Seat assembly having an adjustable head restraint assembly

• US 7,871,129 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2008
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Boes, Klaus, Tscherbner, Achim, Schmid, Markus, Frank, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US12/325,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20090146479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 297/404, 297/408, 297/409, 297/410
• US Class Current: 297/404
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/815 Release mechanisms, e.g. buttons
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/818 with stepwise positioning
• 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 2/894 with rods solidly attached to the back-rest

Abstract

A seat assembly having a headrest for supporting the head of a seat occupant. The seat assembly includes a seat back, a support post disposed on the seat back, a headrest being moveably disposed on the support post, and a latch mechanism moveable between a latched position and an unlatched position. The headrest is simultaneously moveable in multiple directions when the latch mechanism is disposed in the unlatched position.

Claims

1. A seat assembly comprising:

a seat back;

a support post fixedly disposed on the seat back;

a headrest for supporting the head of a seat occupant, the headrest being moveably disposed on the support post and having a first traverse member that receives the support post and a support frame moveably disposed on the first traverse member that is spaced apart from the support post and that includes a set of teeth; and

a latch mechanism at least partially disposed within the headrest, the latch mechanism being moveable between a latched position in which a coupling member that is pivotally disposed on the first traverse member is received by the set of teeth and an unlatched position in which the coupling member is not received by the set of teeth;

wherein the headrest is simultaneously moveable in multiple directions when the latch mechanism is disposed in the unlatched position.

2. The seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the headrest is moveable in a first direction along the support post and moveable in a second direction away from the support post when the latch mechanism is in the unlatched position.

3. The seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the headrest includes a front portion and a rear portion, wherein the rear portion moves along the support post, the front portion moves away from the rear portion, and a front surface of the front portion flexes from a first position to a second position that differs from the first position when the latch mechanism is in the unlatched position.

4. The seat assembly of claim 1 wherein movement of the headrest is inhibited when the latch mechanism is in the latched position.

5. The seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the first traverse member is moveably disposed on the support post.

6. The seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the first traverse member includes a hole that receives the support post.

7. The seat assembly of claim 1 wherein the support frame has an upper arm and a lower arm, wherein the first traverse member is disposed between the upper and lower arms.

8. The seat assembly of claim 7 wherein the coupling member is pivotally disposed on the first traverse member above the upper arm.

9. A seat assembly comprising:

a seat back;

a support post disposed on the seat back;

a headrest moveably disposed on the support post; and

a latch mechanism at least partially disposed in the headrest and moveable between a latched position and an unlatched position, the latch mechanism including;

a first coupling member;

a second coupling member that engages the first coupling member and is configured to disengage the support post when in the unlatched position; and

a third coupling member that engages the second coupling member and is configured to disengage a member of a set of teeth disposed on a support frame of the headrest when in the unlatched position;

wherein the second coupling member inhibits movement of the headrest along the support post and the third coupling member inhibits movement of the headrest away from the support post when the latch mechanism is in the latched position.

10. The seat assembly of claim 9 wherein the second coupling member is spaced apart from the support post and pivots the third coupling member when the latch mechanism is moved to the unlatched position.

11. The seat assembly of claim 9 wherein the second coupling member includes an end disposed at an angle relative to an adjacent portion of the second coupling member, wherein the end slides under the third coupling member to rotate the third coupling member when the latch mechanism is in the unlatched position.

12. The seat assembly of claim 9 further comprising a lower traverse member moveably disposed on the support post, wherein the first, second, and third coupling members are moveably disposed on the lower traverse member.

13. The seat assembly of claim 9 wherein the latch mechanism further comprises a button disposed on the headrest that actuates the first coupling member when the latch mechanism moves from the latched position to the unlatched position.

14. The seat assembly of claim 9 further comprising a spring that exerts a biasing force on the third coupling member to bias the latch mechanism toward the latched position.

15. The seat assembly of claim 14 wherein the spring is disposed on a lower traverse member that is moveably disposed on the support post.

16. The seat assembly of claim 9 further comprising a lower traverse member moveably disposed on the support post wherein the third coupling member is pivotally disposed on the lower traverse member between first and second arms of the support frame.

17. A seat assembly comprising:

a seat back;

a support post disposed on the seat back;

a latch mechanism moveable between a latched position and an unlatched position; and

a headrest for supporting the head of a seat occupant, the headrest including a front portion moveably coupled to a rear portion, the rear portion including;

a lower traverse member moveably disposed on the support post;

a support frame disposed on the lower traverse member, the support frame having a pair of mounting arms, wherein the lower traverse member is disposed between the pair of mounting arms;

a pivot member moveably disposed on the pair of mounting arms; and

a support linkage rotatably disposed on the support post between the pair of mounting arms and coupled to the pivot member;

wherein the lower traverse member, pivot member and support linkage do not move when the latch mechanism is disposed in the latched position and the headrest is simultaneously moveable in multiple directions when the latch mechanism is disposed in the unlatched position.

18. The seat assembly of claim 17 wherein the pivot member and support linkage are free to rotate when the latch mechanism is disposed in the unlatched position.

19. The seat assembly of claim 17 further comprising a pivot pin that extends through the pivot member, the support linkage, and a slot.

20. The seat assembly of claim 19 wherein the pivot pin is disposed near a first end of the slot when the front portion is in a retracted position and disposed near a second end of the slot disposed opposite the first end when the front portion is disposed in an extended position.