Structure of bonding die for forming a seat

• US 5,743,996 A
• Filed: 08/27/1996
• Issued: 04/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tachi-S Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Tachi-S Company Limited
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Ikuo, Majima, Tatsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): SELLS, JAMES D
• Application Number:
  US08/703,474
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 156/228, 156/245, 156/290, 156/500, 156/580, 156/581, 156/583.1, 425/406, 425/412, 264/46.5, 264/321
• US Class Current: 156/581
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2063/022 the junction being located in a groove
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 63/025 applied by a die matching with the profile of the surface of resilient articles, e.g. cushions, seat pads

Abstract

A structure of bonding die for use with a trim cover assembly having a connected portion where one cover section thereof is sewn with another cover section thereof, and for pressure bonding the trim cover assembly to a foam cushion member. A retainer member is provided on the die, which is formed by bending a rigid wire material into a loop-like shape such as to have an inward elastic deformability give therein. Such retainer member permits its smooth insertion into the connected portion of trim cover assembly, without any tear and damage caused in the trim cover assembly per se, to thereby provide an easy and precise location of the trim cover assembly with respect to the foam cushion member.

Claims

1. A structure of bonding die for pressing and bonding a trim cover assembly to a foam cushion member to form a seat, in which the trim cover assembly includes a connected portion where one cover section thereof is sewn with another cover section thereof, said structure comprising:

a die member upon which said trim cover assembly is to be placed for pressure bonding with said foam cushion member, said die member including a retaining area where said connected portion of said trim cover assembly is to be retained; and

a retaining means of a loop-like shape for retaining said trim cover assembly at a predetermined position for the pressure bonding with said foam cushion member, said retaining means being formed by bending a rigid wire material into the loop-like shape and provided on said die member at a point corresponding to said retaining area,

wherein said retaining means allows insertion thereof into and along said connected portion of said trim cover assembly when the trim cover assembly is placed on said die member.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said retaining means comprises a steel wire bent and formed in said loop-like shape, which is elastically deformable in a direction inwardly thereof.

3. The structure according to claim 2, wherein said steel wire is of a circular cross-section having approximately 1-mm diameter.

4. The structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said retaining means comprises a plurality of retainer members which are each formed by bending a steel wire into said loop-like shape to have an inward elastic deformability given therein, and wherein said plurality of retainer members are arranged at said retaining area of said die member in such a manner the inward elastic deformability thereof is displayed along a direction in which said connected portion of said trim cover assembly extends.

5. The structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said retaining means comprises a retainer member made of a steel wire having a generally arrow-like shape which is formed by bending said steel wire into the generally arrow-like shape having an inward elastic deformability given therein, and wherein said retainer member is arranged at said retaining area of said die member in such a manner that the inward elastic deformability thereof is displayed along a direction in which said connection portion of said trim cover assembly extends.

6. The structure according to claim 5, wherein said steel wire is of a circular cross-section having approximately 1-mm diameter.

7. The structure as defined in claim 1, wherein there is further provided a location means at said retaining area of said die member, said location means being for temporarily retaining and locating said trim cover assembly for said pressure bonding with said cushion member, and wherein said retaining means is disposed on said location means.

8. The structure according to claim 7, wherein said location means comprises an upstanding location member which projects vertically from said retaining area such as to be capable of insertion into a groove created in said connected portion of said trim cover assembly.

9. The structure according to claim 5, wherein said retainer member includes an arrow-headed portion and a leg portion so that the retainer member may be resiliently inserted and anchored in a seam of said connected portion, with the inward elastic deformability thereof being displayed along a direction in which said seam extends within said connected portion.

10. The structure according to claim 9, wherein said arrow-headed portion has, defined therein, a top portion, a pair of upper slanted portions diverging from said top portion, and a pair of lower slanted portions converging from the respective said pair of upper slanted portions.

11. The structure as defined in claim 1, which further comprises a location means disposed at said retaining area of said die member, said location means being for temporarily retaining and locating said trim cover assembly for the pressure bonding with said cushion member, wherein said location means extends along a direction in which said connected portion extends, and wherein said retaining means comprises a plurality of retainer members each being made of a steel wire formed in said loop-like shape having an inward elastic deformability given therein, and wherein said said plurality of retainer members are disposed on and along said location means in such a manner as to be elastically deformable along a direction in which said connected portion of said trim cover assembly extends.

12. The structure according to claim 11, wherein said steel wire is of a circular cross-section having approximately 1-mm diameter.

13. The structure according to claim 11, wherein said plurality of retainer members are each formed by bending the steel wire into a generally arrow-like shape having an arrow-headed portion and a leg portion such as to be resiliently inserted and anchored in a seam of said connected portion, and wherein said plurality of retainer members are so disposed on and along said location means that said arrow-headed portion each of said plurality of retainer members is maintained in a parallel relation with a top surface of said location means.

14. The structure according to claim 13, wherein said arrow-headed portion has, defined therein, a top portion, a pair of upper slanted portions diverging from said top portion, and a pair of lower slanted portions converging from the respective said pair of upper slanted portions.

15. The structure according to claim 13, wherein said said arrow-headed portion has, defined therein, a top portion, a pair of upper slanted portions diverging from said top portion, and a pair of lower slanted portions converging from the respective said pair of upper slanted portions, and wherein said leg portion comprises a pair of leg portions each extending continuously from the respective said pair of lower slanted portions.

16. The structure according to claim 13, wherein said steel wire is of a circular cross-section having approximately 1-mm diameter.