Patent ID: 7344191

Claim:
A head restraint that is for a vehicle seat and capable of operating advantageously in response to a crash, the head restraint comprising: a support; at least two pivotable members that are carried by the support for respectively pivoting about horizontal axes; an impact element that is connected to the pivotable members so that the impact element together with the pivotable members and the support forms at least one four-bar linkage; and a spring that is for accumulating energy and for driving said four-bar linkage in response to the crash, wherein the head restraint is configured so that the impact element will move forwardly, from a starting position to a crash position, in response to said four-bar linkage being driven by the spring, and the spring includes at least one leg, and the leg of the spring is one of the pivotable members of said four-bar linkage, so that said four-bar linkage is formed by (a) the support, (b) the leg of the spring being carried by the support for pivoting relative to the support about a first of the horizontal axes, (c) a second of the pivotable members being carried by the support for pivoting relative to the support about a second of the horizontal axes, (d) the impact element being pivotably connected to the leg of the spring, and (e) the impact element being pivotably connected to the second pivotable member at a position that is distant from where the impact element is pivotably connected to the leg of the spring.