JP2009234286A - Head rest device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a head rest device for a vehicle capable of making compatible hardness required at a rear-end collision of the vehicle and softness required for comfortability without giving an incompatible sense. <P>SOLUTION: The head rest device for the vehicle is provided with a frame member 31 for forming a skeleton of a head rest 4 while having an opening 31a opened in a seat longitudinal direction at a central part; a cushion 5 having a peripheral edge supported on the frame member 31 to cover the opening 31a and capable of shock-absorbing a load inputted from a head of an occupant; a head support plate 30 arranged at a rear side of a cushion 5 while opposing the opening 31a and having a support surface 30a capable of supporting the load by the head of the occupant inputted to the cushion 5; and a movement mechanism 20 for moving the head support plate 30 between a reference position where the support surface 30a is brought into a contact state with the cushion 5 and a retreating position where the support surface 30a is brought into a leaving state from the cushion 5. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle headrest device capable of changing the hardness of a headrest.

  Generally, when an occupant such as a passenger seat puts the head on the headrest when the vehicle travels, if the headrest (cushion) is hard, the head and the headrest are pointed. It will be damaged. The curved shape of the head related to this holding property has a large individual difference. Further, even when the vehicle is not running, the head body pressure is concentrated on the hit points, so that passenger comfort is impaired. However, in order to prevent cervical spine damage at the time of vehicle rear-end collision (collision from the rear), so-called whipping, the headrest is required to have hardness, and if the headrest is softly set so that body pressure can be dispersed to improve comfort The inertia at the time of rear impact may cause the head to sink and whipping.

  On the other hand, if the head retention (stability) in the left-right direction is poor, the head does not fit the headrest, so that the muscles around the neck are burdened to maintain the posture of the head. In particular, if a lateral gravity is applied when the vehicle travels, the head is shaken.

  In addition, when the seat back is reclined at a torso angle of 40-50 degrees and the head is placed on the headrest when resting, the seat front and back position of the headrest is the surface position where the epidermis is the same as the seatback or slightly forward Although it is excellent in comfort, the headrest tends to be disposed so as to protrude too far to the front side of the seat. This is because, when the seat back is reclined with a torso angle of 30 degrees, for example, when the vehicle is traveling, it is preferable that the headrest is located on the front side of the seat in order to prevent lashing at the time of rear-end collision.

  As described above, the headrest is required to have a contradictory performance between ensuring the safety at the time of rear-end collision and ensuring the comfort when the head is put on the headrest. Changes are being considered.

  Conventionally, various types of vehicle headrest devices capable of changing the hardness of the headrest have been proposed. For example, in the vehicle headrest device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the cushion of the headrest is in a soft state during normal use, and the cushion is compressed by pressing with a plate or an airbag when a pre-crash is detected when a vehicle rear-end collision is predicted. To harden the cushion.

Moreover, in the vehicle headrest apparatus of patent document 2, a headrest is adjusted to favorite hardness and shape by compression and expansion | swelling of the airbag incorporated in a headrest.
Furthermore, in the vehicle headrest device disclosed in Patent Document 3, the left and right pads are manually bent during rest to soften the center pad, while the normal left and right pads and the center pad are arranged straight during normal use. The center pad becomes stiff.
JP 2006-142937 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-28246 JP 2005-518984 A

  By the way, when trying to change the hardness of the headrest using the structure of Patent Document 1, the hardness of the entire cushion will change, so when the headrest is hard as well as soft, Head retention may be impaired. In particular, when compressing a cushion by pressing with an air bag, the feeling received by the head when the headrest is hard is dominant due to air compression, while when feeling soft, the feeling received by the head is dominant due to cushion compression. Therefore, it is estimated that the discomfort is severe. Moreover, since air is easy to compress, there is a limit to the hardness of the adjustable headrest.

  In Patent Document 2, since an air pump is used to supply air, it takes time to switch the headrest from a soft state to a hard state. For example, it is difficult to quickly harden the headrest when a pre-crash is detected. It is. The same can be said for the above-mentioned uncomfortable feeling caused by air.

  In Patent Document 3, since the hardness is changed by the tension of the center pad skin by bending the left and right pads, the amount of change is naturally reduced. For this reason, it becomes difficult to achieve both the hardness required for the rear impact of the vehicle and the softness required for comfort.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle headrest device capable of making the headrest compatible with the hardness required for a rear impact of the vehicle and the softness required for comfort without giving a sense of incongruity.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that a frame member that has an opening that opens in the front-rear direction of the seat at the center and forms a skeleton of the headrest, and an edge on the frame member A cushioning member that is supported and covers the opening and can buffer the load input from the head of the occupant, and is disposed on the rear side of the cushioning member so as to face the opening, and is input to the cushioning member. A plate member having a support surface capable of supporting a load by the head of an occupant, a front position where the support surface is in contact with or close to the buffer member, and a rear position where the support surface is separated from the buffer member And a moving mechanism for moving the plate member between them.

