FR2684531A1 - SYSTEM FOR RECALLING A CUSHION FOR A CUSHION, ASSEMBLY METHOD AND MEANS FOR IMPLEMENTING SAME. - Google Patents

Abstract

The return system comprises a flexible link (5) interposed between the return band (3) which is integral with the cover (1) and the rear face of the cushion (2). The flexible link is in the form of a ribbon or a plastic rod overmolded at the same time as the rim of the return strip (3). A bar (6) located at the end of the link (5) rests on the rear face of the cushion, which face comprises a coarse mesh fabric. The bars (6) are put in place by means of a tool (11), manually or by means of an overall tool (12) which, in a single operation, places all of the bars (6).

Description

The present invention relates to a cap return system for

  cushion; it also relates to the method of assembling the cap on the cushion and the

  means of implementing the method.

  In the field of seats intended for the automobile, one encounters multiple requirements; thus, for example, there are requirements related to the manufacture of seats and in particular to the ease of mounting the caps on the cushions; there are also requirements related to the comfort of the seat user insofar as the padding must not include hard points; we still meet requirements related to the quality of the material and its duration, these latter requirements

  conditioning the warranty of the manufacturer.

  The traditional manufacture of seats, for assembling the cap on the cushion, consists in using, as described in document EP-A0280148, metal staples of the "pig nose" type for assembling the return band secured to the cap on a rod embedded in the thickness of the cushion This production has the advantage of being very resistant However, the installation of the staples requires an appropriate tool relatively heavy to handle which, in the long run,

  causes occupational diseases.

  There are other systems for assembling the cap on the cushion, for example the use of special pulling strips, provided with hooks obtained by overmolding at the end of the return band. These hooks sink in and even pass through. the cushion for gripping in a large mesh canvas located in the thickness of the cushion on its rear face Such

  system is notably described in document EP-A-0240388.

  The pulling strip is positioned in a recess arranged in the thickness of the cushion. However, it is noted that the rigidity of the hooks can constitute, in the quilting, hard points likely to affect comfort. The hooks have a harpoon shape To cross the cushion without much effort, it is necessary to give them a relatively small size; because of this, they tend to be poorly stowed on the face

back of the seat.

  The present invention provides a system which allows the cap to be assembled on the cushion while respecting the sometimes contradictory requirements involved in the manufacture of seats for motor vehicles. The recall system according to the invention provides greater flexibility in the use of means which carry out the assembly We also obtain a better guarantee

comfort.

  Furthermore, the recall system according to the invention has the advantage of using relatively simple means for carrying out the assembly of the type of those described in document FR-A-2 245 207, which means are perfectly adapted to be handled by an operator

  or to integrate into a semi-type installation

automatic mounting.

  The reminder system according to the invention comprises a flexible link interposed between the reminder strip which

  is attached to the cap, and the back of the cushion.

  According to a first provision of the invention, the

  link consists of a woven braid, ribbon or cord.

  According to another embodiment, the link consists of a rod overmolded on the return band at the same time as the flange arranged on said return band, which overmolding is made of a material of the polyamide type which has the characteristic of allowing an extension of the rod, after molding, to reduce over a part of its length at least, its diameter so

  to give it great flexibility.

  Still according to the invention, the link comprises at at least one of its ends, a bar of appropriate size to support and remain on the rear face of the cushion, retaining the cover by

  through its reminder strip.

  According to another preferred arrangement of the invention, the link or comprises a bar at each of its ends, one of the bars being intended to cooperate with a kind of buttonhole arranged in

  the return band near the molded edge.

  The invention also relates to the method of assembling the cap on a cushion, by means of the system detailed above. According to this method, the invention consists in positioning the bar in a sharp tool to make it pass through the thickness of the cushion. then release it when it is located beyond the posterior surface,

the outside of the padding.

  According to another embodiment of the invention, the method consists in previously introducing the sharp tool into the cushion, by its rear face, making it stand out clearly above its front face, so as to be able to place the bar in an appropriate arrangement at the upper end of said tool. The invention also relates to the means which allow the implementation of the method described above and in particular the assembly tool. This tool is in the form of a needle provided with an axial recess open laterally serving as a housing for a bar; this tool includes means for temporarily retaining said bar in

said recess.

