Seat cover

Abstract

To provide a seat cover capable of inflating and deploying a side airbag to an appropriate external position without preventing normal inflation and deployment of the side airbag due to breakage of a second fabric member in which a plurality of through-holes are formed.SOLUTION: The seat cover 10 includes the front outer fabric 14 and the outer side fabric 15 which cover the outer side support 3b and are sewn such that the sewing line 3b substantially coincides with the vicinity of the top portion T of the outer side support L4, the front upper fabric 111 which is provided at a position different from the front outer fabric 14 and the outer side fabric 15 and in which the plurality of vent holes 113 are formed, and the flexible sheet-shaped reinforcing member 19 which reinforces the front upper fabric 111.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat cover that is attached to a vehicle seat on which a passenger sits in a vehicle such as an automobile. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Seat covers that are detachably attached to vehicle seats having side airbags built into the sides of the seatbacks are known, and are designed to accommodate the inflation and deployment of the side airbags. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a seat cover in which the stitching between a pair of first fabric members covering the sides of the seat back roughly coincides with the tearing start point of the seat back that breaks when a side airbag built into the side of the seat back inflates and deploys.

[0003] The seat cover of Patent Document 1 has webbing sewn to the edges of the first fabric member that face each other in the deployment direction of the side airbag, so that when the side airbag inflates and deploys, the webbing can suppress the extension of the first fabric member. This makes it possible to reliably break the seams between the first fabric members, thereby enabling the side airbag to inflate and deploy at an appropriate position outside the seat cover.

[0004] In the above-described seat cover, the second fabric member provided at a position different from the first fabric member covering the side of the seat back, for example, at a position that comes into contact with the back of the occupant, may have multiple through holes such as ventilation holes formed for the purpose of improving breathability.

[0005] In this case, the inflation pressure of the side airbag may cause tears to form between the through holes in the second fabric member in which the through holes are formed, causing the multiple through holes to act like perforations and tearing the second fabric member, which may ultimately prevent the side airbag from inflating and deploying normally. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-19408 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a seat cover that allows a side airbag to inflate and deploy to an appropriate external position without the second fabric member, which has multiple through holes formed therein, breaking and interfering with the normal inflation and deployment of the side airbag. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention provides a seat cover that is detachably attached to a vehicle seat having a side airbag that is built into a side portion of a seat back and that inflates and deploys by breaking a tear initiation point on the side portion of the seat back, the seat cover comprising: a set of first fabric members that cover the side portion of the seat back and are sewn so that stitching portions substantially coincide with the tear initiation point; A set of seats on the front side of the seat back The first fabric member Between and a second fabric member having a plurality of through holes formed therein, and a flexible sheet-like reinforcing member that reinforces the second fabric member. The reinforcing member is formed to have a surface area slightly larger than the surface area of ​​the second fabric member, and is sewn to the second fabric member in a loose state. It is characterized by the fact that

[0009] The vehicle seat may be any of a driver's seat, a passenger seat, and a rear seat, as long as it has a side airbag. The first fabric member and the second fabric member are not particularly limited in terms of material, and may be made of leather such as synthetic leather or genuine leather, or fabric such as cloth. The rupture initiation point is the point at which the side airbag first ruptures when it begins to inflate and deploy, and refers to, for example, a predetermined point in a seam of the seat cover of a vehicle seat.

[0010] The through-holes are not limited in purpose or means as long as they are holes provided in the second fabric member. For example, the through-holes may be ventilation holes for improving the breathability of the seat cover or insertion holes for inserting the legs of a headrest.

[0011] Furthermore, the through-holes may be provided in a predetermined region of the second fabric member, or may be provided over the entire surface of the second fabric member. Note that when the through-holes are provided in a predetermined region of the second fabric member, a plurality of the predetermined regions may be provided in the second fabric member. The reinforcing member is not limited to any particular material as long as it can reinforce the second fabric member and is in the form of a flexible sheet, and may be made of, for example, a cloth material or a resin material.

[0012] The above-mentioned loose state refers to, for example, a state in which there is no slack in the second fabric member and the reinforcing member is sewn to the second fabric member in a state in which a rod material about the width of a finger can be inserted between the reinforcing member and the second fabric member.

[0013] According to this invention, the seat cover can inflate and deploy the side airbag to an appropriate external position without the second fabric member, in which a plurality of through holes are formed, breaking and interfering with the normal inflation and deployment of the side airbag.

[0014] Specifically, since the second fabric member having multiple through holes formed therein is reinforced by the reinforcing member, the seat cover can prevent the second fabric member from stretching in response to the inflation and deployment of the side airbag when the side airbag inflates and deploys.

[0015] Therefore, the seat cover can prevent the second fabric member, in which the plurality of through-holes are formed, from breaking when the side airbag inflates and deploys. Therefore, the seat cover can inflate and deploy the side airbag at an appropriate external position without the second fabric member, in which the plurality of through holes are formed, breaking and interfering with the normal inflation and deployment of the side airbag.

[0016] Furthermore, since the reinforcing member is formed with a surface area slightly larger than that of the second fabric member and is sewn to the second fabric member in a loosened state, when a tensile load is applied to the second fabric member, the second fabric member can stretch slightly by the amount of slack in the reinforcing member, thereby preventing a decrease in fit when the seat cover is attached to a vehicle seat, for example, due to the presence of the reinforcing member.

[0017] Additionally, when an occupant sits on the vehicle seat, the seat cover can prevent the occupant from feeling uncomfortable when sitting due to the second fabric member not being stretchable, and can prevent the occupant from feeling the presence of the reinforcing member. Therefore, the seat cover can be easily attached to the vehicle seat and the comfort of the seated occupant can be ensured.

