Apparatus for attaching surface material, and method for attaching surface material.

Abstract

To provide a skin material attachment device capable of shortening the time required for attaching a skin material.SOLUTION: The skin material attachment device is a device that attaches a skin material 3 to a cushion material 2, including at least one guide portion 12 that is inserted into a groove 21 of the cushion material 2 and is movable relative to the cushion material 2 along the insertion direction with respect to the groove 21, and a magnet 13 provided in the guide portion 12. The guide portion 12 has a guide surface 122 facing one side of the cushion material 2 in the groove width direction. The magnet 13 has a magnetic force that attracts a suspenders 4 to the guide surface 122.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a skin material mounting device for attaching a skin material to a cushion material, a skin material mounting tool, a suspender for the skin material mounting tool, and a skin material mounting method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in vehicle seats, chairs, etc., a cushion material is installed in a portion that touches the human body such as a seat surface or a backrest, and the surface thereof is covered with a skin material. As a means for attaching the skin material to the cushion material, for example, a skin material mounting tool disclosed in Patent Document 1 and a skin material mounting device disclosed in Patent Document 2 are known.

[0003] The skin material mounting tool disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a suspender attached to the skin material and a locking member (clip) provided in a groove of the cushion material. The skin material is attached to the cushion by locking the suspender to the locking member.

[0004] In addition, the skin material mounting device disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes a push piece that holds a suspender (clip) attached to the skin material, and a drive cylinder that moves the push piece forward and backward in the depth direction of the groove of the cushion material. When the drive cylinder lowers the push piece disposed above the cushion material, the push piece pushes the suspender into the groove of the cushion material and locks the suspender to a locking member (clip locking member) provided in the groove.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, with the conventional surface material attachment devices and fittings described above, it is necessary to visually confirm the locking points of the surface material in the cushioning material (i.e., the arrangement of grooves in the cushioning material) and align the suspenders attached to the surface material with the locking points. This process is time-consuming, which leads to the problem of increasing the overall time required to attach the surface material.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a device for attaching a surface material, a fixture for attaching a surface material, a suspender for a fixture for attaching a surface material, and a method for attaching a surface material that can shorten the time required for attaching the surface material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (First aspect) A surface material attachment device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a surface material attachment device for attaching a surface material to a cushion material, comprising: at least one guide portion inserted into a groove of the cushion material; and a moving mechanism that makes the guide portion movable relative to the cushion material along the depth direction of the groove, wherein the guide portion comprises a guide surface facing one side in the groove width direction of the cushion material; and a magnet that attracts a suspender attached to the surface material to the guide surface. In this configuration, the guide portion is inserted into the groove of the cushioning material, and the suspenders are positioned relative to the groove by attracting them to the guide surface of the guide portion. Here, the attraction of the suspenders to the guide surface is performed automatically by the magnetic force of the magnet. Furthermore, since the guide portion is movable relative to the cushioning material along the insertion direction into the groove, it can also guide the magnetically attached suspenders into the groove. The structure for locking the suspenders into the groove is not particularly limited, and the suspenders may be locked directly to the wall surface of the groove or to any locking member placed inside the groove. Therefore, the skin material attachment device according to the first aspect of the present invention does not require visual inspection or manual work by an operator to position the suspenders at the locking point, and the time required to attach the skin material can be shortened. Furthermore, the term "magnet" in this invention includes not only permanent magnets but also electromagnets.

[0009] (Second aspect) In a surface material attachment device according to a first aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the moving mechanism allows the guide portion to move relative to a set position in which at least a part of the guide surface is exposed to the outside of the cushion material from the opening of the groove, and an engagement position in which the guide surface is positioned further into the groove than the set position. In this configuration, when the guide is positioned in the set position, it becomes easy to magnetically attach the suspenders to the guide surface. Furthermore, by moving the guide from the set position to the engagement position, the suspenders can be appropriately guided into the groove.

[0010] (Third aspect) A skin material attachment device according to the first or second aspect of the present invention further comprises a drive unit for driving the moving mechanism and a pressing unit for pressing the suspender toward the groove, wherein the drive unit preferably drives the moving mechanism in synchronization with the pressing operation of the pressing unit so that the guide unit moves in the same direction as the pressing by the pressing unit. In this configuration, the suspenders can be securely fixed in the groove by pressing them into the groove with the pressing part. Furthermore, since the drive unit drives the moving mechanism in sync with the pressing action of the pressing part, sliding of the suspenders against the guide surface can be suppressed, thereby suppressing wear on the guide surface. The drive unit may be a mechanism electronically controlled by a control unit. Alternatively, the drive unit may be a mechanism that mechanically connects the pressing unit and the moving mechanism, transmitting the power of the pressing unit to the moving mechanism to drive the moving mechanism.

