U.S. patent application number 11/392385 was filed with the patent office on 2006-10-05 for headrest system for a vehicle seat.
This patent application is currently assigned to KEIPER GmbH & Co. KG. Invention is credited to Andreas Diehl, Jens Schulz.
Application Number | 20060220434 11/392385 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36617239 |
Filed Date | 2006-10-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060220434 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schulz; Jens ; et
al. |
October 5, 2006 |
Headrest system for a vehicle seat
Abstract
In a headrest system (11) for a vehicle seat, in particular for
a motor vehicle seat, having at least one headrest bushing (15)
that comprises at its upper end a visible surface (29), at least
one headrest rod (12) that can be inserted into the headrest
bushing (15), a headrest (6) arranged on the headrest rod (12), a
first contacting element (31) assigned to the headrest bushing (15)
and a second contacting element (50) assigned to the headrest rod
(12), between which an electrical contact is established when the
headrest rod (12) is inserted, the headrest bushing (15) comprises
a lower bushing (17) supporting the first contacting element (31)
and a separately formed upper bushing (19) bearing the visible
surface (29).
Inventors: |
Schulz; Jens;
(Kaiserslautern, DE) ; Diehl; Andreas; (Otterbach,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOMBLE CARLYLE SANDRIDGE & RICE, PLLC
ATTN: PATENT DOCKETING 32ND FLOOR
P.O. BOX 7037
ATLANTA
GA
30357-0037
US
|
Assignee: |
KEIPER GmbH & Co. KG
|
Family ID: |
36617239 |
Appl. No.: |
11/392385 |
Filed: |
March 29, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/410 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 2002/0264 20130101;
B60N 2/888 20180201; B60N 2/809 20180201; B60N 2/897 20180201 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/410 |
International
Class: |
A47C 7/36 20060101
A47C007/36 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 1, 2005 |
DE |
10 2005 014 897.2 |
Claims
1. A vehicle seat, comprising: at least one headrest bushing having
an upper end and a visible surface at the upper end; at least one
headrest rod, wherein the headrest rod is at least partially
disposed in the headrest bushing; a headrest mounted to the
headrest rod; first and second contacting elements, which are
respectively operatively associated with the headrest bushing and
the headrest rod, for being in electrical contact with one another
while the headrest rod is sufficiently disposed in the headrest
bushing; and a backrest including a support structure and
upholstery, wherein the upholstery is mounted to and at least
partially covers the support structure, the headrest bushing
comprises a lower bushing and an upper bushing formed separately
from one another, with the upper bushing being mounted to the
backrest, and with the lower bushing at least being mounted to the
support structure in a manner for facilitating said lower bushing
being mounted to the support structure prior to said upper bushing
being mounted to the backrest, the upper bushing comprises the
visible surface, and the lower bushing carries the first contacting
element.
2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein said lower
bushing being mounted to the support structure comprises a flange
of the lower bushing engaging the support structure.
3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein said upper
bushing being mounted to the backrest comprises a flange of the
upper bushing at least partially covering an outer surface of a
portion of the upholstery.
4. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein said lower
bushing being mounted to the support structure comprises the lower
bushing being attached to the support structure by a clip.
5. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein said upper
bushing being mounted to the backrest comprises the upper bushing
and the lower bushing being connected to one another by way of an
interference fit between the upper bushing and the lower
bushing.
6. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the first
contacting element is configured for moving in an axial direction
of the lower bushing.
7. The vehicle seat according to claim 6, wherein the lower bushing
guides movement of the first contacting element through cooperative
interaction between at least one guide projection and at least one
groove, wherein the groove extends in the axial direction of the
lower bushing and laterally to the axial direction of the lower
bushing, and wherein the guide projection extends into the
groove.
8. The vehicle seat according to claim 6, wherein a spring biases
the first contacting element in a manner that urges the first
contacting element upwards in the axial direction of the lower
bushing.
9. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein: a lower wire is
connected to the first contacting element; an upper wire is
connected to the second contacting element; and the lower wire, the
first contacting element, the upper wire and the second contacting
element are insulated from the headrest bushing and the headrest
rod.
10. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein: said lower
bushing being mounted to the support structure comprises a flange
of the lower bushing engaging a portion of the support structure;
said upper bushing being mounted to the backrest comprises a flange
of the upper bushing at least partially covering an outer surface
of a portion of the upholstery; the outer surface of the portion of
the upholstery and the support structure are spaced apart from one
another in the headrest bushing's axial direction; the outer
surface of the portion of the upholstery is located at a position
that is between the flange of the upper bushing and the flange of
the lower bushing; and the portion of the support structure is
located at position that is between the flange of the upper bushing
and the flange of the lower bushing.
