Adjustable Vehicle Headrest Assembly with Dual-Mode Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle headrests often lack multi-adjustability, with most allowing only height adjustment, and more adjustable designs are complex and costly.
Innovation Solution
A headrest assembly with a pivotally coupled mounting assembly and a locking device that allows for both translational and rotational displacement, enabling adjustments in height and angular position, and can be easily locked into place using a tab and aperture system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If headrest adjustability is increased to provide both height and angular position adjustment, then the versatility and user comfort are improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines height adjustment (translational movement) and angular position adjustment (rotational movement) into a single integrated mounting assembly with one locking device. The mounting assembly simultaneously provides both translational and rotational degrees of freedom, allowing dual adjustment functionality while maintaining a simple, unified structure rather than separate mechanisms for each adjustment type.
Solution Approach 2:
The single locking device performs multiple functions: it locks both the translational position (height) and rotational position (angular orientation) of the headrest frame. The retention feature with multiple apertures and the tab-and-notch system enable one component to control both adjustment dimensions, reducing the need for multiple specialized locking mechanisms.
2Ease of operation
If a simple locking mechanism is used for height adjustment, then the ease of operation is improved, but the ability to maintain both height and angular position simultaneously is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is segmented into distinct functional elements: the retention feature with multiple apertures for height positioning, the tab-and-notch system for angular positioning, and the movable locking device that engages both. This segmentation allows each element to specialize in one aspect of position retention while working together through a single operational interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking device acts as an intermediary that connects and coordinates the height adjustment mechanism (tab and notches) with the angular position mechanism (apertures and projection). By moving this single intermediary component, both adjustment mechanisms are simultaneously locked or unlocked, ensuring reliable position retention for both dimensions with one simple user action.
Data Source
AI summary
A headrest assembly is provided herein. A mounting assembly is pivotally coupled to a seatback. A frame is movably coupled to the mounting assembly. A locking device is coupled to the mounting assembly and is movable between an unlock position to enable at least one of translational displacement and rotational displacement of the frame, and a lock position to retain the frame in a selected position.