Abstract: A structure allows a functional member to be attached to an alloy frame without welding. In the state where a ratchet is disposed on a second side of the frame having an attachment bracket supported on a first side, a first fastener member is inserted through the functional member, frame, and attachment bracket so as to be received by a second fastener member provided in the attachment bracket.

Abstract: In a seat back frame formed by attaching a spring unit to a frame body, the spring unit is easily attached to the frame without performing caulking. A projecting hooked portion is formed in one side of the spring unit, and an insertion hole that receives the hooked portion therein is provided in the frame. Thus, the hooked portion is inserted into the insertion hole and hooked at a position on the rear surface thereof.

Abstract: This invention relates to an apparatus and method for shaping fibrous elastic bodies. The apparatus includes a preliminary shaping die and a final shaping die. A fiber material, which includes a binder fiber and a matrix fiber, is used to form the elastic bodies. The binder fiber has a lower melting point than the matrix fiber. The fiber material is placed into the preliminary shaping die and half melted to bond the unmelted matrix fiber and thereby form the preliminary shaped item. The preliminary shaped item has a preliminary shape of an objective article to be shaped. The preliminary shaped item is then transferred to the final shaping die, in which it is further heated and clamped to shape the objective article.

Abstract: Vehicle seats are constructed with a seat cushion for supporting the lower body of a passenger and a seat back for supporting the upper body of the passenger. A side holder portion, which is filled with foam material for supporting said passenger at side portions of the upper body, is combined with a backrest portion, which also is filled with foam material for supporting said passenger on the back, such that said side holder portion is integrally and continuously formed with said backrest portion. An opening portion preferably is formed in each of the side holder portions such that said opening portion provides a hole in said side holder portion.

Abstract: A reclining mechanism for a vehicle seat, which is composed of a first arm member for attachment to a frame structure of a seat cushion or a back rest of the vehicle seat; a second arm member for attachment to a frame structure of the other of the back rest or the seat cushion, the second arm member being connected with the first arm member by means of a hinge pin for relative rotation about the hinge pin and having a circular ratchet portion concentric with the binge pin; a pair of diametrically opposed slide pawls slidably coupled with the fist arm member in a radial direction with respect to the hinge pin to be moved toward and away from the ratchet portion of the second arm member; a cam plate mounted on the hinge pin for rotation therewith and being engaged with the slide pawls for engaging the slide pawls with the ratchet portion of the second arm member when the hinge pin is retained in position under load of a torsion spring assembled thereon and for disengaging the slide pawls from the ratchet portio

Abstract: A method and apparatus for molding a cushion member from a fiber mixture by a filling process comprising filling a fiber mixture composed of synthetic matrix fibers and binder fibers dispersed therein into a mold cavity of an air-permeable mold by a transportation air stream and a heat-treatment process comprising making a molding air stream for heating and/or cooling the fiber mixture filled in the mold cavity to pass through the fiber mixture, wherein a contact surface of the mold with the fiber mixture is divided into a plurality of contact sections, and a flow rate and/or pressure of an air stream passing through each of the contact sections are regulated to a predetermined condition so that the air stream in the mold cavity is differently controlled in the filling process and the heat-treatment process.

Abstract: In a seat structure having a side air bag device, a longitudinal groove (36) is formed in a seat back pad (14) along the longitudinal direction of the seat back pad, and an insert wire (40) which holds a seat outer cover, is embedded in the longitudinal groove (36). Bent portions (44) are formed in portions of the insert wire (40), which portions oppose the air bag device. Each of the bent portions (44) is bent in a substantially U-shaped configuration, and a slab pad (46) is wound around an outer peripheral portion of a base portion (44A) of each bent portion. Further, the bent portions (44) of the insert wire (40) are each provided to extend rearwardly and diagonally toward the inner side of a seat back (10) so that the embedded length of the insert wire (40) embedded in the seat back pad (14) is made longer, and adverse influences on riding comfort are thereby suppressed.

