GB2034581A - Vehicle seat assemblies - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle seat assembly incorporating a head support device 10. The head support device comprises an elongate member 24 or members located in a socket 20 or sockets in a backrest 11, a double sided head pad 26 supported internally by the elongate member or members, and retaining means 28 to retain said elongate member or members in either of two alternative orientations in said socket or sockets, in one of which orientations one side of the head pad faces forwards and in the other orientation the other side faces forwards, said one side being shallowly padded to serve as a head restraint, and the other side of the head pad being more deeply padded than said one side to serve as a head cushion. The head pad is height adjustable in both orientations. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to seat assemblies, for vehicles This invention concerns seat assemblies for vehicles.

It is known to provide a vehicle seat assembly with a head restraint to minimise possible whiplash injury to the occupant of the seat in the event of an accident. Such head restraints are often a fixed integral part of the seat assembly, and are usually set back from the normal position of the occupants head to minimise the restriction of the normal movement of the occupants head. It is also known to provide a vehicle seat assembly with a detachable head cushion which is softly padded and projects slightly forwards beyond the adjacent part of the backrest of the seat assembly, to provide gentle support for the occupants head when the occupant is.

seated in a relaxed position.

Several attempts have been made to produce a head support which will serve as a head restraint and as a head cushion. Such head supports are comprises and are not wholly satisfactory, because those that offer sufficient comfort for the relaxed seating of passengers are too restrictive of head movement for drivers and can will induce a tired driver to relax to the extent of falling asleep whilst continuing to support the driver's head in a comfortable position; and because those that are positioned and shaped to be suitable for drivers are not particularly comfortable for passengers especially when the latter wish to sleep.

According to the present invention there is provided a seat assembly, for a vehicle, comprising a backrest and a head support device; wherein the backrest has a frame which provides an upwardly open socket or sockets in an upper part of the backrest; wherein the head support device comprises an elongate member or members located in said socket or sockets, a double sided head pad supported internally to the elongate member or members, and retaining means to retain said elongate member or members in either of two alternative orientations in said socket of sockets, in one of which orientations one side of the head pad faces forwards and in the other orientation the other side faces forwards, said one side being shallowly padded to serve as a head restraint, and the other side of the head pad being more deeply padded than said one side to serve as a head cushion.

The retaining means is preferably adapted to enable the longitudinal position of the elongate member or members relative to the socket or sockets to be adjusted in either of said orientations, whereby to enable the distance between the head pad and the backrest, and thereby the height of the head pad, to be adjusted.

One general form of the seat assembly comprises only one socket and one elongate member, and in this form the retaining means preferably comprises one or more retaining members which are biased so as to engage and connect the elongate member and the socket to prevent rotation of the elongate member in the socket, the retaining member or retaining members being movable against said bias to permit rotation of the elongate member between said orientations.

The retaining means preferably comprises a friction pad or pads which permit slidable adjustment of the position of the head support device whilst providing sufficient friction normally to hold the head support device in a selected position.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure lisa part sectional side elevation of a head support device and part of a backrest of a seat assembly of the invention; Figure 2 shows parts of a second embodiment of seat assembly ofthe invention in side elevation; and Figure 3 is an enlarged cross section of the second embodiment taken on the line Ill-Ill in Figure 2.

The seat assembly generally comprises a head support device 10 and a backrest II having a frame 12.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, a pair of spaced apart parallel tubular sockets 20 are fixedly secured within an upper part of the backrest 11 to the frame 12 to provide top openings surrounded by grommets (not shown). The head support device comprises an inverted U-shaped tubular frame 24 carrying an internal support (not shown) for a head pad 26. The frame 24 has limbs 27 each of which serves as an elongate member and is telescopically insertable into one of the sockets 20, so as to be retained therein by retaining means comprising friction pads 28 which make frictional engagement with the sockets 20, so that the frame 24 can be retained in any one of several vertical positions relative to the sockets to provide for height adjust mentofthe head pad 26 relative to the backrest 11.

