Leather trim cover assembly for vehicle seat and method for forming the same

• US 5,669,670 A
• Filed: 03/21/1996
• Issued: 09/23/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tachi-S Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Tachi-S Company Limited
• Inventors: Haraguchi, Youichiro, Kumazawa, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US08/619,081
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 297/452.61, 297/452.6, 297/452.62, 297/452.58, 297/219.1
• US Class Current: 297/452.61
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/141 Hiding joints in the lining
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/569 Shaping and joining components with different densities or hardness
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0092 Producing upholstery articles, e.g. cushions, seats B29C63/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2711/08 Leather
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5891 characterised by the manufacturing process; manufacturing seat coverings not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B68G 7/05 Covering or enveloping cores of pads in plastics material using a matching die B29C63/025

Abstract

A leather trim cover assembly comprising a leather top cover layer and a foam wadding layer. Those two layers are cut in a predetermined shape, as by stamping, and then bonded together along their peripheral end portions to define a bonded area therein. Sewing is effected along such bonded area to connect together the two layers to form a trim cover assembly section, or a plurality of the thus-bonded trim cover assembly sections are sewn together at their respective bonded areas to form a trim cover assembly that can be bodily used on a vehicle seat.

Claims

1. A leather trim cover assembly for a vehicle seat, comprising:

a top cover layer made of a leather material, said top cover layer being cut in a predetermined shape;

a flat-plate-like elastic foam layer cut in a predetermined shape;

an adhesive applying area defined on each of a peripheral edge portion of said top cover layer and a peripheral edge portion of said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer;

said top cover layer being bonded on said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer by an adhesive agent, only along said adhesive applying area, to define a bonded area between said top cover and flat-plate-like elastic foam layers only along each said peripheral edge portion;

substantially all an area on both said to cover layer and said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer outside said bonded area being unbonded;

and

said top cover layer further sewn with said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer at and along said bonded area, so that said peripheral edge portion of said top cover layer and flat-plate-like elastic foam layer are sewn together along said bonded area.

2. The leather trim cover assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein each said peripheral edge portion is provided with at least one position determining means for determining a relative position between said top cover layer and flat-plate-like elastic foam layer, and wherein said top cover layer is formed greater in size than said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer so that the peripheral edge portion thereof projects from the peripheral edge portion of said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer.

3. The leather trim cover assembly in accordance with claim 2, wherein said at least one position determining means comprises at least one notch.

4. A leather trim cover assembly for a vehicle seat, comprising:

a top cover layer made of a natural leather material, said top cover layer being cut in a predetermined shape;

a flat-plate-like elastic foam layer cut in a predetermined shape;

an adhesive applying area defined on each of a peripheral edge portion of said top cover layer and a peripheral edge portion of said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer;

said top cover layer being bonded on said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer by an adhesive agent, only along said adhesive applying area, to define a bonded area between said top cover layer and flat-plate-like elastic foam layer only along each said peripheral edge portion;

substantially all an area on both said top cover layer and said flat-plate-like plastic foam layer outside said bonded area being unbonded;

said top cover layer being further sewn with said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer at and along said bonded area, so that each said peripheral edge portion of said top cover layer and said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer are sewn together along said bonded area.

5. The leather trim cover assembly in accordance with claim 4, wherein each said peripheral edge portion is provided with at least one position determining means for determining a relative position between said top cover layer and flat-plate-like elastic foam layer, and wherein said top cover layer is formed greater in size than said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer so that the peripheral edge portion thereof projects from the peripheral edge portion of said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer.

6. The leather trim cover assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein said at least one position determining means comprises at least one notch.

7. A leather trim cover assembly for a vehicle seat, comprising:

a top cover layer made of a natural leather material, said top cover layer being cut in a predetermined shape;

a flat-plate-like elastic layer cut in a predetermined shape;

an adhesive applying area defined on each of a peripheral edge portion of said top cover layer and a peripheral edge portion of said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer;

said top cover layer being bonded on said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer by an aqueous adhesive agent, along said adhesive applying area;

said top cover layer being further bodily pressed against said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer by means of a pressure-heating device and thus pressingly bonded thereon along said adhesive applying area while applying a heat thereto, so as to define a bonded area between said top cover layer and said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer along each said peripheral edge portion thereof;

substantially all an area on both said top cover layer and said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer outside said bonded area being unbonded,

said top cover layer being further sewn with said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer at and along said bonded area, so that each said peripheral edge portion of said top cover layer and flat-plate-like elastic foam layer are sewn together along said bonded area.

8. The leather trim cover assembly in accordance with claim 7, wherein each said peripheral edge portion is provided with at least one position determining means for determining a relative position between said top cover layer and flat-plate-like elastic foam layer, and wherein said top cover layer is formed greater in size than said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer so that the peripheral edge portion thereof projects from the peripheral edge portion of said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer.

