Seat cover attachment device

Abstract

To provide a seat skin fitting device capable of preventing the skin from returning to an original state when the skin is pulled and fitted.SOLUTION: A fitting device 1 includes: a compression mechanism 3 for compressing a pad SP of a seat S placed on a placement portion 2 in an upside-down state downward from a back surface SP3 with respect to a seating surface SP1; and a pressing mechanism 4 for pressing a skin SK against a surface of the pad SP. The pressing mechanism 4 includes: a leading roller 14 for pulling the skin SK while pressing it against the pad SP while moving along a surface of the skin SK; and a follower roller 15 for following the leading roller 14 with an interval. The leading roller 14 and the follower roller 15 move from the seating surface SP1 of the pad SP along a side peripheral surface SP2 via a corner SC formed by the seating surface SP1 and the side peripheral surface SP2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 18

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat cover mounting device. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART In the manufacture of a sheet in which a surface skin is stretched over the surface of a pad, various devices have been proposed for attaching the surface skin in a stretched state so as to prevent wrinkles from forming on the surface of the pad.

[0003] The device described in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which rollers that move upward and pull the surface skin while pressing it against the pad surface are arranged at positions corresponding to the front, rear, left and right side peripheral surfaces of the pad.

[0004] Specifically, the device described in Patent Document 1 has a base member on which a seat equipped with a pad, a cover, and a seat pan (back plate) is placed, with the cover, pad, and seat pan stacked in this order from below with the seating surface of the pad facing downwards, a compression mechanism that presses the pad together with the seat pan downward toward the base member, and a roller mechanism equipped with rollers that press the cover toward the corresponding side of the pad when the pad is compressed by the compression mechanism. The roller mechanisms are arranged in four locations on the front, back, left, and right of the base member, and each has one roller.

[0005] The roller mechanism includes a fluid pressure cylinder that can gradually move the roller from the bottom to the top of the pad while pressing the upholstery against the pad with the roller on the side peripheral surface of the pad, and a drive device that rotates the roller in a direction that pulls the upholstery upward. When the compression mechanism is released after the roller mechanism has pressed the upholstery against the pad, the upper edge of the side of the upholstery is engaged with the peripheral edge of the seat pan as the pad returns to its original shape. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Publication No. 4-34800 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] When the upholstery is attached by pulling it along the pad surface using the above-mentioned device, wrinkles tend to form in the upholstery at the corners formed by the seating surface and the peripheral side surface of the pad. To prevent wrinkles from forming near the corners, one approach is to move a roller from the seating surface along the peripheral side surface, passing through the corners. However, with this configuration, when the roller moves from the seating surface to the peripheral side surface, the pressing force from the roller is released from the seating surface side of the upholstery, causing the upholstery to shrink and return to its original state, a problem known as "skin return."

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a seat cover attaching device that can prevent the cover from returning when attached by pulling it. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the seat cover attachment device of the present invention is a seat cover attachment device that attaches a seat having a pad and a cover covering the surface of the pad in a state in which the cover is pulled along the seating surface of the pad and a side peripheral surface connected to the periphery of the seating surface, and includes a placing section on which the pad and the cover are placed when the seating surface of the pad is facing downward and the cover is placed under the pad, a compression mechanism that compresses the pad placed on the placing section downward from the back side relative to the seating surface, and a seat cover attachment device that attaches the cover to the front. and a pressing mechanism that presses the surface of the pad, the pressing mechanism having a plurality of rollers that move along the surface of the upholstery and pull the upholstery while pressing it against the pad, the plurality of rollers including a leading roller and a following roller that moves following the leading roller at a distance behind the leading roller in the direction of travel of the leading roller, the leading roller and the following roller moving from the seating surface of the pad along the side surface via a corner formed by the seating surface and the side surface.

[0010] With this configuration, the leading roller and the following roller that follows it move from the seating surface of the pad, passing through the corner formed by the seating surface and the side peripheral surface, along the side peripheral surface, while holding the upholstery in a pulled state along the seating surface and the side peripheral surface of the pad. Even if the upholstery on the seating surface side tries to contract and return to its original state as the pressing force from the leading roller is released when the leading roller moves from the seating surface to the side peripheral surface, the following roller that follows the leading roller presses the upholstery on the seating surface side, maintaining the pressing force on the upholstery, and it is therefore possible to prevent the upholstery from returning.

[0011] In the above-described seat cover attaching device, the placing portion preferably has a placing surface that slopes downward toward the downstream end of the placing portion in the traveling direction.

[0012] With this configuration, by placing the pad on a loading surface that slopes downward as it approaches the downstream end of the loading section in the direction of travel of the leading roller, it becomes easier to align the loaded pad and it is possible to prevent the pad from shifting out of position relative to the loading surface.

[0013] In the above-described seat cover attaching device, it is preferable that the distance between the leading roller and the following roller is set to a distance such that the following roller is positioned near the corner when the leading roller reaches a predetermined stop position on the side peripheral surface.

[0014] By setting the distance between the leading roller and the trailing roller as described above, the trailing roller is positioned near the corner when the leading roller reaches a predetermined stopping position on the side surface of the pad, thereby making it possible to reliably prevent the skin from returning near the corner.

