Seat pad and mold for seat pad

The seat pad and molding die integrate the flow path cover and duct with the pad body through a lid bending portion and duct bend, ensuring proper alignment and preventing foaming material leakage, thus maintaining ventilation performance and reducing molding defects.

JP2025173632APending Publication Date: 2025-11-28TOYOTA BOSHOKU KK

Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024079253
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-05-15
Publication Date
2025-11-28

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The integration of a flow passage cover and duct with a seat pad body during molding can lead to misalignment and leakage of foaming material, impairing the breathability and causing molding defects.

Method used

The seat pad and molding die integrate the flow path cover and duct with the pad body by forming a lid bending portion that accommodates a bank portion, using a duct bend to prevent foaming material leakage, and employing a support portion to maintain duct integrity during molding.

Benefits of technology

This configuration ensures proper alignment and integration of the flow path cover and duct with the pad body, preventing foaming material leakage and maintaining ventilation performance while minimizing molding defects.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a seat pad capable of appropriately integrally molding a flow path lid and a duct with a pad body while suppressing leakage of a foaming raw material and to provide a mold for the seat pad.SOLUTION: The seat pad includes a pad body having a recessed ventilation passage 14, a planar duct 30 forming an inner peripheral wall of the ventilation passage 14, and a planar flow passage lid 20 covering the ventilation passage 14. The duct 30 and the flow passage lid 20 are molded in a predetermined shape in advance, and are foam-molded integrally with the pad main body. The flow passage lid 20 is set on a back surface side forming surface 5a in an overlapped state, and has a lid bending part 24 bent to the sheet surface side so as to form a recess capable of receiving a bank part 5b projecting from the back surface side forming surface 5a in its peripheral edge part 23. The duct 30 has a seat surface part 34 extending along a region deviated from the ventilation passage 14. The seat surface part 34 is applied to the projecting tip of the lid bent part 24 so as to form a first gap S1 into which the foaming material flows to the flow passage lid 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat pad and a molding die for the seat pad, and more particularly to a seat pad and a molding die for the seat pad, the seat pad having an air passage formed on the back surface of the pad and a flow path cover that covers the air passage from the back side of the seat. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a seat back with a concave ventilation passage extending along the back surface of the seat pad. The seat back has a duct that is integrally molded with the pad body and forms the inner peripheral wall of the ventilation passage, and a flat passage cover that covers the ventilation passage from the back side of the seat. The passage cover is placed over the duct that is integrally molded with the pad body from the back side of the seat. The passage cover is adhered to the duct with an adhesive to maintain the ventilation passage covered. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-100000 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described in the above document, when the flow passage cover is later assembled to the molded pad body, the flow passage cover may be misaligned with the duct. In this case, there is a concern that the breathability of the seat pad may be impaired. Therefore, for example, it is conceivable to integrally mold the flow passage cover and the duct with the pad body. However, there is a concern that molding defects may occur due to leakage of the foaming material from the gap between the peripheral edge of the flow passage cover and the molding surface or from the gap between the flow passage cover and the duct. Therefore, there is provided a seat pad and a molding die for the seat pad that can appropriately integrally mold the flow passage cover and the duct with the pad body while suppressing leakage of the foaming material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the seat pad and the mold for the seat pad of the present invention take the following measures.

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention is a seat pad comprising: a pad main body having a concave ventilation passage extending along the back surface of the pad; a planar duct provided along the back surface of the pad so as to form the inner wall of the ventilation passage; and a planar flow path lid that is placed over the duct from the back side of the sheet to cover the ventilation passage, wherein the duct and the flow path lid are formed into a predetermined shape in advance and are foam-molded integrally with the pad main body; the flow path lid is set in an overlapping state on the molding surface of a mold for the pad main body, and has a lid bending portion that bends toward the front surface of the sheet at its peripheral edge to form a recess that can accommodate a bank portion protruding from the molding surface; the duct has a seat portion that extends along an area of ​​the back surface of the pad that is outside the ventilation passage, and the seat portion is abutted against the protruding tip of the lid bending portion against the flow path lid set on the molding surface so as to form a gap through which the foaming raw material of the pad main body can flow.

[0007] According to the above configuration, the flow path cover and the duct are properly integrated with the pad body by the flow of the foaming material into the gap between them. This makes it difficult for the flow path cover to become misaligned with the duct. Furthermore, the contact between the lid bent portion and the seat portion prevents the foaming material from crossing the lid bent portion and entering between the flow path cover and the duct. Furthermore, the recess on the back side of the sheet of the lid bent portion is set to face the molding surface, and the bank portion of the molding surface fits into the recess of the lid bent portion. Therefore, even if the foaming material leaks into the gap between the flow path cover and the molding surface, the bank portion can block the leaked foaming material. This prevents the foaming material from crossing the bank portion and entering between the flow path cover and the molding surface. As a result, molding defects due to leakage of the foaming material can be properly prevented.