[0011] (Fourth aspect) In a surface material attachment device according to any of the first to third embodiments of the present invention, it is preferable that the guide surfaces of the multiple guide portions inserted into the same groove are facing the same direction. In this configuration, it becomes easy to magnetically attach the suspenders to each guide surface of the multiple guide sections.

[0012] (Fifth aspect) A suspender for attaching a skin material according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is a suspender that is attached to a skin material and secured to a clip installed in a groove of a cushioning material, comprising: a main body portion attached to the skin material and extending along the insertion direction into the groove; a claw portion protruding from the main body portion to one side in the groove width direction of the cushioning material and engaging with the clip; a reference surface on the main body portion facing the other side in the groove width direction; and a magnetic material that allows the reference surface to be attracted to a guide surface that faces the one side in the groove width direction and is magnetic. Such suspenders can be suitably used in the surface material attachment device according to any of the first to fifth embodiments described above. That is, by adhering the reference surface of the suspenders to the guide surface, the suspenders are positioned in relation to the groove without requiring visual inspection or manual work by an operator to position the suspenders at the locking point.

[0013] (Sixth aspect) In the suspenders according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the reference surface has a flat shape arranged along the extension direction of the main body. With this configuration, the reference surface can be suitably adsorbed onto the guide surface.

[0014] (Seventh aspect) In a suspender according to a fifth or sixth aspect of the present invention, the magnetic material is preferably a wire arranged along the length direction of the groove of the cushioning material and provided inside the portion including the claw. This configuration makes it easy to install magnetic materials in suspenders.

[0015] (Eighth Aspect) The skin material fixture according to the eighth aspect of the present invention includes the suspender described in any one of the above fifth to seventh aspects, and a clip installed in the groove of the cushion material and engaged with the suspender. The clip has a base installed at the bottom of the groove, and a first leg and a second leg erected on the base. A return portion capable of engaging with the claw portion is provided at the tip of the first leg. According to such a configuration, the same effects as those described as the effects of the suspender of the fifth aspect can be obtained. In addition, the suspender can be preferably engaged with the clip.

[0016] (Ninth Aspect) The method for attaching a skin material according to the ninth aspect of the present invention is a method for attaching a skin material to a cushion material, including a setting step of setting a guide surface facing one side in the groove width direction and having magnetism with respect to the groove of the cushion material, an adsorption step of adsorbing a suspender attached to the skin material to the guide surface by magnetic force, and a moving step of relatively moving the suspender and the guide surface with respect to the cushion material so that the suspender is pressed toward the groove and the guide surface moves in the same direction as the pressing direction of the suspender. According to such a method, the same effects as those described as the effects of the skin material attaching device of the first aspect can be obtained.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] Perspective view showing a skin material attaching device and a skin material fixture according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Side view schematically showing the skin material attaching device and the skin material fixture of the above embodiment. [Figure 3] Plan view schematically showing the skin material attaching device and the skin material fixture of the above embodiment. [Figure 4] Side view showing the skin material fixture of the above embodiment. [Figure 5]A diagram illustrating the method for attaching the surface material according to the above embodiment, showing the state in which the guide portion is positioned at the set position. [Figure 6] A diagram illustrating the method for attaching the surface material according to the above embodiment, showing the state in which the guide portion is positioned at the engagement position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the upholstery material attachment device 1 is a device for attaching upholstery material 3 to cushion material 2 that constitutes a vehicle seat or the like via an upholstery material attachment fitting 10. The upholstery material attachment fitting 10 has a suspender 4 that is attached to the upholstery material 3 and a clip 5 that is installed in a groove 21 of the cushion material 2. The upholstery material attachment device 1 can attach the upholstery material 3 to the cushion material 2 by locking the suspender 4 with the clip 5.

[0019] The cushioning material 2 is a synthetic resin urethane foam material such as foamed polyurethane molded into the shape of a seat. The cushioning material 2 has a groove 21 in which the clip 5 is installed. The groove 21 has a first groove wall surface 211 and a second groove wall surface 212 (see, for example, Figure 5) that face each other, and extends along any direction on the surface of the cushioning material 2 while forming an opening on one side in the vertical direction of the cushioning material 2.

[0020] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, a plurality of grooves 21 are formed in the cushioning material 2. Each groove 21 has a plurality of through holes 213 that penetrate the bottom of the groove 21. In addition, a plurality of through holes 213 and a plurality of clips 5 are arranged alternately along the length of each groove 21. Note that in Figure 3, the arrangement of the clips 5 is shown with hatching for the sake of simplicity.

