DE29812107U1 - Headrests for vehicle seats - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a headrest according to the

Preamble of claim 1. Such a headrest is

Subject of a separate older proposal according to DE 197 57 241 Al.

Headrests for vehicle seats are mainly held on support rods. In contrast to headrests (see e.g. DE 23 32 610 C3), in which the support bodies surrounded by the head cushion are height-adjustable relative to the upper end areas of the support rods, headrests (see e.g. DE 27 20 603 C2) are also common, the support rods of which are height-adjustable and lockable relative to the backrest of the vehicle seat. In this case, each lower support rod area is accommodated in a sleeve-shaped guide part attached to the backrest of the seat, which can be moved relative to the latter.

In order to create a locking mechanism, it was proposed according to DE 197 57 241 Al to use a support rod-side guided

Postbank Credit and Volksbank eG Commerzbank AG VAT ID No. Eat Wuppertal-Barmen Wuppertal-Barmen VAT No. (Bank code 360 100 43) 445 04-431 (Bank code 330 600 98) 301 891 024 (Bank code 330 400 01) 4 034 823 DE 121068676

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The locking part is provided with a male-like locking projection, which can be moved into at least one locking recess on the guide part side in the locking direction and out of the locking recess in the unlocking direction. A similar design is also described in DE 195 23 358 A1.

One variant according to DE 195 23 358 A1 consists in that the support rod is designed in a tubular manner and the hollow space in the tube serves to accommodate the locking part. In this embodiment, it is expedient that the male-like locking extension penetrates the tubular wall of the support rod in an opening.

The locking part carrying the locking extension can be pivotably mounted within the tubular cavity of the support rod, so that the locking extension can be pivoted through the opening on the support rod side into its locking position and out of the opening into its unlocking position.

The aforementioned older proposal (DE 197 57 241 Al)

In a generic context, the sleeve-like guide part attached to the seat backrest receives at least one metal insert inside, which carries the at least one locking recess.

Furthermore, the last-mentioned older proposal provides that in order to mount the metal insert in the interior of the sleeve-like guide part, the latter consists of two shell halves that can be joined and fastened to one another.

Peter Butz GmbH & Co. Verwaltungs-KG

Based on a headrest according to/3 of the

DE 197 57 241 A1, the invention is based on the task of further developing such an inherently advantageous headrest in order to open up additional application possibilities for it.

Together with the features of the preamble of claim 1, this object is achieved in that/3 corresponding to the number of locking recesses on the guide part side, unlocking elements are provided which are arranged outside the support rod, which can be operated together, which each act on the male locking extension of the locking part in its respective height adjustment position from the outside and press it inwards from its locking position in the direction of the support rod and thereby move it out of the respective locking recess into an unlocking position.

In addition, the locking extension is to be held in its unlocking position by means of the respective unlocking element, whereby an actuating element arranged on the seat backrest side is connected to the unlocking elements in a uniform movement.

According to a variant of the invention, the unlocking elements are arranged at least substantially in the same pitch on or in a strip, which preferably consists of metal, in accordance with the axial sequence of the locking recesses.

According to another embodiment, this strip can have release recesses, each of which

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The unlocking recess has an unlocking edge which, when the bar moves axially along the longitudinal axis, presses on the male locking projection and moves it into its unlocking position in order to then, if necessary, lock the locking recess with an adjoining bar area against penetration by the locking projection and thus hold the latter in its unlocked position.

It is important that/3 all locking recesses are blocked or, when the release bar is returned to its neutral recess position, all locking recesses are open.

An alternative embodiment provides for the unlocking elements not to be moved translationally along the longitudinal center axis of the support rod or along the longitudinal center axis of the sleeve-like guide part or the guide sleeve, but rather to be moved transversely or radially to the support rod or the guide sleeve, with each unlocking element forming an unlocking projection that protrudes radially to the longitudinal axis of the support rod. This unlocking projection presses radially from the outside against the male-like locking projection and moves the latter into its unlocking position.

