Surface covering material fixing tool

Abstract

A surface covering material fixing tool (100) of the present invention includes: a suspender (10) that is attachable to a surface covering material; and a clip (30) that locks the suspender (10) and is installable in a groove of a cushion material. The suspender (10) has a plurality of locked parts (25) formed in the longitudinal direction on the distal end side of a central plate-like part (20) and having protrusions (26) protruding from a side surface (20a) of the central plate-like part (20) in the thickness direction of the suspender (10), and the clip (30) includes a plurality of clip members (31) that engage with the locked parts (25) by a pair of locking pieces (37) formed so as to approach each other and a connection part (32) that connects the plurality of clip members (31) in the longitudinal direction. The plurality of locked parts (25) are intermittently formed in the longitudinal direction of the suspender (10), and the pitch of the plurality of locked parts (25) in the longitudinal direction is smaller than the width of the locking pieces (37) in the longitudinal direction.

Description

Skin material fixing tool

[0001] The present invention relates to a skin material fixing tool for stretching a skin material covering the surface of a chair, seat, etc. over the seat, etc. and fixing the edge of the skin material at a predetermined position.

[0002] Conventionally, in chairs used indoors, vehicle seats, etc., cushion materials and flexible pads are installed on parts that come into contact with the human body such as the seat surface and backrest, and the surface thereof is covered with a skin material in many cases. Various structures are adopted for covering and fixing such skin materials. In particular, a skin material fixing tool with a structure that can easily and neatly fix the skin material and conceal the edge of the skin material aesthetically is used.

[0003] As a skin material fixing tool, a structure has been proposed in which a suspender is attached to the end of the skin material, while a clip that can engage with the suspender is embedded in the skin material fixing groove of the cushion material.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a skin locking clip insert-molded in a cushion material made of foam and a suspender extending along the longitudinal direction. The suspender has a pair of protrusions protruding left and right and extending in the longitudinal direction, and a pair of locking claws provided on the clip lock by sandwiching the protrusions of the suspender.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-186325, US Patent Application Publication No. 2024 / 131973

[0006] In the attachment structure of the skin material fixing tool as described in Patent Document 1, the skin locking clip is integrally fixed to the cushion material, and the suspender is in a state of being locked to the skin locking clip. Therefore, it is difficult to separate the skin material from the cushion material when replacing the skin material or the like.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its object is to provide a skin material fixing tool in which the suspender and the clip can be reliably engaged, and the suspender and the clip can be easily separated when replacing the skin material or the like.

[0008] The above objective of the present invention is achieved by the following configuration. [1] A fastener (100) for fastening a surface material (18) to a cushion material (16), comprising: a suspender (10) that can be attached to the surface material (18); and a clip (30) that locks the suspender (10) and can be installed in a groove (16a) of the cushion material (16), wherein the suspender (10) has a strip-shaped member (12) fixed to the edge (18a) of the surface material (18); a central plate-shaped portion (20) formed on the edge portion (12a) of the strip-shaped member (12) along the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped member (12); and a plurality of locking portions (25) formed along the longitudinal direction on the tip side of the central plate-shaped portion (20), each having a protrusion (26) that projects from the side surface (20a) of the central plate-shaped portion (20) in the thickness direction of the suspender (10), The clip (30) has a plurality of clip members (31) that engage with the locked portion (25) by a pair of locking pieces (37) formed to be close to each other, and a connecting portion (32) that connects the plurality of clip members (31) in the longitudinal direction, the thickness of the central plate-like portion (20) is formed to be a constant thickness in the longitudinal direction and to be insertable into the gap in the left-right direction at the tips of the pair of locking pieces (37), the plurality of locked portions (25) are formed intermittently in the longitudinal direction of the suspender (10), and the longitudinal pitch of the plurality of locked portions (25) is smaller than the longitudinal width of the locking pieces (37), characterized in that the skin material fastener (100).

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fastening device for outer coverings that allows for secure engagement between the suspenders and the clip, and that facilitates the separation of the suspenders and the clip when replacing the outer covering material.

