Abstract:
This invention relates generally to a fabric composite for disposition across an automotive seating frame and relates more particularly to a laminated fabric incorporating elastomeric yarn which has undergone either flame or adhesive lamination so as to be joined to a knit or woven aesthetic cover by means of foam either with or without adhesive.

Description:
This application is based upon U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/120,551 filed Feb. 17, 1999. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to a fabric composite for disposition across an automotive seating frame and relates more particularly to a laminated fabric incorporating elastomeric yarn which has undergone either flame or adhesive lamination so as to be joined to a knit or woven aesthetic cover by means of foam either with or without adhesive. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Traditional seating structures typically are constructed from a frame, a surface fabric for contact with the user, and some type of support member. Typical support members have included springs, webs, straps, or molded units (e.g. thick foam pads). Materials for construction of such support members have been steel, burlap, canvas, plastic and elastomeric strapping and synthetic textile materials. 
     As will be readily appreciated, the use of a multiplicity of thick separate components (i.e. covers and separate springs or pads) which must be attached to a frame structure gives rise to a relatively complicated assembly practice. The use of such complex structures including automobile seats has been based upon the fact that the user must be provided with good support and a high degree of comfort generally associated with such configurations. 
     In order to reduce the number of components in seating structures and to reduce the bulk thereof, it has been proposed to provide thin profile seats, including thin seats using elastomer seat backing material. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,251,318 to Blair et al., solid rubber tape or strips reinforced by fabric are stretched over a seating frame. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,614 to Abu-Isa et al., (incorporated by reference) a thin profile seat is disclosed in which a multiplicity of side by side elastomeric filaments made from a block copolymer of polyterramethylene terephthalate polyester and polytetramethylene ether stretched across a vehicle seat frame. U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,554 to Abu-Isa et al. (incorporated by reference) discloses a thin profile seat in which elastomeric filaments like that of U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,614 are woven together to form a mat. The mat was pre-stretched to at least 5% elongation and attached to the seat frame. U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,089 to Abu-Isa et al. (incorporated by reference) discloses a seat assembly having an elastomeric filament suspension and a fabric cover. The filaments in the fabric cover are integrated by having the elastomeric filaments in the fabric knitted together to provide a low profile finished seat or backrest. 
     The present invention provides a laminated composite textile structure suitable for use in an automotive seat which incorporates a knitted or woven support structure having elastomeric yarns running in at least one direction which has been joined via a layer of laminated foam with or without an adhesive to an aesthetic surface fabric, thereby providing a unitary structure providing an aesthetic cover and elastomeric support. The resultant composite textile structure exhibits structural integrity under load conditions without delamination. The present invention thus represents a useful advancement over the state of the art. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In light of the foregoing, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a composite textile structure suitable for use in automotive seating applications. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a fabric composite of use in an automotive seating structure including an elastomeric support textile joined to an aesthetic cover fabric such as woven or knit automotive fabric by a layer of laminated foam. 
     It is a feature of the present invention to utilize elastomeric yarns of synthetic material running through the support textile wherein the elastomeric yarns are characterized by an elongation at break of not less than about 70 percent. 
     It is a more particular feature of the present invention to utilize elastomeric yarns disposed through the support textile wherein the elastomeric yarns are characterized by an elongation at break of not less than about 90 percent. 
     According to a potentially preferred practice, it is a feature of the present invention that the elastomeric yarn is a bicomponent elastomeric monofilament having a sheath component and a core component wherein the sheath component has a melting point lower than that of the core component, although single component yarns may also be utilized. 
     According to yet a further potentially preferred practice, the elastomeric monofilament which is utilized is substantially stable with respect to ultraviolet irradiation. 
     Additional objects and features of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings below. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a seating structure incorporating a composite fabric according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a composite fabric for use in an automotive seating structure according to the present invention. 
