Suspension seating surface edge encapsulation method, seating surface carrier and seat made therewith

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11464340-B2
Application number	US-201917265463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2019
Priority date	Aug 3, 2018
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

A seat includes a seat surface having a periphery and a carrier overmolded onto the seat surface over the periphery. The carrier has a periphery and a frame is overmolded onto the carrier over the carrier periphery. The seat is assembled without fasteners. A method for making the seat includes overmolding a carrier onto a periphery of a seat surface to form a seat surface/carrier assembly, tensioning the seat surface/carrier assembly in a mold and overmolding a frame onto a periphery of the seat surface/carrier assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A seat, comprising:
a seat surface having a seat periphery;
a carrier overmolded onto the seat surface over the seat periphery such that the carrier forms a seat edge of the seat surface, the carrier having a carrier periphery; and
a frame overmolded onto a portion of the carrier over the carrier periphery and in contact with the seat surface such that the carrier is at least partially received in the frame and a character line is formed between the frame and the carrier, the character line being located along the carrier between the seat edge and the carrier periphery.

2. The seat of claim 1 , wherein the seat surface is a fabric.

3. The seat of claim 2 , wherein the fabric is a woven fabric.

4. The seat of claim 1 , wherein the seat surface is a molded polymeric membrane.

5. The seat of claim 1 , wherein the carrier is overmolded onto the seat surface under a first tension, and
wherein the frame is overmolded onto the carrier under a second tension, the second tension being greater than the first tension.

6. The seat of claim 1 , wherein the seat has no more than one character line visible along the seat surface.

7. The seat of claim 1 , wherein the frame includes a stop portion abutting an inner wall of the carrier that extends downwardly from the seat edge.

8. The seat of claim 7 , wherein the carrier includes an aligning recess arranged on the inner wall of the carrier between the seat edge and the stop portion of the frame.

9. The seat of claim 1 , wherein the seat surface defines a plurality of zones, and
wherein a first zone of the seat surface has a first tension, and a second zone of the seat surface has a second tension that is different than the first tension.

10. A seat, comprising:
a seat surface having a seat periphery;
a carrier overmolded onto the seat surface over the seat periphery under a first tension, the carrier having a carrier periphery; and
a frame overmolded onto the carrier over the carrier periphery under a second tension, the second tension being greater than the first tension,
wherein the carrier is at least partially received in the frame and the frame abuts the seat surface.

11. The seat of claim 10 , wherein the carrier includes an aligning recess arranged on an inner surface of the carrier, the aligning recess being configured to receive an aligning protrusion of a tension slide of a mold.

12. A seat, comprising:
a seat surface having a seat periphery;
a carrier overmolded onto the seat surface over the seat periphery such that the carrier forms a seat edge of the seat surface, the carrier having a carrier periphery; and
a frame overmolded onto a portion of the carrier over the carrier periphery such that the carrier is at least partially received within the frame and a character line is formed between the frame and the carrier with the frame abutting the seat surface adjacent to the seat edge.

13. The seat of claim 12 , wherein the seat surface is a fabric.

14. The seat of claim 12 , wherein the carrier is overmolded onto the seat surface under a first tension, and
wherein the frame is overmolded onto the carrier under a second tension, the second tension being greater than the first tension.

15. The seat of claim 12 , wherein the seat surface defines a plurality of zones, and
wherein a first zone of the seat surface has a first tension, and a second zone of the seat surface has a second tension that is different than the first tension.

16. The seat of claim 11 , wherein the aligning recess is arranged on an inner wall of the carrier that extends downwardly from the seat edge.

17. The seat of claim 16 , wherein a stop portion of the frame abuts the inner wall of the carrier below the aligning recess.

18. The seat of claim 10 , wherein the seat surface defines a plurality of zones, and
wherein a first zone of the seat surface has a third tension, and a second zone of the seat surface has a fourth tension that is different than the third tension.

19. The seat of claim 10 , wherein the seat surface is a fabric.

20. The seat of claim 10 , wherein the seat surface is a molded polymeric membrane.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Oomen Craig Martin
• Sayers Randy James
• Bratty Robert A
• Washburn Kelly
• Long Michael
• Stanton Michael

Classifications

• B29C45/14336

  Coating a portion of the article, e.g. the edge of the article (B29C45/14573 and B29C45/14598 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29C2045/14278

  controlling the tension of the insert · CPC title

• B64D11/0647

  Seats characterised by special upholstery or cushioning features · CPC title

• A47C7/282 Primary

  with mesh-like supports, e.g. elastomeric membranes · CPC title

• B60N2/68

  Seat frames · CPC title