Seat assembly having structural foam with intergrated frame support and method of making the same

• US 9,914,382 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2016
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: De Nichilo, Giovanni, Falchero, Angelo
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US15/087,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20170232877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 2972181, 2972182, 2972183, 2972184, 2972185, 29744022, 29745218, 29745248, 29745252, 29745253
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/015 Attaching seats directly to vehicle chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/646 shape of the cushion
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/68 Seat frames
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/682 Joining means
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/70 Upholstery springs ; Upholstery

Abstract

A vehicle seat assembly comprises a seat bottom comprising a frame assembly securable to a vehicle. The frame assembly comprises a frame disposed within a structural foam pad, with the frame assembly having a first attachment member. The vehicle seat assembly comprises a cushion assembly comprising a flexible foam pad supported on a wire frame assembly, with the cushion assembly having second attachment member cooperable with the first attachment member to secure the cushion assembly to the frame assembly. The vehicle seat assembly comprises a seatback secured to the seat bottom.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:

a seat bottom comprising;

a frame assembly securable to a vehicle, the frame assembly comprising a frame disposed within a structural foam pad, the frame assembly having a first attachment member;

a cushion assembly comprising a flexible foam pad supported on a wire frame assembly, the wire frame assembly having a second attachment member cooperable with the first attachment member to secure the cushion assembly to the frame assembly; and

a seatback secured to the seat bottom.

2. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the cushion assembly comprises a trim cover covering the flexible foam pad and secured to the wire frame assembly.

3. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the frame assembly has a front and a back and the cushion assembly has a front portion that extends over and in front of in a covering relationship with the front of the frame assembly.

4. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 3 wherein the flexible foam pad has a first size and the structural foam pad has a second size, smaller than the first size, such that the structural foam pad is received within the flexible foam pad.

5. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein one of the first and second attachment members is a hook and the other of the first and second attachment members is an attachment housing for receiving the hook to inhibit relative movement between the cushion assembly and the frame assembly.

6. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 5 wherein the wire frame assembly has an upper side and a lower side and the frame has an upper surface and a lower surface, with the second attachment member comprising a plurality of hooks disposed on the lower side of the wire frame assembly, and the first attachment member comprising a plurality of attachment housings each of the attachment housings receiving a respective one of the hooks.

7. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the frame assembly comprises the structural foam pad overmolded to the frame, with the frame having attachment brackets for securing the seat bottom to a vehicle.

8. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 7 wherein the cushion assembly comprises the flexible foam pad overmolded to the wire frame assembly.

9. A vehicle seat bottom securable to a vehicle, the vehicle bottom cooperable with a seatback to form a seat, the seat bottom comprising:

a frame assembly securable to a vehicle, the frame assembly comprising a frame disposed within a structural foam pad, the frame assembly having a first attachment member; and

a cushion assembly comprising a flexible foam pad supported on a wire frame assembly, the wire frame assembly having a second attachment member cooperable with the first attachment member to secure the cushion assembly to the frame assembly.

10. The vehicle seat bottom of claim 9 wherein the cushion assembly comprises a trim cover covering the flexible foam pad and secured to the wire frame assembly.

11. The vehicle seat bottom of claim 9 wherein the frame assembly has a front and a back and the cushion assembly has a front portion that extends over and in front of in a covering relationship with the front of the frame assembly.

12. The vehicle seat bottom of claim 11 wherein the flexible foam pad has a first size and the structural foam pad has a second size, smaller than the first size, such that the structural foam pad is received within the flexible foam pad.

13. The vehicle seat bottom of claim 9 wherein one of the first and second attachment members is a hook and the other of the first and second attachment members is an attachment housing for receiving the hook to inhibit relative movement between the cushion assembly and the frame assembly.

14. The vehicle seat bottom of claim 13 wherein the wire frame assembly has an upper side and a lower side and the frame has an upper surface and a lower surface, with the second attachment member comprising a plurality of hooks disposed on the lower side of the wire frame assembly, and the first attachment member comprising a plurality of attachment housings, each of the attachment housings receiving a respective one of the hooks.

15. The vehicle seat bottom of claim 9 wherein the frame assembly comprises the structural foam pad overmolded to the frame.

16. The vehicle seat bottom of claim 15 wherein the cushion assembly comprises the flexible foam pad overmolded to the wire frame assembly.

17. A method of making a vehicle seat assembly comprising:

providing a frame assembly securable to a vehicle, the frame assembly comprising a frame disposed within a structural foam pad, the frame assembly having a first attachment member; and

providing a cushion assembly comprising a flexible foam pad supported on a wire frame assembly, the wire frame assembly having a second attachment member;

securing the first attachment member to the second attachment member to form a seat bottom; and

securing a seatback to the seat bottom.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein one of the first and second attachment members is a hook and the other of the first and second attachment members is an attachment housing for receiving the hook to inhibit relative movement between the cushion assembly and the frame assembly.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the frame assembly comprises the structural foam pad overmolded to the frame and the cushion assembly comprises the flexible foam pad overmolded to the wire frame assembly.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the wire frame assembly has an upper side and a lower side and the frame has an upper surface and a lower surface, with the second attachment member comprising a plurality of hooks disposed on the lower side of the wire frame assembly, and the first attachment member comprising a plurality of attachment housings, each of the attachment housings receiving a respective one of the hooks.