Head restraint

[0002] This application claims the priority of German patent 198 35 355.3, filed Aug. 5, 1998, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.

[0003] The invention relates to a head restraint for a vehicle seat, which has a seat back or backrest having a head cushion and a retaining device, which secures the head cushion pivotably to the backrest and is designed in such a manner that the head cushion can be pivoted between an upper functional position and a lower-lying rest or non-functional position.

[0004] In the case of a known head restraint of this type, known for example, from commonly owned German patent document (DE 44 11 471 A1), which is designed for rear seats, the retaining device, which is designed as a swinging mechanism, has a supporting plate which is fastened on the parcel shelf of the vehicle body directly behind the backrest of the rear seat. A horizontally aligned pivot is mounted rotatably in mounts fastened on the supporting plate, and on the pivot there are arranged, in a rotationally fixed manner, two supporting brackets which are connected to each other by a transverse rod and in each case have a socket for two retaining hoops which support the head cushion. Mechanical pivoting of the head cushion leads to the latter being transferred into its functional position above the upper edge of the backrest and being automatically locked there. While pivoting upwards a restoring spring is tensioned and is retained under tension in the functional position by the lock. The unlocking is done under remote control via a pneumatic release element, after which the head cushion is pivoted away by the restoring spring into its non-functional or rest position, in which it lies below the backrest upper edge and does not impede the driver's view to the rear.

[0005] The invention is based on the object of simplifying the design of a retaining device for a head restraint of the type generally described above.

[0006] This and other objects have been achieved according to the present invention by providing a head restraint for a vehicle seat having a backrest, comprising: a head cushion; and a retaining device including a pivot coupling the head cushion pivotably to the backrest, said pivot being aligned transversely to a front surface of the backrest and passing eccentrically through the plane of symmetry of the head cushion such that the head cushion is pivotable between an upper functional position and a lower nonfunctional position.

[0007] This and other objects have been achieved according to the present invention by providing a retaining device for pivotably coupling a head cushion to a vehicle seat backrest, comprising: a bearing to be coupled to the vehicle seat backrest such that a pivot axis defined by said bearing extends at least approximately perpendicularly to a front surface of the backrest; a pivot pin to be coupled to a lower portion of the head cushion, said pivot pin being disposed in said bearing to be rotatable about said pivot axis between a first position corresponding to an upper functional position of the head cushion and a second position corresponding to a lower nonfunctional position of the head cushion; and at least one locking mechanism which releasably locks said pivot pin to said bearing in said first position.

[0008] This and other objects have been achieved according to the present invention by providing a method of pivotably coupling a head cushion to a vehicle seat backrest, comprising: coupling a bearing to the vehicle seat backrest such that a pivot axis defined by said bearing extends at least approximately perpendicularly to a front surface of the backrest; coupling a pivot pin to a lower portion of the head cushion; coupling said pivot pin to said bearing to be rotatable about said pivot axis between a first position corresponding to an upper functional position of the head cushion and a second position corresponding to a lower nonfunctional position of the head cushion; and providing at least one locking mechanism to releasably lock said pivot pin to said bearing in said first position.

[0009] The head restraint according to the invention has the advantage that instead of the swinging mechanism, which is complicated in terms of manufacture, a very simple rotational mechanism makes it possible to bring the head cushion into the higher-level functional position and into the lower-level non-functional position. It is ensured that, on the one hand, in the lower-lying non-functional position the head cushion does not block or interfere with the driver's free view to the rear and, on the other hand, in the higher-placed functional position the minimum height dimensions prescribed by law are observed. In addition, the rotational mechanism according to the invention is small in terms of structure and can easily be fastened to the backrest itself and simply covered there. The rotational mechanism therefore does not require—as the known swinging mechanism—an additional installation place on the vehicle body behind the backrest and is therefore also suitable for use in the case of front seats and, in particular, in the case of rear seats in estate vehicles in which, for example, a parcel shelf required by the known swinging mechanism is absent.

[0010] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the retaining device has a bearing cup, with a cup axis which is coaxial to the pivot, which cup rotatably accommodates a pivot pin, which protrudes on the rear side of the head cushion. The pivot pin is arranged in the head-cushion region which is lower in the functional position of the head cushion and is connected fixedly to the head cushion. These design measures make it possible for the rotational connection, according to the invention, between the head cushion and retaining device to be brought about in a very simple manner in terms of manufacture.

[0011] According to an advantageous development of the invention, the bearing cup is fastened on a supporting hoop which is designed to be accommodated, preferably height-adjustably, in a guide sleeve integrated in the backrest. This refinement of the design makes it possible to remove the head restraint from, and fit it to, the vehicle seat very rapidly and without using a tool. It also opens up the possibility of an additional height adjustment of the head restraint for particularly tall vehicle passengers.

[0012] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section of a head restraint in conjunction with a sectionally represented backrest of a vehicle seat, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

[0014] FIG. 2 shows a perspective front view of the head restraint in the non-functional position of the head cushion.

[0015] The head restraint, which is represented in longitudinal section in FIG. 1, for fastening on a seat back or backrest 10 of a vehicle seat, has a head cushion 11 for supporting the head and a retaining device 12 which retains the head cushion 11 and is secured in the backrest 10. The retaining device 12 makes it possible for the head cushion 11 to be pivoted from its functional upper position, which is shown in lines in FIG. 1, into a lower-lying rest or non-functional position, which is shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1, and vice versa. In the functional position the head cushion 11 ensures that the heads of vehicle passengers of various heights are supported at the minimum height prescribed by law, and in the non-functional position the head cushion 11 is moved downward sufficiently far for the driver's view to the rear to be cleared, i.e. the head cushion 11 is not annoyingly situated in the field of view of the driver during reversing.

