FR2989330A1 - Head-rest for seat of motor vehicle, has two sleeves covering main body, where sleeves receive branches and are crossed through openings so as to protrude sleeves from cap that is coated with block - Google Patents

Abstract

The head-rest (1) has a foam block elastically compressed for molding a structure. A cap (7) is coated with the block and molded by the block, and includes two openings (8, 14) for passing U-shaped branches (3) of the cap. A fitment between the structure and a reinforcement is realized partly by the structure. Two sleeves (9) cover a main body (10). The sleeves receive the branches, and are crossed through the openings so as to protrude the sleeves from the cap. An independent claim is also included for a method for realizing a head-rest.

Description

The invention relates to a headrest of a motor vehicle seat, a module comprising such a headrest and a method of producing such a headrest. It is known to make a headrest of a motor vehicle seat, said headrest comprising: a metal tube frame in the form of an inverted U-shape comprising two mounting branches on a backrest of said seat, said branches being connected by a central spacer, - an energy absorption structure - in particular of molded plastic material - fitted in the upper part of said reinforcement, - an elastically compressible foam block overmoulding said structure, - a covering cap of said block, said cap being overmolded by said block, said cap comprising an opening, intended to allow the insertion of said structure in said cap, and two orifices for passing said branches of the U towards the outside of said cap. The presence of such an absorption structure corresponds to the imperative of achieving a dissipation of the energy caused by the impact of the head of a passenger against the headrest that can occur during an accident of the vehicle. To achieve such a headrest, it implements in particular a method comprising the following steps: - provide a metal tube frame in the form of U-shaped overturned comprising two mounting legs on a seat back, said branches being connected by a central spacer, - providing an energy absorption structure - in particular of molded plastic material -, said structure comprising means for interlocking an upper part of said frame, - providing a covering cap, said cap being provided with an opening for introducing said structure and two orifices for passing said branches, - to introduce said structure into said cap by said opening, - to introduce said armature into said cap by one of said orifices and to make it stand out by the other one of said orifices; so that said branches are protruding from said cap, - fit said frame on said structure, - arrange the assembly in a mold and inject into said cap a precursor mixture of elastically compressible foam, so as to produce a foam block overmolding said structure and said cap, - demolding the headrest obtained.

In such an embodiment, the interlocking between the armature and the structure is "blind" by the manufacturing operator, this due to the presence of the screen cap.

This results in a risk that the nesting is not properly performed which would lead to a defective headrest. The invention aims to overcome this disadvantage.

For this purpose, and according to a first aspect, the invention provides a headrest of a motor vehicle seat, said headrest comprising: a metal tube frame in the general shape of an inverted U comprising two mounting legs on a backrest said seat, said branches being connected by a central spacer, - an energy absorption structure fitted in the upper part of said frame, - an elastically compressible foam block overmoulding said structure, - a covering cap of said block, said cap being overmolded by said block, said cap comprising an opening and two orifices for passing said branches of the U outside said cap, the interlocking between said structure and said armature being achieved at least in part by the fact that said structure comprises two sleeves protruding from a main body, said sleeves being open along their length, said sleeves each receiving interlocking a respective branch leaving uncovered a lower portion of said branch, said sleeves passing through said orifices so as to protrude from said cap. In this description, the terms of positioning in the space (top, bottom, side, ...) are taken with reference to the headrest disposed in the vehicle.

The fact that the sleeves are protruding from the cap makes it possible to visually control that the interlocking between the armature and the structure is correctly achieved. According to other aspects, the invention proposes a module comprising such a headrest and a method for producing such a headrest. Other features and advantages of the invention will appear in the description which follows, made with reference to the attached figures, in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic perspective partial exploded view of a headrest according to an embodiment, - FIG. 2 is a schematic detail view of the structure of the headrest shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a semi-transparent lateral schematic view of a headrest module comprising the headrest; represented in FIG. 1 and a sheath for receiving a branch of the armature. Referring to the figures, a headrest 1 of a motor vehicle seat is described, said headrest comprising: a metal tube armature 2 in the general shape of an inverted U comprising two branches 3 for mounting on a backrest of said seat, said branches being connected by a central spacer 4, - a structure 5 of energy absorption - in particular of molded plastic material - interlocked in the upper part of said frame, - a block 6 of foam - in particular of polyurethane - elastically compressible overmoulding said structure a cap 7 for coating said block, said cap being overmolded by said block, said cap comprising an opening 14 and two orifices 8 for passing said branches of the U outside said cap, the interlocking between said structure and said armature being made at least in part by the fact that said structure comprises two sleeves 9 protruding from a main body 10, said sleeves etan t open according to their length, said sleeves each accommodating a respective branch 3 by leaving uncovered a lower portion of said branch, said sleeves passing through said orifices so as to protrude from said cap.

