Headrest support
The invention relates to a support ( 10 ) for a headrest, comprising a tube leg ( 11 ) to which a head support part can be attached and having at least one free end ( 12 a, 12 b ) for anchoring the support ( 10 ) in a seat fitting of an automobile seat, at least one reinforcing sleeve ( 15 ) being in the tube leg ( 11 ) for reinforcing at least one area ( 25 ) of the tube leg ( 11 ). The characterizing feature is that an outer surface ( 16 ) of the reinforcing sleeve ( 15 ) is in contact with an inner surface ( 17 ) of the tube leg ( 11 ) in a first circumferential region (T 1 ) and that, in a second circumferential region (T 2 ), the outer surface ( 16 ) has a groove ( 23 ) into which a ridge ( 22 ) projecting inward past the inner surface ( 17 ) engages.
1. A support for a headrest, the support comprising:
an outer tube extending along an axis, to which a head support part can be attached, having at least one free end anchoring the support in a seat fitting of an automobile seat, and having an inner surface formed with a radially inwardly projecting and axially extending ridge; and
at least one reinforcing sleeve coaxially fittable into the outer tube for reinforcing at least one area of the outer tube, closed over its entire circumference, having an outer surface in surface contact with the inner surface of the outer tube in a first circumferential region and, in a second circumferential region, being formed on the outer surface with a radially outwardly open groove into which the ridge projects inward from the inner surface of the outer tube, the groove extending over the entire length of the reinforcing sleeve such that the sleeve can be inserted axially into the outer tube with the ridge fitting in the groove.
2. The support defined in claim 1 , wherein the groove is made by the steps of reshaping or crimping.
3. The support defined in claim 1 , wherein the groove is made by the steps of turning, etching, stripping or grinding.
4. The support defined in claim 1 , wherein the thickness of a wall of the non-deformed reinforcing sleeve is greater relative to the thickness of the wall in the area of the groove and the reinforcing sleeve can be elastically deformed such that a circumference of the reinforcing sleeve changes as the groove folds in.
5. The support defined in claim 1 , wherein the ridge extends a full length of the outer tube.
6. A method of making a headrest support having an axially extending outer tube that can be attached to a head support part, that has at least one free end for anchoring the support in a seat fitting of an automobile seat, and that has an inner surface formed at least at the free end with an axially extending and radially inwardly projecting ridge, the method comprising the steps of:
providing at least one reinforcing sleeve that is closed over its entire circumference whose outer diameter is substantially equal to an inner diameter of the outer tube,
providing the free end of the reinforcing sleeve with a radially outwardly open and axially extending groove extending over the entire length of the sleeve by the steps of reshaping or machining, and
fitting the reinforcing sleeve axially through an open end of the outer tube into the outer tube with the ridge projecting radially inward past the inner surface into the groove, moving the reinforcing sleeve axially along the outer tube.
7. The method defined in claim 6 , further comprising the step, after fitting the reinforcing sleeve into the interior of the outer tube, of:
forming at least one reshaped detent notch in the support.
8. The method defined in claim 6 , further comprising the step of:
bending a tube forming the outer tube into any shape before or after the method step of fitting the reinforcing sleeve into the interior of the outer tube.