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention is a seat pad according to the first aspect, wherein the seat portion has a duct bend that bends inward in the in-plane direction from the lid bend and protrudes toward the back of the seat so as to abut against the flow path lid. According to the above configuration, the duct bend of the seat portion abuts against the flow path lid more inward in the in-plane direction than the lid bend. As a result, even if the foaming raw material penetrates inside beyond the abutment between the lid bend and the seat portion, the abutment between the duct bend and the flow path lid can prevent the foaming raw material from further penetrating inside. Furthermore, the duct bend protrudes alternately with the abutment between the lid bend and the lid bend. Therefore, the rising shape of the duct bend blocks the foaming raw material. As a result, the foaming raw material can be further prevented from penetrating into the ventilation passage.

[0009] According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the lid bending portion is a seat pad that extends endlessly around the entire periphery of the flow path lid. With this configuration, leakage of the foaming raw material between the flow path lid and the duct and between the flow path lid and the molding die can be suppressed around the entire periphery of the flow path lid.

[0010] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a seat pad according to the first or second aspect, wherein the flow path cover has a support portion that protrudes into the ventilation passage so as to contact the bottom of the duct, which forms the bottom surface of the ventilation passage, from the back side of the seat. According to the above configuration, the support portion can suppress deformation of the duct due to foaming pressure. This can prevent the contact between the lid bent portion and the seat portion from collapsing during foam molding. As a result, the intrusion of the foaming raw material into the ventilation passage can be more appropriately suppressed.

[0011] A fifth aspect of the present invention is a mold for molding the seat pad of the first or second aspect, having an engaging portion protruding from the bank portion and passing through each through-hole formed in the tip of the lid bent portion and the seat portion, thereby engaging with the seat portion so as to press the base end of the lid bent portion against the molding surface against the elastic force of the lid bent portion. According to the above configuration, the engaging portion strongly presses the seat portion and the lid bent portion, and the lid bent portion and the molding surface against each other, thereby more appropriately suppressing leakage of the foaming raw material.

[0012] The sixth aspect of the present invention is a mold for molding the seat pad of the first or second aspect, in which the bank portion is spaced apart from the lid bending portion so as not to interfere with the lid bending portion in the initial state after the flow path lid is set. If the bank portion were configured to interfere with the lid bending portion in the initial state, variations in fit could cause the bank portion to push up the bending portion, causing the flow path lid to lift off the molding surface. However, with the configuration of the sixth aspect, the flow path lid can be set in a state where it is properly overlapped with the molding surface without interfering with the lid bending portion. This more appropriately prevents leakage of foaming raw material between the flow path lid and the molding mold. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a seat cushion according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the seat cushion as seen from below. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the flow path cover disassembled from the cushion pad. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the duct disassembled from the cushion pad. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the flow path cover and the duct as viewed from the rear. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion VI in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a mold corresponding to the cross section of FIG. 8. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a mold corresponding to the cross section of FIG. 9. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of part XII in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a portion XIII in FIG. [Figure 14]13 is a view corresponding to the enlarged view of FIG. 12, showing a modified example of the hole-forming projection. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 14. In the following description, when directions such as front, back, up, down, left, and right are indicated, they refer to the directions shown in each figure. Furthermore, when the term "seat width direction" is used, it refers to the left and right direction of the seat cushion 1, which will be described later.

[0015] First Embodiment First, a seat pad according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the seat pad is configured as a cushion pad 2 that forms the cushioning material of a seat cushion 1. The seat cushion 1 forms the seating portion of an automobile seat. The seat cushion 1 has a plurality of air vents 11 that penetrate the interior of the cushion pad 2 in the thickness direction (vertical direction). Each air vent 11 can facilitate ventilation of the interior of the cushion pad 2.

[0016] The seat cushion 1 has a blower (not shown) arranged below the cushion pad 2. The blower is connected to each air vent 11 through a flow path, draws in air through each air vent 11, and exhausts it below the seat cushion 1. In this way, the seat cushion 1 has a seat air conditioning function that actively ventilates the inside of the cushion pad 2. This actively removes heat from inside the cushion pad 2, thereby improving the comfort of the seat cushion 1.

[0017] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the cushion pad 2 has a pad main body 10 that elastically supports the buttocks of a seated person and a concave ventilation passage 14 that extends along the pad back surface 13 of the pad main body 10. The ventilation passage 14 opens toward the back side of the seat. Each air vent 11 opens at various points along the ventilation passage 14. The cushion pad 2 also has a planar flow path cover 20 that is provided along the pad back surface 13 to cover the ventilation passage 14 from the back side of the seat. The flow path cover 20 closes the opening of the ventilation passage 14 toward the back side of the seat. The flow path cover 20 has a circular opening 21 that opens from the center of its rear portion. The opening 21 is connected to the blower. Therefore, air sucked in through each air vent 11 flows along the ventilation passage 14 and is exhausted to the back side of the seat through the opening 21.