[0021] The outer material 3 is a sheet that covers the surface of the cushioning material 2, and is, for example, a synthetic resin woven sheet. The edges 31 of the outer material 3 are attached to the suspenders 4 by sewing or the like. In this embodiment, the edges 31 of each of the two outer material 3 are attached to the suspenders 4. Note that in Figure 1, the illustration of the outer material 3 is partially omitted, and in Figure 2, a cross-section of the outer material 3 is shown.

[0022] (Configuration of the surface material attachment device 1) The configuration of the surface material attachment device 1 of this embodiment will now be described. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the surface material attachment device 1 comprises a mounting base 11 on which the cushion material 2 is placed, a plurality of guide parts 12 inserted into grooves 21 in the cushion material 2, and a moving mechanism 14 that makes the plurality of guide parts 12 movable relative to the cushion material 2. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the surface material attachment device 1 further comprises a drive unit 17 that drives the moving mechanism 14, a pressing unit 18 that presses the suspender 4 toward the clip 5, and a control unit 19 that controls the operation of the drive unit 17 and the pressing unit 18.

[0023] In the description of the surface material mounting device 1, the direction of movement of the guide portion 12 is defined as the vertical direction. The depth direction of the groove 21 of the cushion material 2 shall coincide with the vertical direction of the surface material mounting device 1 when the cushion material 2 is placed on the surface material mounting device 1.

[0024] The mounting base 11 is a base on which the cushioning material 2 is placed, and has any shape that matches the cushioning material 2. In this embodiment, the cushioning material 2 is placed on the mounting base 11 with the opening of the groove 21 facing upward. The mounting base 11 also has a plurality of through holes 111 through which each of the plurality of guide portions 12 can be inserted.

[0025] The guide section 12 includes a bar 121, for example, made of metal. The bar 121 is positioned vertically and is inserted into the groove 21 of the cushioning material 2 from the bottom side of the groove 21 by passing through the through hole 111 of the mounting base 11 and the through hole 213 (see Figure 3) of the cushioning material 2. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the bar 121 has a guide surface 122 which is a surface facing one side in the width direction of the groove 21. This guide surface 122 can face one side of the groove 21 (for example, the first groove wall surface 211) with a gap in between. It is also preferable that the guide surface 122 has a flat shape.

[0026] As shown in Figure 5, the guide section 12 further includes a magnet 13 provided on the bar 121. The magnet 13 is attached, for example, to the side of the guide section 12 opposite to the guide surface 122, and has magnetic force to attract the suspenders 4 to the guide surface 122. In Figure 5, the magnet 13 is schematically illustrated, but this magnet 13 may be a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.

[0027] The range of the guide surface 122 in the guide portion 12 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the range of the guide portion 12 includes the tip portion 12P that can protrude from the opening of the groove 21 of the cushioning material 2. Similarly, the range on the guide surface 122 that is affected by the magnetic force of the magnet 13 (i.e., the range in which the suspender 4 can be attracted) is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that at least a portion of it is exposed from the opening of the groove 21 of the cushioning material 2.

[0028] Furthermore, multiple guide portions 12 are arranged in each groove 21 of the cushioning material 2 at predetermined intervals along the length of the groove 21. As shown in Figure 3, the guide surfaces 122 of the multiple guide portions 12 inserted into the same groove 21 are all facing the same direction.

[0029] The moving mechanism 14 comprises a first base 141, a plurality of columnar sections 142 erected on the first base 141, and a second base 143 guided vertically by the plurality of columnar sections 142. The mounting platform 11 is supported at the ends of each of the plurality of columnar sections 142, and the second base 143 is positioned between the first base 141 and the mounting platform 11. The second base 143 may also have through holes 144 through which the columnar sections 142 are inserted, and nuts 145 through which the columnar sections 142 are inserted may be fixed to it. In the moving mechanism 14 of this embodiment, the second base 143 is guided by each column portion 142, so that the guide portion 12 can move vertically relative to the cushioning material 2.

[0030] The drive unit 17 is an actuator that drives the moving mechanism 14. For example, the drive unit 17 is an air cylinder installed on the first base 141 that raises and lowers the second base 143. By raising and lowering the second base 143, the drive unit 17 can move the multiple guide parts 12 provided on the second base 143 in the vertical direction.

[0031] The pressing portion 18 may be configured to press the suspender 4 toward the clip 5. For example, the pressing portion 18 may have a contact portion 181 arranged along the length of the groove 21 of the cushioning material 2, and a pressing drive portion 182 that drives the contact portion 181. The pressing drive portion 182 may be an actuator, such as an air cylinder, that raises and lowers the contact portion 181. Although Figure 2 shows an example where multiple pressing parts 18 are arranged for each groove 21, a single pressing part 18 may be arranged above multiple grooves 21.

