JP2005224447A - Headrest - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a headrest preventing its form in transportation from getting bulky and reducing a physical distribution cost and the like by reviewing an execution order of each process related to a manufacture such as bending and plating of a stay by effectively using the inner structure of a headrest. <P>SOLUTION: This headrest is so constituted that the stay 16 is formed by previously plating a rod member 20 of a necessary length and bending it into a necessary shape, and bending parts 16a and 16a of the stay 16 are covered with an elastic body to be formed into a cushion material. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a headrest, and more particularly to a headrest that can reduce logistics costs and the like by effectively utilizing the structure of the headrest.

  In general, a headrest is attached to an automobile seat for the purpose of protecting a passenger's head in the event of an accident collision. As shown in FIG. 1, the headrest 12 with which the head of the occupant abuts has a cushion material 14 made of an elastic material such as a foam having an external contour shape and absorbing an impact at the time of collision, and the cushion material. 14, the head rest 12 is supported by being embedded, and the stay 16 serving as a mounting portion for the seat body 10 is basically configured. The surface of the headrest 12 is covered with an appropriately selected skin material 18.

  The headrest 12 is manufactured as follows, for example. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, a rod 16 such as a metal round bar or pipe is bent into a required shape (see FIG. 7A) and plated to produce a stay 16 on which a plated layer 15 is formed. (See FIG. 7 (b)), for example, the stay 16 is positioned in a molding die 30 provided with a cavity 32 having an outer contour shape of the headrest 12 (see FIG. 7 (c)). The headrest 12 was manufactured by pouring it into the cushion material 14 (see FIG. 7D). Here, the stay 16 was processed in the order of bending a rod-shaped member 20 having a required length as a material into a required shape by using a bender or a press, and then plating. This is because when the stay 16 is formed by forming the plating layer 15 on the rod-like member 20 such as a round bar and making the stay 16, the deformation that cannot follow the plating layer 15 in the vicinity of the bent portions 16a, 16a, which are the bent portions. This is because so-called micro-cracks occur and the part comes into contact with corrosion factors such as oxygen and moisture, which may cause rusting or peeling of the plating layer 15 over time. That is, in the headrest that is considered to be used for a long time, it is considered that an unacceptable problem occurs in relation to durability.

  However, the headrest according to the prior art has the merit of preventing the occurrence of microcracks, but in order to bend the rod-like member 20 such as a round bar into the required shape in advance to form the stay 16 before transporting it to the plating factory, There is a problem that the packing cost is large and bulky, and the logistics cost is soaring. In addition, since the plating factory has an environmental problem of waste liquid treatment, the location conditions are generally limited, and it is often located far from the manufacturing factory of the headrest 12. Therefore, (1) processing and production of the stay 16 at the headrest 12 or stay 16 manufacturing factory, (2) transportation, (3) formation of the plating layer 15 on the processed stay 16 at the plating factory, and (4) transportation. (5) It is necessary to take a complicated procedure such as integration of the stay 16 formed with the plating layer 15 and the cushion material 14 at the manufacturing plant of the headrest 12, An increase in manufacturing cost is inevitable.

  In order to overcome the above-mentioned problems and achieve the intended purpose, the headrest according to the present invention is prepared by pre-plating a rod-shaped member having a required length and then bending it into a required shape. A cushioning material is provided by covering with an elastic body.

  As described above, according to the headrest according to the present invention, when the stay is processed, the plating is performed prior to the bending process. Transportation in the form of a rod-shaped member such as a round bar or a pipe becomes possible, and the distribution cost can be greatly reduced. This is because the location conditions are limited, and the effect is greater as the plating plant is located far away from the headrest manufacturing plant. In addition, the manufacturing cost itself can be reduced, such as simplification of packing and reduction of burden on workers.

  Next, the headrest according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings together with the manufacturing method thereof by giving a preferred embodiment. The inventor of the present application optimizes a complicated process procedure that has never been considered from the viewpoint of durability in long-term use by effectively utilizing the structure of the headrest, and has never been avoided until now. It has been found that costs can be reduced. Moreover, about the headrest demonstrated by background art, while attaching the same reference number about the same member, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the headrest 12 is basically composed of a cushion material 14 that absorbs an impact at the time of a collision and a stay 16 that has a substantially U shape. Here, a plating layer 15 of a required metal is formed on the surface of the stay 16. In the headrest 12, the stay 16 is inserted into the seat body 10 and has a general structure that is continuously covered with the cushion material 14 without any gap except for the portion where the headrest 12 is attached to the seat body 10. 2 and FIG. 3, that is, the rod-shaped member preparation step S1, the rod-shaped member plating step S2, the rod-shaped member bending step S3, the cushion material forming step S4, and the final step S5. The rod-shaped member preparation step S <b> 1 is a step of preparing a rod-shaped member 20 that is a base that is subjected to a bending process and becomes a stay 16. For example, a metal round bar or pipe having a material and dimensions satisfying the strength and weight corresponding to the sheet body 10 to be used is employed.

