Sheet fasteners and sheet fixing methods

Abstract

To provide a seat fastener that improves the degree of freedom in mounting and arranging the outer member to the seat member. [Solution] The sheet fastener 1 comprises an outer member 2 to which a first sheet end SE1 is fixed, and an inner member 3 to which a second sheet end SE2 is fixed. The outer member 2 extends to form a receiving groove 21G that opens in one direction and includes a receiving portion 21 that engages with the inner member 3 housed in the receiving groove 21G, and a first sheet fixing portion 23 to which the first sheet end SE1 is fixed. The first sheet fixing portion 23 extends from a first end 211, which is one end of the receiving portion 21, in the direction of the opening of the receiving groove 21G, and curves convexly toward the second end 212, which is the other end of the receiving portion 21, in the groove width direction of the receiving groove 21G.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat fastener and a seat fixing method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, each part such as the seat surface and the back of a seat in an automobile or the like includes a cushion body serving as a base, one or more seat members covering the surface of the cushion body, and a seat fastener that engages the ends of the seat members (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The seat fastener disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes an outer member and an inner member that engage with each other. The outer member has a first seat fixing portion to which an end portion (first seat end portion) of the first seat member is sewn, and a housing portion that forms a housing groove, and the inner member has a second seat fixing portion to which an end portion (second seat end portion) of the second seat member is sewn, and a hook portion that forms a hook groove. When engaging the inner member with the outer member, after temporarily holding by hooking the hook portion on the housing portion, the inner member is rotated to house the hook portion in the housing groove.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the seat fastener described in Patent Document 1, when attaching the first seat end to the first seat fixing part by sewing, interference with the housing part restricts the placement of the outer member on the sewing table, and limits the direction in which the sewing needle is inserted into the first seat fixing part (needle insertion direction) to one direction. As a result, the degree of freedom in the mounting arrangement of the outer member to the seat member is suppressed, and it is difficult to change the mounting arrangement of the outer member to the seat member according to the seat layout.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a sheet fastener and a sheet fixing method that improve the degree of freedom in the mounting arrangement of the outer member to the sheet member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] [1] A sheet fastener according to one aspect of the present invention comprises an outer member to which a first sheet end is fixed and an inner member to which a second sheet end is fixed, wherein the outer member extends to form a receiving groove that opens in one direction and engages with the inner member housed in the receiving groove and a first sheet fixing portion to which the first sheet end is fixed, the receiving portion has a first end and a second end arranged on either side of the opening of the receiving groove, the first sheet fixing portion is connected to the first end of the receiving portion and, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the opening direction and the groove width direction of the receiving groove, the first sheet fixing portion has a plate shape that curves convexly from the first end to the second end of the receiving portion in the groove width direction.

[0008] [2] In the above [1], it is preferable that the housing portion comprises a first housing wall portion that forms the first end, a second housing wall portion that forms the second end and faces the first housing wall portion via the housing groove, and a housing bottom portion that faces the opening of the housing groove and connects the first housing wall portion and the second housing wall portion.

[0009] [3] In the above [2], it is preferable that the first sheet fixing portion forms a space between the outer surface of the first housing wall portion opposite to the housing groove side and a virtual surface that extends on the same plane.

[0010] [4] In any of the above [1] to [3], the first sheet fixing portion preferably comprises a base portion connected to the first end of the housing portion, a main body portion connected to the base portion, and a hinge portion formed between the base portion and the main body portion and which serves as the starting point for the deflection that occurs in the main body portion.

[0011] [5] In any of the above [1] to [4], it is preferable that the outer member further comprises a protrusion that is spaced apart from the opening of the receiving groove in the direction of the opening and protrudes from the first sheet fixing portion.

[0012] [6] In any of the above [1] to [5], the curved shape of the first sheet fixing portion protrudes from the inner surface of the receiving groove in the groove width direction, and it is preferable that the height of the protrusion is smaller than the groove width of the receiving groove.

[0013] [7] In any of the above [1] to [6], the inner member preferably comprises a hook portion that extends to form a hook groove opening in one direction and is housed in the housing groove from a state in which it is temporarily held at the second end of the housing portion, and a second sheet fixing portion to which the second sheet end is fixed, wherein the hook portion preferably comprises a first hook wall portion to which the second sheet fixing portion is connected, a second hook wall portion that faces the first hook wall portion via the hook groove, and a hook bottom portion that faces the opening of the hook groove and connects the first hook wall portion and the second hook wall portion.

[0014] [8] In the above [7], the second sheet fixing portion has a bent shape that is bent on the opposite side from the hook groove side with respect to the first hook wall, and it is preferable that the bending angle of the second sheet fixing portion with respect to the first hook wall is less than 90 degrees.

[0015] [9] In the above [7] or [8], it is preferable that the first hook wall extends more than the second hook wall from the bottom of the hook in the direction of the opening of the hook groove.

[0016]

[10] In the above [9], it is preferable that the first hook wall portion extends so that it is spaced further apart from the second hook wall portion in the width direction of the hook groove as it moves toward the opening direction of the hook groove.

[0017]

[11] In the above

[10] , it is preferable that the inner member further comprises a projection that protrudes from the first hook wall toward the hook groove.

[0018]

[12] In the above

[11] , the hook portion has a first bent portion formed between the first hook wall portion and the hook bottom portion, and a second bent portion formed between the second hook wall portion and the hook bottom portion, and when the hook portion is housed in the housing groove, it is preferable that the first bent portion, the second bent portion and the projection portion abut against the inner surface of the housing groove, respectively.

