Skin locking clip and vehicle seat

Abstract

[Problem] To improve the fixing strength of a skin locking clip to a pad, and to stabilize the insertion force when a portion to be locked is inserted into and locked by a locking portion. [Solution] A skin locking clip comprises: a base portion; a locking portion including a pair of locking piece portions rising from a surface of the base portion and facing each other in a second direction; an upright portion located outside the pair of locking piece portions in the second direction and rising from the surface of the base portion; and an overhanging portion extending outward from a distal end portion of the upright portion. In the upright portion and the overhanging portion, an opening extending across the upright portion and the overhanging portion is formed. The pair of locking piece portions have a first locking dimension in a first direction, and the opening has a first opening dimension larger than the first locking dimension in the first direction. A contact portion that comes into contact with the locking piece portion when the locking piece portion elastically deforms is provided in a part of the opening.

Description

Skin Locking Clip and Vehicle Seat

[0001] The present invention relates to a skin locking clip for locking a locked portion provided on a skin material, and a vehicle seat including the same.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a seat including a pad and a skin material covering the pad. The pad has a groove, and a skin locking clip is embedded in the groove. The skin locking clip includes: a fixing portion; and a locking claw portion that rises from a surface of the fixing portion and includes a pair of locking pieces facing each other. The pair of locking pieces deform in a direction away from each other in response to insertion of the locked portion provided on the skin material, and when the locked portion is inserted to a predetermined position, approach each other to restrict movement of the locked portion. Accordingly, the locking claw portion locks the locked portion, so that the skin material is attached to the pad.

[0003] The skin locking clip further includes a protruding piece located outside the pair of locking pieces and rising from the surface of the fixing portion. The protruding piece is embedded in the pad together with the fixing portion. This improves the stability of the skin locking clip relative to the pad.

[0004] When the pad of the seat is a foam, an operation called roller crushing may be performed. In roller crushing, the state of cells inside the foam can be adjusted by rolling a roller while pressing the roller against the pad.

[0005] In the roller crushing operation, it is conceivable that the skin locking clip, particularly the locking claw portion of the skin locking clip, may be damaged when receiving pressure from the roller. The protruding piece of the skin locking clip can also fulfill the function of suppressing excessive deformation of the locking claw portion during roller crushing.

[0006] Japanese Patent No. 7275959

[0007] In the skin locking clip disclosed in Patent Document 1, the protruding piece has a flat plate shape extending along the insertion / removal direction of the locked portion. However, in this aspect, depending on the pulling-out force of the locked portion, the fixing strength of the clip to the pad may be insufficient, and there is a risk that the clip may be detached from the pad.

[0008] Furthermore, the protruding piece is formed near the locking piece. In this case, depending on the insertion direction of the locked portion into the locking claw portion, the locking piece may undesirably interfere with the protruding piece, potentially causing the insertion force to become unstable.

[0009] Furthermore, the contact surface of the protruding piece that the locking piece can come into contact with is relatively small. Therefore, depending on the pressing force and direction during roller crushing, situations may arise where the strength of the protruding piece is insufficient when it comes into contact with the locking piece. If the strength of the protruding piece becomes insufficient, the locking piece may undergo plastic deformation along with the deformation of the protruding piece, potentially leading to a decrease in locking force.

[0010] The present invention aims to provide a clip for securing surface materials and a vehicle seat that can solve these problems.

[0011] The present invention relates to the following [1] to [4]. [1] A surface locking clip that is partially embedded in a pad made of foamed resin and locks a locking portion of a surface material covering the pad, comprising: a base embedded in the pad, having a surface extending in a planar direction including a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a back surface located on the opposite side of the surface; a locking portion that rises from the surface of the base and includes a pair of locking pieces facing each other in the second direction; an upright portion that is located outside the pair of locking pieces in the second direction and rises from the surface of the base; and an overhang that extends outward from the tip of the upright portion in a direction including the component of the second direction, wherein the upright portion and the overhang portion have openings that span the upright portion and the overhang portion, the pair of locking pieces have a first locking dimension in the first direction, and the opening has a first opening dimension that is larger than the first locking dimension in the first direction. A clip for securing a skin, wherein a contact portion is provided in a part of the opening, which contacts the locking pieces when the pair of locking pieces are elastically deformed so that the distance between the pair of locking pieces in the second direction widens.

