FR2809940A1 - Seat padding has strips applied to faces of cover seams to prevent ingress of foam being moulded in situ - Google Patents

Abstract

The seat has a cover (4) with seams having holes (18) and the foam padding (13) is moulded in situ. The inner faces of the seams are covered by an adhesive strip (16) to obturate the holes in the cover seams (11,12). One seam face can be covered by the adhesive strip and the other face can be covered by a second strip. The second strip can have fibres to at least partially close off the holes in the second seam.

Description

 SEAT ELEMENT, DRESSING HEAD </ B> FOR A <B> TEL </ B> <B> DE </ B> <B> SEAT AND ITS METHOD OF MANUFACTURING The present invention relates to seat elements, trim covers for such seat elements and their manufacturing process.

More particularly, the invention relates to a seat element comprising a flexible covering cap having an outer face and an inner face defining an interior volume in which is disposed a padding synthetic foam, said cap comprising a seam comprising at least a first thread that passes through said cap by making holes in this cap.

In the known seat elements of this type, the synthetic foam can sometimes pass through the holes formed by the seam in the cap during molding (before the polymerization of the foam), which can lead either to soil the outer face of the cap or to stiffen the seam thereby creating a hard point in the seat element.

The present invention is intended to overcome these disadvantages.

For this purpose, according to the invention, a seat element of the kind in question is characterized in that the seam is covered by at least a first adhesive strip bonded to the inner face of the cap to seal the holes of said cap.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, one or more of the following arrangements may be used: the cap comprises a first adjacent edge and a second edge which are folded together towards the foam being in mutual contact by the outer face of the cap, the edges being joined by said seam which passes through said adjacent edges and cleaning holes in these edges, the first adhesive strip being glued against the inner face of the cap on the first edge covering the seam to prevent foam from entering the holes of the first edge, and the inner face of the cap including additional sealing means along the second edge to prevent foam from entering the holes of the second edge of the the cap during molding said foam; the additional sealing means comprise a second adhesive strip glued against the inner face of the cap on the second edge, covering the seam to prevent the foam from penetrating into the holes of the second edge; the additional sealing means comprise a strip sewn against the inner face of the cap along the second edge by means of the seam; - the strip comprises an exposed face to synthetic foam which comprises fibers partially closing off holes formed in said strip by the seam; - The strip has two flexible longitudinal edges folded towards one another at least partially covering holes formed in said strip by the seam; the additional sealing means comprise a second thread belonging to the seam, the second thread comprising flocked fibers extending substantially radially, at least partially closing the holes in the seam of the second edge of the cap.

Furthermore, the invention also relates to a covering cap for a seat element as defined above, this cap having an outer face and an inner face defining an interior volume, said cap comprising a seam comprising at least a thread which passes through said cap by making holes in this cap, the seam being covered by at least one adhesive tape glued to the inner face of the cap to seal the holes.

Finally, the invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a cap as defined above, wherein the sewing of the cap and the bonding of the adhesive strip are made together in one step.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of three of its embodiments, given as non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings - Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of a seat with a headrest can be realized according to the invention - Figure 2 is a partial sectional view cushion of the seat back of the figure FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view in vertical section illustrating the method of sewing the edges of the cap of the cushion of FIG. 2 according to a first embodiment, FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the method of sewing the edges of the cap according to the first embodiment, - Figure 5A is a view similar to Figure 2 illustrating the assembly of the two edges according to a second embodiment, - Figure 5B is a view similar to the figure 5A illustrating the assembly of the two edges according to variant of the second embodiment, - Figure 6 is a view similar to the figure illustrating the method of sewing the edges of the cap according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 3, illustrating the method of sewing the edges of the cap according to a third embodiment.

In the different figures, the same references designate identical or similar elements.

Figure 1 shows a portion of a vehicle seat 1 having a backrest 2 surmounted by a headrest 3, the backrest cushion being made in accordance with the present invention. Note however that the invention is not limited to the production of a folder, but applies instead to other seat elements such as headrest, seat, armrests, etc.

The back cushion 2 externally has a flexible covering cap 4, which is generally made from at least one piece of fabric or other forming several flaps 5, 6 which are assembled by sewing along one or more lines Junction 7.

As shown in more detail in FIG. 2, the flexible cap may be in the form of a superimposed multilayered complex, for example - an outer layer 4a of fabric, leather or the like, which forms the outer face 8 of the cap covering, - an inner layer 4b of polyurethane foam or other adhering inside the layer 4a forming the inner face 9 of the cap by delimiting a certain internal volume 9a of said cap, and if necessary, a additional film of synthetic material applied for example against the layer 4b towards the inside of the cap and then forming the inner face of the cap.

