Seat cover

Abstract

To provide a seat cover capable of facilitating the sewing of a first cloth member and a second cloth member and securing the degree of freedom of design.SOLUTION: A pair of a front outer fabric 14 and an outer side fabric 15 sewn so as to substantially coincide with the vicinity of a top portion T of a side airbag side 3b that breaks the vicinity of the top portion T of an outer side support side 5a and inflates and deploys, an inner side fabric 18 sewn to edge ends of the front outer fabric 14 facing each other in a deployment direction X of the side airbag side 5a, and a front center fabric 11 sewn to the front outer fabric 14 provided with the inner side fabric 18 are provided, wherein the front center fabric 11 is composed of an upper divided fabric 111 and a lower divided fabric 112, a portion where the upper divided fabric 111 and the lower divided fabric 112 are sewn is a divided sewn portion 113, and the front outer fabric 14 includes a pair of fabric-side protrusions 141 for sewing the inner side fabric 18 at positions separated by a predetermined distance across the divided sewn portion 113.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat cover adapted to be 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.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a seat cover in which 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 portion of the seat back that breaks when a side airbag built in the side portion of the seat back expands and deploys.

[0004] In the seat cover of this Patent Document 1, since a force 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 force 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 outside the seat cover.

[0005] By the way, the seat cover attached to the vehicle seat includes a second fabric member sewn to the first fabric member. This second fabric member may be composed of a plurality of divided fabrics divided in a direction intersecting the edge of the first fabric member from the viewpoint of design or the like.

[0006] In this case, the sewing portion between the first fabric member and the force cloth may overlap with the sewing portion between the divided fabrics, and the workability of the sewing operation between the first fabric member and the force cloth and the sewing operation between the first fabric member and the second fabric member may be reduced.

[0007] Therefore, it is conceivable to provide a protruding portion that extends over a predetermined range at the edge of the first fabric member of the seat cover, and sew a reinforcing fabric to the protruding portion, or to configure the second fabric member so that the sewing portion between the divided fabrics does not overlap with the sewing portion between the first fabric member and the reinforcing fabric, thereby preventing the sewing portion between the first fabric member and the reinforcing fabric from overlapping with the sewing portion between the divided fabrics.

[0008] However, if a protrusion is provided on the first fabric member, the edge of the second fabric member will be hidden by the protrusion, making it difficult to align the edges of the first and second fabric members, and potentially causing misalignment between them.

[0009] On the other hand, if the sewing portions of the divided fabrics constituting the second fabric component are to be made so as not to overlap with the sewing portions of the first fabric component and the reinforcing fabric, then it would be necessary to cut the second fabric component so that the sewing portions of the divided fabrics are located in positions other than the sewing portions of the first fabric component and the reinforcing fabric, which could reduce the design freedom of the seat cover. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-19408 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0011] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a seat cover that facilitates the sewing of the first fabric member and the second fabric member while ensuring a degree of design freedom. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] 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 a rupture initiation point provided on the side of the seat back, and comprises a pair of first fabric members that cover the side of the seat back and whose edges are sewn together so as to substantially coincide with the rupture initiation point, a reinforcing fabric that is sewn to the edges of the first fabric members that are opposite each other in the deployment direction of the side airbag in a side view and has lower elasticity than the first fabric members, and a second fabric member that is sewn to a seam allowance which is one edge of the first fabric member on which the reinforcing fabric is provided, wherein the second fabric member is made of divided fabric divided in a direction intersecting the seam allowance, and the portion where the edges of the divided fabrics intersecting the seam allowance are sewn together is a boundary sewing portion, and the seam allowance of the first fabric member is provided with a pair of sewn portions for sewing the reinforcing fabric at a predetermined interval between the boundary sewing portion. The sutured portion is formed to protrude from the edge of the seam allowance portion of the first fabric member. It is characterized by the following.

[0013] The above-mentioned rupture initiation point is the point where the side airbag first ruptures after inflating and deploying, and refers to, for example, a predetermined location in the stitching of the seat upholstery of a vehicle seat.

[0014] This invention facilitates the sewing of the first fabric member and the second fabric member, while also ensuring design flexibility. More specifically, in the seat cover, the reinforcing fabric is sewn to the sewn portion of the first fabric member, which is located at a predetermined distance from the boundary seam where the divided fabrics are sewn together. This allows the edges of the first fabric member and the second fabric member between the sewn portions to be easily exposed.

[0015] As a result, the seat cover can be sewn with the first and second fabric members aligned at their edges, thereby reducing the risk of misalignment between the first and second fabric members.

[0016] Furthermore, since the boundary sewing portion of the second fabric member does not overlap with the sewing portion between the first fabric member and the reinforcement fabric, the boundary sewing portion of the second fabric member can be easily positioned between the pair of sewing portions of the first fabric member and the reinforcement fabric.

[0017] Therefore, the seat cover can facilitate the sewing of the first fabric member and the second fabric member and ensure the freedom of design. Furthermore, since a seam allowance for sewing the reinforcing fabric can be reliably secured in the seam allowance portion of the first fabric member, the reinforcing fabric can be easily sewn to the first fabric member.

