Process to mold 3-dimensional leather trim cover
AssigneeMagna Seating Inc.
InventorEric Kozlowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A seat trim cover for an automotive seat formed from milled leather which lacks coatings and/or paint on the milled leather while retaining stored elongation introduced to the leather fiber structure during a milling process. At least one coating and/or paint is applied to an upper surface of the 3-dimensional leather shape after the milled leather is formed into a 3-dimensional leather shape by one or more of a vacuum form process, a compression mold process, and/or an embossing process.
Claims17
A 3-dimensional leather shape, said leather shape comprising:
- milled leather lacking finish coatings and/or paint and retaining an amount of inherent elongation stored in leather fibers during a milling process;
- wherein said milled leather is formed into a 3-dimensional leather shape prior to applying coatings and/or paint.
A 3-dimensional leather seat trim cover for an automotive seat, said seat trim cover comprising:
- a 3-dimensional leather shape having at least one coating and/or paint on an upper surface of said 3-dimensional shape;
- and
- said 3-dimensional leather shape formed from milled leather lacking finish coatings and/or paint and retaining an amount of inherent elongation stored in leather fibers during a milling process;
- wherein said at least one coating and/or paint is applied to said upper surface of said 3-dimensional leather shape after said 3-dimensional leather shape is formed from said milled leather.
A method of forming a 3-dimensional leather shape, said method comprising:
- providing milled leather lacking finish coatings and/or paint and retaining an amount of inherent elongation stored in leather fibers during a milling process;
- cutting a leather blank from said milled leather;
- forming said leather blank into a 3-dimensional leather shape;
- and
- applying at least one layer of a coating and/or a paint to an upper surface of said 3-dimensional leather shape.
A method of forming a 3-dimensional leather seat cover for an automotive seat, said method comprising:
- providing milled leather lacking finish coatings and/or paint and retaining an amount of inherent elongation stored in leather fibers during a milling process;
- cutting a leather blank from said milled leather;
- forming said leather blank into a 3-dimensional leather shape;
- applying at least one layer of a coating and/or a paint to an upper surface of said 3-dimensional leather shape;
- trimming said 3-dimensional leather shape;
- and
- assembling said 3-dimensional leather shape as at least a portion of a seat trim cover.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.