FR3079464A1 - VEHICLE SEAT HIGH BACK FOLDER ADJUSTMENT DEVICE, BACKREST AND VEHICLE SEAT COMPRISING SUCH HIGH BACK FILE ADJUSTMENT DEVICE - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle seat backrest adjuster (40) (10), the vehicle seat (10) comprising a backrest (16) with a backrest frame (17), the backrest adjuster ( 40) comprising a headrest support (54) for receiving a headrest, the headrest support (54) being adapted to be pivotally mounted about a transverse axis (Y2), with respect to the backrest frame (17) of the vehicle seat (10).

Description

VEHICLE SEAT TOP BACK ADJUSTMENT DEVICE, BACKREST AND VEHICLE SEAT COMPRISING SUCH A BACKREST ADJUSTMENT DEVICE

Field

The present invention relates to a high backrest adjustment device, to a vehicle seat backrest device comprising such a high backrest adjustment device and to a motor vehicle seat comprising such a backrest.

Presentation of the prior art

To improve the comfort of the occupant of a car seat, the seat can have several adjustments allowing it to be better adapted to the morphology of the occupant. Thus, the position of the seat can be adjusted relative to the steering wheel, depending on the size of the occupant. The seat back can be tilted more or less relative to the seat. The seat can also be fitted with a headrest, the height position of which, relative to the seat back, can be adjusted by the occupant.

More recently, head restraints have appeared such that the position of the occupant's head support zone on the head restraint can be modified. To do this, the headrest in question comprises a frame (or frame) and a part that is movable relative to the frame, in a longitudinal direction of the seat. However, to obtain a satisfactory adjustment range, it is then necessary to make the relatively thick headrest in the longitudinal direction of the seat. This thickness affects the aesthetics of the headrest and seat in general. In addition, the distance between the head support area and the backrest frame is increased. This increases the risk of trauma to the cervical spine ("whiplash") in the event of a shock, particularly in the event of a rear impact.

Summary of the invention

The object of the present invention is in particular to propose a device making it possible to adjust the position of the headrest which does not have the drawbacks of the prior art.

To this end, the invention provides a device for adjusting the top of the vehicle seat backrest, the vehicle seat comprising a backrest with a backrest frame, the device for adjusting the top of the backrest comprising a headrest support. intended to receive a headrest, the headrest support being intended to be pivotally mounted about a transverse axis, relative to the backrest frame of the vehicle seat.

A backrest adjustment device makes it possible to move in a substantially longitudinal direction of the seat, an upper part of the backrest, independently of the lower part of the backrest, to define a contact area (or support area) between the backrest - and more precisely the high-back adjustment device - and the occupant of the vehicle seat - and in particular the shoulder blades, the shoulders and / or the part of the back between the shoulder blades and / or the shoulders.

Thus, according to the invention, to adjust the longitudinal position of the headrest, the latter is mounted on a headrest support of a backrest adjustment device, the headrest support pivoting about a transverse axis, relative to the seat back and in particular to the frame of the seat back. Rotating the headrest adjusts the position of the occupant's head support area on the headrest, in the longitudinal direction of the seat. It is thus possible to design a more compact and / or more aesthetic headrest.

The headrest support may also have a support surface for the upper back of an occupant of the vehicle seat. The backrest adjustment device thus provides its support function for the upper part of the back of a seat occupant by means of the headrest support. In addition, thus, the distance between the support area of the head and the support area of the back is reduced. This limits the risk of trauma to the cervical spine in the event of an impact, particularly in the event of a rear impact.

In preferred embodiments, the backrest adjustment device according to the invention has one or more of the following characteristics, taken alone or in combination:

- The backrest adjustment device further comprises an actuator for adjusting the position of the headrest support, around said transverse axis;

- the actuator includes:

- a motor,

- a rod extending in a main direction of extension, perpendicular to the transverse axis, and displaced in said main direction of extension by the rotation of the motor,

- a moving assembly at one end of the rod,

- At least one connecting rod, the connecting rod being pivotally mounted around a direction parallel to the transverse axis relative to said movable assembly at a first end, and relative to the back frame or to a frame of the adjustment device of top of the backrest intended to be fixed to the backrest frame at a second end of the connecting rod, so that the displacement of the rod due to the rotation of the motor causes a rotation of the headrest support around said transverse axis ;

the device for adjusting the top of the backrest comprises two connecting rods, arranged on either side of the moving element, each connecting rod being pivotally mounted about the transverse direction relative to said moving element at a first end, and relative to the back frame or said frame of the top back adjuster, at a second end of the connecting rod;