11. The vehicle seat according to claim 10, wherein said lower
bushing being mounted to the support structure further comprises:
the lower bushing being attached to the support structure by a
clip.
12. The vehicle seat according to claim 10, wherein said upper
bushing being mounted to the backrest comprises: the upper bushing
and the lower bushing being connected to one another by way of an
interference fit between the upper bushing and the lower
bushing.
13. A method, comprising: providing a backrest, wherein the
providing of the backrest comprises mounting upholstery over a
support structure of the backrest to at least partially cover the
support structure with the upholstery; proving at least one
headrest bushing having an upper end and a visible surface at the
upper end, wherein the proving of the headrest bushing is carried
out so that the headrest bushing comprises a lower bushing and a
separately formed upper bushing, with the upper bushing comprising
the visible surface; mounting the headrest bushing on the backrest,
wherein the mounting of the headrest bushing comprises (a) mounting
the lower bushing on the support structure of the backrest before
the mounting of the upholstery over the support structure, and (b)
mounting the upper bushing on the backrest after the mounting of
the upholstery over the support structure; establishing an
electrical contact between a first contacting element, which is
associated with the headrest bushing, and a second contacting
element, which is associated with the headrest rod, wherein the
establishing of the electrical contact comprises inserting the
headrest rod into the headrest bushing after the mounting of the
headrest bushing.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the mounting of the
lower bushing comprises attaching the lower bushing to the support
structure with a clip.
15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the mounting of the
upper bushing comprises connecting the upper bushing and the lower
bushing to one another by way of an interference fit between the
upper bushing and the lower bushing.
16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the inserting of the
headrest rod into the headrest bushing comprises: the first
contacting element being moved in the lower bushing's axial
direction against a pretension, and the lower bushing guiding the
first contacting element through the cooperative interaction
between at least one guide projection and at least one lateral
groove.
17. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:
connecting a lower wire to the first contacting element; connecting
an upper wire to the second contacting element; and insulating the
lower wire, the first contacting element, the upper wire and the
second contacting element from the headrest bushing and the
headrest rod.
18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the mounting of the
lower bushing comprises: engaging a flange of the lower bushing
against a portion of the support structure.
19. The method according to claim 13, wherein the mounting of the
upper bushing comprises: engaging a flange of the upper bushing
against an outer surface of a portion of the upholstery.
20. The method according to claim 19, wherein: the mounting of the
lower bushing comprises engaging a flange of the lower bushing
against a portion of the support structure; the outer surface of
the portion of the upholstery and the support structure are spaced
apart from one another in the headrest bushing's axial direction;
the outer surface of the portion of the upholstery is located at a
position that is between the flange of the upper bushing and the
flange of the lower bushing; and the portion of the support
structure is located at position that is between the flange of the
upper bushing and the flange of the lower bushing.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The entire disclosure of DE 10 2005 014 897.2, which was
filed Apr. 1, 2005, is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a headrest system for a
vehicle seat, in particular a motor vehicle seat, having a headrest
bushing with a visible surface at an upper end, a headrest rod that
can be inserted into the headrest bushing, a headrest arranged on
the headrest rod, a first electrical contacting element assigned to
the headrest bushing and a second electrical contacting element
assigned to the headrest rod, between which an electrical contact
can be established when the headrest rod is inserted.
[0003] DE 297 19 937 U1 discloses a headrest system of the
above-described type in which the headrest bushing, acting as a
sliding guide, comprises a tube. The lower section of the tube is
provided with slots for guiding the first contacting element. The
upper section of the tube is not slotted, in order to form an upper
stop. When the headrest rod is inserted, the electrical contact
between the contacting elements is established.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME ASPECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0004] An aspect of the present invention is the provision of
improvements to a headrest system of the type mentioned above.
[0005] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a
headrest system for a vehicle seat, in particular for a motor
vehicle seat, includes at least one headrest bushing, which has a
visible surface at an upper end, at least one headrest rod that can
be inserted into the headrest bushing, a headrest arranged on the
headrest rod, a first contacting element assigned to the headrest
bushing and a second contacting element assigned to the headrest
rod, between which an electrical contact can be established when
the headrest rod is inserted. In accordance with this aspect, the
headrest bushing includes a lower bushing and a separately formed
upper bushing. The lower bushing carries (e.g., supports) the first
contacting element, and the upper bushing includes (e.g., supports)
the visible surface.
[0006] Because the headrest bushing comprises a lower bushing part
supporting the first contacting element, and a separately formed
upper bushing part supporting the visible surface, the two external
functions that the headrest rod bushing has to perform, namely on
the one hand to hide the entry point of the headrest rod bushing,
and on the other hand to permit electrical connection of the first
contacting element, can be assigned separately, one to each part
respectively. Assembly in two stages is then also possible, in
particular on the structure of the backrest of a vehicle seat. To
start with, the lower bushing together with the necessary
electrical contacts can be mounted, in particular before the
upholstery is mounted to the backrest, and then the upper bushing
together with the visible surface can be mounted, in particular
after the upholstery has been mounted to the backrest.
[0007] To permit simple assembly, the lower bushing and/or the
upper bushing is attached to the backrest structure preferably by
way of a clip which becomes effective preferably after the lower
bushing and/or the upper bushing have been partially inserted. The
upper bushing itself may be inserted with positive engagement
(contour fit (e.g., interference fit)) on or in the lower bushing,
and an additional connection between the two parts may be
possible.
[0008] The first contacting element is movably arranged preferably
in the axial direction of the lower bushing, in particular it is
pretensioned (e.g., biased) upwards in an axial direction by means
of a spring in order to follow the movement of the headrest rod and
maintain the contact with the second contacting element. To achieve
defined motion, the first contacting element of the lower bushing
is prevented from rotating preferably by the cooperative
interaction between at least one guide projection and at least one
lateral groove. Instead of the lateral groove, a slot may be
provided. The contacting elements and any wire connected thereto
are preferably insulated from the headrest bushing and the headrest
rod to ensure, in the case of an ungrounded power supply and/or
signal wires, that no short circuits occur and that otherwise a
constant electrical contact is maintained.
[0009] The headrest system according to the invention may in
principle be usefully fitted in all types of vehicle seat having an
adjustable, electrically contacting headrest mounted to the
backrest; in particular it may be used for vehicle seats having a
removable headrest which may be stored elsewhere in the
vehicle.
[0010] Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent from the following.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The invention is described in more detail below with
reference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawings,
in which:
[0012] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a longitudinal
cross-section through a portion of the exemplary embodiment when
the headrest rod is being inserted;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a corresponding view after electrical contact has
been established;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a corresponding view depicting a mid-height
adjustment;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a corresponding view depicting a low height
adjustment;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the
exemplary embodiment, with the cross section taken along the line
V-V in FIG. 1, and
[0017] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a vehicle seat.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT
[0018] A vehicle seat 1 for a motor vehicle has a backrest 3 on
which is mounted a removable and height-adjustable headrest 6. The
directional data mentioned below refer to the backrest 3 when it is
appropriately aligned upright for sitting purposes. The headrest 6
comprises an electrically operated or triggered adjustment
mechanism for normal use or for the event of a crash, so that
electrical power supply wiring and/or signal wiring is provided.
The adjustment mechanism of the headrest 6 can be conventional. The
headrest 6 is part of a headrest system 11 having electrical
contacts.
[0019] To support the headrest 6, the headrest system 11 comprises
two hollow, preferably metal headrest rods 12, each of which can be
respectively inserted into a headrest bushing 15 and can be secured
in various positions by means of a detent system (not shown), such
as a conventional detent system. Each headrest bushing 15 consists
of a lower bushing 17 and an upper bushing 19. With the exception
of some small deviations, each of the lower bushing 17 and the
upper bushing 19 have a hollow cylindrical basic shape in order to
accept the respective headrest rod 12. Each of the lower bushing 17
and the upper bushing 19 can be made of plastic. In the following,
the longitudinal direction of the assembled headrest bushing 15 is
designated as the axial direction.
[0020] The headrest bushing 15 is intended to be mounted at the
upper end of the support structure 21 (e.g., frame) of the backrest
3, more precisely on a transverse member of the support structure.
