Elastic cushioning band for motor-vehicle seats

Abstract: An elastic cushioning band (10) for motor vehicle seats is described, of the type provided with plates (14, 34, 44, 54) attached at its ends and suitable for realizing a coupling between the band (10) and the seat frame (16). The band (10) includes a plurality of anchorage housings for the corresponding coupling means for seat upholstery accessories.

Description: This invention refers to the upholstering for motor vehicles in general, and especially to an elastic cushioning band, of the type usually positioned on the metallic framework under the padding and the upholstery fabric of the seats, provided with end plates for coupling to the seat frame and inclusive of a plurality of coupling systems for upholstery accessories. The seats of modern motor vehicles, usually formed by the seat back and the cushion, are covered by padding materials and fabric or leather upholstery, under which some elastic cushioning bands are transversally aligned. At present, the elastic bands are also used as clasping means to hook the stretching wires of different accessories such as upholstery fabrics, protection covers, mats to ease transpiration in summertime, as well as other upholstery accessories usually in commerce. The coupling of said devices is now rather difficult, due to the lack of specific coupling points. As mentioned before, said accessories are directly fastened to the elastic bands or to the seat frame in an approximate manner. This invention provides a type of elastic band which eliminates the aforesaid inconveniences by equipping said bands and the traditional plates, which allow the coupling of the band to the seat frame, with various systems for the coupling of the different upholstery accessories. Another purpose of the invention is to obtain an elastic cushioning band for motor vehicle seats, which offers a universal anchorage for any kind of upholstery accessory stretching wire. For these and other purposes and advantages, which will be better understood later on, this invention proposes the realization of an elastic cushioning band for motor vehicle seats of the type provided with plates attached at its ends and suitable to couple the band to the seat framework, characterized in that it includes a plurality of anchorage housings for the corresponding means for coupling seat upholstery accessories. The structural and functional features of some preferred, but not limitative, embodiments of the band according to this invention will be now described with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which: figure 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of the band according to the invention; figure 2 is a cross section view taken along line II-II of figure 1, figure 3 is a cross section view taken along line III-III of figure 1; figure 4 is a cross section view of an alternative embodiment with respect to figure 2; figure 5 is a partial plan view of a further embodiment of the invention; figure 6 is a cross section view taken along line IV-IV of figure 5; figure 7 is a plan view of a still different embodiment of the invention itself; figure 8 is a cross section view taken along line VIII-VIII of figure 7; figure 9 is a plan view of an embodiment of the band, further modified according to the invention, especially suitable for fastening onto the back of a motor vehicle seat ; and figure 10 is a detail view according to arrow A of figure 9. With reference to figures 1 and 2, an elastic band for the cushioning of a motor vehicle seat is generally indicated with the reference number (10). At both ends of the band (10) there are two molded plates (14) firmly attached through a set of rivets (12), which plates are suitable to realize the coupling of the band (10) to the seat frame (16) by means of a hook (17) purposely folded along two levels, so that an end (18) thereof can be inserted into a bushing (20) machined from the plate (14), perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X which coincides with the centerline of the band (10) and of the plate (14); the other end (19) of the hook is inserted into a hole (21) in the tubular framework (16) forming the structure of the cushion or of the back of a motor vehicle seat. According to the invention, besides the realization of the coupling to the frame (16), the plate (14) holds many anchorage housings for other seat upholstery accessories, which can be coupled and/or fastened to the plate (14), and so to the band (10), through various linking systems. Again, with reference to figures 1 and 2, the plate is equipped, in its center, with a substantially funnel-shaped bushing (22) provided with convergent elastic tongues (23) which can open wide elastically during the insertion of the conic head at the end of a wire (not shown for reasons of simplicity) and then to close after the insertion thereof, thus blocking one end of the wire. The other end can be fixed onto the upholsteries or onto the padding in order to keep them firmly tightened in the right position. Furthermore, the plate (14) is provided with two opposite pairs of side openings (42), each forming a circular recess (25) which can be used as a grasp for an open hook (not shown) provided that the ends of the wire tightening the upholstery are equipped with such means. Finally, under the plate (14) and (fig. 2) near the plate attachment to the band (10), the plate forms a hook (26) which has a transversally widened shape (fig. 1), which elastically blocks one side of a strap buckle or of a string (not shown for reasons of simplicity) forming the border part of the upholstery to be tightened or firmly located on the seat. Referring once again to figure 2, according to the invention it is possible to equip the elastic band (10) with further means of coupling by inserting or by molding a hook (28) into a hole (30) provided on the centerline of the band (10). As necessary, the hook (28) can be inserted or molded straight up or upside down (position 28'). Into this hook it is possible to snap insert a iron rod (not shown) of a suitable diameter, on which the various tie wires of the upholsteries can be fixed, or vice versa the cushioning characteristics can be changed, since it would bind together the different elastic bands. The hook (28), in order to be blocked into position, is equipped with two circular, parallel basis (29) which clamp the elastic fabric of the band (10). A first alternative embodiment is shown in figure 4; compared to the example of figures 1 and 2, the plates (14') now have no funnel-shaped bushings (22), which are instead located in the holes (30) of the band. As it can be seen, into each of said holes a funnel-shaped bushing (22') can be inserted or molded straight up or upside down, which is equipped with elastic tongues (23') and is similar to the bushing (22) previously described, but purposely equipped with parallel basis (31) which clamp the elastic fabric of the band (10) along the hole (30) edges in order to firmly hold the bushing (22') after it has been inserted into the hole (30). With reference to figures 5 and 6, a second embodiment of the present invention provides, instead of the funnel-shaped bushing (22), a circular hole (32) in the middle of the plate (34), otherwise identical to plate (14), from which a thin sharp tongue (35), realized in steel and molded to the plate, juts out. Said tongue is lifted from the hole by means of a special lever (not shown), then an edge of the upholstery is taken and hooked; the operation is completed by putting back the tongue into the housing with the same lever, thus avoiding possible accidents. Said realization avoids the insertion of ropes, strips and tie rods in the peripheral zones of the upholsteries with notable savings in costs. Figures 7 and 8 show how it is possible to make further modifications, according to the invention, to the shape of the connecting plates between the framework and the elastic band, providing them with yet different anchorage housings. The plates (44) which can be seen in these two figures differ from those of the previous examples in that they form a blocking hook (45) for fabrics, of the type with rounded anti-rip end (49) located under the cylindrical bushing (20); moreover, the plates (44) have, in the middle, a blocking clip (46) for a strip (not shown). Said clip, preferably realized of molded sheet, is made of a fixed tab (47) and a rotating tab (48) which can clamp onto the first one and block the previously inserted strip. Even in this case it is possible to locate, in the holes (30) of the band, both the hooks (28) and the bushings (22'), according to the user's needs. The last example, shown in the figures 9 and 10, refers to a plate (54) which differs from the previous ones because of the system of coupling to the main frame structure of the seat. In this case, the plate is shaped so that it can bind the elastic band (10) to the frame of the seat back, made of metal sheet (50). To this aim the plate (54) forms, at its free end, a substantially T-shaped bracket (56) provided with transverse tongues (57). For the coupling to the frame (50), the bracket (56) (together with the whole plate 54) is first rotated by 90° around the longitudinal or center axis X, then inserted through a slot (55) provided in the framework metal sheet (50) of the seat back. As shown in figure 10, the slot (55) is so shaped that it allows the bracket (56) to pass if it is aligned with the Y axis, but it hinders the return thereof, blocking the tongues (57), once the bracket has been rotated again by 90° , i.e. taken to the starting position determined by the X and Y axis. As it can be seen, the elastic band acccording to the invention offers many anchorage housings for the various linking systems, allowing the various upholstery accessories to be quickly fitted or removed, for instance to carry out either a simple cleaning or the replacement of the upholstery. Of course the invention is not limited to the embodiments here described and shown, which only illustrate the best ways of carrying out the invention, and which can be modified in their shapes, dimensions, component disposition and manufacturing and working details. The invention can instead cover any modified embodiments obtainable according to its technical field, as defined in the following claims.

