Patent Publication Number: US-2021162903-A1

Title: Ratcheting headrest assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This United States Utility Application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/942,433, filed Dec. 2, 2019, and titled “RATCHETING HEADREST ASSEMBLY,” the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to vehicle headrests and, more particularly, to a headrest assembly that is pivotable in a fore-aft direction. 
     2. Related Art 
     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. Oftentimes, 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 impact events and normal wear and tear. 
     One example component of an automobile that has historically been developed with an emphasis on balancing 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 certain amounts of impact to prevent whiplash to the occupant during a rear end collision, and, to a certain extent, block foreign objects from moving forward 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 the headrest to an ideal position. 
     Accordingly, there is a continued desire to develop headrests that provide positional comfort, that are strong, and that do not detract from operational efficiency of an automobile. 
     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, the present invention provides a headrest assembly for use in an automobile. The headrest assembly comprises a housing and a ratchet mechanism coupling the housing to a provided armature. The ratchet mechanism comprises a fixed ratchet member for static connection to the provided armature and defining a plurality of fixed ratchet teeth. A moveable ratchet member is pivotally connected to the housing and defines a plurality of moveable ratchet teeth. The moveable ratchet member is moveable between an engaged position and a released position. The engaged position is at least partially defined by the fixed ratchet teeth and the moveable ratchet teeth interlocked at varying pivot angles in the fore-aft direction with respect to the provided armature. The unengaged position is at least partially defined by the fixed ratchet teeth and the moveable ratchet teeth being spaced from one another. 
     In accordance with another aspect, the present invention provides a headrest assembly for use in an automobile. The headrest assembly comprises a housing, an armature for operatively coupling the housing to a provided seatback of an automobile seat, and a ratchet mechanism coupling the housing to the armature. The ratchet mechanism comprises a fixed ratchet member for static connection to the provided armature and defining a plurality of fixed ratchet teeth. A moveable ratchet member is connected to the housing and defines a plurality of moveable ratchet teeth. The moveable ratchet member is moveable between an engaged position and a released position. The engaged position is at least partially defined by the fixed ratchet teeth and the moveable ratchet teeth interlocked at varying pivot angles in the fore-aft direction with respect to the provided armature. The unengaged position is at least partially defined by the fixed ratchet teeth and the moveable ratchet teeth being spaced from one another. 
     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 perspective view of a headrest assembly for an automobile that is pivotable in a fore-aft direction; 
         FIG. 2A  is a side view of the headrest assembly in a first position; 
         FIG. 2B  is a side view of the headrest assembly in a second position; 
         FIG. 3  is a disassembled front perspective view of the headrest assembly; 
         FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of a front shell of the headrest assembly; 
         FIG. 5A  is a side cross-sectional view of a ratchet mechanism in an engaged position for preventing the headrest assembly from pivoting in the aft direction but allowing the headrest assembly to pivot in the fore direction to a preferred position; 
         FIG. 5B  is a side cross-sectional view of the ratchet mechanism in a released position for allowing the headrest assembly to be pivoted back in the aft direction to reset the headrest assembly position to a starting location; 
         FIG. 6  is a rear perspective view of a headrest assembly in accordance with another aspect of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 7A  is a disassembled rear perspective view of the headrest assembly of  FIG. 6 ; and 
         FIG. 7B  is an enlarged partial view of an interior side of a rear shell of  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE ENABLING EMBODIMENTS 
     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 that is pivotable in a fore-aft direction. 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 pivotable in a fore-aft direction. 
     Referring initially 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  14  (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). 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the embodiments described herein allow pivoting of the headrest assembly  10  in a fore-aft direction  16  with respect to the top surface of the seatback. The pivoting and pivotable movement described herein may also be referred to as rotating or tilting of the headrest. The extent of the movement of the headrest  10  may vary depends upon the particular application of use. In some arrangements, the headrest  10  is pivotal in the fore-aft direction up to about 180° to bring the headrest  10  into substantially flush contact with the seatback in the fore and aft directions, but in other arrangements the headrest  10  is pivotable in the fore-aft direction to a smaller degree.  FIG. 2A  is a side view of the headrest assembly  10  in a substantially upright position, wherein the housing  12  is generally aligned in a substantially parallel relationship with the seatback.  FIG. 2B  is a side view of the headrest assembly  10  in a pivoted position, wherein the housing  12  is pivoted until it has a forward tilt with respect to the seatback, e.g., a tilt in the fore direction. 
