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US 12,213,592 B2Granted
Apparatus and method for manufacturing a fabric suspension seat structure
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsCraig Martin Oomen, Samuel Smith, Robert A. Bratty, Michael Long, Kelly Washburn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A seat assembly includes a fabric component with a seat surface and with an interior segment directly attached to the fabric component. The interior segment extends from an exterior segment that has a greater flexural resistance than the interior segment.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing a seat assembly, the method comprising:
- tensioning a fabric component;
- and
- molding a thermoplastic material over the fabric component to form a frame having an inner segment that is directly molded to the fabric component and a skirt that is coupled to the inner segment by a living hinge, the inner segment having a flexural resistance that is greater than a flexural resistance of the skirt.
A method of manufacturing a seat assembly, the method comprising:
- tensioning a fabric component within a mold;
- and
- injecting a thermoplastic material into the mold to form a frame having an inner segment that is directly molded to the fabric component and a skirt that is coupled to the inner segment by a living hinge, wherein a thickness of the skirt at an interior edge thereof is less than the thickness of the skirt at a point between the interior edge and the inner segment of the frame.
A method of manufacturing a seat assembly, the method comprising:
- receiving a fabric blank within a first molding block;
- applying tension to the fabric blank within the first molding block;
- attaching a heat shield to a side of the fabric blank that is exposed to a second molding block, wherein the heat shield comprises polyester material;
- moving at least one of the first molding block or the second molding block toward the other;
- injecting a liquid thermoplastic material through a mold cavity in the first molding block to form a frame;
- removing the first or second molding block from the other;
- ejecting the seat assembly, which includes the fabric blank and the frame;
- discarding excess fabric from the seat assembly;
- and
- separating the heat shield from the seat assembly.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.