[0032] The control unit 19 may be configured as hardware using an IC or the like, or it may be configured around a computer equipped with a CPU, and the CPU may realize the desired function by executing a program stored in memory. In this embodiment, the control unit 19 controls the operation of the drive unit 17 and the press unit 18 so that the guide unit 12 descends in synchronization with the pressing operation of the press unit 18.

[0033] In the surface material attachment device 1 described above, the guide portion 12 is configured to be movable between a set position (see Figure 5) in which the guide surface 122 is exposed to the outside of the cushion material 2 from the opening of the groove 21 of the cushion material 2, and an engagement position (see Figure 6) in which the guide surface 122 is positioned further inside the groove 21 than the set position.

[0034] Here, when the guide portion 12 is in the set position (see Figure 5), the guide surface 122 is positioned directly above the groove 21. Therefore, the suspender 4, which is adsorbed to the guide surface 122, is positioned directly above the groove 21. In Figure 5, the entire guide surface 122 is exposed to the outside of the cushioning material 2, but the amount of exposure of the guide surface 122 is not particularly limited, and it is preferable that at least a part of the guide surface 122 is exposed to the outside of the cushioning material 2.

[0035] When the guide portion 12 is in the engagement position (see Figure 6), the guide surface 122 is positioned adjacent to the clip 5 in the groove 21 in the longitudinal direction of the groove 21. At this time, the suspender 4, which is adsorbed to the guide surface 122, is engaged with the clip 5.

[0036] (Sheathing material mounting hardware) Next, the surface material mounting bracket 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 6. As described above, the surface material attachment device 10 comprises a suspender 4 attached to the surface material 3 and a clip 5 installed in the groove 21 of the cushion material 2.

[0037] In describing the configuration of the skin material attachment device 10, the three axes X, Y, and Z are used based on the state in which the suspenders 4 are engaged with the clips 5 (see Figures 4 to 6). For example, the length direction of the skin material attachment device 10 is the X direction, the left-right direction of the skin material attachment device 10 is the Y direction, and the up-down direction of the skin material attachment device 10 is the Z direction. When the skin material attachment device 10 is used in the skin material attachment device 1 described above, the X direction corresponds to the length direction of the groove 21 of the cushioning material 2, the Y direction corresponds to the width direction of the groove 21, and the Z direction corresponds to the depth direction of the groove 21 (i.e., the up-and-down direction of the second base 143, and the insertion direction of the suspenders 4 into the groove 21). Also, for the sake of convenience in the explanation, the direction toward one side of the Z direction is the +Z direction (above the skin material attachment device 1), and the direction toward the other side of the Z direction is the -Z direction (below the skin material attachment device 1), and the groove 21 is assumed to open in the +Z direction in the cushioning material 2.

[0038] The suspenders 4 are molded products made of a thermoplastic resin such as polypropylene. The suspenders 4 are attached to the outer material 3 and include a main body portion 41 that extends along the insertion direction (Z direction) into the groove 21 of the cushioning material 2, a stopper portion 42 and a claw portion 43 provided on one side (-Y side) of the main body portion 41 in the Y direction, and a magnetic material 44.

[0039] The main body portion 41 has a mounting surface 411 facing the -Y direction and a reference surface 412 facing the +Y direction. Preferably, the mounting surface 411 and the reference surface 412 each have a flat shape.

[0040] The stopper portion 42 protrudes from the main body portion 41 toward the -Y side. This stopper portion 42 forms a contact surface 421 that abuts against the edge portion 31 of the surface material 3 superimposed on the mounting surface 411 in the Z direction.

[0041] The claw portion 43 protrudes from the main body portion 41 in the -Y direction at a point on the -Z side of the main body portion 41 than the stopper portion 42 (specifically, at the tip of the main body portion 41 in the -Z direction). The claw portion 43 has inclined surfaces 432 facing the -Y side and the -Z side, respectively, and an engaging surface 433 facing the +Z side.

[0042] The magnetic material 44 is formed from a magnetically attachable material and is provided at any position on the suspender 4. In this embodiment, the magnetic material 44 is, for example, a metal wire and is provided inside the portion of the suspender 4 that includes the claw portion 43. This magnetic material 44 is attracted by the magnetic force of the magnet 13, thereby enabling the reference surface 412 of the main body 41 to be attracted to the guide surface 122.

[0043] The range of the reference surface 412 on the main body portion 41 is not particularly limited, but it is preferably a range that includes the tip portion on the -Z side of the main body portion 41. Similarly, the range on the reference surface 412 that can be attracted to the guide surface 122 is not particularly limited, but it is preferably a range that includes the tip portion on the -Z side of the main body portion 41, specifically a range that includes the arrangement range of the claw portion 43 in the Z direction.

[0044] The clip 5 is a molded product made of a thermoplastic resin such as polypropylene. The clip 5 comprises a base 51, a first leg 52 and a second leg 53 erected on the base 51, and a return portion 54 provided at the tip of the first leg 52.

