Method of making a cover and foam body seat component

• US 5,231,745 A
• Filed: 07/12/1991
• Issued: 08/03/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Atoma International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atoma International, Inc.
• Inventors: Daman, Kirk J., Phelan, Raymond J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eley, Timothy V.
• Application Number:
  US07/728,690
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 29/91.1, 29/91, 29/413, 29/414, 29/445, 29/235, 156/250, 156/251, 156/258, 156/267, 264/45.1, 264/46.4, 264/46.6, 264/46.8, 297/452, 297/455, 297/458, 297/460
• US Class Current: 29/91.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/18 having foamed material included in cushioning part foamed material mattresses A47C27/14
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/146 Shaping the lining before foaming
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0092 Producing upholstery articles, e.g. cushions, seats B29C63/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5891 characterised by the manufacturing process; manufacturing seat coverings not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/481 Method

Abstract

A method of making a seat component including the steps of sewing marginal edges of a plurality of cover material pieces with a plastic strip disposed between exterior surfaces of the marginal edges in a configuration coincident with a elongated sharply concave styling character line to form a seam in which a line of stitches extends through the marginal edges of the cover material pieces and a reduced thickness central portion of the strip along a severance line thereon or slightly outwardly thereof, applying a tape of imperforate material along the interior surface of the seam, positioning a sewn and taped panel of the cover pieces so that the exterior surface thereof is in facing relation to mold face of mold member, inserting an exterior edge portion of the strip into an elongated slot in the mold surface so as to accurately locate the seam of the panel along the elongated sharply convex styling character line, foaming a foamable material so as to adhere a body of foamed material to the interior surface of the panel while the exterior surface is held by vacuum in conformity with the mold surface, removing the panel and then removing the exterior edge portion of strip along the severance line thereof from the panel, a seat formed with one or more such components.

Claims

1. A method of making a seat cover and foam body component including an occupant-engaging panel of cover material having a predetermined exterior surface configuration and an imperforate interior surface with foamable material foamed in place thereon so as to resiliently yieldingly retain the exterior surface in said predetermined configuration, said predetermined configuration being with a periphery of said panel and having at least one elongated sharply concave styling character line therein, said method comprising the steps of

utilizing (1) a plastic strip of thin elongated cross-sectional configuration having a central portion of reduced thickness dividing the strip along a severance line into opposite exterior and interior edge portions and (2) a plurality of pieces of cover material of different exterior surface appearance to form said cover material panel,

sewing marginal edges of said plurality of cover material pieces with said strip disposed between exterior surfaces of the marginal edges in a configuration coincident with said elongated sharply concave styling character line to form a seam in which a line of stitches extends through the marginal edges of the cover material pieces and the reduced thickness central portion of the strip along the severance line or slightly outwardly thereof.

applying a tape of imperforate material along the seam in sealed relation with the imperforate interior surfaces of the cover material pieces,

positioning the sewn and taped panel so that the exterior surface thereof is in facing relation to a mold member having a mold surface formed with a mirror image of said predetermined configuration including an elongated sharply convex ridge corresponding with said sharply concave character line having an elongated slot therein,

inserting the exterior edge portion of the strip into said elongated slot so as to accurately locate the seam of the panel along said elongated sharply convex styling character line,

creating negative pressure conditions between the mold surface of the molding member and the exterior surface of the panel through openings in the mold surface so as to conform the exterior surface of the panel to the mold surface of the mold member,

establishing a confined space on the interior surface of the panel,

charging foamable material into the confined space,

foaming the foamable material within the confined space so as to adhere a body of foamed material to the interior surface of said panel while the exterior surface is in conformity with the mold surface,

removing the panel with the body of foamed material adhered to the interior surface thereof from the mold surface including the exterior edge portion of the strip from the elongated slot, and

removing the exterior edge portion of said strip along the severance line thereof from the panel.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the marginal edges of the two pieces of cover material disposed upwardly of the line of stitches and the interior edge portion of the plastic strip therebetween are sewn together by serging prior to the application of the tape.

3. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein the cover material comprises an exterior surface ply of fabric, an inner ply of foam material and an interior surface of plastic film.