Headrest with an adjustment device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12059989-B2
Application number	US-202017910573-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2020
Priority date	Mar 11, 2020
Publication date	Aug 13, 2024
Grant date	Aug 13, 2024

Abstract

A headrest for a vehicle seat, comprises an adjustment device comprising at least two adjusting parts and a drive element movable along an axis, wherein the drive element is coupled to the adjusting parts via engaging drive contours which are defined for each of the adjusting parts describe at least one adjustment path, the adjustment path of at least one of the adjusting parts having a twist with respect to the axis and extending from the adjustment path of at least one other of the adjusting parts so that an axial movement of the driving member along the axis causes a relative rotation between the adjusting parts.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A headrest for use in a vehicle seat, the headrest comprising:
an adjustment device including,
at least two adjusting parts including a first adjustment part and a second adjustment part,
a drive element configured to move along an axis, and
a number of meshed drive contours coupling the at least two adjusting parts to the drive element and defining an adjustment path for each of the at least two adjusting parts

wherein the first adjustment part is configured to move along a first adjustment path and the second adjustment part is configured to move along a second adjustment path,
wherein at least one of the first and second adjustment paths is twisted with respect to the axis and the first adjustment path is different than the second adjustment path so that an axial movement of the drive element along the axis causes a relative rotation between at least the first and second adjusting parts.

2. The headrest of claim 1 , wherein the at least two adjusting parts includes a third adjusting part.

3. The headrest of claim 1 , further comprising:
a spindle extending along and configured to rotate about the axis, wherein the drive element includes an internal thread configured to engage the spindle.

4. The headrest of claim 1 , wherein each of adjustment paths of the at least two adjusting parts rotate in a rotational direction and either have a twist extending in a direction common to the rotational direction of the adjustment path or extend parallel to the axis.

5. The headrest of claim 1 , wherein the at least two adjusting parts includes two outer adjusting parts and an inner adjusting part arranged between the two outer adjusting parts, wherein adjustment paths of the two outer adjusting parts include a twist and an adjustment path of the inner adjusting part extends parallel to the axis, or the adjustment paths of the two outer adjusting parts extend parallel to the axis and the adjustment path of the inner adjusting part includes a twist.

6. The headrest of claim 5 , wherein the twist of each of the adjustment paths of the two outer adjusting parts have a common pitch.

7. The headrest of claim 1 , wherein each adjusting part of the at least two adjusting parts forms at least one scissor lever configured to rotate relative to one another about the axis at a crossing point.

8. The headrest of claim 7 , wherein the adjustment device includes a component forming a base and including mounting areas, wherein mounting areas of the scissor levers are configured to be mounted the mounting areas of the base.

9. The headrest of claim 8 , wherein at least some of the at least two adjusting parts form a preassembled x-adjustment module configured to be mounted to the mounting areas of the base.

10. The headrest of claim 8 , wherein the mounting areas of the at least one scissor lever are arranged at longitudinal ends of the at least one scissor lever.

11. The headrest of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the mounting areas of the base includes a latching element provided with a lead-in chamfer.

12. The headrest of claim 8 , wherein the base is configured to be mounted to a headrest rod so that the base displaceable relative to the headrest rod.

13. The headrest of claim 1 , wherein the at least two adjusting parts collectively form a tubular receptacle, and the drive element is movable along the axis and within the tubular receptacle.

14. The headrest of claim 1 , wherein two components are coupled to the at least two adjusting parts, the two components are movable relative to one another by a relative movement between the at least two adjusting parts.

15. The headrest of claim 14 , wherein the adjustment device includes at least one return spring configured to bias the two components in a direction towards one another.

16. The headrest of claim 14 , wherein the at least two adjusting parts are configured to move one of the two components with respect to the other of the two components between a retracted position and an extended position.

17. The headrest of claim 16 , wherein the adjustment device includes a drive unit provided with a motor configured to actuate to affect a movement of one of the two components with respect to the other of the two components.

18. The headrest of claim 17 , wherein the retracted position and the extended position define a kinematical range, wherein the adjustment device includes a control unit configured to control operation of the motor such that a stationary adjustment of one of the two components with respect to the other of the two components is restricted to the retracted position and an adjustable range, the adjustable range smaller than the kinematical range.

19. The headrest of claim 16 , wherein an end stop defines the retracted position or the extended position.

20. The headrest of claim 7 , wherein the at least one scissor lever includes stop portions, and the end stop is defined by the stop portions.

21. The headrest of claim 20 , wherein the stop portions are arranged at longitudinal ends of the at least one scissor lever.

22. The headrest of claim 1 , wherein the meshed drive contours are formed by a toothing.

23. The headrest of claim 1 , wherein a drive contour of the number of meshed drive contours are formed on each of the at least two adjusting parts, and the drive element includes another drive contour of the number of drive contours configured to engage at least one the drive contour of the number of meshed drive contours formed the at least two adjusting parts.

24. The headrest of claim 23 , wherein drive contours of the number of meshed drive contours formed on the drive element are arranged side by side along the axis.

25. The headrest of claim 1 , wherein the drive element includes an input part configured to be connected to an output part in a rotationally fixed manner.

26. The headrest of claim 25 , wherein the input part and the output part are fixedly connected to each other by a number of scraper ribs.

27. The headrest of claim 25 , wherein the input part is connected positively to the output part.

28. The headrest of claim 25 , wherein the input part has a first coefficient of sliding friction and the output part has a second coefficient of sliding friction, wherein the first coefficient of sliding friction is less than the second coefficient of sliding friction.

29. The headrest of claim 25 , wherein the output part has a first strength and the input part has a second strength, wherein the first strength is greater than the second strength.

30. The headrest of claim 25 , wherein the output part and the input part each have a maximum outer diameter measured perpendicular to the axis, wherein the maximum outer diameter of the output part is the same as the maximum outer diameter of the input part.

Assignees

• Brose Fahrzeugteile Se & Co Kg Coburg

Inventors

• Schukalski Jürgen

Classifications

• B60N2/829 Primary

  characterised by their adjusting mechanisms, e.g. electric motors · CPC title

• B60N2/02246

  Electric motors therefor · CPC title

• B60N2/929

  linear · CPC title

• B60N2/862

  with means for maintaining a desired position when the seat-back is adjusted, e.g. parallelogram mechanisms · CPC title

• B60N2/865 Primary

  providing a fore-and-aft movement with respect to the occupant's head · CPC title