U.S. patent application number 11/837205 was filed with the patent office on 2008-09-25 for outdoor vehicle seat.
Invention is credited to Yuichi Honma.
Application Number | 20080231104 11/837205 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39743189 |
Filed Date | 2008-09-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080231104 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Honma; Yuichi |
September 25, 2008 |
OUTDOOR VEHICLE SEAT
Abstract
An outdoor vehicle seat is formed by placing a cushioning
material on a bottom plate, and covering them with a surface skin,
and fixing a surface skin end portion onto the bottom plate.
Further, a highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and
highly expanding member is arranged between the surface skin end
portion and the bottom plate.
Inventors: |
Honma; Yuichi; (Tochigi,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SCHIFF HARDIN, LLP;PATENT DEPARTMENT
6600 SEARS TOWER
CHICAGO
IL
60606-6473
US
|
Family ID: |
39743189 |
Appl. No.: |
11/837205 |
Filed: |
August 10, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/463.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 2/5825 20130101;
B62J 1/18 20130101; B62J 1/12 20130101; B60N 2/5883 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/463.2 |
International
Class: |
B60N 2/58 20060101
B60N002/58 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 19, 2007 |
JP |
2007-070651 |
Claims
1. An outdoor vehicle seat, comprising: a bottom plate; cushioning
material arranged on the bottom plate; a surface skin covering the
cushioning material, the surface skin having an end portion that is
fixed to the bottom plate; and a highly water absorbing, highly
moisture absorbing, and highly expanding member that is arranged
between the surface skin end portion and the bottom plate.
2. The outdoor vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the
bottom plate comprises an expanding member containing portion for
arranging the highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing,
and highly expanding member so that the expanding member containing
portion contacts the surface skin end portion at a back side of the
bottom plate.
3. The outdoor vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the
highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly
expanding member has air spaces.
4. The outdoor vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the
highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly
expanding member includes at least highly water absorbing, highly
moisture absorbing, and highly expanding fibers that are fibers of
a highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly
expanding material.
5. The outdoor vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the
highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly
expanding member is powders of a highly water absorbing, highly
moisture absorbing, and highly expanding material packaged by
nonwoven cloth or coarse wool cloth.
6. The outdoor vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the
highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly
expanding material is made of bridged polyacryl acid sodium
salt.
7. An outdoor vehicle seat, comprising: a bottom plate; cushioning
material arranged on the bottom plate; a surface skin that covers
the cushioning material, the surface skin comprising: an end
portion that is fixed to the bottom plate; a covering surface for
the covering of the cushioning material; a jointing surface skin
for structuring the surface skin end portion to be fixed to the
bottom plate; and a stitched portion that sews together the
covering surface skin and the jointing surface skin; the seat
further comprising: a highly water absorbing, highly moisture
absorbing, and highly expanding member that is arranged between the
covering end portion and the jointing end portion, in the stitched
portion.
8. The outdoor vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein the
highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly
expanding member has air spaces.
9. The outdoor vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein the
highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly
expanding member includes at least highly water absorbing, highly
moisture absorbing, and highly expanding fibers that are fibers of
a highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly
expanding material.
10. The outdoor vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein the
highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly
expanding member is powders of a highly water absorbing, highly
moisture absorbing, and highly expanding material packaged by
nonwoven cloth or coarse wool cloth.
11. The outdoor vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein the
highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly
expanding material is made of bridged polyacryl acid sodium
salt.
12. A method for forming an outdoor vehicle seat, comprising:
providing a bottom plate; arranging a cushioning material on the
bottom plate; covering the cushioning material with a surface skin;
fixing an end portion of the surface skin to the bottom plate;
arranging a highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and
highly expanding member between the surface skin end portion and
the bottom plate.
13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: forming
an expanding member containing portion for arranging the highly
water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly expanding
member to contact the surface skin end portion at a back side of
the bottom plate.
14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: creating
air spaces in the highly water absorbing, highly moisture
absorbing, and highly expanding member.
15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: packaging
the highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly
expanding member, which is made of a powder, by nonwoven cloth or
coarse wool cloth.
