US 11,702,211 B2
Headrest tilt mechanism utilizing gear reduction
Yashashree Umakant Khachane, Karnataka (IN); and Pradeep Acharya, Bangalore (IN)
Assigned to B/E Aerospace, Inc., Winston-Salem, NC (US)
Filed by B/E Aerospace, Inc., Winston-Salem, NC (US)
Filed on Jul. 13, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/374,432.
Claims priority of application No. 202141017580 (IN), filed on Apr. 15, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0332426 A1, Oct. 20, 2022
Int. Cl. B64D 11/06 (2006.01)
CPC B64D 11/0642 (2014.12) [B64D 11/0689 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A headrest tilt mechanism, comprising:
a headrest support attachable to a seat assembly component;
a casing fixed to the headrest support, the casing defining an interior annular space and a rotation limiter feature, a first portion of the rotation limiter feature determining a full aft headrest position and a second portion of the rotation limiter feature determining a full forward headrest position;
a driven gear having a portion rotatably disposed in the interior annular space of the casing, the driven gear having an axial opening and a predetermined number of gear teeth formed on an inner circumferential surface thereof;
a driver gear rotatably disposed through the axial opening of the driven gear, the driver gear having a first end interacting with the headrest support and a second end extending outward beyond the casing, and the driver gear having a predetermined number of gear teeth formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof meshed with the predetermined number of gear teeth of the driven gear in a profile shifted configuration;
a tab coupled to the driven gear, the tab interacting with the rotation limiter feature as the driven gear is driven to control a headrest position between the full aft headrest position and the full forward headrest position; and
a knob coupled to the second end of the driver gear for rotating the driver gear to drive the driven gear;
wherein the driven gear has a greater number of gear teeth than the driver gear; and
wherein an axis of the driver gear is shifted relative to an axis of the driven gear by a predetermined distance.