SLEEVE FOR HEADREST

Abstract

A sleeve device for a headrest, the device including a sleeve body for insertion into a vehicle seat, the sleeve body including a tubular wall describing an inner axial passage and a rod-engaging portion which is deformable inwardly relative to the tubular wall, the rod-engaging portion including a flexible pad on its external side, wherein the pad is configured to be urged, in use, to force the engaging portion into the axial passage and/or against a rod received within the axial passage.

Claims

1. A sleeve device for a headrest, the device comprising a sleeve body for insertion into a vehicle seat, the sleeve body comprising a tubular wall describing an inner axial passage and a rod-engaging portion which is deformable inwardly relative to the tubular wall, the rod-engaging portion comprising a flexible pad on its external side, wherein the pad is configured to be urged, in use, to force the engaging portion into the axial passage and/or against a rod received within the axial passage.

2. The sleeve device of claim 1, wherein the rod-engaging portion is formed of a first material and the pad is formed of second material, which is more flexible than the first material and is moulded over the rod-engaging portion such that the pad and the rod-engaging portion are fused to one another.

3. The sleeve device of claim 2, wherein the tubular wall comprises a circumferential external surface and the pad projects outwardly relative to the circumferential external surface such that the pad engages, in use, a frame within which the sleeve body is received, thereby forcing the rod-engaging portion into the axial passage and/or against a rod received within the axial passage.

4. The sleeve device of claim 3, wherein the rod-engaging portion is integral with the tubular wall and described at least in part by one or more interruption(s) or slot(s), the pad being formed only on the rod-engaging portion.

5. The sleeve device of claim 4, wherein the rod-engaging portion comprises a resiliently deformable arm or tongue having a free end.

6. The sleeve device of claim 4, wherein the rod-engaging portion comprises a resiliently deformable band described between a pair of slots through the tubular wall, each end of the band being integral with the tubular wall.

7. A computer program element, embodied on a computer readable medium, the computer program element comprising a three-dimensional design for use with a simulation means or a three-dimensional additive or subtractive manufacturing means, the three-dimensional design comprising an embodiment of the sleeve device of claim 1.

8. A method of making a sleeve device for a headrest, the method comprising moulding a sleeve body including a tubular wall describing an inner axial passage and a rod rod-engaging portion which is deformable inwardly relative to the tubular wall, and moulding a flexible pad onto an external side of the rod-engaging portion using a second material which is more flexible than the first material.

9. The method of claim 7 comprising moulding the sleeve device using a two-shot or twin-shot or 2 k injection moulding process.

10. A method of assembling a seat assembly, the method comprising inserting a tubular wall of a sleeve device into a vehicle seat such that a flexible pad of the device is urged to force an engaging portion of the tubular wall into an axial passage described by the tubular wall.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0028] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along the longitudinal axis of a headrest post assembly incorporating a sleeve device according to one example;

[0029] FIG. 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the headrest post assembly of FIG. 1, which is taken along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;

[0030] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the sleeve device of FIGS. 1 and 2;

[0031] FIG. 4 is a sectional perspective view of a headrest post assembly incorporating a sleeve device according to another example;

[0032] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the longitudinal axis of the sleeve device shown in FIG. 4; and

[0033] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to that of FIG. 5 with the sleeve device received within the opening in the frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 3, there is shown a headrest post assembly 1 including a sleeve device 2 received in an opening 10 in a frame tube 11 of a vehicle seat (not shown) and a rod 12 connected to a headrest (not shown) received within the sleeve device 2. The sleeve device 2 includes a sleeve body 20 having a tubular wall 21 with a resiliently deformable band 3 and a flexible pad 4 on an external side of the band 3.

[0035] The tubular wall 21 of the sleeve body 20 describes an inner axial passage 22 within which the rod 12 is received. The tubular wall 21 includes a pair of outer, axial ribs 23 and a pair of inner, axial ribs 24, both of which are on the opposite side of the tubular wall 21 to the band 3. The outer, axial ribs 23 engage facing portions of the inner surface of the frame tube 11. The inner, axial ribs 24 are substantially aligned with the outer, axial ribs 23 and engage an outer surface of the rod 12.

