Abstract:
Detailed are head rest mechanisms and assemblies containing a flexible collar. Portions of the collar may be moved independently from other portions and may pivot or otherwise move both forward of the seat back and vertically under passenger control. Also described are slide assemblies containing deformable projections for use with vertically-adjustable head rests.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/785,229 entitled “Head Rest Mechanisms and Assemblies” filed on Mar. 23, 2006, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates to head rests associated with seat backs and more particularly, although not necessarily exclusively, to adjustable rests forming parts of seats on-board passenger vehicles such as commercial aircraft.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Head rests are used widely as parts of seats for commercial airplane passengers. Some such rests are adjustable vertically so as to accommodate different torso lengths of various passengers. Others include peripheral portions forwardly adjustable at angles to a central portion. Each mechanically-adjustable portion, sometimes denoted an “ear” or a “wing,” may support both a side and the back of a passenger&#39;s head when forwardly adjusted.  
         [0004]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,119 to Park, et al., discloses another type of adjustable head rest for use with passenger aircraft seats. Included as part of the head rest cushion of the Park patent is an internal inflatable bladder. Electrically-operated pumps and vents inflate and deflate the bladder under direction of a passenger.  
         [0005]     Although head rest adjustability is valuable to aircraft passengers, particularly on long-haul flights, existing head rests do not meet all current passenger needs and desires. No commercially-available head rest is universally adjustable, for example, in three-dimensional space. Additionally, many existing head rests require too-frequent maintenance as a result of passenger use.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention provides head rest mechanisms and assemblies designed to address deficiencies in existing devices. One aspect of the invention involves utilizing a flexible collar as part of a head rest assembly. The collar may pivot, or otherwise move, forward of the seat back as well as vertically under passenger control. Portions of the collar, further, may be pivoted independently. By attaching the collar to an existing vertically-adjustable head rest, the combined mechanism may provide useful support for event the tallest human passengers.  
         [0007]     A preferred version of the collar comprises an elongated, flexible rod whose central portion is connected to a plate of a seat head rest. Opposite ends of the rod are independently moveable relative to the fixed central portion yet sufficiently rigid to retain their positions, once adjusted, until readjusted by a passenger (or flight attendant). The rod may be covered with foam, leather, or other materials to provide a cushioning effect when contacted by the passenger&#39;s head.  
         [0008]     Also included as part of the present invention are innovative slide assemblies for vertically-adjustable head rests. Deformable projections present in the slides provide adequate interference with associated guides to maintain the slides in positions desired by passengers. Including the projections on the slides themselves, however, avoids need for any separate element to supply the needed interference fit with the guides. By omitting a separate friction-providing element, a slide assembly of the present invention reduces maintenance requirements significantly.  
         [0009]     It thus is an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide alternate head rest mechanisms and assemblies.  
         [0010]     It is also an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide adjustable head rests for use with seating equipment.  
         [0011]     It is another optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide a flexible collar as part of a head rest.  
         [0012]     It is an additional optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide a head rest having a component that may move both forward and backward and up and down relative to a fixed location.  
         [0013]     It is, moreover, an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide slides with deformable projections to provide frictional interference with associated guides.  
         [0014]     Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art with reference to the remaining text and drawings of this application.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of portions of a head rest assembly of the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a front elevational view of a collar of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a view illustrating the collar of  FIG. 1  as positioned in vertical-adjustment guides.  
         [0018]      FIGS. 4-6  illustrate exemplary manners in which the collar of  FIG. 1  may be adjusted by a passenger.  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a slide of  FIG. 1  detailing its peripheral deformations. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]     Illustrated in  FIG. 1  are aspects of head rest assembly  10  of the present invention. Included as part of assembly  10  may be either or both of collar  14  and slide  18 . If present, each of collar  14  and slide  18  may be immovably connected to plate  22 , which in some respects forms a base for assembly  10 . Although various screws  26 , washers  30 , and rivets  34  are depicted in  FIG. 1 , other fasteners or connecting means may be employed instead.  