  Still according to the invention, the means for temporarily retaining the bar in the recess of the tool, consist of a stop for locking the bar, arranged at one end of the axial recess, this stop is movable to release the bar, under the effect of operating means comprising in particular a

  rod which slides in the central part of the needle.

  According to another possibility of the invention, several tools can be grouped together to carry out, in a single and same operation, the positioning of the cap after having carried out the positioning of each of the bars.

  in the appropriate recesses of the different tools.

  The invention will be further detailed using the

  following description of an embodiment and

  annexed drawings, given for information only, and in which: FIG. 1 illustrates a station for assembling a cover on a cushion according to one of the embodiments of the invention; FIG. 2 partially shows the rear face of a cushion; FIG. 3 shows a portion of a return band fixed to the cover of the seat; FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the links for assembling the cap on the cushion; FIG. 5 represents the end of a tool for assembling the cap on the cushion; Figure 6 shows, in section, the tool shown in Figure 4; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the cushion shown in Figure 1, showing a setting device

overall place of the cap.

  There is shown, Figure 1, schematically, a station for assembling a cap 1 on a cushion 2 for making a motor vehicle seat by

  example whose general structure is not shown.

  The cover 1 is shaped beforehand by assembling fabric elements and strips 3 generally made of fabric, equipped with the return system The strips 3 are usually called return strips They are housed in recesses 4 arranged in the thickness of the cushion 2 These reminder bands have links 5 fitted with bars at their end 6 These are the reminder bands 3 which, by means of the reminder system, give volume to the seat and in particular to its cushion 2 The reminder system according to the invention consists in exerting traction on the cover by positioning under the rear face of the cushion 2, the bar 6 disposed at the end of the link 5 There is shown, Figure 2, the rear face of the cushion 2 This rear face comprises, innovated in the mass or bonded to the surface, a fabric 7 of the broad mesh type, resistant, which is crossed by the link 5 and on which the bar 6 is supported. This bar 6 is preferably made of plastic material Its length and resistance are appropriate to the tensile force exerted by the cap in particular This length

is in the range of 15 to 25 mm.

  There is shown in Figure 3, a first embodiment of the return system Note the strip 3 made of fabric and which is normally sewn on the cap This strip 3 has at its lower end a flange 8 molded in plastic material and this flange is extended, molded simultaneously, by the links 5 and at the end of the latter, the bars 6 Thus, in a single operation, the entire return system comprising the rim 8, the links 5 is molded onto the strip 3 and the bars attached to the ends

of said links 5.

  The link 5 is overmolded in the form of a rod whose diameter is of the order of 2 mm This rod can be, as shown in Figure 3, elongated after the overmolding operation, to give it the length required for the assembly of the cap on the cushion This elongation operation causes, as shown in the box, a noticeable thinning of the rod constituting the link, which rod may have a diameter of the order of a few tenths of mm up to 1 mm In this area, the link 5 has sufficient flexibility so as not to

  alter the comfort of the assembly.

  We have also shown, in another box,

  FIG. 3, the connection between the link 5 and the bar 6.

  There is a noticeable thinning 9 at this connection to allow movement of the bar 6 relative to the link 5 and, in particular to allow, as shown in thin dashed lines, to position the bar 6 against

  the end of the link 5 for the assembly operation.

  FIG. 4 illustrates a second embodiment in which the strip 3 comprises an edge 8 molded in plastic material The assembly of the strip 3 is carried out by means of a link 5 which is provided at each of its ends with a bar 6 The link 5, in this configuration, consists of a braid, ribbon or woven cord, extremely flexible The band 3 has a buttonhole 10 which allows the introduction of one of the bars 6 and its imprisonment relative to the strip 3 and at the edge 8 The other edge 6 is intended to be positioned outside the rear face of the cushion 2. The positioning of the end bars 6 outside the rear face of the cushion 2 s 'performs

  using a needle-shaped tool.

