Chairs and seats – Bottom or back – Cushioned
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-18
2001-11-13
Nelson, Jr., Milton (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Bottom or back
Cushioned
Reexamination Certificate
active
06315364
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELDS
The present invention relates to a cushioning member having a net-shaped skin that has excellent air permeability and can be employed in a seat, bed or the like, and also relates to a seat employing such a cushioning member.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventional automotive seats generally include spring members such as coil springs, S-shaped springs, or formed wire springs mounted on a seat frame, a pad material such as a foamed material, rocking material, or cotton placed thereon, and a skin such as a vinyl leather, woven cloth, or leather covered thereon.
In order to enhance the elasticity or shock-absorbing properties, those in which a viscoelastic material is embedded in the pad material have been proposed.
Furthermore, when a user keeps sitting on a seat for many hours, those portions of the user that are held in contact with a seat cushion and a seat back become moist with sweat and, hence, an unpleasant feeling increases. To overcome this problem, seats having enhanced air permeability by forcibly feeding air from the inside of the seat cushion and the seat back have also been proposed.
On the other hand, seats or beds other than the automotive seats generally include a pad material placed on the frame and covered with a skin, and some of them also include spring members for enhancing the cushioning characteristics.
Although the spring members or the pad material acts to provide desired cushioning characteristics, some of the conventional seats or beds referred to above cannot eliminate a bottom-end shock, and such seats or beds are mostly heavy and costly.
In motorcycles having a viscoelastic material embedded in the pad material, if gasoline that has leaked out during refueling or water such as rainwater is splashed thereon and is brought into contact with the viscoelastic material, it sometimes changes the nature thereof. In the automotive seats, there is a possibility of fogging in which volatile components contained in the viscoelastic material fog window panes.
Although the seats in which air is forcibly fed from the inside of the seat cushion and the seat back have excellent air permeability, they are costly because they require a device for forcibly feeding air or an air passage formed in the pad material.
The present invention has been developed to overcome the above-described disadvantages. It is accordingly an objective of the present invention to provide a relatively light all-weather cushioning member or seat having a net-shaped skin that has excellent air permeability and heat dissipating characteristics while maintaining desired cushioning characteristics and eliminating a bottom-end shock.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In accomplishing the above objectives, a cushioning member having a net-shaped skin according to the present invention comprises a frame and a net-shaped skin tensioned over the frame, said net-shaped skin comprising an upper mesh layer, a lower mesh layer, and a pile layer having a large number of piles that connect the upper and lower mesh layers, each of the piles being made of a single string.
It is preferred that each of the frame and the net-shaped skin is made of a thermoplastic resin, and both of them are joined together by vibration welding.
Alternatively, the frame is made of a metal, while the net-shaped skin is Made of a thermoplastic resin, wherein after the net-shaped skin has been joined to at least one holding member made of a thermoplastic resin, the holding member is secured to the frame.
Again alternatively, after the net-shaped skin has been secured at a periphery thereof to a holding member by a string, the holding member is secured to the frame.
It is also possible to form a resinous frame at a periphery of the net-shaped skin by insert molding and to secure the resinous frame to the frame.
A seat having a net-shaped skin according to the present invention is characterized in that at least one of a seat cushion, a seat back, and a head rest includes a frame and a net-shaped skin tensioned over the frame, wherein the net-shaped skin includes an upper mesh layer, a lower mesh layer, and a pile layer having a large number of piles that connect the upper and lower mesh layers, each of the piles being made of a single string.
Furthermore, a cushioning member having a net-shaped skin according to the present invention is characterized in that the net-shaped skin is of a three-layered structure including an upper mesh layer, a lower mesh layer, and a pile layer having a large number of piles that connect the upper and lower mesh layers, each of the piles being made of a single string, the pile layer presenting a cross texture as viewed in a predetermined direction.
This cushioning member has non-linear static load-deflection characteristics and also has at least three spring constants in a normal use region, a region smaller in load than the normal use region, and a region greater in load than the normal use region, wherein the spring constant in the normal use region is set to the smallest one.
Preferably, rigid members or elastic members are disposed at predetermined intervals in at least one direction, thereby increasing a surface rigidity or elasticity of the upper mesh layer.
Also, engageable members may be mounted on a periphery of the net-shaped skin by sewing and vibration welding, wherein the engageable members are mounted on a portion of a seat.
Alternatively, the engageable members are mounted on a periphery of the lower mesh layer, wherein the engageable members are mounted on a portion of a seat under the condition in which the pile layer is not compressed.
The engageable members may be mounted on the periphery of the lower mesh layer by extrusion molding.
A seat according to the present invention is also characterized by a plurality of net-shaped skins laminated one upon another, wherein each of the net-shaped skins is of a three-layered structure including an upper mesh layer, a lower mesh layer, and a pile layer having a large number of piles that connect the upper and lower mesh layers, each of the piles being made of a single string, the pile layer presenting a cross texture as viewed in a predetermined direction.
A plurality of rolled net-shaped skins may be arranged in a side-by-side fashion in place of the plurality of laminated net-shaped skins.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5013089 (1991-05-01), Abu-Isa et al.
patent: 5378040 (1995-01-01), Chaney et al.
patent: 5393126 (1995-02-01), Boulva
patent: 5533789 (1996-07-01), McLarty, III et al.
patent: 58-144467 (1983-09-01), None
patent: 60-31864 (1985-03-01), None
patent: 64-39052 (1989-03-01), None
patent: 1-158761 (1989-11-01), None
patent: 6-77699 (1994-11-01), None
patent: 3017352 (1995-08-01), None
patent: 9-70339 (1997-03-01), None
Chizuka Kazuyoshi
Fujita Etsunori
Kojima Shigeyuki
Koyama Eiichi
Nagae Yoshiaki
Delta Tooling Co., Ltd.
Jr. Milton Nelson
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
LandOfFree
Cushion and seat each having net-like skin does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Cushion and seat each having net-like skin, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Cushion and seat each having net-like skin will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2593312