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EP-4741226-A1 - A VEHICLE SEAT BACK COVER AND A REAR SEAT BACK ASSEMBLY

EP4741226A1EP 4741226 A1EP4741226 A1EP 4741226A1EP-4741226-A1

Abstract

A seat back cover (13) of a seat back assembly (11) of a vehicle seat comprises a "U"-shaped retaining channel (22) extending along the perimeter of the rear surface of the seat back cover (13), securing the outer edge of the upholstery material (12) press-fitted into the hollow groove defined by the retaining channel (22). The retaining channel (22) comprises a first part (221) extending inwards toward a seat back cushion (21) along a Y -axis cross section of the vehicle from a side surface of the cushion (21), and a second part (222) of the retaining channel (22) extending parallel to the outer surface of the cushion (21) in the vehicle's forward direction along a longitudinal X-axis of the vehicle.

Inventors

  • MORENO BARBETA, Alfons
  • FERNANDEZ PADILLA, Miguel Angel

Assignees

  • Seat, S.A.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20251104

Claims (13)

  1. A vehicle seat back cover, wherein the seat back cover (13) is attachable to a vehicle seat structure, covering the rear surface and, at least partially, the side surfaces of a seat back assembly (11), wherein said seat back cover (13) comprises two side surfaces joined by a connecting surface and a retaining channel (22) having a " U "-shaped cross-section and set to press-fit the outer peripheral edge of the upholstery material (12) of the seat back assembly (11) which may be inserted into the bottom of the " U "-shaped retaining channel (22), characterized in that the " U "-shaped retaining channel (22) extends, at least partially, along the outer peripheral edge of the side surfaces and the upper section of the connecting surface of the seat back cover (13).
  2. The seat back cover according to Claim 1, wherein the retaining channel (22) comprises a first part (221) arranged along each of the side surfaces of the seat back cover (13), wherein both ends of the " U "-shaped geometry of the retaining channel (22) are aligned with their respective side surface of the seat back cover (13), the bottom of said first " U "-shaped portion (221) extending inwards toward the side of the seat back cushion (21) along a Y -axis cross section of the vehicle.
  3. The seat back cover according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the retaining channel (22) comprises a second part (222) arranged along the upper section of the connecting surface of the seat back cover (13), wherein both ends of the " U "-shaped geometry of the retaining channel (22) are aligned with the rear surface of the seat back cover (13), the bottom of said second " U "-shaped part (222) extending inwards toward the upper section of the seat back cushion (21) along a longitudinal X -axis of the vehicle.
  4. The seat back cover according to Claims 2 and 3, wherein the retaining channel (22) comprises a transition part (223) arranged between the second part (222) and each of the two first parts (221), the retaining channel (22) adopting a helical shape when transitioning from the orientation along the Y -axis of the first part (221) of the retaining channel (22) to the orientation along the X -axis of the second part (222) of the retaining channel (22), forming a single continuous channel connecting both first parts (221) with said second part (222) through both transition parts (223).
  5. The seat back cover according to Claim 4, wherein each transition part (223) of the retaining channel (22) connects the upper end of a respective first part (221) with the lower end of the second part (222), which is located in the lower area of the headrest of the seat back cushion (21), which close to the shoulder of a vehicle seat occupant.
  6. The seat back cover according to Claim 5, wherein the transition part (223) is adapted to facilitate assembly and/or disassembly of the upholstery material (12) of the seat back cushion (21) of the vehicle seat.
  7. The seat back cover according to Claim 3, wherein the second part (222) of the retaining channel (22) oriented along the X -axis coincides with the demolding direction of the seat back cover (13).
  8. The seat back cover according to Claim 7, wherein the second part (222) of the retaining channel (22) along the X -axis corresponds to the upper side of the headrest of the seat back cushion (21) of the vehicle seat.
  9. The seat back cover according to Claim 2, wherein the first part (221) of the retaining channel (22) along the Y -axis corresponds to the lateral side of the seat back cushion (21) of the vehicle seat.
  10. The seat back cover according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bottom of the retaining channel (22) has a suitable depth to press-fit the edge of the upholstery material (12) along the length of said retaining channel (22).
  11. The seat back cover according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the retaining channel (22) is integrally formed or molded into the seat back cover (13), forming a single body.
  12. A rear vehicle seat back assembly, comprising: - a seat back cushion support structure (21) adapted to be attached to the vehicle seat frame, - a seat foam adapted to cover the seat back cushion support structure (21), - upholstery material (12), and - a seat back cover (13) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the " U "-shaped retaining channel (22) is set to press-fit the outer peripheral edge of the upholstery material (12), such that the seat back cover (13) and the upholstery material (12) externally cover the seat back assembly (11) of the vehicle seat.