[0015] In the above-mentioned seat cover mounting device, when the pad has a lead-in groove portion that partially engages the cover on the seating surface, it is preferable that the movement start point of the leading roller be set between the lead-in groove portion and the corner portion on the seating surface and in the vicinity of the lead-in groove portion.

[0016] With this configuration, even if the surface is partially engaged in the retraction groove on the seating surface of the pad, the start point of movement of the leading roller is set between the retraction groove and the corner and near the retraction groove, so that the leading roller can effectively pull the surface.

[0017] In the above-described seat cover attaching device, it is preferable that the pressing mechanism further includes an elastic member that applies a pressing force to the leading roller and the following roller to press the cover.

[0018] According to this configuration, a constant pressing force is maintained by providing an elastic member such as a spring in the pressing direction, which stably maintains the amount of tension on the trim and reduces damage to the trim, pads, etc. caused by excessive force being applied.

[0019] In the above-described seat cover attaching device, the pressing mechanism preferably has a configuration in which the distance between the leading roller and the following roller is variable.

[0020] In this configuration, the distance between the leading roller and the trailing roller can be changed as desired to accommodate the shape of the corners of the pad.

[0021] In the above-mentioned seat cover attaching device, it is preferable that the leading roller and the trailing roller have different diameters.

[0022] In this configuration, by setting the diameters of the leading roller and the trailing roller to be different from each other, the amount of tension on the skin can be increased due to differences in the pressing force on the skin and the contact area, making it possible to effectively prevent the skin from returning.

[0023] In the above-described seat cover attaching device, the pressing mechanism is preferably configured to stop the leading roller and the trailing roller while maintaining the pressing force on the cover when the leading roller and the trailing roller reach a predetermined position on the side peripheral surface.

[0024] In this configuration, the leading roller and trailing roller stop while maintaining the pressing force on the skin, preventing the skin from returning after being pulled up from the seating surface of the pad to the side circumferential surface. Also, when fixing the edge of the skin to the back surface of the pad, it is possible to prevent damage to the skin, such as wrinkling or tearing, due to uneven pulling force. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] As described above, the seat cover attaching device of the present invention can reduce the burden of attaching the cover and prevent the cover from returning when attached by pulling it. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a seat cover mounting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a right side view of the seat cover attaching device of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 is a perspective view of a state in which a seat provided with a cover and a pad is set in the seat cover attaching device of FIG. 1, as seen from above the front. FIG. [Figure 4] 2A is an enlarged plan view of the placement unit and the pressing mechanism in FIG. 1, FIG. 2B is an enlarged plan view of the placement unit, and FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the arrangement of the pressing mechanism in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the arrangement of the compression mechanism of FIG. [Figure 7] 2A is a cross-sectional explanatory diagram showing the state before the compression jig in FIG. 1 presses the pad, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional explanatory diagram showing the state in which the upward protrusion of the skin end has increased as a result of the compression jig in FIG. 1 pressing the pad. [Figure 8] 2A is a cross-sectional view illustrating the state before the compression jig in FIG. 1 presses the pad, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view illustrating the state after the width of the opening on the back surface of the pad has expanded as a result of the compression jig in FIG. 1 pressing the pad. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a specific configuration of the pressing mechanism of FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the frame of the carriage of FIG. 9, with a structure having a plurality of mounting holes that allow the mounting positions of the follower rollers to be changed. [Figure 11] 10 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing how the leading roller and the following roller in FIG. 9 move from the seating surface of the pad via the corner portion along the side circumferential surface. FIG. [Figure 12] 10 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing the positions of the leading roller and the following roller in FIG. 9 before and after they start to move. [Figure 13]10(a) is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the leading roller and the trailing roller in FIG. 9 are moving along the seating surface of the pad, and FIG. 10(b) is a cross-sectional explanatory diagram showing the state in which the leading roller in FIG. 9 is moving along the side peripheral surface via the corner of the pad, and the trailing roller is pressing the upholstery against the seating surface to prevent the upholstery from returning. [Figure 14] 10 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing a state in which the leading roller in FIG. 9 receives a biasing force from an elastic member and advances while pressing against the surface skin. FIG. [Figure 15] 1A is an explanatory diagram showing the process of setting a seat in the seat cover attachment device in the cover attachment method using the seat cover attachment device of FIG. 1, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing the state of the seat in FIG. 1A, where the seating surface of the pad faces downward and the cover before tensioning is positioned below the pad. [Figure 16] 15(a) to 15(c) are schematic explanatory views showing the process in which the sheet is supported in order by the rollers and receiving plate of the placement section while sliding in the width direction of the attachment device in the process of setting the sheet in the attachment device in FIG. 15(a). [Figure 17] FIG. 1(a) is an explanatory diagram showing the process in which the compression mechanism presses the sheet from the backside of the pad in the skin attachment method, and FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional explanatory diagram showing the state of the sheet in FIG. 1(a) and the state in which the leading roller and trailing roller of the pressing mechanism are in contact with the seating surface side of the skin. [Figure 18] 1(a) is an explanatory diagram showing the process of the upholstery attachment method in which the leading roller and trailing roller of the pressing mechanism move from the seating surface of the pad via the corners to the side peripheral surface, holding the upholstery in a pulled state along the seating surface and side peripheral surface of the pad, and FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional explanatory diagram showing the state of the sheet in FIG. 1(a) and the movement of the leading roller and trailing roller of the pressing mechanism. [Figure 19] FIG. 1(a) is an explanatory diagram showing the process of fastening the edge of the skin to the back surface of the pad using a robot arm in the skin attachment method, and FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional explanatory diagram showing the operation of fastening the fastening member of the edge of the skin in (a) to the fastened portion on the back surface of the pad. [Figure 20]10 is a cross-sectional explanatory view schematically illustrating a modified example of the seat cover attaching device of the present invention, in which the pressing mechanism further includes a belt-shaped member wound around a leading roller and a trailing roller. FIG. [Figure 21] 10 is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing another modified example of the seat cover attaching device of the present invention, in which the leading roller and the trailing roller are concave rollers that are narrowed at the center. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A seat cover mounting device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0028] 1 to 6, a seat cover attachment device 1 (hereinafter referred to as "attachment device 1") has a configuration that allows attachment to the surface of a pad SP with the seat S turned upside down and the cover SK of the seat S pulled. Note that in this embodiment, the description will be based on the front-rear direction X, width direction Y, and up-down direction Z of the attachment device 1 in the drawings.