  According to this configuration, the buffer member, whose edge is supported by the frame member and covers the opening, has no support because the plate member is disposed at the rear position, and has a so-called hammock shape. Thereby, since the said buffer member becomes easier to bend and the said headrest becomes soft, a head can be sunk and it can be made into a comfortable position. On the other hand, since the left and right directions of the head are held by the frame member, head stability can be improved. Alternatively, when the plate member is disposed at the front position and serves as a support for the buffer member, the headrest becomes hard, so that the head greatly sinks when the head collides with the headrest due to inertia at the time of rear-end collision of the vehicle. And the occurrence of whipping can be suppressed. In addition, when the hardness of the headrest changes, the hardness of the buffer member itself is not changed, for example, the compression member is compressed.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle headrest device according to the first aspect, the buffer member cushions a load input from an occupant's head when the plate member is disposed at the rear position. The gist is that they are arranged so as not to contact the members.

  According to this configuration, when the plate member is disposed at the rear position, the headrest can be softened without being affected by the plate member, and the head can be placed in a comfortable position.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the vehicle headrest device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the edge of the buffer member is partially supported by the frame member at a plurality of locations of the frame member. Is the gist.

  According to this configuration, the edge portion of the buffer member is partially supported by the frame member at a plurality of locations of the frame member, so that deformation when buffering a load input from the head of the occupant is performed. The degree of freedom can be increased, and the head can be more suitably held in the left-right direction according to the curved shape of the head. In addition, avoiding interference with peripheral members, adjusting the support location of the edge of the buffer member with respect to the frame member, or cutting away a part of the frame member, improving the storage properties in the headrest can do.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle headrest device according to the first or second aspect, the frame member is formed in an annular shape, and an edge portion of the buffer member is formed on the entire circumference of the frame member. The gist is that it is supported by the frame member.

According to this configuration, the edge of the buffer member is supported by the frame member over the entire circumference of the frame member, so that the occupant's head can be evenly supported by the buffer member.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle headrest device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the moving mechanism is fixed to the fixed bracket fixed to the frame member and the plate member. A movable bracket, one end of which is pivotally connected to the upper end of one of the fixed bracket and the movable bracket, and the other end is the other of the fixed bracket and the movable bracket. A first arm rotatably connected to a lower end of the first arm, and a first arm that is arranged to intersect the first arm and rotatably connected to the first arm, and one end of the fixed bracket and the movable bracket. The other end is connected to the lower end of either one of the fixed bracket and the movable bracket. And summarized in that and a second arm movably coupled pivotally and vertically in the upper portion.

  According to this configuration, the moving mechanism forms a so-called X link having first and second arms that are arranged in a crossing manner so as to be rotatable, and thus the plate with respect to the frame member (fixed bracket). The amount of movement of the member (movable bracket) in the front-rear direction of the seat can be ensured, and the accommodation space can be reduced.

  A sixth aspect of the present invention is the vehicle headrest device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the moving mechanism includes a driving unit that drives the plate member forward to the front position. This is the gist.

The gist of a seventh aspect of the invention is that the vehicle headrest device according to the sixth aspect further comprises detection means for detecting a rear collision of the vehicle or its prediction.
According to said each structure, the said moving mechanism can harden a headrest automatically by providing the drive means which drives the said plate member forward to the said front position. In particular, in a configuration including detection means for detecting a vehicle rear-end collision or its prediction, it is possible to suitably suppress the occurrence of whipping by controlling the plate member to advance and harden the headrest based on the detection. it can.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle headrest device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, the moving mechanism includes a reverse drive unit that drives the plate member to move backward to the rear position. This is the summary.