16. A method for forming an outdoor vehicle seat, comprising:
providing a bottom plate; arranging a cushioning material on the
bottom plate; covering the cushioning material with a covering
surface of a surface skin having an end portion; structuring the
surface skin end portion to be fixed to the bottom plate at a
jointing surface skin of the surface skin; sewing together the
covering surface skin and the jointing surface skin at a stitched
portion of the surface skin; and arranging a highly water
absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly expanding member
between the covering end portion and the jointing end portion, in
the stitched portion.
17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: creating
air spaces in the highly water absorbing, highly moisture
absorbing, and highly expanding member.
18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: packaging
the highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly
expanding member, which is made of a powder, by nonwoven cloth or
coarse wool cloth.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates to an outdoor vehicle seat,
particularly to an outdoor vehicle seat for preventing
deterioration due to water penetration.
[0002] In the prior art, vehicle seats used outdoors, for
motorbikes, personal watercraft and the like, have been subject to
wind and rain, or submersion under water, and water may have
penetrated into the inside of seats. When water penetrates into the
inside of the seat, water is absorbed in its inside cushioning
material, the weight of the entire seat increases significantly,
deterioration of the cushioning material causes it to lose its soft
touch, and the seat functions more poorly, which has been problems
in the prior art.
[0003] In order to solve these problems, it is known to have a
sealing member arranged at a joint portion of a seat surface skin
end portion and a bottom plate (for example, see Japanese
Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-286364 ("the '364
Publication")).
[0004] In the waterproof structure at the surface skin end portion
used in a seat described in the '364 Publication, as shown in FIG.
9, a surface skin end portion 130a of the seat and an elastic
sealing member 150 are jointed at a stitched portion 160 by
machine-sewing, and the surface skin end portion 130a to which the
elastic sealing member 150 is jointed, and a bottom plate 110 on
which a cushioning material 120 is arranged, are jointed by a
fixing member 140 such as a staple and the like.
[0005] Meanwhile, according to the waterproof structure of the
surface skin end portion used in the seat described in the '364
Publication, there are cases where water cannot be prevented from
penetrating from the portion between the elastic sealing member 150
and the bottom plate. In particular, at the curved portion of the
bottom plate, the surface skin end portion is attached having
wrinkles due to surface skin surplus, and, as shown in FIG. 10, a
gap is formed between the surface skin 130 and the elastic sealing
member 150 in some cases. When it rains or the seat is submerged
under water, water penetrates from this gap into the inside of the
seat, and water cannot be completely prevented from penetrating in
the seat inside. As a result, water is absorbed in the cushioning
material in the seat inside, and deterioration of the cushioning
material leads to declined seat function.
SUMMARY
[0006] Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to
provide an outdoor vehicle seat that prevents water from
penetrating from the stitched portion of the surface skin, or the
portion between the surface skin end portion and the bottom
plate.
[0007] In order to achieve the above object, according to one
aspect of the present invention, there is provided an outdoor
vehicle seat that is formed by arranging a cushioning material on a
bottom plate, covering the cushioning material with a surface skin,
and fixing a surface skin end portion to the bottom plate, wherein
a highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly
expanding member is arranged between the surface skin end portion
and the bottom plate.
[0008] Thus, in the outdoor vehicle seat according to an embodiment
of the present invention, where the highly water absorbing, highly
moisture absorbing, and highly expanding member is arranged between
the surface skin end portion and the bottom plate, it is possible
to rapidly absorb water penetrating from the gap between the
surface skin end portion and the bottom plate, seal up the gap
completely by the expansion thereof, and prevent water from
penetrating into the seat inside.
[0009] Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the seat function
from declining due to the deterioration of the cushioning material
by water penetration into the seat inside.
[0010] Further, it is preferable that in the bottom plate, an
expanding member containing portion for arranging the highly water
absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly expanding member
is formed at the portion to contact the surface skin end portion of
the back side.
[0011] Thus, by forming the expanding member containing portion in
the bottom plate, it is possible to secure the place to contain the
expanding member and position and fix it, and thereby it is
possible to improve the workability in manufacture processes.