Each pad 28 is of plastics material and is fastened to the respective limb 27.

The pad 26 is shallowly and preferably firmly padded on one side shown facing rearwards in Figure 1, and is deeply and preferably softly padded on the other side shown facing forwards in Figure 1.

In the exampl be rotated through 180"withdrawn from the sockets to allow the pad to into the other orientation in which said one side faces forwards.

Depending upon which side faces forwards, the pad may be used as a head restraint or a head cushion.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 2 and 3 a tubular socket 30 is fixedly secured within the backrest 11 to the frame 12 to provide a top opening surrounded by a grommet 31. A spring clip 32, having diametrically opposed retaining members 33, is located around the socket 30 to serve as retaining means for the head support device.

The head support device comprises an elongate member 34 carrying an internal support 35 for a head pad 36. The elongate member 34 has a lateral slot 37 and a row of holes 38 opposite the slot; and is telescopically insertable into the socket 30 in either of two angular orientations.

The retaining members 33 extend through openings in the socket wall to engage in the slot 27 and any one of the holes 38, to retain the elongate member 34 in either of the orientations. The holes 38 permit the elongate member 34 to be retained in any one of several vertical positions relative to the socket to provide for height adjustment of the pad 26 relative to the backrest 11.

The pad 36 is shallowly and preferably firmly padded on one side shown facing rearwards in Figure 2, and is deeply and preferably softly padded on the other side shown facing forwards in Figure 2.

In the example shown, the socket and elongate member are circular in cross section to allow the pad to be rotated through 180" into the other orientation in which said one side faces forwards, by the application or torque sufficient to eject the members 33, against the bias provided by the spring clip, from the slot 37 and hole 38.

Alternatively, the socket and elongate member may be of non-circular cross section, so that the latter has to be withdrawn from the socket, against frictional retaining means such as a pad 28 of Figure 1, before the pad 36 can be turned through 180"; or the retaining members may be formed as nonejectable pegs, and manually operable means provided to move the pegs against said bias so as to withdraw the pegs from the elongate member, so that the elongate member can not be rotated by a torque applied to the head support device until the manually operable means is actuated to so withdraw the pegs.

Depending upon which side faces forwards, the pad may be used as a restraint or a cushion.

In both embodiments, the head pad, when turned to serve as a head cushion projects forwardly beyond the front of the upper part of the backrest, and when turned to serve as a head restraint is set back from the front of said upper part.

Claims (7)

1. A seat assembly, for a vehicle, comprising a backrest and a head support device; wherein the backrest has a frame which provides an upwardly open socket or sockets in an upper part of the backrest; wherein the head support device comprises an elongate member or members located in said socket or sockets, a double sided head pad supported internally by the elongate member or members, and retaining means to retain said elongate member or members in either of two alternative orientations in said socket or sockets, in one of which orientations one side of the head pad faces forwards and in the other orientation the other side faces forwards, said one side being shallowly padded to serve as a head restraint, and the other side of the head pad being more deeply padded than said one side to serve as a head cushion.

2. A seat assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retaining means is adapted to enable the longitudinal position of the elongate member or members relative to the socket or sockets to be adjusted in either of said orientations, whereby to enable the distance between the head pad and the backrest, and thereby the height of the head pad, to be adjusted.

3. A seat assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said other side is more softly padded then said one side.

4. A seat assembly as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3, wherein only one socket and elongate member are provided, and wherein the retaining means comprises one or more retaining members which are biased so as to engage and connect the elongate member and the socket to prevent rotation of the elongate member in the socket, the retaining member or retaining members being movable against said bias to permit rotation of the elongate member between said orientations.

5. A seat assembly as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3, wherein the retaining means comprises a friction pad or pads which permit slidable adjustment of the position of the head support device whilst providing sufficient friction normally to hold the head support device in a selected position.

6. A seat assembly as claimed in any preceding claim and generally as hereinbefore described.

7. A vehicle seat assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 or 2.