[0018] As an aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the reinforcing member has lower stretchability than the second fabric member and higher tensile strength than the inflation pressure of the side airbag. According to this invention, the seat cover can more reliably prevent the second fabric member from stretching due to the inflation pressure of the side airbag, thereby more reliably preventing the second fabric member from breaking when the side airbag inflates and deploys. Therefore, the side airbag can be reliably inflated and deployed at an appropriate external position without being hindered by the seat cover from normally inflating and deploying the side airbag.

[0019] As a further aspect of the present invention, the reinforcing member may be sewn to a seam allowance portion that is a seam allowance of the second fabric member. According to this invention, the seat cover can more reliably prevent the second fabric member from breaking when the side airbag inflates and deploys.

[0020] Specifically, in the seat cover, the reinforcing member is sewn to a seam portion where the second fabric member and the adjacent fabric member are sewn together. This allows the entire second fabric member to be reinforced with the reinforcing member, so the seat cover can more reliably prevent the second fabric member from being stretched by the inflation pressure of the side airbag.

[0021] Therefore, the seat cover can more reliably prevent the second fabric member from breaking when the side airbag inflates and deploys, so that the side airbag can more reliably inflate and deploy to the appropriate external position without interfering with the normal inflation and deployment of the side airbag.

[0022] Furthermore, the seams where the reinforcing members are sewn together are not exposed on the surface of the seat cover, which prevents the seat cover from looking unattractive due to the exposed seams. In addition, because the reinforcing member is sewn to the seat cover at the seam allowance, the arrangement of the through-holes in the second fabric member can be made more flexible, preventing the provision of the reinforcing member from impairing the design freedom of the seat cover.

[0023] In another aspect of the present invention, the second fabric member may be provided at a position corresponding to the front surface of the seat back, which contacts the back of a seated occupant, between the side portions of the seat back of the vehicle seat.

[0024] According to this invention, the seat cover can reliably inflate and deploy the side airbag to the outside, and can also ensure the comfort of the seated occupant. Specifically, the seat cover is provided with a second fabric member having a plurality of through holes in a location where heat and moisture tend to accumulate and the seat cover is prone to becoming stuffy due to contact with the back of a seated occupant.

[0025] This allows the seat cover to improve breathability through the through holes, making it easier for heat and moisture to escape, ensuring comfort for seated occupants. Therefore, the seat cover can reliably inflate and deploy the side airbag to the outside, and can also ensure the comfort of the seated occupant.

[0026] In addition, the seat cover is provided with a second fabric member with multiple through holes at the location where it comes into contact with the back of a seated occupant, and is reinforced with a reinforcing member, so that even if the occupant's weight is repeatedly applied to the second fabric member when the occupant is seated, for example, the reinforcing member can prevent the second fabric member from stretching. Therefore, the seat cover can prevent the second fabric member from breaking even when the side airbag is not inflated and deployed, thereby improving durability.

[0027] As a further aspect of the present invention, the through-holes may be configured as ventilation holes that improve the breathability of the second fabric member. According to this invention, the seat cover can reinforce the second fabric member with the reinforcing member even when the second fabric member has ventilation holes.

[0028] As another aspect of the present invention, the through-hole may be configured as a leg insertion hole through which a leg of a headrest is inserted. According to this invention, even when leg insertion holes are provided in the second fabric member, the seat cover can reinforce the second fabric member with the reinforcing member.

[0029] In another aspect of the present invention, a webbing having lower stretchability than the first fabric member and higher tensile strength than the inflation pressure of the side airbag is provided at an edge of the first fabric member that faces the deployment direction of the side airbag in a side view, and the reinforcing member may be made of the same material as the webbing. The above-mentioned "same material" means that the reinforcing member has approximately the same stretchability and tensile strength as the webbing.

[0030] This invention allows the seat cover to have a good balance of overall tensile strength between the first and second fabric members, which allows the seams of the first fabric member to break more accurately when the side airbag inflates and deploys, thereby more reliably inflating and deploying the side airbag at the appropriate external position.

[0031] Specifically, the seat cover can prevent the first fabric member from stretching in response to the inflation and deployment of the side airbag when the side airbag inflates and deploys, by using the webbing provided on the first fabric member.

[0032] Since such a webbing and the reinforcing member that reinforces the second fabric member have approximately the same strength against the inflation pressure of the side airbag, the seat cover can prevent the inflation pressure acting when the side airbag is inflated and deployed from acting unevenly on either the webbing or the reinforcing member.

[0033] Therefore, the seat cover can achieve a good balance of the overall tensile strength between the first and second fabric members, which allows the seams of the first fabric member to break more accurately when the side airbag inflates and deploys, thereby more reliably inflating and deploying the side airbag at the appropriate external position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0034] This invention makes it possible to provide a seat cover that allows the side airbag to inflate and deploy to an appropriate external position without the second fabric member, which has multiple through holes formed therein, breaking and interfering with the normal inflation and deployment of the side airbag. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0035] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle seat. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle seat and a seat cover; [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle seat with a seat cover attached thereto; [Figure 4] An explanatory diagram of a seat cover. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the seat cover when the side airbag is inflated and deployed. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle seat fitted with a seat cover according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a vehicle seat 1, Fig. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the vehicle seat 1 and a seat cover 10, and Fig. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of the vehicle seat 1 fitted with the seat cover 10. Fig. 4 shows an explanatory diagram of the seat cover 10, Fig. 5 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the seat cover 10, and Fig. 6 shows a schematic perspective view of the seat cover 10. Figs. 7 to 9 show schematic enlarged cross-sectional views of the seat cover 10, and Fig. 10 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the seat cover 10 when the side airbag 5a is inflated and deployed.

