AU2016238860B2

AU2016238860B2 - Seat cover

Info

Publication number: AU2016238860B2
Application number: AU2016238860A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Andrew Leask
Original assignee: Global Automotive Access Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Global Automotive Accessories Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2015-10-08
Filing date: 2016-10-05
Publication date: 2021-07-15
Anticipated expiration: 2036-10-05
Also published as: AU2016238860A1

Abstract

A seat cover for use with a vehicle seat having an airbag, the seat cover being formed of elastic material and configured to substantially cover an outer visible surface of the seat 5 and comprising at least first and second deflectable panels stitched together so that common edges together define a rupturable opening through which the airbag can be deployed, wherein the first and second panels are each provided with a reinforcement member formed of a substantially non-stretch material to reduce stretching of the first and second panels, whereby on deployment of the airbag stretching of the panels is resisted so 10 that stitching between the panels breaks and the opening ruptures. 1/3 120, 10 14 20 16 Figure 1 16a 16b Figure 2

Description

1/3

120,

10

14

20

16

Figure 1

16a 16b

Figure 2

SEAT COVER FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a seat cover for use with a vehicle seat having an airbag. More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a seat cover for a vehicle seat having side impact air bags, and a seat cover formed of elastic materials, particularly those with a high degree of elasticity, and configured to substantially cover an outer visible surface of the seat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Seat covers are a popular aftermarket accessory for motor vehicles for protecting original equipment seats which are expensive to replace in comparison to seat covers.

Many vehicles now include side impact airbags fitted in the side of seats and for safety reasons seat covers must not interfere with the operation of these airbags. In this regard, some seat covers can have a detrimental impact on the timing or deployment path of the airbags.

Seat covers that use materials with a high degree of elasticity are popular and have presented a problem for seat cover manufacturers due to 'ballooning', a process when the seat cover material will stretch/expand alongside the deployment of the airbag, which has a dramatic effect on the safe deployment of the airbag. Ballooning has been found to cause the airbag to become lodged in the seat cover material without breaking through the seat covers seams, and/or lathering of the seat cover material prior to the seams having an opportunity to 'tear away'.

Ballooning can have a detrimental effect on the timing and deployment path of the original seatings airbag when deployed, which could result in serious injury or death.

Although some full coverage seat covers made in materials with a high degree of elasticity are still being sold notwithstanding the potential risks to users, so as to provide safer seat covers in materials with a high degree of elasticity it has previously been proposed to provide a vest style seat cover or seat bikini that partially covers a seat while leaving airbag deployment zones exposed.

The shortcomings of the prior solutions for 'vest' style seat cover or 'seat bikini' are that they do not offer full protection to the vehicles seats. Market research conducted has indicated that consumers prefer full protection of their seats to prevent general wear and tear, dirty seats, damage etc.

Examples of the invention seek to solve, or at least ameliorate, one or more disadvantages of previous seat covers for use with a vehicle seat having an airbag such as a side impact airbag.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided a detachable seat cover for use over a vehicle seat having an airbag, the detachable seat cover being formed of elastic material and configured to substantially cover an outer visible surface of the seat, and comprising at least first and second deflectable panels stitched together so that common edges together define a rupturable opening through which the airbag of the vehicle seat can be deployed, wherein the first and second panels are each provided with a reinforcement member formed of a substantially non-stretch material to reduce stretching of the first and second panels, whereby on deployment of the airbag stretching of the panels is resisted so that stitching between the panels breaks and the opening ruptures.

According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the seat cover is configured for use with a vehicle seat having a side impact airbag fitted within a side bolster. Preferably, the reinforcement members are internally disposed and form an inside layer of the seat cover.

Preferably, the stitching is configured to break so that deployment of the airbag occurs with a delay of less than 2 milliseconds when compared to deployment of the airbag without the seat cover fitted. More preferably, the stitching is configured to break so that deployment of the airbag occurs with a delay of less than 1 milliseconds when compared to deployment of the airbag without the seat cover fitted.

Preferably, the cover and the first and second deflectable panels are formed of foamed neoprene/nylon laminate and the reinforcement members are non-stretch woven fabric panels arranged coextensive with the deflectable panels.

Preferably, the deflectable panels and the reinforcement panels are stitched together prior to stitching the rupturable opening and using an M20 thread at a rate of at least 2 stitches per inch using a lock stitch. Preferably, the first and second panels are stitched together with a lock stitch using a M60 or M80 thread at a rate of 3 to 7 stitches per inch.