[0018] Also, in this invention The seat cover 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 a rupture initiation point provided on the side of the seat back, and comprises a pair of first fabric members that cover the side of the seat back and whose edges are sewn together so as to substantially coincide with the rupture initiation point, a reinforcing fabric that is sewn to the edges of the first fabric members that are opposite each other in the deployment direction of the side airbag in a side view and has lower elasticity than the first fabric members, and a second fabric member that is sewn to a seam allowance which is one edge of the first fabric member on which the reinforcing fabric is provided, wherein the second fabric member is made of divided fabric divided in a direction intersecting the seam allowance, and the portion where the edges of the divided fabrics intersecting the seam allowance are sewn together is a boundary sewing portion, and the seam allowance of the first fabric member has a pair of sewn portions for sewing the reinforcing fabric to it at a predetermined interval on either side of the boundary sewing portion. The reinforcement fabric is composed of a substantially rectangular reinforcement fabric main body portion arranged across the edge of the first fabric member facing in the unfolding direction, and reinforcement fabric protruding portions protruding from the reinforcement fabric main body portion at positions corresponding to the pair of sewn portions, and the reinforcement fabric protruding portions are sewn to the sewn portions It is characterized by the following.

[0019] According to this invention, since the reinforcement fabric protruding portion of the reinforcement fabric can function as a sewing allowance, the reinforcement fabric can be easily sewn to the sewing allowance portion of the first fabric member. In addition, for example, even when the reinforcement fabric is sewn to the first fabric member first before sewing the first fabric member and the second fabric member, the edge of the first fabric member is less likely to be hidden by the reinforcement fabric main body portion, so that the sewing of the first fabric member and the second fabric member can be facilitated.

[0020] Also, as an aspect of this invention, the reinforcement fabric protruding portions may be provided at both corners along the direction along the edge of the sewing allowance portion of the reinforcement fabric main body portion.

[0021] According to this invention, a wide interval between the pair of reinforcement fabric protruding portions can be ensured. Thereby, since the seat cover can position the boundary sewing portion of the second fabric member at a more arbitrary position, the freedom of design can be ensured.

[0022] Also, in this invention The seat cover 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 a rupture initiation point provided on the side of the seat back, and comprises a pair of first fabric members that cover the side of the seat back and whose edges are sewn together so as to substantially coincide with the rupture initiation point, a reinforcing fabric that is sewn to the edges of the first fabric members that are opposite each other in the deployment direction of the side airbag in a side view and has lower elasticity than the first fabric members, and a second fabric member that is sewn to a seam allowance which is one edge of the first fabric member on which the reinforcing fabric is provided, wherein the second fabric member is made of divided fabric divided in a direction intersecting the seam allowance, and the portion where the edges of the divided fabrics intersecting the seam allowance are sewn together is a boundary sewing portion, and the seam allowance of the first fabric member has a pair of sewn portions for sewing the reinforcing fabric to it at a predetermined interval on either side of the boundary sewing portion.The sewing margin portion of the first fabric member is provided with a mark for positioning the position of the second fabric member between the pair of sutured portions. It is characterized by the following.

[0023] According to this invention, since the alignment between the first fabric member and the second fabric member using the mark can be facilitated, the possibility of misalignment between the first fabric member and the second fabric member can be further reduced.

Effects of the Invention

[0024] According to this invention, it is possible to facilitate the sewing of the first fabric member and the second fabric member, and it is possible to provide a seat cover that can secure the degree of freedom in design.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] [Figure 1] An external perspective view showing the appearance of a vehicle seat in a front upper view. [Figure 2] An external perspective view showing the appearance of a seat back and a seat cover. [Figure 3] An external perspective view showing the appearance of a vehicle seat with a seat cover attached. [Figure 4] An explanatory diagram for explaining the appearance of a seat cover. [Figure 5] A schematic view showing a main part of a seat cover viewed from the back side. [Figure 6] An explanatory diagram for explaining the relationship between a front center fabric and an inner force cloth. [Figure 7] A cross-sectional view showing a cross-section of a seat cover in a cross-section along the unfolding direction. [Figure 8] A cross-sectional view showing a cross-section of a vehicle seat with a seat cover attached. [Figure 9] A side view showing the outer side in the vehicle width direction of a vehicle seat with a seat cover attached. [Figure 10] An external perspective view showing the appearance of a seat cover in another embodiment.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0026] One embodiment of this invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The seat cover 10 of this embodiment is a seat cover that is attached to the seat back 3 of a vehicle seat 1 in which an occupant sits in a vehicle such as an automobile. Such a seat cover 10 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 9.

[0027] Figure 1 shows an external perspective view of the vehicle seat 1, Figure 2 shows an external perspective view of the seat back 3 and seat cover 10, Figure 3 shows an external perspective view of the vehicle seat 1 with the seat cover 10 installed, and Figure 4 shows an explanatory diagram illustrating the appearance of the seat cover 10. Furthermore, Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the main parts of the seat cover 10 as viewed from the back, and Figure 6 shows an explanatory diagram illustrating the relationship between the front outer fabric 14 and the inner reinforcing fabric 18.

