Cover device for a vehicle seat and vehicle seat

Abstract

A cover device (11) for a vehicle seat having a cover region (14) and a connecting unit (13) connected thereto for fastening the cover region (14) to a fixed seat structure, as well as a vehicle seat, are described. The connecting unit (13) has at least one spring-elastic clamp element (15) comprising a central region (16) and two end regions (17, 18) connected to the central region (16). The end regions (17, 18) are designed with locking regions (19, 20) and are configured, when the cover device (11) is in the installed position, to engage in receptacles in the seat structure in a locking manner against a prestress and to establish a positive connection between the cover device (11) and the seat structure.

Description

The invention relates to a covering device for a vehicle seat having a covering region and a connecting unit connected thereto for fastening the covering region to a fixed seat structure. Furthermore, the invention relates to a vehicle seat having a seat structure to which such a covering device is fastened.DE 100 12 033 A1 discloses a vehicle seat with a seat part frame. In the region of a front side of the seat part frame, a soft cladding element is attached to a holder. The seat part frame is adjustable in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle. The trim element is detachably attached to the bracket and is formed from leather or textiles. For fastening the trim element, means are provided in the holder, which comprise pushbuttons, passenger systems, fixed retaining systems or hook-and-loop fasteners. The cladding element consists of a soft material, in particular leather or textiles, and its dimensions can be varied in such a way that a heel region is also covered.If the vehicle seat is locked in an extreme locking position of the longitudinal adjustment, parts of the linkage mechanism of the longitudinal adjustment or of the frame structure protrude on the front side of the vehicle seat. The parts are then only partially covered by the soft covering element, so that, although adequate seating comfort is ensured in extreme latching positions, the parts of the linkage mechanism are not covered and visible. This impairs an overall visual impression of a vehicle formed with the vehicle seat and there is the possibility that the clothing of vehicle occupants comes into contact with the parts of the linkage mechanism and is possibly contaminated or damaged in the process.A cladding element for laterally cladding a seat frame of a seat part of a vehicle seat and a vehicle seat are described in EP 3 486 113 B1. The lateral cladding element has an inner soft cladding part and a reference element arranged on the outer side thereof. The trim element is attached to the inside soft trim part by a number of seams. Alternatively or additionally, the reference element is glued and / or stitched to the inside soft trim part.DE 10 2011 055 286 A1 relates to a vehicle seat, in particular a rail vehicle seat, having a seat part and a backrest. Between a base frame and a back cushion element, the backrest has a releasable fastening frame provided for fastening the back cushion element to the base frame, which is releasable from the base frame.Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 2023 / 0 055 017 A1 discloses a fastening device for a backrest shell, by means of which the backrest shell can be detachably fastened to a backrest frame. The backrest shell includes a support member having a base secured to the backrest shell and an outwardly extending arm having an elbow. The angle is shaped to mate with an upper backrest frame member. A fastener includes a base secured to the backrest shell and an outwardly projecting resilient lever arm having a cam surface and a step formed on a bottom surface. The lever arm is shaped so that it forms a holder on the underside.WO 2020 / 173 883 A1 describes a cover for a upholstery part of a vehicle seat. The cover has at least one opening, in particular a through opening, for a locking device for a child seat. An edge region of the trim cover arranged around the opening is reinforced at least in sections with a reinforcing frame. Furthermore, a cushion part for a vehicle seat, in particular a motor vehicle seat, having such a cover, and a vehicle seat having at least one such cushion part are proposed.DE 10 2019 122 528 A1 discloses a covering device for a seat substructure of a vehicle seat. The cover device laterally surrounds the seat substructure and comprises at least two frame-like elements which are rigid in themselves and are telescopically displaceable one inside the other along a height axis Z. Furthermore, at least one guide device is provided, by means of which the frame-like elements are guided during a displacement along a height axis Z. In addition, the covering device can be reset into a predefined initial state by means of at least one elastic element. The elastic element is arranged between two frame-like elements.DE 10 2004 057 400 A1 describes a trim part for arrangement on a front seat of a motor vehicle. A metal clip made of spring steel is arranged on the trim part, the bracket of which clip forms a releasable clip connection arranged on the inner side of the trim part with a stop formed on the seat.A motor vehicle seat having a seat inclination adjustment device, having a first base element, a first seat frame element and a first actuator element is known from DE 10 2021 107 897 A1. In addition, the motor vehicle seat has an inclination adjustment fitting with a first and a second fitting part, wherein the inclination adjustment fitting is arranged on one of the joints.The object of the present invention is to provide a covering device for a vehicle seat which can be produced easily and cost-effectively and can be mounted with little effort and by means of which a region below a seat cushion of a vehicle seat is covered over the entire operating region of a vehicle seat. Furthermore, the object of the present invention is to create a vehicle seat with such a covering device.According to the invention, this object is achieved by a covering device and by a vehicle seat having the features of patent claims 1 and 