         [0021]     Preferably positioned intermediate slide  18  and plate  22  are spacing and resiliency members  38 . These members  38  may include any or all of stop  42 , spacer  46 , and springs  50 . The members  38  collectively provide structure permitting movement of assembly  10  when its vertical adjustment is desired.  
         [0022]      FIG. 2  details collar  14  of the invention having a central portion  54 . As shown in the drawing, collar  14  beneficially includes members  58  and  62  whose respective ends  66  and  70  are connected (directly or indirectly) to weldment  74 . Such ends  66  and  70 , together with weldment  74 , thus form central portion  54 . Alternatively, members  58  and  62  may be combined into a single member.  
         [0023]     In a preferred version of collar  14 , each of members  58  and  62  is an elongated rod protruding from weldment  74 . Each rod is sufficiently flexible to be moveable under manual force yet sufficiently inflexible to remain in position when such force is withdrawn.  FIGS. 1-2  illustrate collar  14  in an undeployed condition, with member  58  and  62  each curving downward from weldment  74 . In this condition, collar  14  remains essentially in the plane of its associated seat back, thereby not providing any additional support for a passenger&#39;s head.  
         [0024]     By contrast,  FIGS. 3-6  depict various exemplary deployments of collar  14 . In  FIG. 3 , for example, members  58  and  62  no longer curve downward from weldment  74 , instead being rotated ninety degrees so as to curve outward therefrom. Respective ends  78  and  82  of members  58  and  62  thus no longer are essentially in the plane of seat back  86 , but rather are perpendicular thereto. As so positioned, member  58  could help support the right side of a passenger&#39;s face should he or she lean rightward in the seat. Member  62 , in turn, could help support the left side of the passenger&#39;s face should leftward leaning occur.  
         [0025]      FIG. 4  depicts positioning of collar  14  so that member  58  remains undeployed while member  62  has been rotated one hundred eighty degrees. In this configuration member  62  curves upward while remaining generally in the plane of the seat back. Should a passenger be extremely tall, having member  82  curve upward could permit it to help support the passenger&#39;s head notwithstanding the passenger&#39;s unusual height.  
         [0026]      FIG. 5  illustrates member  62  in the same position as it appears in  FIG. 4  and member  58  in the same position as it appears in  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 6  likewise depicts member  58  in its position of  FIGS. 3 and 5 . Member  62 , by contrast, is shown in its undeployed position of  FIGS. 1-2 . The manipulation of collar  14  illustrated in  FIG. 6  may occur, for example, when a passenger desires merely to lean to his or her right and rest his or her face on a firmly-positioned object.  
         [0027]     Detailed also in  FIG. 3  is base plate  22 ′ to which collar  14  is connected as well as guides  90  rigidly connected to seat back  86 . Base plate  22 ′ is functionally equivalent to base plate  22  (albeit slightly different in appearance). Each of guides  90  is an elongated structure comprising base  94 . At each end of base  94  is an outwardly-extending flange  98  together with a laterally-extending flange  102 . Collectively, each base  94  and corresponding flanges  98  and  102  form a pair of opposed vertically-oriented slots into which a slide  18  may be fitted for travel. As slide  18  travels within the slots, head rest assembly  10  is adjusted vertically with respect to seat back  86 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 7 , finally, shows slide  18  of the present invention. Slide  18  has a width W approximately equal to the distance between opposed slots of a guide  90 . Curved peripheral projections  106  cause the width W of slide  18  to be slightly greater than the distance between the opposed slots. However, because projections  106  are deformable under pressure, slide  18  may readily be fitted into guide  90 . Projections  106  then bear slightly against outwardly-extending flanges  98  of the guide  90 , providing adequate friction to maintain slide  18  in a selected position relative to guide  90 . Should, however, a passenger desire to adjust assembly  10  vertically, he or she need merely apply upward or downward force on the assembly  10 ; application of such manual force overcomes the frictional interference between projections  106  and flanges  98 , causing slide  18  to travel within guide  90 . If necessary, stop  42  may be configured to limit the extent to which slide  18  may move upward or downward within guide  90 .  
         [0029]     The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing embodiments of the present invention. Modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.