[0019]

[13] A sheet fixing method for fixing the first sheet end to an outer member as described in any of [1] to [6] above, comprising the steps of: positioning the outer member on the sewing table with the curved surface of the first sheet fixing portion facing either side in the groove width direction facing the sewing table, according to a predetermined mounting position of the outer member to the first sheet end; and sewing the first sheet end to the first sheet fixing portion on the sewing table. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0020] [Figure 1] A side view showing a sheet fastener according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A side view showing the outer member constituting the sheet fastener of this embodiment. [Figure 3] A perspective view showing the outer member constituting the sheet fastener of this embodiment. [Figure 4] Side view showing the inner member constituting the seat fastener of the present embodiment. [Figure 5] Perspective view showing the inner member constituting the seat fastener of the present embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure showing an example of the state where the outer member of the present embodiment is arranged on the sewing table. [Figure 7] Figure showing another example of the state where the outer member of the present embodiment is arranged on the sewing table and the outer member before assembly. [Figure 8] Figure showing an example of the state where the inner member of the present embodiment is arranged on the sewing table. [Figure 9] Figure showing the state where the inner member of the present embodiment is temporarily held by the outer member. [Figure 10] Figure illustrating the process of assembling the inner member of the present embodiment to the outer member. [Figure 11] Side view showing the seat fastener of the present embodiment enlarged. [Figure 12] Figure showing the temporarily held states of the inner members of the present embodiment and the comparative example. [Figure 13] Figure showing the seat fastener according to the reference example, showing the state where the inner member is temporarily held by the outer member and the state where the inner member is assembled to the outer member, respectively.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] An embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the seat fastener 1 of the present embodiment includes an outer member 2 fixed to the first sheet end SE1 and an inner member 3 fixed to the second sheet end SE2. By engaging the inner member 3 with the outer member 2, the second sheet end SE2 can be fastened to the first sheet end SE1.

[0022] In this embodiment, the first seat end SE1 and the second seat end SE2 may be two ends of the same seat member, or they may be ends of different seat members. Hereafter, the end of the first seat member S1 will be referred to as the first seat end SE1, and the end of the second seat member S2 will be referred to as the second seat end SE2. The first seat member S1 and the second seat member S2 are attached to a cushion body that serves as the base for various parts of a seat, such as the seat surface and backrest of a car seat. Furthermore, any surface material can be used for the first seat member S1 and the second seat member S2.

[0023] [Outer components] The configuration of the outer member 2 will be explained with reference to Figures 2 and 3. The outer member 2 includes a housing portion 21 that extends to form a housing groove 21G that opens in one direction, and a first sheet fixing portion 23 to which the first sheet end portion SE1 is fixed.

[0024] In the description of the outer member 2, the opening direction of the accommodating groove 21G is defined as the +X direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -X direction. Furthermore, the groove width direction perpendicular to the opening direction of the accommodating groove 21G is defined as the Z direction, with one side of the groove width direction being defined as the +Z direction and the other side being defined as the -Z direction. Additionally, the direction perpendicular to both the X and Z directions is defined as the Y direction.

[0025] The outer member 2 has an arbitrary length in the Y direction, depending on the dimensions of the first sheet end SE1. This outer member 2 is integrally molded from synthetic resin and has a continuous cross-sectional shape in the Y direction. The outer member 2 may also have intermittent slit-like notches.

[0026] The housing portion 21 has a U-shape when viewed in the Y direction and extends to form a housing groove 21G. The housing portion 21 has a first end portion 211, which is one end in the extension direction of the housing portion 21, and a second end portion 212, which is the other end in the extension direction of the housing portion 21. The first end portion 211 and the second end portion 212 are arranged so as to sandwich the opening 210 of the housing groove 21G between them. The second end portion 212 may be located on the -X side of the first end portion 211.

[0027] Furthermore, the housing section 21 includes a first housing wall section 213 that forms the first end section 211, a second housing wall section 214 that forms the second end section 212 and faces the first housing wall section 213 via a housing groove 21G, and a housing bottom section 215 that faces the opening 210 of the housing groove 21G and connects the first housing wall section 213 and the second housing wall section 214. The first housing wall section 213 is connected to one end of the housing bottom section 215 in the -Z direction and extends from the housing bottom section 215 in the +X direction. The second housing wall section 214 is connected to one end of the housing bottom section 215 in the +Z direction and extends from the housing bottom section 215 in the +X direction. The first housing wall section 213 and the second housing wall section 214 each have a plate shape and are arranged parallel to each other. The housing bottom portion 215 extends along the Z direction between the first housing wall portion 213 and the second housing wall portion 214.

[0028] The first sheet fixing portion 23 is connected to the first end portion 211 of the housing portion 21. In a view in the Y direction, the first sheet fixing portion 23 has a plate shape that curves convexly from the first end portion 211 to the second end portion 212 of the housing portion 21 in the Z direction (i.e., toward the +Z direction). The first sheet fixing portion 23 also forms a space S between the first sheet fixing portion 23 and a virtual surface VP that extends on the same plane as the outer surface 2131 of the first housing wall portion 213. This space S can be used as a space for the first sheet fixing portion 23 on the sewing table T to undergo elastic deformation, as will be described later (see Figure 6).

[0029] The curved shape of the first sheet fixing portion 23 protrudes in the +Z direction from the inner surface 2132 of the first housing wall portion 213 (i.e., the inner surface of the housing groove 21G), and it is preferable that the protrusion height H2 is smaller than the groove width H1 of the housing groove 21G. Furthermore, the lower limit of the protrusion height H2 of the curved shape of the first sheet fixing portion 23 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it is 1 / 3 or more of the groove width H1 of the housing groove 21G. The length of the first sheet fixing portion 23 in the X direction is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it is greater than or equal to the length of the first housing wall portion 213 or the second housing wall portion 214 in the X direction.