[0012] In order to achieve the above object, according to another
aspect of the present invention, there is provided an outdoor
vehicle seat that is formed by arranging a cushioning material on a
bottom plate, covering the cushioning material with a surface skin,
and fixing a surface skin end portion to the bottom plate, wherein
the surface skin includes a covering surface skin for covering the
cushioning material, a jointing surface skin for structuring the
surface skin end portion to be fixed to the bottom plate, a
stitched portion to sew together the covering surface skin and the
jointing surface skin, and a highly water absorbing, highly
moisture absorbing, and highly expanding member is arranged between
the covering end portion and the jointing end portion, in the
stitched portion.
[0013] Thus, in the outdoor vehicle seat according to an embodiment
of the present invention, where the highly water absorbing, highly
moisture absorbing, and highly expanding member is arranged between
the covering end portion and the jointing end portion of stitched
portion, it is possible to rapidly absorb water penetrating from
the stitched portion, and seal off further penetration of water
completely, by the expansion thereof, and prevent water from
penetrating into the seat inside. Accordingly, it is possible to
prevent the seat function from declining due to the deterioration
of the cushioning material by water penetration into the seat
inside.
[0014] Furthermore, it is preferable that the highly water
absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly expanding member
has airspaces. Thus, when the expanding member has airspaces, it is
possible to absorb an expansion amount accompanying expansion by
the airspaces, prevent the expanding member from coming out from
the stitched portion, and prevent the fixing member and the like
from dropping down or the sewed portion from being damaged in end
processed portion and sewed portion, which is caused by expansion
of the expanding member.
[0015] Moreover, it is preferable that the highly water absorbing,
highly moisture absorbing, and highly expanding member includes at
least highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly
expanding fibers that are fibers of a highly water absorbing,
highly moisture absorbing, and highly expanding material.
[0016] Thus, by using fibers of a highly water absorbing, highly
moisture absorbing, and highly expanding material, it is possible
to join the fibers to base fibers and easily process the fibers
into shapes according to applications of the vehicle seat.
[0017] Further, it is preferable that the highly water absorbing,
highly moisture absorbing, and highly expanding member is made of
powders of a highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and
highly expanding material packaged by nonwoven cloth or coarse wool
cloth.
[0018] Thus, by packaging powders of a highly water absorbing,
highly moisture absorbing, and highly expanding material by
nonwoven cloth or coarse wool cloth, it is possible to hold the
powdered highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and
highly expanding material without leakage. Further, in comparison
with the case where highly water absorbing, highly moisture
absorbing, and highly expanding fibers are combined with base
fibers with a binder and the like, the powdered material can be
used without a special process, and accordingly it is possible to
reduce the number of processes.
[0019] Furthermore, it is preferable that the highly water
absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly expanding material
is made of bridged polyacryl acid sodium salt.
[0020] Thus, by using bridged polyacryl acid sodium salt, it is
possible, by its high water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing,
and highly expanding property, to absorb water further more
rapidly, seal up the gap completely by the expansion thereof, and
prevent water from further penetrating into the seat inside.
[0021] Thus, in the outdoor vehicle seat according to an embodiment
of the present invention, where the highly water absorbing, highly
moisture absorbing, and highly expanding member is arranged between
the surface skin end portion and the bottom plate, or between the
covering surface skin and the jointing surface skin, it is possible
to rapidly absorb water penetrating inside, and seal up the gap
completely by the expansion thereof, and prevent water from
penetrating into the seat inside. Accordingly, it is possible to
prevent the seat function from declining due to the deterioration
of the cushioning material by water penetration into the seat
inside.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of an outdoor vehicle
seat according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 2 is a partial cross sectional view at A-A in FIG.
