JP7490236B2 - Headrest device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a headrest device that forms a space between the upper surface of the seat and the lower surface of the headrest, making the headrest smaller and lighter, ensuring interior visibility, improving air circulation inside the vehicle, and eliminating the "three Cs" (crowded spaces, crowded places, and close-contact situations).

A conventional relationship between a headrest and a seat is shown in, for example, the structure shown in Figure 19. That is, in the exploded scale schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the headrest (1000) and the seat (1001), a pair of brackets (1003) are provided on the upper frame (1002) constituting the seat (1001), and a pair of headrest supports (1005) and a pair of headrest stays (1006) are inserted and supported in the brackets (1003), thereby mounting the headrest (1000) to the seat (1001), and in principle, no space H is formed between the upper surface (1001a) of the seat (1001) and the lower surface (1000a) of the headrest (1000).

Therefore, there are challenges in achieving one or more of the objectives, such as making the headrest (1000) smaller and lighter, ensuring interior visibility, or improving air circulation inside the vehicle, or eliminating the "three Cs" rule.

As a solution to this problem, one example of forming a space H between the upper surface (1001a) of the seat (1001) and the lower surface (1000a) of the headrest (1000) is to secure the length of the headrest support (1005) or the headrest stay (1006).

For example, JP 2004-345463 A (Document (1)) does not disclose a headrest device configured with a means for ensuring the length of the headrest support or headrest stay in order to form a space between the upper surface of the seat and the underside of the headrest. That is, Document (1) is directed to the lower tubular member shown in paragraph 0096 and Figures 20-23 of the specification, and is a headrest support structure in which this lower tubular member is attached to the underside of the headrest support. This invention is directed to preventing vibration and rattling of the headrest support (headrest stay).

JP 2004-345463 A

It is true that the document (1) seems to be effective in preventing vibration and rattling. However, there is room for improvement in the headrest device intended by the present invention, which aims to achieve one or more of the following: making the headrest smaller and lighter, ensuring interior visibility, improving air circulation inside the vehicle, and eliminating the "three Cs" by forming a space between the upper surface of the seat and the lower surface of the headrest.

And to achieve the object of the present invention, we propose claims 1-8.

Claim 1 provides a headrest device including a pair of headrest supports inserted into a pair of brackets attached to a seat, and a headrest attached to the seat via a pair of headrest stays housed in the pair of headrest supports,
A means for adjusting the position of the headrest stay in the vertical direction is provided to form a space between the upper surface of the seat and the lower surface of the headrest ,
The cross-sectional shape of the bracket is trapezoidal,
The headrest support and bracket are a headrest device having a plurality of support parts that have elasticity to absorb loads and dampen vibrations applied to the headrest from the top-bottom, left-right, and front-back directions .

As a result, the effect of claim 1 is, for example, to form a space between the upper surface of the seat and the lower surface of the headrest. By forming this space, it is possible to make the headrest smaller and lighter, ensure interior visibility, or utilize the air circulation inside the vehicle to ensure a clean feeling inside the vehicle and/or eliminate the three Cs.

The second aspect of the present invention relates to a headrest device in which a support bush and/or a cushioning material is attached to the lower end of the headrest support.

As a result, the effect of claim 2 is the same as that of claim 1, and a support bush can be provided that helps achieve this effect.

Claim 3 is a headrest device in which the support bush is configured to engage with one or more engaging portions of the bracket or headrest support.

As a result, the effect of claim 3 is the same as that of claim 2, and a support bush structure that helps achieve this effect can be disclosed.

A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a headrest device having a configuration in which a stopper and/or a cushioning material is provided between the inner bottom of the bracket and the outer bottom of the headrest stay.

This makes it possible to provide a stopper that achieves the effect of claim 4, which is the same as that of claim 1, and helps to achieve this effect.

Claim 5 is a headrest device in which the stopper is configured to engage between the inner bottom of the bracket and the outer bottom of the headrest stay.

This makes it possible to provide a stopper that achieves the same effect as claim 5 and is useful in achieving this effect.