  13. The rear seat back assembly according to Claim 12, comprising an airbag cover (15) arranged on at least one of the side surfaces of the seat back cover (13), covering an outlet opening for an airbag (23), wherein said airbag cover (15) is set to pivot in relation to the seat back cover (13) upon expansion of the airbag (23), which pushes said airbag cover (15) and slides along the outer side surface of the seat back cover (13) and over the upholstery material (12), whose outer peripheral edge is press-fitted within the retaining channel (22).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This document generally refers to a motor vehicle seat and, more specifically, to a modular motor vehicle seat back assembly comprising a back cover partially covering said seat back. BACKGROUND In general, vehicle seats are expensive and time-consuming to design and develop. All seat components depend on the base structure design of each seat type, which includes different built-in adjustment and comfort features. This creates design limitations and requires complex technical solutions that restrict the flexibility and creativity of the seat design and its upholstery process. When the seat trim parts are installed, these are attached to the seat frame along with a cushion foam. The cushion foam is upholstered with an upholstery material that is secured around the cushion foam. Seat assembly processes are complex and time-consuming, some of them being manual, especially when the different built-in adjustment and comfort features of each seat type shall also be considered. This is the case even when the cushion foam and upholstery are pre-assembled outside the vehicle as an essentially modular unit. Seat back covers for vehicle seats that comprise the features included in the preamble of Claim 1 are known. Such is the case, for example, as described in patent document US 20130119730 A1, in which the seat back cover comprises a retaining channel that extends, at least partially, along the perimeter of the seat back cover. The retaining channel has a "U"-shaped cross section and is set to retain the upholstery material of a vehicle seat back assembly, the edge of which may be inserted into the "U"-shaped retaining channel. The retaining channel described in said patent document is arranged on the rear surface of the seat back cover. In the event that a side airbag system is built into said seat back, the location and geometry of said retaining channel require that the airbag expansion channel be generated through the upholstery material, for example, by breaking a weakened area of said upholstery material. Repairing the seat back after an airbag deployment requires the replacement of the textile material, among other components. Therefore, it is necessary to provide an alternative to the prior art that addresses the identified shortcomings by providing a seat back cover, a cushion foam, and upholstery that may be assembled and installed easily and in reduced assembly time in a vehicle, both for original equipment manufacturing and for vehicle maintenance applications. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the first aspect of the invention, the solution refers to a vehicle seat back cover. The seat back cover is attachable to a vehicle seat structure, covering the rear surface and, at least partially, the side surfaces of a seat back assembly. Said seat back cover comprises two side surfaces joined by a connecting surface and a retaining channel. The retaining channel has an "U"-shaped cross section and is set to press-fit the outer peripheral edge of upholstery material of the seat back assembly, which may be inserted into the bottom of the "U"-shaped retaining channel. In this invention, "seat back cover" refers to the component, generally made of plastic and a single block, covering the rear surface and, partially, the side surfaces of the seat. It is especially used in bucket-type seats, in which the backrest integrates the headrest into the same body. Unlike other current solutions in which the retaining channel is arranged on the rear surface, the "U"-shaped retaining channel, according to this invention, extends along the outer peripheral edge of the side surfaces and the upper section of the connecting surface of the seat back cover. That is to say, the lower area of the backrest may not require a retaining channel and may lack one, as the outer peripheral edge of the upholstery material may be secured to a surface not visible to the user, for example, an internal surface. Alternatively, the "U"-shaped retaining channel may also extend along the lower section of the connecting surface of the seat back cover. Preferably, the extension of the channel along the outer peripheral edge of the side surfaces and the upper section is continuous, from a lower end of the peripheral edge of the left-side surface to a lower end of the peripheral edge of the right-side surface. Alternatively, it may be a partial extension, not continuously covering these sections. The modified arrangement of the retaining channel compared to previous solutions allows for improved assembly and maintenance of the vehicle seat, for example, after the deployment of an airbag installed in said seat. In other words, the arrangement, according to this invention, avoids, among other actions, the need to provide an airbag expansion channel through the upholstery material, which would require its replacement in the event of airbag activation. The airbag expansion channel may instead be provided through the side surface of the seat back c