The gist of the ninth aspect of the invention is the vehicle headrest device according to the eighth aspect, further comprising contact detecting means for detecting contact of the head with the headrest.
According to each said structure, the said moving mechanism can make a headrest soft automatically by providing the reverse drive means which drives the said plate member backward to the said back position. In particular, in a configuration including contact detection means for detecting the contact of the head with the headrest, the plate member is driven to move backward based on the detection to control the headrest so that the headrest is softened. Comfort can be improved.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle headrest device capable of making the headrest compatible with both the hardness required for the rear impact of the vehicle and the softness required for comfort without giving a sense of incongruity.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a side view showing a vehicle headrest device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle seat 1 includes a seat back 2, a headrest stay 3 provided at an upper end portion of the seat back 2, and is further supported by the headrest stay 3 to support the seat back 2. The headrest 4 is provided on the upper side of the head. The outer shape of the headrest 4 is formed by a cushion 5 as a cushioning member disposed on the front side of the seat and a case 6 disposed on the rear side of the seat.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the headrest 4 includes a fixed bracket 11 made of, for example, a metal plate, and has an opening 31 a that opens in the front-rear direction of the seat, and forms an skeleton of the headrest 4. 31 is provided. The fixed bracket 11 and the frame member 31 are integrally fixed to the headrest stay 3 in the headrest 4.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the fixed bracket 11 has a flat base portion 11a and a pair of side wall portions 11b bent from the left and right ends of the base portion 11a to the front side of the seat. Yes. And the circular hole 11c is formed in the upper end part of the both-sides wall part 11b, respectively, and the elongate hole 11d extended in an up-down direction is formed in the lower end part, respectively.

  A rotating shaft 12 having a center line extending in the left-right direction (sheet width direction) is inserted into both the circular holes 11c, and the rotating shaft 12 has a long length made of, for example, a metal plate inside each side wall portion 11b. One end 13a of the first arm 13 is connected to be rotatable. Further, a sliding rotation shaft 14 having a center line extending in the left-right direction is inserted into both the long holes 11d, and the sliding rotation shaft 14 is made of, for example, a metal plate inside each side wall portion 11b. One end 15a of the long second arm 15 is connected to be rotatable. Therefore, one end portion 15a of each second arm 15 is connected to the fixed bracket 11 (side wall portion 11b) via the sliding rotation shaft 14 so as to be rotatable and vertically movable.

  Each of the second arms 15 is arranged to intersect the first arm 13 in an X shape in such a manner that the longitudinal center portion thereof is overlapped with the longitudinal center portion of the first arm 13 adjacent from the outside. The 1 and 2nd arms 13 and 15 are connected so that rotation is possible by the connecting pin 16 which penetrates each cross | intersection part.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the other end 13 b of each first arm 13 is inserted with a rotation shaft 17 having a center line extending in the left-right direction, and the other end of each second arm 15. In 15b, a sliding rotation shaft 18 having a center line extending in the left-right direction is inserted. The other end 13b of each first arm 13 is pivotally connected to a movable bracket 19 made of, for example, a metal plate via a rotation shaft 17, and the other end of each second arm 15 is connected. 15 b is connected to the movable bracket 19 via a sliding rotation shaft 18 so as to be rotatable and movable in the vertical direction.

  That is, the movable bracket 19 has a flat base portion 19a and a pair of side wall portions 19b bent from the left and right ends of the base portion 19a to the rear side of the sheet, and is formed in a U shape. And the circular hole 19c is formed in the lower end part of the both-sides wall part 19b, respectively, and the said rotating shaft 17 is penetrated by both the circular holes 19c. Thus, the other end 13 b of each first arm 13 is rotatably connected to the movable bracket 19 (each side wall 19 b) via the rotation shaft 17. In addition, long holes 19d extending in the vertical direction are formed in the upper ends of the side wall portions 19b, and the sliding rotation shaft 18 is inserted into both the long holes 19d. Thereby, the other end 15b of each second arm 15 is connected to the movable bracket 19 (each side wall 19b) via the sliding rotation shaft 18 so as to be rotatable and vertically movable. Yes.

  Note that the first and second arms 13 and 15 that are crossed between the fixed bracket 11 and the movable bracket 19 and are rotatably connected by the connecting pin 16 constitute an X link Lx and are arranged on both the left and right sides. The pair of X links Lx constitutes the moving mechanism 20. The moving mechanism 20 slides and rotates integrally with the end portions 15a and 15b of each second arm 15 as the first arm 13 (end portion 13a) rotates around the rotation shaft 12 with respect to the fixed bracket 11, for example. The shafts 14 and 18 are slid vertically in the elongated holes 11d and 19d, and the X link Lx is expanded or retracted, whereby the movable bracket 19 is moved in the seat longitudinal direction with respect to the fixed bracket 11 in the headrest 4. Move.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the moving mechanism 20 includes a coil spring 21 wound around a shaft portion 16 a extending in the left-right direction of the connecting pin 16, and an end portion 21 a on one side of the coil spring 21 is formed on the rotating shaft. 12, and the other end 21 b of the coil spring 21 is locked to the sliding rotation shaft 18. The coil spring 21 generates a biasing force in the direction in which the X links Lx on both sides are deployed, that is, the direction in which the movable bracket 19 is separated from the fixed bracket 11 toward the front side of the seat.