[0029] (Explanation of Sheet S) Here, the seat S to which the upholstery SK is attached by the attachment device 1 of this embodiment is shown upside down in Figures 3 and 5 to 7, but is a seat used for automobile seats, etc., and includes a pad SP made of an elastic material such as urethane, and an upholstery SK that covers the surface of the pad SP.

[0030] The pad SP is a thick plate or flat block extending in the width direction Y on which multiple people can sit side by side in the width direction Y. The pad SP has a seating surface SP1 that extends horizontally and on which people can sit, a side peripheral surface SP2 that connects to the periphery of the seating surface SP1 and extends in the vertical direction Z, and a back surface SP3 located on the back side of the seating surface SP1. A plurality of groove-shaped openings SP4 for engaging the end of the cover SK are formed on the periphery of the back surface SP3 (see FIGS. 5 and 6). Inside the openings SP4, as shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), there are arranged locking portions SP5 such as metal wires that lock with locking portions SK2 such as hooks provided on the end SK1 of the cover SK.

[0031] The cover SK is a thin, sheet-like or bag-like material such as leather or synthetic resin that has flexibility and elasticity, and has a size and shape that allows it to cover the entire seating surface SP1 and the circumferential side surface SP2 of the pad SP. The end SK1 of the cover SK (the end of the periphery of the cover) is provided with a plurality of hooks or other engaging portions SK2 (see Figures 7 and 8) as described above.

[0032] (Specific configuration of mounting device 1) 1 to 6, the attachment device 1 specifically includes a mounting portion 2 on which the pad SP and the cover SK of the sheet S are placed in a stacked state, a plurality of compression mechanisms 3 that compress the pad SP downward Z2, and a plurality of pressing mechanisms 4 that press the cover SK against the surface of the pad SP. The plurality of compression mechanisms 3 are arranged above the mounting portion 2 at Z1. The plurality of pressing mechanisms 4 are dispersedly arranged so as to protrude around the mounting portion 2. The mounting portion 2, compression mechanisms 3, and pressing mechanisms 4 are attached to a common frame to form an integrated attachment device 1.

[0033] 1-2 and 4(a)-(c), the mounting portion 2 has a plurality of support plates 2a and at least one (two in this embodiment) roller 2b arranged for each support plate 2a. The plurality of support plates 2a are each a plate made of metal such as stainless steel that extends in the front-rear direction X and is arranged spaced apart from each other in the width direction Y.

[0034] The receiving plate 2a and the supporting surface 2a1 that forms its upper surface are inclined downward toward the downstream side of the traveling direction D1 (see Figures 5 and 9) of the leading roller 14 described below in the supporting section 2, i.e., the end of the front side X1.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 4(b) and 4(c), the rollers 2b are cylindrical members extending in the front-rear direction X and are disposed inside through-holes 2a2 formed in the receiving plate 2a. The rollers 2b are rotatable around a rotation shaft (not shown) extending in the front-rear direction X and are attached to the upper side of the receiving plate 2a so as to be able to freely move in and out of the through-hole 2a2. The rollers 2b or their rotation shafts are constantly biased upward by springs (not shown). Because the mounting portion 2 has the rollers 2b, when placing the sheet S on the mounting portion 2, the rollers 2b can be easily placed on the mounting portion 2 while guiding the sheet S in the width direction Y of the attachment device 1 with the rollers 2b and moving it horizontally, as shown in FIGS.

[0036] The sheet S (specifically, the pad SP and the cover SK) is placed on the support surface 2a1 of the support plate 2a of the support portion 2 in an inverted state, i.e., with the seating surface SP1 of the pad SP facing downward Z2 and the cover SK laid on the underside Z2 of the pad SP (see Figures 3, 7-8, and 16).

