Head restraint mechanism and method of making same

• US 6,935,696 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2003
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gill Industries, Inc. (Gill Holding Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gill Industries, Inc. (Gill Holding Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Sutter, Robert R. Jr., Gauthier, Jeremy J., Ulman, Craig A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCPARTLIN, SARAH BURNHAM
• Application Number:
  US10/633,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20050029853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 297/408, 297/403, 297/391
• US Class Current: 297/408
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/38 for the head adjustable coupled to reclining or easy chairs A47C1/036
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/60 Use of locks or ledges for limiting the seat movement coin-freed apparatus for seats or footstools G07F17/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/85 with continuous positioning
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/853 characterised by their adjusting mechanisms, e.g. electric motors

Abstract

An articulating head restraint includes an armature with a cam. The cam has a lock acumination and a stop acumination. The armature fits within a structure composed of a bracket and a slave bracket. A slide, which is attached to a cable, rides within a slot on the bracket. When the slide is in the locked position, the lock acumination of the cam presses against the slide, restraining movement of the slide. When sufficient force is applied to the cable, the slide moves within the slot to an unlocked position. A torsion spring wrapped around the armature causes the armature to rotate to a stowed position.

Claims

1. An articulating head restraint comprising:

a bracket, the bracket having a slot;

an armature contained within the bracket, the armature having a first armature end and a second armature end, and the first armature end resides within a bracket hole and the second armature end resides within a slave bracket hole;

a cam having a lock acumination and a stop acumination, the cam fixedly attached to the armature;

a slide attached to the bracket, the slide moveable within the slot to a locked position so that, when the slide is in the locked position, the lock acumination is in contact with the slide thereby preventing rotation of the armature, where the slide has an unlocked position such that when the slide is in the unlocked position, the lock acumination is not in contact with the slide;

a torsion spring circumferentially disposed about the armature and configured so as to apply a torque on the armature tending to move the armature to a stowed position;

at least one rod for attaching a bun;

a coil spring attached to the bracket and to the slide and configured so as to tend to pull the slide to the locked position; and

a cable attached to the slide and configured such that a force applied to the cable will tend to pull the slide to the unlocked position.

2. The articulating head restraint of claim 1 further comprising a tab located in the bracket, the tab configured so as to receive a first end of the torsion spring.

3. The articulating head restraint of claim 2 further comprising:

a first rod attached to the armature;

a second rod attached to the armature; and

a second end of the torsion spring, the second end of the torsion spring attached to the second rod.

4. The articulating head restraint of claim 3 further comprising a first Teflon bearing located within the bracket hole and a second Teflon bearing located within the slave bracket hole.

5. The articulating head restraint of claim 4 further comprising a stop rivet attached to the bracket such that the stop acumination will strike the stop rivet to prevent rotation of the armature in a first direction.

6. The articulating head restraint of claim 5 where the coil spring is attached to the bracket.

7. The articulating head restraint of claim 6 further comprising a cable rivet, the coil spring attached to the slide by the cable rivet.

8. The articulating head restraint of claim 7 further comprising a cable attached to the cable rivet.

9. The articulating head restraint of claim 8 further comprising a washer, the washer attached to the slide.

10. The articulating head restraint of claim 9 further comprising a slave bracket, the slave bracket containing the slave bracket hole, the slave bracket fixedly attached to the bracket.

11. An articulating head restraint comprising:

an armature having a first armature end and a second armature end;

a torsion spring circumferentially disposed about the armature;

a bracket, the bracket having a slot and a bracket hole;

a slave bracket, the slave bracket having a slave bracket hole;

a cam attached to the armature, the cam having a lock acumination and a stop acumination;

a slide moveable within the slot from a locked position to an unlocked position, such that when the slide is in the locked position, the lock acumination is in contact with the slide such that the cam is prohibited from rotating, thereby preventing the armature from rotating;

a coil spring, the coil spring tending to move the slide to the locked position;

a cable, the cable attached to the slide such that when a force is applied to the cable, the slide tends to move to the unlocked position; and

a stop rivet for prohibiting motion of the armature, and the stop acumination is arranged to contact the stop rivet to prohibit motion of the armature.

12. The articulating head restraint of claim 11 further comprising a tab, the tab connected to the bracket, the torsion spring having a first torsion spring end, where the first torsion spring end is attached to the tab.

13. The articulating head restraint of claim 12 further comprising a first rod and a second rod are attached to the armature, and the torsion spring is attached to the second rod.

14. An articulating vehicle head restraint comprising:

a bracket;

an armature contained within the bracket, the armature having a first end;

a cam having a lock acumination, the cam fixedly attached to the armature;

a moveable locking element for engagement with the lock acumination to prevent rotation of the armature,

a torsion spring circumferentially disposed about the armature;

a rod for attaching a bun, the rod directly attached to the armature; and

a second spring attached to the bracket and to the moveable locking element for urging the moveable locking element into engagement with the lock acumination.

15. The articulating vehicle head restraint of claim 14 where the cam is proximal to the rod.

16. The articulating vehicle head restraint of claim 15 where the armature has a first end, and the cam is located between the first end and the torsion spring.

17. The articulating vehicle head restraint of claim 16 where the rod is located between the first end and the torsion spring.

18. The articulating vehicle head restraint of claim 17 further comprising a cable attached to the moveable locking element and configured such that a force applied to the cable will tend to disengage the moveable locking element from the lock acumination.

19. The articulating vehicle head restraint of claim 18 where the torsion spring is positioned proximal to the rod.