Patent ID: 11926250
Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 7:
8. A sleeve device for a headrest, the device comprising a sleeve body for insertion into a vehicle seat, the sleeve body comprising a tubular wall describing an inner axial passage and a rod-engaging portion which is deformable inwardly relative to the tubular wall, the rod-engaging portion comprising an internal side and an external side, with a flexible pad on the external side, wherein the flexible pad is configured to be urged, in use, to force the rod-engaging portion into the axial passage and/or against a rod received within the axial passage;
wherein the rod-engaging portion is part of the tubular wall such that the tubular wall and the rod-engaging portion are formed of a same material;
wherein the flexible pad is formed of a material that is different than the material forming the rod-engaging portion;
wherein the rod-engaging portion has a rod-engaging length, wherein the rod-engaging portion is in contact with the rod continuously along the rod-engaging length, and the rod-engaging length is at least 20% of a length of the tubular wall;
wherein the rod-engaging portion is integral with the tubular wall and located between circumferentially spaced apart first and second elongated axial slots in the tubular wall, wherein, in an axial region of the rod-engaging portion, the tubular wall extends continuously from the first elongated axial slot to the second elongated axial slot such that the tubular wall is continuous on a side of the tubular wall that is diametrically opposite the rod-engaging portion.