JP7795966B2 - Headrest and vehicle seat - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a headrest and a vehicle seat.

Patent Document 1 below discloses a headrest pillow that can be attached to and detached from a headrest. The headrest pillow described in this document has a pillow main body that supports the head, with a head cushion portion provided in the upper half of the pillow main body. A first belt portion is provided at the upper end of the head cushion portion, and a second belt portion is provided at the lower end of the head cushion portion. The first belt portion and second belt portion are then wrapped around the headrest, allowing the headrest pillow to be attached to the headrest.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-153350

In a headrest equipped with a support part that supports the head, it is desirable to be able to adjust the position of the support part to suit differences in the physique of the occupant, but the headrest pillow described in Patent Document 1 above leaves room for improvement in this regard. Furthermore, in a headrest equipped with a support part, it is desirable to be able to store the support part when not in use.

In consideration of the above, the present invention aims to provide a headrest and vehicle seat that allows the position of the support part to be adjusted to suit differences in the physique of the occupant, and that allows the support part to be stored when not in use.

The headrest of the first aspect comprises a headrest main body that supports the head of a seated occupant from the rear; a support part that is movable from a stored position stored in the headrest main body to a state where it protrudes toward the head of the seated occupant relative to the headrest main body and supports at least a portion of the seated occupant's head from the occipital bone to the neck; and a position adjustment part that is provided between the headrest main body and the support part and supports the support part so that it can move forward and backward and up and down.

With the headrest of the first aspect, the head of the seated occupant is supported from the rear by the headrest main body. Furthermore, by moving the support portion from its stored position to a position in which it protrudes toward the seated occupant's head, at least a portion of the seated occupant's head, from the occipital bone to the neck, is supported by the support portion. A position adjustment portion is provided between the headrest main body and the support portion. This allows the support portion to be moved in the front-to-back and up-to-down directions, and the position of the support portion can be adjusted to suit differences in the physique of the seated occupant.

The headrest of the second aspect is the headrest of the first aspect, wherein the position adjustment part includes a slide support part that supports the support part so that it can slide in the front-to-rear direction, and a vertical support part that supports the slide support part so that it can move in the vertical direction.

The second aspect of the headrest allows the support part to move in the front-to-rear and up-down directions by supporting the support part on the slide support part and the slide support part on the up-down support part.

A vehicle seat of the third aspect comprises a seat cushion that supports the buttocks of a seated occupant from below, a seat back attached to the rear of the seat cushion and supporting the back of the seated occupant from the rear, and a headrest attached to the upper part of the seat back. The headrest comprises a headrest main body that supports the head of the seated occupant from the rear, a support part that is movable from a stored position stored in the headrest main body to a state where it protrudes toward the head of the seated occupant relative to the headrest main body and supports at least a portion of the area of the seated occupant's head from the occipital bone to the neck, and a position adjustment part that is provided between the headrest main body and the support part and supports the support part so that it can be moved in the front-to-back and up-and-down directions.

In the vehicle seat of the third aspect, the seated occupant's buttocks are supported from below by the seat cushion. The seat back supports the seated occupant's back. The head of the seated occupant is supported from behind by the headrest main body of the headrest. By moving the headrest support portion from its stored position to a position where it protrudes toward the seated occupant's head, at least a portion of the seated occupant's head, from the occipital bone to the neck, is supported by the support portion. A position adjustment portion is provided between the headrest main body and the support portion. This allows the support portion to be moved in the front-to-back and up-to-down directions, allowing the position of the support portion to be adjusted to accommodate differences in the physique of the seated occupant.

A fourth aspect of the vehicle seat is the third aspect of the vehicle seat, wherein the seat back is reclined in the fore-and-aft direction relative to the seat cushion, and the position adjustment unit operates in conjunction with the rearward reclining of the seat back, thereby adjusting the position of the support unit.

In the vehicle seat of the fourth aspect, when the seat back is reclined rearward, the position adjustment unit is activated and the position of the support unit is adjusted. This allows the position of the support unit to be adjusted according to the rearward reclining angle of the seat back.