Abstract: A vehicle seat, the seat cushion of which is divided into front and rear cushions in a fore-and-aft direction. The front cushion is rotatably mounted at its front-side lower end on a front end of a cushion frame of the vehicle seat to be tilted forward or backward. The rear cushion is placed behind the front cushion and supported by a lift mechanism mounted on a rear portion of the cushion frame. The lift mechanism is interlocked with the front cushion to raise the rear cushion to an upper position when the front cushion is tilted forward and to lower the rear cushion and place it behind the front cushion on the cushion frame in a horizontal condition when the front cushion is tilted backward and placed on the cushion frame.

Abstract: A multilayer article such as a door trim board is fabricated by the steps of extruding melted resin layers (13m), (12m) and (11m) respectively forming a soft skin material (13), a foamed soft intermediate layer (12) and a base member (11) in the form of a multilayer resin sheet from a die-head (40) of an extruding machine, supply the extruded multilayer resin sheet to a molding machine in such a manner that the resin layer for the skin material is placed on a lower molding die of the molding machine and molding the resin layers in the form of the multilayer article. The resin layer for the skin material consists of thermoplastic elastomer, the resin layer for the intermediate layer consists of ethylenic copolymer copolymerized with ethylene and at least radical copolymerizable acid anhydride, and the resin layer for the base member consists of olefinic resin.

Abstract: A reclining mechanism composed of a lower arm member for attachment to a frame structure of a seat cushion of a vehicle seat, an upper arm member placed in a common plane with the first arm member for attachment to a frame structure of a backrest of the vehicle seat and having a recessed portion formed at a lower end portion thereof and opposed to a ratchet portion formed on an upper end of the lower arm member, a slide pawl slidably coupled within the recessed portion of the upper arm member to be moved toward and away from the ratchet portion of the lower arm member for engagement therewith, a pair of side plates attached to opposite faces of the lower and upper arm members, the side plates being connected with the lower arm member by means of a hinge pin for relative rotation about the hinge pin and fixed to the upper arm member, an operation shaft rotatably supported on one of the side plates, and a release arm mounted on the operation shaft for rotation therewith to retract the slide pawl from the ratche

Abstract: A seat structure having a side impact air bag apparatus, constructed such that the air bag apparatus, which is integrated into a side portion of a seat back which side portion opposes a vehicle door, is activated at the time of a side impact such that a sewn portion of a seat surface layer, which is formed by sewing a front seat surface layer for covering the front of the seat back to a side seat surface layer for covering the side of the seat back, breaks and an air bag body inflates between a side portion of a vehicle body and the side of a vehicle occupant, comprising a sheet member provided inside the side seat surface layer integrally with the side seat surface layer, the sheet member being harder to stretch than the side seat surface layer, and one end of the sheet member being sewn to the sewn portion; and a fixing member provided inside the seat back, the fixing member being engaged with another end of the sheet member which is provided on the opposite side of the one end of the sheet member.

Abstract: A vehicle seat is equipped with a side air bag assembly, the air bag of which is assembled within a side cavity formed in one side of a back rest of the vehicle seat in a folded condition. A rear attachment board is mounted on a support frame of the back rest, and has a back portion formed to cover the rear face of the back rest and a side portion formed to cover the air bag in the side cavity. The side portion of the rear attachment board is formed as a door portion to be opened outwardly when applied with a thrusting force caused by inflation of the air bag.

Abstract: The invention provides a laminated article such as a door trim board capable of maintaining a bonding effect for a long period of time by integrally forming a base member and a skin member without forming the skin member in the shape of a sheet and without using an adhesive, and a manufacturing method of the laminated article by which reduction in the quantity of materials to be used and simplification of manufacturing steps are achieved. A porous base member (11) molded in the shape of a door trim board and a molten resin (12melt) supplied on the surface of the porous base member are pressed between a pair of molds (31, 32) so that the molten resin (12melt) is impregnated into the porous base member at least at the front surface thereof and hardened to form a skin member (12) on the porous base member (11). In the door trim board thus obtained, the resin forming the skin member (12) and the porous base member (11) are integrated by an anchor effect of resin with a reliable strength thereof retained.