[0030] Furthermore, the first sheet fixing portion 23 has a base portion 231 connected to the first end portion 211 of the housing portion 21, and a main body portion 232 connected to the base portion 231. The base portion 231 extends from the first end portion 211 of the housing portion 21 in the +Z direction so as to partially cover the opening 210 of the housing groove 21G. The main body portion 232 extends from the base portion 231 in the +X direction.

[0031] The main body portion 232 may form a curved shape together with the base end portion 231, or it may form a curved shape by itself. The main body portion 232 has a convex curved surface 233 facing the +Z direction and a concave curved surface 234 facing the -Z direction. One end of the main body portion 232 in the +X direction (i.e., the tip portion 235 of the first sheet fixing portion 23) is positioned on the virtual surface VP.

[0032] Between the base end portion 231 and the main body portion 232, a hinge portion 24 is formed, which serves as the starting point for the deflection that occurs in the main body portion 232 when the first sheet fixing portion 23 undergoes elastic deformation. In this embodiment, the hinge portion 24 is a bent portion formed between the base end portion 231 and the main body portion 232, and has a concave corner portion that extends along the Y direction and opens to the -Z side. The hinge portion 24 may also be formed as a simple bent portion or thin-walled portion in the first sheet fixing portion 23.

[0033] Furthermore, the outer member 2 is further provided with a protrusion 25 that projects in the +Z direction from the first sheet fixing portion 23. The protrusion 25 can abut against the first sheet end portion SE1 in the X direction and functions as a positioning element for the first sheet end portion SE1 (see Figure 1).

[0034] The protrusion 25 is positioned spaced apart in the +X direction from the opening 210 of the housing groove 21G. In this embodiment, the protrusion 25 protrudes in the +Z direction from the main body 232, and a guide region 233R, which is a part of the main body 232, exists between the opening 210 of the housing groove 21G and the protrusion 25. The guide region 233R can guide the insertion of the inner member 3 into the housing groove 21G (see, for example, Figure 10).

[0035] [Inner components] The configuration of the inner member 3 will be explained with reference to Figures 4 and 5. The inner member 3 includes a hook portion 31 extending to form a hook groove 31G that opens in one direction, a second sheet fixing portion 32 connected to the hook portion 31 and to which the second sheet end portion SE2 is fixed, and a projection 35 protruding from the hook portion 31 so as to face the hook groove 31G.

[0036] In the description of the inner member 3, the opening direction of the hook groove 31G is defined as the +U direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -U direction. Furthermore, the groove width direction perpendicular to the opening direction of the hook groove 31G is defined as the W direction, with one side of the groove width direction being defined as the +W direction and the other side being defined as the -W direction. Additionally, the direction perpendicular to both the U direction and the W direction is defined as the V direction.

[0037] The inner member 3 has an arbitrary length in the V direction, depending on the dimensions of the second sheet end SE2. This inner member 3 is integrally molded from synthetic resin and has a continuous cross-sectional shape in the V direction. The inner member 3 may also have intermittent slit-like notches.

[0038] The hook portion 31 has a J-shape when viewed in the V direction. The hook portion 31 is configured to be movable from a state in which it is temporarily held at the second end 212 of the housing portion 21 (see Figure 9) to a state in which it is housed in the housing groove 21G (see Figure 1). Specifically, the hook portion 31 comprises a first hook wall portion 311 to which the second sheet fixing portion 32 is connected, a second hook wall portion 312 that faces the first hook wall portion 311 via the hook groove 31G, and a hook bottom portion 313 that faces the opening 310 of the hook groove 31G and connects the first housing wall portion 213 and the second housing wall portion 214.

[0039] The first hook wall portion 311 is connected to one end of the hook base portion 313 in the +W direction and extends from the hook base portion 313 toward the +U direction. The second hook wall portion 312 is connected to one end of the hook base portion 313 in the -W direction and extends from the hook base portion 313 toward the +U direction. The hook base portion 313 extends along the W direction between the first hook wall portion 311 and the second hook wall portion 312. A first bend portion 314 is formed between the first hook wall portion 311 and the hook base portion 313, and a second bend portion 315 is formed between the second hook wall portion 312 and the hook base portion 313.

[0040] When the extension direction of the hook base 313 (i.e., the W direction) is taken as the reference, the bending angle θ1 of the first hook wall portion 311 with respect to the hook base 313 is not particularly limited, but is preferably, for example, 45 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees. Also, the bending angle θ2 of the second hook wall portion 312 with respect to the hook base 313 is preferably, for example, approximately 90 degrees.

[0041] The first hook wall portion 311 extends further toward the +U side from the hook base portion 313 than the second hook wall portion 312. In other words, the length of the first hook wall portion 311 in the extension direction is longer than the length of the second hook wall portion 312 in the extension direction. Furthermore, the first hook wall portion 311 extends further away from the second hook wall portion 312 in the W direction as it moves toward the +U side, and is inclined with respect to the U direction.

[0042] The second sheet fixing portion 32 is connected to one end of the first hook wall portion 311 in the +U direction. This second sheet fixing portion 32 has a plate shape arranged along the V direction and has a first flat surface 321 facing the +U direction and a second flat surface 322 facing the -U direction.

