Retaining device for vehicle headrests

Abstract

A retaining device for vehicle headrests, including a guide element inside which a fixing rod for fixing a headrest can be housed, a retaining element movable between a retaining position, in which the retaining element prevents the movement of the fixing rod with respect to the guide element, and a release position, and a push button for moving the retaining element from the retaining position to the release position, and at least one lever linked with the push button transferring the movement of the push button to the retaining element, and an elastic element pushing the lever towards the retaining position of the retaining element, wherein the retaining element and the lever are made in a single piece.

Claims

1. Retaining device for vehicle headrests, comprising: a guide element configured to house inside the guide element, a fixing rod for fixing a headrest; a retaining element movable between a retaining position, in which the retaining element prevents movement of said fixing rod with respect to said guide element, and a release position, in which the retaining element allows movement of said fixing rod with respect to said guide element; a push button for moving said retaining element from said retaining position to said release position; at least one lever linked with said push button transferring movement of said push button to the retaining element; and an elastic element pushing said lever towards the retaining position of said retaining element, wherein said retaining element and said lever are made in a single piece.

2. Retaining device for vehicle headrests according to claim 1, wherein said retaining element and said lever are formed from a rod.

3. Retaining device for vehicle headrests according to claim 2, wherein said rod is U-shaped, the lower portion of which is the retaining element and arms of the retaining element are respective levers.

4. Retaining device for vehicle headrests according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one levers the is formed by two straight sections defining an obtuse angle.

5. Retaining device for vehicle headrests according to claim 4, wherein said guide element comprises at least one supporting element contacting the sections of at least one of the at least one levers.

6. Retaining device for vehicle headrests according to claim 1, wherein said push button comprises at least one groove for housing the upper end of the lever.

7. Retaining device for vehicle headrests according to claim 1, wherein said guide element comprises a hole in which said retaining element is housed in the retaining element's retaining position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) For the purposes of a better understanding of that which is set forth, drawings are attached, which schematically and solely by way of non-limiting example represent a practical embodiment.

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the retaining device according to the present invention in the position of use thereof in combination with a vehicle headrest;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the retaining device according to the present invention in the retaining position thereof;

(4) FIG. 3 is a top view of the retaining device according to the present invention;

(5) FIG. 4 is a is a perspective view of the detail of the lower portion of the retaining device according to the present invention in the retaining position thereof; and

(6) FIG. 5 is a is a perspective view of the detail of the lower portion of the retaining device according to the present invention in the release position thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(7) FIG. 1 shows a headrest 3 that comprises a pair of fixing rods 2, one of which is housed inside a retaining device according to the present invention.

(8) As may be seen from this figure, the fixing rods 2 comprise grooves 12 that will be used to fix the height of the headrest 3.

(9) The retaining device according to the present invention comprises a guide element 1 inside which a fixing rod 2 of the headrest 3 is housed and a retaining element 4 movable between a retaining position (represented in FIG. 4), in which the movement of said fixing rod 2 with respect to said guide element 1 is prevented, and a release position (represented in FIG. 5), in which it allows the movement of said fixing rod 2 with respect to said guide element 1.

(10) Furthermore, the retaining device according to the present invention comprises a push button 5 for moving said retaining element 4 from said retaining position to said release position, at least one lever 6two, in the case of the embodiment representedlinked with said push button 5 transferring the movement of said push button 5 to the retaining element 4; and an elastic element 7 pushing said lever 6 towards the retaining position of said retaining element 4.

(11) In order that it is possible to place the retaining element 4 in the retaining position, the guide element 1 comprises a hole 10, as may be seen from the figures.

(12) According to the present invention, the retaining element 4 and the levers 6 are made in a single piece. According to the preferred embodiment represented, a rod 8 of U-shape defines the retaining element 4 and the levers 6 such that the lower portion of the U is the retaining element 4 and the arms of the U are the levers 6.

(13) Each lever 6 is preferably formed by two sections defining an obtuse angle, as may be seen from the figures, and at least one supporting element 11 for achieving the rotation contacting the sections of the lever or each lever.

(14) The upper portion of said levers 6 is housed in respective grooves 9 provided in the push button 5, as may be seen better from FIG. 3.

(15) The retaining device according to the present invention operates as follows:

(16) The guide elements 1 are placed in the upper portion of the back of a vehicle seat and the fixing rods 2 are housed inside said guide elements 1.

(17) In this position, the retaining element 4 is housed inside one of the grooves 12 of said fixing rod 2, immobilizing the headrest 3.

(18) In order to change the height of said headrest 3 with respect to the upper portion of the seat back, the user has to push the push button 5 horizontally. When the push button 5 is pushed, the upper end of the levers 6, housed in the grooves 9, will be moved as a result, giving rise to the movement of said retaining element 4 from its retaining position to its release position.

(19) This movement is achieved by virtue of the rotation of the rod 8 (formed by the levers 6 and the retaining element 4) with respect to the point of rotation of the supporting element 11.

(20) In this position, the retaining element 4 is outside said notch 12 and will allow the movement of the fixing rod 2 with respect to said guide element 1.

(21) When the headrest 3 has been placed in the required position, the push button simply has to be released and, owing to the action of the elastic element 7 on the rod 8, the retaining element 4 will return to its retaining position.

(22) Despite the fact that reference has been made to a specific embodiment of the invention, it is obvious for a person skilled in the art that the retaining device described can undergo numerous changes and modifications and that all the details mentioned may be replaced by other, technically equivalent, details without departing from the scope of protection defined by the attached claims.