Headrest arrangement, seat arrangement and vehicle

Abstract

Headrest assembly (100) for a vehicle seat, wherein the headrest assembly (100) comprises a housing (101) and a movable headrest section (102) which defines at least a portion of a support surface (108, 109) for the head of a seat occupant, wherein the movable headrest section (102) is attached to the housing (101) via a linkage mechanism (130), wherein the linkage mechanism (130) is configured to allow movement of the movable headrest section (102) in order to adjust the angle of the support surface (108, 109) relative to the housing (101), wherein the linkage mechanism (130) comprises first and second linkage arms (131, 132), wherein the first linkage arm (131) is pivotably coupled to the housing (101) via a sliding device, wherein the sliding device sliding pin (136) and the sliding pin (136) is designed such that it engages with a guide rail (135, 135a, 135b) inside the housing (101),wherein the guide rail (135, 135a, 135b) comprises at least the following: a first recess (138a) configured to receive the sliding pin (136) to secure the headrest section (102) in a first retracted position, and a second recess (138c) configured to receive the sliding pin (136) to secure the headrest section (102) in a second extended position, wherein the first linkage bracket (131) is pivotably held at a front end on the movable headrest section (102) and pivotably held at a rear end with the housing (101).

Description

TECHNICAL AREA The present disclosure relates to a headrest arrangement for a seat. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a headrest arrangement for a vehicle seat. Aspects of the invention relate to a headrest arrangement, to a seat arrangement including a headrest arrangement, and to a vehicle including a headrest arrangement. STATE OF THE ART Conventional headrests in vehicles serve to increase occupant safety and are often designed to be mounted on top of or integrated into each driver's and passenger's seat. More specifically, headrests are intended to limit the backward movement of an adult occupant's head relative to their upper body, for example, in a high-speed impact or collision, in order to prevent or mitigate whiplash or injury to the occupant's cervical vertebrae. Examples of headrests are known from DE 102 08 620 C1, DE 100 12 973 A1, DE 10 2006 046 975 A1, and US 2003 / 0 015 631 A1. Many rear passenger seats in vehicles can be conveniently adjusted or reclined to an angle of approximately 45 degrees, often referred to as the "reclined" mode or position. When rear passengers are seated in these "reclined" positions, conventional headrests in the vehicle only support the passenger in a position where they are facing upwards (i.e., towards the ceiling inside the vehicle), which may be suitable if the passenger is sleeping. However, if the rear passenger wishes to face forwards (i.e., from back to front) while in the "reclined" position, for example, to read a book, look at a laptop screen, or look out of the vehicle, the conventional headrest position proves unsuitable. This is because the seated passenger must bend their neck into an unsupported position to look forward, which can be uncomfortable.Therefore, it is advantageous if the headrests of the rear passenger seats in the vehicle fulfill a secondary function not related to vehicle safety, for example, to offer a comfortable resting position to the passenger sitting in different positions. According to current technology, passenger seat headrests use an extension / stowback pivot mechanism to position a headrest section (around a single pivot point or hinge at the top of the headrest housing) to provide comfortable support for the passenger's head. However, when fully extended, this single-pivot extension / stowback mechanism results in significant wasted space. This is because the area beneath the extended headrest section of the seat becomes unusable and occupies considerable space. One objective of the present invention is to create a headrest arrangement that represents an improvement over the prior art. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention, a headrest arrangement, a seat arrangement and a vehicle are provided as claimed in the attached claims. According to one aspect of the invention, a headrest arrangement for a seat is provided. The headrest arrangement comprises a housing and a movable headrest section that defines at least part of a support surface for the head of a seat user. The movable headrest section is pivotably mounted to the housing via a linkage mechanism. The linkage is designed to allow a pivoting movement of the movable headrest section in order to adjust the angle of the support surface relative to the housing. The headrest assembly is primarily used in vehicle seats, where it offers certain advantages. It is advantageous that the headrest assembly can support the vehicle seat user when reclining the seat or in "reclined mode." This is particularly beneficial when a vehicle seat user wants to look forward, for example, at a laptop screen, or through the vehicle's windshield. The present invention advantageously allows the headrest section to pivot through various positions. The headrest assembly is a self-contained, modular, "plug and play" headrest assembly that can minimize labor and assembly costs for vehicle manufacturers while simultaneously improving production efficiency.A further advantage of the present application is that the headrest assembly can fit into the housing of a conventional headrest of an existing passenger seat in the vehicle. This enables vehicle manufacturers to introduce the headrest assembly of the present application into production with minimal cost and effort. In the definition of the nomenclature used in the present application, “rear” refers to the rear part of the vehicle and “front” to the front part of the vehicle. The “rear-to-front” direction thus refers to a direction away from the rear part of the vehicle and towards the front part. Conversely, the “front-to-rear” direction refers to a direction towards the rear part of the vehicle and away from the front part. In an exemplary embodiment, the housing defines a recess; the movable headrest section is pivotable relative to the housing between a stowed position, in which it is located within the recess, and an extended position, in which at least a first end of the movable headrest section (e.g. a lower