Seat cover

Abstract

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

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat cover that is attached to a vehicle seat on which an occupant sits, for example, in a vehicle such as an automobile.

Background Art

[0002] As a seat cover that is detachably attached to a vehicle seat having a side airbag built in the side portion of the seat back, a seat cover corresponding to the inflation and deployment of the side airbag is known. For example, in Patent Document 1, a sewing portion between a pair of first fabric members that cover the side portion of the seat back substantially coincides with a break start point of the seat back that breaks when a side airbag built in the side portion of the seat back expands and deploys. A seat cover is described.

[0003] In the seat cover of this Patent Document 1, since a reinforcing cloth is sewn to the opposing edges of the first fabric member in the deployment direction of the side airbag, when the side airbag expands and deploys, the elongation of the first fabric member can be suppressed by the reinforcing cloth. Thereby, since the sewing portion between the first fabric members can be surely broken, it is said that the side airbag can be inflated and deployed at an appropriate external position of the seat cover.

[0004] By the way, in a position different from the first fabric member that covers the side portion of the seat back of the seat cover as described above, for example, a second fabric member provided at a portion that contacts the back of the occupant, a plurality of through holes such as a plurality of ventilation holes formed for the purpose of improving breathability. There may be provided through holes such as.

[0005] In this case, due to the inflation pressure when the side airbag expands and deploys, a crack occurs between the through holes of the second fabric member in which the through holes are formed, and the plurality of through holes act like perforations, causing the second fabric member to break. As a result, there was a risk of hindering the normal inflation and deployment of the side airbag.

Prior Art Documents

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-19408 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] The object of this invention is to provide a seat cover that allows the side airbags to inflate and deploy to the appropriate external position without the second fabric member, which has multiple through holes formed in it, rupturing and hindering the normal inflation and deployment of the side airbags. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This invention relates to a seat cover that is detachably attached to a vehicle seat having a side airbag that is built into the side of the seat back and inflates and deploys by rupturing at the point where the rupture begins on the side of the seat back, and comprises a set of first fabric members that cover the side of the seat back and are sewn so that the seam portion substantially coincides with the point where the rupture begins, On the front side of the aforementioned seat back, one set of the first fabric member During The material comprises a second fabric member having multiple through holes and a flexible, sheet-like reinforcing member that reinforces the second fabric member. Furthermore, the reinforcing member is formed to have a surface area slightly larger than the surface area of ​​the second fabric member, and is sewn to the second fabric member in a loose manner. It is characterized by the following.

[0009] The above-mentioned vehicle seats may be the driver's seat, passenger seat, or rear seat, as long as they have side airbags. The first and second fabric components described above are not limited in material and may be made of leather such as synthetic leather or genuine leather, or of fabric such as cloth. The above-mentioned rupture initiation point is the point where the side airbag first ruptures after it has begun to inflate and deploy, and refers to, for example, a predetermined location in the stitching of the seat upholstery of a vehicle seat.

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

[0011] Furthermore, the through-holes may be provided in a predetermined area of ​​the second fabric member, or they may be provided across the entire surface of the second fabric member. If the through-holes are provided in a predetermined area of ​​the second fabric member, there may be multiple predetermined areas provided in the second fabric member. The reinforcing member described above is not limited in material as long as it can reinforce the second fabric member and is in the form of a flexible sheet; for example, it may be made of cloth or resin.

[0012] The aforementioned "loose state" refers, for example, to a state in which the second fabric member is not loose, and the reinforcing member is sewn to the second fabric member in such a way that a rod about the thickness of one finger can be inserted between it and the second fabric member.

[0013] This invention allows the seat cover to inflate and deploy the side airbags to the appropriate external position without the second fabric member, which has multiple through holes formed in it, rupturing and hindering the normal inflation and deployment of the side airbags.

[0014] Specifically, since the second fabric member, which has multiple through holes, is reinforced by the reinforcing member, the seat cover can prevent the second fabric member from stretching in accordance with the inflation and deployment of the side airbag when the side airbag inflates and deploys.

[0015] Therefore, the seat cover can prevent the second fabric member, which has multiple perforations, from rupturing when the side airbag inflates and deploys. Therefore, the seat cover allows the side airbags to inflate and deploy to the appropriate external position without the second fabric member, which has multiple through holes formed in it, rupturing and hindering the normal inflation and deployment of the side airbags.