  Further, a U-shaped locking portion 22 extending to the sliding rotation shaft 18 side is fixed to the rotation shaft 12, and the sliding rotation shaft 18 is connected to the locking portion 22. A hook-like locking member 23 that can be locked is rotatably connected. The locking member 23 locks the hook portion 23a to the locking portion 22 when the movable bracket 19 moves to the rear side of the seat and approaches the fixed bracket 11 with the storage of the X links Lx on both sides. Then, it is urged by an urging means (not shown) and is prevented from rotating, and holds its locked state. That is, the locking part 22 and the locking member 23 hold the retracted state of the X links Lx on both sides against the biasing force of the coil spring 21. Thereby, the movable bracket 19 is disposed and held at a position close to the fixed bracket 11 moved to the rear side of the seat.

  The locking member 23 has a pressing piece 23b extending to the rear side of the seat, and is supported by the fixing bracket 11 below the pressing piece 23b in a locking state with the locking portion 22. The output shaft 24a of the solenoid 24 is opposed. When the output portion 24a protrudes and presses the pressing piece 23b by driving the solenoid 24 while the locking portion 22 and the locking member 23 are locked, the locking member 23 rotates against the biasing means described above. The locking with the locking portion 22 by the moving hook portion 23a is released. At this time, the X-link Lx on both sides is urged by the coil spring 21 and the movable bracket 19 moves away from the fixed bracket 11 toward the front side of the seat. The solenoid 24 constitutes drive means together with the coil spring 21.

  Furthermore, one end 25a of a long stopper link 25 made of, for example, a metal plate is rotatably connected to the rotation shaft 12, and the other end 25b of the stopper link 25 is It extends to a position where the front side of the sliding rotation shaft 14 is blocked. The other end of the coil spring 26, which is locked to the other end portion 25b of the stopper link 25, is locked to the fixing bracket 11 (base portion 11a). The stopper link 25 holds the sliding rotation shaft 14 that has moved upward in the long hole 11d with the expansion of the X links Lx on both sides, and holds the locked state by the urging force of the coil spring 26. The expanded state of the X links Lx on both sides is held. Thereby, the movable bracket 19 is disposed and held at a position separated from the fixed bracket 11 moved to the front side of the seat.

  The stopper link 25 and the sliding rotation shaft 14 are unlocked against the biasing force of the coil spring 26 through an appropriate operation member, and further, the X links Lx on both sides against the biasing force of the coil spring 21. Is stored, the locking member 23 is again locked to the locking portion 22 while being guided by the locking portion 22. The movable bracket 19 is again arranged and held at a position close to the fixed bracket 11 described above.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a head support plate 30 as a plate member made of, for example, a resin molded body or a metal plate is fixed to the base portion 19 a of the movable bracket 19. The head support plate 30 is disposed on the rear side of the cushion 5 so as to face the opening 31a of the frame member 31, and is integrated with the movable bracket 19 in the headrest 4 in the seat front-rear direction with respect to the fixed bracket 11. Moving. Note that the surface of the head support plate 30 that faces the cushion 5 forms a support surface 30 a that can support the load applied by the passenger's head input to the cushion 5. The head support plate 30 has a reference position Ps as a front position at which the support surface 30a is in proximity to the cushion 5 and a retreat position Pr as a rear position at which the support surface 30a is in a separated state from the cushion 5. Move between.

  The cushion 5 has a pad portion 32 made of a urethane material having a peripheral edge attached to the frame member 31 over substantially the entire circumference of the frame member 31, and a sponge bonded to the front surface of the pad portion 32. It has a cushion part 33 made of a material, and further has a headrest skin 34 that covers the pad part 32 together with the cushion part 33 by attaching a peripheral edge to the frame member 31 over the entire circumference of the frame member 31.

  In addition, a thin plate-like contact sensor 35 as a contact detection means made up of, for example, a capacitance sensor is interposed at the boundary surface between the pad portion 32 and the cushion portion 33. The contact sensor 35 detects the contact of the head with the headrest 4 (headrest skin 34). The case 6 is fitted to the frame member 31 on the rear side of the frame member 31.

