Active material actuated headrest assemblies

• US 7,448,678 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2007
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Browne, Alan L., Johnson, Nancy L., Ukpai, Ukpai I., Chernoff, Adrian B., Khoury, James Y., Glaser, Rainer A., Zavattieri, Pablo D.
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US11/736,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20070246979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216.12
• US Class Current: 297/216.12
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/38 for the head adjustable coupled to reclining or easy chairs A47C1/036
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/806 movable or adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/865 providing a fore-and-aft movement with respect to the occupant's head
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/885 provided with side-rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/981 Warning systems, e.g. the seat or seat parts vibrates to warn the passenger when facing a danger

Abstract

A headrest assembly including active material drivenly coupled to a headrest component, such as for example, an interior frame member, bag, or gear device ,wherein the material is actuated upon receipt of an activation signal, and configured to morph, reposition, reduce the resistance of, change a modulus property of, or otherwise modify an engaging surface defined by the headrest when actuated, and autonomously restore the headrest upon the deactivation of the material.

Claims

1. A headrest adapted for use with the head of an occupant, the headrest comprising:

a post extending from a seatback;

a padded covering defining an engaging surface at a first location relative to the head, wherein the surface presents a first modulus property;

a frame disposed within the padded covering; and

an active material selected from the group consisting essentially of shape memory alloy, a ferromagnetic shape memory alloy, a shape memory polymer, a magnetorheological elastomer, an electrorheological elastomer, an electroactive polymer, a piezoelectric material, a magnetorheological fluid, an electrorheological fluid, a shear thickening fluid, a shear thinning fluid, and combinations thereof, disposed within the padded covering, in operative communication with a portion of the surface, and presenting a first condition,

said material being configured to undergo a change in at least one property upon receipt of an activation signal, so as to achieve a second condition,

said covering, frame, and material being cooperatively configured such that the change in at least one property is effective to re-position the surface to a second location relative to the head or change the modulus property of the surface to a second modulus property, and deactivating the signal autonomously returns the surface to the first location or first modulus property.

2. The headrest of claim 1, wherein the padded covering comprises an active material.

3. The headrest of claim 1, wherein the property is selected from the group consisting essentially of shape, dimension, phase, shape orientation, stiffness, shear strength, viscosity, and combinations thereof.

4. The headrest of claim 1, wherein the activation signal is selected from the group consisting essentially of a thermal activation signal, an electric activation signal, a magnetic activation signal, a chemical activation signal, a mechanical load, and combinations thereof.

5. The headrest of claim 1, further comprising an activation device configured to provide the activation signal to the active material.

6. The headrest of claim 1, wherein the active material defines a framing members of the frame.

7. The headrest of claim 1, wherein the headrest further comprises wing portions extending from a central portion, wherein the change in the at least one property of the active material is effective to selectively orient the wing portions relative to the central portion.

8. The headrest of claim 1, further comprising a bladder in operative communication with the headrest surface, wherein the active material is a fluid disposed within the bladder, said at least one property is selected from the group consisting essentially of the effective viscosity, shear strength, and volume of the fluid, and the change in said at least one property is effective to change the resistance of the headrest surface to deformation.

9. The headrest of claim 1, further comprising at least one gear and a rotatable member disposed within the padded covering, wherein said gear is drivenly coupled to the surface, the gear and member are intermediately coupled by the material, and the material is selected from the group consisting essentially of shear thinning fluids, shear thickening fluids, MR fluids, and ER fluids.

10. A headrest assembly comprising:

a central portion;

a first wing portion coupled to one side of the central portion;

a second wing portion coupled to an other side of the central portion;

a frame for supporting and defining the wing and central portions, wherein the frame has interconnecting members formed of an active material selected from the group consisting essentially of a shape memory alloy, a ferromagnetic shape memory alloy, a shape memory polymer, a magnetorheological elastomer, an electrorheological elastomer, an electroactive polymer, a piezoelectric material, a magnetorheological fluid, an electrorheological fluid, a shear thickening fluid, a shear thinning fluid, and combinations thereof, wherein the active material is configured to selectively change a position of the wing and/or central portions or change a modulus property of the wing portions relative to the central portion.

11. The headrest of claim 10, wherein the interconnecting members are plates.

12. The headrest of claim 10, further comprising a sensor configured to detect a condition and activate the active material.