Anchoring strip for a pull-in rod for shaping the profile of upholstery material

• US 5,641,552 A
• Filed: 06/23/1994
• Issued: 06/24/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alfred Tillner
• Original Assignee: Alfred Tillner
• Inventors: Tillner, Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): McCamish, Marion E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Copenheaver, Blaine R.
• Application Number:
  US08/264,384
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 29/91.7, 297/452.61, 297/452.13, 297/452.6, 428/83, 428/99, 428/100, 428/192, 428/304.4, 428/309.9, 428/306.6, 428/223, 428/246, 428/102
• US Class Current: 428/102
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5825 by hooks, staples, clips, snap fasteners or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24033 including stitching and discrete fastener[s], coating or bond
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24777 Edge feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249923 Including interlaminar mechanical fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249955 Void-containing component partially impregnated with adjacent component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24996 With internal element bridging layers, nonplanar interface between layers, or intermediate layer of commingled adjacent foam layers

Abstract

An anchoring strip for a pull-in rod is used for shaping the profile of upholstery materials for upholstered parts, which are covered on their outside by a covering material. For this purpose, an anchoring strip has a sewing-on flag, which can be connected with the covering material. The anchoring strip consists of a molded plastic body which is formed in one piece and has a basic connector bar, which can be anchored flexibly to the upholstery material. Along the longitudinal extent of the basic connector bar, receiving elements for a pull-in rod are provided and which are disposed at intervals from one another and point to the outside of the upholstered part. The pull-in rod can be interlocked from the outside of the upholstered part with the receiving elements to form a firm holding engagement.

Claims

1. An upholstered product comprising a foam upholstery material covered on the outside by a covering material, a one-piece molded plastic anchoring means, said anchoring means including an elongated flexible connector bar and spaced receiving means disposed along the longitudinal extent of said connector bar, said connector bar being anchored to said foam upholstery material, a pull-in rod, said pull-in rod having a sewing-on flag for the covering material, said sewing-on flag having a pass-through opening means associated with each receiving means so that a part of said receiving means can be pass through said opening means, said receiving means being operable to receive and secure said pull-in rod to said anchoring means to thereby provide a firm holding engagement between said pull-in rod and said anchoring means, said receiving means comprising a receiving element having a generally C-shaped portion, said C-shaped portion having an open side, said receiving means having a leg portion integrally molded with said C-shaped portion, said leg portion comprising an elastic material sufficient to enable said leg portion to be elastically flexed from a closed position to an open position, said leg portion when in said closed position being disposed juxtaposed to said open side of said C-shaped portion, said leg portion when in said open position being spaced from said open side of said C-shaped portion.

2. An upholstered product according to claim 1 wherein said C-shaped portion of said receiving means has an interior defining an accommodating space in which said pull-in rod is received.

3. An upholstered product according to claim 1 wherein said leg portion when in said closed position substantially closes said open side.

4. An upholstered product according to claim 1 wherein the interior of the C of said C-shaped portion defines an accommodating space for said pull-in rod, said leg portion when in said open position permitting said pull-in rod to be passed through said open space into said accommodating space.

5. An upholstered product according to claim 4 wherein said C-shaped portion has an upper part in which said pull-in rod is retained, said C-shaped portion having a lower part which is integrally molded to said connector bar, said leg portion having an extension which diverges away from said upper part of said C-shaped portion such that said extension is spaced from said upper part of said C-shaped portion, the space between said extension and said upper part of said C-shaped portion defining an entrance mouth for said pull-in rod when said pull-in rod is to be disposed in said accommodating space in said C-shaped portion.

6. An upholstered unit comprising foam upholstery material, a covering material covering the outside of said foam upholstery material, a pull-in rod connected to said covering material for shaping the profile of said foam upholstery material, a plastic molded anchoring means including an elongated flexible connector bar and spaced receiving means disposed along the elongated extent of said connector bar, said connector bar having a generally flat cross sectional configuration, said connector bar being provided with through passages, said foam upholstery material penetrating through said passages during foaming of said foam upholstery material, said connector bar being anchored to said foam upholstery material, said receiving means being operable to receive and secure said pull-in rod to said anchoring means to thereby provide a firm holding engagement between said pull-on rod and said anchoring means.

7. An upholstered unit comprising foam upholstery material, a covering material covering the outside of said foam upholstery material, a pull-in rod connected to said covering material for shaping the profile of said foam upholstery material, a molded plastic anchoring means including an elongated flexible connector bar and spaced receiving means disposed along the elongated extent of said connector bar, said connector bar being anchored to said foam upholstery material, said receiving means being operable to receive and secure said pull-in rod to said anchoring means to thereby provide a firm holding engagement between said pull-in rod and said anchoring means, said receiving means comprising a receiving element having a generally C-shaped portion, said C-shaped portion having a open side, said receiving means having a leg portion integrally molded with said C-shaped portion, said leg portion comprising an elastic material sufficient to enable said leg portion to be elastically flexed from a closed position to an open position, said leg portion when in said closed position being disposed juxtaposed to said open side of said C-shaped portion, said leg portion when in said open position being spaced from said open side of said C-shaped portion.

8. An anchoring device anchored to a foam upholstery material and a pull-in rod connected to a covering material for shaping the profile of the foamed upholstery material which is covered on the outside by said covering material, the combination comprising a molded plastic anchoring means which includes an elongated flexible connector bar and spaced receiving means disposed along the elongated extent of said connector bar, said connector bar having a generally flat cross sectional configuration, said connector bar being provided with through passages, said foam upholstery material penetrating through said passages during forming of said foam upholstery material, said connector bar being anchored to said foam upholstery material, said receiving means being operable to receive and secure said pull-in rod to said anchoring means to thereby provide a firm holding engagement between said pull-in rod and said anchoring means.

9. An anchoring device according to claim 8 wherein said receiving means have a generally C-shaped configuration with the interior of the C defining an accommodating space in which said pull-in rod is received.

10. An anchoring device adapted to be anchored to a foam upholstery material and a pull-in rod adapted to be connected to a covering material for shaping the profile of the foam upholstery material which is covered on the outside by said covering material, the combination comprising a molded plastic anchoring means which includes an elongated flexible connector bar and spaced receiving means disposed along the elongated extent of said connector bar, said receiving means being operable to receive and secure said pull-in rod to said anchoring means to thereby provide a firm holding engagement between said pull-in rod and said anchoring means, said receiving means comprising a receiving element having a generally C-shaped portion, said C-shaped portion having a open side, said receiving means having a leg portion integrally molded with said C-shaped portion, said leg portion comprising an elastic material sufficient to enable said leg portion to be elastically flexed from a closed position to an open position, said leg portion when in said closed position being disposed juxtaposed to said open side of said C-shaped portion, said leg portion when in said open position being spaced from said open side of said C-shaped portion.

11. An anchoring device according to claim 10 wherein said leg portion when in said closed position substantially closes said open side.

12. An anchoring device according to claim 10 wherein the interior of the C of said C-shaped portion defines an accommodating space for said pull-in rod, said leg portion when in said open position permitting said pull-in rod to be passed through said open space into said accommodating space.

13. An anchoring device according to claim 12, wherein said C-shaped portion has an upper part in which said pull-in rod is retained, said C-shaped portion having a lower part, said leg portion having an extension which diverges away from said upper part of said C-shaped portion such that said extension is spaced from said upper part of said C-shaped portion, the space between said extension and said upper part of said C-shaped portion defining an entrance mouth for said pull-in rod when the pull-in rod is to be disposed in said accommodating space in said C-shaped portion.