A practical variant of the last-described embodiment consists in the individual unlocking projections being provided on a strip in the same number and spacing as the locking recesses on the guide part side.

Peter Butz GmbH & Co. Verwaltungs-KG

The fundamental advantage of all embodiments according to the invention is that an unlocking function, which in the previously described type of invention could only be carried out directly via an actuating element on the headrest or on the support rod, can now also be carried out at any convenient location on the seat back, in particular on its narrow side surfaces.

An essential embodiment consists in arranging the actuating element for the unlocking arrangement according to the invention at least in the immediate vicinity of the actuating element of the seat back lock for a pivoting seat back. This has the advantage that, for example, in a two-door passenger car, the headrest can be unlocked and retracted in a handling movement that is functionally related to the seat back actuation. The seat back can then be pivoted forwards without a headrest in its extended height position being able to interfere with the forward-pivoting seat back, for example by hitting a flatly inclined windshield.

In addition, the arrangement according to the invention can also be useful in connection with seat backs of station wagons or large sedans that can be swiveled forwards.

A particularly useful variant consists in that the actuating movement for the unlocking according to the invention is derived from the actuating mechanism for unlocking a pivoting seat back.

Peter Butz GmbH & Co. Verwaltungs-KG

The actuating movement can, for example, be derived directly from the seat back actuating element or from the actuating mechanism (actuating linkage) already present in the seat back by activating a separate mechanical movement transmission.

The mechanical transmission of movement can be carried out in any suitable way, for example by a cable pull or a Bowden cable.

Such a Bowden cable can be particularly advantageously operated by means of a push or pull rod guided beneath the respective guide sleeve inside the seat back. Such an arrangement allows a relatively short distance to the release elements, i.e. a relatively short Bowden cable.

Further features and details of the invention can be found in the following description of a preferred embodiment in conjunction with drawings.

Fig. 1 a metal insert,
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Fig. 2 a shell half for forming a sleeve-like guide part,

Fig. 3 a clamp for positively fastening two shell halves together,

Fig. 4 a locking cap,

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Fig. 5 shows a schematic representation of a longitudinal section through a tubular support rod with a specially designed pivot bearing for a pivotable locking element,

Fig. 6, omitting the support rod, the pivot bearing of the locking element,

Fig. 7 is a schematic representation of the locking process between the locking projection and the metal insert,

Fig. 8 a horizontal partial cross-section through an actuating device in connection with a headrest for vehicle seats,

Fig. 9 is an axial partial longitudinal section through a release arrangement to be operated outside the headrest,
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Fig. 10 a half bent cross-section according to the section line X-X in Fig. 9

Fig. 11 based on the illustration in Fig. 10 the unlocking position of the arrangement and

Fig. 12 shows an alternative embodiment compared to Fig. 9.

Based on a preferred embodiment, Fig. shows a horizontal partial cross section through a headrest 10 for vehicle seats. The partial cross section indicates a reference

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fabric 11 and a cushion 13 surrounding a support body 12. The push button 14 attached to the side mirror S of the headrest 10 actuates, with a plunger 15, an angle-shaped pivot lever 17 mounted at 16, the pressure actuating surface 18 of which presses against a rod-like locking part 19 mounted in a lever-like manner. The mounting of the locking part 19 is explained in more detail below with reference to Figs. 5 and 6.

The lever-like locking part 19 projects axially into the tubular cavity of the tubular support rod 20, is pivotally mounted there by means of the bearing body 21 shown in Figs. 5 and 6 and reaches through the tubular wall 22 of the support rod 20 by means of a male-like locking extension 23 through an opening 24. The male-like locking extension 23 interacts with locking recesses 25 of a metal insert 26 forming a sheet steel stamped part.

