JPH0130508B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to the structure of a skin material such as an automobile seat and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a skin material structure in which fine decorative pleats (gears) are attached to the sides of seams, and a method for manufacturing the same. The present invention relates to a method for simply and easily producing decorative pleats on a skin material.

Automobile seats generally have a main pad made of urethane foam that surrounds the surface or sides of the seat frame or seat spring, and then a thin cover pad that is either just the outer skin or a thin cover pad between the outer skin and the back fabric. It is covered with a trim cover assembly that is sewn in between. In addition, the skin material can be selected from fabric, synthetic resin leather, or natural leather depending on the vehicle class and design.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 1, the surface of an automobile seat is sometimes intentionally wrinkled to give it a luxurious or unique appearance. Traditionally, such creasing has been done using the gearing method commonly used in the clothing industry, in which the fabric is sewn with a sewing machine so that the upper and lower threads are evenly tensioned, and then the upper or lower threads are removed. In addition to the method of pulling strongly to make the gears, as shown in Figure 2, when sewing the outer material b to the back fabric a, use a rod e under the presser plate d of the sewing machine c to remove the wrinkles. The method used was to feed the skin material B while sewing it in while making it. however,
In the gearing method introduced earlier in the field of clothing, it is not possible to pull the upper thread or bobbin thread so much, so it is not possible to generate even and sufficient wrinkles. When tensioning,
There is a risk of these threads breaking, and skill is required.
In addition, the method shown in Figure 2 involves creating wrinkles by hand, which requires considerable skill to create evenly spaced wrinkles.
It has drawbacks such as being able to create only rough wrinkles. Furthermore, it is possible to create wrinkles during sewing using a special sewing machine that has a tack creation function, but this would require a considerable investment in equipment.
It is disadvantageous in terms of cost.

Further, as an example of a woven fabric having decorative pleats, there is one disclosed in US Pat. It has a fairly complicated structure in which blank parts are connected alternately in a striped pattern, and although the manufacturing method is not disclosed, it is clear that it cannot be easily created with an ordinary sewing machine.

The present invention was devised under the above circumstances, and its main purpose is to easily and inexpensively apply it to the skin material of automobile seats using, for example, an ordinary sewing machine. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for generating a large number of pleats (gathers) having an average density in the seam direction on the sides of a seam.

The pleat generation method of the present invention includes the following steps.

That is, (a) applying a strip that can be elastically stretched to the back surface of the skin material while applying a predetermined tensile force and elastically stretching it by a desired amount; (c) releasing the tensile force on the strip to return it to its natural state; (d) fixing the sewn portion with a fixing member that is elastically difficult to stretch. .

After a strip that has been elastically stretched by a predetermined amount is integrally sewn to the back side of the skin material, when the tensile force on the strip is released, the strip returns to its natural length and at the same time, the skin material also returns to its linear shape. The part along the seam following the strip is contracted at the same rate as the contraction rate of the strip, and at this time, a large number of fine folds are instantly generated on both sides of the seam. Since the elastic strip has a uniform rate of elastic deformation in its longitudinal direction, the shrinkage of the skin material at this time is the same at every minute portion along the seam. For this reason, the pleats appear at an even, approximately average density, ie, an average size and spacing, along the length of the seam. After contracting the above-mentioned strips into natural strips, when the sections of the strips or skin material along the seams are fixed with a member that is difficult to stretch elastically,
The formed folds no longer disappear even when a tensile force is applied to the skin material in the direction of the seam, and fine and even folds are formed and fixed on the sides of the seam, resulting in a fixed automobile seat skin. wood is obtained.

The pleating method of the present invention requires only a simple device to temporarily hold an elastic strip such as a rubber string in a state where it has been elastically stretched by a predetermined amount, and does not require any special mechanism. Using a sewing machine,
Alternatively, the predetermined pleats can be made by hand sewing, so there is almost no need for capital investment and the work is extremely simple. In addition, since the elastic strip takes advantage of the fact that the deformation rate is uniform throughout its length, it is possible to pleat uniformly in the seam direction regardless of the skill level of the worker, and the product There will be no variation in quality. Furthermore, by varying the deformation rate of the elastic strips when integrally sewn to the skin, the density of the pleats can be easily changed as desired.

