Movable head restraints for vehicle seats

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9561742-B2
Application number	US-201414471670-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2014
Priority date	Oct 4, 2010
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle head restraint assembly has a guide member mounted proximate to a vehicle seat back. A head restraint is mounted to another guide member. A button actuator is mounted to an outboard side of the head restraint for movement of the button actuator in a direction perpendicular to a lateral direction of the head restraint. A locking mechanism cooperates with the first guide member and the second guide member for locking the second guide member relative to the first guide member. The locking mechanism is connected to the button actuator so that actuation of the button actuator disengages the locking mechanism and permits adjustment of the position of the head restraint relative to the vehicle seat back.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle head restraint assembly comprising:
a first guide member mounted proximate to a vehicle seat back;
a second guide member mounted to the first guide member for movement relative to the first guide member;
a head restraint mounted to the second guide member;
a series of notches formed in one of the first guide member and the second guide member and spaced incrementally in a fore and aft direction;
a button actuator mounted to an outboard side of the head restraint for movement of the button actuator in a lateral direction of the head restraint; and
a locking arm mounted to the one of the first guide member and the second guide member to translate in a vertical direction engage one of the series of notches to lock the first guide member relative to the second guide member;
a push rod cooperating with the button actuator;
a biasing member cooperating with the locking arm and the push rod, wherein actuation of the push rod in a lateral direction compresses the biasing member in a vertical direction and disengages the locking arm from the series of notches for permitting adjustment of the head restraint relative to the vehicle seat back;
a second locking mechanism for permitting adjustment of the head restraint relative to the vehicle seat back in upright direction; and
a second button actuator, wherein actuation of the second button actuators disengages the second locking mechanism for permitting adjustment of the position of the head restraint relative to the vehicle seat back in a second direction.

2. The vehicle head restraint assembly of claim 1 further comprising a motor connected between at least one of the first and second button actuators and the first and second locking mechanisms, wherein the motor moves the locking mechanism to permit adjustment of the head restraint.

3. A vehicle head restraint assembly comprising:
a first guide member mounted proximate to a vehicle seat back;
a second guide member mounted to the first guide member for movement relative to the first guide member;
a third guide member mounted to the second guide member;
a fourth guide member mounted to the third guide member for movement relative to the third guide member;
a head restraint mounted to the fourth guide member;
first and second button actuators mounted to an outboard side of the head restraint, wherein at least one of the button actuators is motorized;
a first locking mechanism cooperating with the first guide member and the second guide member for locking the second guide member relative to the first guide member, the first locking mechanism being connected to the first button actuator so that actuation of the first button actuator disengages the first locking mechanism for permitting adjustment of a position of the head restraint relative to the vehicle seat back;
a second button actuator mounted to an outboard side of the head restraint; and
a second locking mechanism cooperating with the third guide member and the fourth guide member for locking the fourth guide member relative to the third guide member, the second locking mechanism being connected to the second button actuator so that actuation of the second button actuator disengages the second locking mechanism for permitting adjustment another position of the head restraint relative to the vehicle seat back.

4. The vehicle head restraint of claim 3 further comprising at least one motor connected between one of the first and second button actuators and one of the first and second locking mechanism such that actuation of the button actuator signals the motor to disengage the locking mechanism.

5. The vehicle head restraint assembly of claim 4 wherein the first button actuator is a push button such that the first button actuator slides in a lateral direction.

6. The vehicle head restraint assembly of claim 3 wherein the second button actuator is a push button such that the second button actuator slides in a lateral direction.

7. An adjustable head restraint assembly comprising:
a pair of guide posts adapted to be secured to a seatback;
a head restraint guide frame mounted to the pair of posts for movement in an upright direction along the posts for permitting adjustment of the head restraint relative to the vehicle seat;
a head restraint mounted to the frame;
a first locking mechanism for maintaining the guide frame in a locked position along each of the pair of posts;
a biasing member mounted to the head restraint frame for movement relative to the frame, the biasing member cooperating with the frame and the pair of posts; and
a first button actuator mounted to an outboard side of the head restraint and cooperating with the biasing member such that movement of the first button actuator permits movement of the head restraint along the pair of posts;
a first guide member mounted to the frame;
a second guide member mounted to the first guide member for movement relative to the first guide member in a fore-aft direction;
a second locking mechanism cooperating with the first guide member and the second guide member for locking the second guide member relative to the first guide member in a fore-aft position; and
a second button actuator mounted to the outboard side of the head restraint and connected to the second locking mechanism so that movement of the second button actuator permits movement of the head restraint in the for-aft direction to a relative to the vehicle seat back.

8. The vehicle head restraint assembly of claim 7 wherein the first button actuator is a push button such that the first button actuator slides in a lateral direction.

9. The vehicle head restraint assembly of claim 8 wherein the second button actuator is a push button such that the second button actuator slides in a lateral direction.

10. The vehicle head restraint assembly of claim 7 further comprising:
a biasing member mounted to the one of the head restraint and a seat back frame for movement relative to the one of the head restraint and the seat back frame, the biasing member cooperating with the at least one of the first guide member and the second guide member and at least one of the head restraint and the seat back frame for maintaining the one of the head restraint and the seat back frame at a locked position along the at least one of the first guide member and the second guide member,
wherein the first button actuator member is mounted to the head restraint adjacent the biasing member, the first button actuator cooperating with the biasing member such that movement of the button actuator from a first position to a second position compresses the biasing member thereby disengaging the biasing member from at least one of the first guide member and the second guide member for permitting movement of the head restraint along the at least one of the first guide member and the second guide member.

11. The vehicle head restraint assembly of claim 7 further comprising:
a series of notches formed spaced incrementally in the fore-aft direction formed in one of the first guide member and the second guide member;
a biasing member for biasing the first locking mechanism into engagement with the series of notches;
a first release mechanism mounted to the one of the first guide member and the second guide member, so that actuation of the button actuator manually actuates the first release mechanism; and
a second release mechanism mounted to one of the first guide member and the second guide member for actuation in a lateral direction, the second release mechanism cooperating with the first release mechanism such that linear actuation of the second release mechanism from one lateral side results in compression of

Assignees

• Lear Corp

Inventors

• Fey Ralph
• Sobieski Zdzislaw

Classifications

• B60N2/4805

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60N2/4817

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60N2/4814

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60N2/4864 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60N2/815 Primary

  Release mechanisms, e.g. buttons · CPC title