end of the movable headrest section) is offset away from the housing. In an exemplary embodiment, an upper part of the contact surface is defined by the housing and a lower part of the contact surface by the movable headrest section. The headrest assembly may include a linkage mechanism comprising a pivot axis; the movable headrest section is pivotable about the pivot point by causing a first end of the movable headrest section to move towards or away from the housing. The pivot axis is designed to move in at least one direction forward and one direction downward as soon as the headrest section is moved away from the housing. Conversely, the pivot axis is designed to move upward and backward when the headrest section is moved toward the housing. This is because the headrest section pivots around a linkage bracket that moves when the headrest section is moved. In an exemplary embodiment, the linkage mechanism comprises at least a first and a second linkage bracket. Typically, the first linkage bracket can be pivotally attached at a first end to the movable headrest section and is pivotally attached to the housing at a second end thereof. In one embodiment, the first end of the first linkage bracket is pivotably attached to the movable headrest section via a friction hinge. Typically, the second linkage arm is pivotally attached to the movable headrest section at one end and fixed to the housing at the other. This fixed attachment of the second end of the linkage arm to the housing prevents displacement of the second end but allows pivoting movement of the second linkage arm relative to the housing. In an exemplary embodiment, the second end of the first linkage bracket is pivotably coupled to the housing via a sliding device. The sliding device is arranged such that the second end of the first linkage bracket can slide perpendicular to the front-to-back direction of the seat. In one embodiment, the sliding device can comprise at least one sliding pin located in an opening at the second end of the first linkage bracket and configured to engage at least one guide rail defined in the housing. In one embodiment, the sliding pin can be spring-assisted. In one embodiment, the at least one guide rail can include at least one ramped recess designed to receive the at least one sliding pin. In another embodiment, the at least one guide rail can have a first ramped recess for securing the headrest section in a stowed position and a second ramped recess for securing the headrest section in an extended position. In one embodiment, the at least one guide rail can have at least one further ramped recess designed to secure the headrest section in at least one intermediate position. A key advantage is that the sliding pin can engage in a ramped recess to secure the headrest section in either a stowed or extended position. The ramped recesses can be positioned anywhere along the sliding mechanism, allowing the user to select the locking positions for the headrest section. At least one additional ramped recess enables the headrest section to be secured in an intermediate position, thus providing the user with multiple locking options. This enhances both the convenience and configurability of the headrest arrangement. In one embodiment, the housing can define two guide rails arranged such that they are located on both sides of the second end of the first linkage bracket, and wherein the first linkage bracket comprises two sliding pins designed to engage with the two guide rails defined in the housing. In one exemplary embodiment, the first and second linkage brackets are connected to each other at the pivot axis. Typically, the pivot axis is located partially along the length of each of the first and second linkage brackets. In an exemplary embodiment, the linkage mechanism is designed such that the pivot axis moves away from the housing when the movable headrest section is moved from the stowed position to the extended position. The advantage of using a friction hinge to pivotally attach the first support bracket to the movable headrest section is that the headrest section can be held firmly in position, including in a variety of intermediate positions between a stowed and a fully extended position, until sufficient force is applied to move the headrest section out of position and overcome the resistance of the friction hinge. This provides the user with several different, fixed positions for the headrest section to optimize comfort. In one embodiment, the housing is fixed in a front-to-back direction relative to the seat. In another embodiment, the housing is movable upwards and downwards relative to the seat. In one exemplary embodiment, the headrest assembly consists of a first motor for controlling the movement of the housing in the up-down direction. For example, the first motor can be housed inside the housing. In one exemplary embodiment, the headrest assembly comprises a second motor for controlling the movement of the housing in both a rearward and frontward direction. For example, the second motor can be housed within the housing. Therefore, in one embodiment, the headrest assembly can consist of a first and a second motor, both housed within the headrest assembly's housing, thus enabling motor-driven movement of the headrest in both upward and downward directions as well as forward and backward directions. In one exemplary embodiment, the second motor has a solid spindle. The advantage of providing the solid spindle is that its rigidity allows for greater resistance to impact in both the reverse direction (front-to-back) and the forward direction (back-to-front), which are typically generated by a vehicle collision or impact. A solid spindle therefore helps the headrest assembly to better support the passenger's head and neck during and after a collision, preventing or mitigating damage to the passenger's cervical vertebrae. This type of linkage mechanism can thus improve the overall health and safety characteristics of the passenger seats in the vehicle in question, as well as during and after a collision.Another related advantage of a solid spindle in the "front to back" / "back to front" direction is a more stable movement of the headrest section in the "front to back" / "back to front" direction with fewer unwanted movements in other directions, which increases the comfort of the passenger / user. In one exemplary embodiment, the movable headrest section is padded or damped. Typically, the