Seat support element comprising a padding attached to a frame

Abstract

The support element (1) comprises a frame (2) which extends in a height direction (Z) between a lower cross member (8) and an upper cross member (10), and a padding (4) which comprises an inner surface (34) adjacent to the frame (2) and an outer surface opposite the inner surface (34), wherein the padding (4) comprises at least one element (36) for fastening the padding (4) to the frame (2). The fastening element (36) extends from the inner surface (34) of the upholstery (4) in the direction of the frame (2), wherein the fastening element (36) comprises at least one clip element (38), the lower cross member (8) of the frame (2) comprises at least one complementary fastening element (40) of the clip element (38), wherein the clip element (38) cooperates by clipping with the complementary fastening element (40) in order to fasten the upholstery (4) to the lower cross member (8) of the frame (2).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat support element of the type comprising a frame extending in a height direction between a lower cross member and an upper cross member, and a padding comprising an inner surface abutting against the frame and an outer surface opposite the inner surface and forming a support surface for a seat occupant, the padding comprising at least one element for fixing the padding to the frame.

[0002] Such a support element forms, for example, the backrest of a seat, for example, a vehicle seat. Such a support element typically comprises a padding arranged to support a seat occupant and a frame on which the padding is mounted. The support element is generally designed such that the frame is covered with foam, and this arrangement is provided with a cover that gives the seat support element its appearance.

[0003] However, such an assembly process is complex and makes access to the interior of the seat support element difficult, where multiple functional elements are generally attached to the frame. Furthermore, the support element's performance in the event of an impact with the vehicle is not always satisfactory.

[0004] One of the objects of the invention is to overcome these drawbacks by proposing a seat support element which can be easily assembled and disassembled while having satisfactory mechanical properties, particularly in the event of an impact.

[0005] To this end, the invention relates to a seat support element of the aforementioned type, in which the fastening element extends from the inner surface of the upholstery to the frame, the fastening element comprising at least one clip element, the lower cross member of the frame comprising at least one fastening element complementary to the clip element, the clip element cooperating with the complementary fastening element by clipping to fasten the upholstery to the lower cross member of the frame

[0006] By creating a padding and attaching it to the lower cross member with clips, the padding can be mounted on the frame in a single, particularly simple step. Furthermore, access to the frame remains easy, as it is sufficient to release the clip element from the lower cross member to separate the padding from the frame. Furthermore, the support element exhibits satisfactory mechanical properties, in particular, high resistance to the padding being torn from the frame in the event of an impact.

[0007] The seat support element according to the invention may further comprise one or more of the following features, which may be considered individually or in any technically possible combination: - the padding rests against an inner side of the frame, with a shell resting against an outer side of the frame, which is opposite to the inner side of the frame; - the shell comprises a lower edge, the lower edge covering at least part of the fastening element of the padding and the lower cross member of the frame; - the fastening element comprises a tab extending from the inner surface of the upholstery towards the frame, the clip element extending in the height direction from the tab; - the tab is elastically deformable between an engagement position in which the fastening element can engage around at least part of the lower cross member and a fastening position in which the clip element cooperates with the complementary fastening element; - the complementary fastening element is formed by an opening passing through a lower wall of the lower cross member, the clip element penetrating into the opening to fix the padding to the lower cross member of the frame; - the complementary fastening element is formed by the profile of the lower cross member, the fastening element extending around a portion of the lower cross member and the clip element cooperating with an outer wall of the lower cross member opposite an inner wall of the lower cross member against which the padding rests, in order to fix the padding to the lower cross member of the frame; - the padding comprises a foam layer extending against the frame from the lower cross member to the upper cross member, wherein the fastening element comprises a support portion extending between the foam layer and the lower cross member when the foam layer rests against the frame; - the fastener is overmolded by the foam layer to bond the fastener to the foam layer; - the upholstery comprises a hood forming the outer surface of the upholstery, the hood comprising a flap extending from an upper edge of the upholstery, the flap being fitted onto the upper cross member of the frame to secure the upholstery to the upper cross member of the frame.

[0008] Further aspects and advantages of the invention will become better understood upon reading the following description, given only as a non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: [ Fig. 1] - Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective exploded front view of the seat support element according to the invention, [ Fig. 2] - Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a part of the seat support element according to a first embodiment of the invention, and [ Fig. 3] - Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a part of the seat support element according to a second embodiment of the invention.

[0009] With reference to Fig. Figure 1 describes a seat support element 1 comprising a frame 2, upholstery 4, and optionally a shell 6. Such a support element 1 forms, for example, a backrest of a vehicle seat, and the following description will be made with reference to such a seat back. However, it is understood that the invention is also applicable to other types of support elements, for example, to a seat surface of a seat.

