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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018105087-A1
Application number	US-201615558645-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 16, 2016
Priority date	Mar 16, 2015
Publication date	Apr 19, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An adjustable headrest 300 includes a guide 360 configured to be coupled to a seat, a head support 302 coupled to the guide and configured to be movable along an adjustment path relative to the seat, and a slider 370 having a surface defining a recess 373 receiving the guide such that the surface of the slider contacts a surface of the guide. The adjustment headrest further includes a retainer 390 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. Also, a friction module and a friction hinge are provided, which can be incorporated into an adjustable headrest or other assemblies in which sliding and/or hinged components are desired.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An adjustable headrest comprising:
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; a slider having a surface defining a recess receiving the guide such that the surface of the slider contacts a surface of the guide; and 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.

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 attached to the head support and is moveable with the head support along the adjustment path.

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

5 . The adjustment headrest of claim 4 , wherein the slider is attached to the mounting portion.

6 . The adjustment headrest of claim 4 , wherein the guide is attached to the mounting portion.

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 slider has surfaces defining two or more recesses.

12 . The adjustable headrest of claim 11 comprising plural guides configured to be coupled to the seat, wherein each of the recesses defined by surfaces of the slider receives one of the guides.

13 . 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.

14 . The adjustable headrest of claim 13 , wherein the outer surface of the slider defines a groove positioned to at least partially receive the retainer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

21 . The adjustable headrest of claim 1 , wherein the slider is configured to support plural retainers and the friction between the surface of the slider and the surface of the guide is increased by adding one or more additional retainer.

22 . The adjustable headrest of claim 21 , wherein the outer surface of the slider defines plural grooves positioned to at least partially receive the retainers.

23 . An adjustable headrest kit comprising:
an adjustable headrest according to claim 1 ; and a pivot device configured to be coupled to the head support and to define 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.

24 . The adjustable headrest kit of claim 23 , the pivot device being configured to be coupled to the guide or the slider.

25 . A friction module for generating friction between components and resisting unintended movement of the components with respect to one another along a path, the friction module comprising:
a guide configured to be coupled to one of the components, the guide having a longitudinal axis extending along the path; a slider configured to be coupled to another one of the components, the slider having a surface defining a recess receiving the guide such that the surface of the slider contacts a surface of the guide, 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; and 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 as the slider is moved relative to the guide along the path; wherein friction is generated between the components sufficient to resist unintended movement of the components with respect to one another along a path.

26 . The friction module of claim 25 , the slider being prevented from rotation relative to the guide about the longitudinal axis of the guide.

27 . The friction module of claim 25 comprising plural retainers positioned to urge the surface of the slider against the surface of the guide.

28 . The friction module of claim 25 , wherein the slider is configured to support plural retainers and the friction between the surface of the slider and the surface of the guide is increased by adding one or more additional retainers.

29 . The friction module of claim 28 , wherein the outer surface of the slider defines plural grooves positioned to at least partially receive the retainers.

30 . The friction module of claim 25 , wherein the force required to move the slider relative to the guide along the path is within a predetermined range.

31 . The friction module of claim 30 , wherein the predetermined range of force is maintained after a predetermined number of cycles of movement of the slider relative to the guide along the path.

32 . The friction module of claim 30 , wherein the predetermined range of force is maintained over a predetermined range of temperature.

33 . A friction hinge providing a pivot axis, the friction hinge comprising:
a shaft having a longitudinal axis extending along the pivot axis; a hinged component having a surface defining a recess receiving the shaft such that the surface of the hinged component contacts a surface of the shaft, wherein the hinged component defines a gap extending from the recess to an outer surface of the hinged component, thereby permitting compression of the hinged component to increase the friction between the surface of the hinged component and the surface of the shaft; and a retainer positioned to urge the surface of the hinged component against the surface of

Assignees

• Southco

Inventors

• Novin Eugene

Classifications

• B60N2/885

  provided with side-rests · CPC title

• F16D63/008

  Brakes acting on a linearly moving member · CPC title

• F16M13/022

  repositionable · CPC title

• B60N2/812

  characterised by their locking devices · CPC title

• F16M2200/027

  by friction · CPC title