housing can be padded or damped in the same way as the movable headrest section. According to another aspect of the invention, a seating arrangement is provided which includes the headrest arrangement of the previous aspect. According to another aspect of the invention, a vehicle is provided which includes the seating arrangement or the headrest arrangement of one of the previous aspects of the invention. According to a further aspect of the invention, a headrest arrangement for a vehicle seat is provided, wherein the headrest arrangement comprises a housing and a movable headrest section which defines at least a part of a support surface for the head of a seat user, wherein the movable headrest section is pivotably attached to the housing via a linkage mechanism, and wherein the linkage mechanism is designed such that it enables a pivoting movement of the movable headrest section in order to allow the adjustment of the angle of the support surface relative to the housing to be adjusted, wherein the linkage mechanism comprises first and second linkage arms, wherein the first linkage arm is pivotably coupled to the housing via a sliding device, wherein the sliding device comprises a sliding pin and the sliding pin is designed such that it engages in a guide rail in the housing.wherein the guide rail comprises at least the following: a first recess designed to receive the sliding pin to secure the headrest section in a first extended position, and a second recess designed to receive the sliding pin to secure the headrest section in a second extended position. Within the scope of this application, it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples, and alternatives presented in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims, and / or in the following description and drawings, and in particular their individual features, may be considered independently of one another or in any combination. This means that all embodiments and / or features of any embodiment may be combined in any way and / or in any combination, provided that these features are not incompatible.The applicant reserves the right to amend any originally filed patent claim or to file any new patent claim accordingly, as well as the right to modify any originally filed patent claim to make it dependent on and / or incorporate any feature of any other claim, even if not originally claimed in this manner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described exclusively by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows a seating arrangement belonging to a vehicle with a headrest arrangement of the present invention, Fig. 2 shows a left side view of an embodiment of the headrest arrangement of the present invention in the extended position, Fig. 3 shows a cross-section of the left side of the headrest arrangement shown in Fig. 2, Fig. 4 shows a left side view of a housing of the headrest arrangement in the stowed position, Fig. 5 shows a perspective front view of the headrest arrangement in Figs. 2, 3 to 4.Figure 4 shows a movable headrest section removed to more clearly illustrate a two-joint mechanism of the headrest assembly, wherein (a) the headrest assembly is in its extended position and (b) the headrest assembly is in its stowed position, Figures 6(a) to (c) show perspective views of the headrest assembly in Figures 2, 3, 4 to 5 in its stowed position from three different angles, Figures 7(a) to (c) show perspective views of the headrest assembly in Figures 2, 3, 4 to 5 in its extended position from three different angles, Figure 8 shows a perspective view of the headrest assembly in Figures 2, 3, 4 to 5 with adjustable side wings, and Figure 9 shows a planar schematic cross-section of the headrest assembly in Figure 2. , Fig. 3 , Fig. 4 to Fig.Figure 5 shows the guide rails and ramped recesses for receiving a sliding device in the form of a spring-assisted sliding pin. DETAILED DESCRIPTION A headrest arrangement 100 of the present invention for use in a seating arrangement 10 of a vehicle 1 defines a support surface 108, 109 for the head of a user. The headrest arrangement 100 is adjustable between stowed and extended positions and a series of positions in between, in order to provide the user with various headrest positions to offer comfort in a variety of different seating positions. Fig. 1 shows the seating arrangement 10 of the vehicle 1 with the headrest arrangement 100 of the present invention. In Figs. 2, 3 to 4, the headrest arrangement 100 comprises a housing 101 and a movable headrest section 102 (not shown in Fig. 4). The movable headrest section 102 defines at least a portion of a support surface 108, 109 for supporting the head of a seat user and supports the head of a passenger, who is usually seated in a rear passenger seat, when it is inclined in a "reclined" mode or in a reclined position (i.e., typically at an angle of about 45 degrees). The movable headrest section 102 also supports the head in a raised or upright position, so that seated passengers can look forward relative to the seat direction (i.e., from back to front), allowing the seated passenger, for example, toIt allows passengers to comfortably read a book, look at a laptop screen, or look out of the vehicle. Furthermore, by supporting the head in a raised or upright position, enabling seated passengers to look from back to front relative to the seat direction, it can advantageously reduce motion sickness and improve the overall comfort of passengers during a car journey. For aesthetic reasons, the movable headrest section 102 and the mounting housing 101 can be upholstered in the same way as the passenger seat. The headrest assembly 100 is attached to the vehicle seat assembly 10 via support struts 99. The headrest section 102 is generally designed as a "fold-out" cushion to enhance the comfort of the seated passenger. As illustrated in Fig. 8, the movable headrest section 102 or the housing 101 may further include a "fold-out" side panel 2 (also called a side wing) on ​​both sides of the headrest section 102. The side wings 2 are designed to support the left and right sides of the passenger's head and neck. The side wings 2 are typically in the form of folding cushions and may be upholstered in the same way as the passenger seat and the mounting housing 101 to enhance the comfort of the seated passenger and improve the aesthetics of the arrangement. The housing 101 contains a main housing 113 for