Seat support element including an adjustable support element

Abstract

Seat support element comprising an adjustable support element. The support element (1) comprises a body (6) defining an external surface (8) and a support element (2) adjustablely mounted on the body (6) by means of an adjustment device (4) comprising a guide element (16) extending on the external surface (8) of the body (6). The guide element (16) comprises a strip (22) fixed to the external surface (8) of the body (6), the adjustment device (4) comprising a sliding element (17) integral with the support element (2), and mounted in sliding contact on the strip (22) and comprising a free end (30) extending between said strip (22) and the external surface (8) so as to allow adjustment of the position of the support element (2) relative to the body (6) by sliding the sliding element (17) on the guide element (16). Figure for the abridged version: 3

Description

Title of the invention: Seat support element comprising an adjustable support element

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat support element, of the type comprising a body defining an external surface and a support element mounted in an adjustable manner along an adjustment direction on the body by means of an adjustment device, the adjustment device comprising a guide element extending over the external surface of the body.

[0002] The invention applies for example to a vehicle seat backrest, the support element forming a height-adjustable headrest.

[0003] As is known, the headrest of a vehicle seat is generally mounted on the seat back by means of rods attached to the headrest and received in sleeves extending into the body of the seat back. The height of the headrest is adjusted by sliding the rods in the sleeves and locking them when the desired position is reached.

[0004] Such height adjustment requires a complex arrangement of rods and sleeves to allow the headrest position to be locked and unlocked. These operations also require a specific action from the user in addition to moving the headrest, as is the case with manual height adjustment. Furthermore, assembling and disassembling the headrest, for example for cleaning, is complex, and the absence of a headrest results in an unsatisfactory appearance of the backrest because the openings for inserting the rods into the sleeves remain visible.

[0005] One of the aims of the invention is to overcome these drawbacks by providing a seat support element comprising a support element adjustable in position, the modification of whose position is carried out in a simple way and which can be mounted and dismounted without difficulty, the support element retaining a satisfactory appearance when the support element is dismounted.

[0006] To this end, the invention relates to a support element of the aforementioned type, in which the guide element comprises a band fixed to the external surface of the body and extending in the direction of adjustment, the adjustment device further comprising at least one sliding element integral with the support element, said sliding element being mounted in sliding contact on the band and comprising a free end extending between said band and the external surface of the body so as to allow adjustment of the position of the support element relative to the body by sliding the sliding element on the guide element in the direction of adjustment.

[0007] By mounting the bearing element on the outer surface of the support element body and simply sliding it along the strip fixed to the outer surface to change its position, it is not necessary to provide a sleeve or opening in the body to receive the bearing element. Changing the position of the bearing element can be done very easily without requiring the use of a locking system. Furthermore, when the bearing element is removed, the support element retains a satisfactory appearance.

[0008] The support element according to the invention may further comprise one or more of the following features, taken individually or in any technically feasible combination:

[0009] - the band is sewn onto the external surface of the body by at least one seam, the guide element defining a groove between the band and the external surface of the body, said groove extending from a lateral edge of the band to the seam, said seam forming the bottom of said groove, the free end of the sliding element being mounted slidably in said groove;

[0010] - the band is fixed to the external surface of the body by two extending seams each in the vicinity of a lateral edge of the strip so as to define with said external surface two grooves extending along the guidance direction on either side of the strip;

[0011] - the strip is made of a flexible material, the guiding element comprising in in addition to a rigid plate, the band extending around at least a part of said rigid plate;

[0012] - the adjustment device comprises two sliding elements fixed to the element support, each sliding element comprising a free end extending between said band and the external surface of the body;

[0013] - the sliding element is formed by a plastic material profile having, of preferably, a U-shaped section, one arm of the U extending against an internal surface of the support element and the other arm of the U forming the free end of the sliding element, the sliding element extending around a lateral edge of the strip;

[0014] - the free end of the sliding element has a curved shape towards the surface external of the body so as to be constrained against said external surface to ensure a locking in position of the support element on the body when no constraint along the adjustment direction is exerted on the support element;

[0015] - the sliding element is sewn onto a rigid plate extending into the element support;

[0016] - the body forms a seat back and the support element forms a headrest;

[0017] - the adjustment direction corresponds to the direction of elevation of the body, the position of the support element being height-adjustable relative to the body.