The seat cover disclosed herein has been developed with a view to providing a safe solution for seats that are fitted with airbags, having regard to materials with a high degree of stretch, such as neoprene seat covers, to ensure that no (or at least reduced) 'ballooning' occurs and so that there is no significant detrimental impact to the timing and deployment path of the seatings airbag.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the invention will be further described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a seat fitted with a seat cover of one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is plan view of a disassembled deflectable panel for use in embodiments of the invention; Figure 3 is plan view of the deflectable panel in an assembled form; Figure 4 is a close sectional view of deflectable panels stitched together to form a rupturable opening;

Figure 5 is a close plan view of deflectable panels stitched together to form a rupturable opening; Figure 6 is a close sectional view of deflectable panels and a rupturable opening in an opened state, the panels being separated after deployment of an airbag; and Figure 7 is a close plan view of the rupturable opening in an open state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to Figure 1, there is shown a seat cover 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The seat cover 10 is configured for use with a vehicle seat 12 having an airbag. In the illustrated embodiment, the airbag is a side impact airbag embedded within a side bolster of the seat 12, the location of which is indicated with reference numeral 14 for clarity.

The seat cover 10 is formed of elastic material and configured to substantially cover an outer visible surface of the seat 12 to protect the seat from general wear and tear, dirt and damage. In this regard, the seat cover 10 is designed to closely fit seat 12 and wrap around the back portion of the seat and cover a lower portion of the seat, in a tightfitting manner to reduce movement of the cover on the seat. The seat cover 10 comprises at least first and second deflectable panels 16, 18 stitched together so that common edges together define a rupturable opening 20 through which the airbag can be deployed. Although the invention is described having reference to a preferred embodiment having only first and second panels, it will be appreciated that multiple panels could be provided and the first and second panels could themselves be formed of multiple panels.

The first and second panels 16, 18 are each provided with a reinforcement member formed of a substantially non-stretch material to reduce stretching of the first and second panels 16, 18. In the illustrated embodiment, the reinforcement members are internally disposed and form an inside layer of the seat cover 10. On deployment of the airbag stretching of the panels 16, 18 is resisted so that stitching between the panels 16, 18 breaks and the opening 20 ruptures. In this regard, the panels 16, 18 separate substantially without stretching, thereby transferring tension created in the seat cover 10 to the stitching to allow the stitching to break and the opening 20 to rupture. During deployment of the airbag, tension applied to the threads causes them to tear or disintegrate and the panels to separate across the seam, thereby exposing the airbag and allowing it to expand into the vehicle cabin to protect a user.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate the rupturable opening 20 (with the deployed airbag removed for clarity) in an open state after panels 16 and 18 has deflected and separated following the disintegration of stitching 28.

The inventor has found that with the seat cover 10 described herein, rupturing of the opening 20 occurs almost instantaneously and simultaneously with deployment of the airbag so that the timing of the airbag opening is not affected. Although actual delay times will vary depending on a particular application and many variables, such as airbag size and power and variances due to standard manufacturing tolerances, in preferred embodiments the stitching is configured to break so that deployment of the airbag occurs with a delay of less than 2 milliseconds, and more preferably less than 1 millisecond when compared to deployment of the airbag without the seat cover fitted.

Panels 16 and 18 are configured so that the seat cover 10 substantially corresponds with the contours of the seat 12 in the region of the airbag. It will be appreciated that opening 20 is configured to be larger than the airbag to reduce the chance of the panels 16, 18 fouling the airbag during deployment.

The seat cover 10 is formed of an elastic material and the present invention is intended to apply to elastic materials and materials with a high degree of elasticity as it is the elastic properties of these materials that allow a seat cover to stretch, thereby interfering with the operation of an airbag. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that although all materials have inherent elasticity, not all materials are considered to be "elastic" and that the present invention could be applied to many different elastic materials that, when used as a seat cover, causes interference with operation of an airbag.

In the described embodiment, the cover 10 and the first and second deflectable panels 16,

18 are formed of neoprene, such as a foamed neoprene or polychloroprene, which may be in the form of a laminate with a nylon or polyester scrim, though scrims of other materials may also be provided. Other elastic materials, such as polyester or polypropylene fabrics may also be used for the cover 10 and the first and second panels 16, 18.

The reinforcement members are formed of non-stretch woven fabric. In one form, the reinforcement members are calico panels, though it will be appreciated that other fabrics, both natural and synthetic, woven and non-woven, can similarly be used.

