Chairs and seats – Chair hardware or attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-01
2001-10-02
Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3624)
Chairs and seats
Chair hardware or attachment
C297S391000, C297S404000, C411S119000, C411S120000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296316
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a headrest guide that permits adjustment of an inner diameter across a range of inner diameters using a collet and sleeve arrangement.
2. Description of Related Art
Automobiles and other vehicles typically include headrests located on the seatbacks to support and/or brace the head and neck of the passenger. Headrests are generally adjustable to accommodate passengers of different heights and body types. An important factor in adjustability of the height of headrests are the efforts required to move the headrest between vertical positions.
In general, headrests have supporting headrest rods that are slideably adjustable within headrest guides positioned in the seat. It is common for the configuration of the headrests and the headrest rods to vary from vehicle to vehicle. As a result, many different embodiments of the headrest guides, each having a different inner diameter to accommodate different diameters of headrest rods, are typically required in order to maintain the desired efforts of movement between vertical positions.
According to one prior art headrest guide, a plurality of crush ribs are positioned along an inner surface of the headrest guide. When a different sized headrest rod is used in connection with the headrest guide, the crush ribs must be sized larger or smaller by adding or removing steel within the corresponding mold. Such a procedure is expensive and time consuming.
Therefore, there is a need for a headrest guide having an adjustable range of inner diameters to accommodate many different headrest rods for different vehicle makes and models while using a single headrest guide design and/or mold.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A headrest guide according to one preferred embodiment of this invention comprises a sleeve and a collet having an adjustable inner diameter. The collet may be threadably engaged with the sleeve to permit adjustment of the inner diameter of the collet. Accordingly, as the collet descends into the sleeve, an end portion of the collet is compressed through a tapered surface within the sleeve, thus reducing the inner diameter of the collet.
The headrest guide may further comprise a lock member for maintaining the inner diameter constant within the collet. Preferably, the lock member fixes a rotational position of the sleeve relative to the collet. The lock member may comprise a plurality of circumferential openings positioned in the sleeve and a pin or other securing means positioned with respect to the collet. The pin is selectably engageable with a corresponding opening within the sleeve. When the collet is adjusted to the desired position, and thus the desired inner diameter within the sleeve, the pin is inserted into the corresponding opening thus fixing the position of the collet with respect to sleeve. The lock member may alternatively comprise a similarly arranged plurality of teeth and a detente.
In a method of fitting headrest guides to a particular headrest application, a headrest rod is inserted into the headrest guide. The collet is rotatably adjusted within the sleeve until the inner diameter is appropriately sized around the headrest rod. Once the inner diameter is of the desired size, the lock member is engaged to fix the position of the collet relative to the sleeve. Once the correct size of the inner diameter is known, the headrest guide can be molded so that the lock member will only fix the collet with respect to the sleeve for a single inner diameter or within a small range of inner diameters.
It is one object of this invention to provide a headrest guide having an adjustable inner diameter.
It is another object of this invention to provide a headrest guide having a collet and a sleeve in rotatable engagement with one another.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a headrest guide that may be used across a range of differently sized headrest rods.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a headrest guide that is lockable into a fixed inner diameter.
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Cuomo Peter M.
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Pauley Petersen Kinne & Fejer
White Rodney B.
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