FR2766431A1 - ADJUSTED HEADREST AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an openwork headrest for a motor vehicle seat comprising an insert of general U-shape, a padding (4) supported by the insert and a flexible cover for covering the padding (4) comprising at least two pieces of fabric (13, 14) and delimiting a central recess of the headrest. Each of said at least two pieces of fabric (13, 14) has a free edge (16, 17) and these two free edges are simply pressed against each other at the central recess by defining an overlap area mutual (18).

Description

ADJUSTED HEADREST AND MANUFACTURING METHOD

OF THIS HEADREST

  The present invention relates to an openwork headrest for a motor vehicle seat. More particularly, the invention relates to an openwork headrest for a motor vehicle, this headrest being provided with a central recess and comprising: - a generally U-shaped insert; - padding supported by the insert; and - a flexible covering cap substantially in the shape of a torus, which delimits an interior space containing the

  padding and which includes at least two pieces of fabric.

  Current manufacturing methods for these types of annular headrest require the cap to be assembled by sewing several pieces of fabric so as to form an almost closed ring. Only an opening called "opening

  wallet "is provided in the outer edge of the support-

  head, over a length corresponding to the spacing of the two branches of the U-shape of the insert. After having been

  sewn, the cap is turned upside down through this opening

  leaf. The insert is then placed in the annular shape of the cap by sliding one of the branches of the U into the annular shape previously made. However, the shape of the cap is not adapted to facilitate the passage of said branch, which causes the insertion of the insert very difficult, all the more difficult as

  the central recess is important, which can even damage

  manage the back of the fabric, the role of which is to ensure a good seal against the polyurethane foam which must then be injected to constitute the padding of the headrest. In addition, this degradation is not visible from the outside and results in a reject of the headrest after injection due to the penetration of the foam into the fabric constituting the cap. In addition, sewing operations are difficult

  to achieve and turning the cap is tedious.

  This manufacturing process is therefore costly in labor

  without ensuring a certain quality of the headrest.

  The object of the present invention is to remedy the

  disadvantages mentioned above in providing support-

  head, the manufacturing process of which employs means

simple, efficient and inexpensive.

  To this end, according to the invention, the openwork headrest of the aforementioned type, is essentially characterized in that each of said at least two

  pieces of fabric has a free edge at the recess

  ment central, these two free edges delimiting between them a passage which communicates the interior space of the cap with the outside, on most of the periphery of said central recess,

  and in that said two free edges are simple-

  flattened against each other by defining an area of

  mutual recovery which closes said passage.

  The openwork headrest according to the invention may optionally further include one or more of the following characteristics: - the overlap zone is tangential to the surface of the headrest, one of the two free edges being visible on the 'outside of the headrest;

  - said free edge visible outside the support-

head is hemmed;

  - the two free edges are oriented inward

  laughing padding; and - the two free edges extend over the entire

around the central recess.

  The invention further relates to a method of manufacturing a headrest comprising any one of

  previous features, including the steps involved

  both to: - place said at least two pieces of fabric in an injection mold; - Place the insert in the injection mold, making this insert penetrate into the interior space of the cap by said passage delimited between the two free edges of this cap; - press said two free edges against each other at the recess of the headrest; and

  - inject foam to make the mattress -

safe.

  The method according to the present invention therefore makes it possible to place an insert in the cap of the headrest before injection of the polyurethane foam forming cushioning while reducing the number of seams and without damaging the back of the fabric used. to make the

  cap. The process also makes it possible to manufacture supports

  openwork head of any shape while being assured that

the insert can be put in place.

  The process according to the present invention can

  you additionally include one or more of the

  following steps: the step consisting in pressing the two free edges against each other consists in overlapping a first edge on a second edge on a covering surface larger than that obtained after injection, at least a portion of one of the pieces of fabric not being pressed against the mold before the injection of the foam - the first edge is shaped as a hem and is visible outside the headrest, the second edge being shaped clean cut and belonging to the piece of fabric not plated in the mold before injection; during the injection step, the second edge

  slides along the first edge and the initial piece of fabric

  Lement unplated is pushed against the mold; and the step consisting in pressing the two free edges against each other consists in placing at least one blade III II III II il I flexible radially in the mold and in turning the two free edges towards the inside of the padding in them

  applying against said flexible blade.

  Two embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a perspective view of a seat back for a motor vehicle supporting a headrest according to the present invention;

  - Figure 2 is a perspective view of a support-

  openwork head according to the present invention; - Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the injection mold in which is placed the cap of the headrest according to the present invention and in which the polyurethane foam is being injected; - Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the headrest according to the present invention; - Figures 5 and 6 are views by transparency of the headrest shown in Figures 2 to 4 and in which EI, ii two types of insert are mounted; and - Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a mold in which is placed a cap according to a second

  embodiment of the invention.

  In Figure 1 is shown an upper part of a seat backrest 1 for a motor vehicle which

  supports an openwork headrest 2 according to the present invention.

  Figures 1 and 2 show that the openwork headrest 2 consists of an insert 3 of general U-shape which

  supports a padding 4 made of polyurea foam-

  thane herself wrapped in a flexible cap of skill

age 5.

  The insert 3 consists of a base 6 from which extend two pins 7 and 8 each having a

substantially flat S shape.

  The covering cap 5 is made from several pieces of fabric assembled so as to form a toroid-shaped cap having a central recess 9

  located inside the U-shape of insert 3.

  Figures 3 and 4 show more particularly that the flexible cap 5 consists of a first piece of external lateral fabric 10 which is sewn to second and third pieces of fabric before 11 and rear 12 themselves sewn to fourth and fifth pieces of

  interior side fabrics 13 and 14.