[0037] 3 and 4, the inner webbing 17 and the outer webbing 18 are shown by dashed lines. 2 to 5, the multiple air vents 113 are shown schematically by multiple points. 5 and 6 show the seat cover 10 in an inverted state.

[0038] 4, 7, 8, 9 and 10 will be described in detail. Fig. 4(a) shows a schematic perspective view of the seat cover 10 as seen from above and in front of the vehicle and from the outside in the vehicle width direction, and Fig. 4(b) shows a schematic perspective view of the seat cover 10 as seen from above and in front of the vehicle and from the inside in the vehicle width direction. Fig. 7 shows a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the front upper fabric 111 of the seat cover 10 corresponding to the view of the arrow AA in Fig. 4(b), and Fig. 8 shows a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the front upper fabric 111 of the seat cover 10 corresponding to the view of the arrow BB in Fig. 4(b).

[0039] Figure 9 shows a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the front outer fabric 14 and outer side fabric 15 of the seat cover 10 corresponding to the view of the CC arrow in Figure 4(b), and Figure 10 shows a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the front outer fabric 14 and outer side fabric 15 of the seat cover 10 corresponding to the view of the CC arrow in Figure 4(b) when the side airbag 5a is inflated and deployed.

[0040] In the drawings, arrows Fr and Rr indicate the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, with arrow Fr indicating the front of the vehicle and arrow Rr indicating the rear of the vehicle. Additionally, arrows IN and OUT indicate the width direction of the vehicle, with arrow IN indicating the inside of the vehicle width direction and arrow OUT indicating the outside of the vehicle width direction.

[0041] First, we will explain the vehicle seat 1. The vehicle seat 1 is, for example, a driver's seat in a right-hand drive vehicle, and is composed of a seat cushion 2 on which an occupant sits, a seat back 3 that is tiltably erected at the rear end of the seat cushion 2, and a headrest 4 that is attached to the upper surface of the seat back 3, as shown in Figure 1.

[0042] The headrest 4 has two legs 41 extending downward and inserted into insertion holes 311 provided in the seat back 3, which will be described later. The legs 41 are cylindrical and are spaced a predetermined distance apart in the vehicle width direction.

[0043] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 1, the seat back 3 is formed so that the inner side in the vehicle width direction and the outer side in the vehicle width direction bulge outward and toward the front of the vehicle relative to the front surface with which the occupant's back comes into contact. Of the sides bulging outward and toward the front of the vehicle, the bulging inner side in the vehicle width direction is designated as inner side support 3a, which supports the seated occupant from the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and the bulging outer side in the vehicle width direction is designated as outer side support 3b, which supports the seated occupant from the outer side in the vehicle width direction.

[0044] As shown by the dashed line in Fig. 1, the outer side support 3b of the seat back 3 incorporates a side airbag unit 5 that protects the body of the occupant from the impact of the collision when the vehicle collides with an object. This side airbag unit 5 will be described in detail later.

[0045] The seat back 3 having the shape described above is composed of a metal seat back frame (not shown) that forms the skeleton of the seat back 3, an elastic cushion material (not shown) that covers the seat back frame, and a seat skin that forms the exterior design surface.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 1, the seat cover of the seat back 3 is formed by sewing together a plurality of cover materials. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the seat upholstery of the seat back 3 is composed of a front center upholstery material 31 extending from the upper surface of the seat back 3 to the lower end of the front surface with which the occupant's back comes into contact, a front inner upholstery material 32 arranged on the inside of the front center upholstery material 31 in the vehicle width direction, an inner side upholstery material 33 forming the inside side surface in the vehicle width direction, a front outer upholstery material 34 arranged on the outside of the front center upholstery material 31 in the vehicle width direction, an outer side upholstery material 35 forming the outside side surface in the vehicle width direction, and a back upholstery material (not shown) forming the back surface. In addition, near the upper end portion of the front center skin material 31, a pair of insertion holes 311, through which the leg portions 41 of the headrest 4 described above are inserted, are provided at intervals equal to the interval between the leg portions 41 in the vehicle width direction (see FIG. 2).

[0047] As shown in FIG. 1, the seat back 3 has a seat upholstery covering the inner side support 3a that is made up of a front inner upholstery material 32 and an inner side surface upholstery material 33, and a seat upholstery covering the outer side support 3b that is made up of a front outer upholstery material 34 and an outer side surface upholstery material 35. The front outer skin material 34 and the outer side skin material 35 are sewn together with a sewing thread that breaks under a tensile load lower than the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a, which will be described later.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 1, the seat upholstery of the seat back 3, which is made by sewing together multiple upholstery materials in this way, has a stitching line S1 which is the stitching portion between the front center upholstery material 31 and the front inner upholstery material 32, a stitching line S2 which is the stitching portion between the front inner upholstery material 32 and the inner side upholstery material 33, a stitching line S3 which is the stitching portion between the front center upholstery material 31 and the front outer upholstery material 34, a stitching line S4 which is the stitching portion between the front inner upholstery material 32 and the outer side upholstery material 35, a stitching line S5 which is the stitching portion between the outer side upholstery material 35 and the back upholstery material, and a stitching line (not shown) which is the stitching portion between the back upholstery material and the inner side upholstery material 33.

[0049] The side airbag unit 5 built into the outer side support 3b is built into the lower part of the outer side support 3b, as shown in Fig. 1. This side airbag unit 5 is configured so that when the vehicle collides with a collision object, the sewing thread that sews the front outer upholstery material 34 and the outer side surface upholstery material 35 together is ruptured by the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a, causing the side airbag 5a to inflate and deploy to the outside from the sewing line S4 that sews the front outer upholstery material 34 and the outer side surface upholstery material 35 together.

