Headrest and mount therefor

Abstract

The invention relates to a bearing for a support rod (13a, 13b) of a headrest (11) for vehicle seats, having at least one frame (16) forming an opening (17) through which the support rod (13a, 13b) can pass, wherein the frame (16) at least partially engages around the opening (17), wherein the bearing (10) has at least one contact region (18) for contacting the outer surface (27) of the support rod (13a, 13b) that is connected by a connector to a support region (28) that is part of the frame (16).

Claims

1. In combination with a motor-vehicle headrest, a support spaced from the headrest, and a rod extending along an axis between the headrest and the support, a bearing in the headrest or in the support, the bearing comprising: a frame forming an opening centered on the axis and through which the rod passes axially, the frame completely surrounding the opening; angularly extending arms angularly equispaced about the axis in the frame about the opening relative to the axis and each having an inner end fixed to the support and, spaced angularly therefrom relative to the axis, an outer end that is radially deflectable relative to the axis; and a spring annularly surrounding the opening and bearing radially inwardly on at least the outer ends of the arms to urge the arms radially inward into engagement with the rod.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein each arm is elastically deformable.

3. The combination according to claim 1, wherein each arm at least partially forms a concavity open toward the opening.

4. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the spring is a circular spring.

5. The combination defined in claim 1, wherein the bearing has a maximum dimension measured parallel to the axis that is substantially smaller than its maximum dimension measured perpendicular to the axis.

6. The combination defined in claim 5, wherein the arms are all identical and are unitarily formed with the frame of an elastically deformable material.

7. The combination defined in claim 1, wherein the spring engages each arm from the respective inner end to the respective outer end.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) Additional advantages of the invention are detailed in the description of an embodiment shown in the schematic figures in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a rear view of a headrest in which a rear shell of the head part is not shown,

(3) FIG. 2 is a section along line II-II in FIG. 1 in which the head part is not shown,

(4) FIG. 3 is a section along line III-III in FIG. 2,

(5) FIG. 4 is a top view of the bearing,

(6) FIG. 5 is a view according to view arrow V in FIG. 4,

(7) FIG. 6 is a view according to view arrow VI in FIG. 5,

(8) FIG. 7 is a perspective view from below of the bearing shown in FIG. 6,

(9) FIG. 8 is a perspective view from above of the bearing shown in FIG. 4,

(10) FIG. 9 is a top view of the spring shown as a single piece, and

(11) FIG. 10 is a rear view of a second embodiment of the headrest.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(12) The bearing according to the invention as a whole is identified in the drawings with reference 10. Reference numbers that are the same in the different figures indicate the same parts, whether or not appended with lowercase letters.

(13) The bearing 10 is used for holding a head part 12 of a headrest 11 as shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a rear view of the headrest 11. The headrest 11 comprises the head part 12 as well as support rods 13a and 13b. The head part 12 is mounted on a seat back 35 of a vehicle seat that is not shown in greater detail, by the support rods 13a and 13b. In FIG. 1, a rear shell of the head part 12 comprising two shells is not shown. The head part 12 can be displaced for example relative to the support rods 13a and 13b in the directions z1 and z2.

(14) Lower ends 30 of the support rod 13a and 13b engage in respective bearings 14a and 14b. Each bearing 14a and 14b is fixed to the structure of the seat back 35. The lower ends 30 of the support rods 13a and 13b are secured in the respective bearings 14a and 14b and for example are detachably fixed therein. The bearings 14a and 14b are designed for example as sleeves.

(15) Upper ends 31 of the support rod 13a and 13b are mounted in respective guides 32a and 32b of the head part 12. Each guide 32a and 32b is fixed to the head part 12 and has an upper bearing seat 33 and a lower bearing seat 34 between which an insert 38 is fixed to the bearing 10.

(16) A sectional view of the insert 38 is shown in FIG. 2. The insert 38 comprises a frame 16 forming an opening 17. The support rod 13a engages for example through the circular opening 17. The frame 16 completely surrounds the opening 17. Three elastically deformable arms 21 project into the opening 17 and each have a contact region 18 with an outer contact face 19. The contact region 18 is on a free end 20 of the arm 21.

(17) Each arm 21 is connected to the frame 16 at a support region 28 of an inner surface 40 that bounds the opening 17. In this embodiment, the arm 21 is unitary with the frame 16. Each arm 21 extends angularly from the support region 28 along the periphery u around a center point M of the opening 17. Moreover, each arm 21 is angled radially inward in the direction r1 toward the support rod 13a. The arms 21 are mounted on the frame 16 independently of each other, and their free ends 20 can move radially in directions r1 and r2 independently of one another.

