Rotating head rests

#The invention relates generally to rotating head rests, and more particularly, to rotating head rests that may be employed in vehicle seating assemblies.

#Vehicles often include head rests as part of seating assemblies to provide support for an occupant's head. Safety regulations also may mandate a head rest for each seat in a vehicle. When a seat is not used by an occupant, the head rest may be lowered to provide additional storage space or to expand the driver's view. However, the head rest may then need to be raised when the seat is again used by an occupant. Further, after a head rest has been raised from a lowered position, the head rest may not be inclined at a comfortable position for the user.

#In a first embodiment, a vehicle seat assembly includes a seat back that has a contact surface configured to support an occupant, a head rest that has an internal frame, and a rod coupling the head rest to the seat back and configured to elevate the head rest from the seat back to a raised position and to lower the head rest towards the seat back to a lowered position. The vehicle seat assembly also includes a rotation mechanism coupled to the internal frame, disposed around a portion of the rod, and configured to rotate the head rest with respect to the rod. The rotation mechanism is configured to rotate the head rest away from the rod to an extended position towards an occupant space when the head rest is in the lowered position, and to rotate the head rest towards the rod away from the occupant space when the head rest is in the raised position.

#FIG. 1 is perspective view of an embodiment of a vehicle that may employ rotating head rests.

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a seat assembly with a head rest in a lowered position.

#FIG. 3 is a side view of the seat assembly of FIG. 1 depicting the raised position and the lowered position.

#The present disclosure is directed to head rests that may be employed in vehicle seat assemblies. The head rests can rotate with respect to seat backs of the seat assemblies and can be raised and lowered with respect to the seat backs. In the lowered position, the top of the head rest is located generally even with the top of the seat back, which in turn may increase a driver's field of vision when the seat is not occupied. In the raised position, the head rest is positioned above the seat back to provide support for the head and neck of an occupant who may be seated in the seat.

#According to certain embodiments, a head rest may be mounted on a rod that can be raised from and lowered into a seat back to move the head rest between the raised position and the lowered position. The head rest also may include a frame that provides structural support for the head rest and attaches the head rest to the moveable rod. In the lowered position, the head rest can be rotated away from the rod and the seat back so that the head rest projects from the seat back to displace an occupant from the seat, thereby prompting an occupant to raise the head rest. In the raised positioned, the head rest can be rotated back towards the rod and the seat back to allow clearance for an occupant's back, neck, and/or shoulders.

#FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary application for a rotating head rest within a vehicle seat assembly 10. According to exemplary embodiments, vehicle seat assembly 10 may be located within the third row of a motor vehicle 11, such as a mini van, full size van, sport utility vehicle, station wagon, or the like. In general, vehicle seat assembly 10 includes a head rest that may be lowered to expand cargo space, expand a driver's view, and/or facilitate removal or storage of vehicle seat assembly 10.