Occupant restraining head rest and seat belt

• US 4,725,076 A
• Filed: 08/25/1986
• Issued: 02/16/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Taylor, Edward F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertsch, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US06/899,871
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 280/801, 280/807, 280/808, 297/61, 297/391, 297/395, 297/468, 297/474, 297/483, 297/410
• US Class Current: 280/808
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/838 Tiltable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/879 with additional features not related to head-rest positioning, e.g. heating or cooling devices or loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/08 having the belt retractor mounted on or in a vehicle closure, e.g. the door
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/18 Anchoring devices

Abstract

A vehicle head rest is pivotally mounted on the vehicle roof. An occupant seat belt includes a shoulder belt having its upper end connected to the head rest so that lockup of the retractor locks the shoulder belt to tether the head rest at an occupant restraining position. The upper end of the shoulder belt may pass slidably through the head rest and have its end attached to the seat so that the occupant restraining load imposed on the seat belt is divided between the head rest and the seat. In addition, spiral spring may have an upper end wound around the pivot axis of the head rest, and intermediate portion extending slidably through the head rest and a lower end attached to the seat backs so that fore and aft adjusting movement of the seat winds and unwinds the spiral spring which in turn adjusts the head rest forwardly and rearwardly in coordination with the seat.

Claims

1. In a motor vehicle body having an occupant seat movably mounted within an occupant compartment defined by a roof structure and a door, an occupant head restraint system comprising:

a head rest having a frame and a cushion, pivot means mounting the head rest on the vehicle roof structure for forward and rearward movement, and connecting means extending between the seat and the head rest acting to pivot the head rest forwardly and rearwardly upon corresponding movement of the seat to establish the head rest at a location appropriate to the location of the seat.

2. In a motor vehicle body having an occupant seat movably mounted within an occupant compartment defined by a roof structure and a door, an occupant head restraint system comprising:

a head rest having a frame and a cushion, pivot means mounting the head rest on the vehicle roof structure for forward and rearward movement, an occupant restraining shoulder belt having an upper end connected to the head rest and a lower end retractably mounted on the vehicle body by a locking retractor, said shoulder belt acting in response to movement of the seat to pivot the head rest forwardly and rearwardly upon corresponding movement of the seat to establish the head rest at a location appropriate to the location of the seat, said shoulder belt further acting upon locking of the shoulder belt locking retractor to tether the head rest against pivoting movement relative to the roof to thereby provide effective occupant head restraint.

3. In a motor vehicle body having an occupant seat movably mounted for forward and rearward adjusting movement within an occupant compartment defined by a roof structure and a door, an occupant head restraint system comprising:

a head rest having a frame and a cushion, pivot means mounting the head rest on the vehicle roof structure and defining an axis for forward and rearward pivotal movement of the head rest, and a spiral spring having an inner end spiraled around the axis of the head rest pivot means, an intermediate portion passing slidably through the head rest, and an outer end attached to the seat, whereby upon forward and rearward movement of the seat, the spiral spring is wound and unwound from the head rest and the headrest is pivoted forwardly and rearwardly upon corresponding movement of the seat to establish the head rest at a location appropriate to the location of the seat.

4. In a motor vehicle body having an occupant seat movably mounted for forward and rearward adjusting movement within an occupant compartment defined by a roof structure and a door, an occupant head restraint system comprising:

a head rest having a frame and a cushion, pivot means mounting the head rest on the vehicle roof structure and defining an axis for forward and rearward pivotal movement of the head rest, an occupant restraining shoulder belt having an upper end connected to the head rest and a lower end retractably mounted on the vehicle body by a locking retractor, and a spiral spring having an inner end spiraled around the axis of the head rest pivot means, an intermediate portion passing slidably through the head rest, and an outer end attached to the seat, whereby upon forward and rearward movement of the seat, the spiral spring is wound and unwound from the head rest and the headrest is pivoted forwardly and rearwardly upon corresponding movement of the seat to establish the head rest at a location corresponding to the adjusted position of the seat and upon locking of the shoulder belt locking retractor the shoulder belt tethers the head rest against pivoting movement relative to the roof to thereby provide effective occupant head restraint.

5. In a motor vehicle body having an occupant seat movably mounted on the floor within an occupant compartment defined by a roof structure and a door, an occupant head restraint system comprising:

a head rest having a frame and a cushion and a slot extending transversely through the head rest, pivot means mounting the head rest on the vehicle roof structure for forward and rearward movement, an occupant restraining shoulder belt having a lower end retractably mounted on the vehicle body by a locking retractor and an upper end passing slidably through the transverse extending slot of the head rest and attached to the seat, said shoulder belt acting in response to movement of the seat to pivot the head rest forwardly and rearwardly upon corresponding movement of the seat to establish the head rest at a location appropriate to the location of the seat, said shoulder belt further acting upon locking of the shoulder belt locking retractor to tether the head rest against pivoting movement relative to the roof to thereby provide effective occupant head restraint and the occupant restraint load imposed on the shoulder belt being transmitted partly to the vehicle roof by the head rest and partly to the floor by the seat.