8, respectively.The cover device according to the invention for a vehicle seat comprises a cover region and a connecting unit connected thereto for fastening the cover region to a fixed seat structure.According to the invention, the connecting unit has at least one spring-elastic clamping element which comprises a central region and two end regions connected to the central region. The end regions are configured in a cost-effective manner with latching regions and are configured to engage in a latching manner in receptacles of the seat structure against prestress in the installed position of the covering device and with low assembly expenditure with simultaneously low installation space requirement and to produce a positive connection between the covering device and the seat structure.The cover region is designed with a cover central region running in the transverse direction and with two cover side regions extending in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the covering central region is connected at the end side to the covering side regions. As a result, a region below a seat cushion of a vehicle seat is covered or shielded both from the front and from the side regions of the vehicle seat, as a result of which a particularly high-quality optical overall impression of a vehicle is achieved and damage or soiling of items of clothing is avoided.In addition, the clamping element has at least one further end region which extends from the central region into one of the covering side regions and is firmly connected thereto at least in regions on an inner side facing the seat structure in the installation position. As a result, it is possible in a structurally simple manner to produce the covering side region from a less dimensionally stable material. This is the case because the covering side region can be appropriately supported or clamped from the other end region from the inside and can be made available with a desired dimensional stability.In an embodiment of the covering device according to the invention that can be produced cost-effectively, the clamping element is made of a metal wire or as an injection-molded plastic part.If the clamping element is fastened in a lower region to the covering central region in the installation position of the covering device, the covering device can be mounted on the seat structure of a vehicle seat with little effort.The connecting unit can comprise at least one clip element which is c-shaped in cross section and which, in the installed position of the covering device, is firmly connected to the covering central region in an upper region of the latter. In this case, the clip element can be configured to engage in a latching manner around a region of the seat structure in the installed position of the covering device and to produce a connection between the covering device and the seat structure with little assembly effort.Between the connection region of the clip element on the central region of the cover element and the connection region of the clamp element on the central region of the cover element, the central region can be formed with a folding region. If a height of the folding region varies as a function of the distance between the connection regions between the clip element and the covering central region and between the clamping element and the covering central region in the vertical direction of the covering central region, the covering device according to the invention also offers a desired gap covering if the vehicle seat or its seat cushion is adjusted upwards or downwards in the region of a front edge in the vertical direction of the vehicle seat.The covering region can be formed as a nonwoven with a defined wall thickness and defined component strength.The covering central region can be formed with a cutout for an adjusting element of a calf support of a vehicle seat.Furthermore, a vehicle seat having a seat structure to which the covering device described in more detail above is fastened is proposed.The seat structure can have at least two upper seat rails spaced apart from one another in the transverse direction and running in the longitudinal direction, preferably a seat shell spaced apart in the vertical direction and at least one seat cross strut running in the transverse direction and arranged above the seat rail in the vertical direction and stiffening the seat structure.The upper seat rails can each be formed with a receptacle into which the clamping element engages in a latching manner with its latching regions.The seat structure, in particular the seat shell and the seat cross strut, can be designed to be adjustable in the longitudinal direction with the upper seat rails.The seat region and thus the seat shell and the seat cross strut can together be configured to be tiltable about a pivot axis relative to front ends of the upper seat rails. Tilting the seat pan and the seat cross strut about the pivot axis may change a distance between the front ends of the seat rails and the seat cross strut in the vertical direction.A seat cushion can be connected to the seat shell and can engage over the covering device in the vertical direction in a region facing the seat shell. A gap cover is then realized in a cost-effective manner and with little assembly effort also in the region between an upper edge region of the cover device and the seat shell.Further features of the invention are evident from the claims, the figures and the description of the figures. The above description of the features and the combinations of features and the features and combinations of features mentioned below in the description of the figures and / or shown alone in the figures can be used not only in the respectively specified combination but also in other combinations or alone.The invention will now be explained in more detail on the basis of preferred exemplary embodiments and with reference to the drawing.It shows: FIG. 1 shows a vehicle seat with an extendable calf support; FIG. 2 is a partial bottom view of the vehicle seat according to FIG. 1 ; FIG. 3 shows an inner view of a covering device with a covering region and with a connecting unit connected thereto for fastening the covering region to a seat structure