Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Assembling or joining
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-10
2001-10-23
Bryant, David P. (Department: 3226)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Assembling or joining
C029S434000, C029S464000, C029S281500, C029S091100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305064
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a reclining seat and a manufacture thereof. In particular, the present invention relates to a jig usable for assembling the reclining seat in an automatic line production system and a method for manufacturing the reclining seat by use of such a jig. Also, the present invention relates to a reclining seat that can be assembled in an automatic line production system.
BACKGROUND OF THE ART
A seat of an automobile or a chair of an office (such a seat or chair is hereinafter simply written as a seat) is composed of a variety of components such as frames, cushion pads, and pad covers. In particular, a seat of an automobile further includes means for sliding the seat backward and forward to adjust its position, means for adjusting a tilt angle of a seat back of the seat and plastic parts for covering metallic parts to make look better.
For manufacturing a seat in a full automatic line production system, it is necessary to place and fix each component of the seat at a predetermined position. However, as described above, since a variety of relatively soft materials such as cushioning materials and plastic materials are used and those materials are easily deformed, it is difficult to place the components on a predetermined position. Thus, many hands are required for most of a seat assembling process, and as a matter of course, the cost is disadvantageously increased.
In addition, since positions for connecting each component are located at a variety of positions, a worker must do the connecting work with a forced posture, and thus, this matter makes the working conditions worse.
Moreover, there are seats having a variety of mechanical functions in accordance with its use. For example, its seat back can be tilted and its tilt angle can be adjusted, and the seat itself can be slid backward and forward to adjust its position. However, seats having such mechanical functions make much worse the problems described above.
Furthermore, the seat manufacturing process can be simplified and the number of the manufacturing steps can be reduced by use of common parts usable for a variety of seats and use of a jig when manufacturing the seat. However, even though all seat structures are identical and common parts usable for the seats are used, brackets for mounting the seat on a floor are not used as common parts if the seat is mounted on a different floor structure. In this case, it is required to provide a variety of jigs.
Therefore, the present invention is made in order to solve those problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a seat and a method for manufacturing the seat in which the seat can be easily assembled.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a seat and a method for manufacturing the seat in which the seat can be easily assembled even though a cushion pad and the like which makes difficult the assembling work is attached to parts or members of the seat.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a jig in which a seat can be easily assembled by use of the jig.
The other object of the present invention is to provide a jig in which the jig can be commonly used for a variety of seats.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A seat according to the present invention is a reclining seat having a U-shaped back frame of a seat back of the seat and a base frame for supporting the seat. Means for connecting the base frame to the back frame are provided in the base frame, and both end portions of the U-shaped back frame are connected to the connecting means of the base frame so as to pivotally rotate the back frame with respect to the base frame. At least one of the connecting means of the base frame has a rotating member provided for adjusting and fixing a tilt angle of the back frame. Thus, since the end portion of the back frame is connected to the connecting means of the base frame through the rotating member, the tilt angle of the seat back can be adjusted and fixed. The rotating member has a shape corresponding to a circumference of the end portion of the back frame and has means for temporarily attaching the back frame to the base frame. The temporarily attaching means have a hook for temporarily attaching the back frame to the base frame. The circumference of the end portion has an entrance for entering and receiving the hook.
If the end portion of the back frame is connected to the connecting means of the base frame, the hook of the base frame is then received in the entrance of the back frame so as to temporarily attach the back frame to the base frame.
Both connecting means of the base frame may be provided with such rotating members.
It is desirable that the entrance is provided by cutting a part of a flange provided along the circumference of the end portion to be connected to the rotating member. In addition, it is desirable that the temporarily attaching means are provided as one body with the rotating member.
A jig according to the present invention used for assembling a seat having a U-shaped back frame of its seat back, a bottom frame of its seat bottom and a base frame having brackets for mounting the seat on a floor consists of a plate having means for holding the base frame. If the base frame is held on the frame holding means, there is a distance between the plate and the base frame. An opening is provided in the plate and a position of the opening is matched to a connecting position of the bottom frame and the base frame so as to lift means for connecting those frames upward to the connecting position through the opening.
It is desirable that a hole for positioning the bottom frame to the base frame is provided in the bottom frame and a projection corresponding to the hole is provided on the plate of the jig.
The seat according to the present invention having the bottom frame of the seat bottom is assembled by use of the jig according to the present invention. A method for assembling the seat according to the present invention comprises the following steps. As a first step, the base frame is held on the frame holding means of the jig. The jig can be slid on a free flow conveyer type jig-transferring rail. As a second step, the hook of the rotating member of the base frame is entered and received in the entrance provided in the end portion of the back frame so as to temporarily attach the back frame to the base frame and to position the end portion of the back frame to the connecting means of the base frame. Then, those frames are transferred together with the jig to a position at which first frame connecting means are disposed, by sliding the jig on the transferring rail. As a third step, the first frame connecting means are approached to the connecting means of the base frame and the end portion of the back frame positioned to the connecting means, and those frames are connected by use of the first frame connecting means. Then, the back frame and the base frame are transferred together with the jig by sliding the jig on the transferring rail. As a fourth step, the bottom frame to which a cushion pad has been attached is positioned on the base frame, and the back frame, the base frame and the bottom frame are transferred together with the jig to a position at which second frame connecting means are disposed. The second frame connecting means are lifted upward through the opening of the jig so as to approach the second frame connecting means to a connecting position of the bottom frame and the base frame. Then, the bottom frame is connected to the base frame by use of the second frame connecting means.
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Fukuda Makoto
Wakimoto Kunihisa
Watadani Takeshi
Yamamoto Noritaka
Bryant David P.
Cozart Jermie E.
Namba Press Works, Ltd.
Renner Kenner Greive Bobak Taylor & Weber
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