Claims: An elastic cushioning band (10) for motor vehicle seats, of the type provided with plates (14,34,44,54) attached at its ends and suitable to realize a coupling of the band (10) to the seat frame (16), characterized in that it includes many anchorage housings for the respective coupling means of seat upholstery accessories. A band according to claim 1, characterized in that said anchorage housings include at least a side opening (42) forming a circular recess (25) obtained in each of said plates (14,34,44,54). A band according to claim 1, characterized in that said anchorage housings include at least one funnel-shaped bushing (22) provided with convergent tongues (23) which can be elastically opened and located on each of said plates (14,34,44,54). A band according to claim 1, characterized in that said anchorage housings include at least one hook (26) of a transversally widened shape, integral to each of these plates (14,34,44,54) and suitable to lock elastically a strap buckle or a string being part of a seat upholstery accessory. A band according to claim 1, characterized in that said anchorage housings comprise a hole (32), obtained in each of said plates (34), in which a sharp shaped steel tongue (35) juts out, and which can perforate and can hold in position a string or a fabric edge inserted in said hole (32). A band according to claim 1, characterized in that said anchorage housings include at least a fabric locking hook (45) of the type with rounded anti-rip edges (49). A band according to claim 1, characterized in that said anchorage housings include at least a string locking clip (46), of the type formed by a fixed tab (47) and a rotating tab (48) which can lock itself on the other (47). A band according to claim 1, characterized in that said anchorage housings include a funnel-shaped bushing (22') provided with convergent tongues (23') elastically openable, which can be inserted into a hole (30) provided in the band (10); being the bushing provided with parallel basis (31) which clip the elastic fabric (10) at the edges of the hole (30). A band according to claim 1, characterized in that said anchorage housings include at least one hook (28), which can be inserted into a hole (30) provided in the band (10); said hook is provided with parallel basis (29) which clip the elastic fabric (10) at the edges of the hole (30).

Inventors: GALLO GUIDO, GALLO, GUIDO
Applicants: ELCAT SPA, ELCAT S.P.A.
Application year: 1993
Main classification: A47C7
IPC codes: A47C7