Seatback comfort carrier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10166895-B2
Application number	US-201715414659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2017
Priority date	Jun 9, 2016
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

A vehicle seating assembly includes a seatback. A back panel includes a front closeout panel. A carrier supports the seatback and includes an upper thoracic region having a peripheral support. A peripheral gap is defined between the front closeout panel and the upper thoracic region. A bottom portion of the upper thoracic region includes a lower wall having a sinusoidal configuration. A lower lumber region includes a peripheral support. A peripheral gap is defined between the front closeout panel and the lower lumber region. An upper portion of the lower lumbar region includes an upper wall having a sinusoidal configuration. A plurality of concave connectors couple the lower wall of the upper thoracic region with the upper wall of the lower lumber region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle seating assembly comprising:
a seatback;
a back panel; and
a carrier supporting the seatback and including:
an upper thoracic region defining an upper central opening and including a peripheral support, the upper thoracic region further including peripheral trim retainers adjacent the peripheral support and which retain a trim cover;
a lower lumber region including a peripheral support, wherein a peripheral gap is defined between a front closeout panel and the lower lumber region, wherein the lower lumbar region defines a lower central opening having at least one straight edge tie-down adjacent the opening; and
a plurality of inner trim retainers proximate the upper central opening.

2. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral trim retainers include an elongate inwardly-extending tab.

3. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inner trim retainers include forwardly-extending barbed hooks.

4. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 3 , wherein each inner trim retainer includes first and second forwardly-extending barbed hooks facing toward one another.

5. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a base wall defined by the lower lumbar region, the base wall including a slot that receives a retention tether of a seat cushion component.

6. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 5 , further comprising:
a rearwardly-extending tab hook that extends from the base wall and which is engaged with an aperture defined in the retention tether.

7. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of slots defined by a U-shaped fold at a periphery of the upper thoracic region, the plurality of slots configured to retain a trim piece connector; and
a retention nub proximate each slot and disposed inside the U-shaped fold.

8. A vehicle seating assembly comprising:
a carrier supporting a seatback and including:
a thoracic region defining an upper central opening and including peripheral trim retainers that extend inwardly and inner trim retainers having barbed hooks; and
a lumbar region including an upper wall with an undulating configuration and first and second opposing straight edge tie-downs.

9. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8 , wherein the undulating configuration of a lower wall of the upper thoracic region is generally aligned with an undulating configuration of the upper wall of the lumbar region.

10. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8 , further comprising:
a peripheral trim retainer proximate a peripheral edge of the lumbar region.

11. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8 , wherein the peripheral trim retainers include an elongate inwardly-extending tab.

12. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8 , wherein the inner trim retainers include forwardly-extending barbed hooks.

13. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 12 , wherein each inner trim retainer includes first and second barbed hooks facing toward one another.

14. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8 , further comprising:
a base wall defined by the lumbar region, the base wall including a slot that receives a retention tether of a seat cushion component.

15. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 14 , further comprising:
a rearwardly-extending tab hook that extends from the base wall and which is engaged with an aperture defined in the retention tether.

16. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 8 , further comprising:
a plurality of slots defined by a U-shaped fold at a periphery of the thoracic region, the plurality of slots configured to retain a trim piece connector; and
a retention nub proximate each slot and disposed inside the U-shaped fold.

17. A vehicle seating assembly comprising:
a seatback; and
a carrier disposed in the seatback and including:
a thoracic region including peripheral trim retainers having an elongate inwardly-extending tab and inner trim retainers having forwardly-extending hooks; and
a lumbar region defining a lower central opening having at least one straight edge tie-down adjacent the lower central opening.

18. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 17 , wherein each inner trim retainer includes first and second barbed hooks facing toward one another.

19. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 17 , further comprising:
a base wall defined by the lumbar region, the base wall including a slot that receives a retention tether of a seat cushion component.

20. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 17 , further comprising:
a peripheral trim retainer proximate a peripheral edge of the lumbar region.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Line Johnathan Andrew
• Soyka Richard Joseph
• Gagnier Todd
• Berry S M Akbar
• Andree David
• Kondrad Marcos Silva
• Ferretti Daniel
• Billardello Nicholas Alphonse

Classifications

• B60N2/2222

  the back-rest having two or more parts · CPC title

• B60N2/68 Primary

  Seat frames · CPC title

• B60N2/986

  Side-rests (B60N2/2872, B60N2/885 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2/682

  Joining means · CPC title

• B60N2/0232

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic