U.S. patent application number 10/365668 was filed with the patent office on 2003-09-18 for headrest for motor-vehicle seat.
This patent application is currently assigned to GRAMMER AUTOMOTIVE GMBH. Invention is credited to Pausch, Friedhelm.
Application Number | 20030173811 10/365668 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27623845 |
Filed Date | 2003-09-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030173811 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pausch, Friedhelm |
September 18, 2003 |
Headrest for motor-vehicle seat
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) |
Correspondence
Address: |
THE FIRM OF KARL F ROSS
5676 RIVERDALE AVENUE
PO BOX 900
RIVERDALE (BRONX)
NY
10471-0900
US
|
Assignee: |
GRAMMER AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
|
Family ID: |
27623845 |
Appl. No.: |
10/365668 |
Filed: |
February 12, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/391 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 2/838 20180201;
B60N 2/818 20180201; B60N 2/897 20180201 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/391 |
International
Class: |
A47C 007/36 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 15, 2002 |
DE |
10206651.5 |
Feb 6, 2003 |
DE |
10304949.5 |
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.
* * * * *