[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a skin material fastener according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the suspenders and clip of the skin material fastener according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a plan view of the skin material fastener according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the longitudinal direction. Figure 4(a) is a plan view of the suspenders, viewed from the longitudinal direction. Figure 4(b) is a plan view of the suspenders, viewed from the left and right directions. Figure 5(a) is a plan view of the clip, viewed from the longitudinal direction. Figure 5(b) is a plan view of the clip, viewed from the left and right directions. Figure 6 shows the skin material fastener when disassembled.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the upholstery fastener 100 is used to fasten the upholstery material 18 of a seat to the cushion material 16 of a seat in a vehicle or the like, and comprises a suspender 10 and a clip 30 for securing the suspender 10.

[0012] The surface material 18 is leather, cloth, synthetic leather sheet, etc., that covers the surface of the cushion material 16, and the suspenders 10 can be attached to the surface material 18. The cushion material 16 is a synthetic resin foam material such as foamed polyurethane molded into the shape of a seat, and grooves 16a for fastening the surface material are formed in the cushion material 16, and the clips 30 can be installed in the grooves 16a of the cushion material 16. Therefore, when the suspenders 10 are fastened to the clips 30, the surface material 18 is stretched to a predetermined position on the surface of the cushion material 16.

[0013] In the following description of the skin material fastener 100, the directions will be explained using the mutually orthogonal XYZ axis directions as a reference, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, 5 and 6. The X-axis direction coincides with the longitudinal direction of the suspender 10 and clip 30, and coincides with the direction in which the edge of the skin material 18 and the wire member 15 extend. The Z-axis direction, which is orthogonal to the X-axis direction, coincides with the depth direction of the groove 16a of the cushioning material 16 and the holding portion 33 of the clip 30 described later, and is called the vertical direction. Furthermore, the direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction is called the Y-axis direction, and is called the left-right direction. The direction parallel to this left-right direction is also called the lateral direction.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 to 4(b), the suspenders 10 consist of a long, strip-shaped member 12 made of woven fabric or the like, and a clip-locking member 14 provided along the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped member 12. The clip-locking member 14 is molded from a thermoplastic resin such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, or polybutylene terephthalate, and is integrally insert-molded along the longitudinal direction at the edge 12a of the strip-shaped member 12 opposite to the edge 12b to which the outer material 18 is fixed. The clip-locking member 14 is used to attach clips 30, etc., which will be described later. The edge 18a of the outer material 18 is sewn and fixed to the edge 12b of the strip-shaped member 12 with sewing thread.

[0015] The strip-shaped member 12 is a long, strip-shaped member with a constant width in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) and a long length in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction). It is formed from a woven fabric, nonwoven fabric, knitted fabric, synthetic leather, or a laminate of synthetic leather and fabric having a strength comparable to that of the surface material 18. The material constituting the strip-shaped member 12 can be selected from nylon, polyester, acrylic, or other appropriate materials. The strip-shaped member 12 may be a separate component from the clip locking member 14, or it may be formed integrally with the clip locking member 14 from resin. Because the clip locking member 14 and the strip-shaped member 12 are made of the above materials, the suspenders 10 have flexibility in the vertical direction of the central plate-shaped portion 20.

[0016] The clip locking member 14, which is integrally provided along the edge portion 12a of the strip-shaped member 12, is formed by insert molding thermoplastic resin so as to sandwich the edge portion 12a of the strip-shaped member 12, and is formed along the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped member 12 to the same length as the strip-shaped member 12.

[0017] The clip locking member 14 has a side surface 20a that is parallel to the surface of the strip-shaped member 12, and includes a central plate-like portion 20 that is provided in a long, rectangular shape with a constant width along the longitudinal direction on the edge portion 12a of the strip-shaped member 12. The central plate-like portion 20 is formed to continuously cover both the left and right side surfaces and the lower end surface of the strip-shaped member 12 so as to clamp the strip-shaped member 12, and the lower end is formed in a curved shape.

