Upholstery support

• US 6,652,034 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2001
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Schramm, Christian, Petersdorff, Heiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GARRETT, ERIKA P
• Application Number:
  US09/806,811
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 297/452.35, 297/452.29, 297/452.32, 297/452.36, 297/DIG.1, 574/0, 565/59, 572/8, 573/1, 564/3, 267/141.1, 267/267
• US Class Current: 297/452.35
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/185 with a stiff, rigid support
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0092 Producing upholstery articles, e.g. cushions, seats B29C63/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/70 Upholstery springs ; Upholstery
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 297/01 Foam

Abstract

The invention relates to an upholstery support for a seat, especially for utilization in an automobile. According to the invention, an especially lightweight of vehicle seat construction is achieved in that the upholstery support is built in the form of a sandwich. Essential elements in said sandwich-type construction are a shell mold allocated to a soft upholstery and a back wall element. A shaped foam part, preferably made of hard foam, is inserted between the latter.

Claims

1. An upholstery support for a seat or a seating bench in a vehicle comprising a sandwich structure having a rigid shell mold associated with soft padding and a rigid rear wall element adjoining said rigid shell forming a hollow body therebetween and enclosing at least one molded foam element.

2. An upholstery support as described in claim 1, wherein the shell mold is a molded body made of light metal or plastic.

3. An upholstery support as described in claim 1, wherein the rear wall element is a molded body made of light metal or plastic.

4. An upholstery support as described in claim 1, wherein the molded foam element is designed as an inserted element made of high-resistance foam whose surfaces are shaped so as to conform to the shape of the rear wall element and the shell mold.

5. An upholstery support as described in claim 1, wherein the molded foam element is produced by injection into the hollow body.

6. An upholstery support as described in claim 5, wherein the hollow body is produced by blow molding or internal high-pressure forming.

7. An upholstery support as described in claim 1, wherein the shape of the shell mold is modified to receive gluteal padding.

8. An upholstery support as described in claim 1, wherein the shape of the shell mold is modified to receive back rest padding.

9. An upholstery support as described in claim 4 or 5, wherein the shell mold and rear wall element are shaped elements produced from sheet metal which are connected by jointing techniques.

10. An upholstery support as described in claim 9, wherein the shell mold, the rear wall element and the molded foam element are in the form of aggregate supports onto which components are fastened.

11. An upholstery support as described in claim 1, wherein the shell mold and the rear wall element have a pattern of holes.

12. An upholstery support as described in claim 1, wherein one of the shell mold and the rear wall element have a pattern of holes.

13. An upholstery support as described in claim 10, wherein the components are selected from the group consisting of a head rest support, a head rest guide, a belt winding device, a belt lock, a link lock, a link pin, a padding fastening element and a bearing element.

14. An upholstery support as described in claim 1, wherein the molded foam element is designed as an inserted element made of high-resistance foam whose surfaces are shaped so as to conform to the shape of one of the rear wall element and the shell mold.

15. An upholstery support as described in claim 9, wherein the metal is aluminum.