- The backrest adjustment device comprises a gear between an engine output shaft and the rod, the rod preferably being a worm or a rack;

- The headrest support comprises at least one housing, preferably two housing for receiving a pin of the headrest;

- The backrest adjustment device further comprises a headrest, the headrest being mounted on the headrest support, the headrest preferably being fixed on the headrest support ;

- The headrest has at least one pin received in said at least one housing, the headrest preferably having two pins, for example monoblocks, each received in a pin receiving housing of the headrest support ;

- The headrest comprises a headrest frame and a plate, the plate being translatable relative to the headrest frame, in a direction perpendicular to the transverse axis, the headrest frame being preferably secured to the at least one pin, if necessary.

According to another aspect, the invention also relates to a seat back of a motor vehicle comprising a back frame and a high back adjustment device as described above in all its combinations, the headrest support being mounted to pivot about a transverse axis on the backrest frame.

According to yet another aspect, the invention relates to a vehicle seat comprising a seat with a seat frame, and a backrest as described above in all its combinations, the backrest frame preferably being pivotally mounted about an axis transverse to the seat frame.

Brief description of the drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description of one of its embodiments, given by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 schematically represents a side view of a vehicle seat provided with an example of a backrest adjustment device,

FIGS. 2 and 3 represent, from two opposite perspectives, the device for adjusting the backrest with which the vehicle seat of FIG. 1 is fitted, in a first position,

FIG. 4 and a side view of the device for adjusting the backrest of FIGS. 2 and 3 in the first position,

- Figures 5 and 6 schematically show a side view and a perspective view from behind, of the backrest adjustment device of Figures 2 to 4, in a second position.

Detailed description of the invention

In the various figures, the same references designate identical or similar elements. For the sake of brevity, only the elements which are useful for understanding the embodiment described are shown in the figures and are described in detail below.

In the following description, when reference is made to qualifiers of absolute position, such as the terms "front", "rear", "top", "bottom", "left", "right", etc., or relative, such as the terms "above", "below", "upper", "lower", etc., or to qualifiers of orientation, such as "horizontal", "vertical", etc., it is made reference, unless otherwise specified, to the orientation of the figures or of a seat in its normal position of use.

FIG. 1 schematically represents a motor vehicle seat 10 mounted on a slide mechanism 12.

In the following, the longitudinal direction X means the longitudinal direction of the seat. The longitudinal direction of the seat is considered to be the same as the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle in which the seat is mounted. This longitudinal direction X corresponds to the normal direction of advance of the vehicle. The transverse direction Y is the transverse direction of the seat. The transverse direction of the seat thus corresponds to the transverse or lateral direction of the motor vehicle. This transverse direction corresponds to a direction perpendicular to the normal direction of advance of the vehicle. Finally, the vertical direction Z is a vertical direction of the seat, perpendicular to the longitudinal and transverse directions.

The seat 10 comprises a seat 14, with a seat frame 15, on which a backrest 16, with a backrest frame 17, is mounted, generally pivoting about a transverse axis 18 by an articulation mechanism 20. The seat 14 is mounted on mobile profiles 22, also called slides or male profiles, by means of feet or crosspieces 24, 26. Each mobile profile 22 is part of a slide 12 and is associated with a fixed profile 30. The fixed profile 30 is also called rail or female profile. The fixed section 30 is fixed to the floor 32 of a motor vehicle. The seat 10 comprises in this example a manual control element 34, called a lifting beam, for sliding control of the slides 12. This manual control element 34 makes it possible in particular to block and unblock systems for stopping the sliding of the movable sections relative to the respective fixed profiles. Once the stop systems have been released, the manual control element 34 can also be used to slide the movable profiles 22 relative to their respective fixed profiles 30 of the slide 12 in the longitudinal direction X of the slides 12. The profiles fixed 30 and mobile 22 of the slides 12 are generally metallic.

The seat 10 also includes a headrest 36.

In the following, the mounting of the headrest 36 on the backrest 16 is described in more detail by means of a backrest adjustment device 40.

The backrest adjustment device 40 is able to be moved relative to the backrest frame 17 in order to adjust, in particular longitudinally, the position of a support area of the upper back of the seat occupant on the backrest adjuster 40.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2 to 6, the headrest 36 is here mounted on the backrest adjustment device 40.

