Head restraint assembly with sliding latch

• US 8,246,116 B1
• Filed: 08/24/2010
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Elindo G. Castro, Robert R. Sutter Jr
• Inventors: Castro, Elindo G., Sutter, Robert R. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): White, Rodney B
• Application Number:
  US12/862,366
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 297/408, 297/410
• US Class Current: 297/408
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/844 Release mechanisms, e.g. buttons
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/856 movable to an inoperative or stowed position

Abstract

A head restraint assembly comprising a housing, an armature extending though opposite sides of the housing, at least one latch receiving member provided on the armature and coupled thereto for non-rotatable movement with respect to the armature, and a latch member extending though opposite sides of the housing. The latch member includes a projection that engages the at least one latch receiving member when the latch member is moved into a latched position.

Claims

1. A head restraint assembly which comprises:

a housing;

an armature which extends through opposite sides of the housing;

at least one latch receiving member provided on the armature and coupled thereto for non-rotatable movement with respect to the armature; and

a latch member which extends through opposite lateral sides of the housing for reciprocal sliding movement between latched and unlatched positions, the latch member including at least one integral projection that engages the at least one latch receiving member when the latch member is moved into the latched position.

2. A head restraint assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one latch receiving member includes a latch receiving notch and the latch member includes at least one engaging projection which engages the latch receiving notch when the latch member is moved into a latched position.

3. A head restraint assembly according to claim 2, wherein the latch receiving notch and the at least one engaging projection are complimentary and cooperatively tapered.

4. A head restraint assembly according to claim 2, wherein the at least one latch receiving member comprises a plurality of latch receiving members and the at least one engaging projection comprises a plurality of engaging projections.

5. A head restraint assembly according to claim 4, wherein the housing includes opposite side walls having through-holes through which the latch member can be moved and the plurality of engaging projections includes engaging projections that engage the through holes and prevent the latch member from rotating.

6. A head restraint assembly according to claim 1, wherein the housing supports a bun substrate tube.

7. A head restraint assembly according to claim 6, wherein the housing includes a main housing portion and a pair of front housing panels and the bun substrate tube is coupled to the pair of front housing panels.

8. A head restraint assembly according to claim 7, wherein the main housing portion includes a lower portion having the shape of a trough or channel into which the armature is positioned.

9. A head restraint assembly according to claim 1, wherein a pair of head restraint supports is coupled to opposite ends of the armature.

10. A head restraint assembly according to claim 9, wherein the opposite ends of the armature have non-circular shapes and the head restraint supports have complimentarily non-circular shaped through-holds which receive the opposite ends of the armature.

11. A head restraint assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one latch receiving member comprises a plurality of latch receiving members of which only one is non-rotatably coupled to the armature and the head restraint assembly further includes a stabilizer bar that couples each of the plurality of latch receiving members together so that none of the plurality of latch receiving members rotate with respect to the armature.

12. A head restraint assembly according to claim 11, wherein the stabilizer bar is provided with clip structures and the plurality of latch receiving members are configured to allow the stabilizer bar to be coupled thereto by the clip structures.

13. In a head restraint having a non-rotatable armature and a bun or headrest support configured to rotate with respect to the armature, the improvement comprising a latch assembly that comprises:

a housing;

at least one latch receiving member provided on the armature and coupled thereto for non-rotatable movement with respect to the armature; and

a latch member which extends through opposite lateral sides of the housing for reciprocal sliding movement between latched and unlatched positions, the latch member including at least one integral projection that engages the at least one latch receiving member when the latch member is moved into the latched position.

14. A head restraint assembly according to claim 13, wherein the at least one latch receiving member includes a latch receiving notch and the latch member includes at least one engaging projection which engages the latch receiving notch when the latch member is moved into a latched position.

15. A head restraint assembly according to claim 14, wherein the latch receiving notch and the at least one engaging projection are complimentarily and cooperatively tapered.

16. A head restraint assembly according to claim 14, wherein the at least one latch receiving member comprises a plurality of latch receiving members and the at least one engaging projection comprises a plurality of engaging projections.

17. A head restraint assembly according to claim 16, wherein the housing includes opposite side walls having through-holes through which the latch member can be moved and the plurality of engaging projections that engage the through-holes and prevent the latch member from rotating.

18. A head restraint assembly according to claim 16, wherein housing includes opposite side walls having through-holes through which the latch member can moved and the plurality of engaging projections includes engaging projections that engage the through-holes and prevent the latch member from rotating.

19. A head restraint assembly according to claim 13, wherein the at least one latch receiving member comprises a plurality of latch receiving members of which only one is non-rotatably coupled to the armature and the head restraint assembly further includes a stabilizer bar that couples each of the plurality of latch receiving members together so that none of the plurality of latch receiving members rotate with respect to the armature.