[0018] The suspenders 10 have a locking portion 25 formed on the lower side in the vertical direction, which is the tip side of the central plate-shaped portion 20, and a pair of protrusions 26 that project from the side surface 20a of the central plate-shaped portion 20 to both sides in the left-right direction, which is the thickness direction of the suspenders 10, and flange portions 21 formed on the upper side in the vertical direction, which is on the base end side of the central plate-shaped portion 20, which is closer to the locking portion 25, and that project from the side surface 20a of the central plate-shaped portion 20 to both sides in the left-right direction, which is the thickness direction of the suspenders 10. Multiple locking portions 25 and flange portions 21 are formed intermittently at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the suspenders 10. The flange portions 21 may be formed on only one side in the left-right direction of the suspenders 10, or they may be provided continuously in the longitudinal direction.

[0019] In particular, as shown in Figures 3, 4(a), and 4(b), the suspender 10 has a convex portion 26 and a flange portion 21 arranged symmetrically with respect to the vertical central axis of the central plate-like portion 20. The convex portion 26 extends from the side surface 20a of the central plate-like portion 20 to the top portion 26a in the left-right direction of the convex portion 26, and has a slope 26b that moves away from the side surface 20a of the central plate-like portion 20 as it moves from the tip side to the base side, and a return surface 26c that extends from the side surface 20a of the central plate-like portion 20 to the top portion 26a. The locking portion 25 is formed in an arrowhead shape when viewed from the longitudinal direction by the tip portion 20b of the central plate-like portion 20, the top portion 26a of the convex portion 26, the slope 26b, and the return surface 26c.

[0020] In the illustrated example, the flange portion 21 is formed with a width in the left-right direction greater than that of the convex portion 26, extending from the side surface 20a of the central plate-like portion 20. The flange portion 21 extends to the top 21a in the left-right direction of the flange portion 21 and has an upper surface 21b which is a plane facing approximately upward in the vertical direction and a lower surface 21c which faces approximately downward in the vertical direction.

[0021] The lower surface 21c of the flange portion 21 is inclined away from the tip side of the suspender 10 (the tip side 20b of the central plate-like portion 20) as it approaches the top 21a of the flange portion 21. Also, the vertical width of the flange portion 21 decreases as it moves from the base connected to the central plate-like portion 20 towards the top 21a of the flange portion 21.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, 5(a) and 5(b), the clip 30 has a plurality of clip portions 31 that engage with the locked portion 25, and a connecting portion 32 that connects the plurality of clip portions 31 in the longitudinal direction.

[0023] The clip 30 is formed by extrusion molding with a metal wire member 15 inserted, and the wire member 15 extends longitudinally across a plurality of clip portions 31 and a plurality of connecting portions 32.

[0024] The clip portion 31 of the clip 30 includes a holding portion 33 that can hold a part of the suspender 10 so as to cover it, a pair of left and right locking pieces 37 that extend from the upper part of the holding portion 33 toward each other and can engage with the locking portion 25 of the suspender 10, and a plate-shaped clip base portion 38 that extends toward the outer surface of the holding portion 33 and can be fixed to the cushioning material 16.

[0025] The holding portion 33 has a bottom wall 34 located on the lower side in the vertical direction and a pair of left and right side walls 35 extending from the bottom wall 34 to the left and right and upward, and the cross-sectional shape of the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is U-shaped. The outer surface 34b of the bottom wall 34 and the outer surface 35b of the side walls 35 can come into contact with the inner surface of the groove 16a of the cushioning material 16. In addition, the inner surface 34a of the bottom wall 34 and the inner surface 35a of the side walls 35 can come into contact with the locking portion 25.

[0026] The clip base 38 extends from the upper part of the outer surface 35b of the pair of left and right side walls 35 in the left-right and longitudinal directions. The clip base 38 is fixed to both the left and right sides of the opening of the groove 16a of the cushioning material 16 by insert molding or the like. The clip base 38 is formed in a plate shape with a constant thickness in the vertical direction. The clip base 38 also has an elongated hole 38a that penetrates the clip base in the vertical direction and extends in the longitudinal direction. The cushioning material 16 is molded to fill the elongated hole 38a. As a result, the clip base 38 is stably fixed to the cushioning material 16.

