Method of tuning acoustical absorption in a vehicle interior

• US 6,648,100 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2002
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Ebbitt, Gordon L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nappi, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLON SANTANA, EDUARDO
• Application Number:
  US10/103,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20030075383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 181/210, 181/293, 181/296, 181/284, 181/286, 181/204, 181/205, 181/292, 181/175
• US Class Current: 181/293
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/58 Seat coverings
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 33/00 Seats
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/16 Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general G10K11/36 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle seat cover is designed to facilitate acoustic energy absorption by forming in the cover an optimal size and arrangement of perforations based on at target noise frequency range, the perforations allowing the noise to pass through the cover into the interior structure of the seat where the acoustic energy is dissipated in the form of heat.

Claims

1. A method of optimizing the acoustic energy absorption level of a vehicle interior, comprising:

measuring the acoustic energy absorption of a plurality of vehicle seats with perforated seat covers;

measuring the acoustic energy absorption of at least one other vehicle interior component;

determining the desired overall acoustic energy absorption for the vehicle interior; and

modifying the other vehicle interior component to eliminate unnecessary acoustic energy absorption material.

2. A method of optimizing the acoustic energy absorption performance of a vehicle interior, comprising:

providing perforated seat covers on seats in a vehicle;

measuring the acoustic energy absorption of said seats in the vehicle;

determining the desired overall acoustic energy absorption performance for the vehicle interior; and

selecting another vehicle interior component in a manner to decrease costs by eliminating unnecessary acoustic energy absorption characteristics from said other vehicle interior component as a result of improved overall energy absorption performance due to the perforated seat covers, thereby achieving said desired overall acoustic energy absorption performance as a low cost.