Toyoda Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Yasuji Shibata

Akio Fukui

End portions of elastic fibers are fixed to a holder plate as well as a holder cover constituting a seat surface of a vehicle seat, thereby spanning the elastic fibers. A net-shaped seat portion is thus formed of the elastic fibers. The holder plate and the holder cover are suspended on the elastic fibers in the upper-diagonal direction. The elastic fibers thus strained are overlaid with urethane foam, and a cushion member is formed by a urethane pad. Meanwhile, the holder cover is pulled by a spring in the lower-diagonal direction so as to impart an initial tensile force to the elastic fibers, whereby deflections are eliminated. When an occupant's weight acts on the vehicle seat with the above construction, the vehicle seat deflects downward, with a predetermined deflection curve being drawn. However, both end portions of the elastic fibers are suspended on the elastic fibers in the upper-diagonal direction. This provides a substantially linear deflection curve, and a feeling of sitting-on-the-bottom is eliminated. The elastic fibers and the urethane pad can be formed integrally by means of a mold, thereby allowing a shorter manufacturing process.

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Aichi, Japan

Yasuji Shibata