[0028] In addition, Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the seat cover 10 in a section along the unfolding direction X, Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the vehicle seat 1 with the seat cover 10 installed, and Figure 9 shows a side view of the vehicle seat 1 with the seat cover 10 installed, on the outside in the vehicle width direction. In Figure 7, Figure 7(b) shows an enlarged view of section α in Figure 7(a).

[0029] Furthermore, in Figure 4, Figure 4(a) shows an external 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 an external 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. In addition, Figure 8 shows a vertical cross-section of the vehicle seat 1 along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, approximately at the center in the vehicle width direction.

[0030] In the diagram, arrows Fr and Rr indicate the front-rear direction of the vehicle, with arrow Fr indicating the front of the vehicle and arrow Rr indicating the rear of the vehicle. Arrows IN and OUT indicate the width direction of the vehicle, with arrow IN indicating the inside in the width direction and arrow OUT indicating the outside in the width direction.

[0031] First, 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.

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the seat back 3 is formed such that, relative to the front surface that contacts the occupant's back, the inner side in the vehicle width direction and the outer side in the vehicle width direction each bulge forward towards the vehicle as they are lower down.

[0033] Of the side sections that bulge forward towards the lower part of the vehicle, the bulging side section on the inside in the vehicle width direction is designated as an inner side support 3a that supports a seated occupant from the inside in the vehicle width direction, and the bulging side section on the outside in the vehicle width direction is designated as an outer side support 3b that supports a seated occupant from the outside in the vehicle width direction.

[0034] In addition, 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.

[0035] More specifically, the seat back 3 is constructed by covering a metal seat back frame (not shown) which forms the skeleton of the seat back 3, and an elastic cushioning material (not shown) which covers the seat back frame, with a seat surface that serves as the exterior design surface.

[0036] The seat cover of this seat back 3 is formed by sewing together multiple upholstery materials, as shown in Figure 1.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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 unit 5 inflates and deploys.

[0039] 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 a sewing line S1 which is the sewing portion between the front central surface material 31 and the front inner surface material 32, a sewing line S2 which is the sewing portion between the front inner surface material 32 and the inner side surface material 33, and a sewing line S3 which is the sewing portion between the front central surface material 31 and the front outer surface material 34. Furthermore, the seat cover of the seat back 3 has a stitching line S4 which is the seam between the front inner surface material 32 and the outer side surface material 35, a stitching line S5 which is the seam between the outer side surface material 35 and the back surface material, and a stitching line (not shown) which is the seam between the back surface material and the inner side surface material 33.

[0040] Furthermore, the side airbag unit 5 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 (see Figure 8) 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 stitching line S4, which is the sewn portion between the front outer surface material 34 and the outer side surface material 35.

[0041] 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 by inflation pressure, thereby forming an opening in the stitching line S4, which is the joint between 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 8).

[0042] The deployment direction X is, in a side view, directed from the opening towards the front of the vehicle and slightly upward, and in a top view, directed from the opening towards the front of the vehicle and slightly outward in the vehicle width direction.

[0043] Next, we will describe the seat cover 10 that is attached to the seat back 3 of the vehicle seat 1 having the configuration described above. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the seat cover 10 is formed in a roughly bag-like shape by sewing together multiple pieces of fabric that are shaped to fit snugly against the seat back 3.

[0044] More specifically, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, 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 (see Figure 7) that covers the back surface material of the seat back 3.

[0045] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the seat cover 10, which is made by sewing together multiple pieces of fabric in this manner, has the following seams formed: a seam L1 which is the seam between the front center fabric 11 and the front inner fabric 12; a seam L2 which is the seam between the front inner fabric 12 and the inner side fabric 13; a seam L3 which is the seam between the front center fabric 11 and the front outer fabric 14; a seam L4 which is the seam between the front outer fabric 14 and the outer side fabric 15; a seam L5 which is the seam between the outer side fabric 15 and the back fabric 16; and a seam L6 which is the seam between the back fabric 16 and the inner side fabric 13.

[0046] Furthermore, the front center fabric 11, front inner fabric 12, front outer fabric 14, inner side fabric 13, outer side fabric 15, and back fabric 16 of the seat cover 10 are formed in a similar shape, each slightly larger than the front center 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.

[0047] 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, and the stitching lines (not shown) which are the seams between the back surface material and the inner side surface material 33.

[0048] To facilitate the following explanation, as shown in Figure 7, in the front outer fabric 14 of the seat cover 10 described above, the seam allowance that is the inner edge in the vehicle width direction and is sewn to the front central fabric 11 is called the inner seam allowance 14a, and the seam allowance that is the outer edge in the vehicle width direction and is sewn to the outer side fabric 15 is called the outer seam allowance 14b. Furthermore, in the front central fabric 11 described above, the seam allowance that is the outer edge in the vehicle width direction that is sewn to the inner seam allowance 14a of the front outer fabric 14 is defined as the outer seam allowance 11a.