[0050] More specifically, the side airbag unit 5 is configured such that the inflation pressure breaks the sewing thread near the top T of the outer side support 3b on the front side of the vehicle, forming an opening at the sewing line S4, which is the sewing portion that sews together the front outer upholstery material 34 and the outer side upholstery material 35, and inflates and deploys the side airbag 5a in the deployment direction X (see Figure 9).

[0051] Since the stitching line S4 extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle, the opening opens the front outer skin material 34 and the outer side skin material 35 in the vehicle width direction to inflate and deploy the side airbag 5a. The deployment direction X is a direction from the opening toward the front of the vehicle and slightly toward the upper side of the vehicle when viewed from the side of the vehicle seat 1, and is a direction from the opening toward the front of the vehicle and slightly toward the outside in the vehicle width direction when viewed from the top of the vehicle seat 1.

[0052] Next, the seat cover 10 to be attached to the seat back 3 of the vehicle seat 1 configured as above will be described. The seat cover 10 is formed in a roughly bag-like shape by sewing together multiple pieces of genuine leather fabric formed in a shape that fits tightly against the seat back 3 so that they roughly match the seams between the upholstery materials on the seat back 3.

[0053] More specifically, as shown in Figures 2 to 5, the seat cover 10 is composed of a front center fabric 11 covering the front center upholstery material 31 of the seat back 3, a front inner fabric 12 covering the front inner upholstery material 32 of the seat back 3, an inner side fabric 13 covering the inner side upholstery material 33 of the seat back 3, a front outer fabric 14 covering the front outer upholstery material 34 of the seat back 3, an outer side fabric 15 covering the outer side upholstery material 35 of the seat back 3, and a back fabric 16 covering the back upholstery material of the seat back 3.

[0054] As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the above-mentioned front center fabric 11 is composed of a front upper fabric 111 that comes into contact with the back of a seated occupant, and a front lower fabric 112 that comes into contact with the occupant's waist. The upper front fabric 111 is provided with a plurality of fine ventilation holes 113 for improving breathability, and a pair of cover-side insertion holes 114 through which the legs 41 of the headrest 4 can be inserted (see Figures 2 to 5).

[0055] The ventilation holes 113 are circular through-holes formed on the entire surface of the front upper fabric 111, and a plurality of ventilation holes 113 are provided in a predetermined arrangement. The cover-side insertion holes 114 are circular through-holes larger than the vent holes 113, and are provided in two locations near the upper end of the front upper fabric 111 and in the center in the vehicle width direction, at intervals approximately equal to the intervals between the leg portions 41 in the vehicle width direction (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The cover-side insertion holes 114 are formed with an inner diameter that allows the leg portions 41 of the headrest 4 to be inserted therethrough.

[0056] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the seat cover 10, which is made by sewing multiple fabrics together in this manner, has a stitching line L1 where the front center fabric 11 and the front inner fabric 12 are sewn together, a stitching line L2 where the front inner fabric 12 and the inner side fabric 13 are sewn together, a stitching line L3 where the front center fabric 11 and the front outer fabric 14 are sewn together, a stitching line L4 where the front outer fabric 14 and the outer side fabric 15 are sewn together, a stitching line L5 where the outer side fabric 15 and the back fabric 16 are sewn together, a stitching line L6 where the back fabric 16 and the inner side fabric 13 are sewn together, a stitching line L7 where the front center fabric 11 is sewn together with the front upper fabric 111 and the front lower fabric 112, and a stitching line L8 where the front upper fabric 111 and the back fabric 16 are sewn together.

[0057] These sewing lines L1 to L8 are seam allowances where the fabric members to be sewn together are folded back toward the rear surface side of the seat cover 10. 7 and 8, in order to facilitate the following explanation, in the front upper fabric 111 of the seat cover 10 described above, the seam allowance on the outer side in the vehicle width direction where it is sewn to the front outer fabric 14 is referred to as outer seam allowance 11a, and the seam allowance on the inner side in the vehicle width direction where it is sewn to the front inner fabric 12 is referred to as inner seam allowance 11b. Furthermore, the seam allowance on the lower side of the vehicle where the front upper fabric 111 is sewn to the front lower fabric 112 is referred to as lower seam allowance 11c, and the seam allowance on the upper side of the vehicle where the front upper fabric 111 is sewn to the back fabric 16 is referred to as upper seam allowance 11d.

[0058] 5 and 8, in the front lower fabric 112, the seam allowance on the outer side in the vehicle width direction where it is sewn to the front outer fabric 14 is referred to as outer seam allowance 11e, and the seam allowance on the inner side in the vehicle width direction where it is sewn to the front inner fabric 12 is referred to as inner seam allowance 11f. Furthermore, the seam allowance above the vehicle where the front lower fabric 112 is sewn to the front upper fabric 111 is referred to as upper seam allowance 11g.

[0059] 9, in the front outer fabric 14, the rear seam allowance sewn to the front central fabric 11 is referred to as rear seam allowance 14a, and the front seam allowance sewn to the outer side fabric 15 is referred to as front seam allowance 14b. Furthermore, in the outer side fabric 15 described above, the rear seam allowance sewn to the back fabric 16 is referred to as rear seam allowance 15a, and the front seam allowance sewn to the front outer fabric 14 is referred to as front seam allowance 15b.

[0060] The front center fabric 11, front inner fabric 12, front outer fabric 14, inner side fabric 13, outer side fabric 15, and back fabric 16 are formed in similar shapes but slightly larger than the front center upholstery material 31, front inner upholstery material 32, front outer upholstery material 34, inner side upholstery material 33, outer side upholstery material 35, and back upholstery material (not shown) of the vehicle seat 1, respectively.