[0018] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the cushion pad 2 has a planar duct 30 provided along the pad back surface 13 so as to form the inner peripheral wall of the ventilation passage 14. The duct 30 is a molded nonwoven fabric that has been press-molded into a predetermined shape in advance. The duct 30 is relatively harder than the pad main body 10. Therefore, the duct 30 can increase the strength of the ventilation passage 14. Therefore, when a seating load is applied to the cushion pad 2, the shape of the ventilation passage 14 can be maintained so that it is not crushed. This makes it difficult for the flow of air flowing through the ventilation passage 14 to be obstructed, and can prevent a deterioration in the seat air-conditioning function.

[0019] The pad body 10 is made of a polyurethane foam molded body. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the pad body 10 is formed by foam molding a foaming raw material poured into a cavity 4a in a mold 4. The flow path lid 20 and the duct 30 are set in the cavity 4a during foam molding of the pad body 10. Therefore, the flow path lid 20 and the duct 30 are integrated with the pad body 10 as the pad body 10 is foam molded. This allows the flow path lid 20 and the duct 30 to be easily attached to the pad body 10. Furthermore, the flow path lid 20 can be appropriately positioned to align with the duct 30 and the pad body 10.

[0020] If the flow path cover 20 is displaced from its matching position with the duct 30 and the pad main body 10, the opening hole 21 of the flow path cover 20 will be displaced relative to the ventilation passage 14 and the blower. This may deteriorate the ventilation performance of the cushion pad 2. Therefore, by arranging the flow path cover 20 in an appropriate position with respect to the duct 30 and the pad main body 10, the ventilation performance of the cushion pad 2 can be maintained at an appropriate level.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 12, the flow path cover 20 has a lid bent portion 24 that is bent so as to protrude from its peripheral edge portion 23 toward the duct 30. Due to the protruding shape of the lid bent portion 24, a first gap S1 is formed between the flow path cover 20 and the duct 30. The foaming material of the pad body 10 actively flows into this first gap S1. This allows the flow path cover 20 and the duct 30 to be properly integrated with the pad body 10.

[0022] Moreover, the lid bent portion 24 has a first abutment portion 26 at its protruding tip that abuts against the duct 30. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the foaming raw material that has flowed into the first gap S1 from passing over the lid bent portion 24 and infiltrating inward in the in-plane direction. This makes it possible to prevent the foaming raw material from leaking into the ventilation passage 14 between the flow path lid 20 and the duct 30.

[0023] The lid bending portion 24 is set so that the depression on the back side of the sheet faces the back molding surface 5a of the upper mold 5. This lid bending portion 24 is subjected to the foaming pressure of the foaming raw material during foam molding of the pad body 10. As a result, the base end of the lid bending portion 24 is pressed strongly against the back molding surface 5a. This makes it possible to prevent the foaming raw material from entering between the flow path lid 20 and the back molding surface 5a. As described above, leakage of the foaming raw material between the flow path lid 20 and the duct 30, and between the flow path lid 20 and the back molding surface 5a, can be prevented, thereby appropriately preventing molding defects.

[0024] <Seat cushion 1> The components of the seat cushion 1 and the molding die 4 will be described in detail below. As shown in FIG. 1, the seat cushion 1 has a cushion frame (not shown) that forms the framework of the seat cushion 1, the cushion pad 2 that is attached to the cushion frame from above, and a cushion cover 3 that is placed on the cushion pad 2 from above. The cushion cover 3 is fitted around the bottom of the cushion pad 2 and engaged with the cushion frame. This allows the cushion pad 2 to be integrally attached to the cushion frame. The blower is attached to the cushion frame. When the cushion pad 2 is attached to the cushion frame, the blower is connected to the opening 21 of the flow path cover 20 (see FIG. 2).

[0025] <Cushion Pad 2> As shown in FIG. 7, the cushion pad 2 has a main top plate 2a that supports the buttocks of a seated person from below, and a pair of left and right side top plate portions 2b that support the buttocks of the seated person from both the left and right sides. The cushion pad 2 also has a plurality of hanging grooves 15 extending along its pad surface 12. The hanging grooves 15 include a pair of left and right hanging grooves 15 located between the main top plate 2a and each side top plate 2b, and a pair of front and rear hanging grooves 15 that extend left and right along the main top plate 2a. The top plate portion of the cushion cover 3 is hung and engaged in each hanging groove 15. As a result, the cushion cover 3 is tensioned and in close contact with the cushion pad 2 (see FIG. 1).

