US 7,070,235 B2 · Crash-active headrest · patentgrep

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Abstract

In a headrest (1) for a vehicle seat, having a carrier (5), at least one upper and lower linkage (11, 15) linked to the carrier (5), which can be pivoted around horizontal axles (7, 17), a impact element (13) linked to the linkages (11, 15) which forms at least one four-bar linkage (19) with the linkages (11, 15) and the carrier (5), and an energy storage device (25), the energy storage device (25) driving the four-bar linkage (19) in the event of a crash, so that the impact element (13) comes out forward from an original position into a crash position that is locked against a backward movement by a crash lock, the upper linkage (11) and the lower linkage (15) are unparallel with respect to one another.

Claims54

Dependent claims

A headrest that is for a vehicle seat and operates advantageously in the event of a crash, the headrest comprising:

at least a four-bar linkage including
(a) upper and lower linkages mounted for pivoting relative to a carrier, wherein the upper and lower linkages being mounted for Pivoting relative to the carrier comprises
(1) the upper linkage being pivotably connected to the carrier at a position, and
(2) the lower linkage being pivotably connected to the carrier at a position that is distant from the position where the upper linkage is pivotably connected to the carrier, and
(b) an impact element that is operatively connected to the upper and lower linkages for moving away from the carrier in an at least generally forward direction, from an original position to a crash position, in response to pivoting of the upper and lower linkages relative to the carrier, wherein the impact element being operatively connected to the upper and lower linkages for moving away from the carrier in the at least generally forward direction, from the original position to the crash position, in response to pivoting of the upper and lower linkages relative to the carrier, comprises
(1) the impact element being pivotably connected to the upper linkage at a position that is distant from the position where the upper linkage is pivotably connected to the carrier and
(2) the impact element being pivotably connected to the lower linkage at a position that is distant from both
(i) the position where the lower linkage is pivotably connected to the carrier, and
(ii) the position where the impact element is pivotably connected to the upper linkage;
an energy storage device for driving the linkage so that the impact element moves from the original position to the crash position in response to the crash;
and
a crash lock for restricting the impact element from moving from the crash position toward the original position,
wherein the upper and lower linkages are unparallel with respect to one another.

10 more elements

A headrest that is for a vehicle seat and operates advantageously in the event of a crash, the headrest comprising:

at least a four-bar linkage including
(a) upper and lower linkages mounted for pivoting relative to a carrier, wherein the upper and lower linkages being mounted for pivoting relative to the carrier comprises
(1) the upper linkage being pivotably connected to the carrier at a position. and
(2) the lower linkage being pivotably connected to the carrier at a position that is distant from the position where the upper linkage is pivotably connected to the carrier, and
(b) an impact element that is operatively connected to the upper and lower linkages for moving away from the carrier in an at least generally forward direction, from an original position to a crash position, in response to pivoting of the upper and lower linkages relative to the carrier, wherein the impact element being operatively connected to the upper and lower linkages for moving away from the carrier in the at least generally forward direction, from the original position to the crash position, in response to pivoting of the upper and lower linkages relative to the carrier, comprises
(1) the impact element being pivotably connected to the upper linkage at a position that is distant from the position where the upper linkage is pivotably connected to the carrier, and
(2) the impact element being pivotably connected to the lower linkage at a position that is distant from both
(i) the position where the lower linkage is pivotably connected to the carrier, and
(ii) the position where the impact element is pivotably connected to the upper linkage;
an energy storage device for driving the linkage so that the impact element moves from the original position to the crash position in response to the crash;
and
a crash lock for restricting the impact element from moving from the crash position toward the original position,
wherein the crash lock is operative for being unlocked, in a predetermined manner, while the impact element is in the crash position, so that the impact element can be moved from the crash position to the original position, whereby the impact element is reset to the original position.

