Head restraint follower
Reclining seat mounted on a foundation through first and second slides. The seat cushion is mounted on the first slide, and the seat back is mounted on the second slide. The slides, the seat cushion and the seat back are arranged to move together as one unit to have the seat recline. A head restraint is mounted at a top side of the seat back to follow and move with the back during movement of the back. The second slide has a non-linear curved shape to rotate the head restraint when the seat back moves. The curved shape rotates the headrest in a backward and downward direction when the seat back moves downward and the seat cushion moves forward, and vice versa. From the different seat positions, the head restraint follows the motion of the occupant as they move to the different seat positions.
1. A reclining seat for mounting on a foundation, the reclining seat comprising:
a first slide mountable on the foundation;
a second slide mountable on the foundation;
a seat cushion having a front side and a back side defining a forward/backward direction, said seat cushion being mounted on said first slide, said seat cushion being slidably mountable on the foundation through said first slide in said forward/backward direction;
a seat back having a bottom side and a top side defining a lengthwise direction extending back and forth between said top side and said bottom side, said bottom side of said seat back being pivotally connected to said seat cushion, said seat back being mounted on said second slide to be slidably mountable on the foundation through said second slide in said lengthwise direction, said slides, said seat cushion and said seat back being arranged to have said seat cushion and said seat back move together as one unit while said seat cushion moves in said forward/backward direction and said seat back moves in said lengthwise direction;
a head restraint mounted at said top side of said seat back to follow and move with said seat back during movement of said seat back in said lengthwise direction;
wherein said second slide includes a first rail and a second rail slidably connected to each other along a curved path;
wherein an attachment bracket connects said head restraint to said first rail of said second slide;
said seat back is pivotally connected to said first rail at a pivot point;
a first end of said attachment bracket is fixed to said first rail at a bracket point, said pivot point and said bracket point being spaced from each other along an lengthwise direction of said first rail.
2. A reclining seat in accordance with claim 1 , wherein: said second slide has a non-linear curved shape to rotate said head restraint when said seat back moves in said lengthwise direction.
3. A reclining seat in accordance with claim 2 , wherein: said curved shape rotates said head restraint in a backward and downward direction when said seat back moves downward and said seat cushion moves forward; said curved shape rotates said head restraint in a forward and upward direction when said seat back moves upward and said seat cushion moves backward.
4. A reclining seat in accordance with claim 1 , wherein: said seat back being pivotally connected to said first rail, said second rail adapted to mount on the foundation.
5. A reclining seat in accordance with claim 4 , wherein: said first end of said attachment bracket is arranged below said top side of said seat back and fixed to said first rail, said attachment bracket having a second end arranged above said top side of said seat back and being connected to said head restraint.
6. A reclining seat in accordance with claim 5 , wherein: said curved path is arranged to rotate said head restraint when said seat back moves in said lengthwise direction.
7. A reclining seat in accordance with claim 6 , wherein: said curved path rotates said head restraint in a backward and downward direction when said seat back moves downward and said seat cushion moves forward; said curved shape rotates said head restraint in a forward and upward direction when said seat back moves upward and said seat cushion moves backward.
8. A reclining seat in accordance with claim 4 , wherein: said seat back is pivotally connected to said first rail at a pivot point; a link arm pivotally connects said seat back to said seat cushion, said link arm extending from said pivot point to said seat cushion.
9. A reclining seat in accordance with claim 8 , wherein: said seat back having lateral sides arranged perpendicularly spaced from said forward/backward direction and said lengthwise direction; said second slide being arranged closer to a lateral center of said seat back than to said lateral sides.
10. A reclining seat in accordance with claim 9 , wherein: said link arm is arranged on one of said lateral sides of said seat back; another link arm is arranged on another one of said lateral sides of said seat back, said another link arm pivotally connecting said seat back to said seat cushion, said another link arm extending from said pivot point to said seat cushion.