GB2472836A

GB2472836A - Headrest

Info

Publication number: GB2472836A
Application number: GB0914587A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nathan David Sparshott; Luke Neil Pearson; Tom Zachery Lloyd; Christopher Vernall; Andrew Vernall; David Ferry
Original assignee: Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd
Current assignee: Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd
Priority date: 2009-08-20
Filing date: 2009-08-20
Publication date: 2011-02-23
Also published as: WO2011020919A1; GB0914587D0

Abstract

A headrest assembly 10 for a seat 100 comprises a headrest body portion 12 having a concave front surface 32 and for supporting the head or neck of a person using the seat, said front surface having two opposing side regions 17,18; and means 50 for attaching the headrest body portion movably to the seat, such that the two opposing side regions of the front surface protrude forwardly with respect to the seat for supporting respective opposite sides of the person's head or neck; and wherein the attaching means are adapted to permit movement of the headrest body portion with respect to the seat such that the front surface 32 can be rotated relative to the seat for adjusting the extent to which the side regions protrude in the forwards direction.

Description

HEADREST

The present invention relates to a headrest and more particularly to a headrest for use in a vehicle, especially a passenger aircraft, for providing improved support and comfort to the head and neck.

It is known to provide a headrest on a seat to provide comfort to the occupant during periods of rest or sleep. If the seat is located within a vehicle, then the need to provide comfort is especially important because the occupant may be in the seat for a long period of time; for example, during a long journey.

A basic headrest is often merely an extension of the seat itself with the backrest tapering inwardly at the sides to provide a narrower headrest portion with a surface against which the occupant can rest their head. The headrest usually has a substantially flat surface, and so when an occupant places their head against that flat surface the head is free to fall to either side. The occupant is forced to support and balance the weight of their head, in rest and sleep, in an almost upright position. The occupant will naturally be constantly contracting the neck muscles to stop the head from rolling to either side. This can result in the occupant suffering from neck pain and discomfort, especially over a prolonged period of time. Furthermore, if the occupant falls into a deeper state of relaxation or sleep the neck muscles will relax. This relaxation of the neck muscles may result in the head falling to either side on the fiat surface and the occupant being suddenly awoken as the head falls.

This relaxation and then sudden contraction of the neck and head muscles can, again, cause pain and discomfort to the occupant.

If the seat's backrest is capable of reclining, in an attempt to improve relaxation for the occupant, and provide additional comfort, then the headrest will also move back with the backrest into the reclined position. However, the movement of seats in multiple-occupant vehicles, such as passenger aircraft, is often severely restricted, and the backrest only has a small angle of recline. This small angle of recline takes little or no pressure off the neck and head muscles which means that the occupant is still required to balance the complete weight of their head in rest and sleep. The occupant will again be constantly contracting the neck muscles and will suffer from neck pain and discomfort, especially when the journey is over a prolonged period of time.

An occupant of a seat in a passenger vehicle will sometimes attempt to provide additional support for their head with the use of pillows placed behind the head and/or rested up against a nearby surface, with the weight of the head holding the pillow in place.

However, the placement of the pillow is often difficult when the seat is used in a limited space environment. Positioning the pillow is difficult because it is usually only possible to rest the pillow behind the head, against or on a fellow passenger or against a window or wall of the vehicle. Furthermore, when the pillow is only held in place by the weight of the head, which is itself unsupported, movement of the head may result in the pillow falling out of position and the occupant awaking suddenly and/or suffering from pain and discomfort. In addition, the head is usually heavier than the support material in the pillow which becomes crushed by the weight of the head. This means that the pillow can only provide cushioning and can not provide any support to the weight or position of the head.

With a lack of support the head is still able to fall in to an unnatural position to the side, putting pressure on the neck, and the head is still able to fall forward, causing the above-mentioned awakening and/or pain and discomfort after long periods of time.

To address the problems of the pillow falling out of place it is also known for passengers to bring their own additional support such as an inflatable u-shaped pillow which can be placed around the neck. However, this solution is reliant on the occupant bringing their own inflatable pillow. In addition, whilst the shape of the pillow can prevent the head from resting in extreme positions towards the shoulder, the weight of the head is still largely unsupported and so the head is still allowed to rest in an unnatural position downwardly towards the shoulder. Placing and holding the head in an unnatural position for long periods of time, such as when the occupant falls asleep or remains static, can also lead to pain and discomfort.

Manufacturers have attempted to provide support for the occupant's head by making modifications to the headrest itself to provide support in addition to the substantially flat headrest surface. Such modifications include additional supports built into the headrest which are either static or can be actuated by the occupant. These additional actuated supports include lateral pullout supports, where sections of the headrest or seat back itself can be pulled out from the headrest surface to provide extra support for the occupants head.