[0061] Therefore, when the seat cover 10 is attached to the seat back 3, the stitching lines L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, and L6 of the seat cover 10 approximately coincide with the stitching lines S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5 of the seat back 3, and the stitching line (not shown) that is the stitching portion between the back cover material and the inner side cover material 33.

[0062] The seat cover 10 configured in this manner is provided with an inner force cloth 17 on the back side of the front outer fabric 14, an outer force cloth 18 on the back side of the outer side fabric 15, and a reinforcing member 19 on the back side of the front upper fabric 111.

[0063] The inner force cloth 17 is a nylon or polyester fabric material that has lower stretchability than the front outer fabric 14 of the seat cover 10 and a tensile strength higher than the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a, and is a strip that is generally rectangular in side view and is long in the deployment direction X. The length of the inner force cloth 17 in the deployment direction X is slightly longer than the length of the front outer fabric 14 in the deployment direction X.

[0064] Such inner force cloth 17 is arranged so that its front end edge is located at approximately the same position in the vehicle up-down direction as the vicinity of the top T of the outer side support 3b, and is sewn to the front outer fabric 14 so as to connect the front seam allowance 14b and the rear seam allowance 14a in the deployment direction X of the side airbag 5a.

[0065] 9, the rear end of the inner force cloth 17 is sewn to the rear seam allowance 14a of the front outer fabric 14, and the front end of the inner force cloth 17 is sewn to the front seam allowance 14b of the front outer fabric 14. The inner force cloth 17 is sewn with a sewing thread having a tensile strength higher than the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a.

[0066] The outer force cloth 18 is made of the same material as the inner force cloth 17, and has lower stretchability than the outer side surface fabric 15 of the seat cover 10, and a tensile strength higher than the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a. The outer force cloth 18 is a strip-shaped body that is generally rectangular in a side view and has a length in the deployment direction X that is longer than the length in the deployment direction X of the inner force cloth 17. The inner force cloth 17 is also formed so that its length in the deployment direction X is slightly longer than the length in the deployment direction X of the outer side surface fabric 15.

[0067] Such outer force cloth 18 is arranged so that its front end edge is located at approximately the same position in the vehicle vertical direction as the front end edge of the inner force cloth 17, and is sewn to the outer side surface fabric 15 so as to connect the front seam allowance 15b and the rear seam allowance 15a in the deployment direction X of the side airbag 5a.

[0068] 9, the rear end of the outer force cloth 18 is sewn to the rear seam allowance 15a of the outer side surface fabric 15, and the front end of the outer force cloth 18 is sewn to the front seam allowance 15b of the outer side surface fabric 15. The outer force cloth 18 is sewn with a sewing thread having a tensile strength higher than the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a.

[0069] The reinforcing member 19 provided on the back side of the front upper fabric 111 is made of the same material as the inner force cloth 17, and has lower stretchability than the front upper fabric 111 of the seat cover 10, and a tensile strength higher than the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a. The reinforcing member 19 has a shape similar to that of the front upper fabric 111, but is formed with an area slightly larger than that of the front upper fabric 111 (see FIG. 5).

[0070] Furthermore, the reinforcing member 19 has webbing-side insertion holes 191 through which the leg portions 41 of the headrest 4 can be inserted. The webbing-side through-holes 191 are provided in two locations near the upper end of the reinforcing member 19 and in the center in the vehicle width direction, at intervals approximately equal to the intervals between the cover-side through-holes 114 in the vehicle width direction (see FIG. 5). The inner diameter of the webbing-side through-holes 191 is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the cover-side through-holes 114.

[0071] Such a reinforcing member 19 is sewn around the entire periphery near the end to the back surface of the front upper fabric 111 after aligning the cover-side insertion holes 114 and webbing-side insertion holes 191 of the front upper fabric 111. More specifically, the reinforcing member 19 is sewn to both ends in the vehicle width direction along the entire length of the outer seam allowance 11a and the inner seam allowance 11b of the front upper fabric 111, and is sewn to both ends in the vehicle vertical direction along the entire length of the lower seam allowance 11c and the upper seam allowance 11d (see Figures 7 and 8).

[0072] As described above, the reinforcing member 19 is formed with an area slightly larger than the area of ​​the front upper fabric 111, so by sewing the entire circumference near the end, it is fixed in a loose state to the front upper fabric 111.

[0073] More specifically, for example, reinforcing member 19 is fixed in a state where a rod having a thickness of about one finger can be inserted between reinforcing member 19 and front upper fabric 111 when there is no slack in front upper fabric 111. Alternatively, reinforcing member 19 is fixed in a state where front upper fabric 111 can be bent in an arched shape so that the surfaces of front upper fabric 111 face each other.

[0074] Since the reinforcing member 19 is sewn in this manner, a seam 115 is formed on the back side of the front upper fabric 111 of the seat cover 10, sewing the reinforcing member 19 around the entire edge (see Figure 6).

[0075] As shown in Figure 10, when the vehicle collides with a collision object, the seat cover 10 configured as described above causes the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a, which begins to inflate and deploy, to break the stitching threads connecting the front outer fabric 14 and the outer side fabric 15, and forms an opening in the stitching portion between the front outer fabric 14 and the outer side fabric 15, more specifically, in the portion near the top T of the outer side support 3b on the sewing line L4, thereby causing the side airbag 5a to inflate and deploy outward.

[0076] At this time, a tensile load acts on the front outer fabric 14 in the unfolding direction X, and this tensile load generates tension in the inner webbing 17 sewn to the rear seam allowance 14a and the front seam allowance 14b. Furthermore, since the front outer fabric 14 and the front central fabric 11 are sewn together, the tensile load acting on the front outer fabric 14 and the tension generated in the inner force cloth 17 are transmitted from the front outer fabric 14 to the front central fabric 11.