Figure 2 illustrates panel 16 being formed of an outer layer 16a and an inner layer 16b. In the described embodiment, outer layer 16a is formed of neoprene and inner layer 16b is formed of calico. Panel 16 is shaped so as to correspond to the contour of seat 12 and outer and inner layers 16a, 16b are of generally identical shape. Panel 16 is formed by stitching outer layer 16a and inner layer 16b together prior to assembly of the seat 12, as illustrated in Figure 3. In a preferred form, outer layer 16a and inner layer 16b are stitched together with stitches 30 using any strong thread, such as an M20 thread at a rate of at least 2 stitches per inch using a lock stitch.

In the described example, panel 18 is also formed in this way and once panels 16, 18 are complete, they are stitched together so that common edges form rupturable opening 20. In a preferred form, panels 16 and 18 are stitched together with a lock stitch using a M60 or M80 thread at a rate of 3 to 7 stitches per inch. Preferably the thread rate is 4 stitches per inch with the same stitch being used on the bobbin and the top stitch. In alternative embodiments, different threads can be used on the bobbin and top stitch, such as a M20/M80 combination and the rate of stitches per inch can also vary outside of the recommended 3 to 7 stitches per inch.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate in more detail the rupturable opening 20. Each of panels 16 and 18 are formed with a folded over edge and a back sew allowance. Stitching 28 allows the panels to be fixed together and a blind sew or lock stitch is used. Stitches 30 holding each of the inner and outer panels can also be more clearly seen in these Figures. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that although panels 16 and 18 are shown as being separate, this is only for illustration purposes and such a gap will not be used in practice.

The inventor has conducted static airbag deployment testing and found that this specific combination allows a side impact airbag to successfully deploy with negligible delay or path deviation, thereby providing a seat cover that meets the demands of customers without sacrificing passenger safety.

Although the specific described example seat cover 10 has been tested and found to not interfere with the deployment of a side impact airbag, it will be appreciated that various parameters such as stitching material and strength or the configuration of the reinforcement members may be modified to also achieve satisfactory results, particularly as the size and strength of an airbag can vary. For example, it is envisaged that M20, M30 or M40 threads may also be used for stitching the deflectable panels together.

Furthermore, other materials may be used for reinforcement members, such as alternative fabrics, either woven or non-woven, natural or synthetic. Also, the neoprene material used for the seat cover may also be varied. In one example, the reinforcement member may be laminated to or embedded in the neoprene. In this regard, the reinforcement member may be obscured on the inside of the cover or applied externally for decorative effect.

Although shown and described as having first and second deflectable panels 16, 18, it will also be appreciated that multiple panels may be provided. Furthermore, a seat cover having multiple rupturable openings may be provided, particularly if the seat contains multiple airbags, which may be on either side of the bolster or in the seat cushion. It will also be appreciated that the seat cover 10 may be configured for use on a rear seat or for seats having airbags in locations other than a side bolster.

The embodiments have been described by way of example only and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention disclosed.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A detachable seat cover for use over a vehicle seat having an airbag, the detachable seat cover being formed of elastic material and configured to substantially cover an outer visible surface of the seat, and comprising at least first and second deflectable panels stitched together so that common edges together define a rupturable opening through which the airbag of the vehicle seat can be deployed, wherein the first and second panels are each provided with a reinforcement member formed of a substantially non-stretch material to reduce stretching of the first and second panels, whereby on deployment of the airbag stretching of the panels is resisted so that stitching between the panels breaks and the opening ruptures.

2. A detachable seat cover according to claim 1, wherein the seat cover is configured for use with a seat having a side impact airbag fitted within a side bolster.

3. A detachable seat cover according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the reinforcement members are internally disposed and form an inside layer of the seat cover.

4. A detachable seat cover according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the stitching is configured to break so that deployment of the airbag occurs with a delay of less than 2 milliseconds when compared to deployment of the airbag without the seat cover fitted.

5. A detachable seat cover according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cover and the first and second deflectable panels are formed of foamed neoprene/nylon laminate and the reinforcement members are non-stretch woven fabric panels arranged coextensive with the deflectable panels.

6. A detachable seat cover according to claim 5, wherein deflectable panels and the reinforcement panels are stitched together prior to stitching the rupturable opening and using an M20 thread at a rate of at least 2 stitches per inch using a lock stitch.

7. A detachable seat cover according to any one of claims 5 or 6, wherein the first and second panels are stitched together with a lock stitch using a M60 or M80 thread at a rate of 3 to 7 stitches per inch.