According to an embodiment not shown, the upper part of the U can be folded 180 ° forward. According to the embodiment shown, the structure 5 further comprises at least one - and here two - interlocking means 11 of the spacer 4.

According to one embodiment, the sleeves 9 are protruding from the cap 7 of a length less than 20 mm, length sufficiently low to avoid aesthetic damage related to too large part of branch 3 covered by the corresponding sleeve 9.

We now describe a headrest module 12 comprising a head support 1 and two sheaths 13 - in particular of molded plastic material - slidably receiving a lower part of the respective leg 3, said sleeves being intended to be associated with each other. upper seat back, said headrest being slidably operable to a maximum safe low position, the top of said sleeves being arranged to abut with the bottom of the sleeves 9 when said headrest is brought into said position .

Usually, this function is ensured by performing a nip on at least one of the branches 3, the displacement of the headrest 1 to its maximum low safety position abutting said nip and the top of the sheath 13 corresponding.

This results in a metal / plastic contact which can lead to a degradation of the sheath 13. With the proposed arrangement, the stop of the headrest 1 in the low maximum position is made by a plastic / plastic contact, which has For the effect of avoiding a degradation of the sheath 13. Finally, a method of producing a headrest 1 is described, said method comprising the following steps: providing a reinforcement 2 made of metal tube in the general shape of an inverted U comprising two 3 branches mounting on a backrest of said seat, said branches being connected by a central spacer 4, - provide a structure 5 of energy absorption - in particular of molded plastic material - said structure comprising two sleeves 9 salient of a body 10, said sleeves being open according to their length so as to be able to receive a respective branch 3, a cover 7 is provided, said cover being provided with an opening 14 introducing said structure and two orifices 8 for passing said branches, - introducing said structure into said cap by said opening, - inserting said armature into said cap by one of said orifices and bringing it out through the other of said orifices so that said branches have a lower portion protruding from said cap, - fitting said frame to said structure by inserting said sleeves into said holes so that they protrude from said cap, - arrange the assembly in a mold and inject into said cap a mixture foam precursor - in particular of polyurethane - elastically compressible so as to produce a block 6 of foam overmoulding said structure and said cap, - demolding the headrest 1 obtained.

Claims (5)

REVENDICATIONS1. Headrest (1) for a motor vehicle seat, said headrest comprising: - a metal tube frame (2) in the shape of an inverted U-shape comprising two legs (3) for mounting on a backrest of said seat, said branches being connected by a central spacer (4), - a structure (5) of energy absorption interlocked in the upper part of said frame, - a block (6) of elastically compressible foam overmoulding said structure, - a cap (7) of coating said block, said cap being overmolded by said block, said cap comprising an opening (14) and two orifices (8) for passing said branches of the U to the outside of said cap, said headrest being characterized in that interlocking between said structure and said armature is achieved at least in part by the fact that said structure comprises two sleeves (9) projecting from a main body (10), said sleeves being open along their length, said sleeves each of them nesting a respective branch (3) leaving a lower part of said branch exposed, said sleeves passing through said orifices so as to protrude from said cap. 2. Headrest according to claim 1, characterized in that the structure (5) further comprises at least one interlocking means (11) of the spacer (4). 3. Headrest according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sleeves (9) are protruding from the cap (7) of a length less than 20 mm. 4. Module (12) for a headrest comprising a headrest (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and two sheaths (13) slidably receiving a lower portion of the respective leg (3), said sleeves being intended to be associated at the top of the seat back, said headrest slidably actuable to a maximum low safety position, the top of said sleeves being arranged to abut with the bottom of the sleeves (9) when said headrest is brought into said position. 5. A method of producing a headrest (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, said method comprising the following steps: - provide a reinforcement (2) metal tube in the general shape of inverted U comprising two branches (3) mounting on a backrest of said seat, said branches being connected by a central spacer (4), - providing a structure (5) for energy absorption, said structure comprising two sleeves (9) projecting from a main body (10), said sleeves being open along their length so as to be able to receive a respective branch (3) in engagement, - to provide a covering cap (7), said cap being provided with an opening (14) for introduction of said structure and two orifices (8) for passing said branches; - introducing said structure into said cap by said opening; - introducing said armature into said cap by one of said orifices and bringing it out by the other of said orifices ices so that said branches have a lower portion protruding from said cap, - fit said frame to said structure by inserting said sleeves into said holes so that they are protruding from said cap, - arrange the assembly in a mold and inject in said cap a precursor mixture of elastically compressible foam so as to produce a block (6) of foam overmolding said structure and said cap, - demolding the headrest (1) obtained.