[0043] Furthermore, the second sheet fixing portion 32 extends in a direction away from the first hook wall portion 311 in the W direction (+W side), and the extension direction of the second sheet fixing portion 32 is inclined with respect to the extension direction of the first hook wall portion 311. The length of the extension direction of the second sheet fixing portion 32 is not particularly limited, but it is more preferable that it is equal to or greater than the extension length of the first hook wall portion 311.

[0044] The second sheet fixing portion 32 has a bent shape that is bent toward the opposite side of the hook groove 31G relative to the first hook wall portion 311. That is, an obtuse-angled third bend portion 34 is formed between the second sheet fixing portion 32 and the first hook wall portion 311. When the extension direction of the first hook wall portion 311 is taken as the reference, the bending angle θ3 of the second sheet fixing portion 32 relative to the first hook wall portion 311 is preferably less than 90 degrees. For example, the bending angle θ3 in this embodiment is not particularly limited, but is preferably 30 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less.

[0045] The projection 35 protrudes from the first hook wall 311 so as to face the hook groove 31G. This projection 35 has a first surface 351 facing the -W direction and a second surface 352 facing the +U direction.

[0046] Furthermore, the inner member 3 is further provided with a protrusion 36 that projects toward the -U side from the second flat surface 322 of the second sheet fixing portion 32. The protrusion 36 can abut against the second sheet end portion SE2 in the W direction and functions as a positioning element for the second sheet end portion SE2 (see Figure 1).

[0047] [Method for securing the end of the first sheet] The method for fixing the first sheet end portion SE1 to the outer member 2 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7.

[0048] First, the mounting arrangement of the outer member 2 to the first seat member S1 is determined according to the seat layout, and the outer member 2 is placed on the sewing table T with either the convex curved surface 233 or the concave curved surface 234 facing the sewing table T according to the determined mounting arrangement of the outer member 2. The sewing table T is the base of a sewing machine needle plate or the like.

[0049] For example, in the example shown in Figure 6, the outer member 2 is mounted to the first sheet member S1 such that the tip 235 of the first sheet fixing part 23 is positioned opposite to the first sheet end SE1. In this case, the outer member 2 is positioned on the sewing table T with its concave curved surface 234 facing the sewing table T. The first sheet end SE1 is positioned on the convex curved surface 233, and the end face of the first sheet end SE1 is positioned -X side of the sewing position P. At this time, the convex part 25 contacts the end face of the first sheet end SE1 and functions as a positioning reference for the first sheet end SE1. In addition, the first housing wall 213 of the housing part 21 and the tip 235 of the first sheet fixing part 23 are supported by the sewing table T, and a gap is formed between the first sheet fixing part 23 and the sewing table T. Furthermore, the virtual surface VP set on the outer member 2 is positioned to substantially coincide with the surface of the sewing table T. Therefore, a space S is formed between the first sheet fixing portion 23 and the surface of the sewing table T.

[0050] In the example shown in Figure 7, the outer member 2 is mounted to the first sheet member S1 such that the tip 235 of the first sheet fixing portion 23 is oriented in the same direction as the first sheet end SE1 (right side of the drawing) (see upper part of Figure 7). In this case, the outer member 2 is placed on the sewing table T with its convex curved surface 233 facing the sewing table T. The first sheet end SE1 is placed between the convex curved surface 233 and the sewing table T, and the end face of the first sheet end SE1 is positioned +X side of the sewing position P. At this time, the second end 212 of the housing portion 21 and the convex curved surface 233 of the first sheet fixing portion 23 are supported by the sewing table T via the first sheet member S1.

[0051] Next, the first sheet end SE1 is sewn to the first sheet fixing part 23 located on the sewing table T. A sewing machine can be used as the sewing means. The sewing position P into which the sewing needle is inserted is set along the Y direction at any position on the first sheet fixing part 23. Figures 6 and 7 illustrate the sewing position P of the first sheet fixing part 23 and the direction in which the sewing needle is inserted relative to the sewing position P (i.e., the needle insertion direction N).

[0052] During sewing, in the example shown in Figure 6, the presser foot of the sewing machine presses against the first sheet fixing part 23, causing the first sheet fixing part 23 to bend starting from the hinge part 24, and the surface area of ​​the concave curved surface 234 centered on the sewing position P is supported by the sewing table T. Furthermore, during sewing, in the example shown in Figure 7, the presser foot of the sewing machine presses against the first sheet fixing part 23, thereby supporting the surface area of ​​the convex curved surface 233 centered on the sewing position P on the sewing table T.

[0053] Therefore, in both the case of Figure 6 and Figure 7, the surface area centered on the sewing position P is supported by the sewing table T, thus enabling stable sewing. In the example shown in Figure 7, after sewing, the first sheet member S1 is folded back with the sewing position P as the fold line so that the opening 210 of the storage section 21 is opened (see the lower part of Figure 7). Also, the first sheet end SE1 is folded back to align with the end of the first sheet fixing section 23 so that it is positioned along the surface of the outer member 2.

[0054] [Method for securing the end of the second sheet] The method for fixing the second sheet end portion SE2 to the inner member 3 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 8. In this embodiment, the tip portion 323 of the second sheet fixing portion 32 is positioned opposite to the second sheet end portion SE2.

[0055] First, the inner member 3 is placed on the sewing table T with the first flat surface 321 facing the sewing table T. At this time, the second sheet end SE2 is positioned relative to the first flat surface 321, and the end face of the second sheet end SE2 is positioned +W side of the sewing position P.