[0012] [2] In the skin-locking clip described in [1], the opening includes a third opening edge which is the boundary between the opening and the upright portion in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, and the contact portion may be the third opening edge.

[0013] [3] In the skin-locking clip described in [1], the opening includes a third opening edge which is the boundary between the opening and the upright portion in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, and the contact portion may be provided on the third opening edge.

[0014] [4] A vehicle seat comprising a pad made of foamed resin and a surface fastening clip according to any one of [1] to [3] partially embedded in the pad.

[0015] According to the present invention, by embedding the base, the protruding portion, and the opening spanning the upright portion and the protruding portion into the pad, the embedded portion of the surface locking clip can be firmly fixed to the pad. Furthermore, since the opening has a first opening dimension that is larger than the first locking dimension in the first direction, when the part to be locked is inserted into the locking portion and locked, the pair of locking pieces open reliably in the second direction without being obstructed by the upright portion and the protruding portion, thus stabilizing the insertion force when inserting the part to be locked. In addition, when the locking piece comes into contact with the contact portion during roller crushing, the load from the locking piece is supported over a wide area of ​​the opening via the contact portion, thus reliably suppressing excessive deformation of the locking piece.

[0016] This is a perspective view of a vehicle seat equipped with a clip for securing the upholstery. This figure shows the state in which the clip secures the fastening portion (suspender) provided on the upholstery material of the vehicle seat. This is a perspective view of the clip for securing the upholstery. This is a plan view of the clip for securing the upholstery. This is a view of the clip for securing the upholstery in the direction of arrow V in Figure 3. This is a view of the clip for securing the upholstery in the direction of arrow VI in Figure 3. This is a cross-sectional view of the clip for securing the upholstery along the line VII-VII in Figure 4. (A) is a cross-sectional view of the clip for securing the upholstery along the line A-A in Figure 4, (B) is a cross-sectional view of the clip for securing the upholstery along the line B-B in Figure 4, and (C) is a cross-sectional view of the clip for securing the upholstery along the line C-C in Figure 4. This figure compares the cross-section of the clip for securing the upholstery along the line A-A in Figure 4 with the cross-section of the clip for securing the upholstery along the line B-B in Figure 4. This figure shows how the part to be locked is locked to the locking part. This figure shows how the locking part deforms during roller crushing. This figure explains the flow of foamed resin before hardening when embedding the surface locking clip into a pad made of foamed resin that constitutes a vehicle seat. This is a perspective view of one modified example of the surface locking clip. (A) is a cross-sectional view of the surface locking clip according to one modified example along the line XII-XII in Figure 11, and (B) is a cross-sectional view of the surface locking clip according to one modified example along the line XIIb-XIIb in Figure 12(A).

[0017] One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat 100 equipped with a surface fastening clip 1 (see Figure 2) according to this embodiment. The vehicle seat 100 comprises a seat cushion 101 supported by the vehicle body, a seat back 102 connected to the seat cushion 101, and a headrest 103 connected to the seat back 102.

[0019] Each of the seat cushion 101, seat back 102, and headrest 103 includes a pad 104 (see Figure 2) made of foamed resin such as foamed urethane, and a surface material 105 that covers the pad 104.

[0020] Multiple linearly recessed suspension portions 107 are formed in the vertical and horizontal directions on the seat surface side of the seat cushion 101 and seat back 102. The suspension portions 107 are formed when a part of the surface material 105 is secured by a surface material locking clip 1 in a groove 106 formed in the pad 104.