[0016] Furthermore, since the reinforcing member is formed to have a surface area slightly larger than that of the second fabric member and is sewn to the second fabric member in a loose manner, when a tensile load is applied to the second fabric member, the second fabric member can be slightly stretched by the amount of slack in the reinforcing member, thus preventing a decrease in ease of installation due to the presence of the reinforcing member when, for example, attaching it to a vehicle seat.

[0017] In addition, the seat cover prevents the occupant from feeling uncomfortable when sitting on the vehicle seat due to the second fabric component not stretching, and also prevents the occupant from noticing the presence of the reinforcing component. Therefore, seat covers can ensure both ease of installation on vehicle seats and comfort for the occupants.

[0018] As an aspect of this invention, it is preferable that the reinforcing member has a lower stretchability than the second fabric member and a higher tensile strength than the inflation pressure of the side airbag. According to this invention, the seat cover can more reliably suppress the elongation of the second fabric member due to the inflation pressure of the side airbag, so that when the side airbag expands and deploys, it can more reliably prevent the second fabric member from breaking. Therefore, the side airbag can be more reliably inflated and deployed at an appropriate external position without interfering with the normal inflation and deployment of the side airbag by the seat cover.

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

[0020] Specifically, in the seat cover, the reinforcing member is sewn to a hem portion where the second fabric member and an adjacent fabric member are sewn together. Thereby, the entire second fabric member can be reinforced by the reinforcing member, so that the seat cover can more reliably suppress the elongation of the second fabric member due to the inflation pressure of the side airbag.

[0021] Therefore, the seat cover can more reliably prevent the second fabric member from breaking when the side airbag expands and deploys, so that the side airbag can be more reliably inflated and deployed at an appropriate external position without interfering with the normal inflation and deployment of the side airbag.

[0022] Furthermore, the seat cover has no sewing location where the reinforcing member is sewn exposed on the surface side. For this reason, the seat cover can prevent the appearance from degrading due to the exposure of the sewing location. In addition, because the reinforcing members of the seat cover are sewn into the seam allowance, there is more flexibility in the placement of the through-holes in the second fabric member. Therefore, the seat cover can be designed without its design freedom being compromised by the inclusion of reinforcing members.

[0023] In another aspect of this invention, the second fabric member may be provided between the sides of the seat back of the vehicle seat, at a position corresponding to the front of the seat back that comes into contact with the back of the seated occupant.

[0024] This invention allows the seat cover to reliably inflate and deploy the side airbags to the outside, while also ensuring the comfort of the seated occupant. Specifically, the seat cover is provided with a second fabric member having multiple through holes in areas where heat and moisture tend to accumulate and cause stuffiness due to contact with the back of the seated occupant.

[0025] This allows the seat cover to improve ventilation through perforations, making it easier for heat and moisture to escape, thus ensuring the comfort of the seated occupants. Therefore, the seat cover ensures that the side airbags can be reliably inflated and deployed to the outside, while also ensuring the comfort of the seated occupants.

[0026] In addition, the seat cover is provided with a second fabric member having multiple through holes in the area that comes into contact with the back of the seated occupant, and is reinforced with a reinforcing member. Therefore, even if the weight of the occupant is repeatedly applied to the second fabric member, for example when the occupant is seated, the reinforcing member can prevent the second fabric member from stretching. Therefore, the seat cover can prevent the second fabric component from tearing even when the side airbags are not inflating and deploying, thus improving its durability.

[0027] In another aspect of this invention, the through-hole may be composed of a ventilation hole that improves the breathability of the second fabric member. With this invention, even when the second fabric member of the seat cover is provided with ventilation holes, the second fabric member can be reinforced with a reinforcing member.

[0028] In another aspect of this invention, the through-hole may be composed of a leg insertion hole through which the leg portion of the headrest is inserted. With this invention, even when the second fabric member of the seat cover is provided with leg insertion holes, the second fabric member can be reinforced with a reinforcing member.