[0077] More specifically, the above-mentioned tensile load and tension are transmitted to the front lower fabric 112 via the outer seam allowance 11e, which is sewn to the rear seam allowance 14a of the front outer fabric 14, and are also transmitted to the front upper fabric 111 via the outer seam allowance 11a.

[0078] Here, the upper front surface fabric 111 is formed with a plurality of ventilation holes 113, so that it is more easily stretched than the lower front surface fabric 112 when a tensile load and tension are transmitted thereto. Therefore, the tensile load and tension cause the front upper fabric 111 to stretch, but at this time, the tension generated in the reinforcing member 19 suppresses the stretching of the front upper fabric 111.

[0079] As described above, the seat cover 10 is built into the outer side support 3b and is detachably attached to the vehicle seat 1 having the side airbag 5a that inflates and deploys by rupturing the vicinity of the top T of the outer side support 3b. The seat cover 10 covers the outer side support 3b and is equipped with a front surface outer fabric 14 and outer side surface fabrics 15 sewn so that the sewing line L4 substantially coincides with the vicinity of the top T of the outer side support 3b, a front surface upper fabric 111 that is provided in a position different from the front surface outer fabric 14 and the outer side surface fabric 15 and has a plurality of air vents 113 formed therein, and a flexible sheet-like reinforcing member 19 that reinforces the front surface upper fabric 111.

[0080] As a result, the seat cover 10 can inflate and deploy the side airbag 5a at an appropriate external position without the front upper fabric 111, in which the multiple air vents 113 are formed, breaking and interfering with the normal inflation and deployment of the side airbag 5a.

[0081] Specifically, since the front upper fabric 111, in which multiple air vents 113 are formed, is reinforced by the reinforcing member 19, the seat cover 10 can prevent the front upper fabric 111 from stretching in response to the inflation and deployment of the side airbag 5a when the side airbag 5a inflates and deploys.

[0082] Therefore, the seat cover 10 can prevent the front upper fabric 111, in which the plurality of air vents 113 are formed, from being torn when the side airbag 5a is inflated and deployed. Therefore, the seat cover 10 allows the side airbag 5a to inflate and deploy at an appropriate external position without interfering with the normal inflation and deployment of the side airbag 5a.

[0083] Furthermore, the reinforcing member 19 has lower stretchability than the upper front surface fabric 111 and higher tensile strength than the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a. This allows the seat cover 10 to more reliably prevent the front upper fabric 111 from stretching due to the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a, and therefore more reliably prevents the front upper fabric 111 from breaking when the side airbag 5a inflates and deploys. Therefore, the seat cover 10 does not interfere with the normal inflation and deployment of the side airbag 5a, and the side airbag 5a can be reliably inflated and deployed at an appropriate external position.

[0084] Furthermore, the reinforcing member 19 is formed to have an area slightly larger than the area of ​​the front upper fabric 111, and is sewn to the front upper fabric 111 in a loose state. As a result, when a tensile load is applied to the front upper fabric 111 of the seat cover 10, the front upper fabric 111 can stretch slightly by the amount of slack in the reinforcing member 19, thereby preventing a decrease in fit when attaching the seat cover 10 to a vehicle seat 1, for example, due to the presence of the reinforcing member 19.

[0085] In addition, when an occupant sits on the vehicle seat 1, the seat cover 10 can prevent the occupant from feeling uncomfortable when sitting due to the front upper fabric 111 not stretching, and from feeling the presence of the reinforcing member 19. Therefore, the seat cover 10 can be easily attached to the vehicle seat 1 and can ensure comfort for the seated occupant.

[0086] The reinforcing member 19 is sewn to the seam allowances of the front upper fabric 111, which are the outer seam allowance 11a, the inner seam allowance 11b, the lower seam allowance 11c and the upper seam allowance 11d. This makes it possible for the seat cover 10 to more reliably prevent the front upper fabric 111 from breaking when the side airbag 5a inflates and deploys.

[0087] Specifically, in the seat cover 10, the reinforcing member 19 is sewn to the outer seam allowance 11a, inner seam allowance 11b, lower seam allowance 11c and upper seam allowance 11d where the front upper fabric 111 and the adjacent front lower fabric 112, front inner fabric 12, front outer fabric 14 and back fabric 16 are sewn together.

[0088] This allows the entire front surface upper fabric 111 to be reinforced by the reinforcing member 19, so that the seat cover 10 can more reliably prevent the front surface upper fabric 111 from being stretched by the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a.

[0089] Therefore, the seat cover 10 can more reliably prevent the front upper fabric 111 from breaking when the side airbag 5a inflates and deploys, so that the side airbag 5a can be more reliably inflated and deployed to an appropriate external position without interfering with the normal inflation and deployment of the side airbag 5a.

[0090] Furthermore, the seat cover 10 does not have the outer seam allowance 11a, inner seam allowance 11b, lower seam allowance 11c, and upper seam allowance 11d, which are used to sew the reinforcing member 19, exposed to the surface. This prevents the seat cover 10 from losing its appearance due to the outer seam allowance 11a, inner seam allowance 11b, lower seam allowance 11c, and upper seam allowance 11d being exposed.

[0091] In addition, the seat cover 10 has the reinforcing member 19 sewn at the outer seam 11a, inner seam 11b, lower seam 11c, and upper seam 11d, allowing for flexibility in the placement of the air vents 113 in the front upper fabric 111. Therefore, the seat cover 10 can prevent the provision of the reinforcing member 19 from impairing the freedom of design.

[0092] The front upper fabric 111 is provided between the inner side support 3a and the outer side support 3b of the vehicle seat 1 at a position corresponding to the front central covering material 31 that comes into contact with the back of a seated occupant.

