Method for stitching vehicle interior components and components formed from the method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9790627-B2
Application number	US-201615155331-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2016
Priority date	Jul 8, 2011
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A method of applying stitching to an interior component is provided herein. The interior component having only a single layer of a substrate layer. The method including the steps of: a) penetrating substrate layer with an awl to form a piercing therethrough; b) retracting the awl from the substrate layer; c) inserting a needle of a sewing head through the piercing through the substrate layer to grasp a thread positioned on a show surface of the outer skin layer; d) pulling the thread through the substrate layer; e) looping the thread with a previous stitch passed through the substrate layer; f) advancing the sewing head to another position with respect to the interior component, wherein a backside of the substrate layer is free of obstructions; and g) repeating steps a-f until a predetermined amount of stitches are applied to the interior component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of applying stitching to an interior component, comprising only a single substrate layer, the method comprising:
a) penetrating the substrate layer with an awl to form a piercing therethrough;
b) retracting the awl from the substrate layer;
c) inserting a needle of a sewing head through the piercing through the substrate layer to grasp a thread positioned on a show surface of the substrate;
d) pulling the thread through the substrate layer;
e) looping the thread with a previous stitch passed through the substrate layer;
f) advancing the sewing head to another position with respect to the interior component, wherein a backside of the substrate layer is free of obstructions; and
g) repeating steps a-f until a predetermined amount of stitches are applied to the interior component.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the substrate layer is formed from plastic.

3. An interior component formed by the method of claim 2 , wherein the interior component is an interior trim piece of a vehicle and wherein the substrate layer is configured to have graining on the show surface of the substrate layer.

4. The interior component of claim 3 , wherein the interior trim piece is a portion of an instrument panel of the vehicle.

5. An interior component formed by the method of claim 1 , wherein the interior component is an interior trim piece of a vehicle.

6. The interior component of claim 5 , wherein the interior trim piece is a portion of an instrument panel of the vehicle.

7. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the substrate layer is formed from plastic and molded with a faux seam.

8. The interior component formed by the method of claim 1 , wherein the backside of the substrate layer is free of obstructions along the entire stitch length.

9. The interior of claim 8 , wherein the interior component is an interior trim piece of a vehicle.

10. The interior component of claim 9 , wherein the interior trim piece is a portion of an instrument panel of the vehicle.

11. The interior component formed by the method of claim 1 , wherein the backside of the substrate layer is configured to have a separate component attached thereto, the separate component being free of any obstructions.

12. The interior component of claim 11 , wherein the interior component is an interior trim piece of a vehicle.

13. The interior component of claim 12 , wherein the interior trim piece is a portion of an instrument panel of the vehicle.

14. The interior component of claim 13 , wherein the substrate layer is formed from plastic and a layer of soft touch paint is applied to the show surface of the interior component prior to sewing in order to provide softer show surface than that of the material of the substrate layer.

15. A method of applying stitching to an interior component, comprising only a single substrate layer, the method comprising:
a) penetrating the substrate layer with an awl to form a piercing therethrough;
b) retracting the awl from the substrate layer;
c) inserting a needle of a sewing head through the piercing through the substrate layer to grasp a thread positioned on a show surface of the substrate layer;
d) pulling the thread through the substrate layer;
e) looping the thread with a previous stitch passed through the substrate layer;
f) advancing the sewing head to another position with respect to the interior component, wherein a backside of the substrate layer is free of obstructions; and
g) repeating steps a-f until a predetermined amount of stitches are applied to the interior component.

16. The method as in claim 15 , wherein the substrate layer is formed from plastic.

17. An interior component formed by the method of claim 15 , wherein the interior component is an interior trim piece of a vehicle.

18. The interior component of claim 17 , wherein the interior trim piece is a portion of an instrument panel of the vehicle.

19. The method as in claim 18 , wherein the substrate layer is formed from plastic and wherein a layer of soft touch paint is applied to the show surface of the interior component prior to sewing in order to provide softer show surface than that of the material of the substrate layer.

20. The method as in claim 15 , wherein the substrate layer is configured to have graining on the show surface of the substrate layer.

Assignees

• Inteva Products Llc

Inventors

• Wenzel Edward J
• Habhab Ramez
• Eckhout Patrick

Classifications

• D05B93/00

  Stitches; Stitch seams · CPC title

• B60R13/02

  {Internal} Trim mouldings {; Internal} Ledges; Wall liners {for passenger compartments}; Roof liners (B60R13/01 takes precedence {; padded linings for the vehicle interior B60R21/04; arrangements or adaptations of floor mats or carpets in vehicles B60N3/04; internal lining for trains B61D17/18}) · CPC title

• D10B2505/12

  Vehicles (D10B2505/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60R13/0256

  Dashboard liners · CPC title

• B60N2/5891

  characterised by the manufacturing process; manufacturing seat coverings not otherwise provided for · CPC title