A fifth aspect of the vehicle seat is the fourth aspect of the vehicle seat, wherein when the rearward reclining angle of the seat back exceeds a predetermined angle, the position adjustment unit is activated and the position of the support unit is adjusted.

In the vehicle seat of the fifth aspect, when the seat back is reclined rearward and the rearward reclining angle of the seat back exceeds a predetermined angle, the position adjustment unit is activated and the position of the support unit is adjusted. This allows the position of the support unit to be adjusted according to the rearward reclining angle of the seat back. Furthermore, if the reclining angle is less than the predetermined angle, the position adjustment unit can be prevented from operating.

The headrest and vehicle seat of the present invention have the excellent advantage that the position of the support part can be adjusted to suit differences in the physique of the occupant, and the support part can be stored when not in use.

1 is a side view showing a vehicle seat equipped with a headrest according to a first embodiment; 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle seat shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which a support portion is stored; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the vehicle seat shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which a support portion protrudes toward a seated occupant. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a position adjustment portion of the headrest according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a position adjustment portion and the like of the headrest of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view schematically illustrating a state in which the headrest of the first embodiment is in use. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a position adjustment portion of a headrest according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a vehicle seat equipped with a headrest according to a third embodiment. 9 is a side view of the vehicle seat corresponding to FIG. 8, showing the seat back reclined rearward from the position shown in FIG. 8;

(First embodiment)
A headrest 24 according to a first embodiment and a vehicle seat 10 including the headrest 24 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle seat 10 of this embodiment includes a seat cushion 20 that supports the buttocks of a seated occupant P from below, a seat back 22 that supports the back of the seated occupant P from the rear, and a headrest 24 that supports the head P1 of the seated occupant from the rear. The seat back 22 is reclined in the fore-and-aft direction relative to the seat cushion 20. This allows adjustment of the reclining angle θs of the seat back 22 relative to the seat cushion 20. Here, the reclining angle θs refers to the angle of tilt of the seat back 22 rearward relative to the up-and-down direction in a side view of the seat (when viewed from the left or right side). The dashed-dotted line L1 shown in FIG. 1 is the reference line for the reclining angle θs. This reference line, dashed-dotted line L1, corresponds to the surface of the backrest that constitutes the seat back 22. Here, the backrest surface refers to the center, in the seat width direction, of the surface of the seatback 22 that supports the lumbar region of the seated occupant P from the rear of the seat. The reclining angle θs is measured when no occupant is seated in the vehicle seat 10. Note that the arrows FR, UP, RH, and LH shown in the figure indicate the front, upper, right, and left sides of the seat, respectively, as seen by an occupant seated in the vehicle seat 10 with the reclining angle of the seatback 22 set to a reference angle described below. Hereinafter, when the terms "front-rear," "up-down," and "left-right" are used simply, they refer to the front-rear direction of the seat, the up-down direction of the seat, and the left-right direction of the seat, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the front-rear direction of the seat, the up-down direction of the seat, and the left-right direction of the seat correspond to the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions of the headrest 24.

As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the headrest 24 includes a headrest main body 40, a headrest stay 26, a support portion 38, and a position adjustment portion 50.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the headrest main body 40 is configured with a covering material attached to a headrest pad formed into a predetermined shape. A storage recess 40A is formed in the center of the lower part of the headrest main body 40 in the left-right direction, with the lower, front, and rear sides open. The support part 38, described below, is configured to be stored within this storage recess 40A.