[0049] 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 center fabric 11 is designated as the front seam allowance 15b.

[0050] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the front central fabric 11 of the seat cover 10 described above is formed by sewing together two fabric members that are divided in the vertical direction of the vehicle. More specifically, the front central fabric 11 is divided vertically along the vehicle width direction near the top T, and consists of an upper divided fabric 111 that constitutes the upper part of the vehicle and a lower divided fabric 112 that constitutes the lower part of the vehicle (see Figure 3).

[0051] As shown in Figure 5, the front central fabric 11 is formed by sewing together the upper fabric seam allowance 111a, which is the lower edge of the upper divided fabric 111, and the lower fabric seam allowance 112a, which is the upper edge of the lower divided fabric 112, along the width direction of the vehicle. Furthermore, the sewing portion where the upper fabric seam allowance 111a of the upper divided fabric 111 and the lower fabric seam allowance 112a of the lower divided fabric 112 are sewn together is referred to as the divided sewing portion 113.

[0052] Furthermore, the front outer fabric 14 of the seat cover 10 described above is a single fabric member that is sewn to the outer seam allowance 11a of the front central fabric 11, as shown in Figure 4.

[0053] The outer edge of this front outer fabric 14, which is the outer edge in the vehicle width direction, has its outer seam allowance 14b folded inward in the vehicle width direction so that the back side of the fabric faces the outside (see Figures 5 and 7).

[0054] As shown in Figure 5, the inner seam allowance 14a on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the front outer fabric 14 is provided with a pair of fabric side protrusions 141 that protrude from the edge at positions separated by a predetermined interval in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and a triangular notch 142 formed by cutting out the edge between the pair of fabric side protrusions 141 in a substantially triangular shape.

[0055] Specifically, the fabric side projection 141 is a pair of protruding pieces provided at positions spaced apart in the vertical direction of the vehicle from the position corresponding to the top T. As shown in Figure 6, the fabric side projection 141 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape with a longer side in the vertical direction of the vehicle and a shorter side in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, one of the longer sides of the fabric side projection 141 is integrally provided with the edge of the inner seam allowance 14a.

[0056] In addition, for the fabric-side projection 141, the length in the vehicle vertical direction along the inner seam allowance 14a of the front outer fabric 14 is defined as the projection width W1, and the length in the vehicle width direction from the edge of the inner seam allowance 14a of the front outer fabric 14 to the tip of the fabric-side projection 141 is defined as the projection length H1. In addition, the distance between the pair of fabric-side protrusions 141 in the vehicle's vertical direction is defined as the protrusion spacing W2 (see Figure 5).

[0057] Furthermore, the triangular notch 142 is formed by cutting out a roughly triangular edge of the inner seam allowance 14a of the front outer fabric 14 between a pair of fabric-side protrusions 141, more specifically, at approximately the center in the vehicle's vertical direction at the distance W2 between the fabric-side protrusions 141.

[0058] This triangular notch 142 is provided as a marker for aligning the front central fabric 11 and the front outer fabric 14 when sewing them together. More specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the triangular cutout 142 is formed at a position that substantially coincides with the divided sewing portion 113 of the front central fabric 11 in the vehicle's vertical direction when the front central fabric 11 and the front outer fabric 14 are sewn together.

[0059] In this configuration, the outer front fabric 14 is positioned such that the divided sewing portion 113 of the central front fabric 11 aligns with the triangular cutout portion 142, so that the pair of fabric side protrusions 141 are positioned at intervals in the vertical direction of the vehicle, flanking the divided sewing portion 113.

[0060] The outer side fabric 15 is a single fabric member sewn to the outer edge in the vehicle width direction of the front outer fabric 14, and the front seam allowance 15b, which is the edge on the front side of the vehicle, is folded back toward the inside in the vehicle width direction so that the back sides of the fabric face each other (see Figures 5 and 6).

[0061] The front seam allowance 15b of the outer side fabric 15 in this configuration is sewn to the outer seam allowance 14b of the front outer fabric 14 described above, and the sewing line L4 is formed at this sewn portion (see Figure 5).

[0062] As shown in Figures 4 to 9, an outer reinforcing fabric 17, which is a strip-shaped body in a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from the side and is long in the unfolding direction X, is sewn to the outer side fabric 15 of the seat cover 10. Furthermore, an inner reinforcing fabric 18, which is a strip-shaped body in a roughly rectangular shape when viewed from the side and is slightly longer in the vehicle vertical direction than in the unfolding direction X, is sewn to the front outer fabric 14 of the seat cover 10.

[0063] In this seat cover 10, the outer reinforcing fabric 17 suppresses the stretching of the outer side fabric 15 due to the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a, while the inner reinforcing fabric 18 suppresses the stretching of the front outer fabric 14 due to the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a.

