Headrest for a vehicle seat

• US 5,842,738 A
• Filed: 12/06/1996
• Issued: 12/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Mercedes-Benz AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Steiner, Martin, Mitschelen, Rolf, Knoll, Heinz
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Peter R.
• Application Number:
  US08/764,084
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216.2, 297/408, 280/730.1
• US Class Current: 297/216.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/847 with stepwise positioning
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/888 with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0011 Rear collision or recoiling bounce after frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2074 in head rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats

Abstract

A headrest for a vehicle seat is provided with a supporting loop and a head cushion mounted thereon and pivotable in a direction of a seat bottom. An adjusting device activated in the event of a collision is provided for displacing the head cushion relative to the supporting loop in such fashion that the head cushion directly abuts the nape of the neck and the back of the seat occupant'"'"'s head. To improve head support comfort by provision for individual adjustment of the head support contour to the needs of the seat occupant when asleep, the adjusting device is additionally equipped with a manual operating member that permits changing the setting of the head cushion without adversely affecting the protective function of the head cushion in the event of a collision.

Claims

1. Headrest for a vehicle seat with a supporting loop that has two parallel mounting rods for insertion into guide sleeves in the seat, with a head cushion mounted so that it can pivot on the supporting loop about a pivot axis located in an upper portion of the head rest with respect to a seat bottom, said cushion having a cushion support and upholstery fitted over the latter, and with an adjusting device operable in response to collision induced inertial forces to pivotally displace the head cushion relative to the supporting loop whereby the head cushion is moved forwardly for directly abutting a seat occupant in a nape of the neck and the back of the head,

wherein the adjusting device is operably connected between the headrest and the seat and includes a manually operated member for accommodating changing pivotal adjustment of the head cushion to respective comfortable seat occupant head supporting positions during normal driving.

2. Headrest according to claim 1, wherein the head cushion is mounted rotatably by its cushion support on a transverse axis located between mounting rods of the supporting loop,

wherein the head cushion is designed so that its center of gravity is located above the transverse axis,

wherein the adjusting device includes a locking device which comprises a row of teeth connected nonrotatably with one of the transverse axis and the mounting rods of the supporting loop, said row of teeth extending toward the bottom of the seat, and a locking pawl mounted on the cushion support with a locking tooth engaging the row of teeth,

wherein every tooth in the row of teeth has a gently sloping tooth flank and a steeply declining tooth flank located immediately adjacent thereto and facing the back of the head cushion,

wherein the locking tooth has a gently sloping tooth flank and a steeply declining tooth flank immediately adjacent thereto, said flank engaging behind the steeply declining tooth flank of a tooth in the row of teeth, and

wherein the manual operating member is coupled with the locking pawl to raise the locking tooth out of the row of teeth.

3. Headrest according to claim 2, wherein the locking pawl is tensioned in a spring-elastic manner on the cushion support.

4. Headrest according to claim 2, wherein the locking pawl is mounted rotatably on the cushion support, and wherein a locking spring that tensions the locking pawl causes the locking tooth to engage the row of teeth.

5. Headrest according to claim 4, wherein the manual operating member is designed as a handle connected with a transmission element, formed as one of a pull rod, a push rod, a cable, and a Bowden cable.

6. Headrest according to claim 2, wherein the row of teeth is provided on the periphery of one of a circular disk, a disk in the form of a segment of a circle, and a strip extending at right angles to the transverse axis.

7. Headrest according to claim 6, wherein the manual operating member is designed as a handle connected with a transmission element, formed as one of a pull rod, a push rod, a cable, and a Bowden cable.

8. Headrest according to claim 2, wherein the manual operating member is designed as a handle connected with a transmission element, formed as one of a pull rod, a push rod, a cable, and a Bowden cable.

9. Headrest according to claim 1, wherein the cushion support is mounted pivotably on a transverse axis mounted in an upper area of the head cushion between mounting rods of a supporting member,

wherein an inflatable airbag that lodges between the cushion support and the mounting rods when inflated is located in a lower area of the head cushion,

wherein the airbag is connected on one side to a compressed air reservoir that empties abruptly in the event of a collision and on the other side by a filling and venting valve to a compressed air source, and

wherein the operating member is designed as a switch for switching the filling and venting valve from its basic position in which it blocks a connection between the compressed air source and the airbag into a venting position for venting the airbag.

10. Headrest according to claim 9, wherein the airbag is of a size and shape such that upon inflation in the event of a collision it emerges at an underside of the head cushion and extends tubewise into the nape of the neck area of the seat occupant.

