US 5,551,755 A · Padded article

Abstract

A vehicle armrest includes a support, a cushion attached to the support, and a sheet of material covering the support and cushion. The cushion is made from a mat of non-woven PET fibers, about 85% or more of which are from recycled post-consumer materials such as reground soft drink bottles and beverage containers. The remaining material of the mat are binder fibers made of an extrusion of high melt viscosity and low melt viscosity virgin PET material, which is also recyclable. The mat is compression molded, which provides heat and pressure to activate the binder fibers to permanently bind the fibers of the mat into a desired shape. The molded cushion includes pad sections having different thicknesses, shapes, and resilient properties, and further can include structural flanges that are substantially solid thermoplastic material. The structural flanges have bosses, attachment holes, ribs and contours as desired.

Claims29

Dependent claims

An armrest for a vehicle comprising:

an elongated support adapted for attachment to the vehicle, said support being configured to support the weight of a person's arm;
a non-foam cushion configured to mateably engage said support, said cushion engaging said support and comprising a mat of polymeric fibers forming a pad on said support, said cushion including a lower density section having a first resiliency and first and second higher density sections having a second resiliency different than said first resiliency, said first and second higher density sections being positioned on opposing sides of said cushion;
and
a sheet of material attached to said support covering said support and said cushion.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Padded article

Life of this patent

Padded article

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29