An example of such lateral supports can be seen in US-A-6 120099 which describes two extendable elements, initially retained in a headrest, which are pulled out to extend laterally relative to the headrest. Further examples of additional actuated supports include side portions which rotate between a lower horizontal orientation and a raised vertical orientation, such as described in US-A-5370446.

However, these types of additional actuated supports tend to be have small contact surfaces and can only be deployed in a limited number of support positions. Furthermore, they are generally extended or rotated from the sides of the headrest and are, therefore, located at the sides of the headrest. When the occupant wishes to rest their head against such a support they must either move their head and body to the side of the seat or they must rotate their head downwardly to the side to rest against the support. When the occupant moves their head and body their shoulders will generally move out of the seatback area and the occupant is forced to twist their body inwardly on the seat causing discomfort over a prolonged period of time. If the occupant merely rotates their head downwardly to engage with the lateral contact area then neck also moves, becoming compacted on one side and extended on the other side, and supports much of the weight of the head which will cause pain and discomfort to the occupant.

In addition, the manufacture and fitting of additional supports add to the cost of manufacture of the headrest, and seat, and also adds bulk to the overall size of the headrest.

The increased size of the headrest means that when the seat is in a multi-passenger vehicle, the occupants of seats behind may have restricted views.

Headrests also suffer from the problem that their position is sometimes fixed with respect to the seatback and does not therefore allow for variations in height of the head of the occupant. To address this problem, some headrests have been proposed which allow adjustment to the height of the headrest vertically relative to the seatback, as described for example in WO-A-009/025541. However, the number of positions in which the headrest can be fixed along the path of movement can be limited. In addition the headrest can suffer from inadvertent raising or lowering if the weight of the head is too great or through movement of the vehicle. Actuating the vertical movement of the headrest can also require the user to use both hands, with the occupant being required to turn around in their seat, or leave the seat entirely. In addition, when the seat is in a multi-passenger vehicle, movement of the headrest in the vertical direction away from the seatback may lead to a further restriction to the view of any passengers seated behind.

In addition to providing comfort, a headrest can also function as an important safety feature; this is especially the case for headrest on seats in fast moving vehicles. A headrest can act to restrict the movement of the occupant's head, relative to the occupant's body, during normal, exaggerated and excessive movement of the vehicle, or when the occupant moves back in to the seat after being restrained by seat belts or airbags. A lack of head support can result in injury to the occupant such as whiplash and whiplash-associated disorders (WAD).

This need to restrict the movement of the head is important when the seat is used in a fast moving vehicle such as an aircraft, train, bus, car, etc. An aircraft's normal journey would include fast acceleration during take off accelerating or decelerating speed during the flight, excessive and random movement during turbulence, and deceleration during landing. In extreme cases or emergencies the movement may be even more exaggerated and the need to provide safety even more important.

Some types of headrest attempt to provide lateral support for the head for safety reasons to prevent sideways movement of the head during such excessive movements. An example of this type of headrest is the c-shaped lateral support, which may be fixed to the seat, and tightly encloses the occupant's head, as shown in US-A-1744364. These types of headrest are more commonly used in simulators, which undergo excessive movement, or in situations where the occupant can not support the weight of their own head. Often movement of the head is severely restricted by the use of a tightly fitted headrest cushion which is not particularly comfortable for the occupant because the headrest seeks to restrain movement of the head rather than to cushion it.

In addition to providing support, comfort and safety for the head, a headrest can also incorporate features to provide support, comfort and safety for the neck. In a basic headrest, as described above, the neck bears all the weight of the head and has no support.

When the neck muscles relax during rest or sleep the head rolls forward, pushing the neck back towards the headrest surface. This can also cause the pain, discomfort and sudden awakening. The additional actuated supports mentioned above merely provide a lateral resting position for the head which leaves pressure on the neck. Over long periods of time this pressure on the neck leads to the pain and discomfort discussed above. Some headrests do attempt to provide neck support, but they are usually either so small as to be tokenistic and inadequate, or they are too large which forces the head into an unnatural position, which is uncomfortable over a period of time, and, when used in multi-passenger vehicles, can severely restrict the view of occupants in any seats behind.

Therefore, a need exists for a headrest for a vehicle seat which can provide support, comfort and safety to the head and neck of the occupant and addresses the aforementioned problems.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention therefore there is provided a headrest assembly for a seat, which headrest assembly comprises a headrest body portiOn having a concave front surface for supporting the head or neck of a person using the seat, said front surface having two opposing side regions; means for attaching the headrest body portion movably to the seat, such that the two opposing side regions of the front surface protrude forwardly with respect to the seat for supporting respective opposite sides of the persons head or neck; and wherein the attaching means are adapted to permit movement of the headrest body portion with respect to the seat such that the front surface can be rotated relative to the seat for adjusting the extent to which the side regions protrude in the forwards direction.