As shown in Figure 4, the headrest stay 26 is formed by bending a metal rod-shaped member and is formed into a U-shape with an open lower end. The headrest stay 26 includes a first stay portion 26A extending in the left-right direction and a pair of second stay portions 26B extending downward from the left and right ends of the first stay portion 26A. The headrest main body portion 40 is fixed to the upper portions of the first stay portion 26A and the pair of second stay portions 26B.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the support portion 38, like the headrest main body 40, is configured by attaching a covering material to a pad formed into a predetermined shape. The front end 38A of this support portion 38 is a portion that supports at least a portion of the area from the occipital bone to the neck of the seated occupant P's head P1. A recess 38B that is open on the front and upper sides is formed in the center of the front end 38A of the support portion 38 in the left-right direction. This recess 38B is designed to fit into at least a portion of the area from the occipital bone to the neck of the seated occupant P's head P1.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the position adjustment unit 50 is provided between the headrest main body 40 and the support unit 38, and supports the support unit 38 so that it can move in the front-to-rear and up-down directions. As shown in Figure 4, the position adjustment unit 50 is configured to include a slide support unit 52 that supports the support unit 38 so that it can slide in the front-to-rear direction, and a vertical support unit 54 that supports the slide support unit 52 so that it can move in the up-down direction.

The slide support portion 52 is composed of a pair of left and right slide bases 56 fixed to the headrest stay 26, a pair of left and right slide pins 58 fixed to the pair of left and right slide bases 56, respectively, and a slide plate 60 engaged with the pair of left and right slide pins 58.

The pair of left and right slide bases 56 are formed by bending a rectangular metal plate into an L-shape, for example. One end of each of the pair of left and right slide bases 56 is fixed to the pair of left and right second stay portions 26B of the headrest stay 26 by welding, for example. Furthermore, a pair of left and right slide pins 58 are inserted and fixed to the other end of each of the pair of left and right slide bases 56. The pair of left and right slide pins 58 protrude from the other end of each of the pair of left and right slide bases 56 toward the center in the seat width direction.

The slide plate 60 is formed by bending a metal plate of a predetermined shape. This slide plate 60 has a pair of left and right rail sections 60A spaced apart in the left-right direction, a left-right connecting section 60B that connects the front ends of the rail sections 60A in the left-right direction, and a connecting section 60C that extends from the middle section of the left rail section 60A in the front-to-rear direction.

The pair of left and right rail portions 60A are formed as rectangular plates extending in the front-to-rear direction with the left-to-right direction as their thickness direction. Each of the pair of left and right rail portions 60A is formed with an elongated hole 60D with the front-to-rear direction as its longitudinal direction. The pair of left and right slide pins 58 are inserted into the elongated holes 60D of the pair of left and right rail portions 60A, respectively, allowing the slide plate 60 to slide (move) in the front-to-rear direction relative to the headrest stay 26. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the support portion 38 described above is attached to the slide plate 60. This allows the support portion 38 to move in the front-to-rear direction together with the slide plate 60.

As shown in FIG. 4, the end of the connecting portion 60C opposite the left rail portion 60A is bent upward between the pair of left and right rail portions 60A. The lower end of a connecting plate 64 (described below) is connected to the end of the connecting portion 60C opposite the left rail portion 60A so that it can rotate about its axis in the left-right direction.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the vertical support portion 54 is composed of a support base 62 fixed to the headrest stay 26, a connecting plate 64 connected to the support base 62, a ratchet plate 66 fixed to the connecting plate 64, and a ratchet piece 68 supported by the support base 62.

The support base 62 is formed by bending a metal plate of a predetermined shape, etc. This support base 62 has a fixed plate portion 62A that is fixed by welding or other means to the left-right center portion of the first stay portion 26A of the headrest stay 26. The support base 62 also has a pair of left and right support plate portions 62B that extend downward from both left and right ends of the fixed plate portion 62A.

The connecting plate 64 is formed in a rectangular plate shape with its longitudinal direction extending vertically. As mentioned above, the lower end of this connecting plate 64 is connected to the connecting portion 60C of the slide plate 60 so as to be rotatable about its axial direction in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the upper end of the connecting plate 64 is positioned between the pair of left and right support plate portions 62B of the support base 62, and is connected to the pair of left and right support plate portions 62B so as to be rotatable about its axial direction in the left-right direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the ratchet plate 66 is formed using the same metal plate as the connecting plate 64. The ratchet plate 66 is fixed to the upper end of the connecting plate 64 by welding or the like. The ratchet plate 66 is disposed between the pair of left and right support plate portions 62B of the support base 62, and is connected to the pair of left and right support plate portions 62B so that it can rotate about its axial direction in the left-right direction. A plurality of ratchet teeth 66A are formed on the upper end of the ratchet plate 66. The ratchet teeth 66A are adapted to mesh with the ratchet pieces 68, which will be described later.

