GB2192333A

GB2192333A - Seats

Info

Publication number: GB2192333A
Application number: GB08615070A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gideon Lyons
Original assignee: Youngflex AG
Current assignee: L&P Swiss Holding GmbH
Priority date: 1986-06-20
Filing date: 1986-06-20
Publication date: 1988-01-13
Also published as: GB2192333B; GB8615070D0

Abstract

In a seat structure comprising a wire grid (2) having transverse wires (3) connected to side cords (4), the transverse wires (3) are downwardly angled at the point of connection with the side cords (4) and extended portions (3A) of the transverse wires (3) thus serve to support a synthetic foam cushioning material (7) whilst defining a cavity between themselves and the seat frame. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in seats This invention relates to the construction of Vehicular and Domestic Seating and in particular to a construction of the kind using flexible spring steel wire suspension systems.

It is a known technique to use spring steel wire grids or mats with integral side wing support structures mounted upon or suspended by helical coil springs. Such systems may also either be encapsulated within flexible foam mouldings or separately and subsequently overlaid by cut block or flexible foam mouldings to provide the required support and flexibility.

Commonly, in such designs or constructions use is made of winged side portions of the grids or mats to give additional side support to an occupant in either cushion or backrest in a lateral plane, for example when subjected to inertial forces applied through the motion of a vehicle in cornering or similar manouvres.

An example of such a known arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 1, in which the reference numeral 1 indicates a seat frame or base, for example of sheet metal construction, 2 indicates the known wire grid or mat having transverse spring wires 3 connected to side cords or paper wrapped wires 4 and then extending upwardly at 3A to join lateral edge or wing wires 5. The grid 2 is suspended from the frame 1 by tension springs 6 and encapsulated in or overlaid by synthetic foam cushioning material 7.

Whilst such a system has proved satisfactory to meet past requirements, the current trend in vehicle design is such that an optimum utilisation of available space is demanded. Particularly in the case of automobile rear seats, there is often very little space available to accommodate the seat cushioning between the underfloor body panel of the vehicle and the passenger seating position specified by the designer of the vehicle. Also, in the case of front seats, the requirement is for economy of material and space-saving design, with a view to providing foot space for rear seat passengers.

There is therefore a need for a seat construction providing an improved economy of space and/or materials, and it is an object of the present invention to achieve this end.

The invention accordingly provides a seat structure including a wire grid or mat comprising a plurality of transversely extending spring wires coupled between two generally parallel side wires or cords and then extending beyond at least one of said side wires or cords, at an angle thereto, to terminate in connection with a further side, or wing, wire or cord, whereby the intermediate portions of said transverse wires extending between the side wires or cords, on the one hand, and the outer portions of the said transverse cords extending between the or each side wire and edge or wing wire, on the other hand, form relatively angled portions of the grid or mat that are capable of being flexed relatively to one another, characterised in that the said wire grid or mat is so located with reference to a seat frame or anchorage that the or each outer angled wing portion of the grid or mat extends away from a main portion of the grid or mat in a direction towards the seat frame or anchorage and is coupled at its edge directly to the latter, at least the main portion of said grid or mat being overlaid with or encapsulated in a synthetic foam cushioning material, and the arrangement being such that the relatively angled portions of the grid or mat define a cavity between the seat frame or anchorage and the body of foam cushioning material.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a fragmented perspective view of a known seat structure as already referred to above.

Figure 2 is a fragmented perspective view of a known seat structure in accordance with the invention.

Figure 3 is a front sectional elevation of the base of the seat structure shown in Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 is a sectional side eievation of the base of the seat structure shown in Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 illustrating a modification of the arrangement of the arrangement of Figs. 4 and 5, and Figure 7 is a view corresponding to Fig. 6 of another arrangement.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the reference numerals shown in the drawings illustrate components generally similar to those of the Fig. 1, which will not therefore be itemised in detail, only the different arrangement of the components being referred to.

It will be seen that in comparison with the known arrangement of Fig. 1 the wire grid or mat 2 is of somewhat different configuration, the side wires or cords 4 and the wing wires or cords 5 being rectilinear and substantially parallel to one another, and the intermediate portion 3 and the wing portions 3A being approximately at right angles.

