Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
105'~917
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTI~N
This invention relates to vehicle seats, and in
particular to a vehicle seat which comprises a substantially
rigid seat pan which is trough-shaped in transverse section
and in which a seat cushion is mounted. However, when such a
seat cushion includes a cover or skin, the problem exists of
securing this cover to the seat pan.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
. .
According to the present invention there is provided
a vehicle seat comprising a base, a cushion of foam material,
first securing means abutting or molded into the foam material,
and second securing means positioned onsaid base in locking
engagement with the first securing means to secure the cushion
to the base. A cover extends over the cushion and is attached
to the first securing means. The first and second securing means ~`
are held together by one or more biasing forces actlng transversèly
of said base.
- The base could take the form of a metal seat pan; the ~ ~ ?
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first securing means could be a wire frame, and the second se~urin~ `
means could be integral struck-up tabs. The forces holding the
first and second securing means together would be due to the -
resiliency of the wire framR.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be particularly described, by way of
example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a cross-section in a vertical plane through a
vehicle seat; and
Figure 2 is a plan view of the seat of Figure 1.
DETAILED DES~RIPTION OF THE INVENTiON
The vehicle seat shown in the drawing comprises a trough-shaped
sheet-metal seat pan 10 having sides lOa which curve upwardly from a
horizontal base portion lOb and merge into a horizontally-outwardly
directed peripheral flange lOc.
The seat cushion 11 consists of a molded foam pad lla, such as
of polyurethane foam, which is shaped to provide a lower portion which
fits in~o the trough-shaped recess of the seat pan and an upper portion
which extends above and partially overlies the peripheral flange. In the
operation of molding the foam pad, a rectangular frame of wire 12 is
molded into the lower portion so that it is inset a short distance from
the sides of the pad and lies very close to the undersurface of the
lower portion of the pad. As an alternative to being molded into the
foam pad, it could merely lie against the undersurface of the pad.
The foam pad is molded on to, or merely covered byj a co~er or
skin llb, such as a sheet of leather-simulating plastic, whose area is
sufficient to allow the cover to extend over the upper surface of the
foam pad and around the sides of the pad, terminating close to the wire
frame. The edge portion of the cover is stitched (as shown) or hog-ringed
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105'~9~7
to the wire frame. Alternatively it could be stapled or otherwise secured
at intervals to the wire frame.
~ eans for attaching the wire frame, and hence the cushion, to
the seat pan comprise a plurality of upwardly-extending hooks, each in
the form of a truncated triangular tab lOd of metal which has been struck
out of the sheet metal of the seat pan and bent to stand perpendicular to
the base of the pan immediately below the wire frame. The plane of each
tab is perpendicular to the adjacent wire and each tab has a notch lOe
formed in one edge of the tab for the reception of the wire.
In assembling the seat, the cover llb extending over the foam
pad of the seat cushion is wrapped around the sides of the foam pad and
stitched as shown at llc, hog-ringed or otherwise secured at intervals
to the wire frame 12 The seat cushion 11 is then fitted into the trough-
shaped recess of the seat pan so that the wire frame 12 of the seat cushion
lies above the tabs lOd upstanding from the base lOb of the seat pan.
The seat cushion 11 is then p~essed down into the pan to cause the wire
frame to engage the tapered leading edge of the tabs and ride down the
side of each tab and engage in the notch lOe of the tab to secure the
cushion in position. The natural resiliency of the wire in the frame causes
~0 the wire to be deformed as it moves over the tabs and before it snaps into the notches. The interengagement of the wire frame with the tab can be
assisted by the use of a fork-ended tool (not shown) which can be applied
to the upper face of the cushion and, through the resilience of the cushion>
engage any selected part of the wire frame to press it downwards into the
`.2~ notch of the adiacent tab.
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To finish the seat, a U section trim 13 is preferably fitted over
the edge of the peripheral flange.
As an alternative to metal tabs struck out of the base, the
securing means can take the form of plastic molded members or tabs (not
shown) which are secured in apertures in the base.
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