[0021] Figure 2 shows the state in which the surface locking clip 1 is locked to the locking portion 112 provided on the surface material 105 of the vehicle seat 100. As shown in Figure 2, the surface locking clip 1 is partially embedded in the pad 104. More specifically, the surface locking clip 1 is partially embedded in the bottom of the groove 106 formed in the pad 104.

[0022] The groove 106 extends in the longitudinal direction with a predetermined width and depth. Although not shown in the figure, in the pad 104, a plurality of surface-locking clips 1 are embedded at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the groove 106.

[0023] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the surface material 105 comprises a main body portion 110 which is a sheet covering the pad 104, a surface connecting portion 111 which is connected to the back surface of the main body portion 110 and extends along the length of the groove 106, and a locking portion 112 provided on the surface connecting portion 111. The surface connecting portion 111 includes an edge located on the side of the main body portion 110 and an edge located on the opposite side. The locking portion 112 is provided to cover the edge of the surface connecting portion 111 on the side opposite to the main body portion 110. The locking portion 112 is also a component called a suspender.

[0024] The locking portion 112 includes a rod-shaped connecting portion 112a connected to the surface connecting portion 111, and a hooking portion 112b that extends laterally from the outer circumference of the connecting portion 112a, located between both ends of the connecting portion 112a. When attaching the surface material 105 to the pad 104, the locking portion 112 is inserted into the groove 106, and the hooking portion 112b of the locking portion 112 is locked by a part of the surface locking clip 1 (locking portion 20 described later) exposed from the pad 104. A suspension portion 107 is formed when a part of the main body portion 110 is held in place inside the groove 106, and the surface material 105 is attached to the pad 104 in this state.

[0025] The following describes the skin-locking clip 1 in detail. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the skin-locking clip 1, and Figure 4 is a plan view of the skin-locking clip 1. Figure 5 is a view of the skin-locking clip 1 in the direction of arrow V in Figure 3, and Figure 6 is a view of the skin-locking clip 1 in the direction of arrow VI in Figure 3.

[0026] The skin-locking clip 1 comprises a base portion 10, a locking portion 20, an upright portion 30, and an overhanging portion 40. The skin-locking clip 1 is entirely made of a resin material. For example, the skin-locking clip 1 is formed by mold molding such as injection molding so that the base portion 10, the locking portion 20, the upright portion 30, and the overhanging portion 40 are integrally formed. Figures 3, 4, and other drawings used in the following description show a first direction D1, a second direction D2 perpendicular to the first direction D1, and a third direction D3 perpendicular to both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. In the following description, the configuration of the skin-locking clip 1 will be explained using the first direction D1, the second direction D2, and the third direction D3 as necessary.

[0027] The base portion 10 includes a surface 10a that extends in a planar direction including a first direction D1 and a second direction D2, and a back surface 10b located on the opposite side of the surface 10a. As shown in Figure 2, the base portion 10 is the part of the surface locking clip 1 that is embedded in the bottom of the groove 106 of the pad 104.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the base portion 10 is a rectangular plate. Through-holes 11 are formed on both sides of the central portion in the first direction D1 of the base portion 10, penetrating in a third direction D3 corresponding to the thickness direction of the base portion 10. When the base portion 10 is embedded in the pad 104, a part of the pad 104 enters the through-holes 11. This improves the fixing strength of the base portion 10 to the pad 104.

[0029] The locking portion 20 is provided on the central portion of the surface 10a of the base portion 10 in the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. The locking portion 20 includes a pair of locking pieces 21 that rise from the surface 10a and face each other in the second direction D2.