1;
[0024] FIG. 3 is an explanatory perspective figure showing the
arrangement of an expanding member according to one embodiment;
[0025] FIG. 4 is an explanatory perspective figure showing the
arrangement of an expanding member according to another
embodiment;
[0026] FIG. 5 is an explanatory perspective figure showing the
arrangement of an expanding member according to a further
embodiment;
[0027] FIG. 6 is an explanatory perspective figure showing the
arrangement of an expanding member according to a yet further
embodiment;
[0028] FIGS. 7(a)(b) are explanatory side view figures showing a
waterproof effect;
[0029] FIG. 8 is a partial cross sectional view showing another
preferred embodiment;
[0030] FIG. 9 is a partial cross sectional view showing an outdoor
vehicle seat according to the prior art; and
[0031] FIG. 10 is an explanatory side view figure showing a
waterproof effect according to the prior art.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0032] A preferred embodiment according to the present invention is
illustrated in more detail below with reference to the attached
drawings. The illustrated and described structural members,
arrangement thereof, and the like explained below do not limit the
present invention, but may be modified according to the knowledge
of one of skill in the art.
[0033] FIG. 1 through FIG. 4 show a first preferred embodiment
according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a partial perspective
view of an outdoor vehicle seat, FIG. 2 is a partial cross
sectional view at A-A in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is an explanatory figure
showing the arrangement of an expanding member, FIG. 4 is an
explanatory figure showing the arrangement of an expanding member
as another example, FIG. 5 is an explanatory figure showing the
arrangement of an expanding member as still another example, FIG. 6
is an explanatory figure showing the arrangement of an expanding
member as yet another example, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory figure
showing a waterproof effect. Further, FIG. 8 is a partial cross
sectional view showing another preferred embodiment.
[0034] In the present preferred embodiment, as an outdoor vehicle
seat S, a two-wheel vehicle seat is used for illustrative purposes,
although the outdoor vehicle seat S includes not only seats for
two-wheel vehicles, that is, land motorbikes, and scooters, it also
includes seats for snowmobiles, personal watercraft and the like,
and further includes vehicle seats for three-wheel buggies and the
like and riding type passenger vehicles, or construction
machines.
[0035] The outdoor vehicle seat S according to the present
preferred embodiment is, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, formed by
placing a cushioning material 20 on a bottom plate 10, and covering
them with a surface skin 30.
[0036] Further, a surface skin end portion 30a of the surface skin
30 is attached onto the bottom plate 10 with a fixing member 40
such as a staple and the like in the back side of the bottom plate
10.
[0037] The bottom plate 10 is injection molded of, for example PP
(polypropylene), ABS resin and the like, in order to secure its
rigidity. Further, a bottom plate 10 formed of polypropylene
including glass fibers, polypropylene including filler may be used,
and thereby it is possible to secure the rigidity without
increasing the weight of the bottom plate 10. In the PPT, as
reinforcing fibers, for example carbon fibers are mixed.
[0038] Further, the cushioning material 20 is formed of soft foam
materials, for example, urethane foam, PP (polypropylene) foam, PE
(polyethylene) foam, and is arranged on the bottom plate 10.
[0039] The surface skin 30 is made of, for example, vinyl chloride
resin leather, artificial leather, natural leather and the like.
Meanwhile, in the case of outdoor vehicle seats used outdoors, such
as two-wheel vehicle seats and the like, like in the present
preferred embodiment, it is preferable to form the surface skin of
vinyl chloride resin leather and artificial leather and the
like.
[0040] The bottom plate 10 is equipped with a surface skin contact
portion 10a, a surface skin fixing portion 10b, and an expanding
member containing portion 10c. The surface skin contact portion 10a
is formed of the end portion of the bottom plate 10 and the back
side of the bottom plate 10 bent from the end portion in L-shape.
The surface skin fixing portion 10b is formed at the position a
specified distance away from the surface skin contact portion 10a
in the back side of the bottom plate 10. The expanding member
containing portion 10c is formed along the circumference of the
bottom plate 10 between the surface skin contact portion 10a and
the surface skin fixing portion 1b of the bottom plate 10. This
expanding member containing portion 10c is bent from the back side
to the cushioning material 20 as a step portion.
[0041] Accordingly, the surface skin 30 is formed so as to contact
the bottom plate 10 at the portion of the surface skin contact
portion 10a and go to the back side, via the expanding member
containing portion 10c, and fix the surface skin end portion 30a of
the surface skin 30 with the surface skin fixing portion 10b.
[0042] The expanding member 50 according to the present preferred
embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, after the expanding
member 50 formed into a band shape is put on the expanding member
containing portion 10c, is covered with the surface skin end
portion 30a of the surface skin 30, and then is fixed to the bottom
plate 10 by the fixing member 40 such as a staple and the like, is
fixed at the same time.