  Each of the fourth and fifth interior lateral parts 13 and 14 has a free edge 16 and 17, these two edges being simply pressed against each other at the level of the central recess 9 of the headrest, on substantially all the perimeter of the recess or over the entire length of the perimeter. The two edges then delimit a passage which is closed by simple mutual covering of these

two edges on an area 18.

  In the first embodiment of the headrest shown in Figures 3 and 4, the free end 16 is shaped in straight section while the free end 17 is shaped as a hem. The overlap area 18 is tangential to the surface of the cap 5 so that the free edge 16 is covered by the free edge 17 which is

  thus visible from the outside of the headrest.

  The method of manufacturing the headrest which has just been described consists in, firstly, placing the first to fifth pieces of fabric 11 to 14 in an injection mold 20 so that part of the first part, the second part 11 and the fourth part 13 are not pressed against the walls 21 of the mold 20. After

  having positioned the insert in the cap thus "open-

  te ", the free edge 17 is held, by any means, pressed against the walls 21 and the free edge 16 and attached to

  inside the free edge 17 to form the overlap area

really 18.

  We then proceed to the injection of

  polyurethane foam intended to form the mattress-

  sure 4. During the injection, the swelling of the foam causes the parts 10, 11 and 13 to move, which then press against the walls 21 of the mold. During this movement, the free edge 16 moves along the edge 17 so that at the end of the injection, the free edges 16 and 17 are pressed against each other on a lower covering surface to that in which they had been positioned before injection. The surface of the final overlap area is sufficient so that the polyurethane foam does not overflow outside the headrest during the injection and pinches the free edge 16 with

the free edge 17.

  The second embodiment shown in FIG. 5 differs from the first embodiment only by the orientation of the overlap area 18 of the free edges 16 and 17. Thus, the elements common to the two embodiments will hereinafter bear the same references

than previously.

  The free edges 16 and 17 are placed in the injection mold 20 while being oriented towards the inside of the cap 5 so that the overlap zone 18 is radial

  to the annular shape of the headrest.

  To facilitate their installation, the free edges 16 and 17 are pressed against a flexible blade 22 carried

  radially by one of the elements of the mold 20.

  This flexible blade 22 is thin so that after injection and demoulding, the free edges 16 and 17 are applied against each other by the polyurethane foam. Figures 6 and 7 show that the method of manufacturing the two embodiments of the headrest according to the present invention allows to place inserts 3

of different types.

  Indeed, the insert 3 shown in Figure 6 is a

  special insert. Pins 7 and 8 have respective-

  a joint 25 and the flexible cap 5 has two guides 26 in which the pins 7 and 8 move at

  during the pivoting movement of the headrest.

  The insert 3 shown in Figure 7 includes a

  reinforcement 27 connected to the two pins 7 and 8 and arranged parallel-

  base 6, opposite this base with respect to

the recess 9.

Claims (10)

  1. Openwork headrest (2) for a motor vehicle seat, and headrest being provided with a central recess (9) and comprising: - an insert (3) of general U shape; - a padding (4) supported by the insert (3); and - a flexible covering cap (5) substantially in the shape of a torus, which delimits an interior space containing the padding (4) and which comprises at least two pieces of fabric (10 to 14); characterized in that each of said at least two pieces of fabric (10 to 14) has a free edge (16, 17) at the level of the central recess (9), these two free edges delimiting between them a passage which communicates the interior space of the cap with the exterior, over the major part of the circumference of said central recess, and in that said two free edges (16, 17) are simply pressed against each other by defining a   mutual overlap zone (18) which closes said passage.   2. Headrest according to claim 1, wherein the overlap zone (18) is tangential to the surface of the headrest, one (17) of the two free edges (16, 17)   being visible on the outside of the headrest.   3. Headrest according to claim 2, wherein said free edge (17) visible outside of the headrest is shaped like a hem.   4. Headrest according to claim 1, wherein   the two free edges (16, 17) are oriented inward laughing padding (4).   5. Headrest according to the preceding claim, wherein the two free edges (16, 17) extend over   all around the central recess (9).   6. A method of manufacturing a headrest according to claim 1, comprising the steps consisting in: - placing said at least two pieces of fabric (10 to 14) in an injection mold (20); - Place the insert (3) in the injection mold (20), making this insert penetrate into the interior space of the cap (5) through said passage delimited between the two free edges of this cap; - press said two free edges (16, 17) one   against the other at the level of the recess (9) of the support head; and   - inject foam to make the mattress -   safe. 7. The manufacturing method according to claim 6, in which the step consisting in pressing the two free edges (16, 17) one against the other consists in overlapping a first edge (17) on a second edge (16 ), on a covering surface (18) larger than that obtained after injection, at least part of one (13) of the pieces of fabric (10 to 14) not being pressed against the   mold (20) before injection of the foam.   8. The manufacturing method according to claim 7, wherein the first edge (17) is shaped as a hem and is visible outside the headrest, the second edge (16) being shaped as a straight section and belonging to the   piece (13) of fabric not pressed against the mold (20) before injection tion.   9. The manufacturing method according to claim 8, wherein, during the injection step, the second edge (16) slides along the first edge (17) and the initially unplated piece of fabric (13) is pushed back. against the mold (20).   10. The manufacturing method according to claim 6, in which the step consisting in pressing the two free edges (16, 17) one against the other consists in placing at least one flexible blade (22) radially in the mold ( 20) and return the two free edges (16, 17) inward NIE11E 111111 [ll 11111 [liI ion * l1 1 of the padding (4) by applying them against said blade flexible (22).