Upholstery cover fixation structure

Abstract

This upholstery cover fixation structure comprises: a receiving plate (9) fixed to a terminal (7a) of a front upholstery cover (7) and an insertion member (10) fixed to a terminal (8a) of a rear upholstery cover (8). The receiving plate (9) has a body part (9a) extending in a longitudinal direction, as well as a wide first stopper (9b) and a wide second stopper (9c) provided respectively at both ends of the body part (9a). The insertion member (10) has a C-shaped cross section with a pair of claw parts (10c). The pair of claw parts (10c) of the insertion member (10) are passed through a pair of cutouts (9d, 9e) and inserted between the body part (9a) and the terminal (7a) of the front upholstery cover (7) from a left end (9a2) of the body part (9). Moreover, the first stopper (9b) and the second stopper (9c) are disposed at positions allowing for respective engagement with both ends of the insertion member (10) in the longitudinal direction, thereby restricting movement of the insertion member (10) both ways along the longitudinal direction.

Description

Epidermal fixation structure

[0001] The present invention relates to a structure for fixing a seat cover.

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Various fixing structures have been proposed for fixing together the ends of two skins that respectively cover the outer surfaces of a base material in a seat.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure for fastening upholstery at the bottom of the back surface of a seat back, in which a J-shaped cross-section hook is attached to each end of two upholstery sheets on both the upper and lower sides that cover the back surface of a padding material. In this structure, the ends of the two upholstery sheets on both the upper and lower sides can be fastened together by connecting the hooks while pulling the upper upholstery downward.

[0004] In the above structure, the ends of the two upper and lower skins are secured together by connecting a pair of hooks, which requires the worker to pull the upper skin downwards strongly while connecting the hooks, which places a strain on the worker.

[0005] Furthermore, after the cover is fixed to the sheet, the portions connecting the hooks protrude significantly outside the sheet, which creates a poor appearance and makes it difficult to improve the appearance quality of the sheet.

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-169979

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a skin fixing structure that can reduce the burden of the skin fixing work and improve the appearance quality of the seat.

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the skin fixing structure of the present invention is a fixing structure for fixing a first skin and a second skin, each of which covers an outer surface of a base material of a seat, and includes a long support plate to which a portion of the first skin that is inside the outer periphery is fixed, and a long insert member fixed to the second skin, the support plate having a main body portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the support plate and fixed to the first skin, and a plurality of stoppers provided on the main body portion spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction, the insert member extending in the longitudinal direction of the insert member, Both have a C-shaped cross section with a pair of claws facing each other in the short direction, and are sized to allow the main body to be inserted, and when the pair of claws of the insertion member are inserted from the longitudinal end of the main body between the main body and the first skin, the insertion member holds the entire main body, thereby fixing the first skin and the second skin together, and the multiple stoppers are positioned so that they can engage with the insertion member, thereby restricting longitudinal movement of the insertion member.

[0009] 10 is a cross-sectional view of a seat back of a seat to which the skin fixing structure of the present invention is applied; FIG. 11 is a view from the back of the seat back showing the skin fixing structure of the first embodiment of the present invention, in which the end of the front skin and the end of the rear skin are overlapped and fixed; FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the insert member and the support plate of FIG. 2 are connected; FIG. 13 is a view showing the state in which the support plate of FIG. 2 is sewn to the end of the front skin; FIG. 14 is a view showing the state in which the insert member of FIG. 2 is sewn to the end of the rear skin; FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of the support plate of FIG. 4 and the end of the front skin around it; FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of the insert member of FIG. 5 and the end of the rear skin around it; FIG. 17 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the insert member and the end of the rear skin of FIG. 7; FIG. 18 is an enlarged perspective view of the insert member of FIG. 7 and the end of the rear skin around it; FIG. 19 is a perspective explanatory view showing the state immediately before the pair of claws of the insert member of FIG. 7 are inserted into the pair of notches on the left side of the support plate of FIG. 6; and FIG. 19 is an explanatory view showing the state in which the insert member is being inserted into the main body of the support plate of FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the insertion member of FIG. 11 is coupled to the main body portion of the support plate and the longitudinal movement of the insertion member is restricted by the first stopper and the second stopper at both ends of the main body portion. It is an enlarged view of the left end portion of the support plate of FIG. 6 before being coupled to the insertion member. It is a view showing that, at the left end portion of the support plate of FIG. 13, the left end portion of the insertion member is located to the right of the pair of notches so that the pair of notches can be seen. It is an enlarged view of the left end portion of the support plate of the second embodiment, showing a structure in which the second stopper provided at the left end portion of the main body portion of the support plate has an inclined surface. It is an explanatory view of the support plate of the third embodiment, showing that the second stopper is an engagement claw provided on the underside of the main body portion. It is an explanatory view showing that an engagement hole is formed as an engaged portion in the main body portion of the insertion member of the third embodiment. It is an explanatory view showing a state in which the insertion member of FIG. 17 is coupled to the main body portion of the support plate of FIG. 16, and the engagement claw is engaged with the engagement hole. It is a cross-sectional view of a seat back of a seat to which a modified cover fastening structure of the present invention is applied.