  There is shown, Figure 1, a hand tool 11 which allows to take one by one the bars 6 and to make them cross the thickness of the cushion 2 before releasing them outside the rear face of the cushion, on the canvas 7 We also note, Figure 1, a second embodiment of assembly by means of several tools 12 in the form of needles which allow, in a single operation, to set up the cap by positioning all the bars 6 au- beyond the face

back of cushion 2.

  The tools 11 and 12 are shown, for their active part, Figures 5 and 6 Each tool is presented under

  the shape of a needle 13 which has a recess 14.

  This recess 14 has an elongated shape in the axial direction, and it is open to the outside This recess 14 makes it possible to accommodate a bar 6 positioned axially This bar 6 engages in the recess 14 and it is in contact with the end 15 of the tip side recess and a stop 16 which constitutes the other end of said recess 14 This stop 16 is a recess shaped at the end of a rod 17 which is movable in the central cavity of the needle 13 The rod 17 temporarily immobilizes the bar 6 in the recess 14, the time of the crossing of the thickness of the cushion The release of the stop 16 when the bar is located beyond the rear face of the cushion releases the bar 6 which automatically positions itself in support

on said rear face.

  There is shown, Figure 7, schematically, and in section, the workstation of Figure 1 Note that the needles 13 are secured to a frame 18 movable vertically from bottom to top which allows to penetrate the various tools in the thickness of the cushion from its rear face 20 to the front face 21 Bars 22 can be provided for immobilizing the cushion 2 during the operation of penetration of the needles 13 through the cushion When the needles 13 protrude from the front side of the cushion 2, the operator can position the different bars 6 of the cap in the appropriate recesses 14 The frame 18 pulls, by means of the needles 13, all the bars 6, and the latter are released as soon as they are located beyond the posterior face 20, under the effect

displacement of the stops 16.

  The links shown in FIG. 4 have the advantage of being able to be positioned at will on the return bands 3, that is to say that their

  spacing as required.

  These links 5 can also be positioned on the strips 3 before the latter are assembled.

on the caps.

  The reference signs inserted after the technical characteristics mentioned in the

  claims are intended only to facilitate the

  understanding of them and in no way limit them

the scope.

* '2684531

Claims (10)

CLAIMS -   1. System for recalling a cover for a cushion, which cover is provided with at least one return strip intended to take place in a recess on the anterior face of said cushion, characterized in that it comprises at least one flexible link interposed between said strip of   reminder and the back of the cushion.   2. Reminder system according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a link (5) in the form of braid, ribbon or woven cord.   3. Return system according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a rod-shaped link overmolded at the same time as the flange (8) of the return band (3), the overmolding being made of a material capable to lengthen and deform to cause a significant reduction in the diameter of the rod giving it sufficient flexibility.   4. Recall system according to any one of   Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the link (5)   has, at at least one of its ends, a bar (6) of appropriate size to support and remain   on the back of the cushion.   5. Return system according to claim 2, characterized in that link (5) comprises a bar (6) at each of its ends, one of the bars being intended to cooperate with a kind of buttonhole (10)   fitted in the reminder strip (3).   6. A method of assembling a cap on a cushion, by means of a system according to any one of   claims 4 or 5, characterized in that it consists   to position the bar (6) of the link (5) in a needle-shaped tool, to make it pass through the thickness of the cushion, then release it when it is located   the outside of the cushion, beyond the posterior face.   7. The assembly method according to claim 6, characterized in that it consists in previously introducing the needle-shaped tool into the cushion, by its rear face, to place the means for receiving the   bar above the front side of the cushion.   8. Tool for implementing the method of assembling a cap on a cushion, according to one   any of claims 6 or 7, characterized in   that it consists of a needle provided with an axial recess (14) open laterally and serving as a housing for the bar (6), and in that it comprises means for temporarily retaining said bar in said recess. 9 Tool according to claim 8, characterized in that the temporary retaining means of the bar, consist of a stop (16) which locks the bar, which stop is provided at one end of the recess (14); it is movable to release the bar under the effect of operating means comprising in particular a rod (17) which slides in the central part of said needle (13).   10. Tool for implementing the method of assembling a cap on a cushion according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises several tools according to claim 9 so as to perform in a single operation, after positioning the bars (6) in the recesses (14), the positioning of the cap (1).