Headrest with a seat belt system

• US 6,290,299 B1
• Filed: 12/13/1999
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 21ST CENTURY GARAGE LLC
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Jacob, Wolfgang, Mack, Gerhard, Frisch, Arnulf, Janner, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr., Milton
• Application Number:
  US09/459,463
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 297/410, 297/391, 297/483, 297/464, 297/216.1, 297/216.12
• US Class Current: 297/410
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/818 with stepwise positioning
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/26 secured to the seat

Abstract

An arrangement for coupling the vertical position of a headrest assigned to a backrest of a motor vehicle seat with the withdrawal and retraction movement of a seat belt system with a belt retractor. When the seat belt is put on by a vehicle occupant sitting in the vehicle seat, the withdrawal movement of the belt strap is transformed into a movement of the headrest from a lower inoperative position into an upwardly displaced operative position. When the seat belt is taken off, the retraction movement of the belt strap is transformed into an opposite movement of the headrest back into the inoperative position. The arrangement comprises a locking unit for fixing the headrest can be fixed in its operative position. Starting from its operative position, the headrest can be vertically displaced with respect to the backrest and can be locked in the respective adjusted position.

Claims

1. In combination with a headrest and a backrest of a motor vehicle seat and a seat belt system, an arrangement is provided for coupling a vertical position of the headrest associated with the backrest with withdrawal and retraction movement of the seat belt system which includes a seat belt, a belt strap and a belt retractor, the arrangement comprising means for transforming withdrawal movement of the belt strap, to a position in which the seat belt is configured to be used by a vehicle occupant, into a movement of the headrest from a lower inoperative position into an upwardly displaced operative position and for transforming the retraction movement of the belt strap, from the position in which the seat belt is configured to be used, into an opposite movement of the headrest back into the inoperative position, and a locking unit for fixing the headrest in the operative position, wherein apparatus is provided for permitting, starting from the operative position, the headrest to be further selectively displaceable in the vertical direction with respect to the backrest to a desired adjusted position and to be lockable in the desired adjusted position.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the headrest takes place from the inoperative position into the operative position approximately in a longitudinal direction of the backrest.

3. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the locking unit comprises a lifting slide carriage which a movement coupled with the withdrawal and the retraction movements of the belt strap and is moveable together with the headrest between an upper position and a lower position, and a headrest receiving device for providing vertical adjustability of the headrest with respect to a distance thereof from the lifting slide carriage and being lockable in the adjusted position, the lifting slide carriage releasably lockable in the upper position on the backrest.

4. The combination according to claim 3, wherein a triggering line is associated with the locking unit for releasing the lifting slide carriage again from the upper position when a buckle of the seat belt system is unlatched.

5. The combination according to claim 3, wherein means is provided to maintain the distance constant during movement thereof from the inoperative position into the operative position and from the operative position back into the inoperative position.

6. The combination according to claim 3, wherein, in the upper position of the lifting slide carriage, guide rods associated with the lifting slide carriage are associated sleeves after overcoming a predetermined holding force.

7. The combination according to claim 3, wherein the lifting slide carriage is lockable approximately at a quarter to three quarters of a withdrawal length of the belt strap in the upper position.

8. The combination according to claim 3, wherein the lifting slide carriage is configured to be displaceable back into the lower position approximately at a quarter to three quarters of a retracted length of the withdrawn belt strap.

9. The combination according to claim 3, wherein the withdrawal and retraction movement of the belt strap is transformed by a gear unit into coupled movement of one of the lifting slide carriage and the headrest.

10. The combination according to claim 9, wherein the gear unit includes a friction wheel unit arranged to transform a translation movement of the belt strap into a rotatory movement.

11. The combination according to claim 9, wherein the gear unit includes a free wheel for uncoupling movement of the headrest from the retraction movement of the belt strap when the belt strap reaches an inoperative position thereof.

12. The combination according to claim 9, wherein the gear unit is arranged to be blocked in the upper and the lower position of the lifting slide carriage.

13. The combination according to claim 12, wherein in the upper position of the lifting slide carriage, the belt strap, while overcoming a frictional force, is arranged to be moveable with respect to a friction wheel of the gear unit.

14. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the seat belt system includes an automatic retractor system integratable in the motor vehicle seat.

15. The combination according to claim 1, wherein in the operative position, the headrest is arranged to be in contact with an upper end of the backrest.

16. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the seat belt system includes an automatic retractor system arranged to be spacable from the motor vehicle seat.

17. The combination according to claim 1, wherein one of an electric, pneumatic and hydraulic conveying unit transforms the withdrawal and retraction movement of the seat belt into coupled movement of a lifting slide carriage of the locking unit and of the headrest.