Abstract: A vehicle seat equipped with a side air bag assembly the air bag of which is assembled within a side cavity formed in one side of a back rest of the vehicle seat in a folded condition. A rear attachment board is mounted on a support frame of the back rest, the rear attachment board having a back portion formed to cover the rear face of the back rest and a side portion formed to cover the air bag in the side cavity. The side portion of the rear attachment board is formed with an opening which is opposed to the air bag in the side cavity and closed by a door plate hinged at one side thereof to the rear attachment board at one side of the opening to be opened outwardly when a thrust force caused by inflation of the air bag is applied. The door plate is normally retained in a closed position by engagement with the other side of the opening.

Abstract: A tilt-type headrest mounted on an upper horizontal portion of an arched support rod to be mounted on a backrest of a passenger seat, which headrest includes a headrest frame formed with a cylindrical hinge portion retained in frictional engagement with the horizontal portion of the support rod and a pair of opposed plate-like body portions extending in parallel from the hinge portion, the plate-like body portions each being integrally formed with an inwardly curled rim portion at their upper peripheries and both side peripheries and formed with a pair of laterally spaced joint portions at both sides of the hinge portion, the inwardly curled rim portions and the joint portions being engaged with each other in a condition where the headrest frame has been folded at its hinge portion to oppose the plate-like portions to one another and a pair of laterally spaced clamp members each formed with a cylindrical hinge portion retained in frictional engagement with the horizontal portion of the support rod and a pair

Abstract: A reclining device for a vehicle seat is composed of first and second arm members connected with each other for relative rotation about a hinge center axis line. The second arm member is formed with a semi-circular internal tooth portion concentrical with the hinge center axis line. A slide pawl is slidably supported on the first arm member to be moved in a radial direction with respect to the hinge center axis line and has a semi-circular external tooth portion engageable with the internal tooth portion of second arm member. A release shaft is rotatably supported on the first arm member coaxially with the hinge center axis line and is loaded by a spring in a rotational direction. A release arm is integrally formed with one end of the release shaft to rotate the release shaft against the load of the spring.

Abstract: A seat lift mechanism in an automotive vehicle incorporates a swivel base mounted on a stationary base secured to a compartment floor of the vehicle for rotation about a vertical axis so as to be moved between a forward-facing position where the front side of the swivel base is oriented to the front of the vehicle, and a sideways position where the front side of the swivel base is opposed to a side door opening of the vehicle. A frame is supported on the swivel base for rotation therewith and a lift rack provided thereon with a passenger seat is mounted on the frame. The lift rack is connected to the frame by means of a link mechanism in such a manner that when the swivel base is retained in the sideways position, the lift rack and seat are movable from a first position on the frame to a second position close to the ground where the seating surface of the seat is maintained at an inclined angle.

Abstract: A seat cushion of a vehicle front seat, including a cushion panel and a cushion frame, in which the cushion panel and the cushion frame are elastically held together in close proximity to a front edge portion of the cushion panel by means of a torsion spring, and are connected together at a rear portion of the cushion panel by a pair of rear-linking members which is subjected to an urging force in a tension direction by a pair of tension springs. Thus, the seat cushion can be formed with a simplified spring arrangement, and provides easy tuning of these springs because the tension spring exhibits a linear spring characteristic. Furthermore, the seat cushion eliminates pitching because the cushion frame and the cushion panel are connected together at the rear portion thereof behind a hip point of an occupant who is seated in the front seat. Moreover, the seat cushion provides a wider space for an occupant seated in the rear of a vehicle to stretch his legs.

Abstract: An anchoring apparatus for a wheeled chair mainly composed of a movable frame assembled with a seat frame structure of the wheeled chair to be movable in a vertical direction, a hydraulic damper assembled with the seat frame structure for biasing the movable frame upwardly to retain the movable frame in a lifted position in a released condition of the anchoring apparatus, a foot pedal mechanism having a foot pedal assembled with the seat frame structure of the wheeled chair to lower the movable frame when depressed by an attendant, a locking mechanism mounted on the movable frame to be locked by engagement with a stationary element fixed to a floor when the movable frame has been lowered by depression of the foot pedal, and a releasing mechanism assembled with the seat frame structure of the wheeled chair, the releasing mechanism having an operation lever mounted on a back frame structure of the wheeled chair and operatively connected to the locking mechanism to release engagement of the locking mechanism wit