Advantageously, therefore the headrest of the present invention has forwardly protruding side regions which a person using the seat can use to support the side of his or her head or neck for relaxing or sleeping. The capability of the headrest of the invention to support the side of the person's head or neck comfortably and stably represents a significant step forward in the art and, especially when applied to a seat for a passenger vehicle, significantly increases the chance of a passenger using the seat relaxing or sleeping well during the course of a journey, while still satisfying the applicable safety standards. By moving the headrest body portion relative to the seat, the positions of the side regions can be adjusted as desired by the person using the seat in order to provide maximal comfort and support.

Further, bearing in mind that on passenger vehicles, such as aircrafts, seats are commonly placed close together, by adjusting the position of the headrest assembly such that one side region protrudes forwardly with respect to the seat to its maximum extent, the privacy fora person using the seat can be improved with respect to an adjacent seat.

Thus the present invention also provides a vehicle seat assembly comprising a plurality of adjacent seats and a common supporting frame for supporting the seats of the floor of a vehicle, each of the adjacent seats comprising a headrest assembly according to the invention, the arrangement being such that the headrest body portions of a pair of neighbouring seats can be rotated in opposite directions to one another relative to the respective seats to form an area of increased privacy for the occupants of the pair of seats.

In some embodiments, the body portion may comprise a convex rear surface having two opposite lateral ends, each of which is juxtaposed a respective one of the side regions of the front surface; and said attaching means may comprise an elongate arcuate track that extends in a direction between said opposite lateral ends and a track follower, one of the track and track follower being connected to the rear surface of the body portion and the other being connected to the seat for allowing translational movement of the headrest body portion along the arcuate track, thereby to rotate the front surface. Typically, said convex rear surface may be substantially circular in cross-section.

Typically, the headrest body portion may comprise arcuate backing plate having a convex rear surface and a concave front surface and a layer of foam or other padding material attached to the concave front surface. Suitably, the layer of foam or other padding material and optionally at least part of the backing plate may be covered by a fitted cover of a fabric or leather or leather-like material.

In some embodiments the elongate track may be provided on the rear surface of the body portion and the track follower may form part of a bracket assembly that can be mounted to the seat. When attached to a seat therefore the headrest body portion may be moved translationally with respect to the bracket assembly, such that the bracket assembly slides along the track, owing to the movement of the headrest body portion relative to the bracket assembly. This movement along the arcuate track produces rotational movement of the concave front surface of the headrest body portion. Advantageously, the track and track follower allow for continuous adjustment of the position of the headrest body portion along the length of the track. Suitably the engagement of the track follower in the track allows, the position of the headrest body portion to be adjusted relative to the seat manually by a person using the seat; but is sufficiently tight to prevent free movement of the headrest body portion relative to the seat, so that the headrest body portion will remain in the desired position unless adjusted manually. The track and track follower may comprise a detent to define a centre position in which the track follower is positioned substantially at the midpoint of the track, with the headrest body portion being positioned generally symmetrically with respect to the seat.

Typically the concave front surface of the headrest body portion may define an arc of at least 45°, preferably at least 60 -90°. In some embodiments, the concave front surface may define an arc of up to 1800. Therefore, in some embodiments the headrest body portion can have a generally semi-circular shape.

The track and track follower may be configured to permit rotation of said front surface through an arc of at least 30°, or 150 to each side of a centre position in which the side regions protrude forwardly to a substantially equal extent. Preferably the attaching means may permit an even greater degree of rotation of said front surface, e.g., 40° or more. In some embodiments, the attaching means may permit rotation of said front surface by more than 50°, 60°, 70°, 80° or 90°.

Suitably, said attaching means may further permit translational movement of the headrest body portion relative to the seat in a direction generally parallel to the neck of a person using the seat for adjusting the position of the headrest body portion according to the height of a person.

In particular, said bracket assembly may comprise one or more sliders that are configured to engage slidably in one or more corresponding linear tracks fitted to the seat to permit translational movement of the bracket assembly relative to the seat, said one or more linear tracks being oriented substantially orthogonally to the arcuate track in a direction generally parallel to the neck of a person using the seat, whereby the position of the headrest body relative to the seat can be adjusted according to the height of the person.

In this way, in addition to providing an adjustment of the positions of the side regions of the headrest body portion, the seat assembly of the present invention may also allow vertical adjustment of the position of the headrest assembly relative to a seat to which it is fitted in order to accommodate persons of different heights. It will be understood that by "vertical" in this context is meant in a direction generally parallel to the neck and spine of a person using the seat, or the up-down direction of the backrest, and not vertical in the strict geometric sense. In this sense, it will be appreciated that the seat to which the headrest assembly of the invention may be fitted may in some embodiments be reclinable; and the actual direction of adjustment of the position of the headrest will vary according to the angle of recline of the seat.