[0026] <Duct 30> 4 and 5, the duct 30 is a substantially rectangular member provided along the entire area of ​​the ventilation passage 14. The duct 30 has a bottom portion 31 that forms the bottom surface of the ventilation passage 14, side wall portions 32 that rise from the periphery of the bottom portion 31 to form the side surfaces of the ventilation passage 14, and partition portions 33 that protrude from the bottom portion 31 to partially partition the ventilation passage 14. Each partition portion 33 forms the ventilation passage 14 into a groove shape that branches out and extends in multiple directions.

[0027] As shown in Figures 5 and 8, the duct 30 has a seat portion 34 that extends outward in the in-plane direction from the end of the side wall portion 32 in a flange-like shape. The seat portion 34 is formed to extend along an area of ​​the pad back surface 13 that is outside the ventilation passage 14. The seat portion 34 has a duct bend portion 35 that bends between the seat portion 34 and the side wall portion 32 and protrudes toward the back side of the seat. The duct bend portion 35 is formed to extend endlessly around the entire periphery of the duct 30. The duct bend portion 35 has a U-shaped cross-section that curves toward the back side of the seat. The seat portion 34 also has multiple duct through-holes 37 that penetrate the seat portion 34 in the thickness direction. The duct through-holes 37 are arranged at predetermined intervals so as to line up along the entire periphery of the duct 30.

[0028] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, each vent hole 11 opens from various places on the bottom 31. The duct 30 has slits 36 extending from the periphery of each vent hole 11 in the hole diameter direction at four locations around each vent hole 11. As shown in Figure 12, hole-forming protrusions 6b for forming the vent holes 11 in the pad body 10 are inserted into the vent holes 11 of the duct 30 set in the forming mold 4. Variations in the fit when inserting the hole-forming protrusions 6b can be absorbed by the slits 36. This allows the hole-forming protrusions 6b to be inserted into the vent holes 11 appropriately.

[0029] <Flow channel lid 20> As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the flow path lid 20 is a substantially rectangular member that extends along the shape of the duct 30. The flow path lid 20 is provided so as to cover the entire area of ​​the duct 30 from the back side of the sheet. The flow path lid 20 is a molded nonwoven fabric that has been press-molded into a predetermined shape. The flow path lid 20 has lid-side support portions 22 that protrude toward the front side of the sheet on both sides in the sheet width direction of its rear portion. The flow path lid 20 also has a lid bent portion 24 that bends from its peripheral edge portion 23 to protrude toward the front side of the sheet. The lid bent portion 24 is formed so as to extend endlessly around the entire peripheral edge of the flow path lid 20. The lid bent portion 24 is formed so as to protrude from a position that is inward in the in-plane direction from the outer circumferential edge of the flow path lid 20.

[0030] The flow path lid 20 also has a plurality of lid through-holes 25 that penetrate the lid bent portion 24 in the thickness direction. The lid through-holes 25 are arranged at predetermined intervals so as to line up along the entire periphery of the flow path lid 20. As shown in FIG. 9, the lid bent portion 24 has a cross-sectional shape that is curved in a U-shape toward the sheet surface side. Each lid through-hole 25 is formed so as to open from the protruding tip of the lid bent portion 24.

[0031] <Mold 4> As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the molding die 4 has upper and lower metal dies 5 and 6 that face each other vertically. The upper and lower dies 5 and 6 are separable from each other, and for example, the upper die 5 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. When the upper and lower dies 5 and 6 are clamped together, a cavity 4a is formed between their molding surfaces 5a and 6a. The cavity 4a forms the outer peripheral surface shape of the pad main body 10. A flow path cover 20 is set on the upper die 5 from below in an overlapping manner. Then, the duct 30 is set on the set flow path cover 20 from below in an overlapping manner.

[0032] <Upper mold 5> The upper mold 5 has a rear molding surface 5a formed on its lower surface. The rear molding surface 5a forms the surface shape of the pad rear surface 13 of the pad body 10. As shown in FIG. 11 , the upper mold 5 also has a mold support portion 5c that protrudes from the rear molding surface 5a and has a trapezoidal cross section. The mold support portion 5c is passed through the opening 21 of the flow path lid 20 when the flow path lid 20 is set. The mold support portion 5c is also brought into contact with the bottom 31 of the duct 30 from above when the duct 30 is set. This prevents the duct 30 from being crushed upward by the foaming pressure of the foaming raw material. As a result, the ventilation passage 14 is prevented from being narrowed.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 12, the upper mold 5 has a bank portion 5b protruding from the rear molding surface 5a. When the flow path lid 20 is set, the bank portion 5b enters the recess of the lid bending portion 24. The bank portion 5b is formed to enter over the entire area in the extension direction of the lid bending portion 24. The bank portion 5b forms a dike that blocks the foaming raw material if it leaks between the flow path lid 20 and the rear molding surface 5a. This prevents the foaming raw material from crossing the bank portion 5b and entering inward in the in-plane direction. Here, the rear molding surface 5a corresponds to the "molding surface" in this invention.