[0045] The base portion 51 has, for example, a plate shape and is embedded in the bottom of the groove 21 of the cushioning material 2 (see, for example, Figure 5). The first leg portion 52 extends from the base portion 51 in the +Z direction and curves toward the -Y side so as to move away from the second leg portion 53. Between the first leg portion 52 and the return portion 54, the first leg portion 52 forms a storage space S in which the claw portion 43 of the suspender 4 is accommodated.

[0046] The second leg portion 53 is positioned on the +Y side of the first leg portion 52 and extends from the base portion 51 in the +Z direction, so as to face the first leg portion 52 in the Y direction. This second leg portion 53 is positioned along the Z direction and has a support surface 531 facing the -Y side. The support surface 531 preferably has a flat shape. Furthermore, it is preferable that the support surface 531 is positioned in the same position as the guide surface 122 in the Y direction. Furthermore, the tip 532 of the second leg 53 is inclined towards the +Y side. As a result, the tip 532 of the second leg 53 forms an insertion guide surface 533 facing towards the +Z side.

[0047] The return portion 54 is provided at the tip of the first leg portion 52 and extends outwards from that tip in both directions in the Y direction. This return portion 54 has an insertion guide surface 541 facing the +Z side and an engagement surface 542 facing the -Z side and the housing space S. The insertion guide surface 541 and the engagement surface 542 are inclined with respect to the Y and Z directions, respectively, so that they are inclined toward the -Z direction as they move toward the second leg portion 53 side (+Y side). Furthermore, the gap between the return portion 54 and the second leg portion 53 is set to be narrower than the maximum width in the Y direction at the position of the claw portion 43 of the suspender 4.

[0048] The suspenders 4 and clips 5 described above are formed continuously along the X direction, and the respective length dimensions of the suspenders 4 and clips 5 in the X direction are set as appropriate. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the X-direction dimension L1 of the suspender 4 is set to be larger than the X-direction dimension L2 of the clip 5. Specifically, one suspender 4 can simultaneously engage with multiple clips 5 provided in one groove 21.

[0049] (Method for attaching the outer covering material) A method for attaching the surface material 3 using the surface material attachment device 1 and the surface material attachment fitting 10 will be described.

[0050] First, a cushioning material 2 is prepared, with multiple clips 5 provided in the grooves 21, and this cushioning material 2 is placed on the mounting table 11 of the surface material mounting device 1. At this time, the guide portion 12 is positioned in the set position, and simultaneously with the placement of the cushioning material 2, the guide portion 12 is inserted through the through hole 213 at the bottom of the groove 21 of the cushioning material 2. As a result, as shown in Figure 5, the guide portion 12 is inserted into the groove 21 of the cushioning material 2, and at least a part of the guide surface 122 is exposed to the outside of the cushioning material 2 through the opening of the groove 21. In other words, the guide surface 122 is set with respect to the groove 21 of the cushioning material 2 (setting process).

[0051] Next, a surface material 3 with multiple suspenders 4 attached is prepared, and this surface material 3 is set onto the cushion material 2. At this time, the reference surface 412 of the suspenders 4 is attracted by magnetic force to the guide surfaces 122 of the corresponding multiple guide parts 12 (attachment process). As a result, each suspender 4 is automatically positioned in relation to the groove 21 of the cushion material 2. The operation of the magnetic attachment process may be performed by a human operator or by an automated machine. If the magnet 13 is an electromagnet, a magnetic force can be generated in the magnet 13 at any time before the adsorption process.

[0052] Next, the drive unit 17 and the pressing unit 18 operate together under the control of the control unit 19. Specifically, the pressing drive unit 182 lowers the contact unit 181, causing the contact unit 181 to apply pressure to each suspender 4 via the surface material 3. The drive unit 17 moves the guide unit 12 from the set position to the engagement position in synchronization with the pressing operation of the pressing unit 18 (more specifically, in synchronization with the timing when the pressing unit 18 applies pressure to each suspender 4). As a result, the guide surface 122 moves in the same direction as the pressing direction of the suspender 4 (movement process). Furthermore, it is preferable that the downward speed of the contact portion 181 and the moving speed of the guide portion 12 are equal to each other.