11. Headrest according to claim 10, wherein a dimensionally stable flap is located on an underside of the head cushion between the cushion support and the mounting rods of the supporting loop, said flap, in an airbag that is partially filled by the compressed air source, filling the area between the mounting rods and the cushion support and being so designed that it is disengaged or torn free by the airbag when inflated by the compressed air reservoir in a collision, and abuts the mounting rods as a supporting surface for the tubular part of the airbag that emerges from the head cushion.

12. Headrest according to claim 11, wherein the flap is made in two parts with a joint that connects the two flap parts, and

wherein one flap part is mounted in a pivotably movable fashion with its edge remote from the joint on the supporting loop and the other flap part is releasably mounted on the underside of the cushion support.

13. Headrest according to claim 12, wherein the airbag is divided into two different size air chambers, and

wherein the smaller air chamber is located at the top inside the head cushion and is connected to the compressed air source and the larger air chamber is located at a lower end of the head cushion and is connected to the compressed air reservoir.

14. Headrest according to claim 11, wherein the airbag is divided into two different size air chambers, and

wherein the smaller air chamber is located at the top inside the head cushion and is connected to the compressed air source and the larger air chamber is located at a lower end of the head cushion and is connected to the compressed air reservoir.

15. Headrest according to claim 10, wherein a slide is guided displaceably lengthwise on the mounting rods of the supporting loop, said slide being transferable from a basic position in which it is located inside the head cushion into a displaced position in which it projects downward out of the head cushion, and

wherein a collar plate that projects forward at right angles to a leading edge of the head cushion is located on the slide, said plate, when the airbag is partially filled by the compressed air source, covering a resulting opening on the underside of the head cushion and also forming a force-accepting surface for displacement of the slide by the airbag that inflates in the event of a collision.

16. Headrest according to claim 15, wherein the airbag is divided into two different size air chambers, and

wherein the smaller air chamber is located at the top inside the head cushion and is connected to the compressed air source and the larger air chamber is located at a lower end of the head cushion and is connected to the compressed air reservoir.

17. Headrest according to claim 10, wherein the airbag is divided into two different size air chambers, and

wherein the smaller air chamber is located at the top inside the head cushion and is connected to the compressed air source and the larger air chamber is located at a lower end of the head cushion and is connected to the compressed air reservoir.

18. Headrest according to claim 9, wherein the airbag is divided into two different size air chambers,

wherein the smaller air chamber is located at the top inside the head cushion and is connected to the compressed air source and the larger air chamber is located at a lower end of the head cushion and is connected to the compressed air reservoir.

19. A vehicle headrest assembly comprising:

a pivotally mounted cushion support which in use is forwardly disposed behind a vehicle occupant'"'"'s head for supporting said head during normal driving operations and pivots about a pivot axis located on an upper portion of the headrest,

cushioning upholstery fitted over the cushion support,

a collision responsive adjusting device for automatically pivotally moving the cushion support to a position where the cushioning upholstery is more closely adjacent a head and nape of a neck of a seat occupant in response to collision induced inertial forces, and

a manually operable operating member engageable with an adjusting support and operably connected to the headrest for selectively changing the pivotal position of the cushion support and cushioning upholstery for improving occupant head support comfort during normal driving operations,

whereby the adjusting support provided for the event of a collision and operably connected to the headrest is also used for selective adjustment of the position of the cushion upholstery.

20. An assembly according to claim 19, wherein the collision responsive adjusting support includes relatively movable toothed members, and

wherein the manually operable operating member is disposed to disengage the toothed members to accommodate pivoting adjusting movement of the cushion support.

21. As assembly according to claim 19, wherein said adjusting support includes an airbag which is selectively inflatable and ventable in response to movement of the operating member.

22. A vehicle headrest assembly comprising:

a cushion support with cushioning upholstery fitted thereover which in use is forwardly disposed behind a vehicle occupant'"'"'s head for supporting said head during normal driving operations,

pivotal mounting means located on an upper portion of the headrest for accommodating pivotal movement of the cushion support about a pivot axis,

collision responsive adjusting support means for automatically pivoting the cushion support toward a position where the cushioning upholstery is moved to a position further supporting a nape of the neck and back of the head of an occupant in response to rear end collision induced inertial forces, and

manually operable adjusting means engageable with the adjusting support means and operably connected to the headrest to accommodate selective occupant adjustment of the pivotal position of the cushion support for improving occupant head cushion support during normal driving operations without adversely affecting operation of the collision response adjusting support means.