Guiding sleeve for the headrests in seats of vehicles

Claim 2

A guiding sleeve assembly for housing a rod member so as to maintain said rod member within said assembly and permit said rod member to be removed from said assembly, comprising: a guide sleeve member having an opening defined within an outer peripheral surface thereof; a cavity, defined by at least a pair of laterally spaced side walls, defined within said guide sleeve member and adapted to have said rod member pass therethrough; a spring element disposed within said cavity and comprising a pair of leg portions for releasably engaging opposite sides of said rod member so as to retain said rod member within said assembly when said leg portions of said spring element are engaged with said opposite sides of said rod member and for permitting said rod member to be removed from said assembly when said leg portions of said spring element are disengaged from said opposite sides of said rod member; and an unlocking element disposed within said cavity and engaged with said spring element such that said spring element biases said unlocking element to a first position within said cavity at which said unlocking element is disposed within said opening of said guide sleeve member so as to be accessible from a point external of said guide sleeve member, said unlocking element engages said side walls of said guide sleeve member such that said unlocking element is retained within said cavity while said leg portions of said spring element are permitted to engage said opposite sides of said rod member so as to retain said rod member within said assembly, and wherein said unlocking element is movable from said first position to a second position within said cavity by a force applied to said unlocking element from a position external of said guide sleeve member and against the biasing force of said spring element so as to cause said leg portions of said spring element to be disengaged from said opposite sides of said rod member so as to permit said rod member to be removed from said assembly.

Claim 3

The assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said rod member comprises an element of a vehicle seat headrest.

Claim 4

The assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein: an end wall portion of said sleeve member defining said cavity and disposed opposite said unlocking element comprises aperture means for permitting insertion therethrough of a tool for engaging said unlocking element so as to disengage said unlocking element from said cavity and permit removal of said unlocking element from said cavity.

Claim 5

The assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said spring element is generally U-shaped in configuration; and said pair of leg portions are adapted to releasably engage diametrically opposite sides of said rod member.

Claim 6

The assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein: said diametrically opposite sides of said rod member comprise notch means defined therein for housing said pair of leg portions of said spring element when said leg portions of said spring element are engaged with said rod member.

Claim 7

The assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein: an end wall portion of said guide sleeve member defining said cavity is disposed opposite to said unlocking element so as to support a cross-arm portion of said spring element, which interconnects said pair of leg portions of said spring element, such that said spring element is interposed between said end wall portion of said guide sleeve member and said unlocking element.

Claim 8

The assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said unlocking element has a generally U-shaped configuration comprising a central body portion and a pair of legs disposed upon opposite sides of said central body portion.

Claim 9

The assembly as set forth in claim 7, wherein: said central body portion of said unlocking element comprises cam means for engaging end portions of said leg portions of said spring element for divergently biasing said leg portions of said spring element apart with respect to each other when said unlocking element is moved toward said second position so as to disengage said leg portions of said spring element from said rod member.

Claim 10

The assembly as set forth in claim 7, wherein: said central body portion of said unlocking element has a recess defined within an external portion thereof for receiving a user's finger so as to move said unlocking element into said cavity from said first position to said second position.

Claim 11

The assembly as set forth in claim 7, wherein: said laterally spaced side walls of said sleeve member defining said cavity comprise a pair of shoulder portions; and said pair of legs of said unlocking element comprises nose portions for snap-engaging said shoulder portions so as to lockingly retain said unlocking element within said cavity of said sleeve member in opposition to said biasing force of said spring element.

Claim 12

The assembly as set forth in claim 10, wherein: an end wall portion of said sleeve member defining said cavity and disposed opposite said unlocking element comprises aperture means for permitting insertion therethrough of a tool into said cavity for engaging said nose portions of said legs of said unlocking element so as to disengage said nose portions of said legs of said unlocking element from said shoulder portions of said sleeve member so as to permit removal of said unlocking element from said cavity of said sleeve member.