[0029] In another aspect of this invention, a reinforcing fabric is provided at the edge of the first fabric member facing the side airbag in the deployment direction when viewed from the side, having lower elasticity than the first fabric member and higher tensile strength than the inflation pressure of the side airbag, and the reinforcing member may be made of the same material as the reinforcing fabric. The term "same material as above" refers to the reinforcing member having approximately the same elasticity and tensile strength as the reinforcing fabric.

[0030] This invention allows the seat cover to achieve a good balance of overall tensile strength between the first and second fabric members. As a result, the seat cover can more accurately rupture the seams of the first fabric member when the side airbag inflates and deploys, allowing the side airbag to inflate and deploy more reliably to the appropriate external position.

[0031] Specifically, the seat cover, through the reinforcing fabric provided in the first fabric member, prevents the first fabric member from stretching in accordance with the inflation and deployment of the side airbag when the side airbag inflates and deploys.

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

[0033] Therefore, the seat cover can achieve a good balance of overall tensile strength between the first and second fabric members. As a result, the seat cover can more accurately rupture the seams of the first fabric member when the side airbag inflates and deploys, allowing the side airbag to inflate and deploy more reliably to the correct external position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0034] This invention provides a seat cover that allows the side airbags to inflate and deploy to the appropriate external position without the second fabric member, which has multiple through holes formed in it, rupturing and hindering the normal inflation and deployment of the side airbags. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0035] [Figure 1] A schematic perspective view of a vehicle seat. [Figure 2] Schematic perspective view of a vehicle seat and seat cover. [Figure 3] A schematic perspective view of a vehicle seat with a seat cover installed. [Figure 4] Diagram explaining the seat cover. [Figure 5] A schematic exploded perspective view of the seat cover. [Figure 6] A schematic perspective view of the seat cover. [Figure 7] A schematic, enlarged cross-sectional view of the seat cover. [Figure 8] A schematic, enlarged cross-sectional view of the seat cover. [Figure 9] A schematic, enlarged cross-sectional view of the seat cover. [Figure 10] A schematic cross-sectional view of the seat cover when the side airbags inflate and deploy. [Figure 11] A schematic perspective view of a vehicle seat fitted with a seat cover in another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

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

[0037] In Figures 3 and 4, the inner and outer reinforcing fabrics 17 and 18 are shown with dashed lines. In Figures 2 through 5, multiple ventilation holes 113 are schematically shown by the presence of multiple points. Figures 5 and 6 show the seat cover 10 in an inverted state.

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

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

[0040] In the diagram, arrows Fr and Rr indicate the front and rear directions of the vehicle, with arrow Fr indicating the front of the vehicle and arrow Rr indicating the rear of the vehicle. In addition, arrows IN and OUT indicate the width directions of the vehicle, with arrow IN indicating the inside in the width direction and arrow OUT indicating the outside in the width direction.

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

[0042] The headrest 4 has two legs 41 that extend downward and are inserted into insertion holes 311 provided in the seat back 3, which will be described later. These legs 41 are cylindrical in shape and are provided at predetermined intervals in the vehicle width direction.

[0043] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the seat back 3 is formed such that the inner side in the vehicle width direction and the outer side in the vehicle width direction bulge forward towards the vehicle as they approach the lower part of the vehicle, relative to the front surface where the occupant's back makes contact. Of these sides that bulge forward towards the vehicle as they approach the lower part of the vehicle, the inner bulge in the vehicle width direction is designated as an inner side support 3a that supports the seated occupant from the inside in the vehicle width direction, and the outer bulge in the vehicle width direction is designated as an outer side support 3b that supports the seated occupant from the outside in the vehicle width direction.

[0044] Furthermore, the outer side support 3b of the seatback 3 incorporates a side airbag unit 5, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 1, which protects the occupant's body from the impact of a collision when the vehicle collides with an object. This side airbag unit 5 will be explained in more detail later.

[0045] The seat back 3, as described above, is constructed by covering a metal seat back frame (not shown) that forms the skeleton of the seat back 3, and an elastic cushioning material (not shown) that covers the seat back frame, with a seat surface that serves as the exterior design surface.