[0037] The multiple receiving plates 2a of the mounting portion 2 are arranged at a distance from each other in the width direction Y, so that a space 2c (see Figures 4(a) and 16(a)) is formed between two adjacent receiving plates 2a and at both ends of the group of multiple receiving plates 2a in the width direction Y, in which the leading roller 14 and the following roller 15 can move along the seating surface SP1 of the pad SP.

[0038] Each of the multiple compression mechanisms 3 has a configuration capable of compressing the pad SP placed on the mounting portion 2 from the back surface SP3 relative to the seating surface SP1 in a downward direction Z2. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 6, the compression mechanism 3 is composed of a compression jig 3a, an arm 3b that can swing in the front-rear direction X and has the compression jig 3a fixed to its tip, and a drive unit (not shown) that swings the arm 3b in the up-down direction Z about a rotation axis (not shown) extending in the width direction Y. The arm 3b swings forward X1 upon receiving a driving force from the drive unit, thereby enabling each compression jig 3a to be pressed downward Z2 against the back surface SP3 of the pad SP.

[0039] The compression mechanism 3 can be roughly divided into a two-side compression mechanism 3A on both sides in the width direction Y and a central compression mechanism 3B on the central side in the width direction Y. The compression jig 3a of the two-side compression mechanism 3A has a large flat plate shape and is arranged in a position where it can press a position on the back surface SP3 of the pad SP that is close to an opening SP4 (see FIGS. 6 and 8) for engaging the epidermis SK. On the other hand, the compression jig 3a of the central compression mechanism 3B has a block or flat plate shape that has a smaller area than the compression jig 3a of the two-side compression mechanism 3A and can press the back surface SP3 of the pad SP near the central part in the width direction Y.

[0040] When in the upper Z1 position, the compression jig 3a and arm 3b can be retracted to a position where they do not interfere with the sheet S when setting the sheet S in the mounting device 1, and when in the lower Z2 position, the compression jig 3a can be pressed against the back surface SP3 of the pad SP to compress the pad SP downward Z2.

[0041] As shown in Figures 7(a) to (b), by pressing the compression jig 3a against the back surface SP3 of the pad SP and compressing the pad SP downward Z2, the amount of upward protrusion of the end SK1 of the skin SK (i.e., the amount of protrusion upward Z1 from the side surface SP2 of the pad SP) increases, so that the engaging portion SK2, such as a hook provided on the end SK1, can easily engage with the engaging portion SP5 (Figures 8(a) to (b)) inside the opening SP4 of the back surface SP3 of the pad SP, even without excessively pulling up the skin SK with the rollers 14 and 15 described below.

[0042] 1 to 5 are configured to press the cover SK against the surface of the pad SP. The pressing mechanisms 4 can be broadly divided into a central pressing mechanism 4A located at the center of the width direction Y of the mounting unit 2, both side pressing mechanisms 4B located at both sides of the width direction Y of the mounting unit 2, and a rear side pressing mechanism 4C (see FIG. 5) located at the rear side X2 of the mounting unit 2. The pressing mechanisms 4 are respectively arranged at the positions of the openings SP4 of the pad SP in the sheet S set on the mounting unit 2 (i.e., positions corresponding to the multiple locking portions SK2 (hooks) of the cover SK).

[0043] As shown in FIG. 9, the central pressing mechanism 4A has a rail 11 and a movable part 12.

[0044] The rail 11 has a front-rear portion 11a extending in the front-rear direction X in the space 2c (see FIG. 4(a)) between the support plates 2a of the mounting portion 2, and a vertical portion 11b continuing from the front-rear portion 11a and extending upward Z1 from an end of the mounting portion 2 on the front side X1. The front-rear portion 11a and the vertical portion 11b are smoothly continuous in an arc shape.

[0045] Movable section 12 is configured to be movable while being guided by rails 11. Specifically, movable section 12 includes a carriage 13 and a plurality of rollers rotatably attached to carriage 13, namely, leading rollers 14 and trailing rollers 15. Leading rollers 14 and trailing rollers 15 move together with the movement of movable section 12, and serve to press and pull on skin SK. Carriage 13 includes a frame 13a and a plurality of rollers 13b rotatably attached to frame 13a and guided by rails 11.

[0046] The movable part 12 is guided by the rails 11 and is able to move in the front-rear direction X along the front-rear portion 11a in the space 2c between the support plates 2a of the mounting part 2, and also in the up-down direction Z along the up-down portion 11b that is continuous with the end of the front side X1 of the mounting part 2. The movable part 12 is able to move along the rails 11 by a drive part (not shown). With this configuration, the leading roller 14 and the trailing roller 15 can be moved from a predetermined movement start position to a stop position and maintained in a stopped state at the stop position.

[0047] The leading roller 14 and the following roller 15 are rotatably attached to the frame 13a of the carriage 13 via a rotation shaft 16. The following roller 15 is disposed at a distance behind the leading roller 14 in the direction D1 of travel of the leading roller 14, and can move following the leading roller 14 while maintaining a predetermined distance.