[0064] Furthermore, the outer reinforcing fabric 17 and the inner reinforcing fabric 18 are sewn to the outer side fabric 15 and the front outer fabric 14, respectively, with sewing thread having a tensile strength higher than the inflation pressure of the side airbag 5a.

[0065] First, to describe the outer reinforcing fabric 17 in detail, the outer reinforcing fabric 17 is formed in a strip shape that extends in the deployment direction X and has a width slightly narrower than the distance W2 between the protrusions of the pair of reinforcing fabric protrusions 182. This outer reinforcing fabric 17 is made of a nylon or polyester fabric that 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. As shown in Figure 7, the outer reinforcing fabric 17 is formed with a length in the unfolding direction X that is slightly longer than the length of the outer side fabric 15 in the unfolding direction X. More specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the outer reinforcing fabric 17 is formed with a length in the unfolding direction X that is slightly longer than the length in the unfolding direction X from the surface of the front seam allowance 15b of the outer side fabric 15 to the back surface of the rear seam allowance 15a when it is unfolded into a roughly flat shape.

[0066] For example, the outer reinforcing fabric 17 is formed to a length in the unfolding direction X that allows the outer side fabric 15 to bend in a curved shape so that the surfaces of the outer side fabric 15 face each other. Alternatively, the outer reinforcing fabric 17 is formed to a length in the unfolding direction X that allows a rod about the thickness of one finger to be inserted between it and the outer side fabric 15 when there is no slack in the outer side fabric 15.

[0067] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the outer reinforcement 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 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 Figures 5 and 7, the outer reinforcement fabric 17 has its rear end sewn to the back surface of the rear seam allowance 15a of the outer side fabric 15, and its front end sewn to the front surface of the front seam allowance 15b of the outer side fabric 15.

[0069] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 5, the inner reinforcing cloth 18 is formed in a substantially concave shape, with the center in the vehicle's vertical direction on the inner side in the vehicle's width direction being recessed on the outer side in the vehicle's width direction. This inner reinforcing fabric 18, like the outer reinforcing fabric 17, is made of a nylon or polyester fabric that has 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.

[0070] As shown in Figure 7, this inner reinforcing fabric 18 is formed with a length in the unfolding direction X that is slightly longer than the length of the front outer fabric 14 in the unfolding direction X. More specifically, the inner reinforcing fabric 18 is formed with a length in the unfolding direction X that is slightly longer than the length in the unfolding direction X from the surface of the outer seam allowance 14b of the front outer fabric 14 to the back surface of the fabric-side projection 141 of the front outer fabric 14 when it is unfolded into a substantially flat shape.

[0071] For example, the inner reinforcing fabric 18 is formed to a length in the unfolding direction X that allows it to curve so that the edges of the front outer fabric 14 in the unfolding direction X face each other. Alternatively, the inner reinforcing fabric 18 is formed to a length in the unfolding direction X that allows a rod about the thickness of one finger to be inserted between it and the front outer fabric 14 when there is no slack in the front outer fabric 14.

[0072] As shown in Figure 5, the inner edge of the inner reinforcing fabric 18 in the vehicle width direction is sewn to the inner seam allowance 14a, and the outer edge in the vehicle width direction is sewn to the outer seam allowance 14b. In Figures 5 and 6, the sewn portion between the inner reinforcement fabric 18 and the inner seam allowance 14a is shown with a dashed line.

[0073] As shown in Figure 5, the inner reinforcing fabric 18, which is sewn in this manner, is configured in a roughly concave shape with a roughly rectangular inner reinforcing fabric body 181 and a pair of reinforcing fabric protrusions 182 that protrude inward in the vehicle width direction from the inner reinforcing fabric body 181.

[0074] The inner reinforcement fabric body 181 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, having one side that extends along the inner seam allowance 14a on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and one side that extends along the outer seam allowance 14b on the outer side in the vehicle width direction. This inner reinforcing fabric body 181 is formed with a length in the unfolding direction X that is slightly shorter than that of the front outer fabric 14 in the unfolding direction X.

[0075] On the other hand, the pair of reinforcing fabric protrusions 182 are substantially rectangular protrusions that protrude from both corners of the inner reinforcing fabric body 181 in the vehicle's vertical direction, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, this reinforcing fabric projection 182 is formed in a roughly rectangular shape that is roughly similar in shape to the fabric side projection 141 of the front outer fabric 14.

[0076] Here, in the reinforcing fabric projection 182, as shown in Figure 6, if the length along the inner edge of the inner reinforcing fabric body 181 in the vehicle width direction is defined as the projection width W3 of the reinforcing fabric projection 182, then the projection width W3 is formed to be slightly shorter than the projection width W1 of the fabric side projection 141.

[0077] Furthermore, in the reinforcing fabric projection 182, if the projection length H2 is defined as the length along the vehicle width direction from the inner edge of the inner reinforcing fabric body 181 in the vehicle width direction to the tip of the reinforcing fabric projection 182, then the projection length H2 is formed to be longer than the projection length H1 of the fabric side projection 141.