Preferably the headrest body portion has a top and bottom and the front surface is wedge shaped, tapering in a forwards direction from the top to the bottom of the body portion such that the front surface extends into the nape of the neck of a person using the seat.

Suitably, said front surface may taper progressively from the top to the bottom to provide a gradual slope. In this way, the wedge-shaped body portion may be configured to support the neck and the base of the person's skull. Again the terms "top" and "bottom" should be construed with reference to the orientation of the seat and the backrest in particular, and not with reference to the true vertical.

In some embodiments, the front surface of the headrest body portion may be "tear drop" shaped, such that the body portion has a forwardly protruding, bulbous lower region and a thinner upper region. Suitably, the front surface of the headrest may have a slope in the range 1 in 5 to 1 in 2, e.g., about 1 in 3. Typically, the sloped front surface of the headrest body portion may also be slightly concave in vertical cross-section. It has been found that such a shape of the headrest body portion advantageously provides good support for the head and neck of persons using the seat of a range of different heights. Further, the front surface of the headrest body portion may be configured such that it tapers forwardly more in a central region between the side regions than at said side regions. In this way, the concave front surface may have a deeper curve towards its top than towards its bottom.

The concave front surface may, in some embodiments, the generally circular cross-section, with a smaller radius at the top than at the bottom. Thus, the concave front surface may define a central pad that is positioned generally symmetrically intermediate the side regions, towards the bottom of the front surface. By providing support to the neck of the person using the seat, the headrest body portion may also serve to prevent the head from tipping and falling forwards during periods of relaxation when the neck muscles relax.

The wedge-shaped headrest body portion may also be employed in other headrests that do not protrude forwardly at the sides; and accordingly in a different distinct aspect of the present invention there is provided a headrest for a seat, which headrest has a top and bottom and a front surface for supporting the head or neck of a person using the seat, the front surface being wedge-shaped, tapering in a forwards direction from the top to the bottom of the headrest, such that the front surface extends into the nape of the person using the seat.

As described above, the wedge-shaped headrest may support the neck and the base of the person's skull and, in particular, the wedge-shaped front surface of the headrest may extend below the person's occipital bone.

The wedge shaped headrest body portion as described above has been found to be particularly advantageous when used on reclinable seats in conjunction with attaching means that permit vertical adjustment of the position of the headrest body portion relative to the seat as described above; since for a given passenger, a different vertical position of the headrest may be desirable when the seat is upright from when the seat is reclined. In a reclined position, it has been found that it is generally desirable for a headrest to support the head a little further forwards off the seat than in the upright position; and accordance with the present invention the position of the headrest body portion may be adjusted in the direction generally parallel to the neck of the passenger, such that the passenger's head contacts the front surface of the body portion at a position where the gradated slope defined by the wedge shape affords the correct degree of support off the surface of the seat. -10-

In yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a seat comprising a headrest assembly in accordance with the invention. In some embodiments, said seat may be a vehicle seat for a passenger vehicle, especially a passenger aircraft.

When used in conjunction with a reclinable seat, the headrest assembly of the invention may provide improved support for the neck in the reclined position. This improved support enables a person using the seat to relax during a long journey without repeated awakening, muscle cramps, pain or ongoing discomfort.

Suitably said seat may be configured for being arranged in rows in the manner commonly found in passenger vehicles, especially aircraft. The headrest assembly of the invention is especially suitable for use with vehicle seats for use in the economy class section of a passenger aircraft, where a pitch between adjacent rows of seats is typically in the range 3 1-35 inches. It has been found that the headrest assembly of the present invention may have a compact design that is suitable for use in such an arrangement where the seats are packed closely together.

Following is a description by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings of embodiments of the present invention.

In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a headrest assembly according to the present invention fitted to a seat.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the headrest assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the headrest assembly of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the headrest assembly of FIGS. 1-3.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the headrest assembly of FIGS. 1-4.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the headrest assembly of FIGS. 1-5, showing the headrest assembly fitted to the backrest of a seat which is illustrated schematically.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the headrest assembly of FIGS. 1-6.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the headrest of FIGS. 1-7 on the line VIlI-Vill of FIG 5.

FIG. 9 is a partially cut away isometric view showing the front surface of a backrest of a seat and part of the headrest assembly of FIGS. 1-8, illustrating how the headrest assembly is attached to the backrest.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the headrest assembly of FIGS. 1-9, showing the rotational movement of the headrest assembly.

FIG. 11 is a side view of the upper ends of the backrests of two adjacent seats, each of which is fitted with a headrest assembly in accordance with the invention, showing the vertical adjustment of the headrest assembly.