[0048] Each of the leading roller 14 and the following roller 15 is provided with a reverse rotation prevention mechanism (such as a ratchet) not shown. The reverse rotation prevention mechanism prevents the leading roller 14 and the following roller 15 from rotating in the direction corresponding to the direction in which the pulled epidermis SK returns to its original position. As a result, when each of the rollers 14, 15 pulls up the epidermis SK as described below and stops at a predetermined position, the reverse rotation prevention mechanism stops the rotation of each of the rollers 14, 15 against the force that tries to return the epidermis SK, thereby making it possible to prevent the epidermis SK from returning.

[0049] The center pressing mechanism 4A also includes elastic members (not shown) that apply a pressing force to press the epidermis SK to each of the leading roller 14 and the following roller 15. As a result, as shown in Fig. 14, for example, when the leading roller 14 moves along the side peripheral surface SP2 of the pad SP, the elastic member applies a pressing force F1 to the leading roller 14 in a direction slightly inclined to the direction of movement, thereby making it possible to press the epidermis SK against the pad SP with a resultant force F2 (a force that presses the surface of the epidermis SK in the normal direction) of the pressing force F1 and the reaction force from the pad SP.

[0050] As the movable part 12 shown in Figure 9 moves along the rail 11, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, the leading roller 14 and the following roller 15 start moving from a predetermined movement start position Z2 below the seating surface SP1 of the pad SP of the sheet S placed on the placement section 2 (see symbols 14A and 15A in Figures 11 and 12), pass through the corner SC of the pad SP (see symbols 14B and 15B in Figure 11), and finally reach a predetermined stop position opposite the side surface SP2 of the pad SP (see symbols 14C and 15C in Figures 11 and 12).

[0051] Here, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, it is preferable that the distance between the leading roller 14 and the following roller 15 is set to a distance such that when the leading roller 14 reaches a predetermined stopping position on the side peripheral surface SP2 (see symbols 14C and 15C in Figures 11 and 12), the following roller 15 is positioned near the corner SC (specifically, at a position near the lower end of the side peripheral surface SP2 indicated by symbol 15C).

[0052] 12, the seat S of this embodiment has a lead-in groove SH in which the pad SP partially engages the cover SK on the seating surface SP1. In this case, it is preferable that the movement start point of the leading roller 14 (see reference numeral 14A in FIG. 12) be set between the lead-in groove SH and the corner SC on the seating surface SP1 and in the vicinity of the lead-in groove SH (specifically, a position immediately adjacent to the lead-in groove SH where the leading roller 14 does not come into contact with the lead-in groove SH).

[0053] 1 to 3 and 5 are disposed on both sides of the mounting portion 2 in the width direction Y, and basically have a configuration including rails 11 and movable parts 12 that move along the rails, similar to the above-described center pressing mechanism 4A. However, the rollers may include both a leading roller 14 and a trailing roller 15, or only the leading roller 14. The rails 11 of the both-side pressing mechanism 4B may have any length and position so as not to interfere with the receiving plate 2a of the mounting portion 2. The back-side pressing mechanism 4C shown in FIG. 5 also has a configuration including rails 11 and movable parts 12 that move along the rails, similar to the above-described both-side pressing mechanism 4B. The rollers may include both a leading roller 14 and a trailing roller 15, or only the leading roller 14. In addition, in the mounting device 1 of this embodiment, since the mounting surface 2a1 of the mounting section 2 is inclined toward the front side X1 of the mounting device 1 and there is no risk of a large load being applied to the back side X2 from the sheet S, it is possible for the back side pressing mechanism 4C to obtain a sufficient amount of tension on the epidermis SK using only the leading roller 14.

[0054] (How to install the seat cover) Next, a method for attaching a seat cover using the above-described attachment device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0055] 15(a)-(b), the sheet S is set on the attachment device 1 while being moved in the width direction Y of the attachment device 1 with the sheet S turned upside down, i.e., with the seating surface SP1 of the pad SP facing downward Z2 and the cover SK laid on the underside Z2 of the pad SP. At this time, the rollers 14 and 15 of the multiple pressing mechanisms 4 shown in FIG. 15(a) are waiting at predetermined movement start positions (positions close to the end of the back side X2 of the receiving plate 2a of the mounting unit 2 or positions adjacent to the receiving plate 2a).

[0056] 16(a)-(b), when the sheet S is moved horizontally in the width direction Y of the mounting device 1, the rollers 2b of the mounting portion 2 are caused by springs (not shown) to pass through the through holes 2a2 of the receiving plates 2a and protrude upward Z1 from the mounting surface 2a1. Therefore, the rollers 2b guide the sheet S in the width direction Y while receiving it, and it is possible to easily move the sheet S to a predetermined set position (a position that covers the upper part of all the receiving plates 2a).

[0057] 17(a)-(b), the compression mechanism 3 compresses the sheet S downward Z2. Specifically, the compression mechanism 3 rotates the compression jig 3a and arm 3b forward X1 and downward Z2, and the compression jig 3a presses down the back surface SP3 of the pad SP downward Z2. At this time, as shown in FIG. 16(c), the rollers 2b of the mounting unit 2 are also pressed down together with the sheet S, causing the sheet S to abut against the mounting surface 2a1 of the receiving plate 2a of the mounting unit 2. At this time, as shown in FIG. 17(b), the sheet S abuts against the leading roller 14 and the trailing roller 15 of the center pressing mechanism 4A.