[0078] In the configuration described above, the inner reinforcing fabric 18 has the outer side of the inner reinforcing fabric body 181 in the vehicle width direction sewn to the outer seam allowance 14b of the front outer fabric 14, and the reinforcing fabric projection 182 is sewn to the fabric side projection 141 of the front outer fabric 14 (see Figures 5 and 7). Due to this configuration, the seat cover 10 has the reinforcing fabric protrusions 182 of the inner reinforcing fabric 18 sewn to the fabric side protrusions 141 of the front outer fabric 14. As a result, in the vertical direction of the vehicle, the divided sewing portion 113 of the front central fabric 11 is located between the pair of reinforcing fabric protrusions 182.

[0079] Furthermore, the inner edge of the inner reinforcing fabric body 181 of the inner reinforcing fabric 18 of the seat cover 10 is positioned at a distance outward in the vehicle width direction from the inner seam allowance 14a of the front outer fabric 14 and the outer seam allowance 11a of the front center fabric 11.

[0080] Due to this positional relationship, when sewing the seat cover 10, the divided sewing portion 113 of the front central fabric 11 and the triangular cutout portion 142 of the front outer fabric 14 are less likely to be hidden on the back side of the inner reinforcing fabric body 181, making it easier to align the front central fabric 11 and the front outer fabric 14.

[0081] Furthermore, the seam between the inner reinforcement fabric 18 and the inner seam allowance 14a does not overlap with the sewing line L3, which is the seam between the front center fabric 11 and the front outer fabric 14, thus facilitating the sewing of the front center fabric 11, the front outer fabric 14, and the inner reinforcement fabric.

[0082] As described above, the seat cover 10 is built into the outer side support 3b of the seat back 3 and is detachably attached to a vehicle seat 1 which has a side airbag 5a that ruptures near the top T of the outer side support 3b and inflates and deploys.

[0083] The seat cover 10 comprises a pair of front outer fabrics 14 and outer side fabrics 15 that cover the outer side support 3b and have their edges sewn together so as to substantially coincide with the vicinity of the top T of the outer side support 3b, an inner reinforcing fabric 18 that has lower elasticity than the front outer fabric 14 and is sewn to the outer seam allowance 14b and the fabric side projection 141, which are the edges of the front outer fabric 14 that face each other in the deployment direction X of the side airbag 5a in a side view, and a front central fabric 11 that is sewn to the inner seam allowance 14a of the front outer fabric 14, which is one of the edges of the front outer fabric 14 on which the inner reinforcing fabric 18 is provided.

[0084] Furthermore, the front central fabric 11 is composed of an upper divided fabric 111 and a lower divided fabric 112, which are divided in the vehicle vertical direction along the vehicle width direction that intersects with the inner seam allowance 14a of the front outer fabric 14.

[0085] Furthermore, the portion formed by sewing together the upper fabric seam allowance 111a of the upper divided fabric 111 and the lower fabric seam allowance 112a of the lower divided fabric 112, which intersect with the inner seam allowance 14a of the front outer fabric 14, is defined as the divided sewing portion 113. The inner seam allowance 14a of the front outer fabric 14 is provided with a pair of fabric side protrusions 141 that are sewn to the inner reinforcement fabric 18 at predetermined intervals on either side of the divided sewing portion 113.

[0086] This makes it easier to sew the front outer fabric 14 and the outer side fabric 15 to the front center fabric 11, and also ensures design flexibility. More specifically, the seat cover 10 is configured such that the inner reinforcing fabric 18 is sewn to a fabric-side projection 141 of the front outer fabric 14, which is located at a predetermined distance from the divided sewing portion 113 formed by sewing the upper divided fabric 111 and the lower divided fabric 112 together. This allows the edges of the first fabric member and the second fabric member between the sewn portions to be easily exposed.

[0087] As a result, the seat cover 10 can be sewn with the inner seam allowance 14a of the front outer fabric 14 and the outer seam allowance 11a of the front center fabric 11 aligned, thereby reducing the risk of misalignment between the front outer fabric 14 and the front center fabric 11.

[0088] Furthermore, since the divided stitching portion 113 of the front center fabric 11 of the seat cover 10 does not overlap with the stitching portion between the front outer fabric 14 and the inner reinforcing fabric 18, the divided stitching portion 113 of the front center fabric 11 can be easily positioned between the pair of stitching portions between the front outer fabric 14 and the inner reinforcing fabric 18.

[0089] Therefore, the seat cover 10 allows for easy sewing of the front outer fabric 14 and the front central fabric 11, while also ensuring design flexibility.

[0090] Furthermore, the fabric-side projection 141 is formed to protrude from the edge of the inner seam allowance 14a of the front outer fabric 14. This ensures that a seam allowance for sewing the inner reinforcing fabric 18 is reliably secured in the inner seam allowance 14a of the front outer fabric 14, making it easy to sew the inner reinforcing fabric 18 to the front outer fabric 14 and the outer side fabric 15.