The sixth aspect of the present invention provides a headrest device in which a load receiving stopper and/or a cushioning material is attached to the lower end of the headrest support.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a headrest device in which the load receiving stopper is configured to be engaged with one or a plurality of engaging portions provided at the upper and lower ends of the bracket .

The eighth aspect of the present invention provides a headrest device in which a support cap is attached to the headrest support.

As a result, the effects of claims 6-8 are the same as those of claim 1, and a load-receiving stopper or support cap can be provided that helps achieve these effects.

An exploded, reduced-scale schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the headrest and the seat. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment (an example in which a bush is attached); A front view of the main part of the first embodiment. A side view of the main part of the first embodiment. AA cross-sectional view of FIG. 3 in the first embodiment. BB cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 in the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the bracket, headrest support, and headrest stay of the first embodiment. 1A is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the relationship between another bracket and headrest support, and another headrest stay, according to the first embodiment; FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing the main parts of the locking relationship; and FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view showing the whole, excluding the stay, and visualizing a part as viewed from the front. 1 shows the relationship between yet another bracket, headrest support, and another headrest stay of the first embodiment, where (a) is an enlarged cross-sectional view, (b) is an end view of a main part using a square bracket, (c) is an end view of a main part using a bracket with an irregular shape, (d) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part, (e) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of another main part, and (f) is a cross-sectional view visualizing a part viewed from the front direction as a whole excluding the stay. FIG. 1 shows the relationship between the other brackets, the headrest support, and the other headrest stays in the first embodiment. (A) is an enlarged cross-sectional view, (B) is an end view of a main part using a square bracket, (C) is an end view of a main part using a non-standard shaped bracket, and (D) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part. A cross-sectional view of the entire structure excluding the stays in Figure 10-1, as viewed from the side. In the second embodiment (an example in which a load-receiving stopper is attached), the load-receiving stopper, bracket, headrest support, and headrest stay are shown in engagement with each other. (A) is an enlarged cross-sectional view, (B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part, and (C) is a visualization of a part seen from the front in a general view excluding the stay. FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main portion of the second embodiment (an example in which a load receiving stopper is attached), showing the engagement relationship between another load receiving stopper, a bracket, a headrest support, and a headrest stay. Another example of the second embodiment, (a) is a cross-sectional view, (b) is a table showing the shape of the bottom part in (a), and (c) is a cross-sectional view of the main part showing another example of the projection of the bracket and the hole of the stay. FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of the main part of the second embodiment; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a part of a second embodiment; Cross-sectional view of the third embodiment (with a cap attached) 3A is an end view of a main part in which the bracket is rectangular, and FIG. 3B is an end view of a main part in which the bracket is irregularly shaped, showing the entire third embodiment. An exploded, reduced-scale schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between a conventional headrest (1000) and a seat (1001).

Each embodiment of the present invention will be described below in sequence with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the drawings and/or the description, and is merely one embodiment.

As shown in Figure 1, the headrest A is attached to the seat 1 by a pair of headrest supports 5, 5 (supports 5) supported by a pair of brackets 3, 3 (brackets 3) for headrest supports arranged on an upper frame 2 (framework) arranged on the top surface 1a of the seat 1, and a pair of headrest stays 6, 6 (stays 6) inserted and supported by the supports 5. The brackets 3 may be either rectangular or of an irregular shape as shown in Figure 9 (c). The upper frame 2 may be tubular, plate-shaped, or of any other pressed shape.

The basic structure is a pair of headrest supports 5 inserted into brackets 3 attached to the seat 1, and a headrest A attached to the seat 1 via a headrest stay 6 housed in the headrest support 5, with a space H formed between the upper surface 1a of the seat 1 and the lower surface Aa of the headrest A. By forming this space H, it is thought that, for example, the headrest A can be made smaller and lighter, the interior visibility can be ensured in the vehicle, or the air circulation inside the vehicle can be utilized to ensure a clean feeling inside the vehicle and/or to eliminate the three Cs in taxis, which are necessary these days. The bracket 3 has a bottomed shape (inner bottom) that receives the load described below. The stay 6 is, in principle, made to have a bottom with a drawer and a hole (outer bottom). This outer bottom has a cushioning effect.