accommodating various controls for the headrest assembly 100, as described in more detail below, and an upper housing section 105. The upper housing section 105 extends beyond the front of the main housing 113 to define an overhang section 111. As can be seen in Fig. 2, the headrest section 102 consists of a lower base end 106 and an upper end 103 and is pivotably attached to the main housing 113 via a linkage mechanism, generally referred to as 130. The linkage mechanism 130 is designed to allow pivoting movement of the headrest section 102 in order to adjust the angle of the support surface 108, 109 relative to the main housing 113. As can be seen most clearly in Fig. 4, the main housing 113 and the overhang 111 together form a recess 120 in which the headrest section 102 is received in its stowed position. The movable headrest section 102 is pivotable relative to the main housing 113 between a stowed position, in which it is located within the recess 120, and an extended position, in which at least the lower end 106 of the movable headrest section 102 is extended or protrudes from the recess 120. As can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, the headrest assembly 100 defines a support surface for the user's head, comprising the upper and lower support surface sections 108 and 109, respectively. The lower surface section 109 of the support surface is defined by the movable headrest section 102. The upper surface section 108 of the support surface is defined, at least partially, by the overhang 111 of the upper housing section 105. As can be seen most clearly in Fig. 5, the linkage mechanism 130 is a two-joint mechanism with a first linkage bracket 131 and a second linkage bracket 132. Each linkage bracket has one end that, in all operating positions, is located relatively far forward of the other end of the linkage bracket (in the rear-to-front direction); the ends of the linkage brackets are therefore referred to as the front and rear ends of the linkage brackets. The first linkage bracket 131 consists of a first and a second arm 131a, 131b, which are connected to each other at their front ends to define the first linkage bracket 131. The first linkage bracket 131 is pivotably mounted at its front end to the lower base end 106 of the movable headrest section 102 (not shown in Fig. 5) via a friction hinge 139. The rear end of the first linkage bracket 131 (the upper ends of the arms 131a, 131b, as shown in Fig. 5) is pivotably mounted to the main housing 113 via sliding elements 121 (only one of which is shown in the side views of Figs. 2, 3 to 4). The sliding element 121 for one of the articulated arms 131a or 131b defines a guide rail 135 and at least one ramped recess 138 for receiving a sliding device in the form of a sliding pin 136, which is arranged at the rear end of the associated arm 131a or 131b of the first linkage bracket 131 in order to pivotably connect the arm 131a, 131b to the sliding element 121 and thereby enable a pivoting movement of the headrest section 102. Fig. 9 shows a planar schematic cross-section of the headrest assembly 100 with two sliding elements 121 attached to the main housing 113, defining two guide rails 135a, 135b on both sides of the interior of the main housing 113. In the illustrated example, each guide rail 135a, 135b has three ramped recesses 138a, 138b, 138c; however, in alternative embodiments, each guide rail 135a, 135b can have any number of ramped recesses, including zero. The ramped recesses 138a and 138c are arranged at opposite ends of the guide rails 135a and 135b. The ramped recess 138b is arranged at an intermediate position between them. The ramped recesses 138a, 138b, 138c are designed to receive sliding devices in the form of two sliding pins 136. The two sliding pins 136 are arranged in an opening 90 on the first linkage bracket 131.The sliding pins 136 are designed to engage with the two guide rails 135 and slide upwards and downwards (i.e. in a perpendicular direction relative to the front-to-back direction of the seat), while the first linkage bracket 131 is moved in use to move the headrest section 102 between the various extended and stowed positions. In the example shown, the sliding pins 136 are "pre-tensioned" by springs 3 to exert an outward compressive force towards the sliding pins 136 and the guide rails 135. The outward compressive force supplied by the springs 3 enables the sliding pins 136 to engage with and be held by the respective ramped recesses 138a, 138b, 138c, which are arranged on each side along the two guide rails 135, thereby holding the headrest section 102 in a stowed or extended position. The ramped recesses 138a, 138b, 138c arranged on each side along the two guide rails 135 provide a variety of different positions in which the headrest section 102 can be manually adjusted and held. The ramped recesses 138a, 138b, 138c shown in Fig. 9 are ramped such that the sliding pin 136 can release the ramped recesses 138a, 138b, 138c when a user of the headrest assembly 100 applies sufficient force to the headrest section 102 to move it between the various stowed and extended positions. The angle and depth of the ramp can be adjusted to vary the required release force that must be applied by the user. For example, increasing the ramp angle and the depth of the recess increases the magnitude of the required release force. The person skilled in the art will understand that the ramped recesses could also be defined by a circular grid or similar, even though in the example shown the ramped recesses 138a, 138b, 138c are defined by “straight ramps”. Fig. 9 shows a headrest assembly 100 with two sliding elements 121 attached to the main housing 113, defining two guide rails 135 arranged on both sides of the interior of the main housing 113, and two spring-loaded guide pins 136, each with a spring 3, arranged on both sides of the interior of the main housing 113 for illustrative purposes. However, the present invention can function with only a single sliding element 121, which defines a guide rail 135 with a plurality of ramped recesses 138a, 138b, 138c arranged along it, and a spring-loaded guide pin 136 with a spring 3 arranged on one side of the interior of the main housing 113.The respective ramped recesses 138a, 138b, 138c arranged on the relevant guide rail 135 can offer a variety of different intermediate positions to which the headrest section 102 can be manually adjusted and held. The