Articulating headrest assembly

• US 9,061,616 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2013
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kondrad, Marc, Line, Johnathan Andrew, Talamonti, Joe S., Jaranson, John W., Ferretti, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr., Milton
• Application Number:
  US13/749,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20140203611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 297/408, 297/410, 297/61, 297/409
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0252 with relations between different adjustments, e.g. height of headrest following longitudinal position of seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/22 the back-rest being adjustable B60N2/2878 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2222 the back-rest having two or more parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/34 into a bed
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/643 shape of the back-rests B60N2/66 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/838 Tiltable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/853 characterised by their adjusting mechanisms, e.g. electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/862 with means for maintaining a desired position when the seat-back is adjusted, e.g. parallelogram mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/865 providing a fore-and-aft movement with respect to the occupant's head

Abstract

A vehicle seating assembly includes a seatback, a headrest, and a support structure that extends between the headrest and the seatback. The support structure includes a primary member, a secondary member, and a trim piece that encloses the primary and secondary members. The primary member pivotally couples with the headrest and the seatback. The secondary member has an upper end and a lower end. The upper end pivotally couples with the headrest about a lateral axis and is spaced from the primary member. A first actuator couples between with the primary member and the seatback for rotating the headrest between a rearward position and a forward position. A second actuator couples between the lower end of the secondary member and the seatback to move the headrest between a first angle and a second angle.

Claims

1. A vehicle seating assembly comprising:

a seatback;

a headrest;

a support structure extending between the headrest and the seatback, including;

a primary member pivotally coupled with the headrest and the seatback;

a secondary member having an upper end and a lower end, wherein the upper end is pivotally coupled with the headrest about a lateral axis spaced from the primary member; and

a trim piece enclosing the primary and secondary members;

a first actuator coupled between the primary member and the seatback for rotating the headrest between a rearward position and a forward position; and

a second actuator coupled between the lower end of the secondary member and the seatback for moving the headrest between a first angle and a second angle.

2. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein the seatback is pivotally coupled with a seat and movable between an upright position and a reclined position, and wherein the headrest automatically moves to the forward position when the seatback moves from the upright position to the reclined position.

3. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, wherein a bottom end of the primary member is pivotally coupled with the seatback and includes a cam portion extending from the bottom end to couple with the first actuator.

4. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

an upper back support pivotally coupled to an intermediate portion of the seatback and movable between a rear position and a deployed position; and

an external peripheral gap between the upper back support and the seatback, wherein the gap expands when the upper back support moves from the rear position to the deployed position.

5. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 4, further comprising:

an upper suspension component coupled between the upper back support and the seatback and including outwardly extending flex members operably coupled to the upper back support.

6. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 4, wherein an actuation device is operably coupled to the upper back support to move the upper back support between the rear and deployed positions, and wherein the upper back support in the deployed position is configured to abut the headrest in the forward position.

7. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 4, wherein the headrest includes a head support surface and the upper back support includes a back support surface, and wherein the second angle of the headrest aligns the head support surface with the back support surface with the upper back support in the deployed position.

8. A vehicle headrest assembly comprising:

a headrest;

a primary member coupled between the headrest and a seatback;

a first motor operably coupled with the primary member to rotate the primary member forward and adjust the headrest position;

a secondary member coupled with the headrest about an axis spaced from the primary member; and

a second motor operably coupled with the secondary member to linearly actuate the secondary member and adjust the headrest angle.

9. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 8, further comprising:

an upper back support pivotally coupled to an intermediate portion of the seatback and movable between a rear position and a deployed position;

wherein the first and second motors operate to adjust the headrest position and the headrest angle to substantially align with the upper back support in the rear and deployed positions.

10. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 8, further comprising:

a cam portion extending from the primary member proximate the seatback, wherein the cam portion pivotally couples with a linear drive extending from the first motor.

11. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 10, wherein the first motor moves the linear drive between a first position and a second position to rotate the primary member and adjust the headrest position between a rearward position and a forward position.

12. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 8, wherein the second motor linearly actuates the secondary member to rotate the headrest about the primary member and adjust the headrest angle between a first angle and a second angle.

13. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 12, wherein the secondary motor is configured to move the headrest angle between the first and second angle automatically when the seatback moves from an upright position to a reclined position.

14. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 8, wherein the primary member includes a first edge portion, a second edge portion, and a central body extending therebetween, wherein the first edge portion and the second edge portion are independently pivotally coupled between the headrest and a seatback.

15. The vehicle headrest assembly of claim 14, wherein the secondary member couples with the headrest between the first and second edge portions of the primary member, and wherein the central body includes a notch proximate the headrest for the secondary member to reside.

16. A vehicle headrest assembly comprising:

a headrest having front and rear surfaces;

an upper seatback having first and second actuators;

a primary member pivotally coupled between the headrest and the first actuator, and movable to adjust a position of the headrest; and

a secondary member pivotally coupled between the headrest and the second actuator, and movable to adjust an angle of the headrest, the primary and secondary members being pivotally coupled with the rear surface of the headrest.

17. A vehicle headrest assembly of claim 16, wherein a first lateral axis between the primary member and the headrest is spaced from a second lateral axis between the secondary member and the headrest.

18. A vehicle headrest assembly of claim 16, wherein the primary member has a lower end pivotally coupled with the seatback and a cam portion extending from the lower end and pivotally coupled with the first actuator.

19. A vehicle headrest assembly of claim 18, wherein the secondary member has a bottom end pivotally coupled with the second actuator, and wherein the second actuator moves the secondary member to rotate the headrest about an upper end of the primary member.