[0053] During the above movement process, the suspender 4 is guided along the Z-direction within the groove 21 by a plurality of guide parts 12, while being pressed toward the clip 5 by the pressing part 18. At this time, the inclined surface 432 of the suspender 4 is guided by the insertion guide surface 541 of each clip 5, and the reference surface 412 of the suspender 4 is guided by the insertion guide surface 533 of each clip 5. As a result, the claw portion 43 of the suspender 4 is inserted into the gap between the return portion 54 and the second leg portion 53 of each clip 5. Then, as the first leg portion 52 of each clip 5 elastically deforms, the claw portion 43 overcomes the return portion 54, and the engaging surface 433 of the claw portion 43 comes into contact with the engaged surface 542 of the return portion 54. At this time, the reference surface 412 of the suspender 4 comes into contact with the support surface 531 of the second leg portion 53 of the clip 5. As a result, the suspenders 4 are secured to the clips 5, and the outer material 3 is attached to the cushioning material 2.

[0054] Subsequently, the cushioning material 2 is removed from the mounting base 11 of the surface material attachment device 1. At this time, the reference surface 412 of the suspender 4 slides in the Z direction relative to the guide surface 122 of the guide portion 12, thereby removing it from the guide surface 122. Furthermore, if the magnet 13 is an electromagnet, it is preferable to stop the magnetic force generation of the magnet 13 at any timing after the above-mentioned moving process but before the removal of the cushioning material 2.

[0055] (Effects of this embodiment) As described above, the surface material attachment device 1 of this embodiment includes a plurality of guide parts 12 inserted into the groove 21 of the cushion material 2, and a moving mechanism 14 that allows the guide parts 12 to move relative to the cushion material 2 along the depth direction (Z direction) of the groove. Each guide part 12 includes a guide surface 122 facing one side (-Y side) in the groove width direction of the cushion material 2, and a magnet 13 that attracts the suspender 4 attached to the surface material 3 to the guide surface 122. In this configuration, the guide portion 12 is inserted into the groove 21 of the cushioning material 2, and the suspenders 4 are positioned relative to the groove 21 by attracting them to the guide surface 122. Here, the attraction of the suspenders 4 to the guide surface 122 is performed automatically by the magnetic force of the magnet 13. Furthermore, since the guide portion 12 is movable relative to the cushioning material 2 along the insertion direction into the groove 21, it can also guide the magnetically attached suspenders 4 toward the groove 21 and engage with the clip 5. Therefore, the surface material attachment device 1 of this embodiment does not require the operator's visual inspection or manual work to position the suspenders 4 at the locking point, and the time required to attach the surface material 3 can be shortened. Furthermore, the surface material attachment device 1 of this embodiment allows for the automation of the attachment of the surface material 3.

[0056] In this embodiment, the moving mechanism 14 makes the guide portion 12 movable between a set position in which at least a portion of the guide surface 122 is exposed to the outside of the cushioning material 2 through the opening of the groove 21, and an engagement position in which the guide surface 122 is positioned further inside the groove 21 than in the set position. In this configuration, when the guide portion 12 is positioned in the set position, it becomes easy to attach the suspenders 4 to the guide surface 122. Furthermore, by moving the guide portion 12 from the set position to the engagement position, the suspenders 4 can be suitably guided into the groove 21 and engaged with the clip 5.

[0057] The skin material attachment device 1 of this embodiment further comprises a drive unit 17 that drives a moving mechanism 14 and a pressing unit 18 that presses the suspender 4 toward the clip 5. The drive unit 17 drives the moving mechanism 14 in synchronization with the pressing operation of the pressing unit 18 so that the guide unit 12 moves in the same direction as the pressing by the pressing unit 18. In this configuration, the pressing part 18 pushes the suspenders 4 into the groove 21, ensuring that the suspenders 4 are securely engaged with the clip 5. Furthermore, the drive unit 17 drives the movement mechanism 14 in synchronization with the pressing action of the pressing part 18, thereby preventing the suspenders 4 from sliding against the guide surface 122, and thus preventing wear on the guide surface 122.

[0058] In this embodiment, the guide surfaces 122 of the multiple guide portions 12 inserted into the same groove 21 are all facing the same direction. This makes it easy to magnetically attach the suspenders 4 to the guide surfaces 122 of the multiple guide portions 12.

[0059] As described above, the suspenders 4 of this embodiment include a main body portion 41 attached to the outer material 3 and extending along the insertion direction (Z direction) into the groove 21 of the cushioning material 2, a claw portion 43 protruding from the main body portion 41 to one side (-Y side) in the groove width direction of the cushioning material 2 and engaging with the clip 5, a reference surface 412 on the main body portion 41 facing the other side (+Y side) in the groove width direction, and a magnetic material 44 that allows the reference surface 412 to be attracted to the guide surface 122. The outer material attachment device 10 of this embodiment also includes the suspenders 4 and clip 5 described above. Such suspenders 4 and skin material attachment devices 10 can be suitably used in the skin material attachment device 1 described above. That is, by adhering the reference surface 412 of the suspenders 4 to the guide surface 122, the suspenders 4 are positioned relative to the groove 21.