The ratchet piece 68 is formed from the same metal plate as the ratchet plate 66. This ratchet piece 68 is positioned above the ratchet plate 66 and between the pair of left and right support plate portions 62B of the support base 62. The upper end of the ratchet piece 68 is connected to the pair of left and right support plate portions 62B so that it can rotate with the left-right direction as its axial direction. The lower end of the ratchet piece 68 is configured to mesh with the ratchet teeth 66A of the ratchet plate 66.

When the lower end of the ratchet piece 68 is engaged with the ratchet teeth 66A of the ratchet plate 66, counterclockwise rotation of the ratchet plate 66 is restricted when viewed from the left side. In contrast, when the ratchet plate 66 rotates clockwise when viewed from the left side, the lower end of the ratchet piece 68 moves over the ratchet teeth 66A of the ratchet plate 66, and the lower end of the ratchet piece 68 engages with another ratchet tooth 66A. By operating a release operating part (not shown), the lower end of the ratchet piece 68 can be disengaged from the ratchet teeth 66A of the ratchet plate 66.

(Actions and Effects of the Present Embodiment)
Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the vehicle seat 10 of the present embodiment described above, the buttocks, back, and head P1 of the seated occupant P are supported by the seat cushion 20, seat back 22, and headrest 24.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the support part 38 does not need to be used, it is stored in the storage recess 40A of the headrest main body 40. The position of the support part 38 when it is stored in the storage recess 40A of the headrest main body 40 is referred to as the storage position K. When the support part 38 is in the storage position K, the front end 38A of the support part 38 does not protrude forward relative to the headrest main body 40.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, when it is necessary to use the support portion 38, the support portion 38 is moved forward from within the storage recess 40A of the headrest main body 40. The movement of the support portion 38 may be performed manually or automatically by a motor or the like.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, when the support portion 38 is moved forward from the storage position K, the slide plate 60 also moves forward. When the slide plate 60 is moved forward, the connecting plate 64 tilts to the right in a left side view, and the ratchet plate 66 rotates clockwise. The lower end of the ratchet piece 68 engages with the ratchet teeth 66A of the ratchet plate 66, restricting the counterclockwise rotation of the ratchet plate 66. This restricts the rearward movement of the slide plate 60, and restricts the rearward movement of the support portion 38. This keeps the front end 38A of the support portion 38 protruding forward relative to the headrest main body 40. As a result, the support portion 38 can support at least a portion of the area from the occipital bone to the neck of the seated occupant P's head P1.

In this embodiment, when the support part 38 is moved forward from the storage position K, the support part 38 tilts so that the front end 38A of the support part 38 moves downward when viewed from the left side. The above-described movement trajectory of the support part 38 can be achieved by appropriately setting the dimensions and orientation of the connecting plate 64 (the orientation of the connecting plate 64 when the support part 38 is located in the storage position K).

As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the front-to-rear and up-to-down positions of the front end 38A of the support portion 38 can be adjusted to accommodate differences in the physique of the seated occupant P by adjusting the amount that the front end 38A of the support portion 38 protrudes forward from the headrest main body 40 and the up-to-down position of the front end 38A of the support portion 38. Note that in FIG. 6, a large occupant P and a small occupant P are shown overlapping each other.

In addition, in this embodiment, the support part 38 is supported by the slide plate 60 of the slide support part 52, and the slide plate 60 is supported by the vertical support part 54, which allows the support part 38 to move forward and backward and up and down.