For this purpose, a clip 23 is formed at the upper end of the lower
bushing 17 and just beneath it there is also formed a lower bushing
flange 25. Prior to mounting the upholstery 22 to the backrest 3
(e.g., prior to mounting the upholstery to the support structure 21
so that the upholstery least partially covers the support
structure), the lower bushing 17 is inserted from below into an
opening in the support structure 21 until the lower bushing flange
25 comes to bear against the underside of a portion of the support
structure and the clip 23 can engage over the portion of the
support structure. More specifically and in accordance with the
exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the lower bushing 17
is mounted to a portion of the support structure 21 of the backrest
3 by pushing the lower bushing flange 25 against one side of the
portion of the support structure so that the clip 23 engages over
the other side of the portion of the support structure.
[0021] At its upper end, the upper bushing 19 has an upper bushing
flange 27 whose upward facing side is designed as a visible
surface. After the upholstery 22 has been mounted to the backrest 3
(e.g., after mounting the upholstery 22 to the support structure 21
of the backrest in a conventional manner so that the support
structure is at least partially covered with the upholstery), the
upper bushing 19 is fitted from above into an opening in the
upholstered backrest structure (which includes the support
structure 21 and associated upholstery 22). The upper bushing 19 is
fitted into this opening in the upholstered backrest structure
typically until the upper bushing flange 27 comes bear against the
upper side of/outer side of the upholstery 22. As a result, the
lower surface of the upper bushing flange 27 is in opposing
face-to-face contact with, and is thereby at least partially
concealing, a portion of the outer side of the upholstery 22. At
the same time, the lower end of the upper bushing 19 fits with
positive engagement into the upper end of the lower bushing 17,
such that there is an interference fit between the lower end of the
upper bushing and the upper end of the lower bushing. As a result,
each of the lower bushing 17 and the upper bushing 19 are mounted
to the backrest, whereby the headrest bushing 15 is mounted to the
backrest 3. An additional connection, for example another clip
connection, may be provided between the lower bushing 17 and the
upper bushing 19.
[0022] Within the lower bushing 17 there is arranged a first
contacting element 31 that is generally in the form of a cylinder,
except that the first contacting element further includes two
radially extending guide projections 33. The guide projections 33
engage in axially oriented lateral grooves 35 in the inner wall of
the lower bushing 17. The first contacting element 31 is axially
movable over most of the length of the lower bushing 17, between an
upper shoulder 37 and a lower shoulder 39 of the lower bushing 17.
The guide projection 33 and the lateral grooves 35 prevent the
first contacting element 31 from rotating relative to the lower
bushing 17. A pressure spring 41, which is supported on the lower
shoulder 39 or on a floor set therein, and which rests against the
downward-oriented face of the first contacting element 31,
pretensions (e.g., biases) the first contacting element 31 upwards
against the upper shoulder 37. An at least single core, preferably
double-core or multicore wire 43 of a power supply and/or signaling
wiring system is led axially upwards to the first contacting
element 31, and the cores of the wire each respectively terminate
in a pin connector element 45 on the upward-pointing face of the
first contacting element 31.
[0023] At its lower end, the headrest rod 12 comprises a second
contacting element 50, the underside of which is designed as a
connector socket that respectively accepts all the pin connector
elements 45 of the first contacting element 31. An upper wire 52,
which is identical to the first wire 43, is introduced into the
headrest rod 12 from the headrest 6, and connected from above to
the second contacting element 50. The contacting elements 31 and 50
and the wires 43 and 52 are electrically insulated from the
headrest bushing 15 and the headrest rod 12.
[0024] During assembly, the headrest rods 12 are introduced axially
into the respective headrest bushings 15. FIG. 1 shows the
situation before the headrest rod 12 is fully mounted. The first
contacting element 31 bears against the upper shoulder 37 and has
no electrical contact with the second contacting element 50. The
force of insertion and the direction of resulting movement are
directed axially downwards. When the second contacting element 50
reaches the upper shoulder 37, as shown in FIG. 2, the pin
connector elements 45 engage in the connector socket of the second
contacting element 50, thereby establishing an electrical contact
between the two contacting elements 31 and 50 and thus between the
wires 43 and 52. The pressure spring 41 provides the necessary
opposing force when the plugging-in occurs.
[0025] The electrical contact is established just before the
headrest rod 12 reaches its highest detent position. As is shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4, the headrest rod 12 may be moved to detent positions
at various heights and thus the headrest 6 can be adjusted at
various heights. The pressure spring 41 is compressed as the
headrest 12 is introduced and supports the process of raising the
headrest.
[0026] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that while
the present invention has been discussed above with reference to an
exemplary embodiment, various additions, modifications and changes
can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of
the invention as set forth in the following claims.
* * * * *