[0010] Hereinafter, a skin fixing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In Figures 1 to 19, the front-to-rear direction of the seat 1 is indicated by arrow X, the width direction (lateral direction) of the seat 1 is indicated by arrow Y, and the up-down direction is indicated by arrow Z. Furthermore, the front side and the back side (rear side) are indicated by symbols X1 and X2, respectively, and the upper and lower sides are indicated by symbols Z1 and Z2.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a seat back 3 of a seat 1 to which the skin fixing structure of the present invention is applied.

[0012] The seat 1 is, for example, a seat for a vehicle such as an automobile, and includes a seat cushion 2 and a seat back 3 that is erected on the rear side X2 of the seat cushion 2 to support the back of an occupant.

[0013] The seat back 3 includes a pad 4 serving as a base material, a front skin 7 (first skin) covering the front side X1 portion of the pad 4, and a rear skin 8 (second skin) covering the back side X2 portion of the pad 4.

[0014] In this embodiment, the front skin 7 has, as its terminal portion, a terminal portion 7a made of leather or cloth, which extends from the lower end of the leather front skin 7, passing under the pad 4, to the back side X2 of the pad 4. The rear skin 8 has, as its terminal portion, a terminal portion 8a made of leather or cloth, which extends from the lower end of the leather rear skin 8 to the lower Z2 of the pad 4. The end portion of the terminal portion 7a of the front skin 7 on the back side X2 of the pad 4 is bent upward Z1. The terminal portion 8a of the rear skin 8 is overlapped with the terminal portion 7a of the front skin 7 and is fixed to the terminal portion 7a of the front skin 7 using a receiving plate 9 and an insert member 10, which will be described later.

[0015] The end 7a of the front skin 7 and the end 8a of the rear skin 8 may be configured as extensions of the leather front skin 7 and rear skin 8 themselves (i.e., a structure in which the front skin 7 and the rear skin 8 are fixed to each other), as shown in Fig. 1, or may be configured as end portions 7a, 8a made of cloth or the like, which are separate members from the leather skins 7, 8. Furthermore, as shown in a modified example in Fig. 19, an internally projecting felt 17, which is a separate member, may be fixed to the end 7a of the front skin 7, and a support plate 9 may be attached to the internally projecting felt 17. In the configuration in Fig. 19, the end 8a of the rear skin 8 is fixed to the end 7a of the front skin 7 using the internally projecting felt 17, the support plate 9, and the insert member 10, with the end 8a overlapping the end 7a of the front skin 7 and the internally projecting felt 17.

[0016] (First embodiment) As shown in Figures 1 to 14, the skin fixing structure of the first embodiment of the present invention is a structure in which the ends of a first skin and a second skin are fixed to each other using a receiving plate 9 and an insert member 10, and the end 7a of a front skin 7 (first skin) and the end 8a of a rear skin 8 (second skin) are fixed in an overlapping state.

[0017] That is, the skin fixing structure of the first embodiment comprises a support plate 9, a first sewn portion 11 (first fixing portion) that fixes the support plate 9 to the end 7a of the front skin 7 (the end of the first skin), an insert member 10 that is a tubular body with a C-shaped cross section, and a second sewn portion 16 (second fixing portion) that fixes the insert member 10 to the end 8a of the rear skin 8 (the end of the second skin).

[0018] The arrangement of the support plate 9 and the insertion member 10 may be reversed, i.e., the support plate 9 may be fixed to the terminal 8a of the rear skin 8, and the insertion member 10 may be fixed to the terminal 7a of the front skin 7. In other words, the terminal of the first skin to which the support plate 9 of the present invention is fixed may be either the terminal 7a of the front skin 7 or the terminal 8a of the rear skin 8, and the terminal of the second skin to which the insertion member 10 is fixed may be the other of the terminal 7a of the front skin 7 or the terminal 8a of the rear skin 8.

[0019] 2, 4, and 6, the support plate 9 is a long, plate-like member that is arranged to extend in a direction (i.e., the lateral direction Y) that coincides with the width direction of the seat 1 (the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 1) along the edge of the terminal end 7a of the front skin 7. Note that, although FIG. 4 shows an extension 7b that extends further downward from the terminal end 7a of the front skin 7, this may be omitted.

[0020] 4 and 6 , the support plate 9 has a main body 9a extending in the longitudinal direction D1 of the support plate 9, and a plurality of stoppers provided on the main body 9a at intervals in the longitudinal direction D1, including a first stopper 9b provided contiguous with a right end 9a1 (one end) of the main body 9a in the longitudinal direction D1 and having a width wider in the short direction D2 than the main body 9a, and a second stopper 9c provided at a position spaced apart in the longitudinal direction D1 from the right end 9a1 of the main body 9a in the longitudinal direction D1. That is, the stopper in the first embodiment is made up of the first stopper 9b and the second stopper 9c.

[0021] 6, in the first embodiment, the second stopper 9c is provided continuously with the left end 9a2 (other end) of the main body 9a in the longitudinal direction D1. In the short direction D2, the width of the second stopper 9c is wider than the width of the main body 9a.

[0022] The upper ends of the first stopper 9b and the second stopper 9c are continuous with the upper end 9a4 of the main body 9a so as to be flush with each other.

[0023] A pair of notches 9d, 9e are provided between the second stopper 9c and the left end 9a2 (other end) of the main body 9a in the longitudinal direction D1, and at both ends 9a3, 9a4 of the main body 9a in the lateral direction D2.

