Skin material fastening structure and skin material removing tool

• US 9,783,090 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2016
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: YKK Corporation
• Original Assignee: YKK Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshida, Tomonari, Murasaki, Ryuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): GABLER, PHILIP F
• Application Number:
  US15/082,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20160318429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5833 by hook-and-loop type fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5891 characterised by the manufacturing process; manufacturing seat coverings not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/7017 characterised by the manufacturing process; manufacturing upholstery or upholstery springs not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A skin material fastening structure for removably fastening an edge of a first skin material covering a part of molded foam and an edge of a second skin material covering another part of the molded foam in a fastening groove formed in the molded foam. The fastening groove includes first and second sides facing each other, and a bottom extending between lower ends of the first and second sides. A hook and loop fastener is fixed on the first and second sides. Each of the edges of the first and second skin materials has loops capable of engaging with the hooks.

Claims

1. A skin material fastening structure for removably fastening a free end edge of a first skin material covering a part of a molded foam and a free end edge of a second skin material covering another part of the molded foam in a fastening groove formed in the molded foam,

wherein the free end edge of the first skin material and the free end edge of the second skin material are in an unconnected state in the fastening groove so that the free end edges of the first and second skin materials are capable of being removed from the fastening groove independently of each other,

wherein the fastening groove includes first and second sides facing each other, a bottom extending between lower ends of the first and second sides, and one or more hook and loop fasteners being fixed on the first and second sides, the hook and loop fasteners having a plurality of hooks,

wherein each of the hooks includes a hook base and a hook head which extends from the hook base toward the bottom of the fastening groove,

wherein each of the free end edges of the first and second skin materials has a plurality of loops capable of engaging with the hooks, and

wherein the free end edges of the first and second skin materials in the fastening groove are in surface contact with each other.

2. The skin material fastening structure according to claim 1, wherein each of the free end edges of the first and second skin materials has a plurality of removal loops provided on one surface of each of the free end edges opposite to another surface of each of the free end edges facing the corresponding hook and loop fastener and on a bottom-side.

3. The skin material fastening structure according to claim 1, wherein the second skin material is different from the first skin material.

4. The skin material fastening structure according to claim 1, wherein the molded foam is a seat.

5. A skin material removing tool for removing at least one of a first skin material and a second skin material fastened by a skin material fastening structure,

wherein the skin material fastening structure is for removably fastening an edge of the first skin material covering a part of a molded foam and an edge of the second skin material covering another part of the molded foam in a fastening groove formed in the molded foam,

wherein the edge of the first skin material and the edge of the second skin material are in an unconnected state in the fastening groove so that the edges of the first and second skin materials are capable of being removed from the fastening groove independently of each other,

wherein the fastening groove includes first and second sides facing each other, a bottom extending between lower ends of the first and second sides, and one or more hook and loop fasteners being fixed on the first and second sides, the hook and loop fasteners having a plurality of hooks,

wherein each of the hooks includes a hook base and a hook head which extends from the hook base toward the bottom of the fastening groove, and

wherein each of the edges of the first and second skin materials has a plurality of loops capable of engaging with the hooks,

the skin material removing tool comprising:

a tool base capable of manually moving between the edges of the first and second skin materials in the fastening groove along the longitudinal direction of the fastening groove;

a loop removing part capable of being inserted between the edge of the first or second skin materials in the fastening groove and the hooks to engage with the loops of the edge of the first or second skin materials; and

a guide part extending between a lower end of the tool base and a lower end of the loop removing part,

wherein the guide part guides the edge of the first or second skin materials, which has been stripped off of the corresponding hook and loop fastener by the loop removing part, to an outside of the fastening groove.

6. A skin material removing tool for removing at least one of a first skin material and a second skin material fastened by a skin material fastening structure,

wherein the skin material fastening structure is for removably fastening an edge of the first skin material covering a part of a molded foam and an edge of the second skin material covering another part of the molded foam in a fastening groove formed in the molded foam,

wherein the edge of the first skin material and the edge of the second skin material are in an unconnected state in the fastening groove so that the edges of the first and second skin materials are capable of being removed from the fastening groove independently of each other,

wherein the fastening groove includes first and second sides facing each other, a bottom extending between lower ends of the first and second sides, and one or more hook and loop fasteners being fixed on the first and second sides, the hook and loop fasteners having a plurality of hooks,

wherein each of the hooks includes a hook base and a hook head which extends from the hook base toward the bottom of the fastening groove, and

wherein each of the edges of the first and second skin materials has a plurality of loops capable of engaging with the hooks,

wherein each of the edges of the first and second skin materials has a plurality of removal loops, the removal loops being provided on one surface of each of the edges opposite to the other surface facing the corresponding hook and loop fastener and on a bottom-side,

the skin material removing tool comprising:

a tool base capable of being inserted between the edges of the first and second skin materials in a fastening groove,

the tool base including a hook arrangement area capable of facing an area provided with the removal loops in each of the first edge and the second edge,

the hook arrangement area being provided with at least a first tool hook in a first part of the hook arrangement area, and being provided with at least one a second tool hook in a second part of the hook arrangement area, the first part being near an insertion end of the tool base, the second part being farther away from the insertion end of the tool base than the first part,

the first tool hook including a hook base and a hook head, the hook head extending from the hook base in a direction opposite to a direction in which the tool is inserted,

the second tool hook including a hook base and a hook head, the hook head extending from the hook base in a direction in which the tool is inserted.