9. The leather trim cover assembly in accordance with claim 8, wherein said at least one position determining means comprises at least one notch.

10. The leather trim cover assembly in accordance with claim 9, wherein the peripheral edge portion of said top cover layer and flat-plate-like elastic foam layer are provided with at least one portion determining means for not only determining a relative position between said top cover layer and flat-plate-like elastic foam layer, but also determining relative positions among said plurality of trim cover assembly sections, and wherein said top cover layer is formed greater in size than said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer so that the peripheral edge portion thereof projects from the peripheral edge portion of said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer.

11. The leather trim cover assembly in accordance with claim 10, wherein said at least one position determining means comprises at least one notch.

12. In a leather trim cover assembly for a vehicle seat which is formed by a plurality of leather trim cover assembly sections,

each of said plurality of leather trim cover assembly sections comprising:

a top cover layer made of a leather material, said top cover layer being cut in a predetermined shape;

a flat-plate-like elastic foam layer cut in a predetermined shape;

an adhesive applying area defined on each of a peripheral edge portion of said top cover layer and a peripheral edge portion of said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer;

said top cover layer being bonded on said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer by an adhesive agent, along said adhesive applying area, to define a bonded area between said top cover layer and said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer along each said peripheral edge portion thereof;

substantially all an area on both said top cover layer and said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer outside said bonded area being unbonded;

and

said plurality of trim cover assembly sections being sewn with one another at and along said bonded area, so that bonded peripheral edge portions of said plurality of trim cover assembly sections are sewn together along said bonded area.

13. In a leather trim cover assembly for a vehicle seat which is formed by a plurality of leather trim cover assembly sections,

each of said plurality of leather trim cover assembly sections comprising:

a top cover layer made of a natural leather material, said top cover layer being cut in a predetermined shape;

a flat-plate-like elastic foam layer cut in a predetermined shape;

an adhesive applying area defined on each of a peripheral edge portion of said top cover layer and a peripheral edge portion of said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer;

said top cover layer being bonded on said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer by an adhesive agent, along said adhesive applying area, to define a bonded area between said top cover layer and said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer along each said peripheral edge portion thereof;

substantially all an area on both said top cover layer and said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer outside said bonded area being unbonded;

and

said plurality of trim cover assembly sections being sewn with one another at and along said bonded area, so that bonded peripheral edge portions of said plurality of trim cover assembly sections are sewn together along said bonded area.

14. The leather trim cover assembly in accordance with claim 13, wherein the peripheral edge portion of said top cover layer and flat-plate-like elastic foam layer are provided with at least one position determining means for not only determining a relative position between said top cover layer and flat-plate-like elastic foam layer, but also determining relative positions among said plurality of trim cover assembly sections, and wherein said top cover layer is formed greater in size than said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer so that said peripheral edge portion thereof projects from the peripheral edge portion of said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer.

15. The leather trim cover assembly in accordance with claim 14, wherein said at least one position determining means comprises at least one notch.

16. In a leather trim cover assembly for a vehicle seat which is formed by a plurality of leather trim cover assembly sections,

each of said plurality of leather trim cover assembly sections comprising:

a top cover layer made of a natural leather material, said top cover layer being cut in a predetermined shape;

a flat-plate-like elastic foam layer cut in a predetermined shape;

an adhesive applying area defined on each of a peripheral edge portion of said top cover layer and a peripheral edge portion of said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer;

said top cover layer being bonded on said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer by an aqueous adhesive agent, along said adhesive applying area;

said top cover layer being further bodily pressed against said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer by means of a pressure-heating device and thus pressingly bonded thereon along said adhesive applying area while applying a heat thereto, so as to define a bonded area between said top cover layer and said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer along each said peripheral edge portion thereof; and

substantially all an area on both said top cover layer and said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer outside said bonded area being unbonded, and

said plurality of trim cover assembly sections being sewn with one another at and along said bonded area, so that bonded peripheral edge portions of said plurality of trim cover assembly sections are sewn together along said bonded area.

17. The leather trim cover assembly in accordance with claim 16, wherein the peripheral edge portion of said top cover layer and flat-plate-like elastic foam layer are provided with at least one position determining means for not only determining a relative position between said top cover layer and flat-plate-like elastic foam layer, but also determining relative positions among said plurality of trim cover assembly sections, and wherein said top cover layer is formed greater in size than said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer so that peripheral edge portion thereof projects from the peripheral edge portion of said flat-plate-like elastic foam layer.

18. The leather trim cover assembly in accordance with claim 17, wherein said at least one position determining means comprises at least one notch.