[0024] The first sewn portion 11 (first fixing portion) extends linearly along the longitudinal direction D1 (lateral direction Y) of the support plate 9 inside the outer periphery of the main body portion 9a of the support plate 9, and fixes the support plate 9 to the surface of the terminal 7a of the front skin 7 (specifically, the surface facing the terminal 8a of the rear skin 8). The first sewn portion 11 extends in the longitudinal direction D1 from the right end 9a1 to the left end 9a2 of the main body portion 9a of the support plate 9, approximately midway in the short direction D2 of the main body portion 9a of the support plate 9.

[0025] In this embodiment, the first and second fixing portions are constituted by a first sewn portion 11 and a second sewn portion 16 formed by sewing the receiving plate 9 and the inserting member 10 to the end 7a of the front skin 7 (first skin) or the end 8a of the rear skin 8 (second skin) with threads. The first and second sewn portions 11 and 16 are formed by linearly sewing the receiving plate 9 and the inserting member 10 to the end 7a of the front skin 7 or the end 8a of the rear skin 8, respectively, with threads made of high tensile strength fiber or metal.

[0026] 7 to 9, the insertion member 10 has a main body 10a which is a flat, continuous body with a C-shaped cross section and which extends in the longitudinal direction D1 of the insertion member 10 and has a pair of claws 10c facing each other in the lateral direction D2, and a plate-like portion 10b which extends downward from the lower end of the main body 10a. The main body 10a has a space 10d which is sized to allow insertion into the receiving plate 9 from the left end 9a2 of the main body 9a of the receiving plate 9.

[0027] 5 and 7 to 9 show the state in which the plate-like portion 10b of the insert member 10 is sewn to the terminal end 8b of the end 8a of the rear skin 8 by the second stitching 16, i.e., the state immediately after sewing. On the other hand, FIG. 10 shows the state immediately before inserting the insert member 10 into the main body 9a of the backing plate 9, with the main body 10a of the insert member 10 spaced apart from the end 8a of the rear skin 8 and aligned substantially flush with the end 8a, in order to make it easier to see the connection between the insert member 10 and the main body 9a of the backing plate 9. Also, as in FIG. 10, in FIGS. 11 and 12, the end 8a of the rear skin 8 extends below the insert member 10 in order to make it easier to see the connection between the insert member 10 and the main body 9a of the backing plate 9. However, in the actual structure, the end 8a extends along and above the main body 10a of the insert member 10, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8.

[0028] As shown in Figures 5 and 7 to 9, the second sewn portion 16 (second fixing portion) fixes the insertion member 10 to the surface of the terminal 8a of the rear skin 8 (specifically, the surface opposite the terminal 7a of the front skin 7).

[0029] In this embodiment, the second sewn portion 16 secures the tip of the plate-shaped portion 10b of the insertion member 10 to the end 8a of the rear skin 8. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 8, the tip of the plate-shaped portion 10b is wrapped around the folded-back end 8b of the end 8a of the rear skin 8. Therefore, the second sewn portion 16 secures the tip of the plate-shaped portion 10b to the folded-back end 8b of the end 8a.

[0030] In the insert member 10 of this embodiment, the plate-like portion 10b protruding downward from the main body portion 10a is sewn to the end 8a of the rear skin 8, but the main body portion 10a may be directly fixed to the end 8a of the rear skin 8 by sewing or the like. In that case, the plate-like portion 10b is not necessary.

[0031] The support plate 9 is made of a resin plate that can be bent in the thickness direction. For example, a polypropylene plate is used as the resin plate. The support plate 9 may be any long, plate-shaped member, and is preferably made of a material that can be bent in the thickness direction.

[0032] In particular, it is preferable to configure the left end 9a2 of the main body 9a, located on the left side of the receiving plate 9 where the insert member 10 is inserted, and the second stopper 9c so that they are easily bent and deformed, as this makes it easier to insert the insert member 10.

[0033] The support plate 9 is not limited to the thin resin plate material as described above, but may be made of a wooden plate material or cardboard, etc., as long as it has the strength required to secure the skin end.

[0034] On the other hand, the C-shaped insert member 10 is made of a material that has higher bending rigidity than the above-mentioned backing plate 9, i.e., a material that makes it difficult for the C-shaped portion formed by the pair of claws 10c to open, and is manufactured by extrusion molding, for example, a resin material or a metal material. However, if the insert member 10 is made of resin and is capable of slight bending deformation, it is preferable because it will be easier to connect to the backing plate 9.

[0035] (Features of the First Embodiment) (1) As shown in FIGS. 1 to 9 , the skin fixing structure of the first embodiment includes a long support plate 9 arranged along the edge of the terminal 7 a of the front skin 7 (first skin), a first sewn portion 11 (first fixing portion) that extends linearly inward from the outer periphery of the support plate 9 along the lateral direction Y corresponding to the longitudinal direction D1 of the support plate 9 and fixes the support plate 9 (specifically, the portion inside the outer periphery of the support plate 9) to the surface of the terminal 7 a of the front skin 7, a long insert member 10 arranged along the edge of the terminal 8 a of the rear skin 8 (second skin), and a second sewn portion 16 (second fixing portion) that fixes the insert member 10 to the surface of the terminal 8 a of the rear skin 8.

