U.S. patent application number 11/528247 was filed with the patent office on 2007-03-29 for fastening system and associated anchoring part for a seat.
This patent application is currently assigned to Gottlieb Binder GmbH & Co. KG. Invention is credited to Konstantinos Poulakis.
Application Number | 20070069559 11/528247 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37709529 |
Filed Date | 2007-03-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070069559 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Poulakis; Konstantinos |
March 29, 2007 |
Fastening system and associated anchoring part for a seat
Abstract
The invention relates to a fastening system for a seat for
attaching upholstery to the foam cushion part of a seat having an
anchoring part (10) which can be attached in anchoring elements
(16) foamed into the cushion part and which for reliable attachment
has two web bodies (24) which delimit between themselves a
receiving space (24) for accommodating a connecting part (12) in
which the upholstery can be attached.
Inventors: |
Poulakis; Konstantinos;
(Hildrizhausen, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ROYLANCE, ABRAMS, BERDO & GOODMAN, L.L.P.
1300 19TH STREET, N.W.
SUITE 600
WASHINGTON,
DC
20036
US
|
Assignee: |
Gottlieb Binder GmbH & Co.
KG
|
Family ID: |
37709529 |
Appl. No.: |
11/528247 |
Filed: |
September 28, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/218.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 2/5825
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/218.2 |
International
Class: |
A47C 31/00 20060101
A47C031/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 29, 2005 |
DE |
10 2005 048 214.7 |
Claims
1. Fastening system for a seat, especially a vehicle or aircraft
passenger seat, for attaching upholstery to the cushion foam part
of the seat, having at least one anchoring part (10) made as a
profile strip, which anchoring part can be connected to the
upholstery which for this purpose acts on at least one connecting
part (12) which engages the assignable anchoring part (10) for
producing a strong connection, and at least one interlocking part
(14) which can be at least partially foamed into the cushion foam
part and which with two opposing interlocking elements (18)
delimits a clamping channel (18), engaging which the anchoring part
(10) with its anchoring elements (20) makes contact with the
assignable interlocking elements (15), by fitting under them,
characterized in that the anchoring part (10) has two web bodies
(24) which delimit a receiving space (26) for holding the
connecting part (14) and which protrude with a definable projection
over the actual anchor body (28) of the anchoring part (10) and in
the interlocked attached state project out of the clamping channel
(18) with its interlocking elements (16) in the direction of the
upholstery to be attached.
2. The fastening system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the height
of the projecting web bodies (24) is greater than or equal to the
vertical distance between one of the web bodies (24) and the
outermost end of the adjacent anchoring element (20).
3. The fastening system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the height
of the receiving space (20) between pairs of web bodies (24) is
essentially equal to the vertical distance between the two
outermost ends of one pair of anchoring elements (20).
4. The fastening system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the width of
the respective web body (24) is essentially twice the width of the
receiving space (26).
5. The fastening system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anchor
body (28) is designed as an arrowhead with anchoring elements (20)
which point down to either side and which delimit an engagement
space (30) between themselves and each respective assignable web
body (24) for engaging the interlocking elements (16).
6. The fastening system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the total
width of two web bodies (24) with the receiving space (28)
corresponds essentially to the width of the anchoring element (20)
measured along a 45.degree. line X which ends at the lowest point
of the engagement space (30).
7. The fastening system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the height
of the clamping channel (18) between the pairs of interlocking
elements (16) is slightly greater than the engagement height of the
anchor body (28) in the clamping channel (18).
8. The fastening system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
anchoring part (10) consists of an extrudable plastic, especially
in the form of polyester, polystyrene, polycarbonate,
acrylonitrile-polybutadiene-styrene graft polymer (ABS) or mixtures
thereof.
9. Anchoring part for a fastening system as claimed in claim 1,
wherein it has two web bodies (24) which project vertically on the
anchor body (28) of the anchoring part, which delimit a receiving
space (26) for accommodating the connecting part (12), and which
protrude with a definable projection over the anchor body (28), and
wherein the connecting part (12) projects out of the receiving
space (26) as a flexible attachment plate, a flat woven fabric or
knit fabric.
10. The anchoring part as claimed in claim 9, wherein the
connecting part (12) consists of a plastic material, especially
polyester, with a melting point which is higher than the melting
point of the anchor body (28).
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a fastening system and the
associated anchoring part for a seat, especially a vehicle or
aircraft passenger seat, for attaching upholstery to the cushion
foam part of the seat, having [0002] at least one anchoring part
made as a profile strip, which anchoring part can be connected to
the upholstery which for this purpose acts on at least one
connecting part which engages the assignable anchoring part for
producing a strong connection, and [0003] at least one interlocking
part which can be at least partially foamed into the cushion foam
part and which with two opposing interlocking elements delimits a
clamping channel, engaging which the anchoring part with its
anchoring elements makes contact with the assignable interlocking
elements, by fitting under them.