[0093] As a result, the seat cover 10 can ensure the comfort of the seated occupant and can also reliably deploy the side airbag 5a to the outside. Specifically, the seat cover 10 has a front upper fabric 111 with multiple ventilation holes 113 in areas that are prone to trapping heat and moisture and becoming stuffy due to contact with the back of a seated occupant, and is reinforced with a reinforcing member 19.

[0094] As a result, the seat cover 10 can improve breathability through the ventilation holes 113, allowing hot air and moisture to escape more easily, thereby ensuring comfort for seated occupants. Therefore, the seat cover 10 can reliably inflate and deploy the side airbag 5a to the outside, and can also ensure the comfort of the seated occupant.

[0095] Additionally, the seat cover 10 is provided with a front upper fabric 111 having a plurality of ventilation holes 113 at a location that comes into contact with the back of a seated occupant, and is reinforced with a reinforcing member 19. Therefore, even if the weight of the occupant is repeatedly applied to the front upper fabric 111 when the occupant is seated, for example, the reinforcing member 19 can suppress the stretching of the front upper fabric 111. Therefore, the seat cover 10 can prevent the front upper fabric 111 from breaking even when the side airbag 5a is not inflated and deployed, thereby improving durability.

[0096] Furthermore, the through holes formed in the front upper fabric 111 are ventilation holes 113 that improve the breathability of the front upper fabric 111 . As a result, the seat cover 10 can reinforce the front upper fabric 111 with the reinforcing member 19 even when the ventilation holes 113 are provided in the front upper fabric 111.

[0097] Further, the through-holes formed in the front upper fabric 111 are cover-side insertion holes 114 through which the leg portions 41 of the headrest 4 are inserted. As a result, the seat cover 10 can reinforce the front upper fabric 111 with the reinforcing member 19 even when the cover-side through-holes 114 are provided in the front upper fabric 111.

[0098] In addition, an inner force cloth 17 having lower elasticity than the front outer fabric 14 and higher tensile strength than the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a is provided at the edge of the front outer fabric 14 that faces the deployment direction X of the side airbag 5a in a side view, and the reinforcing member 19 is made of the same material as the inner force cloth 17.

[0099] This allows the seat cover 10 to achieve a good balance in overall tensile strength between the front outer fabric 14 and the front upper fabric 111. As a result, the seat cover 10 more accurately tears the stitched portion between the front outer fabric 14 and the outer side fabric 15 when the side airbag 5a inflates and deploys, allowing the side airbag 5a to inflate and deploy more reliably at an appropriate external position.

[0100] Specifically, the seat cover 10 can prevent the front outer fabric 14 from stretching in response to the inflation and deployment of the side airbag 5a when the side airbag 5a is inflated and deployed, by using the inner force cloth 17 provided on the front outer fabric 14.

[0101] Such inner force cloth 17 and the reinforcing member 19 that reinforces the front upper fabric 111 have approximately the same strength against the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a. Therefore, the seat cover 10 can prevent the inflation pressure acting when the side airbag 5a is inflated and deployed from acting unevenly on either the inner force cloth 17 or the reinforcing member 19.

[0102] Therefore, the seat cover 10 can achieve a good balance in the overall tensile strength between the front outer fabric 14 and the front upper fabric 111. As a result, the seat cover 10 can more accurately rupture the stitched portion between the front outer fabric 14 and the outer side fabric 15 when the side airbag 5a inflates and deploys, allowing the side airbag 5a to inflate and deploy more reliably at an appropriate external position.

[0103] In correspondence between the configuration of this invention and the above-mentioned embodiment, The side portions of the seat back of this invention correspond to the outer side supports 3b, Similarly, The fracture initiation point corresponds to the vicinity of the top T of the outer side support 3b, The stitching corresponds to the stitching line L4. The set of first fabric members corresponds to the front outer fabric 14 and the outer side fabric 15, The through holes correspond to the ventilation holes 113, The second fabric member corresponds to the front upper fabric 111, The seam allowance portion corresponds to an outer seam allowance 11a, an inner seam allowance 11b, a lower seam allowance 11c, and an upper seam allowance 11d, The front of the seat back corresponds to the front center skin material 31, The leg insertion holes correspond to the webbing insertion holes 191, The webbing corresponds to the inner webbing 17, The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0104] For example, in the above description, the seat cover 10 is attached to the vehicle seat 1, which is the driver's seat of a right-hand drive vehicle, but this is not limited thereto, and the seat cover 10a may be attached to the vehicle seat 1a, which is the passenger seat of a right-hand drive vehicle, as shown in Fig. 11. Furthermore, the vehicle seat may be a rear seat. Furthermore, the front outer fabric 14, the outer side fabric 15 and the front upper fabric 111 are made of genuine leather, but are not limited to this and may be made of synthetic leather or fabric such as cloth.

[0105] In the above description, the ventilation holes 113, which are through-holes provided in the front upper fabric 111, are formed to improve the breathability of the seat cover 10, but the purpose and means of the through-holes are not limited. The ventilation holes 113 can be provided by an appropriate method depending on the material of the front upper fabric 111, such as punching.

[0106] Furthermore, although the ventilation holes 113 are formed over the entire surface of the front upper fabric 111, this is not limitative, and the ventilation holes 113 may be provided in a predetermined area of ​​the front upper fabric 111. Note that a plurality of the predetermined areas may be provided in the front upper fabric 111.

[0107] 11, ventilation holes 113 may be formed in the front lower fabric 112 in addition to the front upper fabric 111. Even in this case, by sewing a reinforcing member 19 to the back surface side of the front lower fabric 112, the same effect as in the above-described embodiment can be achieved.