Below, we will explain each preferred embodiment in which the space H is formed.

In Fig. 2-Fig. 10-2 showing the first embodiment, a bottomed bush 10 (this bush 10 has a space H dimension) is added as a means for ensuring the length of the support 5 (and/or the stay 6 described below). In other words, the length of the bush 10 is added to the length of the conventional support (1005) to increase the length. This has the advantage that a space H can be formed between the upper surface 1a of the seat 1 and the lower surface Aa of the headrest A.

2 to 7, this bush 10 is attached (provided) to the lower end 5a of the support 5. The attachment position is considered to be the lower end of the conventional support (1005). Of course, it can also be an integrated shape. In this example, the bracket 3 has the same shape as the conventional bracket (1003), but this is just one example. The method of inserting the support 5 into the bracket 3 and supporting it is the same as in the conventional method, where the locking piece 501 of the support 5 is fitted and locked into the locking opening 300 provided in the bracket 3, and fixed at a predetermined position. It is also possible to provide a slip-out prevention structure on the support 5 and the bracket 3. In principle, the stay 6 has the same dimensions as the conventional stay (1006) (the same in each embodiment). However, it is preferably long (the same in each embodiment). In the figure, 600 is the pressing part of the stay 6. The function of the pressing part 600 will be described later. A shock absorbing effect is achieved by forming a space and/or a narrowing at the lower end of the stay 6 (each embodiment).

Note that Figures 8 to 10-2 show another embodiment of the first embodiment, which is a method of flexibly locking the locking piece 501 of the support 5 to the locking opening 300 of the bracket 3, and the locking piece 501 of the support 5 is pressed outwardly against the periphery wall by inserting and supporting the stay 6, using the pressing part 600 of the stay 6. Also, in order to hold the locking piece 501 inwardly, a structure is adopted in which it is housed in the step part 601 of the stay 6 (which constitutes the pressing part 600) when free.

8 (a) to (c), the basic structure is similar to that of FIG. 7, and the protruding piece 503 (load-receiving stopper that receives the load of the entire headrest A, the same as reference number 11) of the support 5 engages with the locking opening 300 provided at an appropriate position such as the lower end of the bracket 3. By pushing the stay 6, the protruding piece 503 is pushed and fits into the locking opening 300 and is locked. In addition, one or more spring pieces 500 (the same in each embodiment) of the support 5 are attached and locked to the inner wall of the bracket 3 and in the space therein. This is mainly intended to prevent the support 5 from slipping from the bracket 3 and vibration (the same in other examples). In addition, one or more protruding pieces 503 (the same as the load-receiving stopper that receives the load of the entire headrest A) of the support 5 are inserted into one or more locking openings 300 of the bracket 3 and locked, and a locking portion 503a is formed on the upper side of the protruding piece 503.

9 (a) to (f), the basic structure is similar to that of the above-mentioned FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, and the support 5 is provided with a flexible piece 505 and protruding pieces 503b, 503c having a bifurcated or single-line shape (for example, the auxiliary protrusion 504 described later) in a plan view via a connecting piece 506 connected to the flexible piece 505. The stay 6 also has a pressing portion 600 and a step portion 601. The flexible piece 505 and the protruding pieces 503b, 503c are engaged (inserted) and supported by one or several engaging openings 300 (the same in each embodiment) provided at appropriate positions such as the lower end of the bracket 3. Note that 507 is a space formed between the stay 6 and the support 5, which is a space for the spring function of the flexible piece 505. The mounting positions of the support 5 and the stay 6 on the frame 2, and the space H, can ensure prevention of detachment, other misalignment, and vibration. Other uses, such as insertion and removal, are similar to the above-mentioned embodiments. Also, the connecting piece 506 is structured to connect the convex pieces 503b and 503c, and the movements of the convex pieces 503b and 503c are synchronized.

