Vehicle seat, a skin material for a vehicle seat and a method of manufacturing the vehicle seat

• US 6,832,421 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2001
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Original Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Miyajima, Iwao, Ashida, Nobukatsu, Sugimoto, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnstone, Adrienne C.
• Application Number:
  US09/987,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20020125749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 156/90, 156/214, 156/213, 156/212, 156/285, 156/290, 156/250, 156/267, 156/291, 156/293, 156/256, 156/257, 29/91, 29/911, 29/915, 29/916, 29/917, 29/918, 297/195.1, 297/214, 297/452.58, 297/452.61, 297/452.62, 569/9, 565/3, 565/59, 573/7
• US Class Current: 29/91.1
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 1/00 Saddles or other seats for cycles; Arrangement thereof; Component parts
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 1/12 Box-shaped seats; Bench-type seats, e.g. dual or twin seats
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1028 by bending, drawing or stretch forming sheet to assume shape of configured lamina while in contact therewith
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/103 Encasing or enveloping the configured lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1031 with preshaping of lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1062 Prior to assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/108 Flash, trim or excess removal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/481 Method
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/486 Cover stretching

Abstract

The vehicle seat of the invention includes a cushioning material having a ridge surrounding and defining a seating area on the cushioning material and a skin material covering the cushioning material. The skin material and cushioning material are bonded together only within the seating area. The skin material is a laminate including, in succession, a PVC layer, a knitted fabric and a closed-cell synthetic resin foam. A water proof film may be interposed between the cushioning material and the skin material outside of the seating area.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a vehicle seat comprising:

providing a cushioning material having a ridge defining a seating area, said ridge and said seating area separated by a concave groove around the seating area;

disposing said cushioning material on a support;

covering over the cushioning material with a water-proof film and attaching the water-proof film to the cushioning material;

cutting the water-proof film around the concave groove and then removing that portion of the water-proof film covering the seating area;

joining a first portion of skin material corresponding to the seating area and a second portion of skin material for covering portions of the cushioning material outside of the seating area;

coating an adhesive on at least one of the seating area of the cushioning material and the first portion of skin material;

covering the cushioning material with the skin material;

press-bonding the skin material to the cushioning material; and

securing a peripheral edge of the skin material to the support.

2. A method of manufacturing a vehicle seat as defined in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

vacuum forming the skin material into a three-dimensional shape prior to said coating.

3. A method of manufacturing a vehicle seat as defined in claim 1 wherein adhesive is not applied to the cushioning material outside of the seating area or to the second portion of the skin material.