       FIG. 3  is a disassembled front perspective view of the headrest assembly  10 . The housing  12  includes a front shell  18  and a rear shell  20  that can be connected together to define a cavity  27  therebetween. A ratchet mechanism  22  is located within the cavity  27  (see  FIGS. 5A and 5B ) and controls operation of the pivoting movement. 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 3 , the armature  14  includes a pair of post members  24  that are mounted, or mountable, to the top of the seatback of the vehicle seat. Each of the post members  24  define a respective elongated, straight portion. Each of the post members  24  extend into a respective hole formed in the top of the seatback to attach the headrest assembly  10  to the vehicle seat. A series of slots  26  are located serially along at least one or both of the post members  24  for engagement with a detent (not shown) within the seatback for adjusting the headrest assembly  10  between a plurality of vertical positions. The armature  14  further includes a cross-car portion  28  that connects to each of the post members  24 . More particularly, each post member  24  includes a forward oriented bend  30  that merges into the cross-car portion  28 . 
     With reference to both  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the front shell  18  and rear shell  20  have a variety of structures that strengthen, connect, and/or assist in the pivoting movement of the headrest assembly  10 . These structures may be integral with the respective shells via processes such as molding, casting, etc. The rear shell  20  includes a rear interior surface  21  (see  FIG. 3 ) from which various supporting structures extend. Similarly, the front shell  18  has a front interior surface  19  (see  FIG. 4 ) from which various supporting structures extend. A rear sidewall  23  extends around an edge of the rear interior surface  21  and a front sidewall  25  extends around the front interior surface  19 . When the front shell  18  and rear shell  20  are connected, the respective interior surfaces  19 ,  21  and sidewalls  23 ,  25  enclose the cavity  27 . 
     The front interior surface  19  and the front sidewall  25  of the front shell  18  define a pair of grooves  32  (see  FIG. 4 ) spaced apart in the cross-car direction for placing the cross-car portion  28  of the armature  14  therein. A lower bearing surface  33  ( FIG. 3 ) defines part of each groove  32  and is in relative rotational contact with the cross-car portion  28  as the headrest assembly  10  is pivoted. Once the cross-car portion  28  is located in the pair of grooves  32 , the rear shell  20  can be connected to the front shell  18 . More particularly, the rear shell  20  includes a plurality of connection posts  34  extending from the rear interior surface  21  and the front shell  18  includes a plurality of corresponding apertures  36  sunken into the front interior surface  19  for receiving the plurality of connection posts  34 . The plurality of connection posts  34  each include a hook portion  38  such that as the connection posts  34  are drawn through a respective aperture  36  the hook portion  38  catches a portion of the front shell  18  such that it cannot be removed. For example, the front shell  18  may include a lip or projection (not shown) within each aperture to latch onto the hook portion  38 . As shown in the illustrated arrangement, the rear shell  18  includes two upper connection posts  34 A with upward extending hook portions  38 A and two lower connection posts  34 B with downward extending hook portions  38 B ( FIG. 3 ). The rear shell  20  includes a pair of projections  40  extending from the rear interior surface  21  that are located adjacent to the grooves  32  in the front portion  18  when the front shell  18  and rear shell  20  are connected. Each projection  40  includes an upper bearing surface  42  and is in relative rotational contact with the cross-car portion  28  as the headrest assembly  10  is pivoted. The lower bearing surface  33  and upper bearing surface  42  are circumferentially misaligned to define a cylindrical opening with an inner diameter equal to or slightly larger than an outer diameter of the cross-car portion  28  of the armature  14 . Each of the projections  40  include a hole  46  extending entirely therethrough. A fastener  48  extends through each hole  48  and into the front shell  18  for drawing the front shell  18  and rear shell  20  together. Each of the holes  48  may be located above and adjacent to a respective upper bearing surface  42 . A column  50  extends from the rear interior surface  21  to a column face  52 . A column hole  54  extends through the column  50  such that another fastener  48  can be driven therethrough and into the front shell  18 . The rear interior surface  21  includes a rear bulged portion  53  ( FIGS. 5A and 5B ) for accommodating relative movement of various features of the ratchet mechanism  22 . 
