Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a vehicle seat having a seat pad and a planar seat cover. The seat cover may include a plurality of the skin materials and at least one seam allowance formed by sewing the adjacent skin materials each other. The seam allowance includes end portions of the adjacent skin materials projecting from a back surface of the seat cover. The seat pad may include a plurality of recessed grooves and an intersecting area of the grooves. The skin material may include a high-rigidity portion disposed at the intersecting area and configured to cover at least one of the corners formed at the intersecting area. The high-rigidity portion may include a planer overlapping portion laid over a back surface of the skin material.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a seat that may have a support structure and a pad having a support wire attachable to the support structure. A retainer may be provided which is fixed at one end through an opening in the support structure and at the opposite end onto the support wire. The retainer may have a mounting member to fix through the opening and a hook to catch the support wire, the mounting member having a use position and a mounting position that is inclined relative to the use position. The mounting member and the hook may be joined by a spacer bar.

Abstract: A door lining serving as an interior material comprises a door center portion. The door center portion is provided with: a door center base material; a door center pad supported by the door center base material and configured to be elastically deformable; a door center surface skin material covering the door center pad; and a sewed portion formed by sewing the door center pad and the door center surface skin material together by a sewing thread. In the door center pad, a thick section and a thin section are formed, and the sewed portion is provided in the thin section.

Abstract: An apparatus for stitching an interior component is disclosed herein. The component having an outer skin layer and the apparatus is a single needle chain stitch machine with a rotary looper and wherein a needle of the apparatus descends through the interior component and a hook of the rotary looper engages a thread loop formed during retraction of the needle after it has descended through the interior component; and wherein the apparatus further includes a mechanism for moving the interior component relative to the needle and looper to establish a stitch length.

Abstract: A flat seam construction made up of a number of sequentially formed stitches and formed on a portion of one or more stitchable materials is disclosed. Each stitch has two outer threads, formed into first and second outer thread loops, and at least one inner thread, formed into at least one inner thread loop. Each of the inner and outer thread loops transversely penetrate the one or more stitchable materials. Each of the inner and outer thread loops have a bight portion engaging a bottom surface of the one or more stitchable materials. At least one looper thread is formed on the bottom surface, and arranged such that, the at least one looper thread passes between the bottom surface and at least one of the bight portions. At least one decorative thread is visible on a top surface of the seam construction.

Abstract: In a method for attaching s surface skin member with a stitch line onto a base core member, meandering of a stitch line is eliminated and thus a smart stitch line is formed. A stitch line A is formed on a surface skin member 33 of which material is artificial leather or genuine leather, a rod 36 is temporarily joined along the stitch line A on a reverse side of the surface skin member 33, a groove 311 is provided along the stitch line A on a surface of a base core member 31, the surface skin member 33 is attached and fixed on the surface of the base core member 31 while accurately positioning the stitch line A by accommodating the rod 36 inside the groove 311, and then the rod 36 is drawn out so as to accurately form the stitch line A.

Abstract: A method of sewing a decorative seam includes providing a material suitable for receiving stitches, folding a first portion of the material onto a second portion of the material to form a bend, sewing a first stitch to join the first portion to the second portion, the stitch being substantially parallel to the bend and spaced apart therefrom, the first stitch forming a seam, unfolding the material and sewing a second and third stitch into the material such that the second and third stitches are substantially parallel to the seam and arranged such that the second and third stitches are on opposite sides of the seam.

Abstract: A seam for use in a vehicle armrest or other interior component. The seam includes a first material and a second material joined to the first material. The seam also includes a T-member connected to the first material and the second material to form a French seam appearance on the outer surface of the material. The T-member is then used to align with a groove in a foam of an armrest or other interior component to create an exterior seam on an armrest or interior component of a vehicle. The seam is created using a guide member attached to a sewing machine that will allow for sewing of the first material and second material to the T-member in a simultaneous process at a predetermined speed thus increasing efficiency of manufacturing the upholstery panel and reducing costs to the manufacturer.

Abstract: A seam for use in joining material. The seam having a joint sew line connecting a first and second material. The seam having a cord arranged adjacent to the joint sew line. A stitch line is located adjacent to the cord, wherein the cord forms a predetermined shaped hump on an outer surface of the material.

Abstract: A process for joining adjacent panels of plural layered upholstery, including the steps of adjacently positioning first and second panels, each having an offset backing and exterior layers, and substantially aligning longitudinal peripheries of the first and second panels. Stitching the panels together along a first stitching line positioned inboard of the longitudinal peripheries and substantially parallel thereto, and stitching portions of the first and second panels outboard of the first stitching line to an inboard portion of one or more of the panels along at least a second stitching line. In a preferred embodiment, the exterior layer in the first panel is offset laterally relative to the backing layer in an inboard direction, wherein the lateral offset imparts a substantially regular contour to portions of the exterior layer proximate the first stitching line and inboard thereof.

Abstract: A method is provided for upholstering an automotive interior component such as a seat or door panel. According to the method, a single piece of fabric is provided with a pattern that includes an interior portion and a pair of integral outboard bolsters. In a preferred embodiment, the interior portion is printed with a design that visually distinguishes the interior portion from the bolsters. The fabric is then sewn along pre-selected areas to form pinch seams and side panels may be joined to the pattern. Printing and sewing the pattern in this manner causes the resulting cover to appear as if it were made from multiple pieces of discrete fabric. However, by using the single piece of printed and sewn fabric, the need for multiple rolls of material, laborious pattern cutting, and excess scrap are eliminated.