[0016] The ability of the head cushion 11 to pivot is enabled by a pivot 13 between the head cushion 11 and the retaining device 12, the pivot being aligned transversely (e.g., essentially perpendicularly) to the backrest front surface 101 and acting eccentrically in the plane of symmetry of the head cushion 11. In detail, the retaining device 12 has, for this purpose, a bearing cup 14, with a cup axis which is coaxial to the pivot 13, which cup rotatably accommodates a pivot pin 15, which protrudes on the rear side of the head cushion 11. The pivot pin 15 is arranged in the head-cushion region which is lower in the functional position of the head cushion 11 and is connected fixedly to the head cushion 11. The rear side of the head cushion 11 in the lower head-cushion region is bevelled in such a manner that its oblique surface 16 runs approximately parallel to the backrest front surface 101 of the backrest 10. The head cushion 11 has a supporting frame 17 which is composed of four frame legs 171-174 and is provided with upholstery 18 surrounding it. A proximal portion 181 of the upholstery 18 which covers the transversely extending frame strut 171 which is lower, in the functional position of the head cushion 11, is of substantially wider design in the vertical direction than a distal portion 182 of the upholstery 18 on the upper frame strut 172 which is parallel thereto. The upholstery 18 around the two lateral frame struts 173, 174 is of identical design. For the fastening of the pivot pin 15 on the head cushion 11, a retaining bolt 19, which protrudes to the rear at an obtuse angle with respect to the supporting frame 17, is fastened rigidly in the center, at the transversely extending frame strut 171 which is lower in the functional position of the head cushion 11. This retaining bolt 19 is inserted into a coaxial blind hole 20 in the pivot pin 15 and fastened therein.

[0017] The bearing cup 14 itself is fastened rigidly on a supporting hoop 21, which is designed such that it can be inserted by its two hoop legs 211 into a guide sleeve 22 in each case. The two guide sleeves 22 are placed at a parallel distance from each other into the backrest 10 from the upper edge thereof, and are provided with a latching mechanism (not shown in further detail here) which permits the hoop legs 211 to be latched into the guide sleeves 22 at different insertion lengths of the hoop legs 211. The entire head restraint can thus be adjusted in its distance relative to the upper edge of the backrest 10.

[0018] In the functional position (shown in unbroken lines in FIG. 1) of the head cushion 11, the pivot pin 15 is locked releasably to the bearing cup 14, the locking 23 being actuated automatically when the head cushion 11 is pivoted into its functional position and being able to be released again manually and/or under the action of auxiliary power. The lock 23 consists of a recess 24, which is made in the free end side of the pivot pin 15, and of a locking pin 26 which engages into the recess 24 under the spring force of a locking spring 25 and is retained in an axially displaceable manner on the bearing cup 14. For releasing the lock 23 there is provided a solenoid 27, which consists in a customary manner of a magnet housing 28, an exciter coil 29 and armature 30, the armature 30 being connected fixedly to the locking pin 26. The locking spring 25 is supported between the magnet housing 28 and the locking pin 26. If the solenoid 27 is supplied with current, which can be triggered, for example, from the drivers seat, the armature 30 retracts and lifts the locking pin 26 out of the recess 24 so that the lock 23 is ineffective.

[0019] As an alternative or in addition, there is pivotably mounted on the bearing cup 14 a two-armed lever arm 31 whose one lever arm 311 is coupled to the locking pin 26 and on whose other lever arm 312 an actuating surface 313 is formed for the manual actuation. The coupling of the lever arm 311 and locking pin 26 takes place via a collar 32 which is formed on the locking pin 26 and is grasped from behind by the lever arm 311 on one side and on whose other side the locking spring 25 is supported. If a compression force, for example, by a finger, is applied to the actuating surface 313, the lever arm 311 in FIG. 1 pivots counterclockwise and carries along the locking pin 26 via the collar 32 sufficiently far for said pin to emerge completely from the recess 24. The lock 23 is thus released again.

[0020] For the automatic return of the head cushion 11 from its functional position into its non-functional position, a restoring spring 33 is provided which is tensioned when the head cushion 11 is transferred from its non-functional position into the functional position, and is retained in its tensioned position by the lock 23. If the lock 23 is released, the restoring force of the restoring spring 33 returns the head cushion 11 back into its non-functional position, which is shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, the restoring spring 33 is designed as a spiral or leg spring 34 which is pushed onto the pivot pin 15 and having one spring end 341 fastened on the bearing cup 14 and having another spring end 342 fastened on the pivot pin 15.

[0021] The entire retaining device 12 is covered by a covering hood 35 which conceals the retaining device 12 and to this end is adapted in visual terms to the upper-edge region of the backrest 10. At the same time, the dimensions of the covering hood 35 and head cushion 11 and the arrangement of the pivot pin 13 on the head cushion 11 are coordinated with one another in such a manner that in the pivoted-away non-functional position of the head cushion 11, the lower edge of the head cushion 11, which edge is now situated at the top, is essentially flush with the upper edge of the covering 35.

[0022] The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.