     With specific reference to  FIG. 4 , an array of ribs  56  extend from the front interior surface  19 . The array of ribs  56  include a series of overlapping vertical and horizontal ribs. The array of ribs  56  extend from the front interior surface  19  in a topographical configuration such that they directly interface with the rear interior surface  21  when the front shell  18  and rear shell  20  are connected. The array of ribs  56  define a depression  58  for accommodating the column  50  and directly contacting the column face  52 . A fastener hole  60  is located within the depression  58  and corresponds to the column hole  54 . Cross-member ribs  62  extend horizontally from the front sidewall  25  to the array of ribs  56 . A pair of spaced apart flat interface surfaces  66  are located on the front interior surface  19  between the array of ribs  56  and the pair of grooves  32  for contacting the projections  40  when the front shell  18  and rear shell  20  are connected. A fastener hole  68  is located in each interface surface  66  and correspond to the holes  46  in the projections  40 . The flat interface surface  66  may define a flat, non-ribbed surface. 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 4 , a front ratchet interface protrusion  70  is located between the pair of interface surfaces  66  and hold various components of the ratchet mechanism  22 . More particularly, the front ratchet interface protrusion  70  includes a first pin bracket  72  and a second pin bracket  74  disposed below the first pin bracket  72 . A pair of spring grooves  76  are located adjacent to the spring brackets  72 ,  74 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , a corresponding rear ratchet interface protrusion  78  is located on the rear shell  20 . The rear ratchet interface protrusion  78  includes a first pin contacting surface  80  corresponding to the first pin bracket  72  and a second pin contacting surface  82  corresponding to the second pin bracket  74 . These ratchet interface protrusions  70 ,  78  hold components and assist in the operation of the ratchet mechanism  22 . The front interior surface  19  includes a front bulged portion  79  ( FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 5B ) corresponding with the rear bulged portion  53  for accommodating relative movement of various features of the ratchet mechanism  22 . 
     The ratchet mechanism  22  is illustrated in  FIGS. 3 through 5B  and couples the housing  12  to the armature  14 . The ratchet mechanism  22  includes a fixed ratchet member  84  statically connected to the armature  14 . More particularly, the fixed ratchet member  84  includes a ratchet surface defining a plurality of fixed ratchet teeth  85  and an actuation projection  86 . The fixed ratchet member  84  further includes an elongated opening  88  and a tail  90  with a pair of grooves  92 . The ratchet mechanism  22  further includes a moveable ratchet member  94  pivotally connected to the housing  12  that includes a ratchet surface defining a plurality of moveable ratchet teeth  96 . The moveable ratchet member  94  further includes a pivot arm  98  and a spring notch  100  located between the pivot arm  98  and the moveable ratchet teeth  96 . The moveable ratchet member  94  includes a pivot pin opening  102 . 
     As best illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the ratchet mechanism  22  includes a first pivot pin  104  and a second pivot pin  106 . The first pivot pin  104  is located in the first pin bracket  72  in the first shell  18  and is in contact with the first pin contacting surface  80  on the rear shell  20 . The first pivot pin  104  extends through the pivot pin opening  102  of the moveable ratchet member  94 . The moveable ratchet member  94  may pivot relative to the first pivot pin  104  and/or the first pivot pin  104  may rotate within the first pin bracket  72  relative to the housing  12 . The second pivot pin  106  is located in the second pin bracket  74  in the first shell  18  and is in contact with the second pin contacting surface  82  on the rear shell  20 . The second pivot pin  106  extends through the elongated opening  88  of the fixed ratchet member  84 . At least one spring  108  biases the second pivot pin  106  in the fore direction with respect to the elongated opening  88 . The at least one spring  108  may include a pair or torsion springs  108  located on either side of the fixed ratchet member  84 . Each torsion spring  108  includes an extended portion that fits within one of the grooves  92  on the tail  90  of the fixed ratchet member  84  and an extended portion on the opposite end that presses against the first pivot pin  104 . An upper spring  110  includes a first end located in the notch  100  of the moveable ratchet member  94  and second end connected to front shell  18 . The upper spring  110  may also be configured as a torsion spring  110  or a horse-shoe shaped spring. 