[0018] Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, given by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] [Fig-1] - [Fig.1] is a schematic perspective representation of an element of support according to the invention, the support element being in a first position,

[0020] [Fig.2] - [Fig.2] is a schematic perspective representation of the element of support of Fig. 1, the support element being in a second position,

[0021] [Fig.3] - [Fig.3] is a schematic cross-sectional representation along axis III-III of the [Fig. 1], and

[0022] [Fig.4] - [Fig.4] is an enlarged schematic representation of a detail of the [Fig.3],

[0023] With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a seat support element 1 is described, comprising a support element 2 mounted in an adjustable position along an adjustment direction D by means of an adjustment device 4. The seat support element 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a vehicle seat backrest, and the support element 2 is a height-adjustable headrest, i.e., the adjustment direction D corresponds to the direction of elevation of the backrest. The remainder of the description will be given with reference to such a backrest and such a headrest. It is understood, however, that the invention can be applied to another type of seat support element 1, such as a seat cushion, the support element 2 then being, for example, a booster seat, for example, for a child.

[0024] The support element 1 comprises a body 6 defining an external surface 8. The body 6 is arranged in terms of shape and mechanical characteristics to accommodate a seat occupant. Thus, the body 6 comprises, for example, a known type of foam padding mounted on a metal frame, with the seat occupant resting on the padding when seated. The external surface 8 forms the visible part of the body 6 from outside the support element 1. The external surface 8 is, for example, formed by at least one upholstery element 10, such as a skin or a layer of textile covering, enveloping the padding and the metal frame. The trim element 10 thus gives its appearance to the support element 1. The external surface 8 includes more particularly a receiving face shown in Figs 1 and 2, and a back face, the receiving face and the back face extending on either side of the body 6.The reception face is defined as the face of the support element 1 against which a seat occupant rests when seated in the seat.

[0025] The support element 2 is movable in translation along the adjustment direction D on the external surface 8 of the body 6. In the case of a headrest, the element The support element 2 is specifically mounted on the front face of the external surface 8 so as to be positioned opposite the head of a seat occupant when seated. It is understood that, in the case of another type of support element, such as a tablet or similar, the support element may be mounted on the back face of the external surface 8.

[0026] In the case of a headrest or booster seat, the support element 2 comprises, for example, a foam body 12 covered with at least one padding element 14, as particularly visible in [Fig.3], in order to form a cushion suitable for comfortably receiving a seat occupant.

[0027] The adjustment device 4, as previously mentioned, allows the support element 2 to be moved on the external surface 8 of the body 6 along the adjustment direction D in order to position it in different positions relative to the body 6, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. More specifically, in the case of a headrest, the adjustment device 4 allows the support element 2 to be moved on the receiving face of the external surface 8 in order to modify the height of the support element 2 on the body 6 so as to adapt the position of the support element 2 to the height of the seat occupant. The support element 2 is thus movable between a first position ([Fig. 1]) and a second position ([Fig. 2]). As will be described in more detail later, the adjustment device 4 also allows the support element 2 to be positioned in a plurality of positions between these first and second positions. According to the embodiment shown in the Figs.In positions 1 and 2, the support element 2 extends near the upper edge of the body 6 in the first position and is closer to the center of the body 6 in the second position. It should be noted that, in all positions of the support element 2, it always extends opposite the external surface 8 of the body 6, and not above the body 6, as is the case for a traditional headrest.

[0028] The adjustment device 4 includes a guide element 16 and at least one sliding element 17 mounted slidably on the guide element 16.