Next, in Fig. 10-1 (a) to (d) and Fig. 10-2, the basic structure is similar to that of Fig. 7 described above, and the locking piece 501 of the support 5 engages with the locking opening 300 provided at an appropriate position such as the lower end of the bracket 3, and the locking piece 501 is pushed and fits into the locking opening 300 by pushing the stay 6. In the figures, 504 is an auxiliary protrusion of the locking piece 501, which is attached to the locking piece 501 as necessary, and supports the locking piece 501 and prevents cracks, etc. Also, in Fig. 10-1 (b), 601 is an inward step portion for pushing the stay 6, and the step portion 601 controls the operation of the locking piece 501. The step portion 601, the locking piece 501, etc. are provided with an inclined surface with the intention of releasing the load and maintaining strength, etc.

This structure is similar to that shown in FIG. 7. The number of the locking openings 300, locking pieces 501, or step portions 601, and/or whether they are provided in pairs on both sides, can be changed as appropriate. For example, the dimensions of the bracket 3, support 5, or stay 6, or the locking location can be changed as appropriate.

The example in Figure 10-1 described above shows a means for receiving the load of the stay 6, where one of the pair of protrusions (no number) is hooked and engaged with the locking piece 501 of the support 5 in the locking opening 300 of the bracket 3, and/or the step 601 of the stay 6 is hooked and engaged with the other of the pair of protrusions on the locking piece 501 of the support 5, thereby receiving the support 5 and securing their respective positions.

In Fig. 11 (a) to (c), which shows a series of the second embodiment, the basic structure follows the structure of Fig. 9 and Fig. 10-1 described above. The common points are at least the combination of the deflection piece 505, connecting piece 506, and space 507 in Fig. 9, and the locking piece 501 and auxiliary protrusion 504 in Fig. 10-1, and the structure also includes the pressing part 600 and step part 601 of the stay 6. The usage, operation, features, etc. conform to the structure of Fig. 9 and Fig. 10-1. Other aspects, or the use by insertion and removal, conform to the embodiment of Fig. 9 and Fig. 10-1 described above and each embodiment.

Figures 12 to 16 show other examples of the second embodiment, in which a load-receiving stopper 11 (which has the dimensions of space H and receives the load of the entire headrest A) capable of receiving the weight and impact of the headrest A is added as a means of ensuring the length of the support 5 (and/or possibly the stay 6 described later). In other words, the length of the stopper 11 is added to the length of the conventional support (1005) to increase the length. This has the advantage that a space H can be formed between the upper surface 1a of the seat 1 and the lower surface Aa of the headrest A. Figures 13 and 14 show the locking portion (projection (i) and projection (ro) and hole (ha)) of another structure described later.

In Fig. 13(a), the stay 6 is provided with a bottom bush 12 with protrusions (i) and (ro) that function as a buffer material, and this is used to ensure the length. The protrusion (i) is engaged with a locking hole (no symbol) provided at the bottom of the stay 6, and the protrusion (ro) is engaged with a hole 3d at the bottom of the bracket 3, which can prevent the bottom bush 12 from shifting or being shocked when an impact occurs (the same applies to other means of ensuring the length). This protrusion (i) and hole 3d may not be present, and the presence or absence of such a hole is shown in Fig. 13(b) as a table. Fig. 13(a) is an example of 4 in this table. Note that Fig. 13(a) shows the state in which one bottom free end 3b of the bracket 3 is engaged with the hole (ha). Fig. 13(c) is an example in which a protrusion 3e is provided upward at the bottom of the bracket 3. This protrusion 3e is inserted and supported in a locking hole (no symbol) on the bottom surface of the stay 6, and is integrated. 14 shows the state before the bracket 3 is made into a bottomed shape, with one bottom free end 3b of the bracket 3 being plugged into or attached to a hole (a) provided in the other side free end 3c. That is, the bottom free end 3b and the side free end 3c can be plugged in and supported (FIG. 13(a)) or released (FIG. 14). This ensures the advantages of taking in and replacing the bottom bush 12, and of maintaining its shape. The bottom free end 3b is structured to form the bottom, and the other side free end 3c is structured to form the side. As mentioned above, the bottom bush 12 has upper and lower protrusions (a) and (b), and these protrusions (a) and (b) are structured to be plugged into and engaged with the hole 3d in the bottom of the bracket 3 and/or the engagement hole (no symbol) provided in the bottom of the stay 6, respectively, or to be removed. Note that the above example is just one example, and protrusions (i), (ro) and hole 3d may not be present.