The wing portions 3A extend downwardly below the plane of the intermediate portion 3 and are anchored directly to the seat frame 1, for example by means of turned over lugs 8 which anchor the wing wires 5 to the side rails of the seat frame 1. The intermediate portion 3 of the grid is angled to provide laterally sloping portions 9 adjacent the side wires or cords 4, as illustrated more clearly in Fig. 3.

Also, as shown in Fig. 3, lateral and/or longitudinal stability for the angled mat or grid 2 is provided by one or more wire links or struts 10 extending between a wing wire 5 and the oppositely disposed side wire 4, in the manner of a Panhard rod.

It will be seen that the arrangement of Figs. 2 and 3 provides a substantial economy in relation to that of Fig. 1, the construction of the wire grid or mat 3 enabling a high level flexible suspension platform to be used with a low level seat base of simpler construction and eliminating the requirement for tension springs. The inherent flexibility of the wire mat 2 provides the whole of the flexural requirement. The cavity provided by the relatively angled portions ooze grid or mat 2 also enables a saving in foam cushioning material, as well as enabling foot space to be provided for rear seat occupants.

Afurther embodiment ofthe invention is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, wherein corresponding reference numerals again indicate the same components as previous figures. It will be noted that in comparison with Figs. 2 and 3 the orientation of the grid or mat 2 is turned through a right angle so that the trapezium shaped box structure provided by the grid or mat extends transversely for the extent of a bench seat as provided in the rear of a vehicle, as compared with the front to rear orientation as utilised for the individual seat structure of Figs. 2 and 3.The wings provided by the wires 3A also extend at an acute angle relatively to the main portion of the grid or mat, enabling a shallower construction of seat cushion to be adopted in cases where there is a minimum of space between the seat cushion and the floor pan of the vehicle as indicated at 11 in Fig. 5 The side cords 4 are linked to form a continuous boundary for the main portion of the mat 2.

Figure 6 shows an arrangement similar to that of Fig. 5, with the angled wing portions of the mat 2 being of different proportions to provide an asymmetrical construction.

Referring to Fig. 7, there is shown a modified arrangement, wherein the grid or mat 2 comprises only one angled wing portion, the side wire or cord 4 on the opposite side of the mat or grid being coupled directly to the seat base 1. In this arrangement the wire mat or grid 2 provides spring suspension only for the rear portion of the seat cushion, the frontal region of the foam cushioning material indicated at 7A being supported directly on the seat base, which may be provided directly by the sheet steel floor pan of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A seat structure including a wire grid or mat comprising a plurality of transversely extending spring wires coupled between two generally parallel side wires or cords and then extending beyond at least one of said side wires or cords, at an angle thereto, to terminate in connection with a further side, or wing, wl re or cord, whereby the intermediate portions of said transverse wires extending between the side wires or cords, on the one hand, and the outer portions of the said transverse cords extending between the or each side wire and edge or wing wire, on the other hand, form relatively angled portions of the grid or mat that are capable of being flexed relatively to one another, characterised in that the said wire grid or mat is so located with reference to a seat frame or anchorage that the or each outer angled wing portion of the grid or mat extends away from a main portion of the grid or mat in a direction towards the seat frame or anchorage and is coupled at its edge directly to the latter, at least the main portion of said grid of mat being overlaid with or encapsulated in a synthetic foam cushioning material, and the arrangement being such that the relatively angled portions of the grid or mat define a cavity between the seat frame or anchorage and the body of foam cushioning material.

2. A seat structure as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that said grid or mat comprises three relatively angled portions defined by said transverse wires, the two angled wing portions being coupled at their edges to the seat frame whereby the seat frame and the angled portions of the grid or mat define, in a plane at right angles to the respective planes of the said portions of the grid or mat, a generally parrallelogram or trapezium shaped linkage.

3. A seat structure as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that one or more bracing wires are coupled across at least one diagonal of said parallelogram or trapezium linkage in order to provide lateral and/or'longitudinal stability.

4. A seat structure as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 characterised in that the main portion of said mat extending between said side wires or cords is angled in at least two planes, in orderto provide for springing of the supporting surface provided thereby, by relative deflection of the angled portions.

5. A seat structure substantially as described herein with reference to Figs. 2 and 3, Figs. 4 and 5, Figs. 4 and 6 or Figs. 4 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.