  The cushion 5 covering the opening 31a in this manner is disposed and held at the position (retracted position Pr) close to the fixed bracket 11 together with the head support plate 30, that is, with respect to the frame member 31. When it is fully retracted, there is no support and it becomes a so-called hammock. The head support plate 30 of the present embodiment is arranged and set so as not to come into contact with the cushion 5 that cushions the load input from the occupant's head when the head support plate 30 is retracted to the maximum with respect to the frame member 31. Yes. Therefore, at this time, the cushion 5 (the headrest skin 34 and the like) is more easily bent and the headrest 4 is softened, so that the head of the occupant seated against the seat back 2 is sunk to the rear side (a comfortable position ( Position that does not protrude too far forward). Moreover, since the head sink | sunk in the headrest 4 is hold | maintained in the left-right direction by the left frame member 31 (the movement of the left-right direction is supported), head stability is improved.

  On the other hand, the headrest 4 advances to the maximum with respect to the frame member 31 when the head support plate 30 is disposed and held at the position (reference position Ps) separated from the fixed bracket 11 together with the movable bracket 19. The cushion 5 is supported and hardened while the head is depressed.

  FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3, and the head support plate 30 in the retracted position Pr is drawn together with a two-dot chain line for convenience. FIG. 5B shows a state when the head H is placed on the cushion 5 when the head support plate 30 is in the retracted position Pr in FIG. 5A. As can be seen from the figure, in the state where the head support plate 30 is disposed at the retracted position Pr and the headrest 4 is soft, the head H deposited on the headrest 4 (cushion 5) sinks into the headrest 4. It is confirmed that the frame member 31 is held in a comfortable position and the horizontal direction is held at the same time.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, in addition to the contact sensor 35, a controller 40 that controls various controls includes a detection means 41 that detects a vehicle rear-end collision or a prediction thereof, a traveling state detection means 42 that detects a vehicle traveling state, and A position detecting means 43 for detecting the position of the head support plate 30 (reference position Ps or retracted position Pr) is connected, and the solenoid 24 is connected. The controller 40 drives and controls the solenoid 24 to move the head support plate 30 based on the detection results of the detection means 41, the running state detection means 42 and the position detection means 43. Examples of the detection means 41 include a load sensor that detects a load when an occupant's back collides with the seat back 2 due to inertia, a laser sensor that detects an approaching state of a rear vehicle, and an ultrasonic sensor. Further, as the traveling state detection means 42, there are a vehicle speed sensor, a wheel speed sensor, and the like. Further, as the position detection means 43, for example, a position sensor for detecting the position of the output shaft 24a of the solenoid 24, the movable bracket 19 or the head support plate 30, a rotation sensor for detecting the rotation position of the first arm 13, etc. There are limit switches.

  Next, the control mode by the controller 40 of this embodiment will be schematically described according to the flowchart shown in FIG. When the processing shifts to this routine, it is determined whether or not the head support plate 30 is currently disposed at the retracted position Pr based on the detection result of the position detection means 43 (S (step) 101). Only when it is determined that the part support plate 30 is disposed at the retreat position Pr, it is determined based on the detection result of the detection means 41 whether there is a vehicle rear-end collision or its prediction (S102).

  If it is determined in S102 that there is no vehicle rear-end collision or prediction, it is subsequently determined whether or not the vehicle is traveling based on the detection result of the traveling state detection means 42 (S103). If it is determined in S103 that the vehicle is not traveling, the process returns to S102 and the same processing is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined in S102 that there is a vehicle rear-end collision or a prediction thereof, or if it is determined in S103 that the vehicle is traveling, a reference position process for moving the head support plate 30 to the reference position Ps is performed. (S104). That is, the solenoid 24 is driven, and the locking state of the locking portion 22 and the locking member 23 is released in the above-described manner. As a result, the head support plate 30 is biased by the coil spring 21 and moves from the retracted position Pr to the reference position Ps (the position is switched). The headrest 4 is hardened with the cushion 5 supported by the head support plate 30. That is, the headrest 4 is automatically hardened when there is a vehicle rear-end collision or its prediction or during vehicle travel. Therefore, when the head collides with the headrest 4 due to the inertia at the time of rearward collision of the vehicle, the head is suppressed from sinking greatly.