(Headrest position adjustment unit 50 of the second embodiment)
Next, a description will be given of the headrest position adjustment unit 50 of the second embodiment. Note that the members and parts of the headrest position adjustment unit 50 of the second embodiment that correspond to the members and parts of the position adjustment unit 50 of the headrest 24 of the first embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals as the members and parts of the position adjustment unit 50 of the headrest 24 of the first embodiment, and their description may be omitted.

As shown in Figure 7, in the slide support part 52 of the position adjustment part 50 of this embodiment, a lock part 70 is provided between the pair of left and right slide pins 58 and the slide plate 60. By having this lock part 70, it is possible to maintain the position of the slide plate 60 in any desired position in the forward and backward directions.

A connecting portion 60C is fixed to the upper surface of the left-right connecting portion 60B of the slide plate 60. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 60C is formed by bending a metal rod-shaped member, and is formed into a U-shape with an open lower side when viewed from the left-right direction. The lower end of this connecting portion 60C is joined to the upper surface of the left-right connecting portion 60B of the slide plate 60 by welding or the like.

In this embodiment, the vertical support section 54 includes a support base 62, a connecting member 72 connected to the support base 62, and a lifting member 74 connected to the connecting member 72.

The upper end of the connecting member 72 is supported on the support base 62 so that it can rotate with the left-right direction as its axial direction. A ratchet mechanism is provided between the connecting member 72 and the support base 62. This ratchet mechanism makes it possible to maintain the position of the connecting member 72 relative to the support base 62 at a predetermined position. The ratchet mechanism has a similar configuration to the ratchet plate 66 and ratchet piece 68 described above.

The lifting member 74 includes a plate-shaped lifting plate 76. The lifting plate 76 includes a bottom wall 76A that extends left-right in both the vertical and thickness directions, and a pair of left and right side walls 76B that extend upward from both left and right ends of the bottom wall 76A. The bottom wall 76A sides of the pair of left and right side walls 76B are connected left-right via a rod-shaped connecting shaft member 78. The upper part of the aforementioned connecting portion 60C is positioned between the bottom wall 76A of the lifting plate 76 and the connecting shaft member 78. The upper parts of the pair of left and right side walls 76B are connected to the lower end of the connecting member 72 so as to be rotatable about the left-right direction as the axial direction.

In the position adjustment unit 50 of this embodiment described above, the forward/backward position of the sliding plate 60 can be maintained at any position by the locking unit 70. Furthermore, in the position adjustment unit 50 of this embodiment, the vertical support unit 54 is configured to lift up the sliding plate 60. The vertical position of the sliding plate 60 can be adjusted by changing the orientation of the connecting member 72 of the vertical support unit 54 relative to the support base 62. This makes it possible to adjust the forward/backward and vertical positions of the support unit 38 (see Figure 3, etc.).

Even in the configuration with the position adjustment unit 50 of this embodiment described above, the position of the support unit 38 can be adjusted according to differences in the physique of the rider, and the support unit 38 can be stored when not in use.

(Headrest 24 of the third embodiment)
Next, a headrest 24 of a third embodiment will be described. Note that, in the headrest 24 of the third embodiment, the members and parts corresponding to those of the headrest 24 of the first embodiment described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals as those corresponding to those of the headrest 24 of the first embodiment, and the description thereof may be omitted.

As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the position adjustment unit 50 of the headrest 24 of this embodiment includes a link mechanism 80 that moves the front end 38A of the support unit 38 along a trajectory similar to that of the support unit 38 of the first embodiment when the support unit 38 is moved toward the head P1 of the seated occupant P. In this embodiment, the link mechanism 80 is automatically operated by a motor or the like.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the reclining angle θs of the seat back 22 exceeds 30° rearward relative to the reference angle, a motor or the like is activated, and the link mechanism 80 is operated. Here, the reclining angle θs of the seat back 22 shown in Figure 8 is the reference angle. When the reclining angle θs of the seat back 22 is at the reference angle, the seated occupant P can see the area ahead of the vehicle.