[0036] As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the support plate 9 has a main body portion 9a extending in the longitudinal direction D1 and fixed to the end 7a of the front skin 7 by a first stitched portion 11, and a plurality of stoppers, namely, a first stopper 9b and a second stopper 9c, which are provided continuously at both ends 9a1, 9a2 of the main body portion 9a in the longitudinal direction D1 and have a width in the transverse direction D2 wider than that of the main body portion 9a.

[0037] The insert member 10 has a C-shaped cross section with a pair of claws 10c extending in the longitudinal direction of the insert member 10 and facing each other in the lateral direction, and has a size that allows the main body 9a of the receiving plate 9 to be inserted therein.

[0038] As shown in Figures 3 and 10 to 14, when a pair of claw portions 10c of the insertion member 10 is inserted from the left end 9a2 (longitudinal end) of the main body portion 9a between the main body portion 9a and the terminal 7a of the front skin 7, the insertion member 10 holds the entire main body portion 9a, thereby fixing the terminal 7a of the front skin 7 and the terminal 8a of the rear skin 8 to each other.

[0039] With this configuration, the main body 9a of the receiving plate 9 can be held inside the insert member 10 simply by inserting the insert member 10 from the left end of the receiving plate 9 and sliding the insert member 10 in the longitudinal direction D1.

[0040] In this held state, the stoppers (first stopper 9b and second stopper 9c) are positioned to engage with the insert member 10, thereby restricting longitudinal movement of the insert member 10. This maintains the connected state between the insert member 10 and the support plate 9. As described above, the support plate 9 and the insert member 10 can be connected by simply sliding the insert member 10 in the longitudinal direction D1. Therefore, there is no need to excessively pull the end 7a of the front cover 7 and the end 8a of the rear cover 8, which are the cover end portions, when connecting them. This reduces the burden of the work of fixing these end portions 7a, 8a, and improves the workability of fixing the cover end portions of the vehicle seat.

[0041] In addition, in this held state of the support plate 9, the entire body 9a of the support plate 9 is held in contact with the insert member 10 over a wide area. This prevents the support plate 9 from coming off the insert member 10 even if the end 8a of the rear skin 8 is pulled in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction D1 of the support plate 9.

[0042] Furthermore, in the above structure, the terminal 8a of the rear skin 8 is fixed to the terminal 7a of the front skin 7 by the overlapping portion of the receiving plate 9 and the insertion member 10, so it is possible to reduce the amount by which the fixing portion between the terminals protrudes outside the seat compared to conventional skin fixing structures in which J-shaped cross-section hooks are connected, improving the appearance quality of the vehicle seat.

[0043] Furthermore, the long insert member 10 with a C-shaped cross section can be manufactured by extrusion molding using a resin material, which is cost-effective compared to manufacturing insert members 10 with other shapes (such as a plate with slits).

[0044] (2) In the skin fixing structure of the first embodiment, the multiple stoppers are a first stopper 9b and a second stopper 9c provided at both longitudinal ends of the main body 9a. The first stopper 9b and the second stopper 9c are wider in the short-side direction D2 than the main body 9a. A pair of notches 9d, 9e into which the pair of claws 10c can be inserted is provided between the second stopper 9c and the left end 9a2 (longitudinal end) of the main body 9a, and at least one end of the main body 9a in the short-side direction D2 (both ends 9a3, 9a4 in this embodiment). The pair of claws 10c of the insertion member 10 are inserted through the pair of notches 9d, 9e from the left end 9a2 of the main body 9a between the main body 9a and the terminal 7a of the front skin 7. The first stopper 9b and the second stopper 9c are disposed at positions where they can engage with both longitudinal ends of the insert member 10, thereby restricting movement of the insert member 10 in both longitudinal directions.

[0045] Therefore, in the above configuration, although the first stopper 9b and the second stopper 9c are provided at both ends 9a1, 9a2 of the main body portion 9a of the receiving plate 9 in the longitudinal direction D1, the pair of claw portions 10c of the C-sectionally shaped insert member 10 are inserted into a pair of notches 9d, 9e formed between the second stopper 9c and the left end 9a2 of the main body portion 9a, making it possible to insert the insert member 10 from the left end 9a2 of the main body portion 9a and hold the entire main body portion 9a.

[0046] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 12 to 14, since the receiving plate 9 has a pair of cutout portions 9d, 9e, when inserting the insert member 10 into the main body portion 9a of the receiving plate 9, if the left end 10a2 of the main body portion 10a of the insert member 10 reaches to the right of the pair of cutout portions 9d, 9e and the pair of cutout portions 9d, 9e are visible, it is possible to easily confirm that the insertion operation has been completed successfully.

[0047] In this holding state, the left and right ends of the insert member 10 are positioned so that they can engage with the first stopper 9b and the second stopper 9c, restricting movement of the insert member 10 in both the left and right directions in the longitudinal direction D1. This ensures that the connection between the insert member 10 and the receiving plate 9 is maintained.

[0048] 13, one of the pair of notches 9d, 9e into which the pair of claws 10c can be inserted, 9e, has a V-shape. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, when inserting the insert member 10, it is possible to easily confirm whether the insert member 10 is in the correct insertion position by visually confirming that the left end 10a2 of the insert member 10 has reached the position of the sharp valley of the V-shaped notch 9e.