Claim 13

A guide sleeve mechanism for use within a vehicle headrest assembly, comprising: a headrest component comprising a rod member; a guide sleeve member for removably receiving said rod member of said headrest component and having an opening defined within an outer peripheral surface of said guide sleeve member; a cavity, defined by at least a pair of laterally spaced side walls of said guide sleeve member, defined within said guide sleeve member and adapted to have said rod member pass therethrough; a spring element disposed within said cavity and comprising a pair of leg portions for releasably engaging opposite sides of said rod member so as to retain said rod member within said guide sleeve member when said leg portions of said spring element are engaged with said opposite sides of said rod member and for permitting said rod member to be removed from said guide sleeve member when said leg portions of said spring element are disengaged from said opposite sides of said rod member; and an unlocking element disposed within said cavity and engaged with said spring element such that said spring element biases said unlocking element to a first position within said cavity at which said unlocking element is disposed within said opening of said guide sleeve member so as to be accessible from a position external of said guide sleeve member, said unlocking element engages said side walls of said guide sleeve member such that said unlocking element is retained within said cavity of said guide sleeve member while said leg portions of said spring element are permitted to engage said opposite sides of said rod member so as to retain said rod member within said guide sleeve member, and wherein said unlocking element is movable from said first position to a second position within said cavity by a force applied to said unlocking element from a position external of said guide sleeve member and against the biasing force of said spring element so as to cause said leg portions of said spring element to be disengaged from said opposite sides of said rod member so as to permit said rod member to be removed from said assembly.

Claim 14

A guide sleeve mechanism for use within a vehicle headrest assembly, comprising: a headrest component comprising a rod member; a guide sleeve member for removably receiving said rod member of said headrest component and having an opening defined within an outer peripheral surface of said guide sleeve member; a cavity, defined by at least a pair of laterally spaced side walls of said guide sleeve member, defined within said guide sleeve member and adapted to have said rod member pass therethrough; a spring element disposed within said cavity and comprising a pair of leg portions for releasably engaging opposite sides of said rod member so as to retain said rod member within said guide sleeve member when said leg portions of said spring element are engaged with said opposite sides of said rod member and for permitting said rod member to be removed from said guide sleeve member when said leg portions of said spring element are disengaged from said opposite sides of said rod member; and an unlocking element disposed within said cavity and engaged with said spring element such that said spring element biases said unlocking element to a first position within said cavity at which said unlocking element is disposed within said opening of said guide sleeve member so as to be accessible from a position external of said guide sleeve member, said unlocking element engages said side walls of said guide sleeve member such that said unlocking element is retained within said cavity of said guide sleeve member while said leg portions of said spring element are permitted to engage said opposite sides of said rod member so as to retain said rod member within said guide sleeve member, and wherein said unlocking element is movable from said first position to a second position within said cavity by a force applied to said unlocking element from a position external of said guide sleeve member and against the biasing force of said spring element so as to cause said leg portions of said spring element to be disengaged from said opposite sides of said rod member so as to permit said rod member to be removed from said assembly.

Claim 15

The mechanism as set forth in claim 12, wherein: said spring element is generally U-shaped in configuration such that said pair of leg portions releasably engage diametrically opposite sides of said rod member.

Claim 16

The mechanism as set forth in claim 13, wherein: said diametrically opposite sides of said rod member comprise notch means defined therein for housing said pair of leg portions of said spring element when said leg portions of said spring element are engaged with said opposite sides of said rod member.

Claim 17

The mechanism as set forth in claim 13, wherein: an end wall portion of said guide sleeve member defining said cavity is disposed opposite to said unlocking element so as to support a cross-arm portion of said spring element, which interconnects said pair of leg portions of said spring element, such that said spring element is interposed between said end wall portion of said guide sleeve member and said unlocking element.

Claim 18

The mechanism as set forth in claim 12, wherein: said unlocking element has a generally U-shaped configuration comprising a central body portion and a pair of leg portions disposed upon opposite sides of said central body portion.

Claim 19

The mechanism as set forth in claim 16, wherein: said central body portion of said unlocking element comprises cam means for engaging end portions of said leg portions of said spring element so as to divergently bias said leg portions of said spring element apart with respect to each other when said unlocking element is moved toward said second position and thereby disengage said leg portions of said spring element from said opposite sides of said rod member.

Claim 20

The mechanism as set forth in claim 16, wherein: said central body portion of said unlocking element has a recess defined within an external portion thereof for receiving a user's finger so as to move said unlocking element into said cavity from said first position to said second position.

Claim 21

The mechanism as set forth in claim 16, wherein: said side walls of said guide sleeve member defining said cavity comprise a pair of shoulder portions; and said pair of leg portions of said unlocking element comprise nose portions for snap-engaging said shoulder portions of said side walls of said guide sleeve member so as to lockingly retain said unlocking element within said cavity of said guide sleeve member in opposition to said biasing force of said spring element.

Claim 22

The mechanism as set forth in claim 19, wherein: an end wall portion of said guide sleeve member defining said cavity and disposed opposite to said unlocking element comprises aperture means for permitting insertion of a tool therethrough and into said cavity for engaging said nose portions of said legs portions of said unlocking element so as to disengage said nose portions of said leg portions of said unlocking element from said shoulder portions of said side walls of said guide sleeve member so as to permit removal of said unlocking element from said cavity of said sleeve member.