[0056] Next, the second sheet end SE2 is sewn to the second sheet fixing part 32 positioned on the sewing table T. A sewing machine can be used as the sewing means. The sewing position P into which the sewing needle is inserted is set along the V direction at any position on the second sheet fixing part 32. At this time, the protrusion 36 contacts the end face of the second sheet end SE2 and functions as a reference for positioning the second sheet end SE2. Figure 8 illustrates the sewing position P of the second sheet fixing part 32 and the direction in which the sewing needle is inserted relative to the sewing position P (i.e., the needle insertion direction N). During sewing, the presser foot of the sewing machine presses against the second sheet fixing part 32, so that the surface area of ​​the first flat surface 321 centered on the sewing position P is supported by the sewing table T, thus enabling stable sewing.

[0057] [How to fasten the sheet] The method of fastening the sheet using the sheet fastener 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1, 9, and 10. In the following description, the XYZ directions used in the description of the outer member 2 will be used as the reference.

[0058] In the following description, the mounting arrangement of the outer member 2 to the first sheet member S1 is not particularly limited, but in Figures 1, 9, and 10, the mounting arrangement of the outer member 2 exemplified in Figure 6 is used.

[0059] First, as shown in Figure 9, the inner member 3 is temporarily held in place by the outer member 2. Specifically, the hook portion 31 of the inner member 3 is hooked onto the second end portion 212 of the housing portion 21 of the outer member 2. At this time, the second end portion 212 of the housing portion 21 is inserted into the hook groove 31G, and the hook portion 31 abuts against the second end portion 212 of the housing portion 21 in the -X direction. The position of the inner member 3 relative to the outer member 2 at this time is called the set position.

[0060] When the inner member 3 is in the set position, the projection 35 of the inner member 3 abuts against the second housing wall 214 in the -Z direction. At this time, the first hook wall 311 is positioned roughly along the second housing wall 214 (i.e., roughly along the X direction), and the second sheet fixing portion 32 is positioned extending from the first hook wall 311 in the -X and +Z directions. The first flat surface 321 of the second sheet fixing portion 32 is positioned to face the -X direction and serves as the operating surface for the next process.

[0061] Next, as shown in Figure 10, the second sheet fixing portion 32 is pushed down toward the first sheet fixing portion 23. Specifically, by applying pressure in the +X direction (see arrow R1) to the second sheet fixing portion 32, the inner member 3 is rotated around the second end portion 212 of the housing portion 21. Then, pressure in the -Z direction (see arrow R2) is applied to the second sheet fixing portion 32. At this time, the hook portion 31 slides against the second end portion 212 of the housing portion 21 as it rotates, and the second end portion 212 is pulled out of the hook groove 31G. Then, the hook portion 31 is sequentially guided by the guide area 233R and the base end portion 231 of the first sheet fixing portion 23 and enters into the housing groove 21G.

[0062] As a result, as shown in Figure 1, the hook portion 31 is housed in the housing portion 21, and the second sheet fixing portion 32 is positioned near the first sheet fixing portion 23. At this time, the housing portion 21 engages with the inner member 3 housed in the housing groove 21G, thereby assembling the inner member 3 to the outer member 2. The position of the inner member 3 relative to the outer member 2 at this time is referred to as the assembly position.

[0063] As shown in Figure 11, when the inner member 3 is in the assembly position, the second sheet fixing portion 32 receives a tensile force (see arrow R3) from the second sheet member S2 that includes a component in the +Z direction. At this time, the inner member 3 abuts against the inner surface of the housing groove 21G at three independent locations. Specifically, the first bent portion 314 of the hook portion 31 abuts against the first housing wall portion 213, the second bent portion 315 of the hook portion 31 abuts against the housing bottom portion 215, and the second surface 352 of the projection portion 35 abuts against the second housing wall portion 214.

[0064] Specifically, when a tensile force is applied to the second sheet fixing portion 32, the second end portion 212 of the housing portion 21 supports the second surface 352 of the projection portion 35, thereby preventing the second sheet fixing portion 32 from falling off. In addition, a rotational force is applied to the inner member 3 around the projection portion 35, but the rotational trajectories RT1 and RT2 of the first bent portion 314 and the second bent portion 315 around the projection portion 35 pass outside the inner surface of the housing groove 21G, so the first bent portion 314 and the second bent portion 315 strongly interfere with the inner surface of the housing groove 21G. As a result, rotation of the inner member 3 is prevented. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the second sheet fixing portion 32 from falling off.

[0065] [Effects of the Embodiment] (1) The sheet fastener 1 of this embodiment comprises an outer member 2 to which a first sheet end SE1 is fixed, and an inner member 3 to which a second sheet end SE2 is fixed, as described above. The outer member 2 extends to form a receiving groove 21G that opens in one direction and includes a receiving portion 21 that engages with the inner member 3 housed in the receiving groove 21G, and a first sheet fixing portion 23 to which the first sheet end SE1 is fixed. The receiving portion 21 has a first end 211 and a second end 212 that are positioned on either side of the opening 210 of the receiving groove 21G. The first sheet fixing portion 23 is connected to the first end 211 of the receiving portion 21, and when viewed from a direction (Y direction) perpendicular to the opening direction (+X direction) and groove width direction (Z direction) of the receiving groove 21G, the first sheet fixing portion 23 has a plate shape that curves convexly from the first end 211 to the second end 212 of the receiving portion 21 in the groove width direction.