The example in Figures 15 and 16 is another embodiment of the second embodiment, in which an extension (no symbol, length sufficient to ensure the space H dimension) is provided at the lower end 6a of the stay 6, and a locking hole 6c is formed in the side 6b of this extension, and the locking piece 501 of the support 5 is inserted and locked into this hole 6c to determine the position of the stay 6 (ensuring the space H dimension). The rest of the example is similar to the first and second embodiments described above. Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view of the main body showing the locking stopper 602.

In Fig. 17 and Fig. 18, which show a series of the third embodiment, a cap 14 (cap 14 has a space H dimension) is added as a means to ensure the length of the support 5 (and/or the stay 6 described below). In other words, the length of the cap 14 is added to the length of the conventional support (1005) to increase the length. This has the advantage that a space H can be formed between the upper surface 1a of the seat 1 and the lower surface Aa of the headrest A. Fig. 18 (a) shows a square type, and (b) shows an irregular type, but these are just examples.

Other aspects, such as functions or use, are similar to those of the first and second embodiments described above.

In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 18, the support 5 may have a different cross section in plan view, and some corners have a spatial area I different from other corners. The function and use are similar to those of the first and second embodiments.

Although not shown, the stay 6 can also be supported by inserting it into an auxiliary member (not shown) provided below the bracket 3.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. For example, the technical scope of the present invention includes each embodiment obtained by combining technical means appropriately modified within the scope of the claims.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 seat 1a upper surface 2 frame 3 bracket 3a lower end 3b free end 3c free end 3d hole 3e projection 300 locking opening 5 support 5a lower end 500 spring piece 501 locking piece 502 locking stopper 503 convex piece 503a locking portion 503b convex piece 503c convex piece 504 auxiliary projection 505 deflection piece 506 connecting piece 507 space 6 stay 6a lower end 6b side portion 6c hole 600 pressing portion 601 step portion 602 locking stopper 10 bush 11 load receiving stopper 12 bottom bush 14 cap 1000 headrest 1000a lower surface 1001 seat 1001a Upper surface 1002 Frame 1003 Bracket 1005 Support 1006 Stay A Headrest Aa Lower surface H Space I Space area (i) Projection (ro) Projection (ha) Hole

Claims (8)

A headrest device including a pair of headrest supports inserted into a pair of brackets attached to a seat, and a headrest attached to the seat via a pair of headrest stays housed in the pair of headrest supports,
A means for adjusting the position of the headrest stay in the vertical direction is provided to form a space between the upper surface of the seat and the lower surface of the headrest ,
The cross-sectional shape of the bracket is trapezoidal,
The headrest device is configured so that the headrest support and the bracket have a plurality of support parts having elasticity to absorb loads and dampen vibrations applied to the headrest from the up/down, left/right, and front/rear directions . 2. The headrest device according to claim 1, wherein a support bush and/or a cushioning material is attached to a lower end of the headrest support. The headrest device according to claim 2, wherein the support bush is configured to engage with one or more engaging portions of the bracket or the headrest support. 2. The headrest device according to claim 1, further comprising a stopper and/or a cushioning material provided between the inner bottom of the bracket and the outer bottom of the headrest stay. The headrest device according to claim 4, wherein the stopper is configured to engage between the inner bottom of the bracket and the outer bottom of the headrest stay. 2. The headrest device according to claim 1, wherein a load receiving stopper and/or a cushioning material is attached to a lower end of the headrest support. 7. The headrest device according to claim 6, wherein the load receiving stopper is adapted to be engaged with one or a plurality of engaging portions provided at upper and lower ends of the bracket . 2. The headrest device according to claim 1, wherein a support cap is attached to the headrest support.