JPH0534128B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Technical Field The present invention relates to a head restraint (pillow for preventing backward head tilting) for vehicle occupants and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly to By opening the opening and disposing an intervening material with ventilation in this opening, a novel design change is brought about without reducing the safety protection function for passengers, and the structure is configured to provide ventilation. The present invention relates to a head restraint for a vehicle occupant, and a method for efficiently and suitably manufacturing this head restraint.

PRIOR ART Seats used in passenger cars, small trucks, and other vehicles mainly have a seat that prevents the occupant (hereinafter referred to as vehicle occupant) from tilting his/her head back in the event of a rear-end collision to prevent neck damage. A "pillow" is attached to the top of the seat backrest in order to reduce the amount of noise and otherwise rest the heads of vehicle occupants while the vehicle is in operation. Regarding this "pillow", it is described in the automobile terminology specified in the Japanese Industrial Standards as "Head Restraits", and it is generally called "Head Restraint" in the field. Therefore, in principle, the term "head restraint" will be followed throughout this specification, and to avoid redundancy, it will also be simply expressed as "pillow."

The vehicle seats are classified into those having a structure in which a backrest and a pillow body are formed separately, and those having a structure in which a backrest and a pillow body are integrally formed. And as shown in Figure 1,
Seat backrest 10 and head restraint 12
In conventional vehicle seats, the pillow body is constructed by filling a cushion material made of elastic synthetic resin foam inside the exterior body of a hollow skin material formed into a desired shape. The pillow 12 is attached to the top of the backrest using a pipe-shaped or rod-shaped stay 14.

As mentioned above, the structure of the head restraint installed in vehicle seats is fundamental from the standpoint of ensuring safety, as it is necessary to perform the basic function of protecting the head and neck of vehicle occupants, especially in the event of a rear-end collision. It was difficult to make significant changes to the shape, and there were naturally restrictions on changes to the design. However, with the recent trend of individualization and fashionization of various specifications, there is an increasing demand for improvements and changes in the design of vehicle interior materials. However, as mentioned above, there are various restrictions in terms of design, and the demand for pillows for vehicle seats is limited to peripheral matters such as simply changing the material of the upholstery or the pattern applied to the surface. It was simply impossible to respond to the wide variety of requests from people.

Furthermore, when the occupant is seated, the back of the head comes into close contact with the approximate center of the pillow, which can make the surface of the pillow sweaty and uncomfortable depending on the environmental conditions inside the vehicle, so it is desirable to improve the breathability of this type of pillow. ing.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been proposed in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks inherent in this type of head restraint in order to suitably solve these problems. In other words, it is possible to introduce an innovative design to the appearance of the pillow body without compromising the basic safety functions that protect the occupants while the vehicle is in motion, and to provide ventilation to the head-contact area. The object of the present invention is to provide a head restraint with a novel structure that allows occupants to maintain a comfortable seating posture. A further object of the present invention is to provide a suitable manufacturing method for efficiently manufacturing the head restraint.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, a head restraint and a manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which disclose preferred embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the external structure of a head restraint 12 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the internal structure of the head restraint. As shown in the figure, the head restraint 12 is made up of a hollow skin material 16 of a desired shape, a cushion material 18 filled with foam in the hollow skin material 16, and a mounting stay 14 inserted into the hollow skin material 16. Basically consists of
The hollow skin material 16 constituting the exterior of the pillow body
A breathable member 22 such as a net-like body is stretched in an opening 20 that is transparent at approximately the center of the opening 20 .

The hollow skin material 16 is made of, for example, a thermoplastic synthetic resin sheet such as a soft vinyl chloride resin sheet or an ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) resin sheet, and is formed into a predetermined shape to be used later. This is the exterior of the pillow body. That is, the skin material 16 is a hollow body formed in the shape of a normal pillow body, and has a rectangular shape attached to the part of the pillow body attached to the vehicle seat where the back of the occupant's head comes into contact (approximately the center of the pillow body). An opening 20 is formed penetratingly. A groove 24 having the shape shown in the figure is formed over the entire or partial circumference of the inner peripheral edge of the opening 20 (see especially FIG. 8), and a breathable member to be described later is fitted into this groove 24. It's starting to become easier. Regarding the actual method of forming the hollow skin material 16,
This will be explained in detail later with reference to FIGS. 4 to 9.

The hollow interior of the skin material 16 is filled with a cushion material 18 preferably made of a foamed resin such as polyurethane foam, and the hardness and other physical properties of the cushion material are determined by comprehensively considering factors such as shock absorption and feel. Determined by consideration.