[0049] (3) In the skin fixing structure of the first embodiment, at least one of the support plate 9 and the insert member 10 is formed of a resin material that is bendable in the thickness direction. With this configuration, because the support plate 9 and the insert member 10 are bendable in the thickness direction, when fixing the end 7 a of the front skin 7 to the end 8 a of the rear skin 8, the insert member 10 can be easily inserted into the support plate 9 while bending the support plate 9 or the insert member 10, further improving workability.

[0050] (4) In the skin fixing structure of the first embodiment, the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion are formed by the first sewn portion 11 and the second sewn portion 16, which are sewn with threads to fix the support plate 9 and the insert member 10 to the end 7a of the front skin 7 or the end 8a of the rear skin 8. Therefore, the support plate 9 and the insert member 10 can be easily and firmly fixed to the end 7a of the front skin 7 or the end 8a of the rear skin 8 along the lateral direction Y, respectively.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the first and second fixing portions are formed by the first sewn portion 11 and the second sewn portion 16, but other fixing means may be used in addition to sewing. For example, the first and second fixing portions may be formed by adhesive, welding, clips, hook-and-loop fasteners, magnets, or other fixing means. For example, the linear first fixing portion may be formed by adhesive, welding, or a linear clip (a linear arrangement of multiple U-shaped clips, such as staplers). Furthermore, the second fixing portion for fixing the insert member 10 may be formed by any fixing means capable of fixing the insert member 10 to the end 8a of the rear cover 8 at a position that avoids overlapping with the receiving plate 9. In addition to adhesive or welding, various fixing means such as various clips, hook-and-loop fasteners, and magnets may be used.

[0052] 1 to 14, the notches 9d and 9e are provided on the left side of the support plate 9, so that the insertion member 10 is inserted from the left side of the figure and slid toward the right side for assembly, but the reverse pattern is also possible. That is, the notches 9d and 9e can be provided on the right side of the support plate 9 in the figure, and the insertion member 10 can be inserted from the right side of the figure and slid toward the left side for assembly.

[0053] Second Embodiment FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of the left end portion of the support plate 9 of the second embodiment, showing a structure in which the second stopper 9c provided at the left end 9a2 of the main body 9a of the support plate 9 has an inclined surface 9f.

[0054] 15 is provided at the left end 9a2 (other end) of the main body 9a in the longitudinal direction D1, and is wider in the short direction D2 than the main body 9a, as with the second stopper 9c of the first embodiment. Also, as with the first embodiment, a notch 9d is provided between the second stopper 9c and the left end 9a2 (other end) of the main body 9a in the longitudinal direction D1, and at the lower end 9a3 (one end) of the main body 9a in the short direction D2, into which the lower claw 10c of the insertion member 10 can be inserted.

[0055] However, the second stopper 9c of the second embodiment has an inclined surface 9f that is continuous with the upper end 9a4 (the other end) of the main body 9a in the short-side direction D2, and that inclines in a direction in which the width of the second stopper 9c in the short-side direction D2 narrows with increasing distance from the upper end 9a4. The inclined surface 9f guides the upper one of the pair of claws 10c of the insertion member 10.

[0056] The other configurations including the insert member 10 are the same as those of the skin fixing structure of the first embodiment.

[0057] Furthermore, in the skin fixing structure of the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, when the insert member 10 holds the entire main body portion 9a, both ends of the insert member 10 are positioned so as to be able to engage with the first stopper 9b and the second stopper 9c, thereby restricting movement of the insert member 10 in both directions in the longitudinal direction D1.

[0058] In the configuration of the second embodiment described above, the first stopper 9b and the second stopper 9c are provided at both ends 9a1, 9a2 of the main body 9a of the receiving plate 9 in the longitudinal direction D1, but a notch 9d into which the lower claw 10c of the insertion member 10 can be inserted is provided between the second stopper 9c and the left end 9a2 of the main body 9a in the longitudinal direction D1 and at the lower end 9a3 of the main body 9a in the short direction D2. Furthermore, the second stopper 9c has an inclined surface 9f that is continuous with the upper end 9a4 of the main body 9a in the short direction D2, and that inclines in a direction in which the width of the second stopper 9c in the short direction D2 narrows with increasing distance from the upper end 9a4, thereby guiding the upper claw 10c.

[0059] As a result, the upper claw 10c of the C-shaped insert member 10 is moved along the inclined surface 9f of the second stopper 9c, while the lower claw 10c of the insert member 10 is inserted into the notch 9d formed between the second stopper 9c and the left end 9a2 of the main body 9a. This makes it possible to easily insert the insert member 10 from the left end 9a2 of the main body 9a and hold the entire main body 9a. This makes it possible to easily and quickly connect the insert member 10 to the backing plate 9.

[0060] Even in this holding state, the left and right ends of the insert member 10 are positioned so that they can engage with the first stopper 9b and the second stopper 9c, thereby restricting movement of the insert member 10 in both the left and right directions in the longitudinal direction D1. This ensures that the connection between the insert member 10 and the receiving plate 9 is maintained.

[0061] In the second embodiment, in the receiving plate 9, the width in the short direction D2 of the main body 9a, which is continuous with the inclined surface 9f, near the left end 9a2 is also inclined so that the width in the short direction D2 is narrower, making it easier to insert the insertion member 10 into the receiving plate 9.

