Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
  • B60N2/70—Upholstery springs ; Upholstery
  • B60N2/7094—Upholstery springs
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
  • A47C23/00—Spring mattresses with rigid frame or forming part of the bedstead, e.g. box springs; Divan bases; Slatted bed bases
  • A47C23/12—Spring mattresses with rigid frame or forming part of the bedstead, e.g. box springs; Divan bases; Slatted bed bases using tensioned springs, e.g. flat type
  • A47C23/16—Spring mattresses with rigid frame or forming part of the bedstead, e.g. box springs; Divan bases; Slatted bed bases using tensioned springs, e.g. flat type of plane meandering type
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
  • A47C7/00—Parts, details, or accessories of chairs or stools
  • A47C7/02—Seat parts
  • A47C7/28—Seat parts with tensioned springs, e.g. of flat type
  • A47C7/30—Seat parts with tensioned springs, e.g. of flat type with springs meandering in a flat plane

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a suspension element for seat or bed base achievable automatically or semi-automatically at high production rates.
• suspension elements comprising springs arranged side by side which support a padding intended to receive a part of the body of a user.
• These springs are usually connected to each other by means of connecting elements which may, for example, consist of cords, wire, or even plastic links.
• suspension elements are frequently used, using flat springs made by wires. of steel bent so as to have a sinuous or crenellated form, for example of the NOSAG type.
• These springs have, at their ends, hooks intended to be fixed on the fixed frame of the seat part concerned, for example the backrest.
• this solution does not lend itself easily to recycling because the plastic connecting elements are difficult to separate from the springs and therefore it can not easily perform a plastic / steel selective sorting.
• the possibility of recycling materials becomes an essential parameter in the choice of an industrial solution in view of the regulation which becomes more and more constraining.
• the object of the invention is therefore more particularly to eliminate these disadvantages.
• a suspension element comprising a planar support grid and a series of flat springs having a sinuous or crenellated shape, preferably parallel to each other, each of these springs being fixed on one of the faces of the grid by means of easily disconnectable fasteners.
• these fixing means may consist of elastic clamps in which the metal son constituting the springs snap.
• the direction of insertion of the spring wires into the elastic grippers located in the central part of the grid is perpendicular to the plane of said grid so that the spring wires can snap into them at the end of a displacement. normal to this plan.
• the direction of insertion of the elastic grippers located in certain ribs of the grid for example in the lateral edges of the grid may be parallel to said plane so as to ensure axial locking of the wires in at least one direction.
• the ends of the wires constituting the springs may be shaped so as to form hooks intended to engage the fixed frame of the seat.
• these hooks can be hooked under prestressing on the uprights and / or the rails of a rigid or semi-rigid frame, the assembly forming a slab intended to be fixed on the frame of the seat.
• This solution considerably simplifies the factory assembly of the seat.
• it ensures a perfect control of the prestress in tension exerted on the springs thus providing a better consistency of the depression of the suspension ply.
• the frame may also be equipped with means for adjusting the tension of one or more springs located in a given area, for example to adapt the lumbar support of the driver on the seat.
• the grid may be designed so as to be elastically deformable in its plane, in at least one direction and be fixed under prestress in said frame.
• Figure 1 is a top view of a seat frame fraction on which is mounted a suspension member
• Figures 2 and 3 are schematic sectional views respectively according to A / A ', B / B' of Figure 1;
• Figure 4 is a schematic top view of a seat fraction according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 5 is a cross-section along Y / Y 'of Figure 4.
• the frame fraction consists of a tabular element 1 used to stiffen the back of a motor vehicle seat.
• This tabular element 1 the lower part of which has not been represented, is shaped so as to have a substantially U-shaped inverted shape presenting two substantially parallel uprights 2, 3 interconnected by a bent upper part 4.
• the suspension element here involves three flat springs Ri, R 2 , R 3 made of steel wires, oriented perpendicularly to the uprights 2, 3, namely:
• each of these springs R 1 to R 3 is extended at its ends by two straight portions 7 which extend obliquely with respect to the plane of the spring and are terminated by hooks 8 which engage under tension in the orifices of the tabular uprights 2 , 3.
