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Vehicle seat trim attachment

Vehicle seat trim attachment description/claims

This invention relates in general to vehicle seats and in particular to a trim attachment assembly and method of attaching a trim cover to a seat cushion.

Vehicle seats generally include a seat back and a seat cushion or bottom. The seat back is commonly pivotally attached to the seat bottom. Each of the seat back and the seat bottom includes a framework, a cushion or padding connected to the framework, and a trim cover for decoratively covering and protecting the cushion. Typically, the cushion is made of an expandable foam material and is molded to a desired shape. Examples of trim covers include leather, polymers, and fabric.

Various seat trim attachment assemblies are commonly used in the industry. One such type of attachment assembly is often referred to as a close out attachment wherein the attachment assembly is generally not readily visible and is commonly located along the underside of the seat back or bottom. Another type of attachment is referred to as a trench attachment wherein the attachment area is readily visible by the vehicle occupants. In this situation, such as in bucket-style seats, the trench attachment is employed along the areas where the raised o]bolsters meet the recessed central seating and back sections, thereby creating a valley or trench where the trim material is secured to avoid the appearance of loose fitting trim material. The trench is often located at seam lines, and thus the seam is drawn slightly into the foam cushion of the seat.

One known example of a trench style attachment is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,899,399 in which a plurality of clips or receiving members are molded at desired locations within the expandable foam cushion. The receiving members include resilient gripping tabs. A wedge strip is then attached to a seam of a trim cover. The foam cushion includes trenches formed therein generally at the seam locations. The wedge strip is pulled into the trench and the wedge strip is resiliently connected to the gripping tabs of the receiving member. Although this type of attachment has proven capable of providing an attachment, one of the disadvantages to this method is that it is often difficult to mold the plurality of receiving members accurately within the foam cushion.

Another type of a trench style attachment is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,226. In this method, the foam cushion is provided with trenches and apertures formed through the foam cushion at various locations along the length of the trench. Seams of the trim cover are sewn together. A plurality of flexible hanger members are then sewn to the seams of the trim cover. The hanger members are disposed in the apertures of the foam cushion. The other end of the flexible hanger members are sewn to securing plates which are inserted through the apertures and then moved to a position adjacent to and co planar with the bottom surface of the cushion so as to prevent the seam from being pulled up through the trench. The sewing attachment of the hanger members to the trim cover and the sewing attachment of the securing plates to the hanger members is a cumbersome and timely process.

A trim material attachment assembly for a seat includes a cushion having first and second sides and an aperture formed therethrough. A trim cover is provided for covering the first side of the seat cushion. A one-piece, integrally molded trim holder includes a central member disposed in the aperture of the cushion. The central member has first and second ends. A clip is formed at the first end of the central member and engaged with the trim cover to secure the holder to the trim cover. A leg is formed at the second end of the central member and is connected to the second end by a living hinge permitting the leg to move between an assembly position to allow the plate member to be inserted through the aperture, and a holding position to prevent the leg from being pulled through the aperture, thereby securing the trim cover to the cushion.

Various objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, when read in light of the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of seat assembly utilizing a trim attachment assembly in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1 illustrating an trim attachment assembly.

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of a connector assembly used in the trim attachment assembly of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a clip used in the trim attachment assembly of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating a step in the method of using the trim attachment assembly.

FIG. 6 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an initial step in the use of a tool assembly for assisting in installing the trim attachment assembly.

FIG. 7 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a subsequent step in the use of the tool assembly of FIG. 6 for assisting the installation of the trim attachment assembly.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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