GB2318285A

GB2318285A - Vehicle seat having a retractable head restraint

Info

Publication number: GB2318285A
Application number: GB9621667A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Rodger Gordon Smith; Simon Moore
Original assignee: Johnson Controls Automotive UK Ltd
Current assignee: Adient Seating UK Ltd
Priority date: 1996-10-17
Filing date: 1996-10-17
Publication date: 1998-04-22
Anticipated expiration: 2016-10-17
Also published as: GB9621667D0; GB2318285B

Abstract

A vehicle seat comprises a foldable backrest 10, a head restraint 15 thereon, and means for causing the retraction of the head restraint 15 relative to the backrest 10 in response to the folding of the latter. The retraction of the head restraint 15 may comprise a linear movement thereof between extended and retracted positions. The backrest 10 may include a recess 18 wherein the head restraint 15 may be at least partially accommodated when it is retracted. Preferably, the retraction means is disposed entirely within the backrest 10. Spring means 25 may bias the head restraint 15 to its extended position and a first catch means 26 may be provided to retain the head restraint 15 in this position. Preferably, the first catch means 26 operates in conjunction with a second catch means which retains the backrest 10 in its seating position.

Description

Title: SEATS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Description of Invention This invention relates to seats for motor vehicles.

The invention relates particularly to a motor vehicle seat wherein the squab (backrest) of the seat is movable, from the generally upright orientation it assumes for the seat to be occupied by a passenger, forwardly and downwardly about its lower region until it assumes a more or less horizontal orientation. Such movement of the seat squab, which commonly is an arcuate movement of the squab about a single pivot axis afforded by a means connecting the squab to the cushion of the seat or to the vehicle structure, is sometimes called folding of the squab, and this term will be used herein for such movement. Folding of the squab of a seat is commonly provided for each of the rear seats of a passenger car of estate car or hatchback type, to provide the vehicle with an increased capacity for carrying luggage or the like.

Vehicle seats commonly are provided with head restraints, to increase passenger safety by constraining a passenger's head against unrestrained backwards movement in the event of an accident. Thus "whiplash" injuries are potentially reduced. However, a head restraint to be effective must protrude for a substantial distance above the top of the squab when it is in its seating position, and the presence of such a head restraint impairs folding of the squab. It is known that a head restraint can be removed from a seat which is to be folded, but this is inconvenient and the removed restraint needs to be placed somewhere for storage while the seat is folded. It is broadly the object of the present invention to overcome or reduce this disadvantage.

According to one aspect of the present invention, we provide a motor vehicle seat including a squab which is able to be folded and having a head restraint on the squab, wherein there is provided means for causing retraction of the head restraint relative to the squab in response to folding movement of the latter.

The retraction of the head restraint, i.e. a reduction in the extent to which the head restraint protrudes above the top of the squab, preferably is a linear movement of the head restraint relative to the squab, between an extended position and a retracted position.

The squab may afford a recess or space in which the head restraint is at least partially accommodated when the head restraint has been retracted.

Preferably the means for causing retraction of the head restraint is disposed entirely or substantially entirely within the squab. By virtue of this, there is no intrusion on passenger or luggage carrying space of a vehicle.

The means for causing retraction of the head restraint in response to folding of the squab may comprise link means extending between the head restraint and a part which remains stationary while the squab is folded, so that relative movement between the squab and said member during folding is transmitted to the head restraint.

Said link means preferably includes a means, e.g. a gearing means, for increasing the magnitude of the movement transmitted by the link means.

Preferably the squab is foldable by a pivoting movement about a pivot axis, and the link means is connected to a member offset from such axis. If accommodated entirely within the squab, a member offset from the pivot axis can be offset only by a relatively limited distance, while the provision of a gearbox or like enables the comparatively small movement produced by such an offset member to be translated into a relatively large movement at the head restraint.

There may be spring means biasing the head restraint to its extended position.

Preferably there is catch means for retaining the head restraint in its extended position, so that the head restraint cannot be retracted merely by the application of pressure thereto. Preferably such catch means is operable in conjunction with a catch means which retains the squab in its seating position.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a diagrammatic perspective view of a vehicle seat incorporating the invention.