The backrest adjustment device 40 here comprises a frame 42 fixed to the backrest frame 17 of the vehicle seat 10. For example, this frame 42 can be screwed or riveted to the backrest frame 17. Others methods of fixing the frame 42 to the back frame 17 are conceivable. Alternatively, the frame 42 of the high backrest adjustment device 40 can be formed by a part of the backrest frame 17. It should be noted here that the frame 42 and a part of the backrest frame 17 have been removed in Figures 3 and 6.

The backrest frame 17 advantageously comprises two uprights and at least one high cross member. The backrest frame 17 may further comprise a low cross member and / or a second high cross member.

On the frame 42 are fixed first and second bearings 44, 46 forming housing for receiving a shaft 48 extending along an axis Y1 parallel to the transverse direction Y. Two connecting rods 50, 52, here integral, are pivotally mounted at a first end, on this shaft 48.

Furthermore, the backrest adjustment device 40 includes a headrest support 54. This headrest support 54 has the shape of a shell, in particular a rigid shell compared to the covering. softer seat 10. This headrest support here forms in a central portion a support area of the back of an occupant of the vehicle seat 10, so that the backrest adjustment device 40 ensures its support function for the upper back of a seat occupant 10.

This headrest support 54 is rotatably mounted relative to the backrest frame 17 about a transverse axis Y2, parallel to the transverse direction Y. The transverse axis Y2 is located lower than the transverse axis Yl . In the folded position of the headrest support 54, corresponding to FIGS. 1 to 3, the top of the headrest support 54 is substantially at the same level as the top of the backrest frame 17 and / or of the frame 42.

As can be seen in particular in FIG. 2, the headrest support 54 is arranged partly between the uprights of the backrest frame 17 and partly opposite (or opposite) the upper crossmember of the back frame.

The headrest support 54 also has two housings 56, 58 for receiving a pin of the headrest 36.

Furthermore, on its rear face which is more clearly visible in FIG. 3, the device for adjusting the top of the backrest comprises a motor 55, fixed to the headrest support 54. The motor 55 drives a worm screw 58 in the direction extension of the worm screw 58, via a gear. This direction of extension is, in Figure 3, substantially vertical.

At a free end of the endless screw 58 is received a movable element 60 receiving a shaft 62. The shaft 62 is for example free in rotation relative to the movable element 60, around an axis of extension of l 'shaft 62. The shaft 62 is also mounted free in translation in two parallel grooves 64, 66 formed in the headrest support 54. Here the two grooves 64, 66 are rectilinear. However, other shapes of the parallel grooves 64, 66 are possible.

Furthermore, the two connecting rods 50, 52 are mounted to rotate freely on the shaft 62. Thus, the rotation of the motor 55 causes the worm screw 58 to move up or down. This movement of the endless screw 58 causes the headrest support 54 to rotate relative to the transverse axis Y2, guided by the pivoting of the two connecting rods 50, 52 around the shaft 48.

In the position shown in Figures 1 to 3, the worm 58 is in its lowest extreme position. This position of the worm corresponds, as illustrated, to the retracted position of the headrest support 54, that is to say to the rearmost extremal position of the headrest 36. This position here also corresponds to the most recessed position of the support area of the upper part of the back of an occupant of the seat 10 on the high back adjustment device 40.

On the contrary, in FIGS. 5 and 6, the endless screw 58 is in its highest extremal position, corresponding to the most forward extremal position of the head support support 54 and of the head support 36. This position corresponds to the most advanced position towards the front of the support zone of the upper part of the back of an occupant of the seat 10 on the backrest adjustment device 40.

The extreme positions of the endless screw 58 may for example correspond to the positions in which the shaft 62 abuts against the longitudinal ends of the grooves 64, 66.

It is understood that thus, the headrest 36 secured to the headrest support 54, can be moved forward or backward in the longitudinal direction X. It is thus possible to adjust the position of the 'headrest 36 for better comfort of the occupant of the seat 10, in all the intermediate positions between the two extreme positions shown.

It is also understood that this movement towards the front or towards the rear of the headrest 36 is not a translational movement. However, the inventors have found that it was possible, with the backrest adjustment device 40 described above, to make a longitudinal displacement of the headrest 36 with a sufficient stroke, with a corresponding corresponding vertical displacement. In practice, this vertical movement of the headrest is barely noticeable for the occupant of the seat 10, in particular because the headrest 36 has a flexible, compressible lining. In addition, this vertical displacement of the headrest 36 can be compensated for by implementing a headrest 36 adjustable in height. Such a height-adjustable headrest is well known to those skilled in the art. It is therefore not written in more detail here. The height of the headrest 36 can in particular be adjusted by means of headrest pins 68, 70 of adjustable length and / or of a headrest 36 comprising a headrest frame and a headrest plate movable relative to the headrest frame, in particular in a substantially vertical direction. To move the plate relative to the frame and / or to adjust the length of the headrest pins, an electric actuator can be used.