[0010] In the description, the term “inside” refers to that which is directed towards the inside of the seat support element and the term “outside” refers to that which is directed towards the outside of the support element.

[0011] The frame 2 is formed, for example, by a structure having a framework shape, as in Fig. 1. In particular, the frame 2 extends between a lower cross member 8 and an upper cross member 10 along a height direction Z which corresponds to the height of the support element 1. The height direction Z corresponds, for example, to the height of the vehicle in which the seat is installed when the backrest is in an upright position. The lower cross member 8 and the upper cross member 10 extend substantially parallel to each other in a transverse direction T which corresponds to the width of the support element 1. The transverse direction T is substantially perpendicular to the height direction Z and corresponds, for example, to the width of the vehicle in which the seat is installed when the seat faces the front of the vehicle. The frame 2 further comprises two posts 12 which extend in the height direction Z between the transverse ends of the lower cross member 8 and the upper cross member 10.Furthermore, a longitudinal direction L is defined, which runs substantially perpendicular to the height direction Z and the transverse direction T and corresponds to the thickness of the support element 1. The longitudinal direction corresponds, for example, to the front-back direction of the vehicle in which the seat is installed when the seat is rotated towards the front of the vehicle. The frame 2 can be made of metal and / or a plastic or composite material. The frame 2 defines an inner side 14 facing the front of the support 1 and an outer side 16 facing the rear or back of the support element 1. It is understood that the frame 2 can have a shape other than that of a scaffold, as long as it comprises a lower cross member 8 and an upper cross member 10.

[0012] The lower cross member 8 is formed, for example, by a profile having a substantially U-shaped cross section, as shown in the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. In particular, the lower cross member 8 comprises a lower wall 18 forming the base of the U, an inner wall 20 forming one leg of the U on the side facing the inner side 14 of the frame 2, and an outer wall 22 forming the other leg of the U on the side facing the outer side 16 of the frame 2. The lower wall 18 extends mainly in the transverse direction T and to a lesser extent in the longitudinal direction L. The inner wall 20 and the outer wall 22 extend mainly in the transverse direction T and to a lesser extent in the height direction Z. As shown in the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the various profile walls are not necessarily flat and may have curved shapes and shoulders, in particular to optimise their behaviour in the event of an impact with the seat or the vehicle in which the seat is installed.

[0013] The upholstery 4 is mounted on the frame 2, in particular on its inner side 14, and arranged to form a support surface for a seat occupant, for example a support surface for the occupant's back in the case of a support element 1 forming a backrest of a seat. The upholstery 4 extends in the height direction Z between a lower edge 24 and an upper edge 26. The upholstery 4 bears against the inner side of the frame 2 such that its lower edge 24 extends substantially opposite or close to the lower cross member 8 and that its upper edge extends substantially opposite or close to the upper cross member 10, wherein the upholstery advantageously covers at least the entire inner side 14 of the frame 2 so that it is not visible from the outside of the support element 1 when viewed from the side of the upholstery 2.According to the embodiment shown in the figures, the lower edge 24 additionally covers the lower cross member 8 and the upper edge 26 covers the upper cross member 10.

[0014] The padding 4 mainly comprises a foam layer 28 and, according to one embodiment, a hood 30 covering the foam layer 28.

[0015] The foam layer 28 extends in the longitudinal direction L between an outer surface 32 and an inner surface 34, which forms the inner surface of the upholstery 2.

[0016] The outer surface 32 is designed to comfortably accommodate a seat occupant, with the seat occupant leaning on the upholstery 2 and thus on the foam layer 28 when sitting on the seat. In one embodiment, the outer surface 32 of the foam layer 28 is covered by the hood 30, which thus forms the outer surface of the support element 1 intended to accommodate the seat occupant.

[0017] The inner surface 34 of the foam layer 28 rests against the inner side 14 of the frame 2 and is held against the frame 2 by the fastening of the padding 4, in particular in the region of the lower cross member 8 of the frame 2, as will now be described.

[0018] The upholstery 4 comprises at least one fastening element 36 on the lower cross member 8 of the frame 2. The fastening element 36 extends protruding from the inner surface 34 of the upholstery 2 in the direction of the lower cross member 8 of the frame 2. In other words, the fastening element 36 extends protruding from the inner surface 34 of the upholstery 2 in the longitudinal direction L in the direction from the inner surface 14 to the outer surface 16 of the frame 2, as shown in particular in the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. The fastening element 36 extends in particular protruding from a zone of the inner surface 34 adjacent to the lower edge 24 of the padding 4, so that the fastening element 36 extends opposite the lower cross member 8 of the frame 2 and can cooperate therewith to fasten the padding 2 to the lower cross member 8 of the frame 2.