[0046] As shown in Figure 1, the seat cover of this seat back 3 is formed by sewing together multiple cover materials. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the seat upholstery of the seat back 3 consists of a front central upholstery material 31 extending from the top surface of the seat back 3 to the lower front end where the occupant's back makes contact, a front inner upholstery material 32 positioned inside the front central upholstery material 31 in the vehicle width direction, an inner side upholstery material 33 forming the inner side in the vehicle width direction, a front outer upholstery material 34 positioned outside the front central upholstery material 31 in the vehicle width direction, an outer side upholstery material 35 forming the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and a back upholstery material (not shown) forming the back. Furthermore, near the upper end of the central front surface material 31, a pair of insertion holes 311 are provided in the vehicle width direction at intervals equal to the distance between the legs 41 through which the legs 41 of the headrest 4 described above are inserted (see Figure 2).

[0047] As shown in Figure 1, the seat back 3 is composed of a front inner surface material 32 and an inner side surface material 33 for the seat covering the inner side support 3a, and a front outer surface material 34 and an outer side surface material 35 for the seat covering the outer side support 3b. Furthermore, the front outer surface material 34 and the outer side surface material 35 are sewn together with stitching that breaks under a tensile load lower than the inflation pressure when the side airbag 5a, described later, inflates and deploys.

[0048] As shown in Figure 1, the seat surface of the seat back 3, which is made by sewing together multiple surface materials in this manner, has the following seams formed on it: sewing line S1 which is the seam between the front central surface material 31 and the front inner surface material 32; sewing line S2 which is the seam between the front inner surface material 32 and the inner side surface material 33; sewing line S3 which is the seam between the front central surface material 31 and the front outer surface material 34; sewing line S4 which is the seam between the front inner surface material 32 and the outer side surface material 35; sewing line S5 which is the seam between the outer side surface material 35 and the back surface material; and sewing line (not shown) which is the seam between the back surface material and the inner side surface material 33.

[0049] Furthermore, the side airbag unit 5, which is built into the outer side support 3b, is built into the lower part of the outer side support 3b, as shown in Figure 1. This side airbag unit 5 is configured such that when the vehicle collides with an object, the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a breaks the stitching that sews the front outer surface material 34 and the outer side surface material 35 together, causing the side airbag 5a to inflate and deploy to the outside from the sewing line S4, which is the sewn portion between the front outer surface material 34 and the outer side surface material 35.

[0050] More specifically, the side airbag unit 5 is configured to rupture the stitching near the top T on the front side of the outer side support 3b with inflation pressure, thereby forming an opening in the stitching line S4, which is the stitching portion connecting the front outer surface material 34 and the outer side surface material 35, and to inflate and deploy the side airbag 5a in the deployment direction X (see Figure 9).

[0051] Furthermore, since the stitching line S4 of the above-mentioned opening is aligned with the vertical direction of the vehicle, the front outer surface material 34 and the outer side surface material 35 are opened in the vehicle width direction to inflate and deploy the side airbag 5a. Furthermore, the deployment direction X is such that, in a side view of the vehicle seat 1, it is directed from the opening towards the front of the vehicle and slightly upward, and in a top view of the vehicle seat 1, it is directed from the opening towards the front of the vehicle and slightly outward in the vehicle width direction.

[0052] Next, we will describe the seat cover 10 that is attached to the seat back 3 of the vehicle seat 1 configured in this way. The seat cover 10 is formed in a roughly bag-like shape by sewing together multiple pieces of genuine leather fabric, each shaped to closely fit the seat back 3, so as to roughly coincide with the seams where the surface materials of the seat back 3 are joined together.

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

[0054] As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the aforementioned front central fabric 11 is composed of a front upper fabric 111 that contacts the back of the seated occupant and a front lower fabric 112 that contacts the occupant's waist. Furthermore, the upper front fabric 111 is provided with a number of fine ventilation holes 113 to improve breathability, and a pair of cover-side insertion holes 114 through which the legs 41 of the headrest 4 described above can be inserted (see Figures 2 to 5).

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

[0056] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the seat cover 10, which is made by sewing together multiple pieces of fabric in this way, has the following seams: Sewing line L1, which is the seam between the front center fabric 11 and the front inner fabric 12; Sewing line L2, which is the seam between the front inner fabric 12 and the inner side fabric 13; Sewing line L3, which is the seam between the front center fabric 11 and the front outer fabric 14; Sewing line L4, which is the seam between the front outer fabric 14 and the outer side fabric 15; Sewing line L5, which is the seam between the outer side fabric 15 and the back fabric 16; Sewing line L6, which is the seam between the back fabric 16 and the inner side fabric 13; Sewing line L7, which is the seam between the front upper fabric 111 and the front lower fabric 112 of the front center fabric 11; and Sewing line L8, which is the seam between the front upper fabric 111 and the back fabric 16.

