Elastomeric Seats-Automotive Seats with Multifunction Fabric

New fabrics which function as covering material as well as suspension have been developed. These fabrics eliminate the need of underlying foam and suspension springs. They can look like mesh, flat or pile fabrics. The moduli of the fabric have to be controlled to yield the proper suspending and damping characteristics. Effects of environments including UV, ozone and heat exposures were evaluated. Different versions of seats have been built to demonstrate the applications of the new fabric. Advantages of using the fabric are outlined.