[0108] Furthermore, although the ventilation holes 113 are formed in a circular shape, there are no limitations on the shape of the ventilation holes 113, and they can be formed in any desired shape such as a star shape or a cross shape depending on the design, functionality, etc. Furthermore, among the ventilation holes 113 formed in various shapes like this, ventilation holes 113 of two or more different shapes, such as a circle and a star shape, may be formed.

[0109] Furthermore, there is no limitation on the arrangement of the ventilation holes 113. For example, they may be arranged in a grid pattern to form multiple rows in a predetermined direction, or they may be arranged in a staggered pattern by shifting any of the multiple rows formed as described above.

[0110] Furthermore, in the above description, a reinforcing member 19 made of nylon or polyester is used as a reinforcing member for reinforcing the upper front surface fabric 111, but the reinforcing member is not limited to any material as long as it can reinforce the upper front surface fabric 111 and is in the form of a flexible sheet, and may be made of, for example, a resin material.

[0111] Furthermore, in the above description, the reinforcing member 19 is fixed to the front upper fabric 111 by sewing it thereto for reinforcement, but there is no particular limitation on the method for reinforcing the front upper fabric 111 with the reinforcing member.

[0112] Furthermore, the above-mentioned reinforcing member 19 is formed to have an area slightly larger than the area of ​​the front upper fabric 111 and is configured to cover the entire surface of the front upper fabric 111, but the reinforcing member 19 does not necessarily have to cover the entire surface of the front upper fabric 111 as long as it can suppress the stretching of the front upper fabric 111.

[0113] Furthermore, in the vehicle seat 1, the side airbag 5a is configured to inflate and deploy from an opening formed by breaking the sewing thread that sews the front outer upholstery material 34 and the outer side surface upholstery material 35 together, but this is not limited to this, and the side airbag 5a may be configured to inflate and deploy by breaking an appropriate location of the outer side support 3b.

[0114] Even in this case, by making a seat cover in which the stitching between the fabrics is approximately aligned at an appropriate location on the outer side support 3b, and then reinforcing the upper front fabric 111 with a reinforcing member 19, it is possible to achieve the same effect as in the above-described embodiment.

[0115] In addition, in the vehicle seat 1, the opening for inflating and deploying the side airbag 5a is formed in the vehicle width direction by sewing the front outer upholstery material 34 and the outer side upholstery material 35 together along a seam line S4 in the vehicle vertical direction. However, for example, the opening may be formed in the vehicle vertical direction by sewing the fabric members constituting the outer side support 3b together along a seam line in the vehicle width direction.

[0116] In this case, the seat cover can be adapted to vehicle seats in which the opening is formed in the vertical direction of the vehicle by sewing the front outer fabric 14 and the outer side fabric 15 in the above-mentioned embodiment with a seam line in the vehicle width direction.

[0117] Furthermore, the seat cover 10 is a seat cover that is attached to the seat back 3 of the vehicle seat 1, but is not limited to this, and the seat cover 10 may be a seat cover that is attached integrally to the seat cushion 2 and seat back 3 of the vehicle seat 1. Alternatively, the seat cover 10 may be a seat cover that is attached integrally to the seat cushion 2, seat back 3, and headrest 4 of the vehicle seat 1.

[0118] In addition, the deployment direction X of the side airbag 5a is set to be forward of and slightly above the vehicle in a side view, but is not limited thereto, and the deployment direction X of the side airbag 5a may be set to be forward of the vehicle in a side view. Alternatively, the deployment direction X of the side airbag 5a may be set to be upward of and slightly forward of the vehicle in a side view. [Explanation of symbols]

[0119] 1,1a...Vehicle seats 3...Seat back 3b...Outer side support 4...Headrest 5a...Side airbag 10,10a...Seat cover 11a…Outside seam allowance 11b...Inner seam allowance 11c...Bottom seam allowance 11d...Top seam allowance 14…Front outer fabric 14a...Back seam allowance 15...Outer side fabric 17…Inner force cloth 19...Reinforcing member 31…Front center skin material 41...legs 111...Upper front fabric 113...Ventilation hole 191... Webbing side insertion hole L4...Sewing line T…Top X…Development direction

Claims

1. A seat cover that is removably attached to a vehicle seat having a side airbag that is built into a side portion of a seat back and that inflates and deploys by breaking a breaking initiation portion of the side portion of the seat back, a set of first fabric members that cover the side portions of the seat back and are sewn together so that the stitching portions substantially coincide with the tear initiation points; a second fabric member provided at a position different from that of the first fabric member and having a plurality of through holes formed therein; and a flexible sheet-like reinforcing member that reinforces the second fabric member. Seat covers.

2. The reinforcing member has a lower stretchability than the second fabric member and a higher tensile strength than the inflation pressure of the side airbag. The seat cover according to claim 1.

3. The reinforcing member is formed to have an area slightly larger than that of the second fabric member, and is sewn to the second fabric member in a loose state. The seat cover according to claim 1.

4. The reinforcing member is sewn to a seam allowance portion of the second fabric member. The seat cover according to claim 1.

5. The second fabric member is provided at a position corresponding to the front surface of the seat back, which contacts the back of a seated occupant, between the side portions of the seat back of the vehicle seat. The seat cover according to claim 1.

6. The through-holes are configured as ventilation holes that improve the breathability of the second fabric member. The seat cover according to claim 1.

7. The through-holes are configured as leg insertion holes through which the legs of the headrest are inserted. The seat cover according to claim 1.

8. a webbing having lower stretchability than the first fabric member and higher tensile strength than the inflation pressure of the side airbag is provided at an edge of the first fabric member that faces the side airbag in a deployment direction in a side view, The reinforcing member is made of the same material as the webbing. The seat cover according to claim 1.

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