Title:

Headrest for motor-vehicle seat

United States Patent Application 20030173811

Kind Code:

A1

Abstract:

A motor-vehicle seat having a frame covered by upholstery is provided with a headrest having a cushion, a vertical support rod having an upper portion carrying the cushion and a lower portion, and a socket in which the lower rod portion is seated. The socket is formed with a relatively slim stem seated in the frame, an upper head bearing downward on the seat upholstery and spaced above the frame, and a relatively thick body between the stem and the head.

Inventors:

Pausch, Friedhelm (Solingen, DE)

Application Number:

10/365668

Publication Date:

09/18/2003

Filing Date:

02/12/2003

Export Citation:

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Assignee:

GRAMMER AUTOMOTIVE GMBH

Primary Class:

297/391

International Classes:

B60N2/48; (IPC1-7): A47C7/36

View Patent Images:

Download PDF 20030173811

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Primary Examiner:

EDELL, JOSEPH F

Attorney, Agent or Firm:

KF ROSS PC (Savannah, GA, US)

Claims:

I claim:

1. In combination with a motor-vehicle seat having a frame covered by upholstery, a headrest comprising: a cushion; a vertical support rod having an upper portion carrying the cushion and a lower portion; and a socket in which the lower rod portion is seated and which is formed with a relatively slim stem seated in the frame, an upper head bearing downward on the seat upholstery and spaced above the frame, and a relatively thick body between the stem and the head.

2. The motor-vehicle seat headrest defined in claim 1 wherein the upholstery includes padding and a covering and the socket forms between the head and the body an outwardly open groove into which the covering fits.

3. The motor-vehicle seat headrest defined in claim 2 wherein a portion of the upholstery fits into the groove.

4. The motor-vehicle seat headrest defined in claim 1 wherein the body is of such a thickness relative to the head and stem that a test ball of predetermined diameter cannot engage the body and both the stem and head simultaneously.

5. The motor-vehicle seat headrest defined in claim 4 wherein the diameter is about 165 mm.

6. The motor-vehicle seat headrest defined in claim 1 wherein the body is of a greater thickness measured transversely of the rod than the head and the stem.

7. The motor-vehicle seat headrest defined in claim 1 wherein the body is formed by a plurality of fixed-together segments.

8. The motor-vehicle seat headrest defined in claim 1 wherein the body is formed by a plurality of fixed-together disks.

9. The motor-vehicle seat headrest defined in claim 1 wherein the body is solid.

10. The motor-vehicle seat headrest defined in claim 1 wherein the body is hollow.

11. The motor-vehicle seat headrest defined in claim 1 wherein the body, head, and stem are unitarily formed of plastic.

12. The motor-vehicle seat headrest defined in claim 1 wherein the head and stem are formed with interfitting formations and are separable thereat.

13. The motor-vehicle seat headrest defined in claim 12 wherein the formations include a downward tubular extension on the head and an upward extension on the stem, the extensions surrounding the rod.

14. The motor-vehicle seat headrest defined in claim 13 wherein the extensions have interfitting barbs.

Description:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a headrest for a motor-vehicle seat. More particularly this invention concerns such a headrest which is vertically adjustable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] As described in German patent 3,050,958 of E. Butz, a motor-vehicle headrest is comprised of a cushion, a vertical support rod having an upper portion carrying the cushion and a lower portion, and a socket in which the lower rod portion is seated and which is itself seated in the seat frame. The socket, has a wide head that bears downward on the seat's upholstery and is otherwise formed as a thin stem extending down through the upholstery to the seat frame in which it is set. Typically two rods, connected together as an inverted U-frame are seated in respective such sockets with a bight joining the legs of the frame carrying the head cushion.

[0003] The head cushion can often be tilted on the headrest frame and can even be vertically moved on the upper ends of the rods. Furthermore the rods typically can be vertically displaced in the socket to adjust the level of the cushion. Spring-loaded latches are provided to hold the headrest frame and the cushion in the desired positions.

[0004] There is a gap between the relatively wide head and the similarly wide seat frame that is filled by the seat's upholstery. Thus the padding of the seat extends into this gap, and the covering comes right under the socket's head so that all that is visible of each socket is the upper annular surface of its head, with the respective rod exposed between this surface and the lower surface of the cushion.

[0005] Such a structure is not particularly strong. In addition in an accident the head of a short person sitting in the seat can strike with some force in the region below the headrest, driving back into the upholstery and hitting the head of the socket for a sometimes serious injury.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0006] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved motor-vehicle seat headrest.