FIG. 12A is a plan view of two-adjacent seats, each of which is fitted with a headrest assembly according to the invention, showing how the headrests of the two adjacent seats can be rotated to increase privacy between the two seats.

FIG. 12B is a plan view similar to FIG. 12A, showing how the headrest assemblies of the two seats can be adjusted to increase privacy for the users of the two seats together.

A headrest assembly 10 according to the present invention comprises a headrest body portion 12 for attachment to a front surface 102 of a backrest 104 of a seat 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the headrest body portion 12 is adapted to be attached to the front surface 102 of the backrest 104 at or near an upper end 103 of the backrest 104.

As best seen in FIG. 8, the headrest body portion 12 comprises a substantially rigid backing plate 20 having a front surface 22 and a rear surface 24 and a shaped layer of foam or other suitable padding material 30 having a front surface 32, which layer 30 is fixedly secured to the front surface 22 of the backing plate 20. Said backing plate 20 may be made from any suitably strong, lightweight material, but in some embodiments a fibre-reinforced plastic composite material is preferred. The layer of foam or other padding material is shaped as described in more detail below. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the headrest body portion 12 may also comprise a fitted cover 38 that fits over the layer of foam or other -12 -padding material 30 to protect the layer 30 and provide a more attractive finish. For example, the fitted cover may be made of fabric or leather. The layer of foam or other padding material 30 that is attached to the front surface 22 of the backing plate 20 may be shaped in any manner to provide a comfortable supporting surface for the head of a person.

using the seat; and the thickness of the layer may be adjusted as desired.

The headrest body portion 12 has a top 14, a bottom 16 and side regions 17, 18. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 in which the fitted cover 38 is omitted, the backing plate 20 is arcuate such that its front surface 22 is concave and its rear surface 24 is convex; said backing plate 20 extends between opposite lateral ends 27, 28 thereof, which ends protrude forwardly as a result of the curvature of the backing plate 20, as best seen in FIG. 6. The backing plate 20 is substantially circular in cross-section. Juxtaposed each lateral end 27, 28, the backing plate 20 forms a respective side region 17, 18 of the headrest body portion 12.

The dimensions of the headrest 10 may be adjusted as desired; but in accordance with the invention the concave front surface 32 of the body portion 12 is shaped to accommodate the head of a person using the seat 100, such that the side regions 17, 18 of the body portion 12 are disposed on opposite sides of the persons head for supporting the same. As illustrated, the front surface of the layer of foam or other padding material 30 is generally circular in cross-section, like the backing plate 20, but in other embodiments the concave front surface may deviate from circular if desired. As shown in FIG. 6, the headrest body portion 12 may extend along an arc of about 180°, such that at the lateral ends 27, 28 of the backing plate 20, the side regions protrude substantially forwardly which can give an overall shape that is generally semi-circular.

In a particular aspect of the present invention, the layer of foam or other padding material 30 is wedge-shaped as shown in FIG. 8, such that it tapers progressively forwardly from the backing plate 20 from the top 14 of the body portion 12 to the bottom 16. The layer of foam or other padding material 30 has a front surface 32 which may be generally "teardrop" shaped as shown in FIG.8, having a forwardly protruding, bulbous lower region 36 and a thinner upper region 34, the lower region 36 being configured to extend into the nape of the neck of the person using the seat to support the person's neck at the base of -13 -their skull. Suitably, the layer of foam or other padding material 30 may be at least 50% thicker at its widest part towards the bottom 16 than at its top 14, such that the front surface 32 forms a gradual slope having a gradient of about 1:3. In other embodiments; the front surface 32 of the foam or other padding material layer 30 may have a gradient in the rangel:2-1:5.

As best illustrated in FIG. 6, the bulbous lower region 36 of the layer of foam or other padding material 30 may be thicker towards a central region 19 of the headrest body portion than at the side regions 17, 18, such that the bulbous lower region 36 forms a central pad 33. In this way, the radius of the front surface 32 of the headrest body portion 12 may be shorter at the top 14 than at the bottom 16, such that the front surface 32 of the headrest body portion has a deeper curve towards the top 14 than the bottom 16. The wedge shape of the layer of foam or other padding material 30 advantageously provides effective support for the head and neck of persons of a range of different heights.

This particular shaping of the headrest body portion 12 to provide the wedge shape between its top 14 and bottom 16 may also be applied to other headrests (not illustrated) which need not be arcuate in the same way as the headrest 10 illustrated in the accompanying drawing or moveable (as described in more detail below).

The rear surface 24 of the backing plate 20 is shaped intermediate the top 14 and bottom 16 of the body portion 12 to provide an arcuate track 40 that extends longitudinally in the direction between the lateral ends 27, 28 of the backing plate 20. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the track 40 is formed integrally with the backing plate 20; but in other embodiments the track 40 may comprise a separate track part that can be fixedly secured to the backing plate 20 in an equivalent manner.