From Fig. 8 it is clear that the angle-like pivot lever 17 is mounted in a spatially fixed manner with respect to the support rod 20, which is done by means of a cantilever arm 27 attached to the support rod 20, to which a yoke bar web 28 is also attached. The yoke bar web 28 represents a bearing axis for a clamping bearing part 29 which can rotate relative to it and which in turn is attached to the support body 12.

Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal shell half 30, e.g. a plastic injection molded part, of a guide sleeve H, otherwise not shown in its entirety, which is to be fastened in the usual way in the seat back frame. The interior of the longitudinal shell half 30 is designated 31. The interior 31 carries

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positive locking means 32 arranged approximately like a rack and pinion, which cooperate with positive locking means 33 of the metal insert 26.

The completion of a guide sleeve is done as follows:

Two metal inserts 26 are each offset by 90° with their half collar 34 relative to the half collar 35 of the longitudinal shell half 30 and are inserted into the form locking means 32 of the longitudinal shell half 30 on the left and right with their form locking means 33. A second longitudinal shell half (not shown) is then joined to the longitudinal shell half as shown in Fig. 2. The two longitudinal shell halves are then locked together by means of two approximately C-shaped locking clips 37 with their locking arms 36 pointing towards one another. In addition, the four half collars 34, 35 that are joined together are snapped over by a locking cap 38. The locking cap 38, which is also expediently made of metal, has a central opening 40 aligned with the support rod channel 39 on the sleeve side.

The guide sleeve provided with two metal inserts 26 in the manner described above has the advantage that it has two oppositely arranged rows of locking recesses 25, so that one and the same guide sleeve H can be used for both a right-hand arrangement and a left-hand arrangement.

A tongue 41 is cut out of each locking recess 25 on the upper side, which can be bent out a little towards the guide channel 39. In conjunction with the locking projection 23, which extends towards the shaft 42 of the locking part 19

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with an edge 43 rising in a conical manner, a solid, rattle-free and yet easily releasable locking is achieved between the locking extension 23 and the respective locking recess 25 provided with the tongue 41.
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The pivoting direction of the locking part 19 is indicated by the double arrow u.

The shaft 42 of the locking part 19 is mounted by means of a bearing axis 44 in the bearing body 21, which has, for example, a double-fan-shaped or cuboid-shaped inner recess 45 in order to provide the shaft 42 with space for the pivoting movement.

The bearing body 21 itself, which can have a spherical shape, is made of a plastic and has a certain oversize, so that the bearing body 21 can be secured frictionally within the inner surface 46 of the tube. The bearing body 21 thus constructed also offers the advantage that it can be inserted together with the locking part 19 into slightly bent tubular support rods 20.

The function of the described arrangement is as follows:

The push button 14 is used to actuate the pivot lever 17 against the restoring force of a graduated spring arrangement 47, which acts on the lever-like locking part 19 in the unlocking direction and pivots it in such a way that the male-like locking extension 23 is moved out of the locking recess 25 and into the interior of the tubular support rod 20, so that the height of the support rod 20 can be adjusted relative to the guide sleeve H.

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It is important that the locking projection 23 is always spring-loaded in the locking direction.

In contrast to the embodiment shown in Fig. 7, Fig. 9 shows a release bar 48 which can be driven so as to move up and down in accordance with the movement arrows y and ζ.

According to the number and the division of the locking recesses 25, the release bar 48 has release recesses 49, each of which is assigned release and guide lugs 50 at a height offset either below or above, which are formed on the release bar 48. One of these lugs 50 can be seen in Fig. 9.

It is conceivable (see also Fig. 11) that a nose 50 is present on both sides of the metal insert 26 forming the locking recesses 25 and held in a fixed position in a guide sleeve H. In this way, the release strip 48 is guided axially at relatively short intervals over its entire length and is secured against lateral deviations. In detail, the two noses 50 move within the respective locking recess 25 along a longitudinal surface 76 of the respective tongue 41 and along a longitudinal reveal surface 77 of the respective locking recess 25.