[0004] EP 0 403 815 B1 discloses a fastening system with a draw rod
as the anchoring part for forming the profile from the outside by a
covering material as the cushion materials which are covered as the
upholstery in upholstered furniture, and similarly upholstered seat
parts, consisting of a one-piece extruded plastic profile rod, to
which a separately produced sew-on tag is welded tight as the
connecting part for its connection to the covering material between
the flat profile parts. In the known solution the profile rod has a
twin-leg cross-sectional profile with two profile legs connected to
each other on their base by a narrow connecting web, and delimit a
receiving gap which proceeds from the web for the sew-on tag by its
being tightly welded to the adjacent inside surfaces of the two
profile legs. The known solution is designed to attach the draw or
profile rod to the sew-on tag directly in the cushion foam part of
the seat; this can be accompanied by increased mounting effort,
and, depending on the foams used, unwanted loosening of the
fastening system is possible, especially if a profile rod,
elliptical in cross section, as the anchoring part engages an
assignable cavity in the cushion foam part.
[0005] DE298 21 697 U1 discloses a fastening system for fastening
upholstery, in particular the seat covering of a motor vehicle
seat, to a foam cushion element which has a foamed-in insertion
part which with bow-shaped regions extends over the thickened front
edge area of a retaining strip as the anchoring part, which edge
area is pointed toward the insertion part, and to which part the
edge of the upholstery is attached via a connecting part. A plastic
holder which is used as the interlocking part and which extends
under the foamed-in insertion part with a lower leg has two legs
rising therefrom in the direction to the retaining strip as
interlocking elements which on their top ends have inwardly curved
holding areas, between which a lengthwise gap penetrated by the
retaining strip which is made without interruption is formed as a
clamping channel; the gap width is less than the thickness of the
thickened front edge area, the legs being made elastic transversely
to the clamping channel and the inwardly curved holding regions are
used to make contact with the assignable interlocking elements of
the anchoring part made as a retaining strip, by fitting
underneath.
[0006] This known generic fastening system ensures a high level of
attachment reliability by way of the foamed-in interlocking parts;
relative to the installation height the fastening system as a whole
is designed to be geometrically large solely due to the insert part
to be foamed in within the profile body of the interlocking part;
this is especially disadvantageous if, as applies in the trend of
current seat development, the cushion foam thicknesses used for the
cushion foam parts are being made thinner and thinner, so that the
known solution is limited especially when the respective seat
occupant sits down on the rigid parts of the fastening system with
flexible cushion foam parts with thin wall regions, this being
experienced as uncomfortable by the seat occupant.
[0007] On the basis of this prior art, the object of the invention
is to develop the known solutions while retaining their advantages,
specifically reliable fastening of upholstery materials to cushion
foam parts such that especially the installation height is reduced
with simultaneously good installation capacity and low production
costs. This object is achieved by a seat fastening system with the
features specified in claim 1 and an anchoring part used for this
purpose according to the configuration of features of claim 9.
[0008] In that, as specified in the characterizing part of claim 1,
the anchoring part has two web bodies which delimit a receiving
space for accommodating the connecting part and which protrude with
a definable projection over the actual anchor body of the anchoring
part and in the interlocked attached state project out of the
clamping channel with its interlocking elements in the direction of
the upholstery to be attached, the connecting part is reliably
guided in the receiving space of the anchoring part by way of the
lengthened web body and is fixed there. As a result of this
guidance with the formation of the receiving space, the anchoring
part viewed in cross section as a result can be made distinctly
geometrically smaller since, as shown in the prior art, it no
longer has to accommodate the connecting means at the same time and
exclusively, generally in the form of a sew-on tag, but essentially
carries out its anchoring function by means of anchoring elements.
Because the free end region of the connecting part is guided and
held between the web bodies, it is moreover ensured that even for
lateral force application via the connecting part the anchoring
elements cannot detach from the interlocking elements of the
assignable interlocking part. The clamp-like interlocking part can
be reliably attached in the foam cushion part at the desired
points, especially can be partially foamed in, so that for the
anchoring part there is a reliable interlocking possibility which
is to be preferred to pure interlocking in the foam material with
low holding forces.