[0029] The guide element 16 extends over the outer surface 8 of the body 6 mainly along the adjustment direction D, that is to say, the largest dimension of the guide element 16 extends along the adjustment direction D. This dimension along the adjustment direction corresponds substantially to the distance separating the first position from the second position so that the support element 2 extends in relation to a part of the guide element 16 in all positions of the support element 2 relative to the body 6. The guide element 16 is for example formed by a strip 22 comprising two lateral edges 18 extending along the adjustment direction D on either side of the strip (22). The guide element 16 is fixed to the external surface 8 of the body 6, for example by sewing the band 22 to the body 6. More specifically, the band 22 is fixed to the body 6, for example by at least one seam 20 extending along the adjustment direction D in the vicinity of a lateral edge 18. According to the embodiment shown in the figures, the band 22 is attached to the body 2 by two seams 20 extending near the two lateral edges 18 of the band 22. The distance between a seam 20 and the lateral edge 18 near which this seam 20 extends is, for example, between 8 mm and 10 mm. The seams 20 extend along the entire length, or height, of the band 22 measured along the adjustment direction D.

[0030] The band 22 is formed from a flexible material, such as leather or a textile material. The band 22 is advantageously of the same nature as the padding element 10 of the body 6.

[0031] According to the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the guide element 16 further comprises a rigid plate 23 around at least a portion of which the band 22 extends. A rigid plate is understood to be a plate made of a material more rigid than that of the band 22, for example, cardboard or a plastic material. The rigid plate 23 thus makes the guide element 16 more rigid so that it can support the bearing element 2, as will be described later. The strip 22 extends at least over the outer face of the rigid plate 23 and passes around the lateral edges of the rigid plate 23, so that the strip 22 includes a marginal part applied against the outer surface 8 of the body 6. Indeed, apart from the part of the outer face opposite which the support element 2 extends, the rest of the outer face is visible from outside the support element 1, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.Thus, the presence of the band 22 of the guide element 16 on the external surface 8 of the body 6 does not degrade the appearance of the support element 1 and can even be used to give the support element 1 a distinctive appearance. The seams 22 extend, for example, from the external face of the band 22, through the rigid plate 23 and the marginal part of the band 22 applied to the external surface 8 of the body 6, to the body 6. The seams 20, for example, pass through the padding element 14 of the body 6 to penetrate the padding of the body 6 and thus ensure a robust attachment of the guide element 16 to the body 6.

[0032] The guide element 16 defines at least one groove 24 extending along the adjustment direction D. The groove 24 is open outwards from the guide element in a direction substantially parallel to the outer surface 8 of the body 6. The groove 24 extends at least over the entire stroke of the support element 2 between the first and second positions. The groove 24 is delimited by the outer surface 8 of the body 6 on one side and by the band 22 on the other; that is to say, the groove 24 extends between the outer surface 8 of the body 6 and the portion of the band 22 that faces the outer surface 8 of the body 6, for example, the marginal portion of the band 22 that extends between the rigid plate 23 and the outer surface 8 of the body 6. More particularly, according to this In this embodiment, the strip 22 is fixed to the external surface 8 of the body 6 such that the lateral edges 18 are spaced from the external surface 8 of the body 6 to leave a space in the vicinity of the lateral edges 18 between the strip 22 and the external surface 8 of the body 6 to form two grooves 24 extending on either side of the strip 22. The bottom of each groove 24 is then formed by the seam 20 so that each groove 24 comprises a wall 26 formed by the part of the strip 22 extending between a lateral edge 18 and the corresponding seam 20, a wall 28 formed by the external surface 8 of the body 6 extending opposite this part of the plate and a bottom formed by the seam 20. Consequently, the depth of a groove 24 corresponds substantially to the distance separating the lateral edge 18 from the corresponding seam 20.Thus, the grooves 24 can be formed in a particularly simple manner by attaching the strip to the external surface 8 of the body 6; the strip does not need to have a particular shape to define the groove(s) 24. In one embodiment, the wall 26 is applied against the wall 28 outside the portion of the guide element 16 that receives the sliding element 17, as will be described later. In other words, the groove 24 can be closed outside the area of ​​the groove 24 where the sliding element 17 extends, the groove 24 opening due to the deformability of the body 6 and / or its lining element 10 in the area receiving the sliding element 17.

