# US 12,179,648 B2 · Passenger-seat-cushion-member manufacturing method, passenger-seat cushion member, filling-body manufacturing method, and filling body

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- Number: US 12,179,648 B2
- Document ID: US12179648B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/594,309
- Filed: 2020-02-17
- Published: 2022-05-19
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2019-04-12
- Assignees: Archem Inc.
- Applicants: Archem Inc.
- Inventors: Taichi Itabashi; Nobuyuki Azakami; Yukiko Yamaguchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12179648B2

## CPC

- B60N 2/7017: {characterised by the manufacturing process; manufacturing upholstery or upholstery springs not otherwise provided for}
- B29C 64/118: using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
- B29C 64/135: the energy source being concentrated, e.g. scanning lasers or focused light sources
- B29D 99/0092: {Producing upholstery articles, e.g. cushions, seats (B29C63/025 takes precedence)}
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 50/00: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
- B33Y 70/00: Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
- B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing
- B29K 2105/04: cellular or porous
- B29L 2031/771: {Seats}
- B60N: SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00)
- B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING
- B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES

## Abstract

A passenger-seat-cushion-member manufacturing method including a step of shaping the porous structural body by using a 3D printer; and a step of coupling the filling body side coupling part including the shaped porous structural body to the seat body side coupling part, to fill the seat body with the filling body.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A passenger-seat-cushion-member manufacturing method of manufacturing a passenger-seat cushion member comprising a seat body, and a filling body that fills a hole part formed at the seat body,
the seat body including a seat body side coupling part including mechanical coupling means that couples to the filling body,
the filling body including a body part including a porous structural body made of flexible resin or rubber, and a filling body side coupling part disposed adjacent to the body part and including mechanical coupling means that couples to the seat body side coupling part, at least part of the filling body side coupling part including the porous structural body,
a density of an outer edge part including the porous structural body in the filling body side coupling part being higher than a density of the body part, where the density is a mass per unit volume in the porous structural body,
the manufacturing method comprising:
a step of shaping the porous structural body by using a 3D printer; and
a step of coupling the filling body side coupling part including the shaped porous structural body to the seat body side coupling part, to fill the seat body with the filling body.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The passenger-seat-cushion-member manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein
the mechanical coupling means in the seat body side coupling part is a hook-and-loop fastener disposed on an outer surface of the seat body, and
the mechanical coupling means in the filling body side coupling part is a hook-and-loop fastener disposed on an outer side of the body part.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The passenger-seat-cushion-member manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein
the mechanical coupling means in the seat body side coupling part is a concave part formed in the seat body,
the mechanical coupling means in the filling body side coupling part is a convex part formed to protrude from the body part, and
the concave part and the convex part are formed in shapes that are wedge-fittable with each other.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The passenger-seat-cushion-member manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein
the porous structural body includes a skeleton part that zones a plurality of cell holes, and
a top skin part is formed on at least part of an outer side of the skeleton part and integrated with the skeleton part to block at least some of the plurality of cell holes, at least part of an outer side of the top skin part being a surface.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The passenger-seat-cushion-member manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein at least part of the surface of the top skin part is a curved surface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The passenger-seat-cushion-member manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein
the porous structural body comprises a first porous structural body, and a second porous structural body integrated with the first porous structural body, and
the second porous structural body protrudes beyond the first porous structural body in a direction intersecting with a seating direction when a seated person sits on the passenger-seat cushion member.