[0027] A pair of locking pieces 37 are formed on the upper part of the opposing inner surfaces 35a of the left and right side walls 35. The pair of locking pieces 37 are formed across the entire width in the longitudinal direction of the holding portion 33. Furthermore, the pair of locking pieces 37 are provided so that they protrude downwards in the vertical direction towards the tip and move closer to each other.

[0028] The connecting portion 32 connects the longitudinal ends of the bottom walls 34 of adjacent clip portions 31 in the longitudinal direction, and the wire member 15 is insert-molded inside.

[0029] In particular, as shown in Figure 3, the thickness of the central plate-like portion 20 of the suspenders 10 in the left-right direction is such that it can be inserted into the left-right gap at the tips of the pair of locking pieces 37 and is formed to have a constant thickness in the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, the thickness of the central plate-like portion 20 is smaller than the gap at the tips of the pair of locking pieces 37.

[0030] Furthermore, the width of the locking portion 25 in the thickness direction of the suspender 10 is greater than the gap between the tips of the pair of locking pieces 37, and smaller than the gap in the left-right direction on the inner surface 35a of the pair of side walls 35.

[0031] Here, the assembly and disassembly methods of the outer material fastener 100 will be described. When fastening the outer material 18 to the cushion material 16, first, the outer material 18 is positioned so as to cover the cushion material 16. Next, the flange portion 21 of the suspender 10 connected to the outer material 18 is pressed in the vertical direction, thereby inserting the suspender 10 into the holding portion 33 of the clip 30 fixed to the cushion material 16.

[0032] At this time, the inclined surface 26b constituting the locking portion 25 of the suspender 10 comes into contact with the pair of locking pieces 37, causing the pair of locking pieces 37 to elastically deform and widening the gap between them in the left-right direction. When the locking portion 25 overcomes the pair of locking pieces 37 and the top 26a of the convex portion 26 reaches below the tip of the locking piece 37 in the vertical direction, as shown in Figure 1, the pair of locking pieces 37 return to their original shape, and the return surface 26c constituting the locking portion 25 of the suspender 10 engages with the pair of locking pieces 37. As a result, the suspender 10 is held in place by the holding portion 33 of the clip 30.

[0033] Furthermore, when disassembling the outer material fastener 100, such as when replacing the outer material 18, one longitudinal side of the suspender 10 is pulled upward in the vertical direction, as shown in Figure 6. At this time, the retaining portion 25 on one longitudinal side is sequentially separated from the holding portion 33 of the clip 30.

[0034] As shown in Figures 4(b), 5(b), and 6, the longitudinal pitch P1 of the locking portions 25, which are formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction, is preferably half or less of the longitudinal width W2 of the locking piece 37. Since the locking piece 37 is formed over the entire longitudinal width of the holding portion 33, the width W2 shown in Figures 5(b) and 6 represents the longitudinal width of the locking piece 37. When the suspenders 10 engage with the holding portion 33 of the clip 30, they engage at any position in the longitudinal direction. Since the locking portions 25 are formed at the above pitch P1, at least two locking portions 25 can engage with one holding portion 33, ensuring that the clip 30 and the suspenders 10 are securely and stably engaged.

[0035] Furthermore, the longitudinal pitch P1 of the multiple locking portions 25 may be greater than half the width W2 of the locking piece 37, as long as it is smaller than the longitudinal width W2 of the locking piece 37. In this case, at least one locking portion 25 can engage with one holding portion 33, ensuring that the clip 30 and the suspender 10 are securely engaged.

[0036] The longitudinal width W1 of the locking portion 25 is preferably between 1 / 12 and 1 / 3 of the longitudinal width W2 of the locking piece 37. Furthermore, if the width W1 of the locking portion 25 is smaller than the width W2 of the locking piece 37, and the locking portion 25 is formed intermittently along the longitudinal direction, it becomes easier to separate the suspender 10 from the clip 30 when replacing the outer material 18, etc.

