Patent ID: 6910740

Claim:
An adjustable headrest for a vehicle seat comprising: a first support mounted on a vehicle seat; a second support pivotally mounted with respect to the first support about a pivotal axis toward either a forward direction or a rearward direction; a headrest mounted on the second support and movable therewith; a gear segment mounted on the first support, the gear segment having a series of teeth formed in an arc about said pivotal axis; a pawl having a first cam surface, and a series of teeth, the pawl being mounted on the second support and movable toward said gear segment teeth and a position in which the pawl teeth are meshed with the gear segment teeth, to lock the headrest against movement in the rearward direction; a pushbutton actuator including a pushbutton having a second cam surface engageable with the pawl first cam surface for mechanically camming the pawl toward a release position in which the pawl teeth are separated from the gear segment teeth to permit the headrest to be pivoted in either the rearward direction, or the forward direction; the pushbutton and the second cam surface being movable in a reverse direction to a position permitting movement of the pawl teeth either toward or away from the gear segment teeth; and bias means urging the pawl teeth toward the gear segment teeth whereby when the pawl teeth are engaged with the gear segment teeth, the headrest is locked against rearward pivotal motion from an adjusted position, but may be ratcheted in the forward direction to an adjusted position, and when the pawl teeth are disengaged from the gear segment teeth, the headrest is pivotal about said pivotal axis in either a rearward direction, or a forward direction.