[0057] These sewing lines L1 to L8 are seam allowances where the fabric components to be sewn together are folded over toward the back side of the seat cover 10. To facilitate the following explanation, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, in the front upper fabric 111 of the seat cover 10 described above, the seam allowance on the outside in the vehicle width direction that is sewn to the front outer fabric 14 is called the outer seam allowance 11a, and the seam allowance on the inside in the vehicle width direction that is sewn to the front inner fabric 12 is called the inner seam allowance 11b. Furthermore, the seam allowance at the bottom of the vehicle where the front upper fabric 111 is sewn to the front lower fabric 112 is called the lower seam allowance 11c, and the seam allowance at the top of the vehicle where the front upper fabric 111 is sewn to the back fabric 16 is called the upper seam allowance 11d.

[0058] In addition, as shown in Figures 5 and 8, in the front lower fabric 112, the seam allowance on the outside in the vehicle width direction that is sewn to the front outer fabric 14 is defined as the outer seam allowance 11e, and the seam allowance on the inside in the vehicle width direction that is sewn to the front inner fabric 12 is defined as the inner seam allowance 11f. Furthermore, the seam allowance above the vehicle where the front lower fabric 112 is sewn to the front upper fabric 111 is defined as the upper seam allowance 11g.

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

[0060] Furthermore, the aforementioned front central fabric 11, front inner fabric 12, front outer fabric 14, inner side fabric 13, outer side fabric 15, and back fabric 16 are formed in a similar shape, each slightly larger than the front central surface material 31, front inner surface material 32, front outer surface material 34, inner side surface material 33, outer side surface material 35, and back surface material (not shown) of the vehicle seat 1.

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

[0062] In this configuration, the seat cover 10 has an inner reinforcing fabric 17 on the back side of the front outer fabric 14, an outer reinforcing fabric 18 on the back side of the outer side fabric 15, and a reinforcing member 19 on the back side of the front upper fabric 111.

[0063] The inner reinforcing fabric 17 is made of nylon or polyester, having lower elasticity than the front outer fabric 14 of the seat cover 10 and higher tensile strength than the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a. It is a strip-shaped body with a roughly rectangular shape in side view, and is long in the deployment direction X. The length of the inner reinforcing fabric 17 in the deployment direction X is slightly longer than the length of the front outer fabric 14 in the deployment direction X.

[0064] Such an inner reinforcing fabric 17 is positioned such that its front edge is located at approximately the same position in the vehicle's vertical direction as the top T of the outer side support 3b, and is sewn to the front outer fabric 14 so as to connect the front seam allowance 14b and the rear seam allowance 14a in the deployment direction X of the side airbag 5a.

[0065] Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, the inner reinforcement fabric 17 has its rear end sewn to the rear seam allowance 14a of the front outer fabric 14, and its front end sewn to the front seam allowance 14b of the front outer fabric 14. The inner reinforcement fabric 17 is sewn with thread having a tensile strength higher than the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a.

[0066] The outer reinforcing fabric 18 is made of the same material as the inner reinforcing fabric 17 and has lower elasticity than the outer side fabric 15 of the seat cover 10, and higher tensile strength than the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a. The outer reinforcing fabric 18 is a strip-shaped body with a length in the deployment direction X that is longer than the length of the inner reinforcing fabric 17 in the deployment direction X when viewed from the side. The inner reinforcing fabric 17 is formed with a length in the deployment direction X that is slightly longer than the length of the outer side fabric 15 in the deployment direction X.

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

[0068] Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, the outer reinforcement fabric 18 has its rear end sewn to the rear seam allowance 15a of the outer side fabric 15, and its front end sewn to the front seam allowance 15b of the outer side fabric 15. The outer reinforcement fabric 18 is sewn with thread having a tensile strength higher than the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a.