[0007] Another object is the provision of such an improved motor-vehicle seat headrest which overcomes the above-given disadvantages, that is which is of robust construction and which is particularly safe in an accident.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A motor-vehicle seat having a frame covered by upholstery is provided with a headrest having according to the invention a cushion, a vertical support rod having an upper portion carrying the cushion and a lower portion, and a socket in which the lower rod portion is seated. In accordance with the invention the socket is formed with a relatively slim stem seated in the frame, an upper head bearing downward on the seat upholstery and spaced above the frame, and a relatively thick body between the stem and the head.

[0009] This relatively thick filler body greatly increases the overall strength of the socket. In addition in an accident as described above it prevents direct contact with the sharp edge of the socket head. Instead the thick body will be engaged first so that any injury will be substantially less grave.

[0010] According to the invention the upholstery includes padding and a covering and the socket forms between the head and the body an outwardly open groove into which the covering fits. A portion of the upholstery can fit into the groove. Nonetheless most of the space between the socket head and stem is filled by the thick body which in accordance with the invention is of such a thickness relative to the head and stem that a test ball of predetermined diameter cannot engage the body and both the stem and head simultaneously. This diameter is about 165 mm or 6-7 inches.

[0011] The body according to the invention is of a greater thickness measured transversely of the rod than the head and the stem. It can be formed by a plurality of fixed-together segments or by a plurality of fixed-together disks. Furthermore it can be solid or hollow. The body, head, and stem can be unitarily formed of plastic.

[0012] Alternately the head and stem are formed with interfitting formations and are separable thereat. These formations include a downward tubular extension on the head and an upward tubular extension on the stem. The extensions surround the rod and have interfitting barbs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0013] The above and other objects, features, and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

[0014] FIG. 1 is a vertical section through a motor-vehicle seat with a headrest according to the invention;

[0015] FIG. 2 is a large-scale view of the detail indicated in the circle identified at II in FIG. 1; and

[0016] FIG. 3 is a view like FIG. 2 of an alternative form of the instant invention.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION

[0017] As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 a headrest 10 basically comprises a cushion 11 having an outer part 12 supported on an inner part 13 via unillustrated structure for limited tipping forward as indicated by arrow u and backward as indicated by arrow v. The inner part 13 is secured to a crosspiece or bight portion 15 of a support assembly 16 formed as a downwardly open U-shaped metallic tube having a pair of legs 14 joined by the bight 15. Notches 17 formed in the legs 14 cooperate with a spring 18 in the inner cushion part 13 to allow the cushion 11 to be vertically moved along the support assembly 16 and secured in any of a plurality of vertically offset positions therealong.

[0018] Each of the legs 14 has a lower end 19 secured in a respective molded polypropylene socket 20 in turn seated in a horizontal upper steel seat-frame member 21 having vertically aligned upper and lower holes 23 and 24 in which a slim and tubular lower portion or stem 25 of the socket 20 is snugly received and in fact locked relative to an axis A of the respective lower part 19. An upper end or head 26 of the socket 20 is formed by an annular and downwardly cupped metallic cover ring 28 fitted over an integral upper flange 27. A metallic snap ring 29 seated in the flange 27 engages a groove 30 of the uppermost portion of the respective lower part 19 to lock it in the socket 20.

[0019] Between the integral flange 27 and the narrow stem 25 the socket 20 is unitarily formed with a short narrow tubular neck 35 defining a radially outwardly open groove R and there-below with a relatively thick rotation-symmetrical body 22 of substantially larger maximum diameter than the flange 27, neck 35, or stem 25. A seat S has a cover 36 that engages in the groove R under a lower surface 33 of the head 26. This body 22 has a lower surface 31 sitting flatly on an upper surface 32 of the frame member 21 so as to solidly seat the socket 20 in the member 21. In fact the maximum diameter of the body 22 is such that circles K1 and K2 of a radius of 82.5 mm are only tangent to the body 2 and respectively to the head 26 and member 21. In other words a ball of a diameter of 165 mm can engage the body 22 and either the head 26 or member 21, but not both the head 26 and member 21.

[0020] The body 22 can be formed by a plurality of disks fitted together at planes P perpendicular to the axis A as shown in FIG. 2, or by a plurality of segments fitted together into unillustrated planes extending radially of the axis A. The disks or segments are glued together to form a one-piece structure in the finished socket 20, and in fact the neck 35 and stem 25 can be axially joined and the disks and/or segments can be fitted to them.

[0021] In FIG. 3, where reference numerals from FIGS. 1 and 2 are used for structurally or functionally identical elements, a filler body 22′ is provided which not solid. Instead it is formed as a cylindrical sleeve 37 extending parallel to the axis and joined by an annular wall or flange 38 to the upper end of the stem 25. In addition here the neck 35 has a downward extension 42 provided with outwardly directed barbs 41 that engage under inwardly directed barb formations 40 formed at an upper end extension 39 of the stem 25 so that the upper and lower parts of the socket 20′ can be snapped together after the seat upholstery is installed for a very neat fit.

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