[0034] The bank portion 5b is provided so as to leave a gap 5d between it and the lid bending portion 24. This prevents the bank portion 5b from interfering with the lid bending portion 24 when the flow path lid 20 is set on the back side molding surface 5a. This prevents the bank portion 5b from pressing the lid bending portion 24 due to variations in the installation of the flow path lid 20, which causes the flow path lid 20 to float above the back side molding surface 5a. In other words, the flow path lid 20 can be set in a state where it is properly overlapped on the back side molding surface 5a. This makes it possible to properly suppress leakage of the foaming raw material from the gap between the flow path lid 20 and the back side molding surface 5a.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 13 , the upper mold 5 has a plurality of set pins 7 for holding the set flow path lid 20 and duct 30 against the rear molding surface 5a. Each set pin 7 has a shaft portion 7a attached so as to protrude downward from the tip of the bank portion 5b, and a retaining portion 7b formed at the tip of the shaft portion 7a and having a larger diameter than the shaft portion 7a. The shaft portion 7a is attached, for example, by screwing into a screw hole provided in the bank portion 5b. Each set pin 7 is provided at a position corresponding to each lid through-hole 25 of the flow path lid 20. Each lid through-hole 25 is passed through each set pin 7 from below when the flow path lid 20 is set. As a result, each lid through-hole 25 passes over and is hooked onto the retaining portion 7b of each set pin 7 in the setting direction. This hook prevents the flow path lid 20 from coming off the set pin 7. This prevents the flow path lid 20 from falling off.

[0036] Furthermore, when the duct 30 is set, each duct through-hole 37 of the seating surface 34 of the duct 30 is passed through each set pin 7 from below. As a result, each duct through-hole 37 passes over the retaining portion 7b of each set pin 7 in the setting direction and is caught. The seating surface 34 engaged with each set pin 7 is pressed against the lid bending portion 24. The lid bending portion 24 is sandwiched between the back surface molding surface 5a and the seating surface 34, generating a resilient force. Against this resilient force, each retaining portion 7b strongly presses the base end of the lid bending portion 24 against the back surface molding surface 5a. This makes it difficult for a gap to form between the flow path lid 20 and the back surface molding surface 5a. Here, the set pin 7 corresponds to the "engagement portion" of the present invention. Furthermore, the lid through-hole 25 and the duct through-hole 37 correspond to the "through-hole" of the present invention.

[0037] <Lower mold 6> As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the lower mold 6 has a front-side molding surface 6a formed on its upper surface. The front-side molding surface 6a forms the surface shape of the pad surface 12 of the pad body 10. The lower mold 6 has a plurality of groove-forming protrusions 6f protruding from the front-side molding surface 6a. Each groove-forming protrusion 6f forms the inner circumferential surface shape of each hanging groove 15. The lower mold 6 also has a plurality of hole-forming protrusions 6b protruding from the front-side molding surface 6a. As shown in Figure 12, the hole-forming protrusions 6b have a base portion 6d protruding from the front-side molding surface 6a and a tip portion 6c that is removably attached to the tip of the base portion 6d.

[0038] The tip portion 6c is fixed to the base portion 6d by a bolt 6e. The tip portion 6c has a tapered truncated cone shape. When the upper mold 5 and the lower mold 6 are clamped together, each tip portion 6c is inserted into each ventilation hole 11 of the duct 30 from below. Due to its tapered shape, each tip portion 6c fits tightly against the periphery of each ventilation hole 11 without creating any gaps. This prevents the foaming raw material from leaking into the ventilation passage 14 from each ventilation hole 11.

[0039] Furthermore, each tip 6c is applied to the flow path cover 20 from below. This makes it possible to hold the flow path cover 20 in a position that is less likely to shift relative to the rear molding surface 5a. Because the tip 6c is configured to be detachable, other tip 6c can be attached to the base 6d of the hole-forming protrusion 6b. For example, it is possible to attach tip 6c with a larger or smaller tapered inclination angle, or tip 6c with a different diameter. This makes it possible to easily accommodate ducts 30 with different diameters of the air vent 11.

[0040] In yet another embodiment, as shown in Figure 14, the lower mold 6 may have hole-forming protrusions 8b. Tips 8c of the hole-forming protrusions 8b are fixed to the base 8d by a plurality of bolts 8e inserted along the radial direction of the base 8d. This allows the radial positioning of the tips 8c to be adjusted by adjusting the tightening of each bolt 8e. This allows for better absorption of variations in the installation of the duct 30, allowing the tips 8c to be properly fitted to each vent hole 11.