When the release bar 48 is moved downwards according to the movement arrow &zgr;, the rolling surfaces or rolling edges W of the two tongues 41 arranged side by side and enclosing them between them, collide

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Lugs 50 from above against the rising edge 43 of the locking extension 23 and in this way move it completely out of the locking recess 25.

In a manner not shown, the release bar 48 is guided downwards in the direction z so far that the two lugs 50 move axially downwards completely within the locking recess 25 and block the entry of the locking extension 23. In this way, it is possible to move the support rod 20 completely downwards if necessary, for example, because all of the locking recesses 25 that follow one another in the axial direction are each blocked by the downwardly moving lugs 50 assigned to them in pairs, as they rest on the lower edge 51 of the locking recess 25. In this context, it should also be mentioned that the transverse distance QP between the two guide and release lugs 50 is smaller than the width QR of the locking extension 23 measured in the same direction (see Fig. 11).

To drive the release bar 48, which moves back and forth in translation in the directions y and ζ, it has a driving extension 52 which radially penetrates a longitudinal opening 7 8 on the sleeve side and which engages in a driving recess 53 of a drive unit 54 which also moves up and down along the arrows y and ζ. The drive unit 54 is guided on a straight guide 55, shown essentially schematically, on the support structure 5 6 of the seat back.

In order to facilitate the insertion of the guide sleeve H containing the release mechanism according to the invention into the holder

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recesses 57 of the support structure 56, the arrangement enclosed in its entirety by the guide sleeve H, including the support rod 20, can be moved downwards in the assembly direction M. In this case, the lower surface 75 of the driving extension 52 strikes against an inclined surface 58 of a coupling body 59 and moves this to the left against the restoring force of the compression springs 60. In this way, the driving extension 52 can engage in the driving recess 53, whereby the coupling body 59 moves in the opposite direction with the restoring force of the compression springs 60 into its locking position shown in Fig. 9.

The drive unit 54 is driven along the movement arrows y and ζ via a strand 61 with a coupling end 62 of a Bowden cable 63, the casing of which is designated with 64 and the abutment end of which for fastening to the supporting structure 5 6 is designated with 65.

The wire 61 is coupled in a suitable manner not shown 0 to the mechanism of the release arrangement of a seat back, for example with a push rod.

From Fig. 10 it can be seen in particular how the two longitudinal shell halves 30 are joined together along the joint F. Each longitudinal shell half 30 has a substantially rectangular groove 6 6 , the two openings of which are directed opposite one another, so that both grooves 6 6 together complement one another to form a guide channel K.
30

In the guide channel K, the metal insert 2 6 is accommodated and secured against axial displacement; in addition,

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the release bar 48 is guided in the channel K in a translational manner along the movement arrows y and ζ shown in Fig. 9.

In Figs. 9 to 11 an arrangement is shown in which the release strip 48 is arranged directly on the inside of the wall of the sleeve H. However, an embodiment is also conceivable in which the metal insert 26 is arranged directly on the inside of the wall of the sleeve H, which is then followed by the release strip 48. The latter would engage around the locking extension 23 with its release recess 49 and penetrate the component 26 in a longitudinal recess and the sleeve H in the opening 78 with its driving extension 52.

The design variant according to Fig. 12 differs from the embodiment shown in Figs. 9 to 11 in principle only in that the release bar 48 is not guided in movement parallel to the longitudinal axis L, but rather transversely or radially to the longitudinal axis L of the support rod 20.

The release bar 48 has release projections 67, each of which is assigned to a locking recess 25 of the metal insert 26. When an unlocking is to take place, an actuating plunger 68, which is guided axially in a guide bore 70 of a guide block 69, is moved in the unlocking direction a. Consequently, the free end face 71 of the actuating plunger 68 presses against the outside of the release bar 48, whereupon the latter is moved in the direction a against the restoring force of compression springs 72. The release projections 67 then penetrate the locking recess 25.