[0009] The anchoring part used for the fastening system can
preferably be made with a total height <10 mm, preferably with a
total height of approximately 5 to 7 mm, especially 6.5 mm, so that
the fastening system as claimed in the invention can be easily used
for even the most thin-walled cushion foam parts without this
adversely affecting seating comfort. The fastening system as
claimed in the invention can be quickly produced and economically
installed so that in this respect the production effort and
production costs are reduced. In particular, the anchoring part is
designed as an arrowhead; this facilitates engagement with the
respective assignable interlocking part, and the interlocking
elements of the interlocking part which are supported on the outer
periphery of the respective web body are guided in a defined
manner, such that unintentional spreading apart of the interlocking
elements and opening of the clamping channel are precluded.
[0010] Since the two web bodies preferably extend vertically
upright on the top of the anchor body with the two anchoring
elements, the connecting part is guided in the direction of the
cushion in the receiving space, so that folds which are damaging to
the connecting part, especially in the entry area to the receiving
space, are reliably prevented. To link the connecting part to the
anchoring part a so-called intrusion process has proven especially
advantageous, as is shown for example for the plastic extrusion
profile for example in DE 103 03 358 A1. In the indicated extrusion
process the melting point ranges of the plastic materials of the
profile body which are used as the anchoring part and the sew-on
tag as the connecting part are chosen to be different, such that
one plastic material remains essentially stable in shape when the
connection is produced under thermal action, conversely the other
plastic material penetrates into recesses formed by one plastic
material and hardens in the recesses upon cooling. In this way
especially high-strength connections can be achieved, in contrast
to known welding and/or adhesive connecting processes.
[0011] Since the fastening system is very greatly miniaturized,
very stiff and highly-stable plastic materials must be used for the
anchoring part, by preference acrylonitrile-polybutadiene-styrene
graft polymers (ABS) being used, and a conventional polyester
material or the like may be used for the making the connecting
part.
[0012] Other advantageous embodiments of the fastening system as
claimed in the invention and of the anchoring part used for this
purpose are the subject matter of the other dependent claims.
[0013] The fastening system as claimed in the invention will be
detailed below using the embodiment as shown in the drawings. The
figures are schematic and not to scale.
[0014] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the fastening system not
yet assembled,
[0015] FIG. 2 shows a front top view of the fastening system as
shown in FIG. 1 with the connection established.
[0016] The fastening system as claimed in the invention can be used
for a seat, especially for a vehicle or aircraft passenger seat, to
attach upholstery (not detailed) on the cushion foam part of the
seat. For this purpose, the fastening system has an anchoring part
10 made as a profile strip, said anchoring part can be connected to
upholstery which is not shown, for example by sewing it on, the
pertinent upholstery acting on the top end of the connecting part
12 which engages the assignable anchoring part 10 for establishing
a strong connection. Furthermore, there is an interlocking part 14
which can be foamed at least partially into the cushion foam
material which is not detailed and which, with two opposing
interlocking elements 16 which have essentially the same structure
and delimit a clamping channel 18 which is open to the top, makes
contact with the assignable interlocking elements 16 by fitting
underneath, the anchoring part 10 engaging the channel from the top
with its two opposing anchoring elements 20 (compare FIG. 2).
[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the interlocking parts 14 can be present
multiple times for a profile strip which is made straight as the
anchoring part 10 and especially the desired interlocking with the
anchoring part 10 can be effected in a line at definable distance
to each other. To adapt to special contours or curves on the seat
the pertinent profile bodies then are formed from a flexible
plastic material in order to be able to adapt to altered contours.
The two interlocking elements 16 in the direction of looking at the
figures are provided on the bottom side with a widened foam-in
plate 22 in order to facilitate the bonding to the foam in this
way. From this foam-in plate 22 the two interlocking elements 16
extend up in the form of a web and are kinked toward their free end
in order in this way to be able to ensure locking from underneath
for the interlocking elements 16 of the anchoring part 10. The
cross sections for the interlocking elements 16 are in any event
selected such that with penetration of the arrow-like anchoring
part 10 they can yield accordingly, especially can spread apart
from each other, after penetration of the anchoring part 10 via the
clamping channel 18 into the interlocking part 14 the two
interlocking elements 16 being elastically reset, in order in this
way to be able to guarantee reliable interlocking.