The track 40 has first and second ends 47, 48 disposed respectively juxtaposed the ends 27, 28 of the backing plate 20 and comprises two elongate, rearwardly protruding, L-shaped walls 42, 43 that oppose one another to form an elongate slot 45 therebetween, which slot extends between the first and second ends 47, 48 of the track 40. As can be seen from FIGS. 5 and 6, the track extends round a major portion of the rear surface 24 of the backing plate to cover an arc of about 90°. -14-

As best seen in FIG. 8, the L-shaped walls 42, 43 define an elongate recess 48 within the track 40 intermediate the layer of foam or other padding material 30. Said recess 48 accommodates snugly a shaped slider part 52, which may suitably be made from a plastics material for sliding reciprocally within the track 40 between the first and second ends 47, 48 thereof. The slider part 52 has first and second lateral ends 57, 58 and is curved to correspond to the curvature of the arcuate track 40; a rearwardly protruding rib 59 that extends longitudinally between said ends 57, 58 affords additional strength.

Said slider part 52 forms part of a bracket assembly 50 for moveably attaching the headrest body portion 12 to the front surface 102 of the backrest 104 of the seat 100.

Said bracket assembly 50 further comprises two shaped blocks 53, 54 that may be made from the same plastics material as the slider part 52 and are fixedly secured to said slider part 52 at the respective opposite ends 57, 58 thereof by means of a plurality of bolts 72 that extend through the slider member 52 and the respective blocks 53, 54 and are retained in position by means of nuts in the manner well known to those skilled in the art as shown inFIG.9.

Each block 53, 54 has a shaped front surface 62 as described in more detail below and a rear slider portion 63 having a substantially flat rear surface 64 and spaced, vertically extending lateral grooves 65 for engagement with corresponding track members 113, 114 provided on the backrest 104, As best shown in FIGS. 3, 5, 7 and 8, the rear slider portions 63 of the blocks 53, 54 extend substantially orthogonally to the longitudinal direction of the track 40.

The shaped front surface 62 of each block 53, 54 is shaped to follow the shape of the rear outer surfaces of the L-shaped walls 42, 43 of the track 40 as best shown in FIG. 7; and each block 53, 54 comprises a forwardly extending, central lug 68 that extends through the slot 45 between the L-shaped walls 42, 43 and abuts stably against the rear surface of the slider part 52.

With the blocks 53, 54 fixedly secured to the slider part 52, the slider part 52 and blocks 53, 54 define generally L-shaped channels between the curved front surfaces 62 of the blocks 53, 54 and the rear surface of the slider part 52, which L-shaped channels -15 -accommodate snugly the L-shaped walls 42, 43 of the track 40, such that the bracket assembly 50 can slide stably along the track 40 between the first and second ends 47, 48 thereofwithoutjuddering. Suitably, the slider member 52 and blocks 53, 54 may be made from a low friction plastics material. The fit between L-shaped walls 42, 43 and the L-shaped channels defined by the slider part 52 and blocks 53, 54 should be sufficiently tight as to prevent free sliding of the bracket assembly 50 along the track 40 and cause the bracket assembly 50 to be retained in any desired position along the track 40, but should not be so tight as to make movement of the bracket assembly 50 by hand along the track 40 unduly difficult. Suitably, the bracket assembly 50 and the track 40 form a detent (not shown) at a position generally midway between the first and second ends 47, 48 of the track 40, for locating the bracket assembly 50 in a centre position. The person skilled in the art will know various different ways of achieving such a detent, including, for example, moulding the L-shaped walls 42, 43 of the track 40 with a slight recess at the centre position.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 5, upper ends of the blocks 53, 54 carry a metal bar 74 that extends therebetween, which bar 74 carries a depending slotted spring member 76 that extends vertically over the track 40 between the two blocks 53, 54 at a position substantially level with the rear surfaces 64 thereof. The spring member 76 may be made from any suitably resilient metal that forms a spring. The spring member 76 has upper and lower ends 77, 78 and curves forwardly towards the backing plate 20 of the headrest body portion 12 at each end, and defines an elongate, vertically extending slot 80, which is enlarged at the upper end 77 of the spring member 76 to allow the head of a bolt 115 secured to the front surface 102 of the backrest 104 to be entered through the slot as described in greater detail below. The lower end 78 forms a finger-engaging tab to provide a quick release mechanism for the headrest 10 as described in more detail below.