[0058] Next, as shown in Figures 18(a) to (b), the rollers of the multiple pressing mechanisms 4 (specifically, the leading roller 14 and trailing roller 15 of the central pressing mechanism 4A, and the rollers 14 of the both side pressing mechanisms 4B) move continuously from the seating surface SP1 to the side peripheral surface SP2 of the pad SP, holding the upholstery SK in a pulled state along the seating surface SP1 and side peripheral surface SP2 of the pad SP.

[0059] At this time, in the central pressing mechanism 4A, when the leading roller 14 moves from the seating surface SP1 to the side peripheral surface SP2 via the corner portion SC, the following roller 15 that moves following the leading roller 14 presses the skin SK on the seating surface SP1 side, maintaining the pressing force on the skin SK, thereby preventing the skin SK from returning.

[0060] 18(a)-(b), when the leading roller 14 and the following roller 15 move to a predetermined position on the side peripheral surface SP2, the driving unit (not shown) of the pressing mechanism 4 is stopped to stop the pressing force on the skin SK. Furthermore, because the pad SP is kept compressed downward Z2 by the compression jig 3a, the amount of protrusion above the side peripheral surface SP2 at the end SK1 of the skin SK increases, making it easier to access the opening SP4 on the back surface SP3 of the pad SP.

[0061] 19(a)-(b), while maintaining the above state, the end SK1 of the skin SK is grasped by an end-moving mechanism 21 such as a robot hand or by a human hand, and the engaging portion SK2 such as a hook of the end SK1 is engaged with an engaged portion SP5 such as a metal wire inside the opening SP4 on the pad SP side. In this way, the work of fixing the end SK1 of the skin SK can be easily performed using a human hand or a machine such as a robot hand depending on the situation.

[0062] (Features of this embodiment) (1) As described above and shown in Figures 1 to 6, the mounting device 1 of this embodiment includes a mounting section 2 on which the sheet S is placed in an inverted state with the pad SP and the cover SK of the sheet S stacked together, a plurality of compression mechanisms 3 that compress the pad SP downward Z2, and a plurality of pressing mechanisms 4 that press the cover SK against the surface of the pad SP.

[0063] 9 and 11 to 14, the central pressing mechanism 4A of the multiple pressing mechanisms 4 has a leading roller 14 and a trailing roller 15 as multiple rollers that move along the surface of the epidermis SK while pressing and pulling the epidermis SK against the pad SP. The trailing roller 15 moves following the leading roller 14 at a distance behind the leading roller 14 in the moving direction D1 of the leading roller 14. The leading roller 14 and the trailing roller 15 move from the seating surface SP1 of the pad SP, passing through a corner SC formed by the seating surface SP1 and the side peripheral surface SP2, and along the side peripheral surface SP2.

[0064] In this configuration, the leading roller 14 and the following roller 15 that follows it move, while maintaining a predetermined distance, from the seating surface SP1 of the pad SP to the corner portion SC formed by the seating surface SP1 and the side peripheral surface SP2, along the side peripheral surface SP2, while holding the cover SK in a pulled state along the seating surface SP1 and the side peripheral surface SP2 of the pad SP. Even if the cover SK on the seating surface SP1 side tries to contract and return to its original state due to the loss of pressing force from the leading roller 14 when the leading roller 14 moves from the seating surface SP1 to the side peripheral surface SP2 via the corner portion SC, the following roller 15 that follows the leading roller 14 presses the cover SK on the seating surface SP1 side, maintaining the pressing force on the cover SK, and it is therefore possible to prevent the cover SK from returning.

[0065] (2) In the mounting device 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 4(a), the mounting section 2 has a mounting surface 2a1 that slopes downward toward the downstream side of the traveling direction D1 (see Figures 5 and 9) of the leading roller 14 in the mounting section 2, i.e., toward the end on the front side X1.

[0066] According to this configuration, by placing the pad SP on the placing surface 2a1 that slopes downward toward the end of the placing unit 2 on the downstream side (front side X1) in the traveling direction D1, it is possible to easily align the position of the placed pad SP and to prevent the pad SP from being misaligned with respect to the placing surface 2a1. Specifically, by placing the pad SP on the placing surface 2a1 that slopes toward the front side X1, the pad SP abuts against a portion that rises in the vertical direction Z near the end of the front side X1 of the placing unit 2, such as the vertical portion 11b of the rail of the center-side pressing mechanism 4A (see FIG. 9 ), thereby making it possible to easily align the pad SP.

[0067] In addition, when a person or a machine such as a robot hand performs the seat covering installation work, the work can be easily performed on the front side X1 of the mounting part 2, so that even a large pad SP can be installed with a small amount of movement, thereby reducing the load.

[0068] (3) In the mounting device 1 of this embodiment, the distance between the leading roller 14 and the following roller 15 is set so that when the leading roller 14 reaches a predetermined stopping position on the side peripheral surface SP2, the following roller 15 is positioned near the corner SC (specifically, near the lower end of the side peripheral surface SP2), as shown in Figures 11 and 12.

