Seat cover with welded tie down strips and method of securing a seat cover to a mesh seat structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026001754-A1
Application number	US-202318879653-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 28, 2023
Priority date	Jun 28, 2022
Publication date	Jan 1, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

A seat cover secured to a seat structure formed of a mesh body of polymer fibers that are welded together, a method of securing the seat cover having a seam to a novel mesh body seat structure, and fixture used in the method. A mesh pad of welded polymer fibers is covered with the cover including tie down strips is selected. The tie down strips are moved into predetermined locations within the mesh pad, and the mesh pad is heated in the predetermined locations to melt a portion of the polymer fibers onto the tie down strips to hold the tie down strips in the predetermined locations.

First claim

1 - 17 . (canceled)

18 . A method of securing a seat cover to a mesh seat structure comprising:
selecting a mesh pad of polymer fibers; selecting a cover including tie down strips; moving the tie down strips into predetermined locations within the mesh pad; and heating the mesh pad in predetermined locations to melt a portion of the polymer fibers onto the tie down strips to hold the tie down strips in the predetermined location.

19 . The method according to claim 1 further comprising:
forming the mesh pad into a seat cushion.

20 . The method according to claim 1 further comprising:
sewing sections of flexible material together and to the tie down strips, wherein the cover is a seat cover.

21 . The method according to claim 1 further comprising:
grasping the tie down strips with a gripping tool that moves the tie down strip adjacent to the predetermined locations.

22 . The method according to claim 4 further comprising:
inserting a heating tool into the mesh pad adjacent to the gripping tool in the predetermined location to melt the polymer fibers onto the tie down strips.

23 . An apparatus comprising:
a mesh pad of polymer fibers bonded together by melted portions of the polymer fibers, wherein the mesh pad is formed into a seat cushion; a seat cover including tie down strips attached to the seat cover; and welds securing the tie down strips to the polymer fibers.

24 . The apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising:
seams formed between adjacent sections of flexible material that are attached to the tie down strips.

25 . The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the mesh pad of the polymer fibers defines a plurality of grooves recessed into the mesh pad.

26 . The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the mesh pad defines grooves, the seat cover includes segments of flexible sheet material that are sewn together with the tie down strips, wherein the tie down strips are received in the grooves and the welds secure the tie down strips in the grooves.

27 . The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the tie down strips each include a plastic reinforcement band and a flexible flange that are sewn to an edge of the seat cover.

28 . The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the welds are melted polymer fibers held in contact with the tie down strips and are cooled to weld the tie down strips to the polymer fibers.

29 . The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the polymer fibers are polyethylene.

30 . A machine for assembling a seat cover to a seat structure comprising:
a fixture configured to receive a mesh pad of polymer fibers bonded together in a form of a seat cushion; at least one grasping tool inserted into the fixture and configured to be inserted in the mesh pad that is configured to grasp a tie down strip that is attached to a seat cover and pulls the tie down strip to a predetermined location in the mesh pad; and at least one thermal actuator that melts a portion of the mesh pad onto the tie down strip to hold the tie down strip in the predetermined location.

31 . The machine according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one grasping tool comprises a plurality of the grasping tools and the at least one thermal actuator comprise a plurality of the thermal actuators.

32 . The machine according to claim 13 , wherein the grasping tool includes a hook that grasps the tie down strip.

33 . The machine according to claim 13 , wherein the thermal actuator is a pin that is heated by a resistance heating element inside the pin.

34 . The machine according to claim 13 , wherein the tie down strip includes a plastic reinforcement band and a flexible flange that are sewn to an edge of the seat cover.

35 . The machine according to claim 13 , wherein the polymer fibers are thermoplastic polymer fibers.

Assignees

• Lear Corp

Inventors

• Blair Samuel
• Swikoski Lisa
• Abdella David
• Hallock Joshua

Classifications

• B60N2/5866

  by thermal welding · CPC title

• B68G7/052 Primary

  with webs secured to the core, e.g. by stitching · CPC title

• B68G7/12 Primary

  Other elements specially adapted for fastening, fixing, or finishing, in upholstery work · CPC title