[0043] Thus, the expanding member 50 is arranged in the expanding
member containing portion 10c of the bottom plate 10, and covered
with the surface skin end portion 30a, and is fixed together with
the surface skin end portion 30a; accordingly, it is possible to
position and fix the expanding member 50, without using a new
fixing member to fix the expanding member 50. Further, it is
possible to reduce the number of parts and the number of processes
accompanying the assembly.
[0044] The invention is not limited to the present preferred
embodiment--an expanding member 50 formed into a band shape may be
adhered to the surface skin end portion 30a by adhesive and the
like beforehand, then the expanding member 50 may be adhered to the
expanding member containing portion 10c of the bottom plate 10, and
may be fixed with the fixing member 40 such as a staple and the
like.
[0045] Thus, by adhering the expanding member 50 to the surface
skin end portion 30a and to the expanding member containing portion
10c of the bottom plate 10, it is possible to position and easily
fix the surface skin 30.
[0046] Further, as for the arrangement of the expanding member 50,
the expanding member 50 may be adhered to the expanding member
containing portion 10c of the bottom plate 10 by adhesive and the
like beforehand, then covered with the surface skin 30, and fixed
by the fixing member 40 such as a staple and the like.
[0047] Thus, the expanding member 50 is adhered to the expanding
member containing portion 10c of the bottom plate 10, thereby
making possible to easily fix the surface skin end portion 30a
without displacement of the expanding member 50.
[0048] Furthermore, in the present preferred embodiment, as the
expanding member 50, one formed into a band shape is employed;
however, this band shaped member may be, as shown in FIG. 4, an
expanding member 50 in which airspaces 51 are arranged.
[0049] Thus, by arranging the airspaces 51 in the expanding member
50, it is possible to reduce the amount of material used in the
expanding member 50, and it is possible to absorb the expansion
amount accompanying expansion by the airspaces, prevent the
expanding member from coming out from the stitched portion, and
prevent the fixing member and the like from dropping down or the
sewed portion from being damaged in the end processed portion and
sewed portion, which is caused by the expansion of the expanding
member.
[0050] Moreover, by appropriately changing the number, and interval
of the airspaces 51, according to particular applications, it is
possible to adjust the water absorption amount by the expanding
member 50 and the expansion rate. For example, in portions where
the surface skin and the cushioning material are compressed, such
as the end portion of the outdoor vehicle seat, the portion where
the load from the user seating is significant and the like, it is
preferable to reduce the number of the airspaces 51. On the other
hand, in the portions where water is not easily absorbed, the
number of the airspaces 51 may be increased, and the use amount of
the expanding member 50 may be adjusted.
[0051] Further, according to the width of space formed by the
expanding member containing portion 10c, the number thereof may be
adjusted. For example, in the case where the surface skin end
portion 30a is fixed at the position nearer to the expanding member
containing portion 10c, the space formed by the expanding member
containing portion 10c becomes narrower, and accordingly it is
possible to seal off the space with smaller expansion of the
expanding member 50. That is, it is possible to increase the number
of the airspaces 51, and reduce the use amount of the expanding
member 50.
[0052] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the
example shown in FIG. 4, but as shown in FIG. 5, the expanding
member 50 may be formed of plural convex portions 52 and concave
portions 53. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 6, the expanding member 50
may be divided into plural pieces 54, which are arranged at
specified intervals. This interval does not necessarily have to be
constant, but may be changed appropriately according to particular
applications.
[0053] Thus, by appropriately adjusting the numbers of the convex
portions 52 and the concave portions 53, and the arrangement
intervals and number of the divided pieces 54, it is possible to
obtain the same effect as mentioned previously.
[0054] The expanding member 50 is not specifically limited in its
composition, as long as it has a property of being highly
expandable using water; in the present preferred embodiment,
nonwoven cloth, or coarse wool cloth including at least highly
water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly expanding
fibers that absorb water on contacting water and expand is
employed.