The inner volume 9a of the cap is filled with a cushion of synthetic foam, for example polyurethane foam, which is molded in situ in said cap. At the junction 7, the flaps 5, 6 of the cap comprise respectively a first edge 11 and a second edge 12, which are folded into the inner volume 9a of said cap and which are in mutual contact by their outer face 8. These first and second folded edges 11 and 12 are assembled by a seam 13 comprising for example two wires 14, 15.

In order to prevent the polyurethane still in the liquid state before polymerization from passing through the holes formed in the cap 4 by the seam 13 during molding in situ, two adhesive strips 16 are glued to the two edges 11, and along the seam 13 and this during the realization of the seam 13.

The two adhesive strips have, for example, a thickness of about 0.05 to 0.6 mm.

The adhesive strips 16 may be constituted by a textile, paper, plastic or cellular film of which one of the faces is covered by an adhesive. Thus, each adhesive strip 16 completely closes the holes 18 formed by the threads 14, 15 of the seam 13, thus preventing the polyurethane foam that has not yet been polymerized from penetrating it.

The adhesive tape comprising a paper film which can be easily creased will be particularly suitable for covering seams with small radii of curvature.

In this case, the adhesive tape may wrinkle near its nearest edge of the center of curvature and / or said tape may tear slightly and locally or stretch more or less near the farthest edge the center of curvature, which facilitates the adaptation of the adhesive tape to the shape of the sewing pattern while allowing a good bonding of the band on the cap and therefore a good seal of the seam.

Likewise, an adhesive tape comprising a film of the creped paper type will be particularly adapted to stretch more or less close to its edge farthest from the center of curvature. This type of adhesive tape may be chosen from the adhesive tape referenced "Scotch 2364" and "Scotch 350F" 3m society.

The edges 11, 12 of the cap are sewn and the two adhesive strips 16 are glued to the threads 14, 15 forming the seam 13, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, for example in a sewing machine which may comprise in particular upper part, on the one hand, a crowbar 21 and a needle 22 for the introduction of the wire 14, and secondly, a presser foot 20 may include a guide 23 for feeding one of the bands under the presser foot 20 as and when the edges 11, 12 of the cap in the direction A, and in the lower part, a table T and claw 24 for feeding the wire 15 and having a guide 25 for supplying the other of the strips on the table T as the edges 11, 12 progress in the direction A, the strip 16 then being glued against the cap by the clamping of said cap and of the band 16 between the presser foot 20 and the table T.

According to a second embodiment of the assembly of the first and second edges 11 and 12 shown in FIG. 5A, a strip 17, with a thickness of about 1 to 2 mm, for example, is sewn against the second edge 12 at means of the yarns 14 and 15 and an adhesive tape 16 is glued against the seam of the first edge 11.

As shown in more detail in FIG. 6, the strip 17 may be advantageously made of textile material, in the form of braids, threads, woven strips, knitted strips, flocked strips, velvet strips, etc., and comprise a fibrous structure 17A comprising for example (but not necessarily) free fibers forming bristles on the exposed face of the strip 17. Thus, the fibrous structure 17A of the strip 17 at least partially closes the holes 19 formed in the strip 17 by the wire 14 of the seam 13, preventing the polyurethane foam not yet polymerized from entering the holes 18 formed in the fabric 4 the seam 13.

It will be noted that the bristles 17A formed by free textile fibers are not indispensable. It is indeed possible to use a textile strip substantially free of such free fibers, in which case the holes 19 are simply closed by the woven or non-woven fabric fibers forming the material of the strip.

According to a variant of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5B, it is also possible to use a strip 26 comprising two flexible edges 27 forming folded beads towards one another, leaving between them a groove in which wire 14 is housed. of the seam 13, the edges 27 of the strip covering at least partially the seam 13 so as to prevent the penetration of the foam 10 into the holes 18 formed by the seam. Preferably, the folded edges 27 of the strip 26 are touching on top of the wire 14, thus completely isolating it from the foam 10.

The strip 26 may be made of textile or elastomeric material, for example polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane, PVC, especially of the plastisol type, silicone, fabric coated with PVC or other flexible organic material, etc. .

Preferably, the edges 11, 12 of the cap and the strip 17 or 26 are sewn in a single operation, and the adhesive strip 16 is directly bonded to the first edge 11 or more exactly on the thread 15 partially forming the seam 13 as represented in FIG. 6, for example in a sewing machine which may comprise in particular - in the upper part, on the one hand, a presser foot 20, and, on the other hand, a crowbar 21 a needle 22 for the positioning the wire 14, the crowbar 21 may include a guide 23 for feeding the strip 17 or 26 under the crowbar 21 as the edges 11, 12 advance the cap in the direction A, - And in the lower part, a table T and a claw 24 for feeding the wire 15 and having a guide 25 for feeding the adhesive strip 16 to the table T as the first and second edges 11, 12 in the direction A.