• These springs R 1 to R 3 are also temporarily fixed by fastening means distributed over a substantially rectangular support grid G.
• This support grid G which is made of injection-molded plastic material inside a mold, here comprises five parallel longitudinal strips L 1 to L 5 interconnected by three transverse strips T 1 to T 3 .
• the width of the gate G substantially corresponds to the length of the springs R 1 to R 3 , while its length substantially corresponds to the maximum distance between the springs R 1 and R 3 .
• the gate G comprises two types of fasteners F 1 , F 2 , respectively shown in Figures 2 and 3.
• the first type of fastening element F 1 (FIG. 2) consists of a resilient clip formed by a substantially U-shaped protuberance delimiting a prismatic cavity C 1 whose inlet orifice comprises a narrowing R of smaller width. the diameter of a wire constituting the springs R 1 to R 3 .
• the wire can therefore engage inside the cavity C 1 by exerting a force to separate the two wings of the U at the narrowing R, until the width of this narrowing reaches the value the diameter of the wire. Once the wire has passed beyond the narrowing, it returns to its original position by trapping the wire. Extraction of the wire can not be obtained than by exerting on the wire an effort in the opposite direction of the preceding one, so as to obtain a reverse process.
• the opening of the son of fasteners F 1 is oriented perpendicular to the plane of the grid G and the prismatic cavity is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis XX 'of the springs R 1 to R 3 .
• the fixing elements F 1 are arranged in the central part of the grid G, so as to receive sections of wires oriented parallel to said longitudinal axis XX '.
• the second type of fixing elements F 2 involves a fastening tab P integral with an outer longitudinal strip L 1 , L 5 , at one of its ends and extending towards the center of the grid G, parallel thereto, delimiting therewith a prismatic space E s opening towards said center. Starting from its opening O, this space E has a portion P 1 narrowing to a width less than the diameter of a wire, then a portion P 2 , whose width is at least equal to said diameter.
• the upper face of the tab P comprises, in the vicinity of said opening, a chamfered portion PC.
• These fixing elements are intended to receive portions of wire PF extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis XX 'of the springs R 1 to R 3 , at the end of an operating sequence comprising the following phases:
• the suspension element is directly attached to the frame of the seat on the seat mounting site.
• suspension elements can be previously mounted on frames C as shown in Figure 4, before being mounted on the frame S, S 'of the seat (thanks to MF attachment means between the frame C and the frame S, S 'of the seat).
• This solution has the advantage of being able to make the entire frame / suspension element (slab) in a site separate from that of the mounting of the seat.
• it makes it possible to deliver assemblies in which the prestressing of the springs R 5 to R 9 , which is generated when they are fastened to the C frame is perfectly controlled, so that we obtain the same prestressing from one set to another.
• the frame C may be equipped with means for adjusting the tension of the springs R 8 , R 9 in a specific region of the suspension element.
• These means may comprise, for example, an electric screw jack V pulling a rudder PA, on which are fixed the springs R 8 , R 9 .
• the support grids G are produced by injection molding, for example on a first site.
• the spring construction R 1 to R 3 of the gates G may be achieved by means of an automatic machine in which the gates G are arranged flat and springs are engaged perpendicularly to the plane of the gate G.
• the grid / spring assembly may be mounted on C frames before being taken to the seat assembly site.
• the grids G are obtained continuously by calendering a thermoformable plastic strip.
• the springs are then assembled on the grids G formed by the calender which are then cut in a cutting station in order to be separated from each other.
• fastening elements could include attaching members, easily disconnectable such as, for example, rivets snap.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Springs (AREA)
• Seats For Vehicles (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=37814188

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (2)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 2006
  • 2006-09-13 FR FR0608052A patent/FR2905578A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
• 2007
  • 2007-09-13 EP EP07848219A patent/EP2061359A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2007-09-13 WO PCT/FR2007/001477 patent/WO2008031944A1/fr active Application Filing

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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