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

[0070] Furthermore, the reinforcing member 19 has a fabric-side insertion hole 191 through which the leg portion 41 of the headrest 4 described above can be inserted. The reinforcement fabric-side insertion holes 191 are provided in two locations near the upper end portion of the reinforcing member 19 and in the central portion in the vehicle width direction, at intervals approximately equal to the distance between the cover-side insertion holes 114 in the vehicle width direction (see Figure 5). The inner diameter of these reinforcement fabric-side insertion holes 191 is formed to be approximately equal to the inner diameter of the cover-side insertion holes 114.

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

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

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

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

[0075] As shown in Figure 10, in a seat cover 10 with this configuration, when the vehicle collides with an object, the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a, which has begun to inflate and deploy, breaks the stitching that sews the front outer fabric 14 and the outer side fabric 15 together. This creates an opening in the sewn portion between the front outer fabric 14 and the outer side fabric 15, more specifically, in the portion near the top T of the outer side support 3b along the sewing line L4, thereby allowing the side airbag 5a to inflate and deploy to the outside.

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

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

[0078] Here, the upper front fabric 111 has multiple ventilation holes 113 formed therein, making it more easily stretched than the lower front fabric 112 when tensile load and tension are transmitted. Therefore, the front upper fabric 111 attempts to stretch due to the tensile load and tension, but the tension generated in the reinforcing member 19 suppresses the stretching of the front upper fabric 111.

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

[0080] As a result, the seat cover 10 allows the side airbags 5a to inflate and deploy to the appropriate external position without the front upper fabric 111, which has multiple ventilation holes 113 formed therein, rupturing and hindering the normal inflation and deployment of the side airbags 5a.

[0081] Specifically, since the front upper fabric 111, which has multiple ventilation holes 113 formed therein, is reinforced by the reinforcing member 19, the seat cover 10 can prevent the front upper fabric 111 from stretching in accordance with the inflation and deployment of the side airbag 5a when the side airbag 5a inflates and deploys.

[0082] Therefore, the seat cover 10 can prevent the front upper fabric 111, which has multiple ventilation holes 113 formed therein, from rupturing when the side airbag 5a inflates and deploys. Therefore, the seat cover 10 can inflate and deploy the side airbag 5a to the appropriate external position without hindering the normal inflation and deployment of the side airbag 5a.

[0083] Furthermore, the reinforcing member 19 has lower elasticity than the front upper fabric 111 and higher tensile strength than the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a. As a result, the seat cover 10 can more reliably suppress the stretching of the front upper fabric 111 due to the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a, and thus more reliably prevent the front upper fabric 111 from rupturing when the side airbag 5a inflates and deploys. Therefore, the seat cover 10 does not obstruct the normal inflation and deployment of the side airbag 5a, and the side airbag 5a can be reliably inflated and deployed to an appropriate external position.

[0084] Furthermore, the reinforcing member 19 is formed to have an area slightly larger than the area of ​​the front upper fabric 111, and is sewn to the front upper fabric 111 in a loose manner. As a result, when a tensile load is applied to the front upper fabric 111 of the seat cover 10, the front upper fabric 111 can be slightly stretched by the amount of slack in the reinforcing member 19. Therefore, for example, when attaching it to a vehicle seat 1, a decrease in ease of attachment due to the presence of the reinforcing member 19 can be prevented.

[0085] In addition, the seat cover 10 prevents the occupant from feeling uncomfortable when sitting on the vehicle seat 1 due to the front upper fabric 111 not stretching, and also prevents the occupant from noticing the presence of the reinforcing member 19. Therefore, the seat cover 10 can ensure both ease of installation on the vehicle seat 1 and comfort for the seated occupant.

[0086] Furthermore, the reinforcing member 19 is sewn to the seam allowances of the front upper fabric 111, namely the outer seam allowance 11a, the inner seam allowance 11b, the lower seam allowance 11c, and the upper seam allowance 11d. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the front upper fabric 111 from tearing when the side airbag 5a inflates and deploys.

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

[0088] As a result, the entire front upper fabric 111 can be reinforced with the reinforcing member 19, so the seat cover 10 can more reliably suppress the stretching of the front upper fabric 111 due to the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a.

[0089] Therefore, the seat cover 10 can more reliably prevent the front upper fabric 111 from tearing when the side airbag 5a inflates and deploys, thus allowing the side airbag 5a to inflate and deploy to the appropriate external position without hindering its normal inflation and deployment.