With reference to FIGS. 6 and 9, the rear slider portions 65 of blocks 53, 54 are configured to engage slideably in said corresponding track members 113, 114 provided on the front surface of 102 of the backrest 104 of the seat 100. Said track members 113, 114 extend substantially vertically with respect to the backrest 104, such that movement of the blocks 53, 54 along the track members 113, 114 causes movement of the headrest 10 in the general vertical direction with respect to the backrest 104. -16-

It will be appreciated that in many seats, as illustrated in FIG. 11 for example, the backrest is capable of being reclined, in which case the vertical direction defined by the backrest, which is generally parallel to the spine of a person using the seat, will not necessarily be truly vertical. Instead, the term "vertical" is used herein to mean generally the up-down direction relative to the backrest of the seat.

Each of the track members 113, 114 is fitted with a plurality of spaced spring members 118 for urging the block members 53, 54 forwardly with respect to the backrest to tighten the engagement between the rear slider portions 65 of the blocks 53, 54 and the respective track members 113, 114, thereby to prevent unwanted sliding of the headrest 10 along the tracks 113, 114 and to retain the headrest 10 in position unless it is moved by hand.

As mentioned above, the front surface 102 of the backrest 104 is also fitted with a forwardly protruding bolt 115 (see FIG. 9) which engages in the slot 80 of the slotted spring member 76, with the head of the bolt 115 being entrapped forwardly of the spring member 76 by the spring member itself The slotted spring member 76 is configured such that the bolt 115 and cannot normally pass the upper or lower ends 77, 78, thus providing end stops for vertical movement of the headrest 10 relative to the seat. However, to release the headrest from the seat, the lower end 78 of the spring member 76 may be depressed by hand by engaging the tab 78 at the lower end and urging it rearwardly against the spring towards the front surface of the seat 102, such that the head of the bolt 115 is then able to pass through the enlarged upper end 77.

FIG. 11 of the accompanying drawings shows the upper parts of the backrest 104, 104' of two adjacent seats 100, 100', each fitted with a headrest 10, 10' as hereinbefore described.

The chain-dot line in FIG. 11 shows how the vertical position of the headrest 10 may be adjusted relative to the backrest 104.

In order to fit the headrest 10 to the backrest 104 of the seat 100, the headrest 10 is held in position juxtaposed the backrest 104, with the rear slider portions 65 of blocks 53, 54 generally aligned with the track members 113, 114 on the seat 100. The lower tab 78 of the slotted spring member 76 is pushed rearwardly away from the rear surface of the headrest body portion 12, and the upper end 77 of the member 76 is entered over the head -17 -of the bolt 115, such that the bolt 115 enters the slot. The rear slider portions 65 of blocks 53,54 are slid into the respective tracks 113, 114. The spring member 76 can then be released and the headrest 10 moved vertically along the tracks 113, 114 to its desired position, excessive movement of the headrest 10 being prevented by engagement of the bolt 115 in the slot.

When fitted to a seat 100, the bracket assembly 50 of the headrest 10 according to the invention allows movement of the headrest body portion 12 with respect to the backrest 104, by permitting the bracket assembly 50 to slide along the track 40 that is provided on the rear surface 24 of the backing plate 20 of the headrest body portion 12. When fitted, the bracket assembly 50 remains stationary with respect to the backrest 104 (apart from the possibility of vertical movement relative thereto as described above) and the headrest body portion 12 slides relative to the bracket assembly 50 to allow side-to-side movement of the headrest body portion 12 along the arcuate track 40 between the first and second ends 47, 48 thereof This longitudinal side-to-side movement of the headrest body portion 12 relative to the bracket assembly 50 produces rotational movement of the front surface 32 of the headrest body portion 12, allowing the extent to which the side regions 17, 18 of the headrest body portion 12 protrude forwardly relative to the seat 100 to be adjusted. This is best shown in FIG. 10 of the drawings which shows in chain-dot lines the rotation of the headrest body portion 12 from the middle position defined by the detent in which the bracket assembly 50 is positioned substantially centrally with respect to the track 40 and a rotated position in which the bracket assembly 50 is disposed at one end of the track 40 owing to movement of the track 40 relative to the bracket assembly 50, and one side region 18 protrudes forwardly to a greater extent with respect to the backrest 104 than the other' side region 17. Owing to the curvature of the body portion 12 and the length of the track 40, the body portion is able to rotate through an angle of at least about 20° and preferably more to each side of the central position.

In this way, the position of the headrest body portion 12 can be adjusted by a person using the seat to provide a comfortable support for the side of his or her head. The person using the seat can thus adjust the side-to-side position the headrest body portion 12 to provide a surface on which he or she may lean his or her head to the side for sleeping. This provides -18 -a substantially more comfortable arrangement for sleeping or relaxing than a headrest which provides little or no support for the side of the head.

In addition, as the person relaxes in the seat, the wedge shape of the layer of foam or other padding material 30 on the front surface 22 of the backing plate 20 of the headrest body portion 12 provides proper support for the person's neck and base of his or her skull, so that the person's neck does not have to support the entire weight of his or her head.

