Articulating head restraint

• US 9,315,130 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2013
• 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, Groesbeck, Gunnar, Yan-rush, Yalie
• Primary Examiner(s): GABLER, PHILIP F
• Application Number:
  US14/076,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20150130247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/821 with continuous positioning
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/829 characterised by their adjusting mechanisms, e.g. electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/865 providing a fore-and-aft movement with respect to the occupant's head

Abstract

A head restraint includes a base bracket with support posts that are configured to easily engage a seatback during vehicle assembly and to provide an electrical connection for adjustment actuation of the head restraint. A front link and a rear link pivotally couple with an upper portion of the seatback. A head support member is pivotally coupled with the front and rear links to define a four-bar linkage. The head support member is moveable between fore and aft positions via the front and rear links. A cushion is slidably coupled with a base portion of the head support member and is thereby moveable between upper and lower positions. Separate actuators are contained within a trim enclosure of the head restraint to effectuate adjustments of the cushion between fore and aft positions and upper and lower positions.

Claims

1. An articulating head restraint for a vehicle seatback, comprising:

a member having a face portion and a flange extending transversely therefrom;

vertically extending front and rear links pivotably coupled with a transversely extending base bracket disposed substantially below the front and rear links and the flange substantially above the front and rear links to define a four-bar linkage movable between fore and aft positions; and

a cushion slidably coupled with the face portion and movable between upper and lower positions along a track assembly disposed between the cushion and the face portion.

2. The articulating head restraint of claim 1, further comprising:

a base bracket pivotally coupled with lower ends of front and rear links and configured to fixedly couple with the upper portion of the vehicle seatback.

3. The articulating head restraint of claim 2, wherein the base bracket includes at least one support post that extends down for engaging the upper portion of the vehicle seatback.

4. The articulating head restraint of claim 2, further comprising:

a linear actuator coupled between the base bracket and an upper end of the rear link and adjustable between a first length and a shorter second length to move the member respectively between the aft position and the fore position.

5. The articulating head restraint of claim 1, wherein the track assembly includes a pair of tracks slidably coupled with a pair of sliding elements that are fixedly coupled with the face portion of the member.

6. The articulating head restraint of claim 5, further comprising:

a linear actuator coupled between the rear portion of the cushion and the member and adjustable between a first length and a shorter second length to move the cushion respectively between the lower position and the upper position.

7. A vehicle head restraint comprising:

a base bracket configured to engage a seatback at a fixed distance therefrom;

car forward and car rearward links having lower ends pivotally coupled with the base bracket;

a member disposed substantially above and pivotally coupled with upper ends of the forward and rearward links and movable with the forward and rearward links between fore and aft positions; and

a cushion slidably coupled with the member.

8. The vehicle head restraint of claim 7, wherein the base bracket maintains a constant distance from the seatback as the cushion is slid between upper and lower positions.

9. The vehicle head restraint of claim 7, further comprising:

a linear actuator coupled between the forward portion of the base bracket and the upper end of the rearward link for moving the member between the fore and aft positions.

10. The vehicle head restraint of claim 9, wherein the linear actuator includes an electric motor interfaced with a worm gear and configured to linearly move the worm gear for adjusting the member between the fore and aft positions.

11. The vehicle head restraint of claim 7, further comprising:

a first linear actuator coupled between the base bracket and the rearward link for moving the member between the fore and aft positions; and

a second linear actuator, coupled between the cushion and the member for moving the cushion between the upper and lower positions, wherein the first and second linear actuators are contained within a trim enclosure of the head restraint.

12. The vehicle head restraint of claim 7, wherein the member includes an L-shaped bracket having a face portion generally perpendicular to a lower portion, and wherein the face portion is slidably coupled with the cushion and the lower portion is pivotally coupled with the forward and rearward links.

13. The vehicle head restraint of claim 12, further comprising:

a track assembly coupled between the face portion of the member and a rear portion of the cushion, wherein the track assembly is vertically arranged for moving the cushion between the upper and lower positions relative to the member.

14. The vehicle head restraint of claim 13, further comprising:

a linear actuator coupled between the rear portion of the cushion and the member and adjustable between a first length and a shorter second length to move the cushion respectively between the upper position and the lower position.

15. A vehicle head restraint comprising:

a four-bar linkage having a bottom link fixedly coupled to a seatback, a top link, and two vertically extending links disposed between the top and bottom links, wherein the top link forms a head support member;

a cushion slidably coupled with the member and slidable along an assembly disposed above the seatback; and

an actuator disposed between the top and the bottom link and adjustable between fore and aft positions.

16. The vehicle head restraint of claim 15, wherein the bottom link includes a base bracket pivotally coupled with lower ends of the vertically extending links and configured to fixedly couple with an upper portion of the seatback.

17. The vehicle head restraint of claim 16, wherein the actuator is coupled between the base bracket and an upper end of the rear link and adjustable between a first length and a shorter second length to move the head support member respectively between the aft position and the fore position.

18. The vehicle head restraint of claim 15, further comprising:

a track assembly coupled between a face portion of the head support member and a rear portion of the cushion, wherein the track assembly is vertically arranged for moving the cushion between the upper and lower positions relative to the head support member.

19. The vehicle head restraint of claim 18, wherein the face portion of the head support member is generally perpendicular to a lower portion head support member, wherein the lower portion is pivotally coupled with front and rear links of the four-bar linkage.

20. The vehicle head restraint of claim 15, further comprising:

a vertical actuator coupled between a rear portion of the cushion and the head support member and adjustable to move the cushion between the upper and lower positions.