[0030] Each locking piece 21 includes an extension 22 rising from the surface 10a of the base 10 and a locking claw 23 provided at the tip of the extension 22. The locking claw 23 protrudes toward the midpoint of the pair of locking pieces 21 in the second direction D2. In other words, the locking claw 23 protrudes toward the side where the pair of locking pieces 21 are closer to each other. The midpoint is located midway between the pair of locking pieces 21 in the second direction D2.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, the locking portion 20 is not embedded in the pad 104 but is exposed to the outside. When the locking portion 112 of the surface material 105 is locked to the locking portion 20, the locking portion 112 is inserted between a pair of locking pieces 21 along the third direction D3. At this time, the pair of locking pieces 21 deform in a direction away from each other in the second direction D2 by contacting the locking portion 112. Then, when the locking portion 112 approaches the base 10 beyond the pair of locking claws 23, the pair of locking pieces 21 move closer to each other, restricting the movement of the engagement portion 112b of the locking portion 112 in the third direction D3. As a result, the locking portion 112 is locked by the locking portion 20.

[0032] The upright portion 30 is located outside the pair of locking pieces 21 in the second direction D2 and rises from the surface 10a of the base portion 10. Here, "outside in the second direction D2" means the direction away from the midpoint of the pair of locking pieces 21 (hereinafter also referred to as the locking piece midpoint) in the second direction D2. Also, "the upright portion 30 is located outside the pair of locking pieces 21 in the second direction D2" means that in the second direction D2, the distance from the upright portion 30 to the locking piece midpoint is greater than the distance from the locking piece 21 to the locking piece midpoint.

[0033] In this embodiment, the pair of upright portions 30 are positioned to sandwich the pair of locking pieces 21 from the outside in the second direction D2. That is, one of the pair of upright portions 30 is positioned further out in the second direction D2 than the locking piece 21 located on one side of the second direction D2 with respect to the midpoint of the locking piece, and the other of the pair of upright portions 30 is positioned further out in the second direction D2 than the locking piece 21 located on the other side of the second direction D2 with respect to the midpoint of the locking piece.

[0034] The upright portion 30 rises from the surface 10a of the base portion 10 in a third direction D3 and extends in the first direction D1 between the ends of the base portion 10 in the first direction D1. However, the upright portion 30 may rise in a direction inclined with respect to the third direction D3. Also, the length between the ends of the upright portion 30 in the first direction D1 is greater than the length between the ends of the locking piece portion 21 in the first direction D1. The length between the ends of the upright portion 30 in the first direction D1 is not particularly limited as long as it is greater than the length between the ends of the locking piece portion 21 in the first direction D1.

[0035] The protruding portion 40 extends outward from the tip of the upright portion 30 in a direction that includes the component of the second direction D2. The protruding portion 40 extends outward from each of the tips of the upright portion 30. Here, "extending outward from the tip of the upright portion 30 in a direction that includes the component of the second direction D2" means that when projected onto the upper surface (third direction D3), the protruding portion 40 has dimensions that point outward in the second direction D2. Alternatively, "extending outward from the tip of the upright portion 30 in a direction that includes the component of the second direction D2" can also be said to mean that the protruding portion 40 extends from the tip of the upright portion 30 on the side opposite to the midpoint side of the pair of locking pieces 21 in the second direction D2 (i.e., the midpoint side of the locking pieces mentioned above).

[0036] The overhang portion 40 is connected to the entire tip of the upright portion 30 in the first direction D1 and extends from the tip of the upright portion 30 parallel to the second direction D2. However, the overhang portion 40 may extend from the tip of the upright portion 30 in a direction inclined with respect to the second direction D2. Furthermore, the length between the two ends of the overhang portion 40 in the first direction D1 is the same as the length between the two ends of the upright portion 30 in the first direction D1 and is greater than the length between the two ends of the locking piece portion 21 in the first direction D1. However, the length between the two ends of the overhang portion 40 in the first direction D1 is not particularly limited as long as it is greater than the length between the two ends of the locking piece portion 21 in the first direction D1.

[0037] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, an opening 50 is formed that spans both the upright portion 30 and the overhanging portion 40. The fact that the opening 50 spans both the upright portion 30 and the overhanging portion 40 means that the opening 50 extends from a part of the upright portion 30 to a part of the overhanging portion 40.

