through the apertures and overlapping the polygonal ring.

8. In a vehicle seat, the combination comprising:

a seat shell having a plurality of upwardly inclined fingers and a plurality of openings; and

a cushion assembly including a foam cushion defining a plurality of recesses and a supporting frame peripherally connected to the cushion and having a plate-like member and a plurality of locking projections extending at a right angle therefrom, each of the fingers extending within one of the recesses and into overlapping engagement with the plate-like member and each of the projections being lockingly received within one of the openings.

9. The seat of claim 8 wherein the plate-like member has a pair of apertures, two of the fingers extending through the apertures and overlapping the plate-like member.

10. The seat of claim 8 wherein two of the fingers project longitudinally into the foam cushion sufficient to create a resilient loading causing frictional loading between the locking projections and set shell openings.

11. The seat of claim 8 wherein the locking projections are right circular cylinders.

12. The seat of claim 8 including a cover extending over the foam cushion and being overlappingly connected to the plate-like member.

13. The seat of claim 8 wherein the plate-like member is generally a relatively flat polygonal ring of a construction sufficient for manually induced arcuate deflection enabling the convenient release of the locking projections from the openings of the seat shell.

14. A seat comprising:

a seat shell having a plurality of upwardly inclined fingers and a plurality of openings; and

a cushion assembly including a foam cushion and a plate-like supporting frame peripherally connected to the cushion, the cushion having a plurality of inner face recesses, the supporting frame having a pair of depending right circular locking pins, the fingers individually extending within one of the recesses and overlappingly engaging the supporting frame with the locking pins being individually received in one of the openings.

15. The seat of claim 14 wherein the supporting frame includes a relatively flat polygonal ring defining a pair of apertures therein, two of the fingers extending through the pair of apertures and overalpping the ring.