[0062] Third Embodiment FIGS. 16 to 18 show a skin fixing structure according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] As shown in Figure 16, in the third embodiment, as a second stopper, an engagement claw 9g is provided at a position away from the right end 9a1 (one end) of the main body 9a in the longitudinal direction D1 and at the lower end 9a3 (one end) of the main body 9a in the lateral direction D2, protruding in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction D1 and lateral direction D2 of the main body 9a (perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 16).

[0064] 17, the body 10a of the insertion member 10 has an engagement hole 10e formed therein as an engaged portion that can be engaged with the engaging claw 9g at a position away from the right end 10a1 facing the first stopper 9b by the distance from the right end 9a1 of the body 9a in the longitudinal direction D1 to the engaging claw 9g. Note that the engaged portion only needs to have a configuration that can be engaged with the engaging claw 9g, and may be a convex or concave portion other than the engagement hole 10e.

[0065] The other configurations are the same as those of the skin fixing structure of the first embodiment.

[0066] 18 , in the skin fixing structure of the third embodiment configured as described above, when the pair of claws 10c of the insertion member 10 are inserted from the left end 9a2 of the main body 9a of the receiving plate 9 between the main body 9a and the terminal 7a of the front skin 7 to hold the main body 9a of the receiving plate 9 inside the insertion member 10, the first stopper 9b is positioned to be engageable with the right end of the insertion member 10, and the engaging claw 9g engages with the engaging hole 10e of the insertion member 10, thereby restricting movement of the insertion member 10 in both directions along the longitudinal direction D1. This reliably maintains the connection between the insertion member 10 and the receiving plate 9.

[0067] Furthermore, when the engaging claws 9g engage with the engaging holes 10e, a sound is generated or the force required to insert the insert member 10 into the receiving plate 9 (so-called insertion force) changes. Therefore, by the generation of such a sound or change in the insertion force, it is possible to easily confirm that the connection between the insert member 10 and the receiving plate 9 has been completed normally.

[0068] Furthermore, since the engagement hole 10e in the third embodiment is constructed as a through hole, the worker can reliably confirm that the connection is complete by visually checking the engagement claw 9g from the outside of the insertion member 10 through the engagement hole 10e.

[0069] In addition, in the second and third embodiments described above, the same effects as those described in (1), (3), and (4) of (Features of the first embodiment) can be achieved by using the configuration common to the first embodiment.

[0070] In the above first to third embodiments, a set of the first stopper 9b and the second stopper 9c, or a set of the first stopper 9b and the engaging claw 9g, has been used as an example of a stopper that restricts the longitudinal movement of the insertion member 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various shapes and numbers of stoppers can be adopted as long as they function as a means for restricting the movement of the insertion member 10.

[0071] In the first to third embodiments described above, the end 7a of the front skin 7 and the end 8a of the rear skin 8 are fixed to each other as an example of the skin fixing structure of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to fixing the end parts together and may be fixed at a location other than the end parts. In other words, the skin fixing structure of the present invention is applicable to fixing skin parts at any location as long as they are fixed to each other.

[0072] (Application Examples of the Present Invention) In the above-described first to third embodiments, the skin fixing structures are shown as being applied to the seat back 3 of an automobile seat 1, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be widely applied to seats having a structure in which the ends of two skins that respectively cover the surfaces of a base material are fixed to each other. For example, the skin fixing structure of the present invention can be widely applied to sofas, floor chairs, seat cushions, stadium bench seat covers, and similar articles and furniture.

[0073] <Summary of the embodiment> The above embodiment can be summarized as follows. The skin fixing structure of this embodiment is a fixing structure for a first skin and a second skin that each cover the outer surface of a sheet base material, and comprises a long support plate to which a portion of the first skin that is inside the outer periphery is fixed, and a long insert member fixed to the second skin, the support plate having a main body portion that extends in the longitudinal direction of the support plate and is fixed to the first skin, and a plurality of stoppers provided on the main body portion that are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, the insert member having a C-shaped cross section that extends in the longitudinal direction of the insert member and has a pair of claw portions that face each other in the lateral direction, and has a dimension that allows the main body portion to be inserted, and when the pair of claw portions of the insert member are inserted between the main body portion and the first skin from the longitudinal ends of the main body portion, the insert member holds the entire main body portion, thereby fixing the first skin and the second skin together, and the plurality of stoppers are positioned in positions that can engage with the insert member, thereby restricting longitudinal movement of the insert member.

[0074] With this configuration, the pair of claws of the C-shaped insert member are inserted from the longitudinal end of the main body of the backing plate between the main body and the first skin, and the insert member holds the entire main body, thereby fixing the first skin and the second skin together. With this configuration, the main body of the backing plate can be held inside the insert member simply by inserting the insert member from the longitudinal end of the backing plate and sliding the insert member in the longitudinal direction.

[0075] In this holding state, the stoppers are positioned to engage with the insert member, restricting longitudinal movement of the insert member. This maintains the connection between the insert member and the backing plate. As described above, the backing plate and the insert member can be connected simply by sliding the insert member in the longitudinal direction. This eliminates the need to pull the cover excessively when connecting them, reducing the burden of the work of fixing the cover and improving workability.