[0055] The materials may employ (as the nonwoven cloth, or coarse
wool cloth including at least highly water absorbing, highly
moisture absorbing, and highly expanding fibers), for example,
those materials where the base fibers are made of resin, and are
highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly
expanding fibers: a) obtained by making a highly water absorbing,
highly moisture absorbing, and highly expanding material into
fibers, that are softened by heat at processing and combined
mutually and made into nonwoven cloth; or, b) obtained by making a
highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly
expanding material into fibers, that are combined via a binder
cured by heat at processing and made into nonwoven cloth.
[0056] As the base fibers, for example, PET (polyethylene
terephthalate) fibers and PE (polyethylene) fibers may be used.
Further, as the highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing,
and highly expanding fibers, bridged polyacryl acid sodium salt
system fibers, fibers where the surface of acrylic fibers is
hydrolyzed by post processing and the like may be used. Further, as
the binder, low melting point PET that solved by heat at processing
and the like may be employed.
[0057] Meanwhile, in the present preferred embodiment, as the
highly water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly
expanding fibers, bridged polyacryl acid sodium salt system fibers
that can absorb and hold a large amount of water by ion osmotic
pressure, and little take off from the water, even under load or
external force, are used. The bridged polyacryl acid sodium salt
system fibers have 45 times the absorbing performance of its own
weight in normal saline solution, and 150% the moisture absorbing
performance under 95% relative moisture, and has the moisture
absorbing performance approximately seven times that of cotton, and
approximately twice that of B type silica gel.
[0058] Herein, the principle of water absorption expansion by the
bridged polyacryl acid sodium salt is as described below. This
bridged polyacryl acid sodium salt is salt having sodium
carboxylate (COONa) at its end group. When water contacts the
bridged polyacryl acid sodium salt, carboxyl groups and sodium that
structure the end group separate off and ionize. At this moment,
water absorption starts by osmotic pressure occurring by the
concentration differences of sodium ions, and at the same time,
carboxyl groups that have become negative ions act repulsively and
intermolecular space expands.
[0059] FIG. 7 is an explanatory figure showing a waterproof effect.
As shown in FIG. 7A, in the surface skin 30, when front and rear
curved portions of the bottom plate 10 are covered, since a surplus
of the surface skin end portion occurs, the surplus portions are
collected up and fixed so that the surface skin end portion should
overlap (should cause wrinkles), and accordingly, gaps are formed
between the surface skin 30 and the bottom plate 10.
[0060] When water penetrates in from the gaps, water is absorbed by
the expanding member 50. In the present preferred embodiment, as
described previously, as the expanding member 50, the bridged
polyacryl acid sodium salt is employed. That is, by osmotic
pressure due to the concentration differences of ions and the
reaction between negative ions, the expanding member absorbs
incoming water more rapidly, and rapidly expands so as to seal up
the gaps formed between the surface skin 30 and the bottom plate
10.
[0061] Thereby, as shown in FIG. 7B, it is possible to completely
seal up the gaps formed between the surface skin 30 and the bottom
plate 10, and reliably prevent water from penetrating into the
inside of the seat.
[0062] As explained above, the expanding member 50 is arranged
between the surface skin 30 and the bottom plate 10, and
accordingly it is possible to prevent water from penetrating into
the inside of the seat, and prevent the weight of the entire seat
from increasing, and prevent a declining seat function.
[0063] Further, the expanding member 50 is arranged in the
containing space formed by the expanding member containing portion
10c of the bottom plate 10 and the surface skin end portion 30a,
and accordingly it is possible to position and fix the expanding
member 50, without using a new fixing member to fix the expanding
member 50.
[0064] Furthermore, as the expanding member, nonwoven cloth, or
coarse wool cloth including at least highly water absorbing, highly
moisture absorbing, and highly expanding fibers are employed, and
accordingly, by rapid water absorption and expansion, it is
possible to seal up gaps formed by wrinkles of the surface skin
more rapidly, and reliably prevent water from penetrating into the
inside of the seat.
[0065] FIG. 8 is a figure showing a second preferred embodiment,
and in this second preferred embodiment, identical reference
characters are provided to like members as in the first preferred
embodiment, and repeated explanations thereof are omitted.