[0066] In this configuration, when the outer member 2 is placed on the sewing table T with the convex surface of the first seat fixing part 23 (the convex curved surface 233 in this embodiment) facing the sewing table T, interference with the housing part 21 is avoided, and the surface area of ​​the convex curved surface 233 can be supported by the sewing table T. Also, when the outer member 2 is placed on the sewing table T with the concave surface of the first seat fixing part 23 (the concave curved surface 234 in this embodiment) facing the sewing table T, the surface area of ​​the concave curved surface 234 can be supported by the sewing table T by bending the first seat fixing part 23 toward the sewing table T. As a result, the first seat end SE1 can be stably sewn to the first seat fixing part 23 regardless of the orientation of the outer member 2 on the sewing table T. Therefore, the degree of freedom in mounting the outer member 2 to the first seat member S1 is improved, and it becomes possible to change it according to the seat layout.

[0067] (2) In the outer member 2 of this embodiment, it is preferable that the housing portion 21 comprises a first housing wall portion 213 that forms a first end portion 211, a second housing wall portion 214 that forms a second end portion 212 and faces the first housing wall portion 213 via a housing groove 21G, and a housing bottom portion 215 that faces the opening 210 of the housing groove 21G and connects the first housing wall portion 213 and the second housing wall portion 214. In this configuration, the storage unit 21 can be stably placed on the sewing table T. Furthermore, since the overall dimensions of the storage unit 21 in the Z direction can be reduced, the sheet fastener 1 can be made thinner.

[0068] (3) In this embodiment, the first sheet fixing portion 23 forms a space between the outer surface 2131 of the first housing wall portion 213 that is opposite to the housing groove 21G side and the virtual surface VP that extends on the same plane. In this configuration, when the first sheet fixing portion 23 is placed on the sewing table T with its concave surface facing the sewing table T, the first sheet fixing portion 23 can be appropriately flexed.

[0069] (4) In the outer member 2 of this embodiment, the first sheet fixing portion 23 includes a base portion 231 connected to the first end portion 211 of the housing portion 21, a main body portion 232 connected to the base portion 231, and a hinge portion 24 formed between the base portion 231 and the main body portion 232, which serves as the starting point for the deflection that occurs in the main body portion 232. In this configuration, the first sheet fixing portion 23 can flex stably starting from the hinge portion 24. As a result, the surface area of ​​the concave curved surface 234 of the first sheet fixing portion 23 is stably supported by the sewing table T, enabling more reliable sewing.

[0070] (5) The outer member 2 of this embodiment further comprises a protrusion 25 that is spaced apart in the direction of the opening from the opening 210 of the housing groove 21G and protrudes from the first sheet fixing portion 23. In this configuration, the protrusion 25 can function as a reference for positioning the first sheet end portion SE1. Furthermore, since the protrusion 25 is spaced apart from the opening 210 of the housing groove 21G in the direction of the opening, a portion of the convex surface of the first sheet fixing portion 23 can function as a guide area 233R when inserting the inner member 3 into the outer member 2.

[0071] (6) In the outer member 2 of this embodiment, the curved shape of the first sheet fixing portion 23 protrudes from the inner surface 2132 of the housing groove 21G in the groove width direction, and the height of the protrusion H2 is smaller than the groove width H1 of the housing groove 21G. In this configuration, regardless of whether the convex or concave surface of the first sheet fixing portion 23 is facing the sewing table T, the outer member 2 can be suitably placed on the sewing table T, and as a result, the first sheet end portion SE1 can be suitably attached to the outer member 2.

[0072] (7) The inner member 3 of this embodiment includes a hook portion 31 that extends to form a hook groove 31G that opens in one direction and is housed in the housing groove 21G from a state in which it is temporarily held at the second end 212 of the housing portion 21, and a second sheet fixing portion 32 to which the second sheet end SE2 is fixed, wherein the hook portion 31 includes a first hook wall portion 311 to which the second sheet fixing portion 32 is connected, a second hook wall portion 312 that faces the first hook wall portion 311 via the hook groove 31G, and a hook bottom portion 313 that faces the opening 310 of the hook groove 31G and connects the first housing wall portion 213 and the second housing wall portion 214. In this configuration, the process of assembling the inner member 3 to the outer member 2 can be carried out in two stages, making the process easier.

[0073] (8) In the inner member 3 of this embodiment, the second sheet fixing portion 32 has a bent shape that is bent on the opposite side from the hook groove 31G side relative to the first hook wall portion 311, and the bending angle θ1 of the second sheet fixing portion 32 with respect to the first hook wall portion 311 is less than 90 degrees. (9) In addition, in the inner member 3 of this embodiment, the first hook wall portion 311 extends further than the second hook wall portion 312 in the direction of opening (+U direction) of the hook groove 31G from the hook bottom portion 313.

[0074] Here, with reference to Figure 12, the effects of the above configurations (8) and (9) of the inner member 3 of this embodiment will be explained. Figure 12 shows the inner member 3 of this embodiment and the inner members 3A and 3B of comparative examples. The inner members 3A and 3B of comparative examples are substantially the same as the configuration disclosed in International Publication No. 2013 / 051124. In Figure 12, each inner member 3, 3A, and 3B is assumed to be temporarily held in place by the outer member 2 of this embodiment.

[0075] As shown in Figure 12, when the inner members 3, 3A, and 3B are positioned at the set position relative to the outer member 2, the distances D1, D2, and D3 in the X direction from the second end 212 of the outer member 2 to the sewing position P of the inner members 3, 3A, and 3B are different from each other. Specifically, the distance D1 provided by the inner member 3 in this embodiment is larger than the distances D2 and D3 provided by the inner members 3A and 3B in the comparative example.

[0076] In Figure 12, the tension applied from the second sheet member S2 (not shown) to the inner members 3, 3A, and 3B is inversely proportional to the distances D1, D2, and D3 in the X direction from the second end 212 of the outer member 2 to the sewing position P of the inner members 3, 3A, and 3B. Therefore, the tension applied to the inner member 3 in this embodiment is smaller than the tension applied to the inner members 3A and 3B.