    
    
     While the invention has been illustrated and will be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments and procedures, it is, of course, to appreciated that there is no intention to limit the invention to such particularly illustrated and described embodiments and procedures. On the contrary, it is intended to include all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the true spirit and scope of the invention. 
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Turning now to the drawings, in FIG. 1 there is shown a seating structure  10  according to the present invention such as may be used in an automobile environment. While the actual design of the seating structure  10  may be varied depending on the environment of use and aesthetic preferences, in general the seating structure will preferably include a seating frame  12 , seating support surface fabric  14 , a back frame  16  and a back support surface fabric  18 . In the illustrated and potentially preferred embodiment, the seating support surface fabric  14  and the back support surface fabric  18  are disposed in tension over the seating frame  12  and back frame  16  respectively. While no added cushions or other support structures are illustrated, it is contemplated that such structures could be utilized if desired. In the event that such cushions or other structures are utilized, they typically will be disposed beneath the seating support surface fabric  14  and/or the back support surface fabric  18 . 
     In the potentially preferred embodiment, the seating support surface fabric  14  and the back support surface fabric  16  comprise a three layered composite  20  as illustrated in FIG.  2 . As illustrated, the fabric composite  20  for use in the seating structure  10  according to the present invention preferably includes a woven or knit cover fabric  22 , an elastomeric fabric backing layer  24  which acts as a support scrim and an intermediate laminate layer  26  of foam either with or without an adhesive (not shown) thereby effecting joinder between the cover fabric  22  and the backing layer  24 . 
     The elastomeric fabric backing layer  24  is preferably a warp knit, weft insertion product as illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,794 (incorporated by reference) having bicomponent elastomeric yarns disposed in one direction. However, it is also contemplated that the elastomeric fabric backing layer  24  may be of a standard woven or knit construction such as a plain weave, basket weave, leno weave or other construction as may be desired. It is further contemplated that the elastomeric yarns may run in more than one fabric direction. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 2, the fabric composite  20  includes an intermediate laminate layer  26 . The laminate layer is preferably a foam material such as polyether foam which has been flame laminated to both the cover fabric  22  and the elastomeric backing  24 . Although flame lamination may be preferred, it is likewise contemplated that the foam may be adhesivly bonded between the cover fabric  22  and the elastomeric backing  24  by a separate resilient adhesive. 
     It has been found that through use of flame lamination of a polyether foam between the cover layer  22  and elastomeric backing  24 , that excellent performance characteristics are obtained. Specifically, it has been determined that the bonding strength between layers is 4 Newtons per inch or greater and may be as high as about 25 Newtons per inch. In addition, the resulting structure has a burn rate of less than 4 inches per minute when tested according to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 302 without wires which will be understood to be a familiar test well known to those of skill in the art. 
     In the potentially preferred practice of the present invention, the foam intermediate layer disposed between the cover layer  22  and the elastomeric backing  24  is a polyether foam of the type well know for use in the production of foam laminated automotive upholstery. One potentially preferred foam is believed to be available from Olympic Products in Greensboro, N.C. The foam is preferably applied so as to result in a finished coverage level of about 1 to about 6 mm in thickness and preferably about 3 mm in thickness. 
     The resulting composite product exhibits substantial resistance to both sag and delamination. By way of example, when the composite  20  is complete and attached in the direction of the elastomeric yarns, to a square frame measuring twenty inches×twenty inches with 3-45 percent prestretch, the sag or movement from the horizontal plane will be 0.25 inches or less when a seventy pound (plus or minus one pound) weight is placed on an eight inch diameter plate at the center of the frame for fourteen continuous days at standard conditions of 70° F. plus or minus 5° F. and 50% plus or minus 5% relative humidity. In addition, under these test conditions no delamination is exhibited at any layer when a 165 pound weight is dropped 25,000 time from a height of 2 inches into the center of the stretched fabric. 
     The present product thus provides a composite product with the benefits of foam lamination possessing excellent structural integrity and thus provides a useful advancement over the state of the art.