Trim cover for use with seats in vehicles

• US 4,927,209 A
• Filed: 04/18/1988
• Issued: 05/22/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ikeda Bussan Co., Ltd. (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Ikeda Bussan Co., Ltd. (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Maruyama, Hidekazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Zugel, Francis K.
• Application Number:
  US07/185,238
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 297/186, 297/219
• US Class Current: 297/180.12
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/748 for heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5825 by hooks, staples, clips, snap fasteners or the like

Abstract

A trim cover for use with seats in vehicles and having an electric heater housed therein wherein its surface skin and base cloth are linearly joined with each other at the sitting areas of the trim cover in the longitudinal direction thereof to form an appropriate number of elongated sack-like portions between the surface skin and the base cloth, a pulling loop traverse the sack-like portions at the middle thereof is joined together with the surface skin and the base cloth, a pair of openings are formed at the middle of each of the sack-like portions which are closed by the pulling loop at the middle thereof, interposing the pulling loop between the paired openings, that portion of the pulling loop which corresponds to the width of each of the sack-like portions is cut away, leaving a piece of pulling loop at the border of the adjacent sack-like portions, each of band-like portions of the electric heater is inserted through its corresponding sack-like portion, passing over the pulling loop between the paired openings, and a pulling wire is passed through the pulling loop pieces each extending between the adjacent band-like portions of the electric heater.

Claims

1. A trim cover for covering a heat cushion of a seat in a vehicle, comprising:

a surface skin;

a base cloth connected to said surface skin;

wadding sandwiched between said surface skin and said base cloth;

an electric heater comprising a plurality of band-like portions;

a plurality of elongated sack-like portions formed between said surface skin and said base cloth, each sack-like portion being separated from adjacent sack-like portions by seams which bind said surface skin and said base cloth together, each sack-like portion receiving one of said plurality of band-like electric heater portions and having openings formed intermediate its length and extending partially across its width, said openings being aligned adjacent one another;

pulling loop means constructed by a plurality of pulling loop pieces provided at borders of each adjacent pair of sack-like portions at an intermediate portion thereof and being joined together with said surface skin and said base cloth at said borders of each adjacent pair of sack-like portions; and

a pulling wire passed under said pulling loop pieces for securing the trim cover to the seat cushion.

2. A trim cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pulling wire is covered with rubber to prevent harmful contact with said electric heater.

3. A trim cover as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising a plurality of side pulling loops sewn together with said surface skin and said base cloth, each of said side pulling loops being positioned at an outer edge of one of the outermost of said sack-like portions and having a pulling wire passed through it for attachment to the seat.

4. A seat for a vehicle, comprising:

a seat cushion; and

a trim cover for covering said seat cushion comprising a surface skin, a base cloth connected to said surface skin, wadding sandwiched between said surface skin and said base cloth, an electric heater comprising a plurality of band-like portions, a plurality of elongated sack-like portions formed between said surface skin and said base cloth, each sack-like portion being separated from adjacent sack-like portions by seams which bind said surface skin and said base cloth together, each sack-like portion receiving one of said plurality of band-like electric heater portions and having an opening formed intermediate its length and extending partially across its width, said openings being aligned adjacent one another, pulling loop means constructed by a plurality of pulling pieces provided at borders of each adjacent pair of sack-like portions at an intermediate portion thereof and being joined together with said surface skin and said base cloth at said borders of each adjacent pair of sack-like portions, and a pulling wire passed through said pulling loop pieces for securing the trim cover to the seat cushion.

5. A seat as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pulling wire is covered with rubber to prevent harmful contact with said electric heater.

6. A seat as claimed in claim 4 and further comprising a plurality of side pulling loops sewn together with said surface skin and said base cloth, each of said side pulling loops being positioned at an outer edge of one of the outermost of said sack-like portions and having a pulling wire passed through it for attachment to the seat.