[0066] The present preferred embodiment is one where the expanding
member 50 is used at a surface skin joint stitched portion 60 of an
outdoor vehicle seat. The surface skin 30 in the present preferred
embodiment is formed so that a covering surface skin end portion
31a of a covering surface skin 31 for covering a cushioning
material 20, and jointing surface skin end portion 32a of a
jointing surface skin 32 fixed to a bottom plate 10 with a fixing
member 40 such as a staple and the like are sewed together so as to
overlap at the surface skin joint stitched portion 60.
[0067] At this location, between the covering surface skin end
portion 31a and the jointing surface skin end portion 32a, the
expanding member 50 is arranged along their overlapped portion, and
the covering surface skin end portion 31a, the jointing surface
skin end portion 32a, and the expanding member 50 are sewed
together as a body by machine-sewing and the like.
[0068] Thus, the expanding member 50 is arranged between the
covering surface skin 31 and the jointing surface skin 32, and
accordingly, it is possible to prevent water from penetrating into
the inside of the seat, and prevent the seat function from
declining.
[0069] Further, the covering surface skin end portion 31a, the
jointing surface skin end portion 32a, and the expanding member 50
are sewed together as a body at the surface skin joint stitched
portion 60, and accordingly it is possible to reliably fix the
expanding member 50 to the overlapped portion of the covering
surface skin end portion 31a and the jointing surface skin end
portion 32a.
[0070] Furthermore, the covering surface skin end portion 31a, the
jointing surface skin end portion 32a, and the expanding member 50
are firmly sewed together by machine-sewing and the like at the
surface skin joint stitched portion 60, without using a fixing
member such as a staple and the like, and accordingly it is
possible to prevent a fixing member from dropping off due to
expansion of the expanding member 50.
[0071] In the first and second preferred embodiments, as the
expanding member, highly water absorbing, highly moisture
absorbing, and highly expanding fibers combined with base fibers
with a binder and the like are employed.
[0072] However, powders of a highly water absorbing, highly
moisture absorbing, and highly expanding material made of bridged
polyacryl acid sodium salt and the like packaged with an air
ventilating material such as nonwoven cloth, or coarse wool cloth
may be employed. Thus, by packaging the fibers with the air
ventilating material such as nonwoven cloth, or coarse wool cloth,
it is possible to hold the powdered highly water absorbing, highly
moisture absorbing, and highly expanding material without leakage.
Moreover, in comparison with the embodiments in which the highly
water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly expanding
fibers are combined with base fibers with a binder and the like,
the powdered material can be used without a special process, and
accordingly it is possible to reduce the number of processes needed
for manufacture.
[0073] The air ventilating material such as nonwoven cloth, or
coarse wool cloth used herein is to prevent the powdered highly
water absorbing, highly moisture absorbing, and highly expanding
material from leaking, and let incoming water and steam go through,
may use nonwoven cloth such as normal vegetable fibers, animal
fibers, recycled fibers, synthetic fibers and the like, or a
foaming seat made of various resins and the like may.
[0074] For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the
principles of the invention, reference has been made to the
preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific
language has been used to describe these embodiments. However, no
limitation of the scope of the invention is intended by this
specific language, and the invention should be construed to
encompass all embodiments that would normally occur to one of
ordinary skill in the art.
[0075] The present invention may be described in terms of
functional block components and various processing steps. Such
functional blocks may be realized by any number of hardware and/or
software components configured to perform the specified functions.
The particular implementations shown and described herein are
illustrative examples of the invention and are not intended to
otherwise limit the scope of the invention in any way. For the sake
of brevity, conventional aspects may not be described in detail.
Furthermore, the connecting lines, or connectors shown in the
various figures presented are intended to represent exemplary
functional relationships and/or physical or logical couplings
between the various elements. It should be noted that many
alternative or additional functional relationships, physical
connections or logical connections may be present in a practical
device. Moreover, no item or component is essential to the practice
of the invention unless the element is specifically described as
"essential" or "critical". The word mechanism is intended to be
used generally and is not limited solely to mechanical embodiments.
Numerous modifications and adaptations will be readily apparent to
those skilled in this art without departing from the spirit and
scope of the present invention.
* * * * *