[0076] Furthermore, in the above structure, the first skin is fixed to the second skin by the overlapping part of the receiving plate and the insertion member, so compared to the conventional skin fixing structure in which J-shaped cross-section hooks are connected, it is possible to reduce the amount by which the fixing part between the skins protrudes outside the seat, improving the appearance quality of the seat.

[0077] In the above-mentioned skin fixing structure, the plurality of stoppers consist of a first stopper and a second stopper provided at both longitudinal ends of the main body portion, the first stopper and the second stopper having a width in the short direction wider than that of the main body portion, and a notch into which the pair of claw portions can be inserted is provided between the second stopper and the longitudinal end of the main body portion and at least one lateral end of the main body portion, and the pair of claw portions of the insertion member are inserted through the notch from the longitudinal end of the main body portion between the main body portion and the terminal of the first skin, and the first stopper and the second stopper are preferably positioned so as to be engageable with both longitudinal ends of the insertion member, thereby restricting movement of the insertion member in both directions along the longitudinal direction.

[0078] According to this configuration, the first stopper and the second stopper are provided at both longitudinal ends of the main body portion of the receiving plate, and by inserting a pair of claw portions of the C-shaped cross-sectional insert member into the notch formed between the second stopper and the end of the main body portion, it becomes possible to insert the insert member from the end of the main body portion and hold the entire main body portion.

[0079] In this holding state, both ends of the insert member are positioned so that they can engage with the first and second stoppers, restricting movement of the insert member in both longitudinal directions. This reliably maintains the connection between the insert member and the backing plate. The notch only needs to be formed on at least one end of the backing plate in the lateral direction, and may also be formed on both ends in the lateral direction.

[0080] In the above-described skin fixing structure, it is preferable that one of the pair of notches into which the pair of claws can be inserted has a V-shape. With this configuration, when inserting the insertion member, it is possible to easily check whether the insertion member is in the correct insertion position by visually confirming that the end of the insertion member has reached the position of the sharp valley of the V-shaped notch.

[0081] In the above-mentioned skin fixing structure, it is preferable that the notch is provided only at one end of the main body in the short direction, and one of the pair of claws is inserted into the notch, and the second stopper has an inclined surface that is continuous with the other end of the main body in the short direction, and is inclined in a direction such that the width of the second stopper in the short direction narrows as it moves away from the other end in the short direction, and that guides the other of the pair of claw portions, and the other of the pair of claw portions of the insertion member is guided along the inclined surface, and one of the pair of claw portions is inserted between the main body and the terminal of the first skin while passing through the notch, and the first stopper and the second stopper are arranged in a position where they can engage with both ends of the insertion member in the long direction, thereby restricting movement of the insertion member in both directions along the long direction.

[0082] According to this configuration, the first and second stoppers are provided at both longitudinal ends of the main body of the support plate. A notch into which one of the pair of claws can be inserted is provided between the second stopper and the longitudinal end of the main body and at one lateral end of the main body. Furthermore, the second stopper has an inclined surface continuing from the other lateral end of the main body, inclined in a direction in which the lateral width of the second stopper narrows with increasing distance from the other lateral end, and guiding the other of the pair of claws. Therefore, while the other of the pair of claws of the C-shaped insert member moves along the inclined surface of the second stopper, one of the pair of claws of the insert member is inserted into the notch formed between the second stopper and the other end of the main body. This allows the insert member to be easily inserted from the end of the main body and hold the entire main body. This makes it possible to easily and quickly connect the insert member to the support plate.

[0083] Even in this held state, both ends of the insert member are positioned to engage with the first and second stops, restricting movement of the insert member in both longitudinal directions, thereby reliably maintaining the connection between the insert member and the receiving plate.

[0084] In the above-mentioned skin fixing structure, the plurality of stoppers comprise a first stopper provided at one longitudinal end of the main body portion, and a second stopper comprising an engaging claw that protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal and lateral directions of the main body portion at a position away from the longitudinal end of the main body portion and at one lateral end of the main body portion, and the insertion member is formed at a position away from the end opposite the first stopper by the distance from the longitudinal end of the main body portion to the engaging claw, and has an engaged portion that can engage with the engaging claw, and a pair of claw portions of the insertion member are inserted from the longitudinal end of the main body portion between the main body portion and the terminal of the first skin, and the first stopper is positioned at a position where it can engage with one longitudinal end of the insertion member, and the engaging claw engages with the engaged portion of the insertion member, thereby restricting movement of the insertion member in both directions along the longitudinal direction.

[0085] According to this configuration, when the pair of claws of the insertion member are inserted from the longitudinal end of the main body of the receiving plate between the main body and the terminal of the first skin to hold the main body of the receiving plate inside the insertion member, the first stopper is positioned to be engageable with one longitudinal end of the insertion member, and the engaging claws engage with the engaged portion of the insertion member, thereby restricting movement of the insertion member in both directions along the longitudinal direction, thereby reliably maintaining the connection between the insertion member and the receiving plate.

[0086] Furthermore, when the engaging claw engages with the mating part, a sound is generated or the force required to insert the insert member into the receiving plate (so-called insertion force) changes, so that it is easy to confirm that the insertion member and receiving plate have been properly connected by the generation of such sound or change in insertion force.