Also, as shown in Figure 9, in this embodiment, when the reclining angle θs of the seat back 22 exceeds 30° rearward from the reference angle, the support portion 38 is positioned at the most protruding position toward the head P1 of the seated occupant P.

In the embodiment described above, the position of the support portion 38 can be adjusted according to the rearward reclining angle θs of the seat back 22. Furthermore, if the reclining angle θs is less than 30°, the position adjustment portion 50 can be prevented from operating.

In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the support portion 38 is positioned in a position that protrudes most toward the head P1 of the seated occupant P when the reclining angle θs of the seat back 22 exceeds 30° rearward from the reference angle, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the support portion 38 may be configured to gradually move toward the head P1 of the seated occupant P as the reclining angle θs of the seat back 22 increases from the reference angle.

The above describes one embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above and can, of course, be implemented in various other modifications within the scope of its gist.

10 Vehicle seat 20 Seat cushion 22 Seat back 24 Headrest 38 Support portion 40 Headrest main body 50 Position adjustment portion 52 Slide support portion 54 Vertical support portion P Seated occupant P1 Head K Storage position θs Reclining angle

Claims (4)

a headrest main body that supports the head of a seated occupant from the rear side;
a support portion that is movable from a storage position stored in the headrest main body portion to a state where it protrudes toward the head side of the seated occupant relative to the headrest main body portion, and that supports at least a part of the head of the seated occupant in a range from the occipital bone to the neck;
a position adjustment unit provided between the headrest main body and the support unit, the position adjustment unit including a slide support unit that supports the support unit so that it can slide in the front-rear direction, and a vertical support unit that supports the slide support unit so that it can move in the vertical direction ;
Equipped with
The slide support portion and the vertical support portion are interlocked, and when the support portion is moved forward from the storage position, the support portion is tilted so that the front end portion of the support portion moves downward in a side view.
Headrest. The headrest according to claim 1 , wherein the vertical support portion includes ratchet teeth and a ratchet piece, and the support portion is held in position in a stepwise manner by engagement between the ratchet teeth and the ratchet piece . The headrest further includes a headrest stay including a first stay portion extending in the left-right direction and a pair of left and right second stay portions extending downward from both left and right end portions of the first stay portion,
The slide support portion is configured to include a pair of left and right slide bases respectively fixed to the pair of left and right second stay portions of the headrest stay, a pair of left and right slide pins respectively fixed to the pair of left and right slide bases, and a slide plate engaged with the pair of left and right slide pins, and the support portion is attached to the slide plate,
The vertical support portion includes a support base fixed to the first stay portion of the headrest stay, a connecting plate whose upper end is rotatably connected to the support base with the left-right direction as its axial direction and whose lower end is rotatably connected to the slide plate with the left-right direction as its axial direction, a ratchet plate fixed to the upper end of the connecting plate and having ratchet teeth formed on its upper end, and a ratchet piece whose upper end is rotatably connected to the support base with the left-right direction as its axial direction and whose lower end engages with the ratchet teeth to limit counterclockwise rotation of the ratchet plate when viewed from the left side of the seat.
The headrest of claim 1 . a seat cushion that supports the buttocks of a seated occupant from below;
a seat back attached to a rear portion of the seat cushion and supporting the back of a seated occupant from the rear side;
a headrest attached to an upper portion of the seat back;
Equipped with
The headrest is
a headrest main body that supports the head of a seated occupant from the rear side;
a support portion that is movable from a storage position stored in the headrest main body portion to a state where it protrudes toward the head side of the seated occupant relative to the headrest main body portion, and that supports at least a part of the head of the seated occupant in a range from the occipital bone to the neck;
a position adjustment unit provided between the headrest main body and the support unit, the position adjustment unit including a slide support unit that supports the support unit so that it can slide in the front-rear direction, and a vertical support unit that supports the slide support unit so that it can move in the vertical direction ;
Equipped with
The slide support portion and the vertical support portion are interlocked, and when the support portion is moved forward from the storage position, the support portion is tilted so that the front end portion of the support portion moves downward in a side view.
Vehicle seat.