[0033] Each groove 24 can be opened at least one of its ends along the adjustment direction D. According to one embodiment, the groove 24 can be opened at both ends along the adjustment direction D so that a sliding element 17 can be introduced into the groove 24 through one of its ends by moving the sliding element 17 along the adjustment direction D when a support element 2 is to be mounted on the body 6 of the support element 1, as will be described in more detail later.

[0034] The sliding element 17 is formed by a profile, for example made of plastic material, fixed to the support element 2 and extending outward from the inner face of the support element 2, this inner face being turned towards the outer surface 8 of the body 6. The profile extends along the adjustment direction D on the inner face of the support element 2 and has a length measured along this direction slightly less than that of the support element 2, for example at least half the height of the support element 2 measured along the adjustment direction D. In other words, the sliding element 17 extends a major part of the support element 2 along the adjustment direction D.

[0035] The sliding element 17 is slidably mounted on the guide element 16 to allow the support element 2 to move along the guide element 16 in the adjustment direction D. For this purpose, the sliding element 17 is mounted in sliding contact with the strip 22. By sliding contact, it is understood that the element The sliding element 17 can slide continuously along the band 22. In other words, the band 22 does not have notches for receiving the sliding element 17 in different positions. The sliding element 17 has a free end 30 mounted to slide in the groove 24, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The free end 30 is further arranged to hold the support element 2 in its position when no force is applied to the support element 2 in the adjustment direction D. In other words, the sliding element 17 allows the support element 2 to be moved along the guide element 16 when a user applies a force to the support element 2 in the adjustment direction D to change its position, and the support element 2 remains in its original position when the user ceases to apply this force.Thus, the adjustment device according to the invention does not require the use of a locking device or notches, as previously indicated, to hold the support element 2 in a particular position.

[0036] In order to ensure sliding in the groove 24, the free end 30 has the shape of a branch extending in the groove 24, for example from the lateral edge 18 to the vicinity of the bottom formed by the seam 20. The free end 30 has, for example, a length, measured along the direction from the lateral edge 18 to the seam 20, that is 1 mm or 2 mm less than the depth of the groove 24. In other words, the free end 30 has a length of between 6 and 9 mm for a groove 24 having a depth of between 8 and 10 mm.

[0037] To ensure that the support element 2 is locked in the position it was placed in when there is no constraint along the adjustment direction D, the free end 30 has, for example, a curved shape towards the outer surface 8 of the body 6, as shown in [Fig. 4]. Such a curved shape allows the free end 30 to be held against the outer surface 8 of the body 6 and prevents the support element 2 from moving when it is not intentionally moved by a user. Indeed, the curved shape allows the free end 30 to "sink" into the body 6 and / or its trim element 10 due to their flexibility, thus ensuring that the support element 2 is locked onto the guide element 2. The locking can be further reinforced if the groove 24 is closed on both sides of the sliding element 17, as described previously.Thus, the friction between the sliding element 17, the band 22 and the body 6 and its lining element 10 ensures that the support element 2 is locked in position, this friction being further arranged to allow movement of the support element 2 when a user exerts a force along the adjustment direction D on the support element 2.

[0038] To secure the sliding element 17 to the support element 2, the profile includes, for example, another arm 32 sewn to the support element 2. The arm 32 is connected to the arm forming the free end 30 by a base 34 extending opposite the lateral edge 18 when the support element 2 is mounted on the guide element 16, as shown in [Fig. 3]. Thus, the sliding element 17 has, for example, a U-shaped cross-section, one of the arms of the U 32 extending against the inner surface of the support element 2 and being sewn to it, the other of the arms of the U forming the free end 30 being inserted into a groove 24, and the base 34 allowing the sliding element 17 to extend around the corresponding lateral edge 18 of the strip 22 of the guide element 16.

[0039] To ensure a robust attachment of the sliding element 17 to the support element 2, the arm 32 is, for example, sewn onto a rigid plate 35 extending into the support element 2 on the inner surface side thereof. The rigid plate 35 extends onto the underside of the trim element 14 of the support element 2. A seam 36 secures the arm 32 to the rigid plate 35 by passing through the trim element 14, as shown in [Fig. 3].