As described above in detail, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In the present embodiment, the hardness and shape of the cushion 5 can be changed (switched) by moving the head support plate 30 in the longitudinal direction of the seat by the moving mechanism 20. That is, the cushion 5 whose edge (peripheral edge) is supported by the frame member 31 and covers the opening 31a is not supported by the head support plate 30 being disposed at the retracted position Pr. Thereby, since the cushion 5 (headrest skin 34 grade | etc.,) Becomes easier to bend and the headrest 4 becomes soft, a head can be sunk and it can be made into a comfortable position. In other words, the bent headrest skin 34 can be disposed at the same surface position as the seat back 2 or at a position where it is slightly forward. Regardless of running / non-running of the vehicle, it is possible to reduce the point hitting points where the head pressure is concentrated, disperse the body pressure, and improve the comfort of the occupant. On the other hand, since the left and right direction of the head is held by the frame member 31, the head stability can be improved. Alternatively, when the head support plate 30 is disposed at the reference position Ps and becomes a support for the cushion 5, the headrest 4 becomes hard, so that the head becomes large when the head collides with the headrest 4 due to inertia at the time of rearward collision of the vehicle. Sinking can be suppressed and occurrence of whipping can be suppressed. In addition, when the hardness of the headrest 4 changes, the cushion 5 (the pad portion 32 or the like) is not compressed and the hardness of the headrest 4 itself is not changed. it can.

  (2) In the present embodiment, the head support plate 30 is disposed and set so as not to come into contact with the cushion 5 that cushions the load input from the occupant's head when the head support plate 30 is disposed at the retracted position Pr. Thus, the headrest 4 can be softened without being affected by the head support plate 30, and the head can be in a comfortable position.

  (3) In the present embodiment, the edge (peripheral part) of the cushion 5 is supported by the frame member 31 over the entire circumference of the frame member 31, so that the occupant's head is evenly distributed by the cushion 5. Can support.

  (4) In the present embodiment, since the moving mechanism 20 constitutes the X link Lx including the first and second arms 13 and 15, the head support plate 30 (movable bracket) with respect to the frame member 31 (fixed bracket 11). 19) The amount of movement in the front-rear direction of the seat can be secured, and the accommodation space can be reduced.

  In particular, when mounting a so-called active headrest that moves the front part of the headrest upward and forward when detecting a pre-crash where a vehicle rear-end collision is predicted, the existing moving mechanism (X-link) can be shared. An increase in cost can be suppressed.

  (5) In the present embodiment, the moving mechanism 20 includes drive means (such as the coil spring 21 and the solenoid 24) that drives the head support plate 30 forward to the reference position Ps, so that the headrest 4 is automatically hardened. Can do. In particular, the head support plate 30 is driven forward to harden the headrest 4 when there is a vehicle rear-end collision or its prediction based on the detection results of the detection means 41 and the traveling state detection means 42, or during traveling of the vehicle. By controlling, the occurrence of whipping can be suitably suppressed.

(Second Embodiment)
Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the second embodiment, instead of the driving means (coil spring 21 and solenoid 24, etc.) of the first embodiment, the head support plate 30 is selectively moved forward to the reference position Ps and moved backward to the backward position Pr. Since the drive means for driving and the actuator as the backward drive means are employed, detailed description of the same parts is omitted.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the present embodiment. In the figure, an actuator 51 connected to the controller 40 is composed of a motor with a speed reducer, for example, and its output shaft is linked to the X link Lx or the movable bracket 19. The actuator 51 expands or retracts the X links Lx on both sides as the output shaft rotates forward and backward, and selectively drives the head support plate 30 forward and backward within the headrest 4.

  Next, the control mode by the controller 40 of this embodiment will be schematically described according to the flowchart shown in FIG. When the processing shifts to this routine, it is determined whether the head support plate 30 is currently disposed at the retracted position Pr or the reference position Ps based on the detection result of the position detecting means 43 (S201). .

  When it is determined that the head support plate 30 is disposed at the retreat position Pr, it is determined based on the detection result of the detection means 41 whether there is a vehicle rear-end collision or its prediction (S202). Then, if it is determined that there is no vehicle rear-end collision or prediction thereof, it is subsequently determined whether or not the vehicle is traveling based on the detection result of the traveling state detection means 42 (S203). If it is determined in S203 that the vehicle is not traveling, the process returns to S201 and the same processing is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined in S202 that there is a vehicle rear-end collision or its prediction, or if it is determined in S203 that the vehicle is traveling, a reference position process for moving the head support plate 30 to the reference position Ps is performed. (S204). That is, the actuator 51 is driven in the forward direction, and the head support plate 30 moves from the retracted position Pr to the reference position Ps (the position is switched). The headrest 4 is hardened with the cushion 5 supported by the head support plate 30. Subsequently, returning to S201, the same processing is repeated. That is, the headrest 4 is automatically hardened when there is a vehicle rear-end collision or its prediction or during vehicle travel. Therefore, when the head collides with the headrest 4 due to the inertia at the time of rearward collision of the vehicle, the head is suppressed from sinking greatly.