[0091] Furthermore, the inner reinforcing fabric 18 consists of a substantially rectangular inner reinforcing fabric body 181 that is positioned across the edges of the front outer fabric 14 facing each other in the unfolding direction X, and reinforcing fabric protrusions 182 that protrude from the inner reinforcing fabric body 181 at positions corresponding to a pair of fabric side protrusions 141, with the reinforcing fabric protrusions 182 being sewn to the fabric side protrusions 141.

[0092] This allows the reinforcing fabric projection 182 of the inner reinforcing fabric 18 to function as a seam allowance, making it easy to sew the reinforcing fabric projection 182 to the fabric side projection 141 of the inner seam allowance 14a of the front outer fabric 14. In addition, even if, for example, the inner reinforcing fabric 18 is sewn to the front outer fabric 14 before sewing the front center fabric 11 together, the inner seam allowance 14a, which is the edge of the front outer fabric 14, can be prevented from being hidden by the inner reinforcing fabric body 181, thus making it easier to sew the front outer fabric 14 and the front center fabric 11 together.

[0093] Furthermore, the reinforcing fabric protrusions 182 are provided at both corners of the inner reinforcing fabric body 181 in a direction along the edge of the inner seam allowance 14a of the front outer fabric 14.

[0094] This allows for a wider spacing between the pair of reinforcing fabric protrusions 182. This allows the seat cover 10 to position the divided stitching portion 113 at a more arbitrary position, thus ensuring greater design flexibility. Furthermore, the inner seam allowance 14a of the front outer fabric 14 is provided with a triangular notch 142 between a pair of fabric side protrusions 141 for positioning the front central fabric 11.

[0095] This makes it easier to align the front outer fabric 14 and the front central fabric 11 using the triangular notch 142, thereby further reducing the risk of misalignment between the front outer fabric 14 and the front central fabric 11.

[0096] 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 of the embodiment, 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 pair of first fabric members correspond to the front outer fabric 14 and the outer side fabric 15, The edges of the first fabric component correspond to the inner seam allowance 14a and the outer seam allowance 14b of the front outer fabric 14. The seam allowance corresponds to the inner seam allowance 14a of the front outer fabric 14. The second fabric component corresponds to the front center fabric 11, The divided fabric corresponds to the upper divided fabric 111 and the lower divided fabric 112. The boundary sewing portion corresponds to the divided sewing portion 113. The sutured portion corresponds to the fabric side projection 141, The reinforcing fabric corresponds to the inner reinforcing fabric 18 and the outer reinforcing fabric 17. The main body of the reinforcing fabric corresponds to the inner reinforcing fabric body 181. The reinforcing fabric protrusion corresponds to the reinforcing fabric protrusion 182, The marker corresponds to the triangular notch 142, This invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiments described above, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0097] For example, in the embodiment described above, the front central fabric 11 is composed of an upper divided fabric 111 and a lower divided fabric 112, but it is not limited to this, and may be composed of three or more fabric members divided in the vehicle width direction, or it may be composed of four fabric members arranged so that the sewing lines form a cross.

[0098] Furthermore, if the front central fabric 11 is composed of three or more divided fabrics separated in the vertical direction of the vehicle, then at least one of the seams between the fabrics constituting the front central fabric 11 should be located between the pair of fabric side protrusions 141.

[0099] Furthermore, although the back fabric 16 is made of a single fabric component, it is not limited to this and may be made of multiple fabric components divided in a direction intersecting the rear seam allowance 15a. In this case, the outer reinforcing fabric 17 may be sewn to the rear seam allowance 15a of the outer side fabric 15 at a predetermined distance from the sewing line that sews the multiple fabric members together.

[0100] Furthermore, the outer reinforcing fabric 17 is formed in a band shape that is narrower than the distance W2 between the protrusions of the pair of reinforcing fabric protrusions 182, but the band width and shape are not limited thereto.

[0101] Furthermore, the front outer fabric 14 is provided with a fabric-side projection 141 for sewing to the reinforcing fabric projection 182 of the inner reinforcing fabric 18, but it is not limited to this, and the fabric-side projection 141 may not be provided. In this case, the seat cover 10 may be configured to sew the reinforcing fabric projection 182 of the inner reinforcing fabric 18 to the inner seam allowance 14a of the front outer fabric 14.

[0102] Furthermore, although the seat cover 10 is shown as being installed on the vehicle seat 1, which is the driver's seat of a right-hand drive vehicle, it is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 10, which is an external perspective view of the seat cover 10 in another embodiment, it may also be a seat cover 20 installed on the vehicle seat 6, which is the passenger seat of a right-hand drive vehicle.

[0103] 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. Furthermore, although the seat cover 10 is described as being attached to the seat back 3 of the vehicle seat 1, it is not limited to this, and may also be a seat cover that is integrally attached to the seat cushion 2 and seat back 3 of the vehicle seat 1. Alternatively, it 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.

[0104] 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.

[0105] Furthermore, although the seat cover 10 is configured with an outer reinforcing fabric 17, it may also be configured without the outer reinforcing fabric 17.