of the vehicle seat according to FIG. 1 ; FIG. 4 is a front view of the cover device according to FIG. 3 ; FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of the covering device which is formed without a cutout for an adjusting element of the calf support; FIG. 6 shows a side view of a partial region of the vehicle seat according to FIG. 1 ; and FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the partial region of the vehicle seat shown in FIG. 6.FIG. 1 shows a vehicle seat 1 having a seat region 2 and a backrest region 3 which is designed to be rotatable with respect to the seat region 2. At an upper end, a headrest 4 is arranged on the backrest region 3. In the vertical direction Z, a fixed seat structure 5 is provided under the seat region 2, which is connected to two upper seat rails 6 running in the longitudinal direction X. In the mounted state of the vehicle seat 1, the upper seat rails 6 are connected to vehicle-side lower rails running in the longitudinal direction X and are guided and mounted on the lower rails in the vehicle interior in a longitudinally displaceable manner in the longitudinal direction X between a front and a rear end position.The backrest region 3 is pivotable relative to the seat region 2 about a rotational axis 7 in the two pivot directions S 31 and S 32. In addition, the seat region 2 is designed to be pivotable about the pivot axis 7 in the pivot directions S 21 and S 22 with respect to the backrest region 3 and the upper seat rails 6. During a pivoting of the seat region 2 about the axis of rotation 7, an inclination of a seat surface 8 of the seat region 2 relative to the upper seat rails 6 running substantially parallel to a vehicle horizontal plane XY and a distance in the vertical direction Z between a front region 2A of the seat region 2 and front ends 6A of the upper seat rails 6 change.Further, on the front portion 2A of the seat portion 2, a so-called calf support 9 is rotatably attached. The calf support 9 can be moved in the pivoting direction S 9 from a rest position, in which the calf support 9 substantially does not provide support for lower legs of a vehicle occupant, into a support position illustrated in FIG. 1, in which an upper side 10 of the calf support 9 forms a support surface for lower legs of a passenger seated on the vehicle seat 1.FIG. 2 shows a partial bottom view of the vehicle seat 1 and the calf support 9 in their support position. Below the seat surface 8 and also below the calf support 9, a covering device 11 is fastened to the seat structure 5, which covering the fixed seat structure 5 below the seat region 2 of the vehicle seat 1 together with a seat cushion 12 of the seat region 2 over the entire adjustment range of the vehicle seat 1. This is the case because the covering device 11 is adjusted in the longitudinal direction X with the vehicle seat 1. The seat cushion 12 is connected to the seat structure 5 and engages over the covering device 11 in a region facing the seat structure 5 or a seat shell of the seat structure 5 in the vertical direction Z in such a way that a gap between the upper side of the covering device 11 and the seat region 2 is also completely covered.Furthermore, FIGS. 3 and 4 each show a sole representation of a first exemplary embodiment of the covering device 11 In this case, an inner side 11A facing the seat structure 5 of the vehicle seat 1 in the installed position of the covering device 11 is visible in FIG. 3 and the front side of the covering device 11 is visible in FIG. 4. The cover device 11 has a connecting unit 13 for fastening a cover region 14 to the seat structure 5. The connecting unit 13 comprises at least one spring-elastic clamping element 15 which is designed as a bent wire structure and has a central region 16 and two end regions 17, 18 connected to the central region 16. The end regions 17, 18 are designed with O-shaped bent latching regions 19, 20 which, in the installed position of the covering device 11, engage in receptacles 21 of the seat structure 5 and produce a positive connection between the covering device 11 and the seat structure 5.The latching regions 19, 20 have a horizontal position and free regions 19A, 20A of the latching regions 19, 20 point toward one another. In addition, a distance A 1920 between the free regions 19A, 20A of the latching regions 19, 20 in the unmounted state of the covering device 11 is smaller than a distance AUB between transition regions 1719 and 1820 between the end regions 17, 18 and the latching regions 19, 20.The matching of the distances A1920, AUB and A21 has the effect that the end regions 17 and 18 are bent apart during the mounting of the covering device 11 on the seat structure 5 before the latching regions 19, 20 are latched into the receptacles 21. As soon as the latching regions 19, 20 are in an overlapping relationship with openings 22 of the receptacles, the free regions 19A and 20A of the latching regions 19, 20 snap into the openings 22 of the receptacles in a form-fitting manner owing to the prestress which is built up during the mounting in the clamping element 15 and produce a form-fitting connection between the covering device 11 and the seat structure 5. During the latching, the latching regions 19, 20 execute a movement directed towards one another. In this case, the prestress in the clamping element 15 is at least partially relieved. The remaining part of the prestress in the clamping element 15 exerts a compressive force acting in the latching direction on the latching regions 19, 20, as a result of which a permanent, i.e. a form-fit connection which does not release automatically during the driving operation is created between the covering device 11 and the seat structure 5. Thus, the end regions 17, 18 with their latching regions 19, 20 engage in the mounting position of the cover device 11 against the prestress in a latching manner in the receptacles 21 of the seat structure 5 and produce a positive connection between the cover device 11 and the seat structure 5.Depending on the particular application at hand, it can also be provided that the prestress is completely reduced in the locked state of the end regions 17, 18. In order to avoid an automatic release of