[0038] The opening 50 is formed in both the first upright portion 30 and the first protruding portion 40, and in the second upright portion 30 and the second protruding portion 40. The first upright portion 30 is the upright portion 30 of the pair of upright portions 30 located on one side in the second direction D2. The first protruding portion 40 is the protruding portion 40 that extends outward from the tip of the first upright portion 30. The second upright portion 30 is the upright portion 30 of the pair of upright portions 30 located on the other side in the second direction D2. The second protruding portion 40 is the protruding portion 40 that extends outward from the tip of the second upright portion 30. The opening 50 is positioned to face the locking piece portion 21 in the second direction D2.

[0039] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the opening 50 includes a first opening edge 51 which is the boundary between the opening 50 and the upright portion 30 and the overhanging portion 40 in the first direction D1, a second opening edge 52 which is the boundary between the opening 50 and the overhanging portion 40 in the second direction D2, and a third opening edge 53 which is the boundary between the opening 50 and the upright portion 30 in the third direction D3.

[0040] The first opening edge 51 is formed as a generally flat surface along the second direction D2. The first opening edge 51 is formed at a position away from the surface 10a of the base 10 in the third direction D3. The second opening edge 52 and the third opening edge 53 are formed as generally flat surfaces along the first direction D1. However, the shape of each opening edge 51 to 53 is not particularly limited and may be formed as, for example, a curved surface, an inclined surface, an uneven surface, etc.

[0041] Here, symbol Wa shown in FIG. 4 indicates a first locking dimension which is a dimension of each of the pair of locking pieces 21 in the first direction D1. Further, symbol Wb indicates a first opening dimension which is a dimension of the opening 50 in the first direction D1. The first locking dimension Wa is the maximum dimension of the locking piece 21 in the first direction D1, and in the present embodiment, as an example, it is defined as the dimension between both ends of the base end of the locking piece 21 in the first direction D1. The first opening dimension Wb is defined as the dimension between both ends of the second opening edge 52 in the first direction D1.

[0042] In the present embodiment, the first opening dimension Wb is larger than the first locking dimension Wa. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the first opening dimension Wb is approximately 1.5 times the first locking dimension Wa. The locking pieces 21 are formed such that both ends thereof in the first direction D1 do not protrude from both ends of the opening 50 in the first direction D1.

[0043] In the present embodiment, a contact portion 60 is provided at a part of the opening 50. The contact portion 60 contacts the pair of locking pieces 21 when the pair of locking pieces 21 are elastically deformed so that the distance therebetween in the second direction D2 increases.

[0044] In the present embodiment, specifically, the contact portion 60 is part or all of the third opening edge 53. In other words, the contact portion 60 is formed by part or all (all in this example) of the third opening edge 53. As described above, the first opening dimension Wb of the opening 50 in the first direction D1 is larger than the first locking dimension Wa of the locking piece 21 in the first direction D1. In this case, the distance between the pair of locking pieces 21 in the second direction D2 increases, and when the locking pieces 21 are about to come into contact with the contact portion 60, the locking pieces 21 can contact the contact portion 60 without being obstructed by the standing portion 30 and the overhanging portion 40.

[0045] It should be noted that the contact portion 60 is formed by a part or all of the third opening edge portion 53, but such an embodiment is not particularly limited. For example, the contact portion 60 may be formed as a separate part from the edge portion of the opening 50. For example, the contact portion 60 may be formed by a raised portion or the like that is provided on the third opening edge portion 53 and is not connected to the second opening edge portion 52. Further, the contact portion 60 may be formed by a portion or the like that is provided on the second opening edge portion 52 and is not connected to the third opening edge portion 53.

[0046] In the present embodiment, in addition to the opening 50, side openings 54 formed on one side or both sides (both sides in this example) of the opening 50 in the first direction D1 are provided. The side opening 54 is also formed so as to straddle the upright portion 30 and the overhanging portion 40. When the skin locking clip 1 is embedded in the pad 104, a part of the pad 104 enters the side opening 54. This improves the fixing strength of the skin locking clip 1 to the pad 104.

