Head rest with forwardly pivotable pad mounted on friction hinge

• US 4,861,107 A
• Filed: 06/13/1988
• Issued: 08/29/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hoover Universal Incorporated (Adient plc)
• Original Assignee: Hoover Universal Incorporated (Adient plc)
• Inventors: Opalia, John P., Potes, Duane, Vidwans, Mohan P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GREEN, BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US07/208,032
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 297/391, 297/399, 297/403, 297/408, 403/91, 403/98, 403/113, 403/145, 74/526, 74/531
• US Class Current: 297/408
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/85 with continuous positioning

Abstract

A head rest for mounting on an automotive seat back comprises a rod fixed to the back, the rod having a generally horizontal mounting portion, a frame having a pad thereon, a mounting bracket secured to the frame, the bracket attaching the frame to the rod for pivotal movement of the frame forward and backward, and a frictional bushing sandwiched between the bracket and the frame. The bushing has a curved portion cupped over the mounting portion of the rod and fastening means clamping the frame and bracket together and biasing the friction bushing against the rod to resist pivoting of the frame about the rod. The rod further includes stop pins to limit the pivoting of the frame about the rod.

Claims

1. A head rest for mounting on an automotive vehicle seat back comprising:

a rod affixed to said back, said rod having a generally horizontal mounting portion;

a frame having a pad thereon;

a friction bushing substantially surrounding said horizontal mounting portion of said rod and in frictional engagement with said rod;

a mounting bracket secured to said frame, said bracket attaching said frame to said rod by sandwiching said rod and said friction bushing between said frame and said bracket for pivotal movement of said frame forward and backward about said horizontal mounting portion;

fastening means for clamping said frame and bracket together and biasing said friction bushing against said rod to apply a frictional force against said rod resisting pivoting of said frame about said rod; and

stop means fixed to said rod for limiting the movement of said frame relative to said rod to rotation through a limited arc, said frame being freely rotatable through said arc except for the resistance of said frictional force of said bushing on said rod.

2. The head rest according to claim 1 wherein said rod has two downwardly extending ends with said horizontal mounting portion therebetween.

3. The head rest according to claim 1 wherein said stop means comprises a pin passing through and projecting from a bore transversely through said rod, said bushing and said bracket having aligned slots therethrough through which said pin projects, said pin engaging the frame to limit rotation of the head rest in one direction and engaging said bracket at the other end of said pin to limit rotation of the head rest in the other direction.

4. The head rest according to claim 1 or 3 wherein the frame, the bracket, and the friction bushing each has a flange portion having at least one aligned hole therethrough spaced from said curved portion for passage of a bolt therethrough, said fastening means comprising a bolt and nut, said bolt passing through said aligned holes, said bolt and nut threadably engaged together to draw said flange portions together biasing said bushing against said rod.

5. The assembly according to claim 4 wherein said friction bushing is an elongated strip of plate plastic material having a J-shaped cross section with the curved portion wrapped around the mounting portion of said rod.

6. A head rest for use on an automotive vehicle seat back, said head rest comprising:

an inverted U-shaped rod affixed to said back, said rod having downwardly extending legs and a transverse portion between said legs;

an elongated friction bushing having a curved portion wrapped around and in frictional engagement with said transverse portion of said rod;

a head rest frame having a padded upright portion and a flange portion for attachment of said frame to said rod;

a bracket for securing said flange portion of said frame to said rod, said bracket having a mounting portion and a curved clamping portion, said clamping portion being positioned over and around said curved portion of said bushing on said rod, said mounting portion of said bracket being positioned adjacent said flange portion of said frame;

fastening means clamping said flange portion of said frame to said mounting portion of said bracket thereby mounting said frame to said rod and biasing said clamping portion of said bracket against said bushing and causing said bushing to apply a frictional force to said rod to resist rotation of said frame about said rod; and

stop means fixed to said rod for limiting the rotation of said frame about said rod.

7. The head rest according to claim 6 wherein said stop means comprises a pin passing through and projecting from a bore transversely through said rod, said bushing and said bracket having aligned slots therethrough through which said pin projects, said pin engaging the frame to limit rotation of the head rest in one direction and engaging said bracket at the other end of said pin to limit rotation of the rest in the other direction.