Friction module, friction hinge, and adjustable headrest including the friction module and/or friction hinge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10538185-B2
Application number	US-201816005397-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2018
Priority date	Mar 16, 2015
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

Adjustable headrest including a guide configured to be coupled to a seat; a head support coupled to the guide and configured to be movable along an adjustment path relative to the seat; and a slider having a surface defining a recess receiving the guide. A retainer is positioned to urge a surface of the slider against a surface of the guide, thereby maintaining friction between the surface of the slider and the surface of the guide. Additionally, the adjustable headrest includes a bracket that is fixable relative to the head support or fixed relative to the seat. The bracket has a mounting section positioned for fixation relative to the head support or for fixation to the seat and a guide receiving portion receiving the guide. The slider and the bracket are separate components and are formed from the same material or different materials.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable headrest comprising:
a guide;
a head support coupled to the guide and configured to be movable along an adjustment path relative to the seat;
a slider having a surface defining a recess receiving the guide such that the surface of the slider contacts a surface of the guide;
a retainer positioned to urge the surface of the slider against the surface of the guide, thereby maintaining friction between the surface of the slider and the surface of the guide and resisting unintended movement of the slider with respect to the guide along the adjustment path; and
a bracket fixable relative to the head support or fixed relative to the seat, the bracket having a mounting section positioned for fixation relative to the head support or for fixation to the seat and a guide receiving portion receiving the guide;
the slider and the bracket being separate components and being formed from the same material or different materials; and
the slider and the bracket being positioned such that the guide receiving portion of the bracket does not overlap with the slider in a direction along the adjustment path when the guide is received in the recess of the slider and in the guide receiving portion of the bracket.

2. The adjustable headrest of claim 1 , wherein the guide is attached to the head support and is moveable with the head support along the adjustment path.

3. The adjustable headrest of claim 1 , wherein the slider is moveable relative to the head support.

4. The adjustable headrest of claim 1 , further comprising a mounting portion that is configured for attachment to a seat.

5. The adjustable headrest of claim 4 , wherein movement of the slider relative to the mounting portion is restricted.

6. The adjustable headrest of claim 4 , wherein the guide receiving portion of the bracket defines at least one recess receiving the guide.

7. The adjustable headrest of claim 1 , the head support including a central portion and at least one wing coupled for pivotal motion relative to the central portion.

8. The adjustable headrest of claim 7 , wherein the at least one wing is coupled for motion about a pivot axis angled with respect to the adjustment path.

9. The adjustable headrest of claim 1 , further comprising a pivot device coupled to the head support and defining a pivot axis angled with respect to the adjustment path, thereby permitting pivotal movement of the head support with respect to the seat about the pivot axis.

10. The adjustable headrest of claim 9 , wherein the pivot axis of the pivot device is perpendicular to the adjustment path.

11. The adjustable headrest of claim 1 , wherein the guide receiving portion of the bracket defines two or more recesses.

12. The adjustable headrest of claim 1 , wherein the slider defines a gap extending from the recess to an outer surface of the slider, thereby permitting compression of the slider to increase the friction between the surface of the slider and the surface of the guide.

13. The adjustable headrest of claim 12 , wherein the outer surface of the slider defines at least one ridge positioned to limit movement of the retainer relative to the outer surface of the slider.

14. The adjustable headrest of claim 1 , wherein the slider is formed from a plastic material.

15. The adjustable headrest of claim 1 , wherein the retainer has a shape configured to extend along an outer surface of the slider.

16. The adjustable headrest of claim 1 , wherein the retainer includes end portions and a curvature extending between the end portions.

17. The adjustable headrest of claim 16 , wherein the curvature is C-shaped.

18. The adjustable headrest of claim 17 , wherein the curvature and the end portions of the retainer together form an omega shape.

19. The adjustable headrest of claim 1 , wherein the retainer is formed from a metallic material.

20. The adjustable headrest of claim 1 , comprising plural guides and plural brackets fixable relative to the seat or fixed relative to the head support, each bracket having a guide receiving portion receiving one of the guides.

21. The adjustable headrest of claim 20 , the slider and the bracket being formed from different materials.

22. The adjustable headrest of claim 1 , further comprising a bushing received in the guide receiving portion of the bracket, the bushing receiving the guide.

23. The adjustable headrest of claim 1 , the guide receiving portion of the bracket defining two or more recesses spaced from one another, the slider being positioned within the space between the recesses defined by the guide receiving portion of the bracket, the adjustable headrest further comprising plural bushings, one of the bushings being received in each of the recesses and receiving the guide.

24. An adjustable headrest comprising:
a guide;
a head support coupled to the guide and configured to be movable along an adjustment path relative to the seat;
a slider having a surface defining a recess receiving the guide such that the surface of the slider contacts a surface of the guide;
a retainer positioned to urge the surface of the slider against the surface of the guide, thereby maintaining friction between the surface of the slider and the surface of the guide and resisting unintended movement of the slider with respect to the guide along the adjustment path; and
a bracket fixable relative to the head support or fixed relative to the seat, the bracket having a mounting section positioned for fixation relative to the head support or for fixation to the seat and a guide receiving portion receiving the guide;
the slider and the bracket being separate components and being formed from the same material or different materials;
wherein the guide receiving portion of the bracket defines two or more recesses; and
wherein the recesses defined by the guide receiving portion of the bracket receive the guide and are spaced from one another, the slider being positioned within the space between the recesses defined by the guide receiving portion of the bracket.

25. An adjustable headrest comprising:
a guide having a first end portion and a second end portion opposed the first end portion;
a head support coupled to the guide and configured to be movable along an adjustment path relative to the seat;
a bracket fixable or fixed relative to the seat, the bracket having a mounting section fixed or fixable to the seat and a guide receiving portion for receiving the guide; and
a releasable assembly having an engaged configuration and a released configuration, the release assembly limiting movement of the at least one end portion of the guide in the engaged configuration and permitting movement of the at least one end portion of the guide in the released configuration,
wherein the head support includes a slot having an entrance at an edge of the head support, the slot of the head support extending from the entrance inwardly in a first direction to a distal end for receiving the first end portion of the guide, and
the releasable assembly includes a bracket member delineating a slot having an entrance at an edge of the releasable assembly, the slot of the bracket member extending from the entrance inwardly in a second direction to a receiving end for receiving the first end portion of the guide, and
wherein the entrance of the slot of the head support aligns with the entrance of the slot of the bracket member when the releasable assembly is i

Assignees

• Southco

Inventors

• Novin Eugene
• Matejka Andrew S

Classifications

• F16C2326/08

  Vehicle seats, e.g. in linear movable seats · CPC title

• B60N2/844

  Release mechanisms, e.g. buttons · CPC title

• F16C29/02

  Sliding-contact bearings · CPC title

• F16C2326/43

  Aeroplanes; Helicopters · CPC title

• B60N2/885

  provided with side-rests · CPC title