[0069] By setting the distance between the leading roller 14 and the following roller 15 as described above, when the leading roller 14 reaches a predetermined stopping position on the side surface SP2 of the pad SP (i.e., the upper end of the skin SK), the following roller 15 is positioned near the corner SC, making it possible to reliably prevent the skin SK from returning near the corner SC.

[0070] (4) In the mounting device 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 12, when the pad SP has a retraction groove portion SH that partially engages the upholstery SK on the seating surface SP1, the starting point of movement of the leading roller 14 (position of symbol 14A in Figure 12) is set between the retraction groove portion SH and the corner portion SC on the seating surface SP1 and in the vicinity of the retraction groove portion SH.

[0071] In this configuration, even if the upholstery SK is partially engaged in the pull-in groove portion SH on the seating surface SP1 of the pad SP, the start point of movement of the leading roller 14 is set between the pull-in groove portion SH and the corner portion SC and in the vicinity of the pull-in groove portion SH, so that the leading roller 14 can effectively pull the upholstery SK.

[0072] Furthermore, even when a linear seat heater is provided in the lead-in groove portion SH, by setting the movement start point of the leading roller 14 as described above, it is possible to prevent the seat heater from breaking.

[0073] (5) In the attachment device 1 of this embodiment, the pressing mechanism 4 further includes an elastic member (not shown) that applies a pressing force to press the epidermis SK against the leading roller 14 and the following roller 15. In this configuration, a constant pressing force is maintained by providing an elastic member such as a spring in the direction of pressing the epidermis SK, thereby stably maintaining the amount of tension on the epidermis SK and reducing damage to the epidermis SK, pad SP, etc. that may be caused by the application of excessive force.

[0074] (6) In the attachment device 1 of this embodiment, the pressing mechanism 4 is configured to stop the leading roller 14 and the trailing roller 15 while maintaining the pressing force on the cover SK when they reach a predetermined position on the side peripheral surface SP2. This makes it possible to prevent the cover SK, which has been pulled up from the seating surface SP1 of the pad SP to the side peripheral surface SP2, from returning by stopping the leading roller 14 and the trailing roller 15 while maintaining the pressing force on the cover SK. It also makes it possible to prevent damage to the cover SK, such as wrinkling or tearing, due to uneven tensile force when fixing the end of the cover SK to the back surface SP3 of the pad SP.

[0075] (7) The mounting device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a plurality of pressing mechanisms 4 having rollers 14, 15 that move along the surface of the epidermis SK and press the epidermis SK against the surface of the pad SP. By moving these rollers 14, 15 while pressing along the surface of the epidermis SK, it is possible to accommodate the curved surface of the pad SP and to press the epidermis SK evenly.

[0076] (8) Furthermore, the mounting device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a plurality of compression mechanisms 3 that compress the pad SP placed on the mounting portion 2 downward from the back surface SP3 relative to the seating surface SP1. Each of the plurality of compression mechanisms 3 is equipped with an independent compression jig 3a. By compressing the pad SP with these independent compression jigs 3a, the amount of tension on the cover SK by the rollers 14, 15 of the pressing mechanism 4 can be reduced. Also, it is possible to prevent the pad SP from becoming unstable due to displacement or deformation during the process of fixing the end SK1 of the cover SK to the back surface SP3 of the pad SP.

[0077] (9) The present invention does not particularly limit the arrangement of the compression jigs 3a of each of the multiple compression mechanisms 3, but as shown in Figures 6 and 8(a) and (b), the compression jigs 3a are preferably arranged in positions where they can compress the portion of the back surface SP3 of the pad SP that is close to the opening SP4, as in the double-sided compression mechanism 3A of Figure 6. With the compression jigs 3a arranged in this manner, the compression jig 3a presses against and compresses the pad SP downward Z2, widening the width of the opening SP4 of the back surface SP3 of the pad SP near the compression jig 3a, making it easier to engage with the locked portion SP5.

[0078] Furthermore, if the pad SP does not have uniform elasticity, for example, if the pad SP has inserted therein materials with different hardnesses, such as foam bead moldings, the difference in deformation will be large near the boundary between two regions of different hardness in the pad SP, and if the compression jig 3a compresses each region separately, there is a possibility that problems such as peeling will occur in the pad SP. In such cases, problems such as peeling can be avoided by setting the size and arrangement of the compression jig 3a so that one compression jig 3a can straddle the boundary between the two regions of different hardness in the pad SP and compress the two regions simultaneously.

[0079] (Variation) (A) In the attachment device 1 of the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the pressing mechanism 4 (specifically, the central pressing mechanism 4A) that presses the epidermis SK is provided with a plurality of rollers, namely, a leading roller 14 and a following roller 15, but these rollers 14, 15 may be modified to accommodate various shapes depending on the object to be pressed.

