Adjustable headrest

• US 5,020,855 A
• Filed: 02/09/1990
• Issued: 06/04/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Prince (Wellman Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Prince (Wellman Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mersman, Wesley D., Spykerman, David J., Lindberg, Kenneth M., George, Philip C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonifanti, J.
• Application Number:
  US07/477,411
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 297/391, 297/409, 297/284, 248/118, 248/421, 403/297, 411/535, 411/536, 108/146, 74/530
• US Class Current: 297/391
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/809 vertically slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/838 Tiltable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/865 providing a fore-and-aft movement with respect to the occupant's head

Abstract

An adjustable headrest includes a rotatable member positioned between a stationary member and a movable member to which a padded head support is attached. The member has opposed staggered arcuate surfaces extending on opposite sides of a pivot point with one of the surfaces including teeth which selectively engage teeth on the movable member, while the remaining arcuate surface of the member engages a stationary portion of the headrest. A spring holds the teeth in removable engagement with each other and an articulated release arm selectively disengage the teeth to retract the head support.

Claims

1. An adjustable headrest comprising:

a stationary member and means for mounting said member to an upper portion of a seat back;

a movable member including head support cross arm means and means extending between said movable member and said stationary member for guideably supporting said movable member in its movement with respect to said stationary member; and

a pivoted adjustment member extending between said stationary member and said movable member and pivoted for holding said movable member in selected spaced relationship from said stationary member for adjustment of said movable member, wherein said adjustment member is pivotally coupled between said cross arm means.

2. The headrest as defined in claim 1 wherein said adjustment member comprises a pair of arcuate surfaces with one of said surfaces located on one side of the pivot point of said adjustment member and engaging a rear facing surface of said movable member and the other surface located on the other side of said pivot point and engaging a forward facing surface of said stationary member.

3. The headrest as defined in claim 2 wherein said other surface includes teeth and said movable member includes teeth which selectively interengage with said teeth of said adjustment member.

4. The headrest as defined in claim 3 and further including bias means coupled to said adjustment member and to said movable member for urging said teeth of said adjustment member into continuous engagement with said teeth of said movable member.

5. The headrest as defined in claim 4 and further including means coupled to said movable member for selectively urging said teeth of said adjustment member into disengagement with said teeth of said movable member such that said spring urges said movable member towards said movable member.

6. The headrest as defined in claim 5 wherein each of said arcuate surfaces is divided into a pair of spaced surfaces separated by a channel.

7. A vehicle headrest comprising:

a stationary member adapted to be mounted to a vehicle seat;

a movable member defining a head support, said movable member movably mounted to said stationary member; and

an adjustment member body having a pair of alternately staggered arcuate surfaces, said body including means for pivotally mounting said body between said stationary and said movable members, and means for locking said body in a predetermined rotated position.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein at least one of said arcuate surfaces is bifurcated.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said means for locking said body in a predetermined position includes teeth formed in said at least one arcuate surface for lockably engaging teeth formed on a mating surface of one of said headrest members.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said means for pivotally mounting said body includes a pivot pin and a floating member for pivotally receiving said pivot pin to allow said teeth to engage and disengage.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 and further including bias means urging said teeth into engagement.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 and further including a release member coupled to said body for urging said teeth into disengagement.

13. An adjustable headrest comprising:

a stationary member and means for mounting said member to an upper portion of a seat back;

a movable member including head support means and means extending between said movable member and said stationary member for guideably supporting said movable member in its movement with respect to said stationary member; and

a pivoted adjustment member extending between said stationary member and said movable member and pivoted for holding said movable member in selected spaced relationship from said stationary member for adjustment of said movable member, wherein said adjustment member includes a body having a pair of alternately staggered arcuate surfaces, said body including means for pivotally mounting said body between said stationary and movable members.

14. The headrest as defined in claim 13 and further including means for locking said adjustment member in a predetermined rotated position.

15. The headrest as defined in claim 14 wherein said means extending between said movable member and said stationary member comprises cross arm means.

16. The headrest as defined in claim 15 wherein said adjustment member is pivotally coupled between said cross arms.

17. The headrest as defined in claim 16 wherein said means for locking said adjustment member in a predetermined position includes teeth formed in said at least one arcuate surface for lockably engaging teeth formed on a mating surface of one of said headrest members.

18. The headrest as defined in claim 17 wherein at least one of said arcuate surfaces is bifurcated.

19. The headrest as defined in claim 18 and further including a release arm pivotally coupled to said movable member and extending in a channel defined by said bifurcated surfaces.

20. The headrest as defined in claim 19 wherein said release arm includes a hinged articulated end lifting said arm toward said cam when said arm is pulled to retract said movable member.