[0060] In the suspenders 4 of this embodiment, the reference surface 412 has a flat shape arranged along the Z direction, so that the reference surface 412 can be suitably attached to the guide surface 122.

[0061] In the suspenders 4 of this embodiment, the magnetic material 44 is a wire arranged along the length of the groove in the cushioning material 2 and provided inside the portion including the claw portion 43. With this configuration, the installation of the magnetic material 44 in the suspenders 4 is easy.

[0062] As described above, the method for attaching the surface material in this embodiment includes a setting step of setting a guide surface 122 that is magnetic and faces one side (-Y side) in the groove width direction of the cushion material 2 into the groove 21 of the cushion material 2; an adsorption step of magnetically adsorbing the suspender 4 to the guide surface 122; and a moving step of moving the suspender 4 and the guide surface 122 relative to the cushion material 2 so that the suspender 4 is pressed toward the groove 21 and the guide portion 12 moves in the same direction as the pressing direction of the suspender 4. This method allows us to obtain the same effects as those described for the effects of the surface material attachment device 1.

[0063] (modified version) In the above embodiment of the surface material attachment device 1, the guide surfaces 122 of the multiple guide portions 12 inserted into the same groove 21 of the cushion material 2 are facing the same direction, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, when multiple suspenders 4 are inserted into the same groove 21 of the cushion material 2, the multiple guide portions 12 may include those in which the guide surfaces 122 face opposite each other in the Y direction.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the drive unit 17 is electronically controlled by the control unit 19, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the drive unit 17 may be a mechanism that mechanically connects the pressing unit 18 and the moving mechanism 14, and transmits the power of the pressing unit 18 to the moving mechanism 14, thereby driving the moving mechanism 14. Furthermore, in the surface material mounting device 1 of the above embodiment, the drive unit 17 moves the guide unit 12 in the vertical direction, but the configuration of the drive unit 17 is not limited to this. For example, the drive unit 17 may move the cushioning material 2 in the vertical direction. This allows the guide unit 12 to move relative to the cushioning material 2. Furthermore, in the surface material mounting device 1 of the above embodiment, the pressing portion 18 comprises a contact portion 181 and a pressing drive portion 182 that drives the contact portion 181, but the configuration of the pressing portion 18 is not limited to this. For example, if the drive portion 17 moves the cushion material 2 in the vertical direction, the pressing portion 18 may simply be a structure positioned above the groove 21.

[0065] The surface material attachment device 1 of the above embodiment includes a drive unit 17 that moves the guide unit 12 relative to the cushion material 2 and a pressing unit 18 that presses the suspender 4, but it is not necessary to include one or both of these. For example, if the skin material attachment device 1 does not have a pressing part 18, the worker may press the suspenders 4. Furthermore, if the surface material attachment device 1 does not have a drive unit 17, the guide unit 12 may be moved relative to the cushioning material 2 by pressing the guide unit 12 together with the pressing unit 18 or the worker when pressing the suspender 4.

[0066] In the above embodiment of the surface material attachment device 1, the magnet 13 is attached to the surface of the guide portion 12 opposite to the guide surface 122, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the magnet 13 may be embedded inside the bar 121 of the guide portion 12, or otherwise configured integrally with the bar 121. Alternatively, the magnet 13 may be provided on the bar 121 so as to form the guide surface 122 of the guide portion 12.

[0067] In the surface material attachment device 1 of the above embodiment, the set position of the guide portion 12 may be a position where the entire guide surface 122 is positioned within the groove 21. In this case, it is also possible to make the suspenders 4 adhere to the guide surface 122 by moving them in the Y direction while pressing them against the cushion material 2.

[0068] The surface material attachment device 1 of the above embodiment includes a plurality of guide parts 12, but it is sufficient to include at least one guide part 12.

[0069] The suspenders 4 used in the skin material attachment device 1 of the above embodiment are not limited to those described in the above embodiment, and only need to be configured to be attracted to the guide surface 122 by the magnetic force of the magnet 13.

[0070] Furthermore, the structure for locking the suspenders 4 used in the surface material attachment device 1 of the above embodiment into the groove 21 is not limited to that described in the above embodiment. The suspenders 4 may be locked directly into the first groove wall surface 211 of the groove 21, or they may be locked into any locking member arranged within the groove 21. Here, the locking member to which the suspenders 4 are locked is not limited to a clip 5 as in the above embodiment, but may be a wire or the like. In this case, the suspenders 4 may have a hook or the like that can be locked into the wire.

