Patent Publication Number: US-11660992-B2

Title: Headrest assembly with friction hinge

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/076,565, filed Sep. 10, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to vehicle headrests and, more particularly, to a headrest assembly that is adjustable with a friction hinge. 
     BACKGROUND 
     This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art. 
     Technological improvements of automobiles have generally been focused on categorical enhancements to efficiency, safety and comfort. Often, an improvement in one category detracts from one of the other categories. For example, there has been a consistent struggle throughout the historical development of automobiles to find a balance between strength and weight. While incorporating stronger components may ultimately lead to a safer driving experience, stronger materials are typically heavier than other materials and thus detract from operational efficiency, e.g., fuel economy. Similarly, a focus primarily on efficiency can lead to components that are vulnerable to accidents and normal wear and tear. 
     One example component of an automobile that has historically been developed with an emphasis on strength and comfort is a headrest. Most automobiles include headrests atop an occupant&#39;s seat and in a position adjacent the occupant&#39;s head. Because headrests are specifically designed to interface with an occupant&#39;s head, they must be comfortable both tactilely and positionally. In addition to comfort, headrests must be able to withstand amounts of impact to prevent whiplash to the occupant during a collision and, to a certain extent, block foreign objects in the event of a crash or sudden braking situation. Developments in comfort functionality and, more particularly, positional adjustment for both safety and comfort have resulted in headrests having relatively complicated adjustment mechanisms that allow several users of varying sizes and preferences to adjust to the headrest to an ideal position. 
     Accordingly, there is a continued desire to develop headrests that provide positional comfort, that are strong, and that are relatively inexpensive to produce and assemble. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This section provides a general summary of the disclosure and is not to be interpreted as a complete and comprehensive listing of all of the objects, aspects, features and advantages associated with the present disclosure. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, a headrest assembly for use in a vehicle includes a housing having a front portion and a rear portion, the front portion including a central panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel. The headrest assembly also includes a first spring clip connecting the first side panel to a first side of the central panel. The headrest assembly further includes a second spring clip connecting the second side panel to a second side of the central panel. The headrest assembly yet further includes a first pin operatively coupled to the first side panel and rotatable within a portion of the first spring clip to allow rotation of the first side panel relative to the central panel. The headrest assembly also includes a second pin operatively coupled to the second side panel and rotatable within a portion of the second spring clip to allow rotation of the second side panel relative to the central panel. Each of the first spring clip and the second spring clip includes a tail portion coupled to the central portion. Each of the first spring clip and the second spring clip also includes a cam portion in contact with the respective pin to maintain an angular position of the first side panel and the second side panel relative to the central panel. 
     According to another aspect of the disclosure, a headrest assembly for use in a vehicle includes a housing having a front portion and a rear portion. The headrest assembly also includes an armature operatively coupling the rear portion to a seatback of an automobile seat. The headrest assembly further includes the front portion including a central panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel. The headrest assembly yet further includes a first spring clip connecting the first side panel to a side of the central panel and a second spring clip connecting the second side panel to an opposite side of the central panel. The first spring clip and second spring clip each include a cam portion to allow the first side panel and the second side panel to pivot about at least one substantially vertical axis relative to the central panel. 
     According to yet another aspect of the disclosure, a headrest assembly for use in a vehicle includes a housing having a front portion and a rear portion. The headrest assembly also includes an armature operatively coupling the rear portion to a seatback of an automobile seat. The front portion includes a central panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel, wherein the first side panel pivots relative to the central panel about a first vertical axis, and the second side panel pivots relative to the central panel about a second vertical axis. The headrest assembly also includes a first spring clip assembly connecting the first side panel to a side of the central panel and a second spring clip assembly connecting the second side panel to an opposite side of the central panel, the first and second spring clip assemblies maintaining an angular position of the first and second side panels absent manual adjustment. 
     Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The inventive concepts associated with the present disclosure will be more readily understood by reference to the following description in combination with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is a front perspective view of a headrest assembly for an automobile in a non-adjusted position; 
         FIG.  2    is front perspective view of the headrest assembly in an adjusted position wherein a front portion is pivoted relative to a rear portion; 
         FIG.  3    is rear perspective view of the headrest assembly in the adjusted position; 
         FIG.  4    is a front perspective view of a frame of the front portion in the non-adjusted position; 
         FIG.  5    is a rear perspective view of the frame of the front portion in the non-adjusted position; 
         FIG.  6    is a front perspective view of the frame of the front portion in the adjusted position, wherein the frame includes a pair of moveable side panels; 
         FIG.  7    is a rear perspective view of the frame of the front portion in the adjusted position; 
         FIG.  8    is a perspective view of a spring clip that effectuates movement of the side panels; 
         FIG.  9    is another perspective view of the spring clip; 
         FIG.  10    is a top view of the spring clip; 
         FIG.  11    is a top view of the spring clip with a pin inserted therein; and 
         FIG.  12    is a graphical illustration of the spring clip that compares values of the stress to the values of strain. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. In general, the subject embodiments are directed to a headrest assembly for an automobile, with the headrest assembly including two moveable side panels that are each pivotal about an axis. However, the example embodiments are only provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that some specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail. 
     Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the views, the headrest assembly is intended for providing an enhanced travel experience to occupants of an automobile by allowing the headrest assembly to be adjustable about at least one vertical axis. 
     Referring to  FIG.  1   , a headrest assembly is depicted. The headrest assembly is generally referred to with numeral  10 . The headrest assembly  10  includes a housing  12  that at least partially encloses several components associated with stabilization and/or adjustment of the headrest assembly  10 . A cushion and a cover (not shown) may be provided over the housing  12  for aesthetic purposes and occupant comfort, i.e., tactile comfort. A base portion  13  (which may also be referred to as “armature”) is mountable to an automobile seat and, more specifically, to a top surface of a seatback of the automobile seat (not shown). The housing  12  includes a rear portion  16  and a front portion  14 . The rear portion  16  is connected to the armature  13  and the front portion  14  is connected to the rear portion  16  such that vertical movement of armature  13  moves both the rear portion  16  and front portion  14 . However, in some embodiments the front portion  14  may be independently moveable in the vertical direction relative to the rear portion  14 . The headrest assembly  10  in  FIG.  1    is shown in a non-adjusted position, wherein the front portion  14  is located in a default position with respect to the rear portion  16  such that the front portion  14  is primarily planar. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS.  2  and  3   , the front portion  14  includes a central panel  18 , a first side panel  20 , and a second side panel  22 . The first side panel  20  and the second side panel  22  are spaced apart by, and on opposite sides of, the central panel  18 . The headrest assembly  10  is shown in the adjusted position wherein one or both of the first side panel  20  and second side panel  22  have been pivoted about at least one substantially vertical axis (V 1  or V 2 ) with respect to the central panel  18  with the outer edges of the side panels  20 ,  22  moved away from the rear portion  16  of the headrest assembly  10 . More particularity, the first panel  20  pivots about a first vertical axis V 1  and the second panel  22  pivots about a second vertical axis V 2  ( FIG.  2   ). As noted above, axes V 1  and V 2  may be referred to herein as vertical axes, but it is to be understood that these are “substantially” vertical axes, such that literally vertical may be present in some embodiments. The first vertical axis V 1  and the second vertical axis V 2  may be substantially vertical, meaning that they allow the first and second panels  20 ,  22  to be pivoted or otherwise adjusted to different positions to provide varied support to a user&#39;s head in the cross-car and fore-aft directions. 
     One or more adjacent vertical edges of the side panels  20 ,  22 , and central panel  18  may include a tapered surface  23  so that the pivotal movement is not encumbered. The pivoting and pivotal movement described herein may also be referred to as rotating or tilting action. The extent of the movement of the headrest  10  may vary depending upon the particular application of use. In some arrangements, the first side panel  20  and second side panel  22  may both be pivotal up to about 180° to bring the first side panel  20  and second side panel  22  into substantially flush contact with the central panel  18 . In other arrangements the first side panel  20  and second side panel  22  may be pivotal to a smaller degree, such as up to 90°, up to 45°, or 45° or less, for example. As best shown in  FIG.  2   , the rear portion  16  includes a connection plate  24  that is connected to the central panel  18 . 
     With reference now to  FIGS.  4  and  5   , the central panel  18  includes a central frame  28 , the first side panel  20  includes a first side frame  30 , and the second side panel  22  includes a second side frame  32 . The frame members  28 ,  30 ,  32  are formed of a rigid material. A first spring clip  34  pivotally connects the first side frame  30  to the central frame  28  and a second spring clip  36  pivotally connects the second side frame  32  to the central frame  28 . Both spring clips  34 ,  36  include a cam portion  40  and a tail portion  42 . The tail portion  42  is statically connected to the central frame  28  and the cam portion  40  is pivotally attached to one of the side frames  30 ,  32 . As will be described in greater detail below, the first spring clip  34  and the second spring clip  36  are configured to pivot in opposite rotational directions, relative to each other. 