the positive connection between the end regions 17, 18 and the receptacles 21, it can be provided that the clamping element 15 is designed with a correspondingly high spring stiffness or the component dimensions of the latching regions and the receptacles 21 are designed such that the latching connection can be released only by applying a correspondingly high release force acting in a defined direction by an assembly person.Regardless of whether the prestressing force of the clamping element 15 is only partially or completely reduced in the locked state, the form-fitting connection between the latching regions 19, 20 and the receptacles 21 is designed in such a way that the form-fitting connection has existed over the entire operating range of a vehicle.The covering region 14 is formed with a covering central region 23 running in the transverse direction Y and with two covering side regions 24, 25 extending away from lateral ends of the covering central region 23 in the longitudinal direction X.The clamping element 15 has a further end region 26 which extends from the central region 16 into the covering side region 25 and is firmly connected to the latter in regions on an inner side 27 of the covering side region 25 facing the seat structure 5 in the installed position. Furthermore, in the installation position of the covering device 11, the clamping element 25 is fastened in the vertical direction Z in a lower region 23A on the covering central region 23.In addition, the connecting unit 13 comprises a plurality of clip elements 28 to 30 which are of C-shaped cross section and which, in the installed position of the covering device 11, are fixedly connected to the covering central region 23 in an upper region 23B of the latter. In the installed position of the covering device 11, the clip elements 28 to 30 engage around a seat cross strut 31 running in the transverse direction Y. During the assembly, the clip elements 28 to 30 snap around the outer contour of the seat cross strut 31 and produce a latching connection between the covering device 11 and the seat structure 5.Between the connection regions of the clip elements 28 to 30 on the covering central region 23 of the covering central region 23 and the connection region of the clip element 15 on the covering central region 23, a folding region 32 is formed, the height H 32 of which varies depending on the distance between the connection regions of the clip elements 28 to 30 and of the clip element 15 on the seat structure 5. The distance between the connection regions changes when the seat region 2 is pivoted upwards or downwards in one of the pivot directions S 21 or S 22 about the pivot axis 7. This ensures that the underside region of the seat region 2 is completely covered by the covering device 11 when the seat region 2 is pivoted or when the front region 2A of the seat region 2 is pivoted about the pivot axis 7, and neither the connection between the clip elements 28 to 30 and the seat cross strut 31 and between the clamping element 15 and the receptacles 21 is released. The folding region 32 represents a flexible region of the covering device 11 which can be pulled apart and pushed together in a similar manner to a bellows.FIG. 6 shows the covering device 11 according to FIG. 3 in a view from the front. It can be seen from the illustration according to FIG. 6 that the covering central region 23 is formed at the transition to the covering side region 25 with a cutout 33, which is formed as a passage for an adjusting element 34 of the calf support 9. By means of the adjusting element 34, the calf support 9 is pivotable relative to the seat region between the support position and the rest position.FIG. 7 shows a representation corresponding to FIG. 6 of a further embodiment of the covering device 11, the design of which substantially corresponds to the covering device 11 according to FIG. 3, which is provided for gap covering on a vehicle seat 1 without a calf support 9 and which is therefore designed without the recess 33.Depending on the respective application, there is also the possibility that the end regions 17 and 18 with their latching regions 19 and 20 engage in the recesses 21 from the inside outwards in the transverse direction and produce a positive connection between the covering device 11 and the seat structure 5. In such an embodiment of the covering device 11, the distance A1920 between the free regions 19A, 20A of the latching regions 19, 20 in the unmounted state of the covering device 11 is greater than the distance AUB between the transition regions 1719 and 1820 between the end regions 17, 18 and the latching regions 19, 20.During the assembly of the covering device 11 on the vehicle seat 1 or on the seat structure 5, the clip connections between the clip elements 28 to 30 and the seat cross strut 31 can first be produced. In this case, a corresponding compressive force is applied by an assembly person in order to produce the latching connection between the covering device 11 and the seat cross strut 31. Subsequently, the clamping element 15 is brought into connection with the recesses 21 of the seat structure 5. It is advantageous here that the latching regions 19 and 20 can be brought into engagement with the recesses 21 of the seat structure five in a substantially guided manner, without the assembly person having to have a corresponding view or a view of the component regions of the seat structure 5 and of the covering device 11 to be joined together for this purpose. In other words, the configuration of the covering device 11 of the seat structure 5 enables what is known as blind mounting of the covering device 11 on the seat structure 5, which substantially simplifies mounting and additionally enables a gap covering with a view-tight view by the covering device 11.Depending on the respective application, there is also the possibility that the clip connections between the clip elements 28 to 30 and the seat cross strut 31 and between the clip element 15 and the recesses 21 are produced simultaneously or that first the clip element 15 is connected to the seat structure 5 and then the clip connections between the clip elements 28 to 30 and the seat cross strut 31 are produced.