According to a third embodiment of the assembly of the first and second edges 11 and 12 shown in FIG. 7, the first edge 11 and the second edge 12 are sewn with a flocked yarn 14 and a non-flocked yarn 15 and a adhesive tape 16 on the non-flocked wire 15 forming the seam of the first edge 11.

It will be noted that the flocked yarn 14 comprises textile fibers 14A extending radially with respect to the general direction of said yarn 14. Thus, the fibers of the flocked yarn 14 at least partially seal the holes 18 formed in the second edge 12, preventing the polyurethane foam not yet polymerized to penetrate the edges 11, 12 of the cap are sewn by means of the wire 15 and the flocked wire 14, and the adhesive strip is directly bonded to the first edge 11 or more exactly on the wire 15 partially forming the seam 13 as shown in Figure 7, for example in a sewing machine which may comprise in particular - in the upper part, on the one hand, a presser foot 20, and on the other hand, a crowbar 21 a needle 22 for the introduction of the flocked wire 14, - and in the lower part, a table T and a claw 24 for feeding the wire 15 and having a guide 25 for feeding the adhesive tape 1 6 the table T as the progress of the first and second edges 11, 12 in the direction A.

It is also possible to use a sewing machine as shown in FIG. 3 to sew with the flocked yarn, and in this case the sewing machine will comprise in particular - in the upper part, on the one hand, a crowbar 21 and a needle 22 for the establishment of the non-flocked wire, and secondly, a presser foot 20 may include a guide for feeding the adhesive strip under the presser foot 20 as the edge advances 11 and 12 of the cap, and in the lower part, a claw 24 for feeding the flocked wire.

Of course, the first and second edges of the cap need not necessarily be folded into the interior volume of said cap and it is also possible, without departing from the scope of the invention, to perform the seam by superimposing for example the first edge 11 of the cap on the second edge 12. In this case, the adhesive tape will be directly glued to the inner side of the second edge 12 to prevent the foam from entering the holes formed by the seam in said second edge during the molding of the foam.

Similarly, it is also possible that the seam is not used to assemble two edges of the cap, but simply through this cap for example to fix outer member such as a strip or the like on the inner face of the cap. In this case, the adhesive strip will be directly glued to the inner face of the cap along the seam.

Claims (9)

Seat element comprising a flexible covering cap (4) having an outer face (8) and an inner face (9) delimiting an internal volume (9a) in which a synthetic foam padding (10) is arranged, said cap (4) comprising a seam (13) comprising at least a first wire (14, 15) which passes through said cap by providing holes (18) in said cap, <B> characterized in that </ B> said seam 13 ) is covered by at least a first adhesive strip (16) glued to the inner face of the cap (4) to seal the holes (18) of the cap. The seat element according to claim 1, wherein the cap (4) comprises a first adjacent edge (and second edge (12) which are folded together towards the foam (10) in mutual contact with the outer face ( 8) of the cap, the edges (11,12) being joined by said seam (13) which passes through said adjacent edges and provides holes (18) in these edges, the first adhesive strip (16) being glued against the inner face the cap on the first edge (11) covering the seam (13) to prevent foam from entering the holes (18) of the first edge (11), and the inner face of the cap comprising additional sealing means (14; 16; 17; 26) along the second edge (12) to prevent the foam (10) from entering the holes (18) of the second edge of the cap during molding of said foam. The seat member according to claim 2, wherein the additional sealing means comprises a second adhesive strip (16) adhered to the inner face of the cap on the second edge (12) overlapping the seam (13) to prevent the foam to penetrate into the holes (18) of the second edge. The seat element according to claim 2, wherein the additional sealing means comprise a tread (17; 26) sewn against the inner face of the cap along the second edge (12) by means of the seam 13). 5. Seat element according to claim 4 wherein the strip (17) comprises a face exposed to the synthetic foam (10) which comprises fibers (17A) at least partially closing holes (19) formed in said strip (17) by the seam (13). 6. Seat element according to claim 4 wherein the strip (26) has two longitudinal edges (27) flexible folded towards each other at least partially covering holes (19) formed in said strip (26) by the seam (13). The seat member of claim 2 wherein the additional sealing means comprises a second yarn (14) belonging to the seam (13), the second yarn (14) having flocked fibers (14A) extending substantially radially. at least partially closing the holes (18) of the seam of the second edge (12) of the cap. 8. Soft cover cap for a seat member according to any one of the preceding claims, this cap (4) having an outer face (8) and an inner face (9) defining an inner volume (9a), said cap comprising a seam (13) comprising at least one yarn (14,15) which passes through said cap by providing holes (18) in said cap, the seam (13) being covered by at least one adhesive strip (16) adhered to the inner face of the cap to seal the holes (18). 9. A method of manufacturing a cap according to claim 8, wherein the seam (13) of the cap (4) and the bonding of the adhesive tape (16) are made together in one step.