US20070132297A1

US20070132297A1 - Pole guide for a headrest of an automobile

Info

Publication number: US20070132297A1
Application number: US11/301,037
Authority: US
Inventors: Cheong Hong
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-12-12
Filing date: 2005-12-12
Publication date: 2007-06-14

Abstract

The present invention provides a pole guide for a headrest of an automobile, which does not deform in high temperatures in welding in its manufacturing process, so that both side ends of the pole guide do not gape or warp at a joint thereof. The pole guide is obtained by pressing and forming a flat panel (31) on progressive dies, and the flat panel (31) is vertically provided with a fixing groove (32) at a upper part of a top end thereof, and provided with coupling elements (33) at both opposing side ends thereof to be engaged with each other.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a pole guide for use in securing a headrest in a seat of an automobile, and more particularly to a pole guide for a headrest of an automobile, which does not deform in high temperatures in welding in its manufacturing process, so that both side ends of the pole guide do not gape or warp at a joint thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In general, a headrest is mounted on top of a car seat to relieve the fatigue of a driver or passenger and to protect head from rear impacts in case of accidents. It can be adjusted in its height to fit to the body of the driver or the passenger.
Such a headrest includes poles in its bottom surface, to be slidably connected to respective pole guides provided in a seat of a car. The height of the headrest can be adjusted by sliding the poles.
The pole guides are vertically provided in a frame of the seat, which is a basic structure of the car seat, and fixed on the frame by welding.
Such pole guides for the headrest were conventionally made of a flat panel of metal. The flat panel was pressed on progressive dies and bent to allow both side ends of the panel to contact with each other, so that they could fit onto the poles.
When the pole guides were vertically provided in the seat frame and fixed thereon by welding, however, the pole guides could deform by the heat in high temperatures directly applied thereto during welding. As a result, both side ends of the pole guides could split open or warp.
That is, since both side ends of the pole guide were simply in contact with each other, the pole guide could be easily deformed while welding.
In this case, for example, the poles of the headrest could not be fitted to the pole guides or could not be properly operated or adjusted, and thus percent defective could increase in manufacturing process.
Further, since the flat panel was made of metal, the elastic force to restore to the original shape could be horizontally applied to the pole guide, and as a result the pole guide could gape or warp at the joint of both side ends thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a pole guide, which can be secured on a seat frame of an automobile by welding with stability and accuracy.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pole guide, which does not gape or warp at a joint of side ends thereof even under the elastic force applied thereon horizontally and the heat in high temperatures in welding.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a pole guide enabling the headrest to operate accurately, i.e., enabling the pole of the headrest to move up and down smoothly and accurately in the pole guide according to the operation of a user.
In order to achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a pole guide for a headrest of an automobile, which is obtained by pressing and forming a flat panel on progressive dies to allow both side ends of the flat panel to be connected to each other, wherein the flat panel is vertically provided with a fixing groove at a upper part of a top end thereof, to which a holder for adjusting height of the headrest is fitted, and the flat panel is provided with coupling elements at both opposing side ends thereof to be engaged with each other, so that the flat panel cannot be separated, nor gape or warp at a joint of the opposing side ends.
Therefore, when such a pole guide is fixed on the seat frame of a car by welding, since the coupling elements of the pole guide are engaged with each other at both opposing ends of the flat panel, the coupling state does not release easily even under the elastic force applied in the horizontal direction.
Further, even if the heat in high temperatures is directly applied to the pole guide, since the coupling elements do not release the engagement state easily, the pole guide is not influenced by thermal deformation.
Thus, the pole of the headrest can be easily fitted into the pole guide, so that the user can freely adjust the height of the headrest with stability by operating the holder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention, wherein:
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a state where a pole guide of the present invention is applied to a car seat of an automobile;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pole guide according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the pole guide according to another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a font view showing the pole guide of the present invention in a deployed state;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a process of forming the pole guide of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state where the pole guide of the present invention is fixed on a seat frame by welding; and
FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the pole guide of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to preferred embodiments of the present invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In FIG. 1, a pole guide (30), a holder (21) for adjusting height of a headrest (20) and the headrest (20) are sequentially assembled. Poles (40) are protruded from a bottom surface of the headrest (20).
The pole guide (30) is fixed on a seat frame (11) of a car seat by welding. FIG. 6 shows that the pole guide (30) in the shape of a square pillar is welded on the seat frame (11).
Usually two pole guides (30) are fixed by welding on the seat frame (11), and the poles (40) are respectively fitted into the pole guides (30).