[0087] The above-mentioned skin fixing structure is preferably a fixing structure for a trim cover terminal of a vehicle seat.

[0088] By applying the above-mentioned skin fixing structure to fixing the trim cover terminal of a vehicle seat, it is possible to reduce the burden of fixing the skin terminal of the vehicle seat and improve the appearance quality of the vehicle seat.

[0089] In the above-described skin fixing structure, it is preferable that at least one of the support plate and the insert member is formed of a resin material that is bendable in the thickness direction.

[0090] With this configuration, at least one of the receiving plate and the insert member can be bent and deformed in the thickness direction, so when fixing the end of the first skin to the end of the second skin, the insert member can be easily inserted into the receiving plate while bending the receiving plate or the insert member, further improving workability.

[0091] In the above-mentioned skin fixing structure, it is preferable that the support plate is fixed to the surface of the terminal end of the first skin by a first fixing portion extending linearly along the longitudinal direction of the support plate, the insertion member is fixed to the surface of the terminal end of the second skin by the second fixing portion, and the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion are constituted by a sewing portion that sews the support plate and the insertion member to the terminal end of the first skin or the terminal end of the second skin with a filament.

[0092] According to this configuration, the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion are formed by stitching using a filament, so that the receiving plate and the insert member can be easily and firmly fixed to the end of the first skin or the end of the second skin, respectively, along their respective longitudinal directions.

[0093] As described above, the skin fixing structure of this embodiment can reduce the burden of the work of fixing the skin end and improve the appearance quality of the seat.

Claims

1. A fixing structure for a first skin and a second skin, each covering the outer surface of a sheet base material, comprising: a long support plate to which a portion of the first skin, inside the outer periphery, is fixed; and a long insert member fixed to the second skin, wherein the support plate has a main body extending in the longitudinal direction of the support plate and fixed to the first skin, and a plurality of stoppers provided on the main body spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, the insert member having a C-shaped cross section with a pair of claws extending in the longitudinal direction of the insert member and facing each other in the lateral direction, and having a dimension that allows the main body to be inserted, and when the pair of claws of the insert member are inserted between the main body and the first skin from the longitudinal ends of the main body, the insert member holds the entire main body, thereby fixing the first and second skins together, and the plurality of stoppers are positioned so that they can engage with the insert member, thereby restricting longitudinal movement of the insert member. A skin fixing structure characterized by:

2. A skin fixing structure as described in claim 1, wherein the plurality of stoppers comprise a first stopper and a second stopper provided at both longitudinal ends of the main body, the first stopper and the second stopper being wider in the lateral direction than the main body, notches into which the pair of claws can be inserted are provided between the second stopper and the longitudinal end of the main body and at least one lateral end of the main body, the pair of claws of the insertion member being inserted through the notches from the longitudinal end of the main body to between the main body and the terminal of the first skin, and the first stopper and the second stopper being positioned so as to be engageable with both longitudinal ends of the insertion member, thereby restricting movement of the insertion member in both directions along the longitudinal direction.

3. A skin fixing structure according to claim 2, wherein one of the pair of notches into which the pair of claws can be inserted has a V-shape.

4. A skin fixing structure as defined in claim 2, wherein the notch is provided only at one end of the main body in the lateral direction, and one of the pair of claws is inserted into the notch; the second stopper has an inclined surface that is continuous with the other end of the main body in the lateral direction and that is inclined in a direction such that the width of the second stopper in the lateral direction narrows with increasing distance from the other end in the lateral direction, and that guides the other of the pair of claw portions; the other of the pair of claw portions of the insertion member is guided along the inclined surface, and one of the pair of claw portions is inserted between the main body and the terminal of the first skin from the longitudinal end of the main body while passing through the notch; and the first stopper and the second stopper are positioned so as to be engageable with both longitudinal ends of the insertion member, thereby restricting movement of the insertion member in both directions along the longitudinal direction.

5. A skin fixing structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of stoppers comprise a first stopper provided at one longitudinal end of the main body, and an engaging claw as a second stopper, which protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal and lateral directions of the main body at a position away from the one longitudinal end of the main body and at one lateral end of the main body; the insertion member has an engaged portion engageable with the engaging claw, which is formed at a position away from the end opposite the first stopper by the distance from the one longitudinal end of the main body to the engaging claw; and the pair of claw portions of the insertion member are inserted from the longitudinal end of the main body between the main body and the terminal of the first skin, and the first stopper is positioned at a position where it can engage with one longitudinal end of the insertion member, and the engaging claws engage with the engaged portion of the insertion member, thereby restricting movement of the insertion member in both directions along the longitudinal direction.

6. The skin fixing structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it is a fixing structure for the end of a trim cover of a vehicle seat.

7. A skin fixing structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least one of the support plate and the insert member is made of a resin material that can be bent and deformed in the thickness direction.

8. A skin fixing structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the support plate is fixed to the surface of the terminal end of the first skin by a first fixing part extending linearly along the longitudinal direction of the support plate, and the insertion member is fixed to the surface of the terminal end of the second skin by a second fixing part, and the first fixing part and the second fixing part are constituted by sewing parts that sew the support plate and the insertion member to the terminal end of the first skin or the terminal end of the second skin with a filament.

Images