[0090] Furthermore, the outer seam allowance 11a, inner seam allowance 11b, lower seam allowance 11c, and upper seam allowance 11d of the seat cover 10, which are used to sew the reinforcing member 19, are not exposed on the surface side. Therefore, the seat cover 10 can prevent a decrease in appearance due to the exposure of the outer seam allowance 11a, inner seam allowance 11b, lower seam allowance 11c, and upper seam allowance 11d.

[0091] In addition, since the reinforcing member 19 of the seat cover 10 is sewn to the outer seam allowance 11a, inner seam allowance 11b, lower seam allowance 11c, and upper seam allowance 11d, there is more flexibility in the placement of the ventilation holes 113 in the front upper fabric 111. Therefore, the seat cover 10 can avoid having its design freedom compromised by the inclusion of the reinforcing member 19.

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

[0093] This ensures that the seat cover 10 provides comfort for the seated occupant and allows the side airbag 5a to be reliably deployed to the outside. Specifically, the seat cover 10 has a front upper fabric 111 with multiple ventilation holes 113 in areas that tend to accumulate heat and moisture and become stuffy due to contact with the back of the seated occupant, and is reinforced with a reinforcing member 19.

[0094] As a result, the seat cover 10 can improve ventilation through the ventilation holes 113, making it easier for heat and moisture to escape, thus ensuring the comfort of the seated occupant. Therefore, the seat cover 10 can reliably inflate and deploy the side airbag 5a to the outside, while also ensuring the comfort of the seated occupant.

[0095] In addition, the seat cover 10 is provided with a front upper fabric 111 that has multiple ventilation holes 113 in the area that comes into contact with the back of the seated occupant, and is reinforced with a reinforcing member 19. Therefore, even if the weight of the occupant is repeatedly applied to the front upper fabric 111, for example when the occupant is seated, the reinforcing member 19 can suppress the stretching of the front upper fabric 111. Therefore, the seat cover 10 can prevent the front upper fabric 111 from tearing even when the side airbag 5a is not inflating and deploying, thus improving its durability.

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

[0097] Furthermore, the through-hole formed in the upper front fabric 111 is a cover-side insertion hole 114 through which the legs 41 of the headrest 4 are inserted. As a result, even if the seat cover 10 has cover-side insertion holes 114 in the front upper fabric 111, the reinforcing member 19 can reinforce the front upper fabric 111.

[0098] Furthermore, an inner reinforcing fabric 17 is provided at the edge of the front outer fabric 14 facing the side airbag 5a in the deployment direction X when viewed from the side, and the inner reinforcing fabric 17 has lower elasticity than the front outer fabric 14 and higher tensile strength than the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a. The reinforcing member 19 is made of the same material as the inner reinforcing fabric 17.

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

[0100] Specifically, the seat cover 10, with its inner reinforcing fabric 17 provided on the front outer fabric 14, prevents the front outer fabric 14 from stretching in accordance with the inflation and deployment of the side airbag 5a when the side airbag 5a inflates and deploys.

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

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

[0103] In the correspondence between the structure of this invention and the embodiments described above, The side portion of the seat back of this invention corresponds to the outer side support 3b, The same applies to the following: The fracture initiation point corresponds to the vicinity of the apex T of the outer side support 3b. The sutured area corresponds to the sewing line L4. One set of first fabric components corresponds to the front outer fabric 14 and the outer side fabric 15. The through-hole corresponds to the ventilation hole 113. The second fabric component corresponds to the front upper fabric 111, The seam allowances correspond to the outer seam allowance 11a, the inner seam allowance 11b, the lower seam allowance 11c, and the upper seam allowance 11d. The front of the seat back corresponds to the front central surface material 31. The leg insertion holes correspond to the fabric side insertion holes 191, The reinforcing fabric corresponds to the inner reinforcing fabric 17, This invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiments described above, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0104] For example, in the above description, the seat cover 10 is assumed to be installed on the vehicle seat 1, which is the driver's seat of a right-hand drive vehicle. However, it is not limited to this, and for example, as shown in Figure 11, the seat cover 10a may be installed on the vehicle seat 1a, which is the passenger seat of a right-hand drive vehicle. Furthermore, the vehicle seat may be the rear seat. Furthermore, although the front outer fabric 14, outer side fabric 15, and front upper fabric 111 are made of genuine leather, they are not limited to this and may be made of synthetic leather or other fabrics.