Further, where the seat is reclinable, the vertical position of the headrest 10 relative to the backrest 104 can be adjusted according to the angle of recline. It has been found that persons using the seat generally prefer their heads to be supported further off the backrest in a reclining position than in an upright position. By adjusting the vertical position of the headrest 10 of the present invention, the point on the wedge shaped front surface 32 of the layer of foam or other padding material 30 that contacts the back of the person's head can be adjusted to provide the desired degree of "lift" for the person off the backrest.

A further beneficial feature of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 12A and 12B which show two adjacent seats 100, 100', each of which is fitted with a headrest 10, 10'as hereinbefore described. The headrests 10, 10' of the two adjacent seats 100, 100' can be adjusted so that in each seat a different side region 17, 18 of the headrest body portion 12, 12' protrudes more forwardly of the backrest 104, 104'. In this way, the headrests 10, 10' can be adjusted to increase privacy between the two adjoining seats 100, 100' as shown in FIG. 12A; or can be adjusted to increase the privacy (intimacy) for the two seats together as shown in FIG. 12B. In the former case, as illustrated in FIG. 12A, the side regions 17, 18' of the headrest 10, 10' which are nearest to one another may be positioned more forwardly of the backrest 104, 104' than the other side regions 17', 18; and in the later case, as illustrated in FIG. 12B the side regions 17, 18' of the headrests 10, 10' that are disposed closest to one another may be positioned so that they protrude less far forwardly relative to the backrests 104, 104' than the side regions 17', 18 of the two headrests 10, 10' that are disposed furthest away from one another. -19-

Claims

CLAIMS1. A headrest assembly (10) for a seat (100); which headrest assembly comprises a headrest body portion (12) having a concave front surface (32) and for supporting the head or neck of a person using the seat, said front surface having two opposing side regions (17,18); and means (50) for attaching the headrest body portion movably to the seat, such that the two opposing side regions of the front surface protrude forwardly with respect to the seat for supporting respective opposite sides of the person's head or neck; and wherein the attaching means are adapted to permit movement of the headrest body portion with respect to the seat such that the front surface (32) can be rotated relative to the seat for adjusting the extent to which the side regions protrude in the forwards direction.
2. A headrest assembly as claimed in claim 1; wherein said body portion (12) further comprises a convex rear surface (24) having two opposite lateral ends (27,28), each of which is juxtaposed a respective one of the side regions (17,18) of the front surface (32); and said attaching means (50) comprise an elongate arcuate track (40) that extends in a direction between said opposite lateral ends and a track follower (52,53,54), one of the track and track follower being connected to the rear surface (24) of the body portion and the other being connected to the seat (100) for allowing translational movement of the headrest body portion along said arcuate track, thereby to rotate said front surface.
3. A headrest assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein elongate track (40) is provided on the rear surface (24) of the body portion (12) and the track follower (52,53,54) forms part of a bracket assembly (50) that can be mounted to the seat.
4. A headrest assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein said bracket assembly (50) comprises one or more sliders (63) that are configured to engage slidably in one or more corresponding linear tracks (113,114) fitted to the seat (100) to permit translational movement of the bracket assembly relative to the seat, said one or more linear tracks being oriented orthogonally to the arcuate track (40) in a direction generally parallel to the neck of a person using the seat, whereby the position of the headrest body portion relative to the seat can be adjusted according to the height of the person.
5. A headrest assembly as claimed in claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3; wherein said attaching means (50) further permit translational movement of the headrest body portion (12) relative to the seat (100) in a direction parallel to the neck of a person using the seat for adjusting the position of the headrest body portion according to the height of the person.
6. A headrest assembly as claimed in any preceding claim; wherein said body portion (12) has a top (14) and bottom (16), and said front surface (32) is wedge shaped, tapering in a forwards direction from the top to the bottom of the body portion, such that the front surface extends into the nape of the person's neck.
7. A headrest (10) for a seat (100); which headrest has a top (14) and bottom (16) and a front surface (32) for supporting the head or neck of a person using the seat, the front surface being wedge shaped tapering in a forwards direction from the top to the bottom of the headrest, such that the front surface extends into the nape of the person's neck.
8. A seat (100) comprising a headrest assembly (10) as claimed in any of claims 1-7.
9. A vehicle seat assembly comprising a plurality of adjacent seats (100,100') and a common supporting frame for supporting the seats off the floor of a vehicle, each have said adjacent seats comprising a headrest assembly (10,10') as claimed in any of claims 1-6, the arrangement being such that the headrest body portions (12,12') of a pair of neighbouring seats can be rotated in opposite directions from one another relative to the respective seats to form an area of increased privacy for the occupants of the pair of seats.