[0041] <Overlap between the flow path cover 20 and the duct 30> As shown in Fig. 12, the lid bending portion 24 forms a first gap S1 that opens outward between the peripheral edge portion 23 of the flow path lid 20 and the seating surface portion 34. The foaming material actively flows into this first gap S1 when the pad main body 10 is molded. Therefore, the pad main body 10 is formed so as to be integrated with the peripheral edge portion 23 and the seating surface portion 34. This allows the flow path lid 20 and the duct 30 to be appropriately integrated with the pad main body 10. Here, the first gap S1 corresponds to the "gap" of the present invention.

[0042] The lid bending portion 24 also has a first abutment portion 26 that abuts against the seating surface portion 34 of the duct 30 when the duct 30 is set. The first abutment portion 26 makes linear contact with the seating surface portion 34 over the entire periphery of the flow path lid 20 along the extension direction of the lid bending portion 24. The first abutment portion 26 can prevent the foaming raw material that has flowed into the first gap S1 from passing over the lid bending portion 24 and leaking out between the flow path lid 20 and the duct 30.

[0043] The duct bend 35 of the seat portion 34 also has a second abutment portion 38 that abuts against the flow path lid 20 when the duct 30 is set. The second abutment portion 38 makes linear contact with the flow path lid 20 along the entire periphery of the duct 30 along the extension direction of the duct bend 35. The second abutment portion 38 is formed more inward in the in-plane direction than the first abutment portion 26. A second gap S2 is formed between the first abutment portion 26 and the second abutment portion 38. The second gap S2 forms a space to retain the foaming raw material if it leaks inward beyond the first abutment portion 26. Furthermore, the duct bend 35 and the lid bend 24 are arranged to protrude alternately. Therefore, the duct bend 35 forms a dam that blocks the foaming raw material that flows into the second gap S2. This more appropriately prevents the foaming raw material from leaking into the ventilation passage 14 beyond the second abutment portion 38.

[0044] 13, the lid-side support portion 22 of the flow path lid 20 is brought into contact with the bottom portion 31 of the duct 30 from above when the duct 30 is set. This prevents the duct 30 from being crushed upward by the foaming pressure of the foaming raw material. As a result, the ventilation passage 14 is prevented from being narrowed. Furthermore, by suppressing deformation of the duct 30, the contact portions 26, 38 between the flow path lid 20 and the duct 30 are prevented from separating during molding. This more appropriately prevents leakage of the foaming raw material into the ventilation passage 14. Here, the lid-side support portion 22 corresponds to the "support portion" of the present invention.

[0045] <Method of manufacturing pad body 10> The procedure for manufacturing the pad body 10 will be described below. First, the flow path lid 20 and the duct 30 are formed into a predetermined shape in advance by press molding. The upper mold 5 and the lower mold 6 are not clamped together. First, the flow path lid 20 is set on the rear molding surface 5a of the upper mold 5 in an overlapping state. As shown in FIG. 13, the lid through-hole 25 of the lid bending portion 24 is passed through the set pin 7. The bank portion 5b of the upper mold 5 is inserted into the recess of the lid bending portion 24. As shown in FIG. 11, the mold-side support portion 5c of the upper mold 5 is passed through the opening hole 21 of the flow path lid 20 (see FIG. 11).

[0046] Next, the duct 30 is set on top of the set flow path lid 20. As shown in FIG. 13, the duct through-hole 37 of the seating surface 34 is passed through the set pin 7. As a result, the tip of the duct bent portion 35 is pressed against the flow path lid 20 (second abutment portion 38). As shown in FIG. 12, the seating surface 34 is pressed against the tip of the lid bent portion 24 (first abutment portion 26). Then, the base end of the lid bent portion 24 is pressed against the rear molding surface 5a. A first gap S1 and a second gap S2 are formed between the flow path lid 20 and the duct 30. As shown in FIG. 11, the lid-side support portions 22 of the flow path lid 20 and the mold-side support portions 5c of the upper mold 5 are pressed against the bottom portion 31 of the duct 30 from above.

[0047] Next, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the upper mold 5 and the lower mold 6 are clamped together. This forms a cavity 4a for molding the pad body 10. Furthermore, each hole-forming protrusion 6b of the lower mold 6 is passed through each vent hole 11 of the duct 30 and abuts against the flow path cover 20. Then, a foaming raw material is poured into the cavity 4a, and the pad body 10 is foam-molded. The front surface 12 of the pad is formed by the front-side molding surface 6a. The back surface 13 of the pad is formed by the back-side molding surface 5a. Each hole-forming protrusion 6b forms each vent hole 11 that penetrates the pad body 10. Each groove-forming protrusion 6f forms each hanging groove 15.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 , the foaming raw material flows into the first gap S1, and the peripheral edge 23 of the flow path cover 20 and the seating surface 34 of the duct 30 are integrated with the pad main body 10. In addition, the seating surface 34 is pressed toward the flow path cover 20 by the foaming pressure. As a result, the seating surface 34 is pressed strongly against the first abutment portion 26. Furthermore, the second abutment portion 38 is pressed strongly against the flow path cover 20. This more appropriately prevents the foaming raw material from entering the ventilation passage 14 from between the flow path cover 20 and the duct 30. Furthermore, the base end of the cover bent portion 24 is pressed strongly against the rear molding surface 5a. This more appropriately prevents the foaming raw material from entering between the flow path cover 20 and the rear molding surface 5a. In this way, the flow path cover 20 and the duct 30 can be appropriately molded integrally with the pad main body 10 while preventing leakage of the foaming raw material.

