FOLDING HEAD RESTRAINT MECHANISM
A foldable head restraint assembly includes a mounting subassembly, a structural shell, and a locking plate. The mounting subassembly supports the structural shell and includes a first support post, a second support post, a cross member, and a latch rigidly. The cross member is attached to the first and second support posts and to the latch. The folding motion of the head restraint is initiated by movement of the locking plate which is positionable at a first plate position for engaging the latch and at a second plate position for releasing the latch. The structural shell is pivotable about the mounting subassembly when the latch plate is in the second plate position
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to head restraints for vehicle seats, more particularly to adjustable head restraints.
2. Background Art
Adjustable head restraints for vehicle seats are provided for comfort and safety of an occupant. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,631,956 B2, which issued on Oct. 14, 2003, discloses an adjustable head restraint with a rod that supports the head restraint and translates relative to sleeves of the seatback.
Another offering of the prior art is a head restraint that is adjustable on posts that extend from the seatback. The posts are received within receptacles of the seatback and the posts are also adjustable relative to the receptacles. The head restraint includes a detent mechanism for maintaining a position of the head restraint relative to the posts; and the receptacles include a locking mechanism for locking the posts relative to the receptacles. Moreover, some variations of the prior art head restraints allow folding. Although these head restraints of the prior art work reasonably well, the mechanism for folding tend to be complicated and expensive.
Accordingly, for at least these reasons, designs for improved head restraint folding mechanism are desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention solves one or more problems of the prior art by providing in at least one embodiment a foldable head restraint assembly that is moveable from a first head restraint position to a second head restraint position. The head restraint assembly includes a mounting subassembly, a structural shell, and a locking plate. The structural shell is supported by the mounting subassembly. The mounting subassembly includes a first support post, a second support post, a cross member and a latch. The cross member has a first end attached to the first support post and a second end attached to the second support post. Moreover, the latch is attached to the cross member. The folding motion of the head restraint is initiated by movement of the locking plate. The locking plate is positionable at a first plate position for engaging the latch and at a second plate position for releasing the latch. Advantageously, the structural shell is pivotable about the mounting subassembly when the latch plate is in the second plate position.
Reference will now be made in detail to presently preferred compositions, embodiments and methods of the present invention, which constitute the best modes of practicing the invention presently known to the inventors. The figures are not necessarily to scale. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for any aspect of the invention and/or as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
Except in the examples, or where otherwise expressly indicated, all numerical quantities in this description indicating amounts of material or conditions of reaction and/or use are to be understood as modified by the word “about” in describing the broadest scope of the invention.
It is also to be understood that this invention is not limited to the specific embodiments and methods described below, as specific components and/or conditions may, of course, vary. Furthermore, the terminology used herein is used only for the purpose of describing particular embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to be limiting in any way.
It must also be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular form “a”, “an”, and “the” comprise plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. For example, reference to a component in the singular is intended to comprise a plurality of components.
Throughout this application, where publications are referenced, the disclosures of these publications in their entireties are hereby incorporated by reference into this application to more fully describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains.
With reference to
It should be appreciated, that is some variations, head restraint assembly 10 is designed to fold towards the front of a vehicle including the head restraint assembly. In other variations, head restraint assembly 10 is designed to fold towards the rear of a vehicle including the head restraint assembly.
In the specific variation depicted in
Locking plate 14 may be translated between first plate position P1 and second plate position P2 by any number of mechanisms. In one refinement, translation of locking plate 14 is accomplished via pull cable 64 which is pulled by a user along direction d2. In another refinement, cable 64 passes through support post 22. In some enhancements of this refinement, the top of support post 22 is open. In another refinement, a user presses button assembly 66 which cause movement of push rod 68 along direction d1 thereby causing translation of locking plate 14.
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While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A head restraint assembly comprising:
- a mounting subassembly comprising: a first support post; a second support post; a cross member having a first end attached to the first support post and a second end attached to the second support post; and a latch rigidly attached to the cross member, and
- a locking plate positionable at a first plate position for engaging the latch and at a second plate position for releasing the latch; and
- a structural shell supported by the mounting subassembly, the structural shell pivotable about the mounting subassembly when the locking plate is in the second plate position thereby allowing rear or forward folding of the head restraint assembly.