  In S201, if it is determined that the head support plate 30 is disposed at the reference position Ps, it is determined whether or not the head support plate 30 is resting based on the detection result of the contact sensor 35 (S205). That is, when the contact sensor 35 detects, for example, contact of the head with the headrest 4 for a predetermined time (several seconds or more), it is determined that the headrest 4 is in use and is resting. In S205, if it is determined that the headrest 4 is not in use and not resting, the process returns to S201 and the same process is repeated. On the other hand, when it is determined in S205 that the headrest 4 is in a use state and is resting, a retreat position process for moving the head support plate 30 to the retreat position Pr is performed (S206). That is, the actuator 51 is driven in the reverse direction, and the head support plate 30 moves from the reference position Ps to the retracted position Pr (the position is switched). The headrest 4 becomes softer because the cushion 5 cannot be supported by the head support plate 30. Subsequently, returning to S201, the same processing is repeated. That is, the headrest 4 automatically becomes soft during the break. Therefore, the head of the occupant sinks into the headrest 4 (cushion 5) and is held at a comfortable position.

As described above in detail, according to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effects of the first embodiment.
(1) In the present embodiment, the moving mechanism 20 can automatically soften the headrest 4 by driving the head support plate 30 back to the retracted position Pr by the actuator 51. In particular, based on the detection result of the contact sensor 35, the comfort is improved according to the head posture of the occupant by controlling the head support plate 30 to retreat and soften the headrest 4 during the break. Can do.

In addition, you may change the said embodiment as follows.
In the second embodiment, the reverse position processing (S206) in which the head support plate 30 is moved to the reverse position Pr is performed when the seat back 2 is inclined at a certain angle or more as a countermeasure against a rear collision of the vehicle. You may make it permit only (for example, when the torso angle is 40 degrees or more).

  In the second embodiment, the position of the head support plate 30 is switched between the reference position Ps and the retracted position Pr, and the hard state and the soft state of the headrest 4 are switched. On the other hand, the position of the head support plate 30 may be adjusted to an arbitrary position between the reference position Ps and the reverse position Pr by, for example, drive control of the actuator 51 based on the operation of the occupant. In this case, the hardness and shape of the headrest 4 can be appropriately changed according to the preference of the passenger and the head shape.

  In the second embodiment, the moving speed of the head support plate 30 is set to be different when moving from the reference position Ps to the retracted position Pr and when moving from the retracted position Pr to the reference position Ps. May be. In particular, when it is determined that there is a rear collision (YES in S202), the actuator 51 is driven at a high output to quickly move from the reverse position Pr to the reference position Ps as a countermeasure against a rear collision of the vehicle. preferable.

  As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the cushion 56 may be configured such that the edge 56 a is partially supported by the frame member 31 at a plurality of positions of the frame member 31. In this case, the degree of freedom of deformation of the cushion 56 when buffering a load input from the head of the occupant can be increased, and the head is suitably held in the left-right direction according to the curved shape of the head. be able to. Further, by avoiding interference with the peripheral members, adjusting the support location of the edge portion 56a of the cushion 56 with respect to the frame member 31, or by cutting out a part of the frame member 31, the storage property in the headrest 4 can be improved. Can be improved.

In each of the above embodiments, for example, a horseshoe-shaped frame member in which an annular part is cut out may be used.
In each of the above embodiments, the end portions 13a and 13b of each first arm 13 are connected to the fixed bracket 11 and the movable bracket 19 so as to be rotatable and vertically movable, and the end portions 15a of each second arm 15 are connected. , 15b may be rotatably connected to the fixed bracket 11 and the movable bracket 19, respectively.

In each of the above embodiments, an appropriate link mechanism, cam mechanism, or the like may be employed instead of the X links Lx on both sides.
In each of the above embodiments, a cylinder or the like may be employed as a moving mechanism that moves the head support plate 30 in the front-rear direction of the seat. Moreover, the moving mechanism which can be operated manually may be sufficient.

  In each of the above embodiments, the solenoid 24 or the actuator 51 of the moving mechanism 20 is not necessarily accommodated in the headrest 4 as long as the head support plate 30 can be driven, and may be accommodated in the seat back 2, for example. .