[0040] The adjustment device 4 comprises, for example, two sliding elements 17 as described above, each sliding element 17 cooperating with one of the grooves 24 of the guide element 16, as shown in [Fig. 3]. In this case, the U-shaped forms of the sliding elements 17 are open towards each other. This ensures a robust mounting of the bearing element 2 on the body 6 of the support element 1 and, in particular, prevents a change in the orientation of the bearing element 2 relative to the body 6.

[0041] The support element 2 can be easily removed from the body 6. This is done by simply moving the support element along the adjustment direction D until the sliding element(s) 17 are pushed out of the groove(s) 24 at one end thereof. Assembly is also easily accomplished by inserting the sliding element(s) 17 along the adjustment direction D into the groove(s) 24 at one end thereof. Thus, the support element 2 can be removed from the support element 2, for example for cleaning, and replaced without the need for any special tools. Furthermore, the absence of the support element 2 does not detract from the appearance of the support element 1.

[0042] The grooves 24 have been described as extending on either side of the band 22 forming the guide element 16. It is understood, however, that the groove could be made in the guide element, for example substantially in the center thereof and cooperate with a single sliding element introduced into the groove 24. For this purpose, the sliding element could have a T-shaped cross-section and cooperate with a groove of complementary shape.

Claims

Demands

1. Seat support element (1) comprising a body (6) defining an external surface (8) and a support element (2) adjustablely mounted along an adjustment direction (D) on the body (6) by means of an adjustment device (4), the adjustment device (4) comprising a guide element (16) extending over the external surface (8) of the body (6), said guide element (16) comprising a strip (22) fixed to the external surface (8) of the body (6) and extending along the adjustment direction (D), the adjustment device (4) further comprising at least one sliding element (17) integral with the support element (2),said sliding element (17) being mounted in sliding contact on the band (22) and comprising a free end (30) extending between said band (22) and the external surface (8) of the body (6) so as to allow adjustment of the position of the support element (2) relative to the body (6) by sliding the sliding element (17) on the guide element (16) in the adjustment direction (D), characterized in that the band (22) is sewn onto the external surface (8) of the body (2) by at least one seam (20), the guide element (16) defining a groove (24) between the band (22) and the external surface (8) of the body (6), said groove (24) extending from a lateral edge (18) of the band (22) to the seam (20), said seam (20) forming the bottom of said groove (24), the free end (30) of the sliding element (17) being mounted in a sliding manner within said groove...

2. Support element according to claim 1, wherein the band (22) is fixed to the external surface (8) of the body (2) by two seams (20) each extending in the vicinity of a lateral edge (18) of the band (22) so as to define with said external surface (8) two grooves (24) extending along the guidance direction (D) on either side of the band (22).

3. Support element according to claim 1, wherein the strip (22) is made of a flexible material, the guide element further comprising a rigid plate, the strip (22) extending around at least a portion of said rigid plate.

4. Support element according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the adjustment device comprises two sliding elements (17) integral with the support element (2), each sliding element (17) comprising a free end (30) extending between said strip (22) and the external surface (8) of the body (6).

5. Support element according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sliding element (17) is formed by a plastic material profile having, preferably, a U-shaped cross-section, one of the arms (32) of the U extending against an internal surface of the support element (2) and the other arm of the U forming the free end (30) of the sliding element (17), the sliding element (17) extending around a lateral edge (18) of the strip (22).

6. Support element according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the free end (30) of the sliding element (17) has a curved shape towards the external surface (8) of the body (6) so as to be constrained against said external surface (8) to ensure a locking in position of the support element (2) on the body (6) when no stress along the adjustment direction (D) is exerted on the support element (2).

7. Support element according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sliding element (17) is sewn onto a rigid plate (35) extending into the support element (2).

8. Support element according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the body (6) forms a seat back and the support element (2) forms a headrest.

9. Support element according to claim 8, wherein the adjustment direction (D) corresponds to the elevation direction of the body (6), the position of the support element (2) being height adjustable relative to the body (6).

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