second linkage bracket 132 is a solid part with a main shaft 132a and an upper U-shaped section with left and right side arms 132b, 132c. The left and right side arms 132b, 132c of the second linkage bracket 132 are pivotally attached at their front ends to the upper end 103 of the movable headrest section 102. The rear end of the second linkage bracket 132 is rigidly connected to the main housing 113 via the main shaft 132a and a connecting pin at the rear end of the second linkage bracket 132 (not visible in Fig. 5). The connecting pin essentially prevents the rear end of the second linkage bracket 132 from moving relative to the main housing 113, but allows the second linkage bracket 132 to pivot relative to the main housing 113. The pivot connections between the front ends of the first and second linkage brackets 131, 132 and the headrest section 102 are located on the inside of the movable headrest section 102, on the back side to the support surface 108, 109. For the purposes of the following description, reference is made only to one side of the first linkage bracket 131 and the second linkage bracket 132 with reference to the side views in Fig. 2, Fig. 3 to Fig. 4. The first and second linkage brackets 131, 132 are pivotally connected to each other via a connecting pin or screw 133, at which the first linkage bracket 131 and the second linkage bracket 132 intersect. A connecting pin 133 is provided for each of the articulated arms 131a, 131b, one on each side of the second articulated arm 132. The connecting pin 133 is located approximately midway between the upper and lower ends 103, 106 of the headrest section 102, but slightly further towards the lower end 106. The connecting pin 133 is secured in an opening 134 of the first linkage bracket 131. The opening 134 can be in the form of a slot, as shown in Fig. 3, which guides the movement of the connecting pin 133 over the length of the first linkage bracket 131 when the headrest section 102 is adjusted relative to the main housing 113. The headrest section 102 is pivotable about a pivot axis 20 located at the front end of the second linkage bracket 132. The headrest section 102 pivots by moving its lower end 106 away from the main housing 113 in a rearward-to-forward direction. As a result of this movement, the pivot axis 20 moves slightly forward and downward, accompanying the movement of the first linkage bracket 131. The linkage mechanism 130 of the headrest assembly 100 thus allows the headrest section 102 to pivot, enabling a linear extension of the headrest section 102 in a rearward-to-forward direction (i.e., away from the main housing 113), as described in more detail below. The friction hinge 139 defines a pivot axis 22 at the lower end 106 of the movable headrest section 102, about which the front end of the first linkage bracket 131 pivots. The friction hinge 139 serves to secure the headrest section 102 at one of several intermediate positions between the stowed and fully extended positions, as well as at the fully extended position itself. Typically, the friction hinge 139 can provide a resisting force in the range of 50–55 Newtons (N) to ensure that the movable headrest section 102 does not move once secured at the fully extended point or at one of several selected intermediate positions, until a force exceeding the resisting force is applied to the headrest section 102.The linkage 130 is specifically designed for use when extending the movable headrest section 102, when the passenger is reclined and wishes to support their head in a raised position. The linkage mechanism 130 is also designed so that the movable headrest section 102 can be stowed in the stowed position when the passenger no longer wishes to use it. In the present invention, the extension of the movable headrest section 102 is achieved by manually pulling it out in a rearward-pointing direction (i.e., away from the headrest assembly 100) by manually overcoming the pressure force exerted by the friction hinge 139 and the spring 3 on the spring-assisted sliding pin 136, which secures the headrest section 102 in its stowed position defined by the ramped recess 138a. Conversely, stowing the movable headrest section 102 is achieved by pushing it in a frontward-pointing direction (i.e.,in the direction of the headrest assembly 100) by manually overcoming the force generated by the friction hinge 139 and the pressure force generated by the spring 3 on the “spring-assisted” sliding pin 136, which has secured the headrest section 102 either in its fully extended position or in one of the multiple intermediate positions made available by the multiple ramped recesses 138b, 138c arranged along the guide rail 135, thereby releasing the sliding pin 136 from engagement in the ramped recess 138. In some embodiments of the present application, the friction hinge 139 can provide a force sufficient to hold the headrest section 102 in a plurality of intermediate positions without requiring a “spring-assisted” sliding pin 136 with a spring 3 providing a holding / compression force that enables the sliding pin 136 to engage in a plurality of ramped recesses 138 arranged along a guide rail 135. Although in the present invention the extension and stowing of the movable headrest section 102 is carried out manually, there is the possibility of an embodiment of the present invention in which the drive of the extension and stowing mechanisms of the movable headrest section 102 is carried out automatically, e.g. by electric motors. When the movable headrest section 102 is moved forward, in the rearward-to-frontward direction, away from the main housing section 113, the first linkage bracket 131 is moved relative to the second linkage bracket 132 around the connecting pin 133 to adjust the angle of intersection, delta angle Δ, between the brackets. When the movable headrest section 102 is in the stowed position, the angle of intersection between the brackets 131, 132 is relatively large, approaching 170–180 degrees; when the movable headrest section 102 is in the extended position, the angle of intersection between the first and second brackets 131, 132 is relatively small, between approximately 100–140 degrees, depending on the degree of extension. The cutting angle between the first and second linkage brackets 131, 132 is adjustable by the pivoting movement of the brackets 131, 132 around the connecting pin 133.The cutting angle has its maximum size when the movable