# US 2014/0191557 A1 · Vehicle seat assembly having a permeable cushion with a colored coating and method of making the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0191557 A1 - Document ID: US20140191557A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/738,418 - Filed: 2013-01-10 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-10 - Assignees: Lear Corporation - Applicants: Lear Corporation - Inventors: Ashford A. Galbreath; Asad S. Ali - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191557A1 ## CPC - B60N 2/70: Upholstery springs {; Upholstery} - B60N 2/58: Seat coverings - B60N 2/7017: {characterised by the manufacturing process; manufacturing upholstery or upholstery springs not otherwise provided for} - B29C 37/0032: {the coating being applied upon the mould surface before introducing the moulding compound, e.g. applying a gelcoat (B29C44/14 and B29C44/32 take precedence)} - B29C 2037/0035: {the coating being applied as liquid, gel, paste or the like} - Y10T 29/481: Method - 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) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract In at least one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a vehicle seat assembly comprising a frame, a flexible foam cushion supported on the frame, the cushion having an outer surface comprising a major surface portion and a colored minor surface portion, a trim material secured over the cushion to cover the major portion of the surface, the colored minor portion of the outer surface being uncovered by the trim material, and the major surface portion of the cushion having a first permeability of 5 to 30 ml/cm2/min. and the colored minor surface portion having a second permeability of at least 80% of the first permeability and the colored minor portion comprising a plurality of dried flexible in-mold colored coating disposed on discrete surface areas of the cushion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle seat assembly comprising: a frame; a flexible foam cushion supported on the frame; the cushion having an outer surface comprising a major surface portion and a colored minor surface portion; a trim material secured over the cushion to cover the major portion of the surface, the colored minor portion of the outer surface being uncovered by the trim material; and the major surface portion of the cushion having a first permeability of 5 to 30 ml/cm2/min. and the colored minor surface portion having a second permeability of at least 80% of the first permeability and the colored minor portion comprising a plurality of dried flexible in-mold colored coating disposed on discrete surface areas of the cushion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the colored minor surface portion is darker in color than the major surface portion and wherein the second permeability is 80% to 95% of the first permeability. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle seat assembly of claim 2 wherein the major surface portion is white or yellow. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The vehicle seat assembly of claim 2 wherein the colored minor portion comprises a plurality of spaced apart colored surface regions, wherein each of the colored surface regions is disposed at a respective uncovered surface portion of the cushion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle seat assembly of claim 4 wherein the colored minor surface portion comprises 0.5 to 30% of the outer surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the colored coating has an average thickness of 2 to 30 microns and wherein the second permeability is 80% to 95% of the first permeability. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The vehicle seat assembly of claim 2 wherein the dried flexible in-mold coating is a water reducible or solvent borne pigmented lacquer in-mold coating composition. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicle seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the major portion of the surface has a first color and the colored minor portion having a second color darker than the first color, the different in grey scale between the first and second colors being 5 to 95% (5% brightness). ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vehicle seat assembly of claim 8 wherein the trim material has a third color, the third color being substantially similar to the second color. ### Claim 10 A vehicle seat assembly comprising: a frame; a flexible foam cushion supported on the frame, the foam cushion having an average thickness of 20 to 200 mm; the cushion having an outer surface comprising a major surface portion and a colored minor surface portion; a trim material secured over the cushion to cover the major portion of the surface, the colored minor portion of the outer surface being uncovered by the trim material; and the major surface portion of the cushion having a first permeability of 5 to 30 ml/cm2/min. and the colored minor surface portion having a second permeability of at least 80% of the first permeability and the colored minor portion comprising a plurality of dried flexible in-mold colored coating disposed on discrete surface areas of the cushion wherein the dried flexible in-mold coating is a water reducible or solvent borne pigmented lacquer in-mold coating composition. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The vehicle seat assembly of claim 10 wherein the colored minor surface portion is darker in color than the major surface portion, and wherein the second permeability is 80% to 95% of the first permeability. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The vehicle seat assembly of claim 11 wherein the major surface portion is white or yellow. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The vehicle seat assembly of claim 11 wherein the colored minor portion comprises a plurality of spaced apart colored surface regions, wherein each of the colored surface regions is disposed at a respective uncovered surface portion of the cushion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 14) The vehicle seat assembly of claim 14 wherein the colored minor surface portion comprises 0.5 to 30% of the outer surface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The vehicle seat assembly of claim 10 wherein the colored coating has an average thickness of 2 to 30 microns. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The vehicle seat assembly of claim 10 wherein the major portion of the surface has a first color and the colored minor portion having a second color darker than the first color, the different in grey scale between the first and second colors being 5 to 95% (5% brightness) wherein the trim material has a third color, the third color being substantially similar to the second color. ### Claim 17 A method of manufacturing vehicle seat assembly, said method comprising: providing a flexible cushion having a first permeability of 5 to 30 ml/cm2/min. as measured by ASTM D3574 Method G, providing an in-mold coating at predetermined locations of the cushion to form colored coatings disposed at the predetermined location on the cushion, the colored coatings having a second permeability being at least 80% of the first permeability; supporting the cushion on a frame; and securing a trim material over the cushion assembly supported on the frame, the trim material being sized such that the trim material, when secured over the cushion assembly, does not cover at least a portion of at least one of the coatings; wherein the colored coating forms a first colored region on the cushion adjacent a second colored region such that the first colored region is darker in color than the second colored region; and wherein the color of the trim material is at least substantially similar to the first color. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein the colored minor surface portion is darker in color than the major surface portion. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein the step of providing an in-mold coating at predetermined locations comprises spraying in-mold coating composition at selected locations of a cushion mold, pouring foam forming materials into the mold, heating the foam forming materials and the in-mold coating composition to form the cushion having colored coatings. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein the dried flexible in-mold coating is a water reducible or solvent borne pigmented lacquer in-mold coating composition.