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

[0106] Furthermore, although the ventilation holes 113 are formed across the entire surface of the front upper fabric 111, the ventilation holes 113 may be provided in predetermined areas of the front upper fabric 111. Multiple predetermined areas may be provided in the front upper fabric 111.

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

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

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

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

[0111] Furthermore, in the above description, the reinforcing member 19 is fixed and reinforced by sewing it to the upper front fabric 111, but there are no particular limitations on the method of reinforcing the upper front fabric 111 with the reinforcing member.

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

[0113] Furthermore, in the vehicle seat 1, the side airbag 5a is configured to inflate and deploy from an opening formed by rupturing the stitching that connects the front outer surface material 34 and the outer side surface material 35. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the side airbag 5a may also be configured to inflate and deploy by rupturing an appropriate part of the outer side support 3b.

[0114] Even in that case, by creating a seat cover in which the seams of the fabrics are sewn together at appropriate locations on the outer side support 3b so that they substantially coincide, and then reinforcing the front upper fabric 111 with the reinforcing member 19, the same effects as in the above-described embodiment can be achieved.

[0115] Furthermore, in the vehicle seat 1, the front outer surface material 34 and the outer side surface material 35 are sewn together with a sewing line S4 in the vehicle's vertical direction, thereby forming an opening in the vehicle width direction for inflating and deploying the side airbag 5a. However, for example, the opening may be formed in the vehicle's vertical direction by sewing the fabric members constituting the outer side support 3b with a sewing line in the vehicle width direction.

[0116] In that case, the seat cover can also accommodate vehicle seats in which the opening is formed in the vertical direction of the vehicle by sewing the front outer fabric 14 and the outer side fabric 15 in the above-described embodiment together along the sewing line in the vehicle width direction.

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

[0118] Furthermore, while the deployment direction X of the side airbag 5a was defined as being slightly forward and above the vehicle in a side view, the deployment direction X of the side airbag 5a may be defined as being slightly forward of the vehicle in a side view. Alternatively, the deployment direction X of the side airbag 5a may be defined as being slightly forward and above the vehicle in a side view. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0119] 1,1a... Vehicle seats 3…Seat back 3b... Lateral side support 4…Headrest 5a... Side airbags 10,10a...Seat cover 11a…Outside seam allowance 11b...Inside seam allowance 11c... Lower seam allowance 11d... Upper seam allowance 14…Front outer fabric 14a... Back seam allowance 15...Outer side fabric 17…Inner force cloth 19…Reinforcement member 31…Front center skin material 41...legs 111…Front upper fabric 113... Ventilation holes 191... Insertion hole on the fabric side L4...Sewing line T…Top X…Development direction

Claims

1. A seat cover that can be detachably attached to a vehicle seat having a side airbag that is built into the side of the seat back and inflates and deploys by rupturing at the point where the rupture begins on the side of the seat back, A set of first fabric members covering the side of the seat back and sewn so that the seam portion substantially coincides with the point where the tear begins, On the front side of the seat back, a second fabric member is provided between a pair of first fabric members and has a plurality of through holes formed therein. The second fabric member is further reinforced by a flexible, sheet-like reinforcing member. The reinforcing member is formed to have a surface area slightly larger than the surface area of ​​the second fabric member and is sewn to the second fabric member in a loose manner. Seat covers.

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

3. The reinforcing member is sewn to the seam allowance portion, which is the seam allowance of the second fabric member. The seat cover according to claim 1.

4. The second fabric member is provided between the sides of the seat back of the vehicle seat, at a position corresponding to the front of the seat back that comes into contact with the back of the seated occupant. The seat cover according to claim 1.

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

6. The aforementioned through-hole is composed of a leg insertion hole through which the leg portion of the headrest is inserted. The seat cover according to claim 1.

7. In a side view, the edges of the first fabric member facing each other in the deployment direction of the side airbag are provided with a reinforcing fabric having lower elasticity than the first fabric member and higher tensile strength than the inflation pressure of the side airbag. The reinforcing member is made of the same material as the reinforcing fabric. A seat cover according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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