[0018] The anchoring part 10 on its top has two flat web bodies 24
running parallel to each other, which delimit a receiving space 26
(compare FIG. 2) for holding the connecting part 14 and which
protrude with a definable projection over the actual anchor body 28
of the anchoring part 10 and in the interlocked attached state
project out of the clamping channel 18 in the direction of the
upholstery to be attached. The magnitudes shown in the figures are
due to repeated enlargement of the fastening system which basically
is designed as a miniature fastening system, the height of the
entire anchoring part 10 including the two web bodies 24 being
smaller than 10 mm, especially only 6.5 mm. Furthermore provision
is made such that the height of the projecting web bodies 24 is
greater than or equal to the horizontal distance between one of the
web bodies 24 and the outermost end of the adjacent anchoring
element 20. The height of the receiving space 26 between pairs of
web bodies 24 is essentially equal to the vertical distance between
the two outermost ends of one pair of anchoring elements 20.
Preferably the distance between the two ends of one pair of
anchoring elements 20 is approximately 5 mm and the width of the
two web bodies 24 with the receiving space 26 is approximately 1.4
mm. The height of the connecting part 12 can be stipulated
accordingly to the thickness of the foam body material used for the
seat and the orders of magnitude for the interlocking part 14 are
chosen such that in any event the anchoring part 10 with its
anchoring body 28 can reliably engage and extend underneath.
[0019] In order to ensure good stability, it is moreover provided
that the width of the respective web body 24 is essentially twice
the width of the receiving space 26 shown in FIG. 2. Furthermore,
the figures show that the anchor body 28 is designed as an
arrowhead with anchoring elements 20 which point down to either
side and which delimit an engagement space 30 between themselves
and each respective assignable web body 24 for engaging the
assignable interlocking elements 16. In particular, the two
anchoring elements 20 are tilted relative to the horizontal by an
angle of approximately 45.degree. and for this purpose are set
back. Furthermore, it benefits stability when the total width of
two web bodies 24 with the receiving space 28 corresponds
essentially to the width of the anchoring element 20 measured along
a 45.degree. line X which ends at the lowest point of the
engagement space 30 (compare FIG. 2). In this way, viewed in cross
section, a box system of durable structure is formed with favorably
configured force application spaces, for example in the form of
engagement spaces 30. The square structure of the plate 22 also
contributes to this and to the length of each interlocking part 14
corresponding to its height in the vertical direction (compare FIG.
1). In order to ensure undisrupted engagement of the anchoring part
10 with the interlocking part 14, provision is made such that the
height of the clamping channel 18 between the pairs of interlocking
elements 16 as far as the top of the foam-in plate 22 is at least
slightly greater than the possible engagement height of the anchor
body 28 in the clamping channel 18.
[0020] In order to achieve good linkage of the connecting part 12
in the receiving space 26 between the two web bodies 24 of the
anchoring part 10, a so-called intrusion process is used, as is
detailed in DE 103 03 358 A1. The process shown there is
characterized especially in that the melting point ranges of the
plastic materials of the anchoring part 10 and the connecting part
12 used are chosen to be different, such that one plastic material
remains essentially stable in shape when the connection is produced
under thermal action, conversely the other plastic material
penetrates into recesses formed by the one plastic material and
consolidates in the recesses upon cooling. In this way part of the
molten or plasticizable plastic material penetrates into the
cavities (recesses) of the other plastic material in order to
consolidate there with the formation of a positive connection,
preferably the plastic material with the recesses remaining
unaffected in its structural configuration due to the different
melting point range. Weld or adhesive connections as shown in the
prior art consequently are not formed in the intrusion solution
which is implemented, but rather part of the connection is
positively embedded into the plastic material of the other
connecting part and in this way is fixed there as a pouring or
intrusion process of plastic materials.
[0021] The indicated recesses are formed for this purpose by the
receiving space 26 of the anchoring part 10 and also by recesses 32
in the connecting part 12 itself, to the extent that they engage
the receiving space 26, these recesses 32 of the connecting part 12
being formed preferably by the opening structures of a woven cloth
or knit fabric which for this purpose forms the connecting part 12,
these recesses 32 also forming a favorable linking point for the
upholstery which is not shown and which can be sewn, cemented,
clipped, or bonded to the upper end of the connecting part 12. The
fastening system as claimed in the invention can be very quickly
produced with reference to the anchoring part 10 by the extrusion
tool simultaneously forming the anchoring part 10, and the
connecting part 12 running into the free end of the receiving space
26 and then in this way forming a strong connection to the
anchoring part 10 directly within the scope of the described
intrusion.
[0022] In the course of forming the fastening system as claimed in
the invention, it has proven advantageous in terms of stability to
make the anchoring part 10 from an extrudable plastic, especially
in the form of polyester, polystyrene, polycarbonate, and
acrylonitrile-polybutadiene-styrene graft polymer (ABS) which are
well suited for the described application, including their mixture
with each other. The connecting part 12 made in the form of a knit
fabric is made preferably from a polyester fiber material.
* * * * *