[0037] For example, the locking piece 37 is set to have a width W2 of 15 mm, the locking portion 25 is set to have a width W1 of approximately 1.25 mm to 5 mm, and a longitudinal pitch P1 of 7 mm. By adjusting the width W1 and pitch P1 of the locking portion 25 in this way, the engagement between the clip 30 and the suspender 10 is stabilized, and the suspender 10 and the clip 30 can be easily separated.

[0038] Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these will naturally also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0039] As described above, the following matters are disclosed in this specification: [1] A fastener (100) for fastening a surface material (18) to a cushion material (16), comprising: a suspender (10) that can be attached to the surface material (18); and a clip (30) that locks the suspender (10) and can be installed in a groove (16a) of the cushion material (16), wherein the suspender (10) has a strip-shaped member (12) fixed to the edge (18a) of the surface material (18); a central plate-shaped portion (20) formed on the edge portion (12a) of the strip-shaped member (12) along the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped member (12); and a plurality of locking portions (25) formed along the longitudinal direction on the tip side of the central plate-shaped portion (20), each having a protrusion (26) that projects from the side surface (20a) of the central plate-shaped portion (20) in the thickness direction of the suspender (10), The clip (30) has a plurality of clip members (31) that engage with the locked portion (25) by a pair of locking pieces (37) formed to be close to each other, and a connecting portion (32) that connects the plurality of clip members (31) in the longitudinal direction, the thickness of the central plate-like portion (20) is formed to be insertable into the left-right gap at the tips of the pair of locking pieces (37) and to be a constant thickness in the longitudinal direction, the plurality of locked portions (25) are formed intermittently in the longitudinal direction of the suspender (10), and the longitudinal pitch of the plurality of locked portions (25) is smaller than the longitudinal width of the locking pieces (37), characterized in that the skin material fastener (100). With this configuration, the suspender and the clip can be reliably engaged, and the skin material fastener can be provided that allows for easy separation of the suspender and the clip when replacing the skin material, etc.

[0040] [2] The skin material fastener (100) according to [1], characterized in that the longitudinal pitch of the plurality of locking portions (25) is half or less of the longitudinal width of the locking piece (37). With this configuration, it is possible to provide a skin material fastener in which the suspenders and clips can be reliably engaged and the suspenders and clips can be easily separated when replacing the skin material.

[0041] [3] The skin material fastener (100) according to [1] or [2], characterized in that the longitudinal width of the locking portion (25) is 1 / 12 or more and 1 / 3 or less of the longitudinal width of the locking piece (37). With this configuration, it is possible to provide a skin material fastener in which the suspenders and clips can be reliably engaged and the suspenders and clips can be easily separated when replacing the skin material, etc.

[0042] [4] The suspender (10) further has a flange portion (21) that protrudes in the thickness direction of the suspender (10) from the side surface (20a) of the central plate-shaped portion (20) on the base end side of the central plate-shaped portion (20) than the locking portion (25), and the flange portion (21) is formed intermittently in multiple locations along the longitudinal direction of the suspender (10), as described in any one of [1] to [3]. With this configuration, the suspender and the clip can be reliably engaged, and the suspender and the clip can be easily separated when replacing the surface material, etc., to provide a surface material fastener.

[0043] [5] The suspender (10) is characterized in that it is flexible in the insertion direction, as described in any one of [1] to [4]. This configuration provides a fastener for a skin material in which the suspender and the clip can be reliably engaged, and the suspender and the clip can be easily separated when replacing the skin material.

[0044] 10 Suspender 12 Strip-shaped member 12a, 12b Edge portion 14 Clip locking member 15 Wire member 16 Cushioning material 16a Groove 18 Surface material 18a Edge 20 Central plate-shaped portion 20a Side surface 20b Tip portion 21 Flange portion 21a Top portion 25 Locking portion 26 Protrusion 26a Top portion 26b Sloping surface 26c Return surface 30 Clip 31 Clip portion 32 Connecting portion 33 Holding portion 34 Bottom wall 35 Side wall 37 Locking piece 38 Clip base portion 38a Elongated hole 100 Surface material fastener

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