The headrest (20) can freely move up and down by means of the holder (21), and the height of the headrest (20) can be adjusted.
The pole guide (30) of the present invention is manufactured by pressing and forming a flat panel (31) on progressive dies to allow both side ends of the flat panel (31) to be connected to each other.
While FIG. 3 shows that the pole guide (30) is formed in the shape of a cylinder, FIG. 2 shows that the pole guide (30) is formed in the shape of the square pillar. This square pillar shape serves to enlarge a welding area of the pole guide (30) onto the seat frame (11) and to prevent the pole guide (30)'s trembling, so that the pole guide (30) can be secured on the seat frame (11) with reliability and percent defective in the welding process can be decreased.
The pole guide (30) in the form of a cylinder as shown in FIG. 3 facilitates the pole (40) to be fitted thereinto, since the pole (40) is usually shaped in the form of a rod.
According to usage or purpose of use, the shape of the pole guide (30) can be determined.
Referring to FIG. 4, the flat panel (31) is vertically provided with a fixing groove (32) at a upper part of a top end thereof, to which the holder (21) for adjusting the height of the headrest (20) is fitted.
The flat panel (31) is further provided with coupling elements (33) at both opposing side ends thereof to be engaged with each other, so that the flat panel (31) cannot be separated, nor gape or warp at a joint of the opposing side ends.
The process of forming the pole guide (30) in the shape of the square pillar or cylinder will be described in more detail hereunder, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5.
Firstly, the flat panel (31) should be prepared to have the fixing groove (32) and the coupling elements (33).
The fixing groove (32) is formed vertically at the top upper part of the flat panel (31).
The coupling elements (33) comprise prominences (34) and depressions (35), which are respectively provided at both opposing side ends of the flat panel (31).
Then, the flat panel (31) is pressed on progressive dies, and bent to form the square pillar shape as in FIG. 5 or curved to form the cylinder shape as in FIG. 3.
Then, the prominences (34) and the depressions (35) are connected by engagement with each other.
Each of the prominences (34) and the depressions (35) opposing each other at both side ends of the flat panel (31) is formed in the shape of circle.
The prominences (34) have neck portions with smaller width than the central diameter thereof, and the depressions (35) have inlets with smaller width than the central diameter thereof, so that the prominences (34) and the depressions (35) can be smoothly assembled and cannot be easily separated even under the influence of the elastic force in the horizontal direction.
Further, even if the heat in high temperatures is directly applied on the pole guide (30) during the welding process, as the structure of the coupling elements (33) renders the pole guide (30) to be endurable, the coupling elements (33) do not gape or warp by thermal deformation.
Thus, the pole (40) of the headrest (20) can easily fit into the pole guide (30) with stability.
Meanwhile, auxiliary depressions (36) are provided on both sides of the neck portion of the prominence (34) of the coupling elements (33), and auxiliary prominences (37) are provided on both sides of the inlet of the depression (35) of the coupling elements (33).
The auxiliary depressions (36) and auxiliary prominences (37) serve to secure the coupling between the prominences (34) and the depressions (35). They are formed in the shape of a half circle, so that they can be easily and smoothly assembled and cannot be easily separated.
Therefore, even if the elastic force is applied to the pole guide (30) in the horizontal direction or if the pole guide (30) is not accurately secured on the seat frame (11), the pole guide (30) can keep its coupling state.
When the headrest (20) is fitted in the pole guide (30) through the pole (40), the holder (21) for adjusting the height of the headrest (20), which has been connected to the fixing groove (32) of the pole guide (30), can be manipulated by a user to allow the headrest (20) to fit to the body of the user.
As shown in FIG. 7, an inlet (38) of the pole guide (30) is preferably curved outward so that the pole (40) can be guided easily into the pole guide (30) and the holder (21) can be smoothly operated.
As described above, according to the present invention, the pole guide can be secured with stability and accuracy on a seat frame of an automobile by welding.
Further, according to the present invention, the pole guide does not gape or warp at a joint of side ends thereof even under the elastic force applied thereon horizontally and the heat in high temperatures in welding.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, the pole guide enables the headrest to operate accurately, i.e., enables the pole of the headrest to move up and down smoothly and accurately in the pole guide by the operation of a user.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The present invention covers the modifications and variations provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A pole guide for a headrest of an automobile, which is obtained by pressing and forming a flat panel on progressive dies to allow both side ends of the flat panel to be connected to each other, wherein the flat panel is vertically provided with a fixing groove at a upper part of a top end thereof, to which a holder for adjusting height of the headrest is fitted, and the flat panel is provided with coupling elements at both opposing side ends thereof to be engaged with each other, so that the flat panel cannot be separated, nor gape or warp at a joint of the opposing side ends.

2. The pole guide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupling elements comprise prominences and depressions, which are respectively provided at both opposing side ends of the flat panel.

3. The pole guide as claimed in claim 2, wherein auxiliary depressions are provided on both sides of a neck portion of the prominence of the coupling elements, and auxiliary prominences are provided on both sides of an inlet of the depression of the coupling elements.

4. The pole guide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flat panel is formed in shape of a square pillar.

5. The pole guide as claimed in claim 2, wherein the flat panel is formed in shape of a square pillar.