Seat assembly

#The present invention relates to a novel seat assembly. More particularly, the invention is directed to a seat assembly that permits the fast and economical fabrication and assembly of an upholstered foam cushion to a rigid support shell. Such seat assemblies are commonly used in lawn and garden vehicles and in small recreational vehicles.

#A wide variety of seat constructions are known in the art which incorporate an upholstered or covered foam cushion mounted to a rigid support shell. A common and well recognized problem associated with such seats is the relatively costly and labor intensive manufacturing step whereby the upholstery cover is trimmed and joined with the shell in a finished and aesthetically pleasing manner. Various prior art seat assemblies and methods of fabrication are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,281,185; 3,298,743; 3,300,251; 3,328,085; 3,423,775; 3,521,929; 3,647,260; 3,713,697; 3,823,980; 3,904,242; 3,967,852; 4,018,479; and 4,357,723. Yet, none of the seat assemblies described in these patents incorporates a design that permits truly efficient and economical construction while remaining aesthetically pleasing.

#The present invention overcomes the above described problems by providing a novel seat construction that permits simple and economical assembly. Moreover, the seat assembly has a clean and uncluttered "look" that is aesthetically appealing.

#The novel features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, together with further objects and attendant advantages thereof, will be best understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a seat assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a front view of the seat assembly shown in FIG. 1;

#With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 of the drawings, a seat assembly, designated generally as 20, is shown having a cushion assembly 22 and a shell 24. The cushion assembly comprises a foam cushion 26 and a rigid internal framework 28 that is integrally molded within the cushion. The foam cushion includes front and back portions, 30 and 32 respectively, and a side portion 34 having a lip 36. The lip 36 extends entirely around the perimeter of the cushion 26 along the sides of the seat and backrest. Thus, the lip has a predetermined dimension and shape for any given seat design. The shell 24 is constructed from metal, plastic or other rigid material and includes a peripheral edge 38 configured to align and mate with cushion lip 36 when the shell is juxtaposed with the back portion of cushion 26.

#The seat assembly of the present invention also includes a cover 40 comprising sheet vinyl, fabric or other conventional upholstery goods. The cover 40 overlies the front portion 30 of cushion 26 and is typically bonded to front portion 30 and part of the side portion 34 by any one of various techniques well known to those of skill in the art. The cover also includes a free peripheral section 42 that extends from the front portion of the cushion and between the lip 36 and shell edge 38. As a result, the free peripheral section 42 of the cover is mechanically retained between the shell 24 and cushion 26 when the seat assembly is completed.

#In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the internal framework of the cushion assembly comprises a tubular member 44 which extends completely around the cushion 26 in close proximity to side portion 34 and lip 36. The purpose of the framework and tubular member 44 is to maintain the predetermined dimension and shape of the cushion lip 36 which would otherwise vary to an unacceptable degree because of the inherent dimensional variance in molded cushions of this size. In other words, there is an inherent shrinkage or shrink factor which exists in the foaming and molding process. This shrink factor can vary between 1 to 2 percent. The variance in shrink must be accommodated in any joint or interface between hard and soft goods. For example, on an 18 inch seat dimension the cushion shrink can vary from 0.18 to 0.36 inches. By foaming the cushion with the tubular structure in place, the shrinkage is limited to the area between the structure and the outside of the cushion. If this dimension is 1 inch the shrinkage range will amount to only 0.01 to 0.02 inches. This small variance (0.01 inches) is easily accounted for in the design of the seat. As a result, the interface between the cushion lip 36 and shell edge 38 is substantially uniform and aesthetically pleasing.