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

Figures 3a, b and c show the case in which pleats 2, 2, . . . are applied only to the skin material 1.

First, as shown in FIG. 3a, an elastic strip 3 such as a strip-shaped rubber plate or a rubber cord for clothing is stretched on the back side of the skin material 1 by a predetermined amount by pulling its both ends. As shown in FIG. 3b, the elastically stretched strips 3 and the skin material 1 are sewn together using a sewing machine or by hand.
(see figure). In order to hold the strip 3 in a state where it is elastically stretched by a predetermined amount, for example, a device (not shown) having clamps attached to both ends of a U-shaped frame that grips both ends 3a and 3b of the strip 3 is used. It is a good idea to prepare. After sewing, when the tension on the strip 3 is released, the elastic strip 3 returns to its natural state as shown in FIG. It contracts at the same rate as the contraction rate of body 3,
At this time, the skin material 1 is forcibly drawn inward along the seam 4, and a large number of folds 2, 2, . (See Figure 6). lastly,
For example, the seam portion on the back side of the strip 3 that has returned to its natural state is fixed using a fixing member 5 such as leather fabric that is difficult to stretch elastically. In the absence of this fixing member 5, when the skin material 1 is pulled in the direction of the seams 4, it returns again as shown in FIG.
However, since the elastic stripes 3 are fixed so that they do not stretch again after they have contracted to their natural state after sewing, the pleats 2, 2, etc. no longer disappear and are fixed. It goes without saying that the fixing member 5 may be fixed by any method such as sewing or gluing. Also,
In the illustrated example, the fixing member 5 is fixed to the back surface of the elastic strip 3, but it can be fixed to the surface of the skin material 1 if it is aligned along the seam 4.
In this case, it is advantageous to use a member having the same color and texture as the skin material 1 as the fixing member because the seams 4 can be hidden by the fixing member.

Figures 4a, b and c show the outer material 1 and the back material 6.
Trim cover assembly 8 with cover pad 7 such as thin urethane foam sandwiched between
The case where the present invention is applied to add pleats 2, 2, etc. is shown. In this case, the skin material 1 of the example shown in FIGS. 3a, b, and c is simply replaced by the trim cover assembly 8, but as shown in FIG. Since the cover pad 7 is compressed and pushed into the inside of the folds 2, 2... of 1, the appearance of the folds 2, 2... is better than the folds of the example shown in FIGS. 3a, b, and c. It will feel plump.

As explained above, the method of the present invention has the special effect of being able to easily form uniform pleats (gears) on both sides of a seam attached to a skin material, regardless of the skill level of the operator.

Note that the scope of the present invention is of course not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, the present invention is applicable to all skin materials that have been or will be used in the future, such as fabric, synthetic resin leather, or natural leather. Furthermore, the pleated skin material of the present invention can of course be used not only as a skin for automobile seats, but also as a skin for trim or furniture seats.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an external view of an automobile seat covered with the pleated skin material of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a conventional pleating method, and Figs. 3 a, b, c.
are explanatory diagrams of one embodiment of the method of the present invention, FIG. 4a,
b, c are explanatory diagrams of other embodiments of the method of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a diagram corresponding to the plan view of FIG. 3 b or FIG. 4 b, and FIG. It is a figure corresponding to the top view of what is shown in FIG. 4c. 1... skin material, 2... pleats, 3... striations, 4...
...Seam, 5...Fixing member.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. After applying a predetermined tensile force to elastically stretch an elastically stretchable strip on the back side of the skin material, the strip is sewn integrally to the back surface of the skin material, and then the tension on the strip is released and the strip is sewn. By returning the seam to its natural state, folds are formed on the sides of the seam evenly in the direction of the seam, and furthermore, the fixing member is difficult to elastically stretch the portion of the strip or skin material along the seam. The structure of the skin material of automobile seats, etc., which is characterized by being fixed with. 2. A method for manufacturing a skin material structure such as an automobile seat, which is characterized by including the following steps. (a) applying a strip that can be elastically stretched to the back surface of the skin material while applying a predetermined tensile force and elastically stretching it by a desired amount; (b) applying the strip that is elastically stretched by the desired amount to the skin material; (c) releasing the tensile force on the strips and returning them to their natural state; (d) attaching the parts of the strips or skin material along the seams,
Fix with a fixing member that is elastically difficult to stretch.