2. The head restraint assembly of claim 1 wherein the locking plate is movable from the first plate position to the second plate position by pivoting.
3. The head restraint assembly of claim 1 wherein the locking plate is movable from the first plate position to the second plate position by translation.
4. The head restraint assembly of claim 3 wherein the locking plate has a release slot that allows the latch to pass through when the locking plate is in the second plate position thereby allowing pivoting of the structural shell about the mounting subassembly.
5. The head restraint assembly of claim 1 further comprising one or more bearings, the cross member having a section positioned within the one or more bearings thereby allowing rotation of the cross member within the one or more bearings when the locking plate is in the second plate position, the one or more bearing being attached to the structural shell.
6. The head restraint assembly of claim 1 wherein movement of the locking plate from the first plate position to the second plate position is initiated by a user pulling a cable in communication with the locking plate.
7. The head restraint assembly of claim 6 the cable passes through the first support post, the first support post having an open top section.
8. The head restraint assembly of claim 1 wherein movement of the locking plate from the first plate position to the second plate position is initiated by the movement of a push rod.
9. The head restraint assembly of claim 8 wherein the push rod is in communication with a button positionable on either side of the head restraint assembly.
10. The head restraint assembly of claim 8 wherein movement of the locking plate from the first plate position to the second plate position is initiated by a user pressing a button, the button being in communication with the locking plate.
11. The head restraint assembly of claim 1 wherein movement of the locking plate from the first plate position to the second plate position is initiated by an actuator.
12. The head restraint assembly of claim 1 further comprising a head restraint biasing member that acts to move the head restraint assembly from a first head restraint position to a second head restraint position when the locking plate is in the second plate position.
13. The head restraint assembly of claim 12 wherein the head restraint biasing member is a spring.
14. The head restraint assembly of claim 1 further comprising a locking plate biasing member that acts to move the locking plate into the first locking plate position.
15. A head restraint assembly comprising:
- a mounting subassembly comprising: a first support post; a second support post; a cross member having a first end attached to the first support post and a second end attached to the second support post; and a latch rigidly attached to the cross member, and
- a locking plate positionable at a first plate position for engaging the latch and at a second plate position for releasing the latch, the locking plate being movable from the first plate position to the second plate position by translation; and
- a structural shell supported by the mounting subassembly, the structural shell pivotable about the mounting subassembly when the locking plate is in the second plate position.
16. The head restraint assembly of claim 15 wherein the locking plate has a release slot that allows the latch to pass through when the locking plate is in the second plate position thereby allowing pivoting of the structural shell about the mounting subassembly.
17. The head restraint assembly of claim 15 wherein movement of the locking plate from the first plate position to the second plate position is initiated by a user pulling a cable in communication with the locking plate.
18. The head restraint assembly of claim 1 further comprising:
- a head restraint biasing member that acts to move the head restraint assembly from a first head restraint position to a second head restraint position when the locking plate is in the second plate position; and
- a locking plate biasing member that acts to move the locking plate into the first locking plate position.
19. A head restraint assembly comprising:
- a mounting subassembly comprising: a first support post; a second support post; a cross member having a first end attached to the first support post and a second end attached to the second support post; and a latch rigidly attached to the cross member, and
- a locking plate positionable at a first plate position for engaging the latch and at a second plate position for releasing the latch, locking plate being movable from the first plate position to the second plate position by pivoting; and
- a structural shell supported by the mounting subassembly, the structural shell pivotable about the mounting subassembly when the latch plate is in the second plate position.
20. The head restraint assembly of claim 19 further comprising:
- a head restraint biasing member that acts to move the head restraint assembly from a first head restraint position to a second head restraint position when the locking plate is in the second plate position; and
- a locking plate biasing member that acts to move the locking plate into the first locking plate position.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 28, 2007
Publication Date: Aug 28, 2008
Applicant: LEAR CORPORATION (Southfield, MI)
Inventors: Sai Prasad Jammalamadaka (Novi, MI), Arjun V. Yetukuri (Rochester Hills, MI), Gerald S. Locke (Lake Orion, MI)
Application Number: 11/680,517
International Classification: A47C 7/38 (20060101);