headrest section 102 is in the stowed position and the cutting angle has its minimum size when the movable headrest section 102 is in the fully extended position. In one embodiment of the present invention, the angle of the fully extended position of the movable headrest section 102 can typically be 30 degrees with respect to the stowed position, i.e., the stowed position of the movable headrest section 102 is at an angle of zero (0) degrees. However, the angle of the fully extended position of the movable headrest section 102 can also depend on how far the seat can be tilted backward. The angle of the fully extended position can be adjusted so that the head of a seat user is supported in a comfortable, forward-facing position when the seat is fully tilted backward. The housing 101 is moved electronically relative to the fixed seating arrangement 10 by means of motors. These motors can be DC or AC motors. These motors can operate according to various physical principles, such as magnetic, electrostatic, or piezoelectric. In the embodiment shown in the figures, there are two motors 140, 150 that facilitate the movement of the housing 101 relative to the fixed seating arrangement 10. A first motor 140 is housed in the main housing 113 and is configured to control the up and down movement of the housing 101 (i.e., towards and away from the vehicle ceiling) relative to the fixed seating arrangement 10. A spindle 141 of the first motor 140 is configured to control the aforementioned up and down movement.A second motor 150 is housed within the main casing 113 and is designed to control the reverse (front-to-back) and forward (back-to-front) movement of the casing 101 relative to the fixed seating arrangement 10. The two motors 140 and 150 can be of the type described above. The first and second motors 140, 150 are both relatively small and can therefore be housed within the main casing 113. The first and second motors 140, 150 are powered via wiring that runs through cavities in the support struts 99 of the headrest assembly 100 (not visible in the figures). An advantage of the invention in the present application is that the headrest assembly 100 can be a self-contained, modular, "plug and play" headrest assembly, which can minimize labor and assembly costs for vehicle manufacturers while simultaneously improving production efficiency. Another advantage of the present application is that the headrest assembly 100 can fit into conventional headrest housings belonging to existing passenger seats in the vehicle.This makes it possible for vehicle manufacturers to retrofit the headrest arrangement 100 of the present application into series production vehicles with minimal cost and effort. In the present invention, the first and second motors 140, 150 are supplied with electrical energy via a wiring system that runs through cavities in the support struts 99 of the headrest assembly 100 (not shown in the figures) and is connected to the main auxiliary power supply of the vehicle 1 (e.g., the car battery). However, it is also possible to house a separate battery in the main housing 113 and supply both the first and second motors 140, 150 with power. In alternative embodiments (not shown), one or more motors can be housed in the passenger seat or in the seating arrangement 10 itself, or elsewhere in the vehicle 1, and powered by the vehicle's main battery. It can be particularly advantageous to house the battery for the up / down motor, optionally together with the motor, in the vehicle seat or seating arrangement 10. The passenger is able to manually control the up / down and forward / backward movement of the housing 101, relative to the fixed seating arrangement 10, by interacting with a special user interface (e.g., control buttons – not shown) located on the control module of the headrest arrangement. Command signals can be sent to the motors 140 and 150 via the special user interface, which may consist of touch-sensitive control buttons, tactile control buttons, or variable control knobs. The second motor 150, which is designed to control the backward (front-to-back) and forward (back-to-forward) movement of the housing 101 relative to the fixed seat assembly 10, has a solid spindle 151 in conjunction with the linkage mechanism 130. The solid spindle 151 is typically made of a suitably rigid material, such as a metal alloy. The rigidity of the solid spindle can provide greater resistance to impact in both the backward (front-to-back) and forward (back-to-forward) directions, typically caused by a collision or impact. The solid spindle 151 therefore helps the headrest 100 to better support the passenger's head and neck during and after an accident, preventing or mitigating damage to the passenger's cervical vertebrae.This type of linkage mechanism can therefore improve the health and safety characteristics of the passenger seating arrangement 10 in the vehicle 1 of the vehicle in question, both during and after the collision. A further related advantage of a solid spindle in the "front-to-back" / "back-to-front" direction is a more stable movement of the housing 101 in the "front-to-back" / "back-to-front" direction compared to the fixed seating arrangement 10, with less undesirable movement in other directions, thus increasing passenger / user comfort. The housing 101 is movable relative to the fixed mounting assembly 10 under the control of the motors 140, 150 according to the user's needs. The user can trigger a control signal to activate the motors 140, 150 so that the spindles 141, 151 of the motors 140, 150, in combination, effect the movement of the housing 101 relative to the fixed mounting assembly 10 in the desired manner. The operation of the movable headrest section 102 will now be described in more detail. Starting from the position shown in Figs. 5(a) to (c), in which the movable headrest section 102 is in the stowed position, located within the recess 120, and whose contact surface defines a relatively upright surface for the user's head. In the stowed position, the first linkage bracket 131 is in a relatively upright position, in which the angle of intersection with the second linkage bracket 132 is relatively large (not visible in Fig. 6); the sliding pin 136 is located at the upper end of a guide rail 135 and engages with the ramped recess 138a. As shown in Fig. 3, the guide rail 135 has at least two ramped recesses into which the sliding pin 136 can engage. When the sliding