Headrest on a vehicle seat

[0002] This application claims the priority of German Patent Application 100 05 196.0, filed in Germany, Feb. 5, 2000, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.

[0003] The invention relates to a headrest on a vehicle seat having two lateral supporting parts which can be displaced between an inoperative position and a tilted-out position and which, in the inoperative position, extend approximately in a transverse vehicle plane, while, in the tilted-out position, they enclose, together with a longitudinal vehicle plane, an acute angle which is open toward a front side of a vehicle. German Patent Document DE 196 02 909 A1, (FIG. 7), is an example of this type of headrest.

[0004] As indicated in the description of FIG. 7 of the German Patent De 196 02 909 A1 and illustrated in the drawing, in the center area of its width dimension, the vehicle seat is provided with a headrest which has two lateral supporting parts. These can each be swivelled about a vertical longitudinal center plane of the vehicle seat such that they extend either approximately in a transverse vehicle plane or enclose a more or less large angle, the two supporting parts being locked in the selected swivelling positions by a locking device.

[0005] By means of the supporting parts, which extend diagonally with respect to a transverse vehicle plane, the vehicle occupant's head is to be protected from high lateral accelerations which may occur in a vehicle crash. However, during the crash, the vehicle occupant's head is usually displaced for a short time away from the headrest and is then thrown back against it. Since, in most cases, the vehicle occupant's head does not impact onto the center of the headrest but laterally onto it and therefore strikes against its diagonally extending supporting parts, the head is additionally thrown toward the left or toward the right, specifically as a result of the diagonal position of the supporting parts, so that the locking of the supporting parts of the headrest do not ensure an optimal protection against injury.

[0006] It is therefore an object of the invention to construct a headrest of the type indicated above such that the risk of injury to the vehicle occupant will not be increased in the event of a vehicle crash, when at least one of the supporting parts is in the tilted-out position and the lateral area of the headrest is acted upon by the vehicle occupant's head.

[0007] For achieving the object, the headrest is characterized in that the two supporting parts are connected such with the headrest that, in the event of a vehicle crash, they are automatically displaced by one of a mere action of the vehicle occupant's head and a control element into the inoperative position.

[0008] According to the invention, the supporting parts are connected with the headrest carrying them by means of such a device that, in the event of a vehicle crash, they are displaced in the inoperative position by a mere action of the head or by an adjusting element so that, by means of the existing supporting parts, the vehicle occupant's head is not additionally laterally displaced and there will be no additional risk of injury. However, the holding device of the supporting parts is nevertheless constructed such that it can absorb the acceleration forces which normally occur in the driving operation. As a result, the headrest provided with the supporting parts ensures an optimal protective function in the normal driving operation as well as in the event of a vehicle crash. In this case, the device of the supporting parts according to the invention has a low weight and can be provided in a very simple and cost-effective manner.

[0009] The two supporting parts are expediently hinged to the center area of the width dimension of the headrest and, when acted upon by the vehicle occupant or by an adjusting element, are displaced toward the lateral edge of the headrest.

[0010] A very simple device, which can be produced at reasonable cost, consists of a curved holding bow which is pivotally connected to the free end section of the supporting parts or is rigidly mounted on an interior upholstery plate and which, on its free end section which can be displaced into the headrest, has several detent grooves which are arranged at a distance from one another and into which a leg spring or similar detent element also provided in the headrest engages in a locking manner in the respective pivoting position of the receiving part. In this case, the spring effect of the leg spring which acts upon the holding bow is coordinated such that, in the case of the lateral acceleration forces customary in the driving operation, the supporting parts remain in the tilt-out position, while, in the event of a vehicle crash, they are displaced into the inoperative position by the mere action of the vehicle occupant's head.

[0011] It is also contemplated in certain embodiments of the invention, that in each case, by means of a mechanically or electrically/electronically actuated control element, the supporting part is swivelled in a sensor-controlled manner into the inoperative position in the event of a vehicle crash.

[0012] A special further development of a vertically displaceable headrest according to certain preferred embodiments of the invention consists of the fact that it has a front-side recess for the arrangement of the two supporting parts, in the center area of the width dimension of the headrest, a stationary, perpendicularly extending center part being provided which is in each case adjoined by a lateral supporting part which is pivotally connected by way of a film hinge, while the upper, free end section of the headrest, in an approximately surface-flush manner, adjoins the center part and the supporting parts situated in the inoperative position. As a result, a vertically displaceable headrest is created which has an optimal design with respect to its appearance.

[0013] 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.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective representation of the upper end area of a backrest of a vehicle seat with a headrest constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, whose supporting parts are shown in the inoperative position; and

[0015] FIG. 2 is a top view with respect to FIG. 1, shown with the supporting parts displaced into the tilt-out position.

[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates the backrest 1 of a vehicle seat which is not shown in detail, on the upper transverse frame part 1′ of the backrest 1, a headrest 2 being provided which is vertically adjustable by means of two carrying rods 3.

[0017] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the headrest 2 has a front-side recess 5 which extends toward its lower edge and which is used for arranging two supporting parts 6 at the inoperative position a. Furthermore, a stationary, perpendicularly extending center part 7 is provided in the center area of the width dimension of the headrest 2, to which center part 7, laterally by way of a perpendicularly extending film hinge 8, one supporting part 6 respectively is pivotally connected which is disposed to be swivellable in the direction of the double arrow c. In this case, the film hinges 8 are constructed on a part covered by the outer covering of the headrest 2 and consisting of plastic, leather or the like, or on an interior upholstery plate.

[0018] As illustrated in FIG. 2, a curved holding bow 10 is pivotally connected to the free end section of the two supporting parts 6, in each case, by way of a bearing bolt 9. On its free end section, the holding bow 10 has several detent grooves 11 which are arranged at a distance from one another. In this case, the holding bows 10 can also be rigidly mounted on an interior upholstery plate. In addition, an approximately U-shaped leg spring 12 is provided in the headrest 2 in each case in the area of the holding bow 10, the two legs of the leg spring surrounding the holding bow 10. In this case, the leg spring 12 locks elastically into a detent groove 11 in the tilted-out position b illustrated in FIG. 2, the spring force of the leg springs 12 being coordinated such that the supporting parts 6 in their tilted-out position b withstand the lateral acceleration forces normally occurring in the driving operation, as a result of which forces the supporting parts 6 are loaded by the vehicle occupant's head. However, in the event of a vehicle crash, the vehicle occupant's head may be thrown so severely at least against one of the supporting parts 6 that this supporting part, as a result of the impact energy, is automatically swivelled in the direction of the arrow c′ into the inoperative position a. In this case, the supporting parts 6, in the inoperative position a, extend approximately in a transverse plane of the vehicle (illustrated in FIG. 1 by drawn-out lines and in FIG. 2, by dash-dotted lines), while, in the tilted-out position b, they enclose, together with the longitudinal plane of the vehicle, an acute angle a which is open toward the front side of the vehicle.

[0019] The present invention also contemplates embodiments including a mechanically, electrically or electronically actuated control element E, provided in the headrest 2 in the area of one supporting part 6 respectively, by means of which control element the supporting part 6 is displaced from the tilted-out position b into the inoperative position a in a sensor controlled manner by a control unit CU in the event of a vehicle crash. The control element E and control unit CU, operable in response to crash condition sensor S, are schematically depicted in dash lines in FIG. 2.

[0020] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the upper free end section 20 of the headrest 2 adjoins the center part 7 and the supporting parts 6 situated in the inoperative position a in an approximately surface-flush manner.

[0021] 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.