Referring to the drawing, the illustrated vehicle seat comprises a squab 10 and a cushion 11. In the drawing the squab 10 is illustrated in the position it assumes when the seat is used for a passenger to sit in, i.e. generally upright (in fact inclined slightly rearwardly). The squab is foldable as illustrated by arrow 12, from the illustrated position forwardly and downwardly until it is more or less horizontal and either overlies the cushion 11 or else occupies the space vacated by the cushion 11 when the latter has been itself folded forwardly and upwardly about its front region. The folding movement of the squab 10 takes place about the axis of a shaft 13 extending transversely of the vehicle and seat therein, such shaft being fixed to the vehicle structure usually in the vicinity of a rear wheel arch thereof. The squab is pivoted by bushes 14 engaging the shaft 13.

The squab 10 carries a head restraint 15. The head restraint is supported by a pair of spaced parallel support members 16 which extend downwardly into the interior of the squab 10 and are movable relative to the squab in the direction of their length, being supported in suitable bushes or other guiding means. Thus the head restraint is movable between an extended position in which it is illustrated and in which it protrudes a substantial distance above the top of the squab and a retracted position in which an upper portion 17 of the head restraint lies at least partly in a recess 18 in the top of the squab, so that the head restraint protrudes to no substantial distance above the top of the squab.

The shaft 13 carries a rearwardly extending bracket 19. To the end of the bracket 19 remote from the shaft 13 there is connected a transfer link 20, e.g.

a rod or cable, and the other end of the transfer link 20 is connected to the input rack 21 of a double rack and pinion gearbox 22. In the gearbox 22, the input rack 21 meshes with a first gear wheel which is rotationally fast with a second gear wheel of larger diameter than the first gear wheel. The second gear wheel meshes with an output rack 23. Thus a certain movement of the input rack 21 produces a proportionately larger movement of the output rack 23. The output rack 23 is connected to a yoke 24 which joins the lower ends of the head restraint supports 16. A spring 25 pulls the yoke 24 upwardly within the squab, i.e. spring biases the head restraint to its illustrated extended position.

By virtue of the above described arrangement of components, when the squab is folded forwardiy from the illustrated position the transfer link 20 pulls the input rack 21 downwardly and thus causes the output rack 23 to be moved in the same direction by a proportionately greater distance. Thus the head rest is moved from its extended position towards its retracted position.

A catch member 26 cooperates with appropriate formations (not shown) on the support members 16 to retain the head restraint in its extended position. The catch member 26 is operable to release the head restraint by pulling on an operating rod or cable 27. The rod or cable 27 is connected to a manually operable release member 28 which is also connected by a rod or cable 29 to a latch mechanism which engages with an appropriate part of the structure of the vehicle so as to retain the squab in its illustrated position. The member 28 has a part, or is connected to a part, which extends through an opening 30 at the top of the squab, to be readily manually operable. Thus a single operation on the part of a person wishing to fold the squab of the seat serves both to release the squab for such folding and to release the head restraint for its retraction relative to the squab in the course of such folding.

When the squab is returned from its folded position to its seating position, the spring 25 assists in returning the head restraint to its extended position.

A seat as illustrated may be one of the rear seats of an estate car or hatchback type of passenger car. A seat intended to accommodate two or three passengers could be provided with an appropriate number of head restraints operable by individual mechanisms as illustrated or possibly having certain elements of such mechanisms in common with one another.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle seat including a squab which is able to be folded and having a head restraint on the squab, wherein there is provided means for causing retraction of the head restraint relative to the squab in response to folding movement of the latter.

2. A seat according to Claim 1 wherein said retraction of the head restraint comprises a linear movement thereof relative to the squab, between an extended position and a retracted position.

3. A seat according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the squab affords a recess or space wherein the head restraint is at least partially accommodated when it has been retracted

4. A seat according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said means for causing retraction of the head restraint is disposed entirely or substantially entirely within the squab.

5. A seat according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said means for causing retraction of the head restraint comprises link means extending between the head restraint and a part which remains stationary while the squab is folded, such that relative movement between the squab and said member during folding is transmitted to the head restraint.

6. A seat according to Claim 5 wherein said link means includes a means for increasing the magnitude of the movement transmitted by the link means.

7. A seat according to Claim 6 wherein said means for increasing the magnitude of the movement transmitted comprises a gearing means.

8. A seat according to any one of Claims 5 to 7 wherein the squab is foldable by a pivoting movement about a pivot axis, and the link means is connected to a member offset from said axis.

9. A seat according to any one of the preceding claims comprising spring means biasing the head restraint to its extended position.

10. A seat according to any one of the preceding claims comprising catch means for retaining the head restraint in its extended position.

11. A seat according to Claim 10 wherein said catch means is operable in conjunction with a catch means which retains the squab in its seating position.

12. A seat substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

13. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.