Chairs and seats – Headrest
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-20
2003-11-18
Brown, Peter R. (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Headrest
C297S440100, C297S440210
Reexamination Certificate
active
06648415
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to a headrest for an automobile seat back and more particularly, the a head rest having at least one support rod that cannot be removed by simply pulling upward but rather, requires a tool for extraction of the headrest.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In a conventional seat back, both headrest support rods are mounted to a connecting bridge positioned below the rod guides so that it may ratchet, with which, for example, a drive for motorized height adjustment may engage. The support rods may be extracted from the connecting bridge with increased effort in order to remove the headrest from the seat back.
A seat back with height-adjustable headrest is also known in DE 695 12 212 T2 in which at least one of the support rods includes notches into which a manually-operable, spring-tensioned lock engages. When the lock is pressed against the tensioning spring, the headrest height may be adjusted, or the headrest support rods may be extracted from their guides.
Such a removable property is convenient, but includes the danger that the headrest may be removed unnecessarily and that the seat may be used without the headrest in place.
Based on this state of the art, it is the task of this invention to make removal of the headrest so difficult that it cannot be performed by hand.
The solution of this task results from the characteristics of Patent claim
1
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention discloses a height-adjustable headrest for a seat back of an automobile includes support rods that transfix guide areas attached to the seat back frame. The ends of the support rods positioned below the guide areas are connected with a bracket so that they may ratchet, and may be separated from it by pulling upward. At least the end of one the support rods is locked in its first position by the bracket against extraction upward, and, in a second position, the support rod may be displaced only by means of a tool so that it may be extracted upward.
The headrest height may be adjusted throughout its range in the normal fashion. Removal is prevented by an additional locking device that may be released only by the use of an actuation element separate from the headrest, such as a tool.
The present invention discloses a height-adjustable headrest for use with a seat back of an automobile seat having a seat frame, comprising first and second support rods (
3
;
4
), that transfix guide areas (
1
a
) affixed to the seat frame (
1
) of the seat back. The ends of the first and second support rods (
3
;
4
) which are positioned below the guide areas (
1
a
) are connected with a bracket
5
so that they may ratchet, and so that they may be released from above.
At least the end of said second support rod (
4
) in a first locking position is interlocked with the bracket (
5
) against extraction from above, and wherein in a second unlocking position the second support rod (
4
) may be displaced only by means of a tool to extract it from above.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention result from the dependent claims. In one advantageous embodiment, the headset is unlocked by rotating one of the support rods by means of an open-end wrench applied to the rod. The locking device is constantly held in its locked position by a spring so that unintentional removal of the headrest is prevented.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3512833 (1970-05-01), Sugiura
patent: 3904241 (1975-09-01), Makinen
patent: 4390209 (1983-06-01), Izuno et al.
patent: 4527834 (1985-07-01), Zyngier
patent: 4674796 (1987-06-01), Weinich et al.
patent: 4695095 (1987-09-01), Faust et al.
patent: 4844545 (1989-07-01), Ishii
patent: 5397170 (1995-03-01), Shrock
patent: 5927813 (1999-07-01), Nemoto
patent: 3642415 (1988-06-01), None
patent: 19516988 (1995-11-01), None
patent: 19728618 (1999-01-01), None
patent: 69512212 (1999-09-01), None
Bourque & Associates P.A.
Brown Peter R.
Faurecia Autositze GmbH & Co. KG
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