[0036] The tubular wall 21 also includes a pair of axial slots 25 through its thickness, which describe the deformable band 3 therebetween. More specifically, the slots 25 separate a band 3 of material from the rest of the tubular wall 21, whilst each end of the band 3 remains integral therewith. The band 3 can therefore be stretched inwardly, or indeed outwardly, to deform relative to the rest of the tubular wall 21.

[0037] The sleeve body 20 also includes a head 26 formed by a radial flange projecting outwardly from the tubular wall 21. In this example, the head 26 is substantially triangular in shape to match the shape of the opening 10 in the frame tube 11, which is shown more clearly in FIG. 2. As such, the head 26 covers the opening 10 when the sleeve device 2 is inserted therein. The sleeve body 20 is formed of a first, rigid or semi-rigid plastics material in this example.

[0038] The pad 4 is formed of a second, flexible material, for example an elastomeric material such as a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), in this example. The pad 4, shown in cross-section in FIG. 2, is formed as a ridge, moulded onto an external side of the band 3. The tubular wall 21 and band 3 include a lip 27 surrounding a zone of fusion between the material of the band 3 and that of the pad 4. The lip 27 describes a recess in the material of the band 3. The sleeve body 20 and pad 4 are formed using a two-shot or twin-shot injection moulding process, generally referred to as a 2 k moulding process by those skilled in the art. The skilled person will readily appreciate the advantages associated with this process, including those related to both manufacturability and the reliability of the bond between the materials.

[0039] The pad 4 projects outwardly from the band 3, beyond the circumferential external surface tubular wall 21. As such, when the sleeve device 2 is inserted into the opening 10, the internal surface of the frame tube 11 engages the pad 4, which urges and deforms the band 3 into the axial passage 22. When the rod 12 is inserted into the axial passage 22, the band 3 is therefore urged against the rod 12 to take up any slack and thereby provide a tight fit between the rod 12 and the sleeve device 2.

[0040] The band 3 therefore provides a rod-engaging portion 3 of the sleeve device 2, which is configured to regulate the sliding movement of the rod 12 within the axial inner passage 22 of the sleeve body 20, and to take up the slack between them. The pad 4 has also been found to be surprisingly effective at damping vibrations in the headrest post assembly 1, in use.

[0041] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the sleeve device 2 according to this example also includes a securing feature 28, which is in the form of a barb-shaped projection in this example. The securing feature 28 is adjacent and spaced from the head 26 and includes an engaging end surface 28a facing the head 26 which captivates part of a frame tube 11 between the head 26 and the engaging end surface 28a. The securing feature 28 also includes a lead in 28b on the opposite side of the head 26 to facilitate insertion of the sleeve device 2 into the frame tube 11.

[0042] Referring now to FIGS. 4 to 6, there is shown a headrest post assembly 101 according to another example. The headrest post assembly 101 according to this example is similar to the headrest post assembly 1 described above, wherein like features are labelled with like references, incremented by 100.

[0043] The headrest post assembly 101 according to this example differs from that of FIGS. 1 to 3 in that the rod-engaging portion 103 of the sleeve device 102 is in the form of a deformable tongue 103, as opposed to the deformable band 3 of the sleeve device 2 described above. The deformable tongue 103 is similar to the deformable band 3 and performs a similar function, but it includes a free end 130.

[0044] This permits the tongue 103 to pivot P about its other end 131, which forms a live hinge connection with the tubular wall 121. As such, the tongue 103 is able to deform to a greater extent than the deformable band 3. This enables the sleeve device 102 to accommodate a larger gap between the axial inner passage 122 of the sleeve body 120 and the rod 112.

[0045] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that several variations to the aforementioned embodiments are envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any number of combinations of the aforementioned features and/or those shown in the appended drawings provide clear advantages over the prior art and are therefore within the scope of the invention described herein.