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Head restraint system for a vehicle seat

Head restraint system for a vehicle seat description/claims

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to head restraints for vehicle seats.

2. Background Art

Vehicle seats are often provided with headrests or head restraints that translate from a rest to a deployed position in response to a force imparted to the seat by an occupant during an impact condition. One example of a vehicle seat having a movable head restraint is disclosed in U.S. Pub. No. 2006/0071518, which published on Jun. 24, 2004.

Several anti-whiplash mechanisms are available today that are not adjustable. Others may require a clamshell or elastic material with which to encapsulate the mechanism. Such approaches are bulky and make it difficult to match the style of the head restraint to that of the seat.

The present invention includes a vehicle seat comprised of a seatback frame for supporting the back of an occupant. A head restraint extends from the seatback frame for supporting the head of the occupant. In one embodiment, a two-bar mechanism that is operably connected to the head restraint receives an input force from the occupant in response to an impact and actuates the head restraint to the deployed position. Thus, the head restraint is movable from a rest position to a deployed position before or in response to an impacting force that exceeds a nominal value.

FIG. 1 is a quartering perspective view of the invention that depicts a vehicle seat with a seatback frame for supporting the back of an occupant and a head restraint that extends from the seatback frame;

FIG. 2 is a quartering perspective, partially broken away view of a two-bar mechanism that is supported between two headrest posts, the two-bar mechanism being depicted in a rest or design position;

FIG. 3 resembles the view of FIG. 2, except that the two-bar mechanism is depicted in a deployed or actuated position;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a view that resembles FIG. 5 with the head restraint cover material shown in phantom.

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for the claims and/or as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

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