It can be noted that here the backrest adjustment device 40 consists of the headrest support 54, the frame 42, if any, and the mechanism for adjusting the angular position around the transverse axis Y2 of the support d headrest 54, relative to the frame 42 or the backrest frame 17. In other words, the headrest support 54 defines the area of contact with the upper part of the back of an occupant seat, contact area whose position is adjusted by pivoting the headrest support 54 around the transverse axis Y2. Thus, the longitudinal position of the headrest 36, on the one hand, and the longitudinal position of the contact area of the upper part of the back of an occupant of the seat with the high backrest adjustment device 40, on the other hand, are settled concomitantly.

Of course, the invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described by way of illustration, without limitation.

In the example described above, the position forward or backward of the headrest 36 is adjusted by means of an actuator comprising a motor. However, other types of actuators can be used. Also, other actuators of the electric motor type can be used than that described above. The longitudinal adjustment of the headrest 36 can also be manual, in the absence of an actuator.

Also, the worm screw used in the example described above can be replaced by a rack.

The height adjustment of the headrest 36 can be obtained differently from what has been described above. In particular, the pins of the headrest 36 can be mounted translatable in the receptacles provided for this purpose in the headrest support.

Claims (11)

1. Vehicle seat backrest top adjuster (40) (10), the vehicle seat (10) comprising a backrest (16) with a backrest frame (17), the backrest top adjuster (40) comprising a headrest support (54) intended to receive a headrest, the headrest support (54) being intended to be pivotally mounted about a transverse axis (Y2), with respect to to the backrest frame (17) of the vehicle seat (10). 2. High back adjustment device according to claim 1, further comprising an actuator for adjusting the position of the headrest support (54), around said transverse axis (Y2). 3. High back adjustment device according to claim 2, in which T actuator comprises: - a motor (55), - a rod (58) extending in a main direction of extension, perpendicular to the transverse axis (Y2), and displaced in said main direction of extension by the rotation of the motor (55), - a movable assembly (60) at one end of the rod, - at least one connecting rod (50; 52), the connecting rod (50; 52) being pivotally mounted around a direction parallel to the transverse axis (Y2) relative to said movable assembly (60) at a first end, and by relative to the back frame (17) or to a frame (42) of the top back adjuster (40) intended to be fixed to the back frame (17) at a second end of the connecting rod (50 ; 52), so that the displacement of the rod (58) due to the rotation of the motor (55) causes a rotation of the headrest support (54) around said transverse axis (Y2). 4. High back adjustment device according to claim 3, comprising two connecting rods (50, 52), arranged on either side of the movable assembly (60), each connecting rod (50, 52) being pivotally mounted around from the transverse direction with respect to said movable assembly (60) at a first end, and with respect to the back frame (17) or to said frame (42) of the top back adjuster (40), at a second end of the connecting rod (50, 52). 5. High back adjustment device according to claim 3 or 4, comprising a gear between an engine output shaft (55) and the rod (58), the rod (58) preferably being a worm (58 ) or a rack. 6. High back adjustment device according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the headrest support (54) comprises at least one housing, preferably two housing for receiving a pin of the support -head. 7. High back adjustment device according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a headrest (36), the headrest (36) being mounted on the headrest support (54) , the headrest preferably being fixed on the headrest support (54). 8. High back adjustment device according to claims 6 and 7, wherein the headrest (36) has at least one pin received in said at least one housing, the headrest (36) preferably having two pins, for example monoblocks, each received in a pin receiving housing of the headrest support (54). 9. high backrest adjustment device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the headrest comprises a headrest frame and a plate, the plate being translatable relative to the headrest frame, according a direction perpendicular to the transverse axis (Y), the headrest frame preferably being integral with the at least one pin, if necessary. 10. Motor vehicle seat backrest comprising a backrest frame and a backrest adjustment device according to any one of the preceding claims, the headrest support (54) being pivotally mounted about a transverse axis (Y2) on the back frame (17). 11. Vehicle seat (10) comprising a seat with a seat frame (14), and a backrest (16) according to claim 10, the backrest frame (17) being preferably pivotally mounted around a axis transverse to the seat frame (14).