The mounting stay 14 is inserted into the hollow skin material 16 and buried in the cushion material 18, as shown in FIG. 3, and is used to mount and support the pillow body on the top of the seat backrest. This stay 14 is made of a metal hollow tube or a solid rod-shaped body, and is known in itself, but in the present invention, an opening 20 is transparently provided at approximately the center of the pillow body. , the stay is arranged at a position that avoids the opening 20. For example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the stay 14 includes a U-shaped portion 1 that is inserted into the head restraint 12 and serves to support and reinforce the pillow body.
4a, and a pair of mounting pillars 14b, 14b, which are extensions of this U-shaped portion 14a and are inserted through the top of the backrest of the seat. Note that code 14
Reference character c indicates a member for reinforcing and connecting the U-shaped portion 14a, and is set at a position that does not approach the opening 20, as shown in FIG.

Next, the breathable member 22 is fixed by being fitted into the groove 24 formed in the opening 20, and is designed to change the design of the pillow body and provide breathability. It's something that works.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 10, this breathable member 22 is preferably a flat net-like body with a predetermined mesh size, and is made of, for example, polypropylene resin, hard vinyl chloride resin, or glass fiber-reinforced acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer. The material is general plastic such as resin or reinforced plastic, but if necessary, it may also be made of metal wire (for example, stainless steel wire) that has been subjected to rust prevention treatment and is knitted into a net-like body. The outer periphery of the net-like body 22 is fixed in a stretched state by a frame body 26 made of, for example, a hard synthetic resin material and formed in a rectangular shape, and as shown in FIG. The net-like body 22 is attached by fitting into the groove 24 formed in the groove. The net-like body 22 is preferably manufactured by injection molding, which allows the frame body 26 and the net-like body to be integrated at the same time when the frame body is manufactured.

According to the head restraint 12 according to the present invention configured as described above, by providing the opening 20 and the breathable member 22 in the exterior body constituting the pillow body, a novel change in design is brought about. It is possible to meet the demands for increased fashionability, and it also provides good ventilation and provides a comfortable riding feeling.

In addition to the above-mentioned net-like body, the breathable member 22 used in the present invention may also be a so-called punching board, which is a rigid plate-like body with many through holes, or a large number of grids arranged at predetermined intervals. Various design changes are permissible, such as a grid-like structure, as long as they can provide ventilation to the pillow body in conjunction with the presence of the openings 20.

Next, a method for manufacturing the head restraint will be explained. This manufacturing method is roughly divided into a step of molding the hollow skin material, a step of attaching the breathable member, and a step of filling the hollow skin material with cushion material.

(a) Molding process of hollow skin material In the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the hollow skin material is molded by so-called paste processing. For example, the electroformed skin material mold 28 shown in FIG. 4 includes a pair of molds 28a and 28.
Cavities 30a and 30b, which are female molds in which the head restraint 12 to be molded is divided into halves, are recessed on the surface of each mold. This cavity 3
0a and 30b have a rectangular or annular shape as shown in FIG. The mold 28b and each cavity of the mold 28a are integrally formed with hollow through protrusions 32a, 32b that protrude up to the level of the abutment peripheral edge when both molds are closed, and furthermore, one of the protrusions 32b A flange 34 is formed that extends horizontally over the entire circumference of the hollow end surface. However, the flange 34 does not necessarily have to be formed around the entire circumference of the protrusion end, but may be formed only over a partial circumference. With this, when both the molds 28a and 28b are closed and the hollow skin material is molded by the paste processing described later,
The groove 24 is formed entirely or partially in the inner circumferential area of the opening 20 of the skin material 16. Note that the hollow penetrating projection 32
a and 32b define the opening 20 in the hollow skin material 16 after completion of molding.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the mounting stay 14 is arranged at a predetermined position in the cavity 30b of the lower mold 28b, and after injecting the paste sol 38 into the cavity 30b through the nozzle 36, both Close the mold. This paste sol 38
is a paste-like material (plastisol) made by adding a plasticizer etc. to polyvinyl chloride powder with a fine particle size, or a material (organosol) made by adding a diluent to the plastisol, which is then processed by slush molding or rotation. By performing the molding, a hollow skin material 16 made of polyvinyl chloride resin with an open center shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is molded.

For example, in slush molding, both molds 28a are injected with the paste sol 38 and closed.
28b is directly immersed in a heated oil bath and heated, thereby gelling the paste sol in the portion in contact with the mold cavity. In the next process, the ungelled material is discharged from the mold,
Both molds with a predetermined thickness of gelatinized material adhered thereto are again placed in the heating furnace to complete gelation, and then the molds are cooled with water and demolded.

In addition, in rotational molding, both molds 28 are closed.
A predetermined amount of paste sol 38 is injected into a and 28b, and both molds are heated from the outside while rotating on two axes of revolution and rotation, and the paste sol is uniformly adhered to the inner surface of the cavity to form a gel. be. In either case, as shown in FIG. 7, a hollow skin material 16 is molded, which is made of polyvinyl chloride resin, has the external contour of the head restraint 12, and has a stay 14 inserted therein.