[0080] For example, as a modified example of the seat cover attachment device of the present invention, the pressing mechanism 4 may have a configuration in which the distance between the leading roller 14 and the trailing roller 15 is variable. Specifically, as a modified example of the present invention, as shown in Fig. 10, the frame 13a of the bogie in Fig. 9 may have a plurality of attachment holes 17 that allow the attachment position of the trailing roller 15 to be changed. This makes it possible to arbitrarily change the distance between the leading roller 14 and the trailing roller 15, and to adapt it to the shape of the corner SC of the pad SP. In other words, if the radius of curvature of the corner SC is large, the distance between the rollers 14, 15 can be widened, and if the radius of curvature is small, the distance between the rollers 14, 15 can be narrowed.

[0081] (B) As another modification of the present invention, the leading roller 14 and the trailing roller 15 may have different diameters. By setting the diameters (roller diameters) of the leading roller 14 and the trailing roller 15 to be different from each other, the amount of tension on the epidermis SK can be increased due to differences in the pressing force on the epidermis SK and the contact area, making it possible to effectively prevent the epidermis SK from returning. For example, by making the outer diameter of the trailing roller 15 larger than that of the leading roller 14, it becomes possible to apply a stronger pressing force to the epidermis SK from the trailing roller 15 than the pressing force from the leading roller 14.

[0082] (C) 20, the pressing mechanism 4 may further include a belt-like member 22 such as a belt wound around the leading roller 14 and the following roller 15. By connecting the rollers 14 and 15 with the belt-like member 22 in this manner, the contact area between the pressing mechanism 4 and the epidermis SK increases, and the belt-like member 22 can continue to apply a constant pressing force to the epidermis SK even at the corners SC of the pad SP, thereby increasing the amount of tension on the epidermis SK and effectively preventing the epidermis SK from returning.

[0083] (D) In yet another modification of the present invention, the leading roller 14 and the trailing roller 15 may be concave rollers that are narrowed in the center in the longitudinal direction, as shown in Fig. 21. By using such rollers that are narrow in the center and wide at both ends as the leading roller 14 and the trailing roller 15, when the rollers 14, 15 press against the epidermis SK, a force acts on the epidermis SK in a direction that widens the width of the rollers 14, 15 on both sides in the longitudinal direction, making it possible to further achieve the effect of smoothing out wrinkles in the epidermis SK.

[0084] (E) In yet another modification of the present invention, the pressing mechanism 4 may further include a heating means for heating the leading roller 14 and the trailing roller 15. The heating means may be, for example, a heater or a steam generator. By pressing the epidermis SK while heating the rollers 14 and 15 with the heating means, it is possible to further achieve the effect of smoothing out wrinkles in the epidermis SK. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 1 Seat cover mounting device 2. Placement area 2a Receiving plate 2a1 Placement surface 3. Compression mechanism 3A double compression mechanism 3B Central compression mechanism 3a Compression jig 3b Arm 4 Pressing mechanism 4A Central pressure mechanism 4B Double-sided pressing mechanism 4C Rear pressure mechanism 11 Rail 12 Moving parts 13 Cart 14 Leading roller 15 Follower roller S seat SP Pad SP1 seating surface SP2 side surface SP3 back SP4 opening SP5 Locked part SK epidermis SK1 end SK2 locking part SH Retract groove SC corner

Claims

1. A seat cover attaching device for attaching a seat having a pad and a cover covering a surface of the pad in a pulled state along a seating surface of the pad and a side peripheral surface connected to a periphery of the seating surface, a placing portion on which the pad and the cover are placed in a state in which the seating surface of the pad is directed downward and the cover is placed under the pad; a compression mechanism that compresses the pad placed on the placement portion downward from a back surface of the pad relative to the seating surface; a pressing mechanism that presses the skin against the surface of the pad; Equipped with the pressing mechanism has a plurality of rollers that move along the surface of the skin and press the skin against the pad while pulling it, the plurality of rollers include a leading roller and a following roller that moves following the leading roller at a distance behind the leading roller in the direction of travel of the leading roller, the leading roller and the trailing roller move from the seating surface of the pad to a corner formed by the seating surface and the side peripheral surface, along the side peripheral surface; A seat cover mounting device characterized by the above.

2. The mounting portion has a mounting surface that slopes downward toward an end portion of the mounting portion on a downstream side in the traveling direction. The seat cover mounting device according to claim 1.

3. a distance between the leading roller and the trailing roller is set so that the trailing roller is disposed near the corner when the leading roller reaches a predetermined stop position on the side peripheral surface; The seat cover mounting device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. When the pad has a groove that partially engages the cover on the seating surface, a movement start point of the leading roller is set between the lead-in groove portion and the corner portion on the seating surface and in the vicinity of the lead-in groove portion; The seat cover mounting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The pressing mechanism further includes an elastic member that applies a pressing force to the leading roller and the trailing roller to press the epidermis. The seat cover mounting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The pressing mechanism has a configuration in which the distance between the leading roller and the trailing roller is changeable. The seat cover mounting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The leading roller and the trailing roller have different diameters. The seat cover mounting device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. the pressing mechanism is configured to stop the leading roller and the trailing roller while maintaining the pressing force against the surface of the sheet when the leading roller and the trailing roller reach a predetermined position on the side circumferential surface. The seat cover mounting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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