pin 136 engages in the ramped recess 138a at the upper end of a running rail 135, the movable headrest section 102 is in its stowed position. As shown in Fig. 3, the movable headrest section 102 is in its stowed position as soon as the sliding pin 136 at the lower end of a guide rail 135 engages in the ramped recess 138c (shown in Fig. 9). By manually pulling the movable headrest section 102 out in a rearward-to-frontward direction (i.e., away from the headrest assembly 100), the sliding pin 136 located at the upper end of a guide rail 135 can disengage from the ramped recess 138c and slide downwards along the guide rail 135, thereby moving the front end of the first linkage bracket 131 forward and pivoting the first linkage bracket 131 clockwise around the connecting pin 133. At the same time, the front end of the first linkage bracket 131 pivots counterclockwise (see Fig. 3) around the axis of the friction hinge 139.The force transmitted to the first linkage bracket 131 is sufficient to overcome the resistance of the friction hinge 139; thus, the lower end of the headrest section 102 is driven forward away from the housing 101. As shown in Fig. 3, the movable headrest section 102 is in its fully extended position as soon as the sliding pin 136 at the upper end of a guide rail 135 engages in the ramped recess 138c (shown in Fig. 9). The delta angle Δ of the intersection point between the first and second linkage brackets 131, 132 is set by the pivoting movement of the first linkage bracket 131 about the connecting pin 133. The angle of intersection between the first and second linkage brackets 131, 132 varies depending on the extent to which the sliding pin 136 is driven downwards along the guide rail 135 and the extent to which the lower end of the headrest section 102 is disengaged from the housing 113; it decreases as the sliding pin 136 moves downwards along the guide rail 135. In other words, the further the headrest section 102 is moved out of the housing, the smaller the angle of intersection between the first and second linkage brackets 131, 132. The headrest section 102 can be stopped in one of a multitude of intermediate positions, depending on the user's needs. The guide rail 135 can have a multitude of ramped recesses into which the sliding pin 136 can engage, thus enabling a multitude of different intermediate positions between the stowed and fully extended positions. In the example shown in Fig. 9, the guide rail 135 has a ramped recess 138b at one intermediate position; however, in another example, the guide rail 135 can have any number of ramped recesses at an intermediate position, including zero. At each of the multitude of different intermediate positions, the friction hinge 139 holds the headrest section 102 in any of the intermediate positions until a manually applied force releases the sliding pin 136 from one of the multitude of ramped recesses 138 along the guide rail 135.In one embodiment, the friction hinge 139 provides sufficient force to support the user's head on the headrest section 102 at any number of intermediate positions, including intermediate positions not defined by a ramped recess. Manually pulling the movable headrest section 102 outwards in a rear-to-forward direction (i.e., away from the headrest assembly 100) overcomes the force exerted by the friction hinge 139 and releases the sliding pin 136 from one of the multiple ramped recesses 138a, 138b, 138c along the guide rail 135. Further pulling of the movable headrest section 102 outwards in a rear-to-forward direction causes the sliding pin 136 to slide downwards along the guide rail 135 towards the fully extended position. The first linkage bracket 131 is then caused to move in the rear-to-forward direction, pulling the lower end 106 of the headrest section 102 with it.Finally, the sliding pin 136 reaches the ramped recess 138c at the lower end of the guide rail 135; the first linkage bracket 131 is moved forward as far as possible so that the headrest section 102 assumes its fully extended position, as shown in Figs. 7(a) to 6(c). By manually pushing the movable headrest section 102 in the front-to-back direction (i.e., toward the headrest assembly 100), the force of the friction hinge 139 is overcome by hand, and the sliding pin 136 is released from one of the multiple ramped recesses 138a, 138b, 138c along the guide rail 135. By further pushing the movable headrest section 102 in the front-to-back direction, the sliding pin 136 slides upward along the guide rail 135 toward the stowed position. When the headrest section 102 needs to be returned to the stowed position, as shown in Figures 6(a) to (c), the sliding pin 136 moves upward along the guide rail 135 until it reaches and engages the uppermost ramped recess 138a. The first linkage bracket 131 moves in a front-to-rear direction, with the lower end 106 of the headrest section 102 also moving.The movable headrest section 102 reaches its fully stowed position when it is fully inside the recess 120 and the sliding pin 136 is at the top end of a guide rail 135 and engages in the ramped recess 138a. The movable headrest section 102 of the headrest 100 can be upholstered or cushioned. The housing 101 of the headrest assembly 100 can be upholstered or cushioned in the same way as the movable headrest section 102. For aesthetic reasons, the upholstered or cushioned housing 101 and / or the movable headrest section 102 can be covered with leather, polyurethane leather, or suede. The recess 120 of the headrest assembly 100 can be visibly covered with a suitable stretch material 160 made of synthetic material or cotton (visible in Figs. 2 and 3, Figs. 7(a) to (c)). The stretch material 160 is usually attached to each side of the movable headrest section 102 and to each side of the main housing 113 by means of fasteners (not shown). When the headrest section 102 is stowed, the stretch material 160 is folded into the space of the recess 120 within the closed unit and thus concealed, as shown in Figs. 6(a) to (c). When the headrest section 102 is extended, the stretch fabric 160 is stretched to cover the gaps on both sides between the main housing 113 and the headrest section 102. In this way, the view of the internal parts of the assembly is obscured when the headrest section 102 is extended. Numerous modifications can be made to the above examples without deviating from the scope of the present invention as defined in the attached claims.

