Granted Patent B2

US 12,734,947 · App. 18/418,596 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Inventors: Ashley Baisch (Wasington Township, MI); Timothy M. Cloutier (Clawson, MI); Samuel Blair (Rochester, MI)

Assignee: LEAR CORPORATION

B60N2/914B60N2/56

Abstract

Claims (54)

1 . An apparatus, comprising:

a comfort system comprising at least a first comfort member and a second comfort member attached to the first comfort member, wherein at least one of the first comfort member and the second comfort member comprises a plurality of connectors defined by at least a portion of the first comfort member or the second comfort member; and

a trim cover including a plurality of apertures, wherein the comfort system is securable to the trim cover as a unit via at least one connector of the plurality of connectors being inserted through at least one aperture of the plurality of apertures.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the first comfort member comprises a sheet including a plurality of bladders and associated pneumatic circuits defining fluid flow paths to the plurality of bladders, and wherein the plurality of connectors comprises a plurality of integrally formed connectors that are formed as part of the sheet; and

the second comfort member comprises a variable temperature comfort pad attached to the sheet to form the unit.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of integrally formed connectors are spaced apart from each other about an outer peripheral edge of the sheet.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein each connector is elastically deformable from an initial state to a compressed state, and wherein each compressed connector is inserted through one aperture of the plurality of apertures in the trim cover, with each compressed connector automatically expanding back from the compressed state to the initial state.

5 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein each connector comprises a t-shape, an arrow shape or a bulbous shape.

6 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein at least some apertures of the plurality of apertures are aligned with connectors from the plurality of integrally formed connectors, and wherein aligned connectors are inserted through corresponding aligned apertures to secure the sheet to the trim cover.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the trim cover comprises a material sheet with at least one retainer comprising a first portion securable to the trim cover and a second portion securable to a seat structure, and wherein the plurality of apertures are formed within the first portion.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first comfort member and the second comfort member includes a second plurality of apertures, and wherein the first comfort member and the second comfort member are securable to each other by inserting the plurality of connectors through the second plurality of apertures.

9 . A method, comprising:

providing a plurality of connectors with a first comfort member of a comfort system unit;

assembling the comfort system unit by attaching at least the first comfort member to a second comfort member of the comfort system unit; and

attaching the comfort system unit to a trim cover by inserting at least one connector defined by at least of a portion of the first comfort member or the second comfort member through at least one aperture provided in the trim cover.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the comfort system unit comprises a first unit, and the method including:

securing the first unit to the trim cover to form an assembly; and

securing the assembly to a seat structure as a second unit.

11 . The method of claim 9 , including:

forming the first comfort member as a sheet including a plurality of bladders and associated pneumatic circuits defining fluid flow paths to the plurality of bladders;

integrally forming the plurality of connectors as part of the sheet;

forming the second comfort member as a variable temperature comfort pad; and

attaching the variable temperature comfort pad to the sheet to form the comfort system unit.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one aperture comprises a plurality of apertures, and the method including:

spacing the plurality of connectors apart from each other about an outer peripheral edge of the sheet;

aligning at least some apertures of the plurality of apertures with connectors from the plurality of connectors;

elastically deforming each connector from an initial state to a compressed state; and

inserting each compressed connector through one aperture of the plurality of apertures in the trim cover, with each compressed connector automatically expanding back from the compressed state to the initial state.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one aperture comprises a plurality of apertures, and the method including:

forming wherein the trim cover as a material sheet including at least one retainer that comprises a first portion securable to the trim cover and a second portion securable to a seat structure; and

forming the plurality of apertures within the first portion of the at least one retainer.

14 . An apparatus, comprising:

a sheet including a plurality of bladders and associated pneumatic circuits defining fluid flow paths to the plurality of bladders;

a plurality of connectors defined by at least a portion of the sheet; and

a trim cover including a plurality of apertures, wherein the sheet is securable to the trim cover via at least one connector of the plurality of connectors being inserted through at least one aperture of the plurality of apertures.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein:

the plurality of connectors are integrally formed with sheet and are spaced apart from each other about an outer peripheral edge of the sheet;

at least some apertures of the plurality of apertures are aligned with connectors from the plurality of connectors; and

each connector is elastically deformable from an initial state to a compressed state, and wherein each compressed connector is inserted through one aperture of the plurality of apertures in the trim cover, with each compressed connector automatically expanding back from the compressed state to the initial state.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the trim cover comprises a material sheet with at least one retainer comprising a first portion securable to the trim cover and a second portion securable to a seat structure, and wherein the plurality of apertures are formed within the first portion.

17 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein each connector comprises a t-shape, an arrow shape or a bulbous shape.

18 . A method, comprising:

providing the sheet, the plurality of connectors, and the trim cover according to claim 14 ;

integrally forming the plurality of connectors with the sheet;

elastically deforming at least one connector from an initial state to provide a compressed connector;

inserting the compressed connector through one aperture of the plurality of apertures; and

securing the sheet to the trim cover in response to the compressed connector automatically expanding to the initial state after insertion.

19 . The method of claim 18 , including:

spacing the plurality of connectors apart from each other about an outer peripheral edge of the sheet;

aligning at least some apertures of the plurality of apertures with connectors from the plurality of connectors;

elastically deforming each connector from the initial state to a compressed state to provide compressed connectors; and

inserting each compressed connector through one aperture of the plurality of apertures in the trim cover with each compressed connector automatically expanding back from the compressed state to the initial state.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the trim cover comprises a material sheet with at least one retainer with a first portion securable to the trim cover and a second portion securable to a seat structure, and including forming the plurality of apertures within the first portion of the at least one retainer.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (19)