  The bar-shaped member plating step S2 suppresses corrosion phenomenon such as rust due to aging of the headrest 12 over the entire surface of the bar-shaped member 20 processed into the stay 16 by a known technique, and the surface of the stay 16 is glossy or the like. This is a step of forming the plating layer 15 by applying a metal such as chromium to improve the merchantability (see FIG. 3B). As the metal for plating, nickel or the like that exhibits high stability against oxygen and moisture and can improve corrosion resistance and the like can also be used. In general, the plating process for the rod-shaped member 20 is performed after the rod-shaped member 20 is bent into the shape of the stay 16 as described above ([0003]). However, in the present invention, the plating process is performed prior to the bending process. Yes. Therefore, the surface state of the rod-shaped member 20 to be plated is more uniform, and there is almost no need to worry about minute projections on the surface that cause the plating layer 15 to be unevenly distributed, so high-quality plating is easily performed. Can do.

  The rod-shaped member bending step S3 is a step of bending the rod-shaped member 20 on which the plating layer 15 is already formed into a shape of the stay 16 by performing a bending process using a known means such as a bender or a press. In the case of the present embodiment, the straight rod-like member 20 is bent into two substantially straight portions and processed into a substantially U-shape (see FIG. 3C). In this case, in the two bent portions 16a, 16a bent substantially at right angles, particularly in the outer edge portion or the vicinity of the inner edge portion that is physically extended or compressed, as described above ([0003]), the microcrack Will occur. In the microcrack generation portion, the plating layer 15 is minutely broken and becomes discontinuous, and the material of the rod-shaped member 20 is directly exposed (see FIG. 3D).

  The rod-like member 20 constituting the stay 16 in such a state can come into contact with a corrosive element that generates rust such as oxygen or moisture, peeling of the plating layer 15, or the like. For this reason, there is a problem in adopting it as a member of automobiles and the like which are durable consumer goods, but in the case of the present invention, a bent part that becomes a problem by passing through a cushion material forming step S4 described later ([0012]). Not only the vicinity of 16a, 16a but also the substantially entire stay 16 is covered with an elastic body. That is, since there is no possibility of coming into contact with external oxygen or moisture, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of rust and peeling of the plating layer 15 described above.

  In the cushion material molding step S4, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, a cavity 32 having a shape that matches the external contour shape of the headrest 12 to be manufactured is provided, and the stay 16 is positioned and arranged at a required position in the mold 30 that is open. (See FIG. 4A), the mold 30 is closed, and the raw material forming the cushion material 14 is injected into the cavity 32 through an injection hole (not shown) (see FIG. 4B). This is a step of curing and developing required elasticity, and molding / demolding the cushion material 14 covering the stay 16 (see FIG. 4C). The material of the cushion material 14 is preferably a foam made of a polyurethane resin having sufficient elasticity, flexibility, lightness, etc. as a headrest 12 for automobiles, that is, an elastic body such as polyurethane foam. Solid bodies can also be used. The skin material 18 is omitted for the sake of simplicity.

  In the present invention, the raw material of the cushion material 14 is in a predetermined fluidized state before the reaction, and is cured by, for example, mixing or heating the raw material to be molded into a required shape, such as polyurethane resin. For this reason, it has an effect of adhering to an object in contact during curing. For this reason, the stay 16 and the cushion material 14 injected into the mold 30 and cured are in a bonded state without being subjected to pretreatment. That is, the stay 16 is almost entirely covered by the cushion material 14 around the stay 16. Further, the cushion material 14 made of a cured polyurethane resin or the like has a structurally little air permeability (details will be described later ([0014])). Therefore, the microcracks generated in the bent portions 16a and 16a are also uniformly covered with the cushion material 14 and are completely isolated from the external environment, that is, oxygen and moisture. 15 peeling or the like can be avoided.

In addition, the foam suitably used for the cushioning material 14 is flexible so as to provide comfort for the occupant with various physical properties such as flexibility while maintaining the appearance and maintaining the merchantability in recent years. In general, it is manifested as a material and no bubble breaking treatment such as crushing is performed. Accordingly, the bubble breaking treatment is not performed even with respect to the headlet according to the present invention, and the air permeability is very small, and the air flow rate measured by the method according to JIS L 1096 is 5 to 60 ml / cm ² · sec. It is preferably set in the range of 10 to 40 ml / cm ² · sec. If this number is less than 5ml ^/ cm 2 · sec, is unsuitable to the headrest expressing the low air amount thus elasticity is high, and if in the range of 5~10ml ^/ cm 2 · sec, use as a headrest However, it is inferior in comfort because of its strong elasticity. On the other hand, if it exceeds 60 ml / cm ² · sec, the cushioning property that can be suitably used as a headrest is not achieved, and the inside of the cushion material 14 has a substantially open cell structure, so that the bent portions 16a, 16a Although there is a high risk of contact with moisture and the like, and it can be suitably used as a headrest when it is in the range of 40-60 ml / cm ² · sec, the cushioning material 14 is designed for other factors such as increasing the material elasticity. There is a problem that the production needs to be complicated due to the necessity of optimization. In addition, since the air flow rate measured by the method according to JIS L 1096 is a numerical value using a foamed slab as a test piece, like the headrest according to the present invention, the skin material 18 or the molding is performed. In the case of the cushioning material 14 having the skin layer to be formed, the actual air flow rate is further reduced. In such a cushioning material 14, there is almost no permeation of oxygen and moisture from the outside to the inside structurally, and there is no problem in implementing the present invention.

