Adjustable head restraint assembly for vehicle seats

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10358070-B2
Application number	US-201715439080-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2017
Priority date	May 18, 2016
Publication date	Jul 23, 2019
Grant date	Jul 23, 2019

Abstract

A head restraint assembly is provided with a head restraint frame mounted to a post for movement along the post for adjustment relative to a vehicle seat. The head restraint frame has a contact surface. A biasing member is mounted to the head restraint frame for movement relative to the head restraint frame to maintain the head restraint frame in a locked condition along the post. An actuation member is mounted to the head restraint frame for movement relative to the head restraint frame. The actuation member cooperates with the biasing member such that movement of the actuation member moves the biasing member, thereby disengaging the biasing member from the post to permit movement of the head restraint along the post such that the biasing member engages the contact surface in the second position to provide feedback to the user of an unlocked condition of the head restraint frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A head restraint assembly comprising:
a head restraint frame having a first guide to be mounted to at least one post for movement relative to the at least one post, the head restraint frame having a second guide formed therein intersecting the first guide; and
an elongate spring wire received within the second guide for movement relative to the head restraint frame, the elongate spring wire extending into the first guide to maintain the head restraint frame in a locked condition relative to the at least one post, wherein movement of the elongate spring wire from a first position corresponding to the locked condition of the head restraint frame to a second position corresponding to an unlocked condition of the head restraint frame, disengages the elongate spring wire from the at least one post to permit movement of the head restraint frame relative to the at least one post, wherein the second guide is sized to receive the elongate spring wire for assembly of the elongate spring wire by translation of the elongate spring wire through the second guide only.

2. The head restraint assembly of claim 1 wherein the elongate spring wire is generally linear from a first end of the elongate spring wire to a second end of the elongate spring wire in the first position.

3. The head restraint assembly of claim 2 wherein the elongate spring wire is generally non-linear in the second position.

4. The head restraint assembly of claim 2 wherein the elongate spring wire is deformed and preloaded in the first position.

5. The head restraint assembly of claim 4 wherein the elongate spring wire is generally non-linear in an unloaded condition.

6. The head restraint assembly of claim 1 wherein the elongate spring wire comprises a first linear portion and a second linear portion that are formed at an angle relative to one another in an unloaded condition of the spring wire.

7. The head restraint assembly of claim 6 wherein the at least one post is further defined as a first post;
wherein the head restraint frame has a third guide generally parallel with the first guide to receive a second post for movement relative to the second post, the third guide intersecting the second guide; and
wherein the first linear portion and the second linear portion of the elongate spring wire are received within the second guide for movement relative to the head restraint frame, the first linear portion of the elongate spring wire extends into the first guide in the locked condition relative to the first post, the second linear portion of the elongate spring wire extends into the third guide in the locked condition relative to the second post, wherein movement of the elongate spring wire from the first position to the second position, disengages the first linear portion from the first post and the second linear portion from the second post to permit movement of the head restraint frame relative to the first post and the second post.

8. The head restraint assembly of claim 1 further comprising:
at least one post received in the first guide of the head restraint frame, the at least one post having a notch formed therein at an acute angle relative to the second guide to receive the elongate spring wire and to direct the elongate spring wire into engagement with the notch.

9. The head restraint assembly of claim 1 further comprising a head restraint mounted to at least one of the head restraint frame and the at least one post.

10. A seat assembly comprising:
a seat back; and
a head restraint assembly according to claim 9 adapted to be mounted adjacent to the seat back.

11. A head restraint assembly comprising:
a head restraint frame having a first guide to be mounted to at least one post for movement relative to the at least one post, the head restraint frame having a second guide formed therein intersecting the first guide; and
an elongate spring wire received within the second guide for movement relative to the head restraint frame, the elongate spring wire extending into the first guide to maintain the head restraint frame in a locked condition relative to the at least one post, wherein movement of the elongate spring wire from a first position corresponding to the locked condition of the head restraint frame to a second position corresponding to an unlocked condition of the head restraint frame, disengages the elongate spring wire from the at least one post to permit movement of the head restraint frame relative to the at least one post, wherein the elongate spring wire is generally linear from a first end of the elongate spring wire to a second end of the elongate spring wire, deformed and preloaded in the first position, generally non-linear in the second position, and generally non-linear in an unloaded condition.

12. The head restraint assembly of claim 11 wherein the elongate spring wire comprises a first linear portion and a second linear portion that are formed at an angle relative to one another in an unloaded condition of the spring wire.

13. The head restraint assembly of claim 12 wherein the at least one post is further defined as a first post;
wherein the head restraint frame has a third guide generally parallel with the first guide to receive a second post for movement relative to the second post, the third guide intersecting the second guide; and
wherein the first linear portion and the second linear portion of the elongate spring wire are received within the second guide for movement relative to the head restraint frame, the first linear portion of the elongate spring wire extends into the first guide in the locked condition relative to the first post, the second linear portion of the elongate spring wire extends into the third guide in the locked condition relative to the second post, wherein movement of the elongate spring wire from the first position to the second position, disengages the first linear portion from the first post and the second linear portion from the second post to permit movement of the head restraint frame relative to the first post and the second post.

14. The head restraint assembly of claim 11 further comprising a head restraint mounted to at least one of the head restraint frame and the at least one post.

15. A seat assembly comprising:
a seat back; and
a head restraint assembly according to claim 14 adapted to be mounted adjacent to the seat back.

16. A head restraint assembly comprising:
at least one post having a notch formed therein;
a head restraint frame having a first guide to be mounted to the at least one post for movement relative to the at least one post, the head restraint frame having a second guide formed therein intersecting the first guide at an acute angle relative to the notch of the at least one post; and
a biasing member received within the second guide for movement relative to the head restraint frame, the biasing member extending into the notch to maintain the head restraint frame in a locked condition relative to the at least one post, wherein movement of the biasing member from a first position corresponding to the locked condition of the head restraint frame to a second position corresponding to an unlocked condition of the head restraint frame, disengages the biasing member from the at least one post to permit movement of the head restraint frame relative to the at least one post, wherein the acute angle of the notch relative to the second guide directs the biasing member into engagement with the notch.

17. The head restraint assembly of claim 16 wherein the acute angle is eighty-seven degrees or less.

Assignees

• Lear Corp

Inventors

• Diefenthaler Florian
• Brunner Stefan
• PEKLO Thomas

Classifications

• B60N2/812 Primary

  characterised by their locking devices · CPC title

• B60N2/897

  with sleeves located in the back-rest for guiding the rods of the head-rest · CPC title

• B60N2/894

  with rods solidly attached to the back-rest · CPC title