Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly includes a composite frame with continuous-fiber reinforced (CFR) material along laterally spaced side members and cross members. The CFR material may be in a continuous piece along all four frame members to provide structural rigidity that is superior to that of separate pieces of CFR material. The pieces of CFR material may define a foundation portion of the seat frame and may be at least partly embedded in a thermoplastic accessory mounting portion, which is also part of the frame. An overmolding process can be used to at least partially encapsulate the CFR material in the accessory mounting portion with thermoplastic material along opposite sides of the CFR material. The overmolding process can also be used to embed recliner support plates in the composite frame. The frame may have an S-shaped cross section, facilitating simplified mold design and providing beam-like rigidity along multiple directions.

Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly includes a composite frame with continuous-fiber reinforced (CFR) material along laterally spaced side members and cross members. The CFR material may be in a continuous piece along all four frame members to provide structural rigidity that is superior to that of separate pieces of CFR material. The pieces of CFR material may define a foundation portion of the seat frame and may be at least partly embedded in a thermoplastic accessory mounting portion, which is also part of the frame. An overmolding process can be used to at least partially encapsulate the CFR material in the accessory mounting portion with thermoplastic material along opposite sides of the CFR material. The overmolding process can also be used to embed recliner support plates in the composite frame. The frame may have an S-shaped cross section, facilitating simplified mold design and providing beam-like rigidity along multiple directions.