Trim cover assembly for vehicle seats

• US 4,686,130 A
• Filed: 03/18/1986
• Issued: 08/11/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tachikawa Spring Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Tachikawa Spring Company Limited
• Inventors: Kon, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): Wityshyn, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAVIS, JENNA L
• Application Number:
  US06/841,100
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 156/289, 156/290, 156/275.1, 156/272.2, 156/308.4, 156/309.3, 428/158, 428/167, 428/316.6, 428/317.1, 428/317.5, 428/71, 297/DIG. 1
• US Class Current: 428/71
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/04 Dielectric heating, e.g. high-frequency welding , i.e. radio frequency welding of plastic materials having dielectric properties, e.g. PVC
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/004 Preventing sticking together, e.g. of some areas of the parts to be joined
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/436 Joining sheets for making articles comprising cushioning or padding materials, the weld being performed through the cushioning material, e.g. car seats joining through openings B29C66/304
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/723 being multi-layered B29C66/7292, B29C66/72941 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/727 being porous, e.g. foam
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/00 Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles railway seats B61D33/00; cycle seats B62J1/00; aircraft seats B64D11/06, B64D25/04, B64D25/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5875 by adhesion, e.g. gluing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 297/01 Foam
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/233 Foamed or expanded material encased
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24496 Foamed or cellular component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2457 Parallel ribs and/or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249984 Adhesive or bonding component contains voids

Abstract

A trim cover assembly for a seat used in a vehicle such as an automobile is disclosed which is a combination of a top cover member, a foam wadding and a wadding cover welded together by means of high frequency waves and also which is formed with a plurality of stitches by means of such high frequency waves on the top surface thereof for the improved appearance thereof. In the portions of the welder stitches where the trim cover assembly is curvedly placed, there is provided a non-welded portion, making the trim cover assembly easy to curve in such portions as well as preventing the production of wrinkles.

Claims

1. A trim cover assembly for a vehicle seat comprising a lamination of a top cover member, a wadding of foam material and a wadding cover, said lamination being welded by means of high frequency waves so as to form a plurality of longitudinal welds with recessed-groove-like welder stitches on a top surface thereof, said trim cover being adapted to cover a curved cushion member, wherein the portion of each of said welds of said trim cover assembly adapted to cover the curved portion of the cushion member includes at least one non-welded portion extending in a direction perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of said welds;

said non-welded portions being between at least one of said wadding and said wadding cover and said wadding and said top cover member.

2. The trim cover assembly for a vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said non-welded portions are between said wadding and said top cover member.

3. The trim cover assembly for a vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said welder stiches are formed on a top surface of said top cover member disposed above said non-welded portion.

4. A method of manufacturing a trim cover assembly provided with a non-welded portion, comprising the steps of:

sequentially placing a top cover member, a wadding, and a wadding cover onto a welder mold having a plurality of projecting strips for welding thereon;

interposing a strip-shaped insulation member between at least one of said wadding and said wadding cover and said wadding and said top cover member;

said insulation member extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said projecting strips;

high-frequency welding said top cover member, wadding and wadding cover into an integral body so as to form a plurality of welds with welder stitches on a top surface of said top cover member; and

removing said insulation member to form said non-welded portion between at least one of said wadding and said wadding cover and said wadding and said top cover member.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said strip-shaped insulation member is interposed between said top cover member and said wadding, to thereby produce said non-welded portion between said top cover member and said wadding.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said strip-shaped insulation member is disposed between said wadding cover and said wadding, to thereby produce said non-welded portion between said wadding cover and said wadding.