Claims

Headrest assembly (100) for a vehicle seat, wherein the headrest assembly (100) comprises a housing (101) and a movable headrest section (102) which defines at least a portion of a support surface (108, 109) for the head of a seat occupant, wherein the movable headrest section (102) is attached to the housing (101) via a linkage mechanism (130), wherein the linkage mechanism (130) is configured to allow movement of the movable headrest section (102) to adjust the angle of the support surface (108, 109) relative to the housing (101), wherein the linkage mechanism (130) comprises first and second linkage arms (131, 132), wherein the first linkage arm (131) is pivotably coupled to the housing (101) via a sliding device, wherein the sliding device sliding pin (136) and the sliding pin (136) is designed such that it engages with a guide rail (135, 135a, 135b) inside the housing (101),wherein the guide rail (135, 135a, 135b) comprises at least the following: a first recess (138a) configured to receive the sliding pin (136) to secure the headrest section (102) in a first retracted position, and a second recess (138c) configured to receive the sliding pin (136) to secure the headrest section (102) in a second extended position, wherein the first linkage bracket (131) is pivotably held at a front end on the movable headrest section (102) and pivotably held at a rear end with the housing (101). Headrest arrangement (100) according to claim 1, wherein the housing (101) defines a recess (120) and wherein the movable headrest section (102) is pivotably movable relative to the housing (101) between a stowed position in which it is located within the recess (120) and the first and second extended positions in which at least a first end of the movable headrest section (102) is extended away from the housing (101), wherein the guide rail (135, 135a, 135b) optionally has at least one further recess which is designed to receive the sliding pin (136) for securing the headrest section (102) in the stowed position. Headrest arrangement (100) according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the linkage mechanism (130) comprises a pivot axis (20, 22) and the movable headrest section (102) is pivotable about the pivot axis (20, 22) by moving a first end of the movable headrest section (102) towards or away from the housing (101). Headrest arrangement (100) according to claim 3 when it is dependent on claim 2, wherein the linkage mechanism (130) is designed such that the pivot axis (20, 22) moves away from the housing (101) when the movable headrest section (102) is moved from the stowed position to the first extended position. Headrest arrangement (100) according to a preceding claim, wherein the first and the second linkage brackets (131, 132) are pivotably connected to each other. Headrest arrangement (100) according to a preceding claim, wherein the first linkage bracket (131) is pivotably mounted on the movable headrest section (102) at its front end and the sliding pin (136) is located within an opening at a rear end, wherein the second linkage bracket (132) is pivotably mounted on the movable headrest section (102) at a front end and on the housing (101) at a rear end, wherein optionally the housing (101) defines two guide rails (135) arranged such that they are located on both sides of the rear end of the first linkage bracket (131), and the first linkage bracket (131) comprises two sliding pins (136) designed to engage with the two guide rails (135) defined within the housing (101). Headrest arrangement (100) according to a preceding claim, wherein the at least one sliding pin (136) is spring-assisted. Headrest arrangement (100) according to a preceding claim, wherein the housing (101) is movable in an upward-downward direction relative to the seat, wherein the headrest arrangement (100) optionally comprises a first motor (140) for controlling the movement of the housing (101) in the upward-downward direction and wherein the first motor (140) is housed inside the housing (101). Headrest arrangement (100) according to a preceding claim, comprising a second motor (150) for controlling the movement of the housing (101) in a rearward-to-forward direction and in a frontward-to-rearward direction, wherein the second motor (150) is housed within the housing (101), wherein the second motor (150) optionally has a fixed spindle connection. Seat arrangement (10) comprising the headrest arrangement (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9. Vehicle (1) with the seating arrangement (10) according to claim 10 .

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