10 more elements

A headrest that is for a vehicle seat and operates advantageously in the event of a crash, the headrest comprising:

at least a four-bar linkage including upper and lower linkages mounted for pivoting relative to a carrier, and an impact element that is operatively connected to the upper and lower linkages for moving away from the carrier in an at least generally forward direction, from an original position to a crash position, in response to pivoting of the upper and lower linkages relative to the carrier;
an energy storage device for driving the linkage so that the impact element moves from the original position to the crash position in response to the crash, wherein the energy storage device is a spring, the spring is in a first configuration while the impact element is in the original position, the spring is in a second configuration while the impact element is in the crash position;
a crash lock for restricting the impact element from moving from the crash position toward the original position;
and
a pawl mounted for pivoting between first and second positions, wherein the pawl at least indirectly releasably holds the spring in the spring's first configuration while the pawl is in the pawl's first position.

2 more elements

A headrest that is for a vehicle seat and operates advantageously in the event of a crash, the headrest comprising:

at least a four-bar linkage including upper and lower linkages mounted for pivoting relative to a carrier, and an impact element that is operatively connected to the upper and lower linkages for moving away from the carrier in an at least generally forward direction, from an original position to a crash position, in response to pivoting of the upper and lower linkages relative to the carrier;
an energy storage device for driving the linkage so that the impact element moves from the original position to the crash position in response to the crash;
a crash lock for:
restricting the impact element from moving from the crash position toward the original position, and
being selectively unlocked while the impact element is in the crash position, so that the impact element can be moved from the crash position to the original position;
and
a pawl mounted for pivoting between first and second positions, wherein the pawl is at least substantially unloaded while the impact element is in the crash position, and the pawl is operative for:
holding a restraint element of the impact element and thereby maintaining the impact element in the original position, while the pawl is in the pawl's first position and prior to the crash,
releasing the restraint element in response to the crash, so that the energy storage device drives the linkage so that the impact element moves from the original position to the crash position, and
receiving the restraint element and then releasably holding the restraint element so as to releasably maintain the impact element in the original position, in response to the impact element being moved from the crash position to the original position.

7 more elements

A headrest that is for a vehicle seat and operates advantageously in the event of a crash, the headrest comprising:

at least a four-bar linkage including
(a) upper and lower linkages mounted for pivoting relative to a carrier, wherein the upper and lower linkages being mounted for pivoting relative to the carrier comprises
(1) the upper linkage being pivotably connected to the carrier at a position, and
(2) the lower linkage being pivotably connected to the carrier at a position that is distant from the position where the upper linkage is pivotably connected to the carrier, and
(b) an impact element that is operatively connected to the upper and lower linkages for moving away from the carrier in an at least generally forward direction, from an original position to a crash position, in response to pivoting of the upper and lower linkages relative to the carrier, wherein the impact element being operatively connected to the upper and lower linkages for moving away from the carrier in the at least generally forward direction, from the original position to the crash position, in response to pivoting of the upper and lower linkages relative to the carrier, comprises
(1) the impact element being pivotably connected to the upper linkage at a position that is distant from the position where the upper linkage is pivotably connected to the carrier, and
(2) the impact element being pivotably connected to the lower linkage at a position that is distant from both
(i) the position where the lower linkage is pivotably connected to the carrier, and
(ii) the position where the impact element is pivotably connected to the upper linkage;
and
a crash lock for restricting the impact element from moving from the crash position toward the original position,
wherein the upper and lower linkages are unparallel with respect to one another.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/037,926Filed 18 Jan 2005 · continuation
Priority: DE 102 60 58221 Dec 2002
Published: US 2005/0127726 A116 Jun 2005
Granted: 4 Jul 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

B60N 2/865
Movable or adjustable: providing a fore-and-aft movement with respect to the occupant's head
B60N 2/862
Tiltable: with means for maintaining a desired position when the seat-back is adjusted, e.g. parallelogram mechanisms
B60N 2/888
Head-rests: with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest
B60N
Seats specially adapted for vehicles

Family

PCT/EP03/013757Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Dec 2003
US 2005/0127726 A1Pre-grant publication · published 16 Jun 2005
US 7,070,235 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Timeline

Citations

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