### Claim 7

A passenger-seat cushion member comprising a seat body, and a filling body that fills a hole part formed at the seat body, wherein
the seat body includes a seat body side coupling part including mechanical coupling means that couples to the filling body,
the filling body includes a body part including a porous structural body made of flexible resin or rubber, and a filling body side coupling part disposed adjacent to the body part and including mechanical coupling means that couples to the seat body side coupling part, at least part of the filling body side coupling part including the porous structural body,
a density of an outer edge part including the porous structural body in the filling body side coupling part is higher than a density of the body part, where the density is a mass per unit volume in the porous structural body,
the filling body side coupling part is coupled to the seat body side coupling part, and
the porous structural body is shaped by using a 3D printer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The passenger-seat cushion member according to claim 7, wherein
the porous structural body comprises a skeleton part,
the skeleton part includes:
a plurality of bone parts, and
a plurality of connection parts each connecting end parts of the plurality of bone parts to each other, and
the bone parts have a circular or polygonal cross-sectional shape.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The passenger-seat cushion member according to claim 7, wherein
the porous structural body comprises a skeleton part,
the skeleton part includes:
a plurality of bone parts, and
a plurality of connection parts each connecting end parts of the plurality of bone parts to each other, and
each of the bone parts includes, in at least part of the bone part, a bone constant part extending while keeping a cross-sectional area constant, and
a ratio A0/A1 of a cross-sectional area A0 of the bone constant part relative to a cross-sectional area A1 of an edge of the bone part on any one side satisfies:
0.15
≤
A
⁢
0
/
A
⁢
1
≤
2
.
0
.

### Claim 10

A method of manufacturing a filling body that fills a hole part formed at a seat body in a passenger-seat cushion member comprising the seat body and the filling body,
the filling body including a body part including a porous structural body made of flexible resin or rubber, and a filling body side coupling part disposed adjacent to the body part and including mechanical coupling means that couples to the seat body, at least part of the filling body side coupling part including the porous structural body,
a density of an outer edge part including the porous structural body in the filling body side coupling part being higher than a density of the body part, where the density is a mass per unit volume in the porous structural body,
the manufacturing method comprising:
a step of shaping the porous structural body by using a 3D printer.

### Claim 11

A filling body that fills a hole part formed at a seat body in a passenger-seat cushion member including the seat body and the filling body, wherein
the filling body includes a body part including a porous structural body made of flexible resin or rubber, and a filling body side coupling part disposed adjacent to the body part and including mechanical coupling means that couples to the seat body, at least part of the filling body side coupling part including the porous structural body,
a density of an outer edge part including the porous structural body in the filling body side coupling part is higher than a density of the body part, where the density is a mass per unit volume in the porous structural body, and
the porous structural body is shaped by using a 3D printer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 2)

The passenger-seat-cushion-member manufacturing method according to claim 2, wherein
the porous structural body includes a skeleton part that zones a plurality of cell holes, and
a top skin part is formed on at least part of an outer side of the skeleton part and integrated with the skeleton part to block at least some of the plurality of cell holes, at least part of an outer side of the top skin part being a surface.

### Claim 13 (depends on 3)

The passenger-seat-cushion-member manufacturing method according to claim 3, wherein
the porous structural body includes a skeleton part that zones a plurality of cell holes, and
a top skin part is formed on at least part of an outer side of the skeleton part and integrated with the skeleton part to block at least some of the plurality of cell holes, at least part of an outer side of the top skin part being a surface.

### Claim 14 (depends on 5)

The passenger-seat-cushion-member manufacturing method according to claim 5, wherein
the porous structural body comprises a first porous structural body, and a second porous structural body integrated with the first porous structural body, and
the second porous structural body protrudes beyond the first porous structural body in a direction intersecting with a seating direction when a seated person sits on the passenger-seat cushion member.

### Claim 15 (depends on 8)

The passenger-seat cushion member according to claim 8, wherein
the porous structural body comprises a skeleton part,
the skeleton part includes:
a plurality of bone parts, and
a plurality of connection parts each connecting end parts of the plurality of bone parts to each other, and
each of the bone parts includes, in at least part of the bone part, a bone constant part extending while keeping a cross-sectional area constant, and
a ratio A0/A1 of a cross-sectional area A0 of the bone constant part relative to a cross-sectional area A1 of an edge of the bone part on any one side satisfies:
0.15≤A0/A1≤2.0.