[0047] Furthermore, referring to FIGS. 3 to 6, at least one connecting portion 70 that connects the upright portion 30 and the overhanging portion 40 is provided between the upright portion 30 and the overhanging portion 40 so as to straddle the opening 50. The expression "straddling the opening 50" means a state where the connecting portion 70 crosses or connects a part and another part of the edge of the opening 50 while passing through the inner side of the opening 50. In the present embodiment, the connecting portion 70 extends so as to cross the second opening edge portion 52 and the third opening edge portion 53. The number of connecting portions 70 is not particularly limited, but in the present embodiment, as the three connecting portions 70, a central connecting portion 71 and side connecting portions 72 located on both sides of the central connecting portion 71 in the first direction D1 are provided. The central connecting portion 71 and the side connecting portions 72 are spaced apart in the first direction D1, and a gap (a part of the opening 50) is formed between the central connecting portion 71 and the side connecting portions 72.

[0048] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the skin locking clip 1 taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 4. FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view (A) of the skin locking clip 1 taken along line A-A in FIG. 4, a cross-sectional view (B) of the skin locking clip 1 taken along line B-B, and a cross-sectional view (C) of the skin locking clip 1 taken along line C-C.

[0049] Referring to Figures 5 to 8, the central connecting portion 71 and the side connecting portion 72 are connected to the outer surface of the upright portion 30 in the second direction D2 and to the back surface of the protruding portion 40 in the third direction D3. More precisely, in this embodiment, both the central connecting portion 71 and the side connecting portion 72 are connected to a common connecting portion 73 (see Figures 3 and 5) that extends from the back surface of the protruding portion 40 toward the base portion 10, and are connected to the protruding portion 40 via the common connecting portion 73. The outer surface of the upright portion 30 in the second direction D2 is the surface of the upright portion 30 facing away from the center of the skin-locking clip 1 in the second direction D2. The back surface of the protruding portion 40 in the third direction D3 is the surface of the protruding portion 40 facing toward the base portion 10 in the third direction D3.

[0050] Figure 7 shows a cross-section at the point where the central connecting portion 71 and the side connecting portion 72 connect to the outer surface of the upright portion 30 in the second direction D2. Figure 9 shows the cross-sections shown in Figures 8(A) and (B) side by side. As shown in Figures 7, 8(A) and (B), and 9, in this embodiment, in the direction in which the upright portion 30 rises, i.e., the third direction D3, the height Hc of the connection position of the central connecting portion 71 to the upright portion 30 and the height Hs of the connection position of the side connecting portion 72 to the upright portion 30 are different. Specifically, in the direction in which the upright portion 30 rises, the connection position of the central connecting portion 71 to the upright portion 30 is higher than the connection position of the side connecting portion 72 to the upright portion 30.

[0051] At locations other than the connection point with the upright section 30, the central connecting section 71 may be at least partially higher than the side connecting section 72.

[0052] In this embodiment, the central connecting portion 71 and the side connecting portion 72 are connected to the outer surface of the upright portion 30 in the second direction D2 and to the back surface of the protruding portion 40 in the third direction D3 via the common connecting portion 73, but this configuration is not particularly limited. For example, the central connecting portion 71 and the side connecting portion 72 may be connected to the protruding portion 40 without going through the common connecting portion 73. Alternatively, the central connecting portion 71 and the side connecting portion 72 may be directly connected to the edges of the opening 50.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the third opening edge 53 of the opening 50 functions as a contact portion 60, but the connecting portion 70 may also function as a contact portion 60 or as part of a contact portion 60.

[0054] Next, the function of the skin-locking clip 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 10A to 10C.

[0055] Figure 10A shows the surface fastening clip 1 embedded in the pad 104 of the vehicle seat 100. In this embodiment, the surface fastening clip 1 is provided with an overhanging portion 40 extending from an upright portion 30 and an opening 50 spanning the upright portion 30 and the overhanging portion 40. The base portion 10, the upright portion 30, the overhanging portion 40 and the opening 50 are embedded in the pad 104, and a portion of the pad 104 is filled into the opening 50.