[0019] The fastening element 36 comprises at least one clip element 38 arranged to cooperate with a complementary fastening element 40 of the lower cross member 8 of the frame 2. In particular, the fastening element 36 comprises a tab 42 extending from the inner surface 34 of the padding 4 and carrying, at its free end, the clip element 38, which extends from the tab 42 in the vertical direction Z. The clip element 38 forms, together with the tab 42, a hook that can be held by the complementary fastening element 40 of the lower cross member 8, particularly in the longitudinal direction L, as will be described in more detail later.

[0020] The tab 42 is elastically deformable, so that the clip element 38 cooperates with the complementary fastening element 40 of the lower cross member 8 due to the elastic nature of the fastening element 36 to ensure the fastening of the fastening element 36 to the lower cross member 8 of the frame 2. The tab 42 is in particular elastically deformable between an engagement position in which the fastening element 36 can be engaged around at least a part of the lower cross member 8, and a fastening position which Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, wherein the clip element 38 interacts with the complementary fastening element 40.

[0021] In the engaged position, the tab 42 is deformed in the height direction Z so that the clip element 38 can slide under the lower wall 18 of the lower cross member 8 until it reaches the complementary fastening element 40. For this purpose, the clip element 38 comprises, for example, a suitable shape, such as a triangular shape seen in cross section, which allows the tab 42 to be deformed towards the engaged position when the fastening element 36 is moved in the longitudinal direction L and comes into contact with the inner wall 20 of the lower cross member 8.

[0022] When the clip element 38 is positioned opposite the complementary fastening element 40, the tab 42 returns to the fastening position due to its elasticity. This biases the fastening element 36 toward the fastening position, so that the fastening element 36 returns to its fastening position when there is no stress tending to deform it toward the engaged position.

[0023] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the complementary fastening element 40 is formed by an opening passing through the lower wall 18 of the lower cross member 8. When the clip element 38 is positioned opposite this opening, it engages and is retained in this opening due to the elasticity of the fastening element 36 to secure the padding 4 to the frame 2.

[0024] According to the Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the complementary fastening element 40 is formed by the profile of the lower cross member 8, i.e., the clip element 38 cooperates with the outer contour of the lower cross member 8 to lock the padding 4 onto the frame 2. In particular, in the fastening position, the clip element 38 cooperates with the outer wall 22 of the lower cross member 8, with the tab 42 abutting against the lower wall 18 of the lower cross member 8.

[0025] According to an embodiment not shown, the fastening element 36 comprises two clip elements, one of which cooperates with an opening passing through the lower wall 18 of the lower cross member 8 and the other of which cooperates with the outer wall 22 of the lower cross member 8.

[0026] According to the Fig. 2 and Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the fastening element 36 further comprises a support portion 43 that extends between the foam layer 24 and the lower cross member 8 when the foam layer 28 bears against the frame 2. The support portion 43 extends against the inner surface 34 of the foam layer 24 near its lower edge 28. This support portion 43 bears against the inner wall 20 of the lower cross member 8 when the clip element 38 cooperates with the complementary fastening element 40. For this purpose, the support portion 43 has, for example, a substantially complementary shape to the inner wall 20 of the lower cross member 8.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the support portion 43 comprises an additional clip element 45 that protrudes from the support portion 43 at an end thereof opposite the tab 42. This additional clip element 45 is arranged to cooperate with an upper end of the inner wall 20, which is opposite the bottom wall 18 of the lower cross member 8, when the clip element 38 cooperates with the complementary fastening element 40. When the fastening element 36 is fastened to the lower cross member 8, the fastening element 36 thus surrounds part of the lower cross member 8 and is fastened thereto on both sides of the lower cross member 8 in the height direction Z, thereby ensuring a secure fastening of the lower part of the upholstery 4 to the lower cross member 8.

[0028] The fastening element 36 is attached to the foam layer 24, for example by overmolding the foam layer 24 onto the fastening element 36, which ensures a robust attachment of the fastening element 36 to the foam layer 24.

[0029] In this way, a particularly stable attachment of the upholstery 4 to the lower cross member 8 is achieved, providing satisfactory resistance to tearing out in the event of an impact with the seat or the vehicle. Tearing out is a force that tends to separate the upholstery 4 from the lower cross member 8 of the frame 2 in the longitudinal direction L.

[0030] However, such a fastening remains easily reversible, for example, using a tool by moving the fastening element 36 from the fastening position to the engaged position. This allows access to the frame 2, for example for the replacement and / or maintenance of functional elements attached thereto, such as an airbag, a seat belt anchor, or the like.

