In at least one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a vehicle seat assembly comprising a cushion having an “A” surface and a “B” surface, a central portion, and two bolster areas, with each bolster area being adjacent the central portion, with the cushion having a plurality of intrusions extending from the “A” surface towards the “B” surface to form a hardness gradient between at least one of the bolster areas and the central portion of between 5% to 25%, the plurality of intrusions comprising a plurality of pairs of patterns, each pair of patterns comprising a first pattern spaced apart and opposingly and inversely facing a second pattern.

A back panel of a motor vehicle seat element successively includes a layer of paint, a layer of non-expanded foam, at least one thermal device, and a layer of expanded foam.

A seat support element has a body that includes at least one portion having a plurality of discrete structural elements and a plurality of connecting fibers, the discrete structural elements being joined together via the connecting fibers to form the portion of the body.

A mold in fastener product includes a flexible substrate, such as a resin film or textile sheet, and a resin layer covering only part of one side of the flexible substrate and leaving a region of the one side of the flexible substrate exposed, the resin layer carrying multiple touch fastener elements each having a resin stem extending integrally from the layer away from the flexible substrate to an engageable head. A flexible ferromagnetic strip is bonded to the flexible substrate and at least partially bounds a bounded portion of the flexible substrate containing at least some of the touch fastener elements and at least a part of the exposed region. The product is preferably wide, such as to cover a wide concave region of a foam seat cushion.

A three-dimensional component is produced in a simplified molding operation. Expandable substrates, which are referred to as blanks, are created by compressing thermobonded nonwovens after heating the binder material above its melting temperature, and then cooling the compressed nonwovens so that the binder material hardens and holds the fibers of the nonwoven together in a compressed configuration with stored kinetic energy. Boards can be formed by laminating two or more blanks together and/or by laminating the blanks with other materials, including non-expendable materials. A mold for the component to be manufactured can be partially filled with a number of boards (or blanks) in a stacked, vertically, adjacent or even random orientation. In addition, the boards or blanks may be cut to create desired shapes of parts that can be placed in the mold.

Aspects of the present invention relate to a seat cushion (1) including a compressible member (15) and at least one insert (16). The insert (16) has one or more inflatable bladders (17-n). The at least one insert (16) is at least partially encapsulated within the compressible member (15). Further aspects of the present invention relate to a method of forming a seat cushion (1); a seat assembly (2) and a vehicle (V).

A seat assembly includes a fabric component with a seat surface and with an interior segment directly attached to the fabric component. The interior segment extends from an exterior segment that has a greater flexural resistance than the interior segment.

A mobile molding system, comprising a vehicle and one or more molds arranged on the vehicle configured for receiving one or more expandable nonwoven substrates, heating said one or more expandable nonwoven substrates so as to cause said one or more expandable nonwoven substrates to expand and fill the one or more molds with one or more expanded nonwoven containing articles of three dimensional shape, and releasing said one or more expanded nonwoven containing articles of three dimensional shape from the one or more molds is provided. Methods for manufacturing three dimensional objects using the mobile molding system are also provided.

An office-type chair including a back support having a suspension mesh back support and a back support frame. The suspension mesh back support has an integral retaining channel disposed at a peripheral edge thereof, and the back support frame includes a central pair of upright support posts and wedge base for mounting to a chair frame. The back support frame includes a plurality of flexible and spaced support arms extending laterally outward from the upright support posts. The support arms each have a peripheral edge configured for fastenerless attachment in a tensioned state within the suspension mesh retaining channel. An upholstery cover encapsulates the suspension mesh and back support frame. The office chair also includes a lumbar mechanism including a resilient cushion that may be positioned in the space between the suspension mesh and the support frame and adjusted along the vertical extent of the back support by rolling the resilient cushion on the rear of the suspension mesh.

A mold tool assembly includes a first tool having a protrusion for producing a respective hole in a foam body and a second tool configured to cooperate with the first tool to mold the foam body. The second tool defines a cavity corresponding to the protrusion. The mold tool assembly also includes a movable plunger for clearing flash corresponding to and located at least partially within the cavity in the second tool, and movable between a disengaged position when the first and second tools are separated, and an engaged position when the first and second tools are closed. The mold tool assembly also includes an actuator configured to move the movable plunger between the engaged position and the disengaged position. In the engaged position, the movable plunger contacts the protrusion to seal the cavity, and in the disengaged position, at least a portion of the movable plunger extends below a bottom surface of the second tool into the hole.