(18) The arms 21 form respective concavities 22 of the bearing 10 that are turned toward an opening 17. Respective gaps 24 are formed by sides 23 of the arm 21 turned away from the respective concavities 22 and extend angularly around the periphery u relative to the center point M. Each arm 21 can accordingly move elastically radially outward in the direction r2.

(19) FIG. 4 shows the insert 38 with the bearing 10 as a single piece. An inner diameter I defined by the concavities 22 is the diameter of a circle around the center point M that is tangent to the contact faces 19. The support rod 13a in place has an outer diameter D (see FIG. 3) that is bigger than the inner diameter I (see FIG. 4). The arms 21 are therefore deformed in the direction r2, thereby pressing the outer contact faces 19 in the direction r1 against an outer surface 27 of the support rod 13a due to the elastic return force of the arm 21.

(20) Each arm 21 has on its underside 29 a recess 25 forming a seat (see FIGS. 2 and 3, for example). Because of the recess 25, a part 36 projects from each arm 21 parallel to a longitudinal center line a1 of the guide 14a, and forms a contact face 37. The contact face 37 has the shape of a circular arc. An annular spring 26 is fitted in the seats 25. The spring 26 is for example formed by a coil spring 26 whose ends are attached to each other. However, as an alternative, the spring 26 can for example also be formed by a silicone ring or another suitable spring. The spring 26 contacts the contact faces 37 over approximately the entire longitudinal extension of each of the respective arms 21, and exerts a radial force F on the contact faces 37 in the direction r1, thereby urging all the contact faces 19 evenly in the direction r1 against the outer surface 27 of the support rod 13a.

(21) FIG. 3 shows that the longitudinal center line a1 of the guide 14a runs through the center point M of the circular opening 17. A longitudinal center line a2 of the support rod 13a coincides in the embodiment with the longitudinal center line a1. FIGS. 3 and 4 show that the insert 38 is shaped as a plate that extends in a plane E transverse to the longitudinal center line a2 of the support rod 13ahere at a right angle to the longitudinal center line a2.

(22) In each position of the support rod 13a relative to the arms 21, the contact faces 19 are held on the outer surface 27 such that the headrest 11 is mounted without rattle. The support rod 13a is not pressed in a particular direction against the frame 16 and/or the guide. It has a floating mount in the opening 17. Even in the event that the longitudinal center line a2 is spaced from the longitudinal center line a1, and therefore the support rod 13a is not arranged in the center of the opening 17, the contact faces 19 are held on the outer surface 27.

(23) FIGS. 2 and 3 are sectional views of the insert 38 that is in the bearing seat 33 for the purpose of mounting the support rod 13a.

(24) The explanations given related to this insert 38 also apply in the same way for all other inserts 38that is, for the insert 38 in the bearing seat 34 of the guide 32, and the inserts positioned in the bearing seats 33 and 34 of the guide 32b.

(25) The insert 38 is shown in FIGS. 4 to 8 as an assembly. FIG. 4 shows that the insert 38 has three arms 21 each of which extends around approximately 120 of the opening 17, and they form at their outer ends 20 the contact region 18. The contact regions 18 are offset at 120 to each other. The axial height H of the insert 38 shown in FIG. 5 is less than the length L and the width B. In particular FIG. 6 shows that the spring 26 contacts the contact face 37 substantially over the entire length of the arm 21. FIG. 9 shows a top view of the spring 26 as a single piece.

(26) The outer contact face 19 lies against the outer surface 27, and prevents the headrest 11 from rattling, not only in cases where the intended position of the support rods 13a is altered due to manufacturing tolerances; the head part 12 is also securely mounted on the support rods 13a and 13b in cases where the shape of the support rods deviates from the intended shape, or the spacing between the support rods 13a and 13b deviates from the intended spacing.

(27) According to an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the support rods 13a and 13b are fixed to the head part 12for example locked thereto. The head part 12 cannot move in the directions z1, z2. The support rods 13a and 13b can move in the directions z1, z2 relative to the guides 14a and 14b. Each guide 14a and 14b has an upper bearing seat 15 and a lower bearing seat 39. An insert 38, with the bearing 10, is arranged in each bearing seat 15 and 39.