Patent ID: 8276983

Claim:
A seat assembly comprising: a seat cushion; a seat back pivotally coupled to said seat cushion for movement between a seating position and a folded position; a head restraint mounted to a guide plate and operatively coupled to an upper end of said seat back for movement between a use position spaced apart from said upper end of said seat back and a stowed position adjacent said upper end of said seat back; and a mechanism operative for automatically moving said head restraint between said use and stowed positions in response to pivoting said seat back between said seating and folded positions, said mechanism including a first pulley rotatably mounted to said seat back, a linkage pivotally coupled between said first pulley and said head restraint, and a cable operatively coupled between said first pulley and a fixed end, said linkage including a lower link extending between a first end fixedly secured to said first pulley and a second end and an upper link extending between a first end pivotally coupled to said guide plate and a second end pivotally coupled to said second end of said lower link, whereby pivoting said seat back from said seating position to said folded position effectively shortens said cable thereby rotating said pulley in a first direction and actuating said linkage to move said head restraint from said use position to said stowed position and whereby pivoting said seat back from said folded position to said seating position effectively lengthens said cable thereby rotating said pulley in a second direction and actuating said linkage to move said head restraint from said stowed position to said use position, and wherein said upper and lower links form a first angle greater than 180 degrees when said head restraint is in said use position.