[0049] To summarize the above, the seat pad and the molding die for the seat pad according to the first embodiment have the following configurations: In the following, the reference numerals in parentheses correspond to the respective components shown in the above embodiment.

[0050] That is, the seat pad (2) has a pad main body (10) with a concave ventilation passage (14) extending along the pad back surface (13), a planar duct (30) provided along the pad back surface (13) so as to form the inner peripheral wall of the ventilation passage (14), and a planar flow passage lid (20) that covers the duct (30) from the back side of the seat to cover the ventilation passage (14). The duct (30) and the flow passage lid (20) are configured to be molded into a predetermined shape in advance and foam-molded integrally with the pad main body (10). The flow passage lid (20) is set in an overlapping state on the molding surface (5a) of the molding die (4) for the pad main body (10), and has a lid bend portion (24) at its peripheral edge (23) that bends toward the seat front surface to form a recess that can accommodate the bank portion (5b) protruding from the molding surface (5a). The duct (30) has a seat portion (34) extending along an area of ​​the pad back surface (13) that is away from the ventilation passage (14). The seat portion (34) is brought into contact with the protruding tip of the lid bending portion (24) of the flow path lid (20) set on the molding surface (5a) so as to form a gap (S1) through which the foaming raw material of the pad body (10) flows.

[0051] According to the above configuration, the flow path cover (20) and the duct (30) are appropriately integrated with the pad body (10) by the flow of the foaming material into the gap between them. This makes it difficult for the flow path cover (20) to become misaligned with the duct (30). Furthermore, the contact between the lid bent portion (24) and the seat portion (34) prevents the foaming material from crossing the lid bent portion (24) and entering between the flow path cover (20) and the duct (30). Furthermore, the recess on the back side of the sheet of the lid bent portion (24) is set to face the molding surface (5a), and the bank portion (5b) of the molding surface (5a) fits into the recess of the lid bent portion (24). Therefore, even if the foaming material leaks between the flow path cover (20) and the molding surface (5a), the bank portion (5b) can block the leaked foaming material. This prevents the foaming material from crossing the bank portion (5b) and entering inside. As a result, molding defects due to leakage of the foaming raw material can be appropriately suppressed.

[0052] Furthermore, the seating surface portion (34) has a duct bend portion (35) that bends and protrudes toward the back side of the seat so as to abut against the flow path lid (20) on an in-plane inner side of the lid bend portion (24). According to the above configuration, the duct bend portion (35) of the seating surface portion (34) abuts against the flow path lid (20) on an in-plane inner side of the lid bend portion (24). Even if the foaming material penetrates beyond the abutment between the lid bend portion (24) and the seating surface portion (34), the abutment between the duct bend portion (35) and the flow path lid (20) can prevent the foaming material from further penetrating the inside. Furthermore, the duct bend portion (35) protrudes alternately with the lid bend portion (24). Therefore, the rising shape of the duct bend portion (35) blocks the foaming material. As a result, the intrusion of the foaming material into the ventilation passage (14) can be further prevented.

[0053] In addition, the lid bent portion (24) extends endlessly around the entire periphery of the flow path lid (20). According to the above configuration, leakage of the foaming raw material between the flow path lid (20) and the duct (30) and between the flow path lid (20) and the molding die (4) can be suppressed along the entire periphery of the flow path lid (20).

[0054] Furthermore, the flow path cover (20) has a support portion (22) that protrudes into the ventilation passage (14) so ​​as to contact the bottom portion (31) of the duct (30) that forms the bottom surface of the ventilation passage (14) from the back side of the seat. With this configuration, the support portion (22) can suppress deformation of the duct (30) due to foaming pressure. This can suppress loss of contact between the cover bent portion (24) and the seat portion (34). As a result, it is possible to appropriately suppress intrusion of the foaming material into the ventilation passage (14).

[0055] The forming mold 4 also has an engaging portion 7 that protrudes from the bank portion 5b and is inserted through the through-holes 25, 37 formed in the tip of the lid bending portion 24 and the seating portion 34, thereby engaging with the seating portion 34 so as to press the base end of the lid bending portion 24 against the forming surface 5a against the elastic force of the lid bending portion 24. According to the above configuration, the engaging portion 7 strongly presses the seating portion 34 against the lid bending portion 24, and the lid bending portion 24 against the forming surface 5a. This more appropriately prevents leakage of the foaming raw material.