Furthermore, FIG. 9 shows a second embodiment in which a hollow skin material is obtained by blow molding. That is, both molds 28a and 28 with the mounting stay 14 in the open state
A tube-shaped parison 40 is disposed upright in the middle of b, and is extruded from above the stay 14 from a die of a blow molding machine (not shown) and melts and hangs down.
is applied to the stay 14. Thereafter, both molds are closed to clamp the molten parison 40, and air is forced into the parison through an air supply pipe to expand the parison 40 and fill the cavities 30a,
By closely contacting the inner surface of 30b, a hollow skin material 16 having the external contour of the head restraint 12 and into which the stay 14 is inserted is formed. Note that when using this blow molding, the opening 20 is formed in the hollow skin material 16 obtained.
In order to open the mold, it is necessary to partially cut out the surface of the skin material as a post-process or at the same time as blow molding.

(b) Step of attaching the breathable member The breathable member 22, preferably made of a net-like body made of synthetic resin fibers such as polypropylene resin or metal wire, is fixed around its periphery with the frame 26 as described above. be. This breathable member 2
2 is fitted into the groove 24 provided in the hollow skin material 16 via the frame 26, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. Installed.

(c) Step of filling the skin material with cushion material As shown in FIG. 11, the hollow skin material 16 obtained by the above-mentioned method is preferably provided with an injection port 42 for the polyurethane foam raw material on the inconspicuous back surface. put. This hollow skin material 16 is set in a foam mold 44 shown in FIG.
In this state, polyurethane foam raw material 48 is injected into the hollow portion of the skin material through the injection port 46 formed in the foam mold 44 and the injection port 42 of the skin material 16 . Next, the foaming mold 44 is heated to foam the polyurethane foam raw material 48, thereby obtaining the cushion material 18 in the hollow portion. If the mold is removed after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, a head restraint 12, which is a product shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, is obtained.

Note that the work of fitting and fixing the net-like body as the breathable member 22 into the groove 24 is performed on the hollow skin material 1.
6 may be set in the foaming mold 44, but since this type of skin material 16 is made of a flexible thermoplastic synthetic resin sheet, it is easily deformed. Since the skin material 16 easily falls off, the skin material 16 is placed in the foam molding mold 4.
It is recommended that the test be carried out in a state in which it is partially fixed within 4.

Effects of the Invention According to the head restraint 12 according to the present invention, the approximately central portion of the pillow body that the back of the vehicle occupant's head comes into contact with is opened, and a breathable member preferably made of a net-like body or the like is fitted into this opening. Because of this, unlike conventional pillows that are completely covered with a single skin material, we are able to introduce innovative and bold designs that meet the recent demands for fashion. It is possible to follow the correspondence. Furthermore, even if a rear-end collision occurs, the impact energy from this rear-end collision is sufficiently absorbed by the cushion material filled inside the opening, so there is no reduction in the protection function for the occupant's head and neck due to the formation of the opening. I can't. Further, the presence of the opening and the breathable member together ensure good breathability on the surface of the exterior body constituting the pillow body, making it possible to obtain a comfortable riding feeling.

Furthermore, by having a structure in which a breathable member made of, for example, a net-like body is fitted into a concave groove formed around the opening of the skin material, the hollow skin material, the mounting stay, and the breathable member (a mesh-like body) are fitted. A head restraint in which a cushion material (body, etc.) and cushion material are integrated can be manufactured efficiently and easily using, for example, slushing, rotary molding, or other blow molding, and has extremely beneficial effects.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat equipped with a head restraint according to the prior art, and FIGS.
The figure shows a preferred embodiment of the invention,
2 is a perspective view of a head restraint according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a cut end surface of the head restraint shown in FIG. 2, and FIGS. 4 to 12 are views of a head according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing each method for manufacturing a restraint. 12...Head restraint, 14...Mounting stay, 16...Hollow skin material, 18...Cushion material, 20...Opening, 22...Breathable member.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Consisting of a hollow skin material, a cushion material filled in this skin material, and a stay for attachment to the seat backrest, the back of the vehicle occupant's head comes into contact with the approximately central portion of the hollow skin material. A transparent opening is made in the part,
A head restraint characterized in that a breathable member is provided in this opening. 2. The head restraint according to claim 1, wherein the breathable member is a net-like member. 3. The head restraint according to claim 1, wherein the breathable member is a punching board having a large number of holes. 4. The head restraint according to claim 1, wherein the air permeable member is a grid-like body. 5. The head restraint according to claim 1, wherein a groove of a predetermined shape is formed around the opening provided through the skin material, and the breathable member is fitted and fixed into the groove. 6 A part of the stay for installing the pillow is exposed inside the mold, and a thermoplastic synthetic resin raw material is charged into the mold, so that an opening is made transparent at approximately the center of the molded body, and the inside of the opening is made transparent. Molding a hollow skin material made of a sheet material with a groove formed over all or a part of its periphery, fitting and fixing a breathable member into the groove of the hollow skin material, and then inserting it into the interior of the hollow skin material. A method for producing a head restraint, which comprises injecting a polyurethane foam raw material, then foaming it and filling it with a cushion material.