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recesses 25, simultaneously closing all of them, and push the male-shaped locking projection 23 out of one of the locking recesses 25. In this way, a free axial adjustment movement of the support rod 20 relative to the metal insert 26 and the sleeve H can be carried out.

The back and forth movement in the direction of the movement arrows a and b can be derived from a push rod 73 that is already part of the seat back release mechanism, for example from an angle lever 74.

Claims (15)

Expectations 1. Headrest (10) for vehicle seats, with at least one support rod (20) holding a support body (12), which is height-adjustable and lockable in a guide part (H) held in a seat back, in particular in the form of a sleeve, with at least one locking part (19) guided on the support rod side, which has a male-like latching extension (23) which can be moved into at least one latching recess (25) on the guide part side in the locking direction (a) and out of the latching recess (25) in the unlocking direction (b), characterized in that , corresponding to the number of latching recesses (25) on the guide part side, unlocking elements (50, 67) are provided, which are arranged outside the support rod (20), which can be actuated together, which each lock the male-like latching extension (23) of the locking part (19) in its respective height adjustment position from the outside and press it from its locking position inwards towards the support rod (20) and in doing so move it out of the respective locking recess (25) and into an unlocking position. 2. Headrest according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking extension (23) can be held in its unlocking position by means of the respective unlocking element (50, 67). 3. Headrest according to claim 2, characterized in that an actuating element arranged on the seat back Peter Butz GmbH & Co. Verwaltungs-KG is connected in a uniform manner to the unlocking elements (50, 67). 4. Headrest according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized _in that the unlocking elements (50, 67) are arranged on or in a strip (48) at least substantially in the same pitch according to the axial sequence of the locking recesses (25). 5. Headrest according to claim 4, characterized in that the strip (48) consists of metal. 6. Headrest according to claim 4 or claim 5, characterized in that the strip (48) has unlocking recesses (49), of which each unlocking recess (49) has an unlocking edge (W) which, during an axial movement (arrow z) of the strip (48) along the longitudinal axis (L) along the support rod (20), presses on the male-like locking extension (23) and moves it into its unlocking position. 7. Headrest according to claim 6, characterized in that a region of the strip (48) adjoining the respective unlocking edge (W) blocks the associated locking recess (25) against penetration of the locking extension (23) and holds the latter in its unlocked position. 8. Headrest according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the unlocking elements (50) are movable in a translational manner along the longitudinal axis (L) of the support rod or along the longitudinal axis of the sleeve-like guide part (H). Peter Butz GmbH & Co. Verwaltungs-KG 9. Headrest according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the unlocking elements (67) are movable transversely or radially to the longitudinal axis (L) of the support rod (20) or transversely to the longitudinal axis of the guide sleeve (H), each unlocking element (67) forming an unlocking projection (67) projecting radially to the longitudinal axis (L) of the support rod (20) or radially to the longitudinal axis of the guide sleeve (H). 10. Headrest according to claim 9, characterized in that the individual unlocking projections (67) are provided in the number and in the pitch of the locking recesses (25) of the guide part (H) on the strip (48). 11. Headrest according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the actuating element for handling the unlocking elements (50, 67) is arranged at least immediately adjacent to the actuating element for locking the seat backrest for a pivotable seat backrest. 12. Headrest according to claim 11, characterized in that the actuating movement for the unlocking elements (50, 67) is derived from an actuating mechanism for unlocking the pivotable seat back. 13. Headrest according to claim 12, characterized in that the actuating movement is derived from the seat back actuating element or from the actuating mechanism (actuating linkage) arranged in the seat back by means of a separate mechanical movement transmission. Peter Butz GmbH & Co. Verwaltungs-KG 14. Headrest according to claim 13, characterized in that the mechanical transmission of movement takes place by a cable pull or by a Bowden cable (63). 15. Headrest according to claim 14, characterized in that the Bowden cable (63) can be actuated by means of a push or pull rod (73) guided below the respective guide sleeve (H) within the seat back.