Crash-active head restraint

• US 7,344,191 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2007
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adient US, LLC (Adient plc)
• Original Assignee: Keiper GmbH & Company KG (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Schilling, Jürgen, Münster, Ralf, Heeg, Norbert, Hippel, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): MCPARTLIN, SARAH BURNHAM
• Application Number:
  US11/655,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20070152482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216.12
• US Class Current: 297/216.12
• 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 case of a head restraint (1) for a vehicle seat, with a support (5), at least two rockers (15, 25) which are arranged movably on the support (5) and are pivotable about horizontal spindles (7, 17), an impact element (13) which is coupled to the rockers (15, 25) and, with the rockers (15, 25) and the support (5), forms at least one four-bar linkage (31), and a spring (21) as an energy accumulator which drives the four-bar linkage (31) in the event of a crash, so that the impact element (13) extends forward out of a starting position into a crash position, at least one leg (25) of the spring (21) forms one of the rockers.

Claims

1. A head restraint that is for a vehicle seat and capable of operating advantageously in response to a crash, the head restraint comprising:

a support;

at least two pivotable members that are carried by the support for respectively pivoting about horizontal axes;

an impact element that is connected to the pivotable members so that the impact element together with the pivotable members and the support forms at least one four-bar linkage; and

a spring that is for accumulating energy and for driving said four-bar linkage in response to the crash, wherein

the head restraint is configured so that the impact element will move forwardly, from a starting position to a crash position, in response to said four-bar linkage being driven by the spring, and

the spring includes at least one leg, and the leg of the spring is one of the pivotable members of said four-bar linkage, so that said four-bar linkage is formed by

(a) the support,

(b) the leg of the spring being carried by the support for pivoting relative to the support about a first of the horizontal axes,

(c) a second of the pivotable members being carried by the support for pivoting relative to the support about a second of the horizontal axes,

(d) the impact element being pivotably connected to the leg of the spring, and

(e) the impact element being pivotably connected to the second pivotable member at a position that is distant from where the impact element is pivotably connected to the leg of the spring.

2. The head restraint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the leg of the spring protrudes radially from the first axis.

3. The head restraint as claimed in claim 2, wherein the leg is an outer portion of the spring.

4. The head restraint as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spring has a bent portion, the bent portion of the spring is connected to the leg of the spring, the bent portion of the spring is fastened to the impact element, and the impact element is pivotably connected to the leg of the spring by way of the bent portion of the spring being fastened to the impact element.

5. The head restraint as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the spring has an intercepting tongue;

the intercepting tongue is held by a latch while the impact element is in the starting position; and

the latch is mounted on the support.

6. The head restraint as claimed in claim 2, wherein the leg of the spring is positioned above the second pivotable member, whereby the leg of the spring is an upper pivotable member of said four-bar linkage, and the second pivotable member is a lower pivotable member of said four-bar linkage.

7. The head restraint as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the leg of the spring is a first leg,

the spring includes a second leg, and

the first and second legs of the spring are arranged symmetrically with respect to a center of the head restraint.

8. The head restraint as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spring is a continuous piece of spring steel wire.

9. The head restraint as claimed in claim 2, wherein another leg of the spring is at least partially supported on a metallic transverse rod, and the transverse rod is carried by the support.

10. The head restraint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the leg of the spring is an outer portion of the spring.

11. The head restraint as claimed in claim 10, wherein the spring has a bent portion, the bent portion of the spring is connected to the leg of the spring, the bent portion of the spring is fastened to the impact element, and the impact element is pivotably connected to the leg of the spring by way of the bent portion of the spring being fastened to the impact element.

12. The head restraint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spring has a bent portion, the bent portion of the spring is connected to the leg of the spring, the bent portion of the spring is fastened to the impact element, and the impact element is pivotably connected to the leg of the spring by way of the bent portion of the spring being fastened to the impact element.

13. The head restraint as claimed in claim 12, wherein the spring is a continuous piece of spring steel wire.

14. The head restraint as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the spring has an intercepting tongue;

the intercepting tongue is held by a latch while the impact element is in the starting position; and

the latch is mounted on the support.

15. The head restraint as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

the leg of the spring is a first leg,

the spring includes a second leg,

the first and second legs of the spring are arranged symmetrically with respect to a center of the head restraint, and

the intercepting tongue is positioned between the first and second legs.

16. The head restraint as claimed in claim 14, wherein the spring is a continuous piece of spring steel wire.

17. The head restraint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the leg of the spring is positioned above the second pivotable member, whereby the leg of the spring is an upper pivotable member of said four-bar linkage, and the second pivotable member is a lower pivotable member of said four-bar linkage.

18. The head restraint as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

the leg of the spring is a first leg,

the spring includes a second leg,

the first and second legs of the spring are arranged symmetrically with respect to a center of the head restraint,

said four-bar linkage is a first four-bar linkage, and

a second four-bar linkage includes

the second leg of the spring,

the impact element,

the support, and

a lower pivotable member that is carried by the support.

19. The head restraint as claimed in claim 18, wherein the spring is a continuous piece of spring steel wire.

20. The head restraint as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the leg of the spring is a first leg,

the spring includes a second leg, and

the first and second legs of the spring are arranged symmetrically with respect to a center of the head restraint.

21. The head restraint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spring is a continuous piece of spring steel wire.

22. The head restraint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spring is at least partially supported on a metallic transverse rod, and the transverse rod is carried by the support.