  In the vicinity of the bent portions 16a and 16a, the above-described micro cracks are generated, that is, the concave and convex portions are formed from a micro viewpoint. For this reason, the cushioning material 14 that covers the vicinity of the bent portions 16a, 16a has a large physical contact area with respect to the stay 16, and a so-called anchor effect is generated. Therefore, the cushioning material 14 is stronger than the other parts. It is in a coated state. Therefore, even if the joining force of the covering of the cushioning material 14 with respect to the stay 16 is reduced due to aging due to the use of the headrest 12 and the cushioning material 14 is peeled off from the stay 16, the vicinity of the bent portions 16a and 16a can be obtained. This phenomenon can be avoided, and the occurrence of rust and the like can be prevented over a long period of time. Further, even when the cushion material 14 covering the vicinity of the bent portions 16a and 16a is peeled off, the bent portions 16a and 16a are not peeled off at all portions extending along the stay 16 to the outside. Since oxygen and moisture do not reach the vicinity, it cannot substantially occur if the headrest 12 is normally used. Because of the above-mentioned physical anchoring effect, not only chromium, which is a common metal for plating, but also high corrosion resistance, it has a high probability of occurrence of microcracks due to its low ductility, so it has been difficult to adopt so far. Nickel or the like can also be suitably used.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the same effect can be expected for a headrest 40 that employs a stay 42 that is not a substantially U-shape but is complicated by adding a member for another purpose. Here, in the stay 42, a variable tilt mechanism 44 for tilting and supporting the head in the front-rear direction at a required angle is incorporated in a corresponding portion that is supported by the head of the occupant when the stay 42 is assembled to the seat body 10. Is. The variable tilt mechanism 44 includes a known, for example, notch structure (not shown) that can adjust the tilt angle stepwise or steplessly, and is pivotally supported with a horizontal portion of the stay 42 as a rotation axis. It has become. Even in the stay 42 having such a shape, the bent portions 42a and 42a in the vicinity of the micro-cracks caused by the bending of the rod-shaped member 20 are covered with the cushioning material 14, and thus do not come into contact with oxygen or moisture. . Since the cushion material 14 is joined to both the stay 42 and the variable tilt mechanism 44 that rotates by a predetermined angle, when the variable tilt mechanism 44 is tilted, a part of the cushion material 14 is used. However, since the elastic body constituting the cushion member 14 has the required flexibility and can be easily deformed, there is no particular problem.

  The final step S5 is a step of performing post-processing, various inspections, and the like on the headrest 12 manufactured through the above-described steps S1 to S4. The headrest 12 is completed through this step S5.

  Here, the stays 16 and 42 whose shapes are substantially U-shaped have been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, a stay 52 having a structure in which a plurality of bent portions 52 a are formed and covered with a cushion material 14 is used in a headrest 50 having a large front-rear width that is preferably used for a rear seat. Is also applicable. In this way, if the stay has a bent portion and the portion is covered with the cushion material, the same beneficial effect can be expected.

1 is a schematic perspective view showing a headrest partly cut away according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It is process drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the headrest which concerns on an Example. It is explanatory drawing explaining a series of processes which process the rod-shaped member in manufacture of the headrest which concerns on an Example into a stay. It is explanatory drawing explaining an example of shaping | molding of the cushion material in manufacture of the headrest which concerns on an Example. It is a schematic perspective view which partially cuts and shows a headrest provided with an inclination mechanism. It is a schematic perspective view which cuts out and partially shows the headrest using the stay whose shape was made into shapes other than a substantially U shape. It is explanatory drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the headrest which concerns on a prior art.

Explanation of symbols

14 Cushion material 16 Stay 16a Bending portion 20 Bar-shaped member 42 Stay 42a Bending portion 52 Stay 52a Bending portion

Claims (4)

Preliminarily plating the rod-shaped member (20) of the required length and bending it into the required shape to produce the stay (16, 42, 52), and the bent portion (16a, 42a, A headrest characterized in that a cushioning material (14) is obtained by applying an elastic covering to 52a).   The headrest according to claim 1, wherein a foam such as polyurethane foam is used as the elastic body. The headrest according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a ventilation amount of the elastic body based on JIS L 1096 is set in a range of 5 to 60 ml / cm ² · sec. The headrest according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the elastic body has an air flow rate in accordance with JIS L 1096 set in a range of 10 to 40 ml / cm ² · sec.

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