[0071] The configuration of the suspenders 4 in the above embodiment is not limited to that described in the above embodiment. For example, the reference surface 412 of the suspender 4 is not limited to being a flat shape positioned along the extension direction of the main body 41, but may be inclined with respect to the extension direction. Specifically, the suspender 4 may have not only a claw portion 43 that protrudes from the main body 41 to one side in the groove width direction of the cushioning material 2, but also a second claw portion that protrudes from the main body 41 to the other side in the groove width direction of the cushioning material 2. In this case, the inclined surface formed by the second claw portion may adhere to the guide surface 122 as the reference surface 412. Furthermore, the reference surface 412 of the suspender 4 may be formed intermittently in the X direction. For example, the reference surface 412 of the suspender 4 may be formed in each range corresponding to the guide surface 122 in the X direction.

[0072] Furthermore, the arrangement and material of the magnetic material 44 in the suspender 4 are not limited to those described in the above embodiment. For example, the magnetic material 44 may be a powdered magnetic material (e.g., iron powder) contained in the synthetic resin or the like that forming the suspender 4. Also, the region of the suspender 4 that contains the magnetic material 44 may be at least a portion of the reference surface 412 of the suspender 4.

[0073] The configuration of the clip 5 in the above embodiment is not limited to that described above. For example, the clip 5 may be provided with similar return portions 54 on each of the first leg portion 52 and the second leg portion 53.

[0074] The method for attaching the surface material of the present invention is not limited to those described above in the embodiments. For example, it is not limited to using the surface material attachment device 1 or the surface material attachment fitting 10 of this embodiment. In addition, during the moving process, the suspender 4 and the guide surface 122 may be moved relative to the cushion material 2 by moving the cushion material 2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1...Surface material mounting device, 10...Surface material mounting fixture, 11...Mounting base, 111...Through hole, 12...Guide part, 121...Bar, 122...Guide surface, 13...Magnet, 14...Moving mechanism, 141...First base, 142...Column part, 143...Second base, 144...Through hole, 145...Nut, 17...Drive unit, 18...Pressing part, 181...Contact part, 182...Pressing drive unit, 19...Control unit, 2...Cushioning material, 21...Groove, 211...First groove wall surface, 212...First 2 groove wall surface, 213...through hole, 3...surface material, 31...edge part, 4...suspender, 41...main body part, 411...mounting surface, 412...reference surface, 42...stopper part, 421...contact surface, 43...claw part, 432...inclined surface, 433...engaging surface, 44...magnetic material, 5...clip, 51...base part, 52...first leg part, 53...second leg part, 531...support surface, 532...tip part, 533...insertion guide surface, 54...return part, 541...insertion guide surface, 542...engaged surface.

Claims

1. A skin material attachment device (1) for attaching a skin material (3) to a cushion material (2), At least one guide portion (12) is inserted into the groove (21) of the cushioning material (2) from the bottom side of the groove (21) via a through hole (213), A moving mechanism (14) that allows the guide portion (12) to move relative to the cushioning material (2) along the depth direction of the groove (21), A drive unit (17) that drives the aforementioned moving mechanism (14), The device includes a pressing portion (18) positioned above the groove (21) and pressing the suspender (4) attached to the surface material (3) toward the groove (21), The aforementioned guide portion (12) is The cushioning material (2) has a guide surface (122) facing one side in the groove width direction, The system includes a magnet (13) that attracts the suspender (4) to the guide surface (122), The moving mechanism (14) allows the guide portion (12) to move relative to a set position in which at least a portion of the guide surface (122) is exposed to the outside of the cushioning material (2) from the opening of the groove (21), and an engagement position in which the guide surface (122) is positioned further inside the groove (21) than the set position. A surface material mounting device, wherein the drive unit (17) drives the moving mechanism (14) so ​​that the guide unit (12) moves from the set position to the engagement position in the same direction as the pressing by the press unit (18), in synchronization with the pressing operation of the pressing unit (18).

2. The surface material mounting device according to claim 1, wherein each of the guide surfaces (122) of the multiple guide portions (12) inserted into the same groove (21) faces the same direction.

3. A method for attaching a surface material (3) to a cushioning material (2), A setting step is to prepare a guide portion (12) in which a magnetic guide surface (122) is positioned so as to face one side in the groove width direction with respect to the groove (21) of the cushion material (2), insert the guide portion (12) into the groove (21) of the cushion material (2) from the bottom side of the groove (21) through a through hole (213), and set so that at least a part of the guide surface (122) is exposed to the outside of the cushion material (2) through the opening of the groove (21), The process involves magnetically adsorbing the suspenders (4) attached to the surface material (3) to the guide surface (122), A method for attaching a surface material, comprising: a moving step of moving the suspender (4) and the guide part (12) relative to the cushion material (2) so that the guide surface (122) moves in the same direction as the pressing direction of the suspender (4) in sync with the pressing part (18) positioned above the groove (21) pressing the suspender (4) toward the groove (21), thereby positioning the guide surface (122) within the groove (21).

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