Vehicle seat with headrest adjustable on the backrest

• US 5,882,071 A
• Filed: 08/01/1997
• Issued: 03/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH
• Inventors: Fohl, Artur
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Peter R.
• Application Number:
  US08/904,673
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216.1, 297/216.12, 297/216.13, 297/216.14, 280/748, 280/751, 280/753
• US Class Current: 297/216.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/853 characterised by their adjusting mechanisms, e.g. electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/865 providing a fore-and-aft movement with respect to the occupant's head
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/888 with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest

Abstract

A vehicle seat for a vehicle occupant has a backrest, a headrest arranged adjustable on the backrest and being movable from a normal starting position into a restraint position approximating the head of the vehicle occupant, a vehicle-sensitive activatable positioner and a flexible traction transmitting means connecting the headrest and the positioner. The positioner moves the headrest in the case of a rear end collision of the vehicle from the normal starting position into the restraint position by transmitting force via the traction transmitting means. The traction transmitting means extends through the backrest.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat for a vehicle occupant, said seat comprising a backrest, a headrest displaceably attached to said backrest and being movable from a normal starting position forwardly in a substantially horizontal direction into a restraint position by a headrest displacing force, a vehicle-sensitive activatable positioner generating said headrest displacing force and a flexible traction transmitting means, said traction transmitting means being coupled with said positioner and connecting said headrest and said positioner, said positioner moving said headrest in the case of a rear end collision of the vehicle from said normal starting position into said restraint position by transmitting said headrest displacing force via said traction transmitting means, and said traction transmitting means extending through said backrest.

2. The vehicle seat is set forth in claim 1 wherein said positioner is arranged in said backrest.

3. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said positioner is arranged under said vehicle seat.

4. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said positioner is a piston/cylinder linear drive activatable pyrotechnically.

5. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said positioner is a piston/cylinder linear drive activatable by a stored compressed gas.

6. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said traction transmitting means is freely movable in said backrest of said vehicle seat in such a manner and installed with such a length in reserve that it compensates changes in length due to a shifting in position of at least one of said headrest and of said backrest.

7. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said traction transmitting means is a Bowden cable.

8. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said positioner is equipped with a return stop.

9. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of a horizontally disposed linear guide and slightly inclined linear guide is provided and wherein said headrest comprises a mounting section which is received in said linear guide for a linear shift in the position of said headrest in the direction of the head of said vehicle occupant.

10. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 9, wherein said linear guide is height-adjustable.

11. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 9, wherein said traction transmitting means directly engages said mounting section and linearly shifts said headrest in a crash situation.

12. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 9, wherein a rotatably mounted pinion gear having teeth and having a flange is provided and wherein said mounting section having counter teeth which mate with said teeth of said pinion gear, said traction transmitting means circumferentially enclosing said flange of said pinion gear at least in part and being secured to said pinion gear to enable said pinion gear to be caused to rotate by shifting said traction transmitting means.

13. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 9, wherein a swivably mounted lever having at least two arms is provided, said traction transmitting means being secured to one arm of which, the second arm of which engaging said mounting section.

14. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1, wherein a retaining means is provided which is attached to both said backrest and said headrest to fixedly secure said headrest and said backrest to each other and maintain said headrest in said starting position.

15. A vehicle seat for a vehicle occupant, said seat comprising a backrest, a headrest displaceably attached to said backrest and being movable from a normal starting position forwardly in a substantially horizontal direction into a restraint position by a headrest displacing force, a vehicle-sensitive activatable positioner generating said headrest displacing force, a flexible traction transmitting means, and a tubular bracket having hollow legs, by means of which said headrest being mounted on said backrest, said traction transmitting means being coupled with said positioner and connecting said headrest and said positioner, said positioner moving said headrest in the case of a rear end collision of the vehicle from said normal starting position into said restraint position by transmitting said headrest displacing force via said traction transmitting means, said traction transmitting means extending through said backrest, and said traction transmitting means being a Bowden cable guided through one of said legs.

16. A vehicle seat for a vehicle occupant, said seat comprising a backrest, a headrest displaceably attached to said backrest and being movable from a normal starting position forwardly in a substantially horizontal direction into a restraint position by a headrest displacing force, a vehicle-sensitive activatable positioner generating said headrest displacing force and a flexible traction transmitting means, said traction transmitting means being coupled with said positioner and connecting said headrest and said positioner, said positioner moving said headrest in the case of a rear end collision of the vehicle from said normal starting position into said restraint position by transmitting said headrest displacing force via said traction transmitting means, said traction transmitting means extending through said backrest, wherein a retaining means is provided which maintains said headrest in said starting position, and said retaining means being one of a shear pin and a latching spring each of which being overcome on activation of said positioner.

17. A vehicle seat for a vehicle occupant, said seat comprising a backrest, a headrest displaceably attached to said backrest and being movable from a normal starting position forwardly in a substantially horizontal direction into a restraint position by a headrest displacing force, a vehicle-sensitive activatable positioner generating said headrest displacing force and a flexible traction transmitting means, said traction transmitting means being coupled with said positioner and connecting said headrest and said positioner, said positioner moving said headrest in the case of a rear end collision of the vehicle from said normal starting position into said restraint position by transmitting said headrest displacing force via said traction transmitting means, said traction transmitting means extending through said backrest, wherein said positioner is equipped with a piston/cylinder linear drive having a return stop, said piston/cylinder linear drive having a cylinder with a cylinder wall and a piston arranged within said cylinder, said return stop being formed by at least one roll body, said piston having a ramp surface, said roll body being carried by said ramp surface of said piston and being maintained in spring engagement with said cylinder wall, and said roll body being moved outwardly on said ramp surface upon displacement of said headrest from said restraint back to said normal starting position to be clamped between said ramp surface and said cylinder.

18. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 17, wherein said cylinder wall is deformable by said roll body in the sense of a force limitation by material plastic deformation upon movement of said roll body outwardly on said ramp surface into said cylinder wall.

19. A vehicle seat for a vehicle occupant, said seat comprising a backrest, a headrest displaceably attached to said backrest and being movable from a normal starting position forwardly in a substantially horizontal direction into a restraint position by a headrest displacing force, a vehicle-sensitive activatable positioner generating said headrest displacing force and a flexible traction transmitting means, said traction transmitting means being coupled with said positioner and connecting said headrest and said positioner, said positioner moving said headrest in the case of a rear end collision of the vehicle from said normal starting position into said restraint position by transmitting said headrest displacing force via said traction transmitting means, said traction transmitting means extending through said backrest, said cylinder having a pressure space and a pressure-relief valve, said pressure space being pressure-relievable by said pressure-relief valve so that said positioner is deactivated when contact between said head of said vehicle occupant and said headrest is sensed by measuring an increased pressure within said pressure space.