Active head restraint with wiring pass-through

• US 8,820,832 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2011
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Dumont, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, David R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brindley, Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US13/301,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20130127215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216.12, 297/217.3, 297/408, 297/410
• US Class Current: 297/217.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0264 characterised by the type of electrical connection, e.g. wiring, plugs or USB
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/6009 covering more than only the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/809 vertically slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/879 with additional features not related to head-rest positioning, e.g. heating or cooling devices or loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/888 with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0235 of flat type, e.g. LCD
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0017 Head-rests

Abstract

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a wire harness assembly for routing a wire harness through a vehicle seat back having an active head restraint system. The assembly can comprise a movable member configured to move relative to a seat frame in a vehicle fore-aft direction and can have a sleeve with a first end configured to receive a headrest. A harness guide is included with a guide tube and an attachment member that is connected to the guide tube and to the movable member, the guide tube having a first open end and a second open, and a guide passage that extends through the guide tube from the first open end to the second open end. A second end of the sleeve opposite the first end is located within the attachment member and configured such that the sleeve and the attachment member move with the movable member.

Claims

1. A wire harness assembly for routing a wire harness through a vehicle seat back having an active head restraint system, comprising:

a movable member configured to move relative to a seat frame in a vehicle fore-aft direction, the movable member having a sleeve with a first end configured to receive a headrest rod of the active head restraint system and a second end opposite the first end;

a guide tube for a wire harness; and

an attachment member connecting a first open end of the guide tube to the second end of the sleeve, wherein an upper end of the attachment member is attached to the second end of the sleeve and the a lower end of the attachment member is attached to the first open end of the guide tube, the guide tube having a guide passage that extends through the vehicle seat back from the first open end to a second open end, wherein the second end of the sleeve is located within the attachment member and configured such that the sleeve and the attachment member move with the movable member relative to the seat frame.

2. The wire harness assembly of claim 1, wherein the attachment member has an exterior wall, and wherein the exterior wall has a mounting structure configured to attach the attachment member to the movable member.

3. The wire harness assembly of claim 2, wherein the mounting structure comprises one or more projections extending from the exterior wall, and wherein the movable member defines one or more mounting apertures, with each of the projections configured to be received in a respective one of the mounting apertures in the movable member.

4. The wire harness assembly of claim 1, wherein the attachment member has a first end attached to the first open end of the guide tube with a first opening in communication with the first open end of the guide tube, and a second end having a second opening configured to receive the second end of the sleeve, the second opening being larger than the first opening.

5. The wire harness assembly of claim 4, wherein the attachment member has an attachment structure configured to attach the attachment member to the sleeve of the movable member.

6. The wire harness assembly of claim 5, wherein the attachment structure comprises an interior wall of the attachment member configured to contact an exterior portion of the sleeve and a clamp around the second end of the attachment member.

7. The wire harness assembly of claim 5, wherein the first end of the attachment member is sized to fit within the first open end of the guide tube.

8. The wire harness assembly of claim 1, wherein the guide tube is a flexible material.

9. A seat assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a frame having an upper end and a lower end;

a seat back supported by the frame;

a headrest having a headrest rod that supports the headrest with respect to the seat back, wherein a first end of the headrest rod is disposed within the headrest, and a second end of the headrest rod is disposed outside the headrest and is receivable within the seat back at the upper end of the frame;

an electrical component that is disposed within the headrest and has a wire harness extending from the electrical component through the headrest rod;

a movable member coupled to the upper end of the frame, the movable member configured to move relative to the frame in a fore-aft direction of the vehicle;

a sleeve coupled to the movable member with a first end configured to receive the headrest rod and a second end opposite the first end; and

a harness guide including a guide tube and an attachment member that is connected to the guide tube and to the sleeve, the guide tube having a first open end and a second open end that is spaced apart from the first open end, and a guide passage that extends through the guide tube from the first open end to the second open end, wherein an upper end of the attachment member is attached to the second end of the sleeve and the a lower end of the attachment member is attached to the first open end of the guide tube, wherein, when received in the seat back, the second end of the headrest rod is located within the guide tube past the attachment member such that the headrest rod and the attachment member move with the movable member relative to the frame of the seat back, with the wire harness exiting the second end of the headrest rod within the guide tube and extending through the guide passage of the guide tube through the second open end.

10. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 9, wherein the seat back has an exit aperture, and wherein the guide tube is coupled to the frame with the first open end of the guide tube positioned proximate to the movable member and the second open end of the guide tube positioned proximate to the lower end of the frame, such that the guide tube guides the wire harness from the headrest rod to the exit aperture of the seat back.

11. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 9, wherein the attachment member has a first end attached to the first open end of the guide tube and a first opening in communication with the first open end of the guide tube, and a second end having a second opening configured to receive the second end of the sleeve, the second opening being larger than the first opening.

12. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 11, wherein the first end of the attachment member is sized to fit within the first open end of the guide tube.

13. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 11, wherein the first open end of the guide tube and the sleeve move with the movable member of the frame.

14. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 9, wherein the attachment member has an exterior wall, and wherein the exterior wall has a mounting structure configured to attach the attachment member to the movable member of the frame.

15. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 14, wherein the mounting structure comprises one or more projections extending from the exterior wall, and wherein the movable member defines one or more mounting apertures, with each of the projections configured to be received in a respective one of the mounting apertures in the movable member.

16. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 9, wherein the attachment member has an attachment structure configured to attach the attachment member to the sleeve.

17. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 16, wherein the attachment structure comprises an interior wall of the attachment member configured to contact an exterior portion of the sleeve, and a clamp around the second end of the attachment member.

18. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 9, wherein the guide tube is a flexible material.

19. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 18, wherein the guide tube is configured to stretch due to contact with the second end of the headrest rod during movement of the movable member.

20. The vehicle seat assembly of claim 9, wherein the seat back includes a foam structure having a guide tube receiving portion formed therein, and the guide tube is received within the guide tube receiving portion of the foam structure.