Claims

Covering device (11) for a vehicle seat (1) having a covering region (14) and a connecting unit (13) connected thereto for fastening the covering region (14) to a fixed seat structure (5), wherein the covering region (14) is designed with a covering central region (23) running in the transverse direction (Y) and with two covering side regions (24, 25) extending in the longitudinal direction (X), wherein the covering central region (23) is connected at the end side to the covering side regions (24, 25), wherein the connecting unit (13) has at least one resilient clamping element (15) which comprises a central region (16) and two end regions (17, 18) connected to the central region (16), wherein the end regions (17, 18) are designed with latching regions (19, 20) and are configured to perform said latching regions, In the installed position of the cover device (11), engaging in the receptacles (21) of the seat structure (5) in a latching manner against a prestress and establishing a positive connection between the cover device (11) and the seat structure (5), and wherein the clamping element (15) has at least one further end region (26), which extends from the central region (16) into one of the cover side regions (25) and is firmly connected thereto at least in regions on an inner side (27) facing the seat structure (5) in the installed position.Covering device (11) according to claim 1, characterised in that the clamping element (15) consists of a metal wire or is designed as an injection moulded plastics part.Covering device (11) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the clamping element (15) is fastened in a lower region (23A) on the covering central region (23) in the installation position of the covering device (11).Covering device (11) according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the connecting unit (13) comprises at least one clip element (28 to 30) which is c-shaped in cross section and which, in the installed position of the covering device (11), is fixedly connected to the covering central region (23) in an upper region (23B) of the latter and is configured to engage in a latching manner around a region of the seat structure (5) in the installed position of the covering device (11) and to produce a connection between the covering device (11) and the seat structure (5).Covering device (11) according to Claim 4, characterized in that a folding region (32) of the covering central region (23) is formed between the connection region of the clip element (28 to 30) on the covering central region (23) of the covering region (14) and the connection region of the clamping element (15) on the covering central region (23) of the covering region (14), wherein a height (H32) of the folding region (32) varies as a function of the distance between the connection regions in the vertical direction (Z) of the covering central region (23).Covering device (11) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the covering region (14) is formed as a nonwoven with a defined wall thickness and defined component strength.Covering device (11) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the covering central region (23) is formed with a cutout (33) for an adjusting element (34) of a calf support (9).Vehicle seat (1) having a seat structure (5), wherein the covering device (11) according to one of Claims 1 to 7 is fastened to the seat structure (5).Vehicle seat (1) according to Claim 8, characterized in that the seat structure (5) has at least two upper seat rails (6) which are spaced apart from one another in the transverse direction (Y) and run in the longitudinal direction (X), and at least one seat transverse strut (31) which runs in the transverse direction (X) and is arranged above the upper seat rails (6) in the vertical direction (Z) and stiffens the seat structure (5).Vehicle seat (1) according to Claim 9, characterized in that the seat structure (5) is formed with receptacles (21), in which the clamping element (15) engages in a latching manner with its latching regions (19, 20).Vehicle seat (1) according to Claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the seat structure (5) is adjustable with the upper seat rails (6) in the longitudinal direction (X).Vehicle seat (1) according to one of Claims 9 to 11, characterized in that a seat region (2) is designed such that it can be tilted about a pivot axis (7) with respect to front ends (6A) of the upper seat rails (6), wherein tilting of the seat region (2) about the pivot axis (7) changes a distance between the front ends (6A) of the upper seat rails (6) and the seat cross strut (31) in the vertical direction (Z).Vehicle seat (1) according to Claim 12, characterized in that a seat cushion (12) is connected to the seat structure (5) and engages over the covering device (11) in the vertical direction (Z) in a region facing the seat region (2).

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