[0077] Therefore, the inner member 3 of this embodiment can reduce the amount of work force required for temporary holding compared to the inner members 3A and 3B of the comparative example.

[0078] Furthermore, the above effects are not limited to the combination of inner members 3, 3A, and 3B with outer member 2 of this embodiment; similar effects can be obtained with other outer members as well. Also, the above effects can be obtained with either configuration (8) or (9) alone.

[0079] (10) In the inner member 3 of this embodiment, the first hook wall portion 311 extends so that it is spaced further apart from the second hook wall portion 312 in the width direction (W direction) of the hook groove 31G as it moves toward the opening direction (+U direction) of the hook groove 31G. In this configuration, a wide space can be secured near the opening 310 of the hook groove 31G, making it easier to temporarily hold the inner member 3 to the outer member 2.

[0080] (11) The inner member 3 of this embodiment further includes a projection 35 that protrudes from the first hook wall portion 311 toward the hook groove 31G. In this configuration, when the inner member 3 is assembled to the outer member 2, the projection 35 is suitably supported by the second end 212 of the housing portion 21. This effectively prevents the inner member 3 from falling out of the outer member 2.

[0081] (12) In the inner member 3 of this embodiment, the hook portion 31 has a first bent portion 314 formed between the first hook wall portion 311 and the hook bottom portion 313, and a second bent portion 315 formed between the second hook wall portion 312 and the hook bottom portion 313, and when the hook portion 31 is housed in the housing groove 21G, the first bent portion 314, the second bent portion 315 and the projection portion 35 come into contact with the inner surface of the housing groove 21G, respectively. With this configuration, even if the second sheet fixing portion 32 receives a tensile force from the second sheet member S2 when the inner member 3 is assembled to the outer member 2, the inner member 3 can appropriately interfere with the inner surface of the housing groove 21G. This effectively prevents the inner member 3 from falling out of the outer member 2.

[0082] (13) The sheet fixing method of this embodiment is a method for fixing the first sheet end SE1 of the first sheet member S1 to the outer member 2 described above, and includes the steps of: placing the outer member 2 on the sewing table T with the curved surface (convex curved surface 233 or concave curved surface 234) of the first sheet fixing portion 23 facing either side in the groove width direction, depending on the mounting orientation of the outer member 2 to the first sheet member S1; and sewing the first sheet end SE1 to the first sheet fixing portion 23 on the sewing table T. In other words, the sheet fixing method of this embodiment can obtain the same effects as the above configuration (1).

[0083] (14) Although each of the outer member 2 and inner member 3 of this embodiment has an effect on its own as described above, they can also be suitably combined with each other. For example, the curved shape of the first sheet fixing portion 23 of the outer member 2 and the bent shape of the first hook wall portion 311 and the second sheet fixing portion 32 of the inner member 3 are arranged to avoid interference with each other. As a result, the overall thickness of the sheet fastener 1 in the Z direction can be reduced.

[0084] [Differentiation] The outer member 2 of this embodiment may be combined with other inner members, such as the inner members 3A and 3B of the comparative example described above, to form a sheet fastener. Even with such a configuration, the above-described effects of the outer member 2 of this embodiment can be obtained. In other words, the inner member 3 of this embodiment may be modified in design as appropriate.

[0085] In the outer member 2 of the above embodiment, the degree of curvature of the first sheet fixing portion 23 is not particularly limited. For example, the protruding height H2 of the curved shape of the first sheet fixing portion 23 described in the above embodiment can be changed as appropriate.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the housing portion 21 is not limited to being U-shaped, but may be of other shapes (for example, a cylinder shape with a part of the side cut off).

[0087] In the above embodiment, the hinge portion 24 of the outer member 2 may be omitted. In this case, the first sheet fixing portion 23 pressed by the presser foot of the sewing machine may be elastically deformed overall. Also, in the above embodiment, the protrusion portion 25 of the outer member 2 may be omitted.

[0088] [Reference example] The inner member 3 of this embodiment can be combined with other outer members to form a sheet fastener as an example. Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating a sheet fastener according to a reference example. As shown in Figure 13, this sheet fastener comprises an inner member 3 of this embodiment and an outer member 2A having a different configuration from the outer member 2 of this embodiment.

[0089] The outer member 2A is substantially the same as the outer member 2 of this embodiment, and includes a housing portion 21A that forms a housing groove 21G and a first sheet fixing portion 23A to which the first sheet end portion SE1 is fixed, but the first sheet fixing portion 23A has a flat plate shape.

[0090] Even in sheet fasteners relating to such reference examples, the above-described effects of the inner member 3 of this embodiment can be obtained. For example, when the inner member 3 is temporarily held in place by the outer member 2A, a large distance D1 in the X direction can be secured from the second end 212 of the outer member 2A to the sewing position P of the inner member 3 (see upper part of Figure 13). Therefore, the amount of work force required for temporary holding can be reduced.