[0106] Furthermore, although the outer side fabric 15 is made of a single fabric member, it is not limited to this, and may be configured with multiple fabric members that are divided in the vertical direction of the vehicle along the width direction of the vehicle. In this case, the front seam allowance 15b of the outer side fabric 15 shall have a pair of outer suture portions for sewing the inner reinforcement fabric 18 to it, at positions separated by a predetermined interval, sandwiching the suture portions between the multiple fabric members.

[0107] In addition, if the outer side fabric 15 is divided in the vertical direction of the vehicle, the outer sutured portion of the outer side fabric 15 may be formed to protrude from the edge of the front seam allowance 15b.

[0108] Furthermore, if the outer side fabric 15 is divided in the vehicle's vertical direction, the inner reinforcing fabric 18 may have a protruding portion that extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the inner reinforcing fabric body 181 at a position corresponding to the outer stitched portion of the outer side fabric 15. The protruding portion of the inner reinforcing fabric 18 shall be sewn to the outer stitched portion of the outer side fabric 15. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0109] 1... Vehicle seats 3…Seat back 3b... Lateral side support 5a... Side airbags 6…Vehicle seats 10... Seat cover 11…Front center fabric 14…Front outer fabric 14a... Back seam allowance 14b…Front seam allowance 15…Outer side fabric 15a... Back seam allowance 15b…Front seam allowance 17…Inner force cloth 18...Outer force cloth 20... Seat cover 111... Upper divided fabric 112...Lower section divided fabric 141…The lateral protrusion of raw land 181…Inner Force Cloth Body 182…Libu protrusion T…top X…Expansion 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 a rupture initiation point provided on the side of the seat back, A pair of first fabric members cover the side of the seat back and are sewn together at their edges so as to substantially coincide with the point where the break begins, A reinforcing fabric having lower elasticity than the first fabric member is sewn to the edge of the first fabric member facing the side airbag in the deployment direction when viewed from the side, The first fabric member, on which the reinforcing fabric is provided, comprises a second fabric member that is sewn to a seam allowance which is one edge of the first fabric member, The second fabric member is composed of divided fabric that is divided in a direction intersecting the seam allowance, The portion where the edges of the divided fabrics intersect with the aforementioned seam allowance are sewn together is defined as the boundary sewing portion. The seam allowance portion of the first fabric member is provided with a pair of sewn portions for sewing the reinforcing fabric to the first fabric member, at positions separated by a predetermined interval with respect to the boundary sewing portion. The part to be sutured is Formed to protrude from the edge of the seam allowance in the first fabric member Seat covers.

2. 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 a rupture initiation point provided on the side of the seat back, A pair of first fabric members cover the side of the seat back and are sewn together at their edges so as to substantially coincide with the point where the break begins, A reinforcing fabric having lower elasticity than the first fabric member is sewn to the edge of the first fabric member facing the side airbag in the deployment direction when viewed from the side, The first fabric member, on which the reinforcing fabric is provided, comprises a second fabric member that is sewn to a seam allowance which is one edge of the first fabric member, The second fabric member is composed of divided fabric that is divided in a direction intersecting the seam allowance, The portion where the edges of the divided fabrics intersect with the aforementioned seam allowance are sewn together is defined as the boundary sewing portion. The seam allowance portion of the first fabric member is provided with a pair of sewn portions for sewing the reinforcing fabric to the first fabric member, at positions separated by a predetermined interval with respect to the boundary sewing portion. The reinforcing fabric is A substantially rectangular reinforcing fabric body portion is arranged across the edges of the first fabric members facing each other in the aforementioned unfolding direction, It consists of a pair of reinforcing fabric protrusions that protrude from the reinforcing fabric main body at positions corresponding to the sutured portions, The reinforcing fabric projection is sewn to the sutured portion. Seat covers.

3. The aforementioned reinforcing fabric protrusion is Provided at both corners in the direction along the edge of the seam allowance of the main body of the reinforcing fabric The seat cover according to claim 2.

4. 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 a rupture initiation point provided on the side of the seat back, A pair of first fabric members cover the side of the seat back and are sewn together at their edges so as to substantially coincide with the point where the break begins, A reinforcing fabric having lower elasticity than the first fabric member is sewn to the edge of the first fabric member facing the side airbag in the deployment direction when viewed from the side, The first fabric member, on which the reinforcing fabric is provided, comprises a second fabric member that is sewn to a seam allowance which is one edge of the first fabric member, The second fabric member is composed of divided fabric that is divided in a direction intersecting the seam allowance, The portion where the edges of the divided fabrics intersect with the aforementioned seam allowance are sewn together is defined as the boundary sewing portion. The seam allowance portion of the first fabric member is provided with a pair of sewn portions for sewing the reinforcing fabric to the first fabric member, at positions separated by a predetermined interval with respect to the boundary sewing portion. The seam allowance portion of the first fabric member is A marker is provided between the pair of sutured portions to position the second fabric member. Seat covers.

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