[0056] Furthermore, the bank portion (5b) is provided with a gap (5d) from the lid bending portion (24) so ​​as not to interfere with the lid bending portion (24) in the initial state after the flow path cover (20) is set. If the bank portion (5b) were configured to interfere with the lid bending portion (24) in the initial state, there is a risk that the bank portion (5b) will push up the bending portion due to variations in installation, causing the flow path cover (20) to lift off the molding surface (5a). However, with the above configuration, the flow path cover (20) can be set in a state where it is properly overlapped with the molding surface (5a) without interfering with the bank portion (5b) with the lid bending portion (24). This more appropriately prevents leakage of the foaming raw material between the flow path cover (20) and the molding die (4).

[0057] <Other embodiments> Although the present invention has been described above using one embodiment, the present invention can be embodied in various forms other than the above embodiment.

[0058] 1. The seat pad can be applied to seat cushions as well as seat backs. The seat pad can be widely applied to seats used in various vehicles other than automobiles, such as trains, airplanes, ships, etc., in addition to automobile seats.

[0059] 2. The lid bends and duct bends do not have to extend along the entire periphery, but may be formed only along a portion of the outer periphery. The lid bends and duct bends may also extend intermittently.

[0060] 3. The molding die may be one in which the flow path lid and the duct are set in the lower die. The bank portion may be formed so as to fit closely to the depression in the bent portion of the lid without leaving any gap.

[0061] 4. After the flow path cover and the duct are set, the set pins may be attached to the set mold so as to pass through each through hole. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1 seat cushion 2 Cushion pad (seat pad) 2a Top plate main 2b Top side 3 cushion covers 10 Pad body 11 Ventilation holes 12 Pad surface 13 Back of pad 14 Ventilation duct 15 Hanging groove 20 Channel cover 21 Opening hole 22 Lid side support part (support part) 23 Periphery 24 Lid bending part 25 Lid through hole (through hole) 26 1st contact part 30 Duct 31 Bottom 32 Side wall 33 Partition 34 Seat part 35 Duct bend 36 Slit 37 Duct penetration hole (penetration hole) 38 Second contact part 4 Molding mold 4a cavity 5 Upper mold 5a Back side molding surface (molding surface) 5b Bank 5c Mold side support part 5d spacing 6 Lower mold 6a Front side molding surface 6b Hole-forming protrusion 6c Tip 6d Base 6e bolt 6f groove forming protrusion 7 Set pin (engagement part) 7a Shaft 7b Retaining part 8b Hole-forming protrusion 8c Tip 8d Base 8e bolt S1 First gap (gap) S2 Second gap

Claims

1. A seat pad, a pad body having a concave ventilation passage extending along the back surface of the pad; a planar duct provided along the rear surface of the pad so as to form an inner peripheral wall of the ventilation passage; a planar flow path cover that is placed on the duct from the back side of the seat to cover the ventilation path, The duct and the flow path cover are formed in advance into a predetermined shape and are foam-molded integrally with the pad body, the flow path lid is set in an overlapping state on the molding surface of the mold for the pad body, and has a lid bending portion at its peripheral edge that is bent toward the sheet surface to form a recess that can receive a bank portion protruding from the molding surface, The duct has a seat portion extending along an area of ​​the back surface of the pad that is outside the ventilation passage, and the seat portion is placed against the protruding tip of the lid bending portion so as to form a gap through which the foaming raw material of the pad body flows into the flow path lid set on the molding surface.

2. 2. The seat pad according to claim 1, The seat pad has a duct bending portion in which the seating surface portion is bent so as to protrude toward the back side of the seat and to contact the flow path lid, on the inner side of the in-plane direction of the lid bending portion.

3. The seat pad according to claim 1 or 2, The seat pad has a lid bent portion that extends endlessly around the entire periphery of the flow path lid.

4. The seat pad according to claim 1 or 2, The flow path cover has a support portion that protrudes into the ventilation passage so that the support portion can be placed against the bottom portion of the duct that forms the bottom surface of the ventilation passage from the back side of the seat.

5. A mold for molding the seat pad according to claim 1 or 2, A molding die having an engaging portion that protrudes from the bank portion and passes through each through hole formed at the tip of the lid bending portion and in the seat portion, thereby engaging with the seat portion so as to press the base end of the lid bending portion against the elastic force of the lid bending portion onto the molding surface.

6. A mold for molding the seat pad according to claim 1 or 2, The bank portion is provided at a distance from the lid bending portion so as not to interfere with the lid bending portion in the initial state when the flow path lid is set.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Vehicle seat

    JP2013100000A

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