[0056] In this case, the pad 104 is fixed to the edges of the upright portion 30, the protruding portion 40, and the opening 50. When force is applied to the surface material locking clip 1 in the direction in which the locking portion 112 of the surface material 105 is inserted or removed (third direction D3), the fixation of the edges of the protruding portion 40 and the opening 50 to the pad 104 acts as resistance to the surface material locking clip 1 detaching from the pad 104. This allows the embedded portions (10, 30, 40, 50) of the surface material locking clip 1 to be firmly fixed to the pad 104. Thus, according to this embodiment, the fixing strength can be increased by structural ingenuity. Therefore, even if the surface material locking clip 1 is miniaturized, the fixing strength is appropriately maintained. Miniaturization of the surface material locking clip 1 leads to weight reduction of the surface material locking clip 1. Weight reduction leads to, for example, improved fuel efficiency of the vehicle.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when force is applied to the skin-locking clip 1, the fixation of the connecting portion 70 spanning the opening 50 to the pad 104 also acts as resistance to the skin-locking clip 1 detaching from the pad 104. This allows the embedded portions (10, 30, 40, 50) of the skin-locking clip 1 to be fixed even more firmly to the pad 104.

[0058] Figure 10A also shows how the locked portion 112 is locked to the locking portion 20. When the locked portion 112 of the surface material 105 is locked to the locking portion 20, the locked portion 112 is inserted between a pair of locking pieces 21 along the third direction D3. At this time, as shown in Figure 10A, the pair of locking pieces 21 deform in a direction away from each other in the second direction D2 by coming into contact with the locked portion 112.

[0059] In this embodiment, the opening 50 has a first opening dimension Wb that is larger than the first locking dimension Wa in the first direction D1, as shown in Figure 4. Therefore, when the part to be locked 112 is inserted into the locking part 20 and locked, the pair of locking pieces 21 open reliably in the second direction D2 without being obstructed by the upright part 30 and the protruding part 40. This stabilizes the insertion force when inserting the part to be locked 112. In other words, if the opening 50 is not formed in Figure 10A, the pair of locking pieces 21 will come into contact with the upper part of the upright part 30, making it difficult to open them sufficiently, and it may become necessary to insert the part to be locked 112 with a strong insertion force. The skin locking clip 1 according to this embodiment can avoid such a situation.

[0060] Then, when the locked portion 112 approaches the base portion 10 more closely than the pair of locking claw portions 23, the pair of locking pieces 21 move closer to each other, restricting the movement of the engaging portion 112b of the locked portion 112 in the third direction D3. As a result, the surface material 105 is attached to the pad 104.

[0061] On the other hand, Figure 10B shows the state before the locking operation in Figure 10A, but specifically, it shows the state during roller crushing, and illustrates the deformation of the locking portion 20 during roller crushing. In Figure 10B, the pair of locking pieces 21 of the locking portion 20 are greatly deformed in a direction away from each other by the pad 104 pressed by the roller, and the locking pieces 21 are in contact with the contact portion 60. In this case, in this embodiment, the load transmitted from the locking pieces 21 to the contact portion 60 is supported over a wide area of ​​the opening 50 via the contact portion 60, so that excessive deformation of the locking pieces 21 can be reliably suppressed and damage due to plastic deformation can be avoided.

[0062] Figure 10C shows the state before the roller crushing shown in Figure 10B, and specifically illustrates the flow of the foamed resin before hardening when embedding the surface-locking clip 1 into the vehicle seat 100 in the pad 104. The surface-locking clip 1 is partially covered by the foamed resin before hardening, and is embedded in the pad 104 as the foamed resin hardens.