[0031] The padding 4 can also be attached to the upper cross member 10 of the frame 8. For this purpose, the hood 30 comprises, for example, a flap extending from the upper edge 26 of the padding 4, this flap being arranged so that it can be wrapped around the upper cross member 10 of the frame 2.

[0032] The assembly of the upholstery 4 on the frame 2 is therefore particularly simple and can be carried out in a single step by first fitting the cover 30 onto the upper cross member 10 of the frame 2 in the vertical direction Z and then fixing the fixing element 36 to the lower cross member 8 by pressing it onto the lower part of the upholstery 4 in the longitudinal direction L.

[0033] If the support element comprises a shell 6, this is attached to the outer side 16 of the frame 8. In particular, a wall 44 of the shell 6 abuts the outer side 16 of the frame 8 and is attached thereto, for example by clip elements 46, so that the wall 44 forms the back of the support element 1. The shell 6 is arranged, for example, to cover the outer side 18 of the frame 2 so that the frame 2 is not visible from the outside of the support 1 when viewed from the side of the shell 6.

[0034] Advantageously, the shell 6 further comprises a lower edge 48 covering at least part of the fastening element 36 of the padding 4 and the lower cross member 8 of the frame 2. In particular, the lower edge 48 extends under the tab 42 of the fastening element 36 and the lower wall 18 of the lower cross member 8, as shown in the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. The lower edge 48 prevents unwanted movement of the fastening element 36 from the fastening position to the engagement position and thus improves the robustness of the fastening of the upholstery 2 to the lower cross member 8 of the frame 2.

Claims

[1] Seat support element (1) comprising a frame (2) extending in a height direction (Z) between a lower cross member (8) and an upper cross member (10), and a padding (4) comprising an inner surface (34) adjacent to the frame (2) and an outer surface opposite the inner surface (34) and forming a support surface for a seat occupant, wherein the padding (4) comprises at least one element (36) for fastening the padding (4) to the frame (2), characterized byin that the fastening element (36) extends from the inner surface (34) of the upholstery (4) in the direction of the frame (2), wherein the fastening element (36) comprises at least one clip element (38), wherein the lower cross member (8) of the frame (2) comprises at least one complementary fastening element (40) of the clip element (38), wherein the clip element (38) cooperates by clipping with the complementary fastening element (40) in order to fasten the upholstery (4) to the lower cross member (8) of the frame (2). [2] Support element according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the padding (4) bears against an inner side (14) of the frame (2), wherein a shell (6) bears against an outer side (16) of the frame (2) which is opposite the inner side (14) of the frame (2). [3] Support element according to claim 2, wherein the shell (6) comprises a lower edge (48), the lower edge (48) covering at least part of the fastening element (36) of the padding (4) and the lower cross member (8) of the frame (2). [4] Support element according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fastening element (36) comprises a tab (42) which extends from the inner surface (34) of the padding (4) in the direction of the frame (2), wherein the clip element (38) extends in the height direction (Z) from the tab (42). [5] Support element according to claim 4, wherein the tab (42) is elastically deformable between an engagement position in which the fastening element (36) can engage around at least a part of the lower cross member (8) and a fastening position in which the clip element (38) cooperates with the complementary fastening element (40). [6] Support element according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the complementary fastening element (40) is formed by an opening passing through a lower wall (18) of the lower cross member (8), the clip element (38) penetrating into the opening to fix the padding (4) to the lower cross member (8) of the frame (2). [7] Support element according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the complementary fastening element (40) is formed by the profile of the lower cross member (8), the fastening element (36) extending around a part of the lower cross member (8) and the clip element (38) cooperating with an outer wall (22) of the lower cross member (8) which is opposite an inner wall (20) of the lower cross member (8) against which the padding (4) bears, in order to fasten the padding (4) to the lower cross member (8) of the frame (2). [8] Support element according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the padding (4) comprises a foam layer (24) extending against the frame (2) from the lower cross member (8) to the upper cross member (10), wherein the support element (36) comprises a support portion (43) extending between the foam layer (24) and the lower cross member (8) when the foam layer (24) bears against the frame (2). [9] Support element according to claim 8, wherein the fastening element (36) is overmolded by the foam layer (28) in order to firmly connect the fastening element (36) to the foam layer (28). [10] Support element according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the padding comprises a hood (30) forming the outer surface of the padding (4), the hood (30) comprising a collar extending from an upper edge (26) of the padding (4), the collar being fitted onto the upper cross member (10) of the frame (2) to secure the padding (4) to the upper cross member (10) of the frame (2).

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