     As best illustrated in  FIG.  4   , the first side frame  30  and the second side frame  32  each include a support rim  44  surrounding edges of the side frames  30 ,  32  that are non-adjacent to the central panel  18 . The first side frame  30  and second side frame  32  each also include a set of vertically spaced support ribs  46  that extend in the cross-car direction from the support rim  44  and terminate at a pin holding portion  48  adjacent to the central panel  18 . A pin  50  that connects to the spring clip  34 ,  36  is located in each pin holding portion  48  such that it extends vertically between support ribs  46  about the first vertical axis V 1  or the second vertical axis V 2 . The central frame  28  includes a central frame rim  52  that extends along opposite edges of the central frame  28  that are non-adjacent to the side panels  20 ,  22 . As such, the support rim  44  of the side frames  30 ,  32  and the central frame rim  52  of the central frame  28  outline the entire frame assembly  28 ,  30 ,  32 . The central frame  28  further includes a plurality of spaced apertures  53  for weight and material reduction that also ease installation and connection to corresponding parts, such as the rear portion  16 , other parts of the central panel  18 , and the cover and cushion. 
     With reference now to  FIGS.  6  and  7   , the frame assembly is shown in the adjusted position corresponding to  FIGS.  2  and  3   . In the adjusted position, one or both of the side frames  30 ,  32  have been pivoted relative to the central frame  28 . More particularly, the adjusted position is accomplished when movement of the side frames  30 ,  32  cause to the pin  50  to rotate within the cam portion  40  of the spring clip  34 ,  36 . The cam portion  40  is sized to squeeze the pin  50  such that the angle of the side frames  30 ,  32  with respect to the central frame  28  is maintained absent manual adjustments. As best shown in  FIG.  8   , each pin  50  includes a central shaft  60  that interfaces with the cam portion  40  and a pair of flat sections  62  on opposite ends of the shaft  60 . Each flat section  62  includes a hole  64  for statically connecting the pin  50  to the ribs  46  with a fastener  66  (see  FIG.  5   ). 
     The spring clip  34 ,  36  and pin  50  are shown from a perspective view in  FIGS.  8  and  9   . As best shown in  FIG.  8   , the cam portion  40  has a semi-circle shaped opening  67  defined by a plurality of three fingers  68 , which in some arrangements may include at least one finger  68 , and a side wall  69  ( FIG.  9   ). The three fingers  68  includes two outer fingers  68  and one central finger  68 . The two outer fingers  68  include dimples  70  extending inwardly into the opening  67  towards the pin  50 . Each finger  68  further includes a flared portion  72  (see  FIGS.  10  and  11   ) to facilitate insertion of the pin  50 . 
     As best shown in  FIGS.  10  and  11   , a pair of support brackets  74  extends between the tail portion  42  and the cam portion  40  of the spring clip  34 ,  36 . The tail portion  42  includes a hook  75  opposite the cam portion  40  that fits into corresponding grooves  76  (see  FIG.  6   ) within the central frame  28 . A pair of dimples  70  are located on the opposite side of the opening  67  from the dimples  70  on the fingers  68 . In  FIG.  10    the cam portion  40  is shown without the pin  50  inserted therein and in  FIG.  11    the cam portion  40  is shown with the pin  50  inserted therein. When the pin  50  is not inserted within the cam portion  40 , the fingers  68  are loaded such that a semi-circular opening  67  is smaller than the pin  50 . As such, insertion of the pin  50  causes the fingers  68  to flex outwardly and forcefully bias towards the pin  50 , causing the dimples  70  to press into the pin  50 . 
       FIG.  12    provides a graphical representation of the spring clip  34 ,  36  that compares values of the stress to the values of strain. Depending on the application, the spring clip  34 ,  36  and pin  50  may be configured such that the spring clip  34 ,  36  operates between the yield stress (Y) and the ultimate tensile strength (UTS). As illustrated, the pin  50  may be sized to effectuate elastic deformation, plastic deformation, or a combination of deformation within the cam  40  of the spring clips  34 ,  36 . Modifying values of materials and sizes can be used to vary the spring clip  34 ,  36  and pin  50  tolerances. In one example arrangement, the spring clip  34 ,  36  is formed out of 1074-1075 tempered spring steel and the pin is formed of 1038 steel with an HRC of 47 to 55. However, it is to be understood that this example is non-limiting since it is contemplated that one skilled in the art may find suitable alternative materials. 
     While the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.