Vehicle seat

• US 5,934,750 A
• Filed: 02/13/1997
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH
• Original Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH
• Inventors: Fohl, Artur
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Peter R.
• Application Number:
  US08/800,023
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216.1, 297/216.12, 297/408
• US Class Current: 297/216.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/844 Release mechanisms, e.g. buttons
• 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

Abstract

In the event of a rear end collision the headrest of a vehicle seat is moved from a normal initial position to a position approximate to the vehicle occupant'"'"'s head under the effect of inertial forces occurring at a mass coupled to the headrest, thereby reducing the distance between the vehicle occupant'"'"'s head and the headrest.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat with a backrest, a headrest and support means to adjustably mount the headrest on said backrest, said headrest being provided with a mass body coupled thereto, said mass body being located to enable a displacement of the headrest relative to the support means in case of a force acting on the mass body and said headrest being movable from an initial position for use to a position in which the headrest is displaced for a predetermined distance mainly to the front of the vehicle under the effect of forces occurring at said mass body in a rear vehicle collision, said forces being caused by the inertia of the mass body.

2. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said headrest is provided with a horizontal axis connecting said headrest with said support means, said headrest being swivable about said axis and its center of gravity being below said axis.

3. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 2, wherein said support means comprises a mounting bracket which protrudes from said backrest, said horizontal axis being formed at said mounting bracket.

4. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 2, wherein said mass body is formed by a separate inertial body and said headrest forms a two-armed lever with an upper lever arm and a lower lever arm, said upper lever arm being substantially longer than said lower lever arm which has said separate inertial body coupled thereto, said separate inertial body being integrated in said headrest.

5. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said headrest is arranged translatory shiftable on said support means and is provided with a two-armed deflection element swivable about a horizontal axis connected with said support means, said headrest and said mass body being coupled by said two-armed deflection element.

6. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 3, wherein said mass body is formed by a separate inertial body and said support means is provided with a guide part, said headrest being mounted slidingly shiftable on the guide part, at which also said separate inertial body is guided slidingly shiftable and said deflection element being swivably mounted.

7. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 6, wherein said two-armed deflection element comprises an upper lever arm and a lower lever arm, said upper lever arm positively connected to said headrest being configured substantially longer than said lower lever arm positively engaging said inertial body.

8. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 7, wherein said headrest and said inertial body are each provided with a rack, said deflection element is formed by an upper and a lower gear segment rigidly coupled with each other and swivably mounted about the horizontal axis, said upper gear segment meshing with said rack on said headrest being configured substantially larger than said lower gear segment which meshes with said rack on said inertial body.

9. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 6, wherein said backrest is provided with two mounting arms protruding from said backrest, said guide part being secured to the mounting arms.

10. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said headrest comprises a region for contacting the head of a vehicle occupant which, during the movement of the headrest from the initial position for use to the position in which the headrest is displaced for a predetermined distance mainly to the front of the vehicle, covers a distance which is substantially greater than a distance simultaneously passed through by said mass body.

11. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said headrest is translatory shiftable and is provided with a deflection element swivable about a horizontal axis, said headrest and said mass body being coupled by said deflection element, said mass body being formed by a separate inertial body, said headrest and said inertial body being each provided with a recess, said deflection element forming a two-armed swivel lever with an upper end and a lower end, said upper end and said lower end being both barrel-rounded, said upper end engaging said recess of said headrest and said lower end engaging said recess of said inertial body.

12. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said headrest is urged by spring force into the initial position for use.

13. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said headrest is maintained in the initial position for use by a shearable holding element.

14. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said backrest comprises a region for shoulder support of a vehicle occupant, said headrest being provided with a harder upholstering material than said region for shoulder support.

15. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 1, wherein said headrest is locked in the position in which the headrest is displaced for a predetermined distance mainly to the front of the vehicle by a reverse travel inhibiting means selectively engaging said headrest and said support means.

16. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 15, wherein said reverse travel inhibiting means is deactivatable by a manual actuating element being coupled to said reverse travel inhibiting means.

17. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 15, wherein said reverse travel inhibiting means is activatable by the forces of inertia occurring on deceleration of said headrest in its position in which the headrest is displaced for a predetermined distance mainly to the front of the vehicle.

18. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 15, wherein said reverse travel inhibiting means comprises a locking lever swivably mounted outside of its center of gravity.

19. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 15, wherein a ratchet member is provided, said ratchet member being attached to one of said support means and said headrest and said reverse travel inhibiting means comprises a swivable locking lever being mounted on the other of said support means and said headrest which engages the ratchet member by friction action or positively.

20. The vehicle seat as set forth in claim 19, wherein said support means comprises a mounting bracket which protrudes from said backrest.