Seat cover member with cable tie closure

• US 5,326,151 A
• Filed: 09/15/1992
• Issued: 07/05/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hoover Universal Incorporated (Adient plc)
• Original Assignee: Hoover Universal Incorporated (Adient plc)
• Inventors: Smith, William M., Brooks, Marie T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saether, Flemming
• Application Number:
  US07/944,987
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 297/218, 297/219.1, 297/220, 24/16 PB, 24/30.5 P
• US Class Current: 297/219.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5883 by sewing, stitching or threading
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/60 Removable protective coverings

Abstract

A cover member for a vehicle seat component in which the opening the cover member is closed by the use of a cable tie having integral fastening features. The cable tie and a portion of the cover member material is gathered around a protruding frame member of the seat component, providing a secure, yet neat appearing closure for the cover member.

Claims

1. A cover member for an article having a protuberance extending therefrom comprising:

one or more pieces of a sheet material joined together to form an envelope having a peripheral edge at an open end through which said article is inserted into said envelope with said protuberance extending from said envelope through said open end; and

means for closing said open end around said article and said protuberance with said protuberance extending through said open end, said closing means including a channel along a portion of said peripheral edge having first and second ends, a closure strap within said channel having an elongated body portion and first and second ends extending from the ends of said channel, said closure strap being tightly wrapped around said protuberance, said strap having a receptacle at said first end with a passage therethrough and a flexible locking tab extending into said passage and said strap body portion having a plurality of teeth transverse to the length of said body portion for engagement with said flexible tab when said body is inserted into said passage to hold said body portion in said housing forming a closed loop of desired length whereby said portion of said peripheral edge is drawn tightly around said protuberance.

2. The cover member of claim 1 wherein said flexible tab can be disengaged from said transverse teeth to enable said body portion to be removed from said housing.

3. The cover member of claim 1 wherein said article is a vehicle seat back having a lower end with a frame member extending from said lower end forming said protuberance with said closure strap being wrapped against said frame member to draw said portion of said peripheral edge against said frame member.

4. The cover member of claim 1 wherein said article is a head rest for a vehicle seat assembly having a lower end and at least one mounting post extending from said lower end forming said protuberance with said closure strap being wrapped against said post to draw said portion of said peripheral edge against said post.

5. The cover member of claim 1 wherein said channel is formed by a hem in said portion of said peripheral edge.

6. The cover member of claim 1 further comprising stitching to sew said closure strap into said channel.

7. A component for a seat assembly comprising:

an article having an end and a pair of spaced mounting members extending from said end of said article;

a cover member for covering said article including one or more pieces of a sheet material joined together to form an envelope having a peripheral edge forming an open end of said envelope through which said article is inserted into said envelope with said mounting members extending from said article through said open end; and

means for closing said open end around said article and said mounting members with said mounting members extending through said open end, said closing means including first and second portions of said peripheral edge each having a channel at said edge and each channel having opposite ends, a pair of closure straps, one of said closure straps in each of said channels, said closure straps each having a an elongated body portion and first and second ends extending from said opposite ends of said channels, each closure strap being wrapped around one of said mounting members extending from said article, said elongated body portions of said closure straps and said first ends of said closure straps including coacting means for securing said body portions to said first ends forming a closed loop of desired length of each closure strap wrapped around each mounting member whereby said first and second portions of said peripheral edge are drawn against said mounting members.

8. The cover member of claim 7 wherein said peripheral edge includes third and fourth portions generally located between said two spaced mounting members, said third and fourth portions including coacting means to couple said third and fourth portions together between said spaced mounting members to cover said article.