Headrest assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10518679-B2
Application number	US-201816124488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2018
Priority date	Oct 17, 2017
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A headrest assembly for a seat, wherein the headrest assembly comprises first and second headrest portions, the first and second headrest portions being movable relative to each other in a lateral direction, such that in a first configuration the first and second headrest portions are combined and form a single headrest for a single occupant of the seat, and in a second configuration, the first and second headrest portions are laterally spaced apart and form separate headrests for respective first and second occupants of the seat.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A headrest assembly for a seat comprising:
first and second headrest portions movable relative to each other in a lateral direction, such that in a first configuration the first and second headrest portions are combined and form a single headrest for a single occupant of the seat, and in a second configuration, the first and second headrest portions have moved relative to each other to form respective headrests for first and second occupants of the seat,
wherein the first and second headrest portions overlap when in the first configuration,
wherein the first headrest portion comprises a void between front and back surfaces of the headrest that receives the second headrest portion in the first configuration, and
wherein the second headrest portion is expandable such that the second headrest portion has a thickness that is larger in an expanded state than in a non-expanded state, the second headrest portion being retractable into the void of the first headrest portion when in the non-expanded state.

2. The headrest assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second headrest portions overlap when in the first configuration such that lateral ends of the first headrest portion are aligned with respective lateral ends of the second headrest portion.

3. The headrest assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second headrest portion is substantially the same size as the first headrest portion when the second headrest portion is in the expanded state.

4. The headrest assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second headrest portions comprises a pair of supports at respective lateral ends of the headrest portion and a membrane extending between the pair of supports.

5. The headrest assembly of claim 4 , wherein a rigidity of at least one of the supports is selectively variable.

6. The headrest assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second headrest portions is slidably coupleable to the seat such that the headrest portion is movable from a stowed position, in which the headrest portion is stowed within a seat back of the seat, to a deployed position, in which the headrest portion extends from the seat back.

7. The headrest assembly of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the first and second headrest portions is expandable from a collapsed state to an expanded state such that the headrest portion has a thickness that is larger in the expanded state than in the collapsed state, the headrest portion being retractable into the stowed position in the seat back when in the collapsed state.

8. The headrest assembly of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first and second headrest portions comprise a collapsible structure configured to collapse and expand between the collapsed and expanded states.

9. The headrest according to claim 8 , wherein the collapsible structure comprises a flexible layer and a plurality of wedge-shaped members sequentially arranged on the flexible layer such that non-parallel wedge surfaces of the wedge-shaped members are in successive engagement so as to define a curved surface when the headrest portion is in the expanded state.

10. The headrest according to claim 8 , wherein the lateral end supports each comprise the collapsible structure.

11. The headrest assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second headrest portions comprises a support arm that is configured to extend into the seat.

12. The headrest assembly of claim 1 , wherein the headrest assembly comprises at least one actuator configured to selectively move at least one of the first and second headrest portions between the first and second configurations.

13. A headrest assembly for a seat comprising:
first and second headrest portions movable relative to each other in a lateral direction, such that in a first configuration the first and second headrest portions overlap to form a single headrest, and in a second configuration, the first and second headrest portions have moved relative to each other to form first and second headrests, wherein at least one of the first and second headrest portions is slidably coupleable to the seat such that the headrest portion is movable from a stowed position, in which the headrest portion is stowed within a seat back of the seat, to a deployed position, in which the headrest portion extends from the seat back.

14. The headrest assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first headrest portion comprises a void between front and back surfaces of the headrest and the void receives the second headrest portion in the first configuration.

15. The headrest assembly of claim 14 , wherein the second headrest portion is expandable such that the second headrest portion has a thickness that is larger in an expanded state than in a non-expanded state, the second headrest portion being retractable into the void of the first headrest portion when in the non-expanded state.

16. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
a seat back;
first and second headrest portions coupled to the seat back and movable relative to each other in a lateral direction, such that in a first configuration the first and second headrest portions overlap to form a single headrest, and in a second configuration, the first and second headrest portions have moved relative to each other to form separate headrests, wherein the seat is laterally extendable from a contracted configuration in which the seat has a width for accommodating, a single occupant to an extended configuration in which the seat has a width for accommodating first and second occupants, and wherein at least one of the first and second headrest portions is coupled to a mechanism for laterally extending the seat so that the first and second headrest portions move in synchronisation with the lateral expansion and contraction of the seat.

17. The seat assembly of claim 16 , wherein the first headrest portion comprises a void between front and back surfaces of the headrest and the void receives the second headrest portion in the first configuration.

18. The seat assembly of claim 17 , wherein the second headrest portion is expandable such that the second headrest portion has a thickness that is larger in an expanded state than in a non-expanded state, the second headrest portion being retractable into the void of the first headrest portion when in the non-expanded state.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Leck Matthew

Classifications

• B60N2/876 Primary

  specially adapted for rear seats (B60N2/835, B60N2/859 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2/868

  providing a lateral movement parallel to the occupant's shoulder line · CPC title

• B60N2/3081 Primary

  Seats convertible into parts of the seat cushion or the back-rest or disapppearing therein, e.g. for children · CPC title

• B60N2002/0216

  the seat or seat part turning about or moving along a transversal axis · CPC title

• B60N2/832 Primary

  movable to an inoperative or stowed position · CPC title