In each of the above embodiments, the traveling state detection unit 42 related to the determination as to whether or not the vehicle is traveling may be, for example, an ignition switch, an engine rotation speed sensor, or the like.
In each of the above embodiments, the position control of the head support plate 30 by the controller 40 may be different between the driver seat side and the passenger seat side. For example, the headrest 4 on the passenger seat side may allow a soft state even when the vehicle is running, as long as a vehicle rear-end collision or its prediction is not detected.

  In each of the above embodiments, particularly on the driver's seat side, when the head support plate 30 is disposed at the retracted position Pr, when the seat back 2 stands up below a certain angle (for example, a torso angle of 40 degrees), The head support plate 30 may be moved to the reference position Ps by driving the solenoid 24 or the actuator 51. Alternatively, when the head is separated from the headrest 4, the head support plate 30 may be moved to the reference position Ps by driving the solenoid 24 or the actuator 51.

  In each of the above embodiments, the head support plate 30 is not necessarily in contact with the cushion 5 (pad portion 32) when placed and held at the reference position Ps. The reference position Ps may be set at a position where the pad portion 32 is in close proximity.

  In each of the above embodiments, the head support plate 30 is not necessarily in contact with the cushion 5 that cushions the load input from the occupant's head when the head support plate 30 is disposed and held at the retracted position Pr. Good.

The side view which shows the 1st Embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the same embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the same embodiment. The perspective view which shows the same embodiment. (A) and (b) are sectional drawings which followed the AA line of FIG. The schematic block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the embodiment. The flowchart which shows the control aspect of the embodiment. The schematic block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows the control aspect of the embodiment. (A) (b) is a schematic diagram which shows a deformation | transformation form.

Explanation of symbols

  H ... head, Lx ... X link, 4 ... headrest, 5,56 ... cushion (buffer member), 11 ... fixed bracket, 13 ... first arm, 13a, 13b ... end, 15 ... second arm, 15a, 15 ... End, 19 ... Movable bracket, 20 ... Movement mechanism, 21 ... Coil spring (drive means), 24 ... Solenoid (drive means), 30 ... Head support plate (plate member), 30a ... Support surface, 31 ... Frame Member 31a ... Opening part 35 ... Contact sensor (contact detection means) 41 ... Detection means 51 ... Actuator (drive means, backward drive means) 56a ... Edge.

Claims (9)

A frame member that has an opening that opens in the longitudinal direction of the seat at least in the center and forms a skeleton of the headrest;
A buffer member capable of buffering a load input from an occupant's head, with an edge supported by the frame member and covering the opening;
A plate member that is disposed on the rear side of the cushioning member so as to face the opening, and has a support surface capable of supporting a load by an occupant's head input to the cushioning member;
A moving mechanism for moving the plate member between a front position where the support surface is in contact with or close to the buffer member and a rear position where the support surface is separated from the buffer member; A vehicle headrest device. The vehicle headrest device according to claim 1,
When the plate member is disposed at the rear position, the plate member is disposed so as not to contact the buffer member that buffers a load input from the head of the occupant. The vehicle headrest device according to claim 1 or 2,
The vehicle headrest device, wherein an edge of the buffer member is partially supported by the frame member at a plurality of locations of the frame member. The vehicle headrest device according to claim 1 or 2,
The frame member is formed in an annular shape,
The vehicle headrest device, wherein an edge of the buffer member is supported by the frame member over the entire circumference of the frame member. In the vehicle headrest device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The moving mechanism is
A fixing bracket fixed to the frame member;
A movable bracket fixed to the plate member;
One end is rotatably connected to the upper end of either the fixed bracket or the movable bracket, and the other end rotates to the lower end of the other of the fixed bracket or the movable bracket. A first arm movably coupled;
Crossed with the first arm and pivotally connected to the first arm, one end of which is pivotable to the lower end of one of the fixed bracket and the movable bracket and vertically movable And a second arm having the other end connected to the upper end of the other one of the fixed bracket and the movable bracket so as to be rotatable and movable in the vertical direction. A vehicle headrest device. In the vehicle headrest device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The vehicle headrest device, wherein the moving mechanism includes drive means for driving the plate member forward to the front position. The vehicle headrest device according to claim 6,
A vehicle headrest device comprising a detecting means for detecting a vehicle rear-end collision or its prediction. In the vehicle headrest device according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The vehicle headrest device, wherein the moving mechanism includes a backward driving means for driving the plate member backward to the rear position. The vehicle headrest device according to claim 8,
A vehicle headrest device comprising contact detection means for detecting contact of the head with the headrest.

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