20. A head restraint assembly according to claim 19, wherein the stabilizer bar is provided with clip structures and the plurality of latch receiving members are configured to allow the stabilizer bar to be coupled thereto by the clip structures.

21. A head restraint assembly which comprises:

a housing;

an armature which extends through opposite sides of the housing;

at least one latch receiving member provided on the armature and coupled thereto for non-rotatable movement with respect to the armature;

a latch member which extends through opposite sides of the housing, the latch member including a projection that engages the at least one latch receiving member when the latch member is moved into a latched position;

wherein the at least one latch receiving member includes a latch receiving notch and the latch member includes at least one engaging projection which engages the latch receiving notch when the latch member is moved into a latched position; and

wherein the at least one latch receiving member comprises a plurality of latch receiving members and the at least one engaging projection comprises a plurality of engaging projections.

22. A head restraint assembly according to claim 21, wherein at least one latch receiving member comprises a plurality of latch receiving members and the at least one engaging projection comprises a plurality of engaging projections.

23. A head restraint assembly which comprises:

a housing;

an armature which extends through opposite sides of the housing;

at least one latch receiving member provided on the armature and coupled thereto for non-rotatable movement with respect to the armature;

a latch member which extends through opposite sides of the housing, the latch member including a projection that engages the at least one latch receiving member when the latch member is moved into a latched position;

wherein the housing supports a bun substrate tube; and

wherein the housing includes a main housing portion and a pair of front housing panels and the bun substrate tube is coupled to the pair of front housing panels.

24. A head restraint assembly according to claim 23, wherein the main housing portion includes a lower portion having the shape of a trough or channel into which the armature is positioned.

25. A head restraint assembly which comprises:

a housing;

an armature which extends through opposite sides of the housing;

at least one latch receiving member provided on the armature and coupled thereto for non-rotatable movement with respect to the armature;

a latch member which extends through opposite sides of the housing, the latch member including a projection that engages the at least one latch receiving member when the latch member is moved into a latched position;

wherein a pair of head restraint supports is coupled to opposite ends of the armature; and

wherein the opposite ends of the armature have non-circular shapes and the head restraint supports have complementarily non-circular shaped through-holes which receive the opposite ends of the armature.

26. A head restraint assembly which comprises:

a housing;

an armature which extends through opposite sides of the housing;

at least one latch receiving member provided on the armature and coupled thereto for non-rotatable movement with respect to the armature;

a latch member which extends through opposite sides of the housing, the latch member including a projection that engages the at least one latch receiving member when the latch member is moved into a latched position; and

wherein the at least one latch receiving member comprises a plurality of latch receiving members of which only one is non-rotatably coupled to the armature and the head restraint assembly further includes a stabilizer bar that couples each of the plurality of latch receiving members together so that none of the plurality of latch receiving members rotate with respect to the armature.

27. A head restraint assembly according to claim 26, wherein the at least one latch receiving member comprises a plurality of latch receiving members of which only one is non-rotatably coupled to the armature and the head restraint assembly further includes a stabilizer bar that couples each of the plurality of latch receiving members together so that none of the plurality of latch receiving members rotate with respect to the armature.

28. In a head restraint having a non-rotatable armature and a bun or headrest support configured to rotate with respect to the armature, the improvement comprising a latch assembly that comprises:

a housing;

at least one latch receiving member provided on the armature and coupled thereto for non-rotatable movement with respect to the armature;

a latch member which extends through opposite sides of the housing, the latch member including a projection that engages the at least one latch receiving member when the latch member is moved into a latched position;

wherein the at least one latch receiving member includes a latch receiving notch and the latch member includes at least one latch engaging projection which engages the latch receiving notch when the latch member is moved into a latched position; and

wherein the at least one latch receiving member comprises a plurality of latch receiving members and the at least one engaging projection comprises a plurality of engaging projections.

29. In a head restraint having a non-rotatable armature and a bun or headrest support configured to rotate with respect to the armature, the improvement comprising a latch assembly that comprises:

a housing;

at least one latch receiving member provided on the armature and coupled thereto for non-rotatable movement with respect to the armature;

a latch member which extends through opposite sides of the housing, the latch member including a projection that engages the at least one latch receiving member when the latch member is moved into a latched position; and

wherein the at least one latch receiving member comprises a plurality of latch receiving members of which only one is non-rotatably coupled to the armature and the head restraint assembly further includes a stabilizer bar that couples each of the plurality of latch receiving members together so that none of the plurality of latch receiving members rotate with respect to the armature.

30. A head restraint assembly according to claim 29, wherein the stabilizer bar is provided with clip structures and the plurality of latch receiving members are configured to allow the stabilizer bar to be coupled thereto by the clip structures.