Abstract: A process for joining adjacent edges of vehicle upholstery panels, particularly in applications wherein at least one of the edges is curved. The process includes the step of forming a plurality of U-shaped notches along a curved edge of a first upholstery panel, which are substantially evenly spaced along a portion of the curved length of the upholstery panel edge. At least a portion of an edge of a second upholstery panel is substantial aligned with a portion of the curved edge of the first upholstery panel. The first and second panels are stitched along a stitch line substantially parallel to edges of the first and second panels, wherein the stitch line is offset from aligned edges of the first and second panels by a distance greater than the depth of the notches and wherein successive portions of the edges are brought into alignment as stitching progresses.

Abstract: A sewing method to form a trim cover assembly for automotive seat, and an automotive seat using the trim cover assembly. Firstly, a first cover material, a second cover material and a backing tape are used and juxtaposed on one another, with their ends aligned with one another, and then sewn together to create a first seam and a sewn connection portion. Such sewn connection portion is cut off into a shortened sewn connection portion. Thereafter, the first cover material and backing tape are turned over relative to the shortened connection portion and sewn together, thereby forming one portion of the trim cover assembly. Another portion of the trim cover assembly may be formed by avoiding use of the backing tape and simply turning over the first cover material relative to the sewn connection portion, and sewing together the thus-turned portions of the first cover material.

Abstract: The present invention is a device for the automatic tufting of upholstery units using tufts comprising a retaining link with a tuft element at either end and associated with further tufts is provided. The device comprises engagement device for a tuft device for separating the engaged tuft from the associated tufts; device for driving one tuft element and the retaining link of the engaged tuft through an upholstery unit and withdrawing the engagement device once the tuft is released; and device for automatically reloading the device with a further tuft. A method of automatically tufting upholstery units using such a device is also provided.

Abstract: A method for sewing together covering elements is provided, in which two first threads and a second thread are used in a sewing machine having sewing needle means. In operating the sewing machine, the covering elements are fed at a given feeding pitch, such that the two first threads are entwined about the second thread in each of needle holes formed by the sewing needle means in the covering elements. Those entwined three threads fill and close the needle hole, thereby preventing leakage of a liquid foaming agent at a foaming process for forming a foamed product integral with the covering elements. The sewing needle means may comprise one sewing needle, in which case, both two first threads are used in that one sewing needle, or alternatively may comprises two sewing needles, in which case, the two first sewing threads are respectively used in the two sewing needles.

Abstract: An article and an apparatus and method for making the article. The article including a first piece of material having a margin extending inwardly from an edge of the material. The margin has an inner edge spaced from the material edge. A second piece of material having a margin extending inwardly from an edge of the second material is joined to the first piece of material along inner edges of the margins. A third piece of material is fixed over the margins, and has a first edge fixed to the first piece of material and a second edge fixed to the second piece of material.

Abstract: The present invention is a device for the automatic tufting of upholstery units using tufts comprising a retaining link with a tuft element at either end and associated with further tufts is provided. The device comprises engagement device for a tuft device for separating the engaged tuft from the associated tufts; device for driving one tuft element and the retaining link of the engaged tuft through an upholstery unit and withdrawing the engagement device once the tuft is released; and device for automatically reloading the device with a further tuft. A method of automatically tufting upholstery units using such a device is also provided.

Abstract: A device for the automatic tufting of upholstery units using tufts (22) comprising a retaining link (12) with a tuft element (14a, 14b) at either end and associated with further tufts (24, 26) is provided. The device comprises engagement device (30, 34) for a tuft (22); device (20) for separating the engaged tuft (22) from the associated tufts (24); device for driving one tuft element (14a) and the retaining link of the engaged tuft (22) through an upholstery unit (40) and withdrawing the engagement device once the tuft is released; and device for automatically reloading the device with a further tuft. A method of automatically tufting upholstery units using such a device is also provided.

Abstract: An automated feeding mechanism for sewing machine is comprised of: a rotary support element rotatably mounted on a table in the vicinity of the sewing machine having a feed dog member; and support elements provided on one side of the rotary support element. A trim cover assembly may be attached on the rotary support element, such that the arcuate peripheral cover section thereof is supported on the support elements and also temporarily retained thereon by a clamp element. A hard synthetic resin material may be stored in that mechanism. With this feeding mechanism, upon rotation of the rotary support element, the arcuate peripheral cover section supported on the support elements and the hard synthetic resin material juxtaposed with that peripheral cover section are smoothly and precisely fed to the sewing machine and thereby sewn together.

Abstract: Method for forming a foamed product integral with trim cover assembly, in which a foam padding piece and a surface cover piece are formed such that the former is small in size relative to the latter. According to the method, the peripheral ends of the foam padding piece are aligned and sewn with the peripheral ends of the surface cover piece to form a cover section. A plurality of such cover sections are provided and are bent at their respective end portions, stretching each surface cover piece on and over each foam padding piece, after which, the thus-bend end portions of cover sections are sewn with one another to form a three-dimensional trim cover assembly. A liquid foaming material is injected and cured in that trim cover assembly to form a foamed product integral with the trim cover assembly.

Abstract: A sewn cover assembly of a type that is to undergo a foaming process involving injection and curing of a liquid foaming material therein. The cover assembly is formed by sewing together plural cover elements via two different sewing threads, using a sewing machine, so as to completely close and seal the needle holes formed therein against leakage of the liquid foaming material through the needle holes. Namely, one of the two threads used is large in thickness relative to another of them, thereby serving as a leakage preventive member in addition to being a sewing thread. A foamed product is also disclosed, which is formed by injecting and curing a liquid foaming material in such sewn cover assembly.