     In operation, the ratchet mechanism  22  includes an engaged position ( FIG. 5A ), wherein the fixed ratchet teeth  84  and the moveable ratchet teeth  96  are interlocked and a released position ( FIG. 5B ) wherein the fixed ratchet teeth  84  and the moveable ratchet teeth  96  are spaced apart. In the engaged position, pivoting of the housing  12  in the fore-aft direction causes ratcheting between respective teeth  84 ,  96  to lock the housing  12  at varying pivot (tilt) angles in the fore-aft direction with respect to the seatback. In one arrangement, the teeth  84 ,  96  are arranged such that the housing  12  adjusts 4.7 degrees per ratcheted tooth and includes approximately 28 degrees of total pivot angles. As the housing  12  is pivoted, the fixed ratchet member  84  can travel within the rear bulged portion  53  relative to the rear shell  20  and the moveable ratchet member  94  can travel within the front bulged portion  79  relative to the front shell  18 . Once the housing  12  has been pivoted enough, the actuation projection  86  contacts the ratchet surface of the moveable ratchet member  94  and lifts the moveable ratchet teeth  96  away from the fixed ratchet teeth  84  such that the ratchet mechanism  22  is in the released position. Once the ratchet mechanism  22  is in the released position, the housing  12  can be pivoted back in the opposite direction, wherein the pivot arm  98  of the moveable ratchet member  94  catches the actuation projection  86  and cause the teeth  84 ,  96  to be re-engaged as the ratchet mechanism  22  is moved back to the engaged position. In the illustrated arrangement, the engaged position prevents the headrest assembly  10  from pivoting in the aft direction but allows it to pivot in the fore direction to a preferred position until it is pivoted enough that it is released by the actuation projection  96 . Once in the released position, the headrest assembly  10  can be pivoted back in the aft direction to reset the headrest assembly  10  position to a starting location. In the starting location, the housing  12  may be generally parallel with the seatback, it may have a forward tilt, or a rearward tilt depending on application and preference. The moveable ratchet member  94  may further define an abutment surface  99  located opposite the moveable ratchet teeth  96  and the rear interior surface  21  of the rear shell  20  may further include an opposing abutment surface  101  for contacting the abutment surface  99  and limiting the pivoting movement of the moveable ratchet member  94 . 
       FIGS. 6 through 7B  illustrate the headrest assembly  110  in accordance with another embodiment. The headrest assembly  110  includes an arrangement that is similar to the headrest assembly illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 5B . More particularly, the headrest assembly  110  includes a ratchet mechanism  122  and a front shell  118  with minor differences compared to headrest assembly  10 . A rear shell  120 , however, fits primarily within a sidewall  125  of the front shell  118  and is large enough to cover the entire ratchet mechanism  122 . The rear shell  120  includes the components of the rear ratchet interface protrusion  78  described in  FIG. 3 . As best illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the rear shell  120  includes a lower portion  124  that is located between a pair of grooves  132  on the front shell  118 . The rear shell  120  further includes a wider portion  126  above the lower portion  124  that widens in the cross-car direction. A pair of projections  140  are located on the wider portion  126  in a similar orientation to those (projections  40 ) presented in  FIG. 3 . Each projection  140  includes an upper bearing surface  142  that is in relative rotational contact with the cross-car portion  128  as the headrest assembly  110  is pivoted. A first pin contacting surface  180  and a second pin contacting surface  182  are located between the projections  140  (see  FIG. 7B ). The rear shell  120  further includes a rear bulged portion  153  near the pin contacting surfaces for accommodating relative movement of various features of the ratchet mechanism  122 . A through hole  130  extends between the first pin contacting surface  180  and the second pin contacting surface  182 . As best illustrated in the disassembled view in  FIG. 7A , the front shell  118  incudes corresponding front through holes  132  located on a front shell protrusion  173 . The front shell protrusion  173  is located within a first pin bracket  172 . Once assembled, a cushion and a cover (not shown) may be provided. 
     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.