[0091] Furthermore, when the inner member 3 is assembled to the outer member 2A, the projection 35, the first bent portion 314, and the second bent portion 315 interfere with the inner surface of the housing groove 21G, thereby preventing the inner member 3 from rotating (see Figure 13, lower section). This ensures that the inner member 3 is securely assembled to the outer member 2A. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0092] 1…Sheet fastener, 2…Outer member, 21…Storage section, 210…Opening, 211…First end, 212…Second end, 213…First storage wall, 214…Second storage wall, 215…Storage bottom, 21G…Storage groove, 23…First sheet fixing section, 231…Base end, 232…Main body, 233…Convex curved surface, 234…Concave curved surface, 235…Tip, 24…Hinge section, 25…Convex section, 3…Inner member, 31…Hook section, 310…Opening, 311…First hook wall, 312… 313...Hook bottom, 314...First bend, 315...Second bend, 31G...Hook groove, 32...Second sheet fixing part, 321...First flat surface, 322...Second flat surface, 323...Tip, 34...Third bend, 35...Protrusion, 351...First surface, 352...Second surface, 36...Convex part, N...Needle insertion direction, P...Sewing position, S1...First sheet member, S2...Second sheet member, SE1...First sheet end, SE2...Second sheet end, T...Sewing table, θ1...Bending angle.

Claims

1. It comprises an outer member (2) to which the first sheet end (SE1) is fixed, and an inner member (3) to which the second sheet end (SE2) is fixed, The outer member (2) is A housing groove (21G) is formed that opens in one direction, and a housing portion (21) engages with the inner member (3) housed in the housing groove (21G), The first sheet end portion (SE1) is fixed to a first sheet fixing portion (23), The housing portion (21) has a first end portion (211) and a second end portion (212) that are positioned on either side of the opening (210) of the housing groove (21G), The first sheet fixing portion (23) is connected to the first end portion (211) of the housing portion (21), When viewed from directions perpendicular to the opening direction and groove width direction of the receiving groove (21G), the first sheet fixing portion (23) is a sheet fastener having a plate shape that curves convexly in the groove width direction from the first end (211) to the second end (212) of the receiving portion (21).

2. The aforementioned housing section (21) is The first housing wall portion (213) that forms the first end portion (211), The second end portion (212) is formed, and the second housing wall portion (214) faces the first housing wall portion (213) via the housing groove (21G), The sheet fastener according to claim 1, further comprising: a receiving bottom portion (215) that faces the opening (210) of the receiving groove (21G) and connects the first receiving wall portion (213) and the second receiving wall portion (214).

3. The sheet fastener according to claim 2, wherein the first sheet fixing portion (23) forms a space between the outer surface (2131) of the first housing wall portion (213) opposite to the housing groove (21G) side and a virtual surface (VP) that extends on the same plane.

4. The first sheet fixing portion (23) is, The base end portion (231) is connected to the first end portion (211) of the housing portion (21), The main body portion (232) is connected to the base end portion (231), The sheet fastener according to claim 1, further comprising a hinge portion (24) formed between the base portion (231) and the main body portion (232), and which serves as the starting point for deflection occurring in the main body portion (232).

5. The sheet fastener according to claim 1, wherein the outer member (2) further comprises a protrusion (25) that is spaced apart in the direction of the opening from the opening (210) of the receiving groove (21G) and that protrudes from the first sheet fixing portion (23).

6. The curved shape of the first sheet fixing portion (23) protrudes from the inner surface of the receiving groove (21G) in the direction of the groove width, and the height of the protrusion (H2) is smaller than the groove width (H1) of the receiving groove (21G), as described in claim 1.

7. The inner member (3) is A hook portion (31) extends to form a hook groove (31G) that opens in one direction, and is housed in the housing groove (21G) from a state in which it is temporarily held at the second end (212) of the housing portion (21), The second sheet end portion (SE2) is fixed to a second sheet fixing portion (32), The aforementioned hook portion (31) is The first hook wall portion (311) to which the second sheet fixing portion (32) is connected, A second hook wall portion (312) faces the first hook wall portion (311) via the hook groove (31G), The sheet fastener according to claim 1, further comprising a hook bottom portion (313) that faces the opening (310) of the hook groove (31G) and connects the first hook wall portion (311) and the second hook wall portion (312).

8. The second sheet fixing portion (32) has a bent shape that is bent relative to the first hook wall portion (311) on the side opposite to the hook groove (31G), The sheet fastener according to claim 7, wherein the bending angle (θ1) of the second sheet fixing portion (32) with respect to the first hook wall portion (311) is less than 90 degrees.

9. The sheet fastener according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the first hook wall portion (311) extends more than the second hook wall portion (312) from the hook bottom portion (313) in the direction of the opening of the hook groove (31G).

10. The sheet fastener according to claim 9, wherein the first hook wall portion (311) extends so as it approaches the opening direction of the hook groove (31G) that it is spaced further apart from the second hook wall portion (312) in the width direction of the hook groove (31G).

11. The sheet fastener according to claim 10, wherein the inner member (3) further comprises a projection (35) that protrudes from the first hook wall portion (311) toward the hook groove (31G).

12. The hook portion (31) has a first bent portion (314) formed between the first hook wall portion (311) and the hook bottom portion (313), and a second bent portion (315) formed between the second hook wall portion (312) and the hook bottom portion (313), The sheet fastener according to claim 11, wherein when the hook portion (31) is housed in the housing groove (21G), the first bent portion (314), the second bent portion (315), and the projection portion (35) each come into contact with the inner surface of the housing groove (21G).

13. A sheet fixing method for fixing the first sheet end (SE1) to the outer member (2) described in claim 1, Depending on the mounting arrangement of the outer member (2) to the first sheet member (S1) having the first sheet end portion (SE1), the outer member (2) is positioned on the sewing table (T) with the curved surface of the first sheet fixing portion (23) facing either side in the groove width direction facing the sewing table (T), A method for fixing a sheet, comprising the step of sewing the first sheet end (SE1) to the first sheet fixing portion (23) on the sewing table (T).

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