Retractable headrest for seat assembly

• US 20020084686A1
• Filed: 01/03/2002
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Tooling Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Delta Tooling Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Takata, Yasuhide
• Granted Patent: US 6,612,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/408
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/856 movable to an inoperative or stowed position

Abstract

A retractable headrest assembly for a seat includes a headrest assembly mounted on a top portion of a seatback for pivotal movement between use and retracted positions about a first axis, and a retracting mechanism for toggling the headrest assembly to either of the use and retracted positions. The retracting mechanism includes a first shaft member defining the first axis and coupled with a seatback frame, embedded in the seatback, and a biasing element for urging the headrest assembly rearwardly about the first axis.

Claims

1. A retractable headrest assembly for a seat, comprising:

a headrest assembly mounted on a top portion of a seatback for pivotal movement between use and retracted positions about a first axis; and

a retracting mechanism for toggling the headrest assembly to either of the use and retracted positions, said retracting mechanism including a first shaft member defining said first axis and coupled with a seatback frame, embedded in the seatback, and a biasing means for urging the headrest assembly rearwardly about the first axis.

2. The retractable headrest assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retracting mechanism includes a pair of generally elongated support plate members pivotably mounted on opposite end portions of the first shaft member, the headrest assembly being mounted on the support plate members, and a second shaft member connected with the seatback frame and extending at a location laterally offset from the first shaft member, wherein the biasing means includes a coil spring having one end anchored to a portion of the side plate member and the other end anchored to the second shaft member whereby the headrest assembly is biased rearwardly at all time by the coil spring.

3. The retractable headrest assembly as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a stopper plate mounted on the second shaft member and having first and second stop protrusions defined therein, the first shaft member having its opposite ends connected with the respective stopper plates, and a stopper piece rigidly secured to the stopper plate and slidingly engageable with a peripheral edge of the stopper plate, the headrest assembly being held at the use position when the stopper piece is brought into abutment with the first stop protrusion, but held at the retracted position when the stopper piece is brought into abutment with the second stop protrusion.

4. A retractable headrest assembly for use in a seatback, comprising:

a headrest having a frame structure embedded therein, said frame structure having two spaced apart connecting portions, the headrest being supported for angular movement between use and retracted positions;

the seatback having a top portion formed with a recess configured to represent a shape substantially complemental to a shape of the headrest, said recess accommodating the headrest neatly therein when the headrest is moved to the retracted position;

generally elongated connecting members each coupled at one end with a corresponding seatback frame embedded in the seatback so as to extend generally transverse to the associated seatback frame, the elongated connecting members being axially aligned with each other to define a common axis and positioned on respective opposite sides of the recess;

generally ring-shaped stop plates each rigidly secured to the respective connecting member so as to lie in a plane perpendicular to the connecting member;

a bearing rod having its opposite ends coupled with the stop plates so as to extend parallel to, but be offset a distance from the common axis;

support plates pivotally mounted on the bearing rod and fixedly coupled with the connecting portions of the frame structure embedded in the headrest for movement together therewith; and

at least one biasing element connected between one of the support plates and one of the connecting member for retaining the headrest one of use and retracted positions about the bearing rod, said biasing element allowing the headrest to be toggled to either of the use and retracted positions as the headrest being pivoted about the bearing rod move past a top dead center position defined on one side of the bearing rod opposite to the common axis.