[0063] In this embodiment, the height Hc of the connection position of the central connecting portion 71 to the upright portion 30 and the height Hs of the connection position of the side connecting portion 72 to the upright portion 30 may be different in the direction in which the upright portion 30 rises, i.e., the third direction D3. Specifically, in the direction in which the upright portion 30 rises, the connection position of the central connecting portion 71 to the upright portion 30 may be higher than the connection position of the side connecting portion 72 to the upright portion 30. At the connection position or at other positions, in the direction in which the upright portion 30 rises, the height of the central connecting portion 71 and the height of the side connecting portion 72 may be at least partially different. Specifically, the central connecting portion 71 may be at least partially higher than the side connecting portion 72.

[0064] In this case, the uncured foamed resin attempting to flow into the opening 50 first interferes with the central connecting portion 71, as shown by arrow α in Figure 10C, and then branches out from the central connecting portion 71 to flow to both sides. This flow pattern of the foamed resin prevents the foamed resin from concentrating in one area, thereby suppressing the formation of air pockets that could occur due to concentrated flow. As a result, the adhesion strength of the surface locking clip 1 to the pad 104 can be improved.

[0065] The following describes some modifications. Figure 11 is a perspective view of one modification of the skin-locking clip 1 described above. Figure 12(A) is a cross-sectional view of the skin-locking clip according to one modification along the line XII-XII in Figure 11, and (B) is a cross-sectional view of the skin-locking clip according to one modification along the line XIIb-XIIb in Figure 12(A). Components in the modifications that are the same as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0066] In this modified example, the connecting portion 70 is not provided, as shown in Figures 11 and 12. In this case, the cross-sectional shape of the upright portion 30 and the protruding portion 40 between both ends in the first direction D1 of the opening 50 of the skin-locking clip is constant as shown in Figure 12(B). The same effects as in the above-described embodiment can be obtained even in this modified example.

[0067] The embodiments described above are merely examples of how the present invention can be implemented, and it is possible to carry out the present invention in various other forms. For example, various modifications, substitutions, omissions, or combinations thereof are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Such modified, substituted, or omission forms are also included within the scope of the present invention, as well as within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as described in the claims.

[0068] 1...Clip for securing the surface 10...Base 10a...Front surface 10b...Back surface 20...Securing part 21...Securing piece 22...Extended part 23...Securing claw part 30...Upright part 40...Protruding part 50...Opening 51...First opening edge 52...Second opening edge 53...Third opening edge 54...Side opening 60...Contact part 70...Connecting part 71...Central connecting part 72...Side connecting part 73...Common connecting part 100...Vehicle seat 101...Seat cushion 102...Seat back 103...Headrest 104...Pad 105...Surface material 106...Groove 107...Hanging part 110...Main body part 111...Surface connecting part 112...Secured part 112a...Connecting part 112b...Hooking part

Claims

1. A surface locking clip partially embedded in a pad made of foamed resin, for locking a locking portion of a surface material covering the pad, comprising: a base embedded in the pad, having a surface extending in a planar direction including a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a back surface located opposite to the surface; a locking portion rising from the surface of the base and including a pair of locking pieces facing each other in the second direction; an upright portion located outside the pair of locking pieces in the second direction and rising from the surface of the base; and an overhang extending outward from the tip of the upright portion in a direction including the component of the second direction, wherein the upright portion and the overhang portion have openings that span the upright portion and the overhang portion, the pair of locking pieces have a first locking dimension in the first direction, and the opening has a first opening dimension that is larger than the first locking dimension in the first direction. A clip for securing skin, wherein a contact portion is provided in a part of the opening, which contacts the locking pieces when the pair of locking pieces are elastically deformed so that the distance between the pair of locking pieces in the second direction widens.

2. The skin locking clip according to claim 1, wherein the opening includes a third opening edge which is the boundary between the opening and the upright portion in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, and the contact portion is the third opening edge.

3. The skin locking clip according to claim 1, wherein the opening includes a third opening edge which is the boundary between the opening and the upright portion in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, and the contact portion is provided on the third opening edge.

4. A vehicle seat comprising a pad made of foamed resin and a surface-locking clip according to claim 1, partially embedded in the pad.

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