Headrest with integrated nose piece and speaker housing

Abstract

In at least one embodiment, a vehicle device is provided. The device includes a core, a nose, a first speaker, and a first speaker housing. The core is positioned within a headrest of a seat of a vehicle. The nose is attached to the core and positioned within the headrest. The first speaker is positioned on the nose for providing an audio signal from the headrest. The first speaker housing receives the first speaker and is positioned on the nose. The first speaker housing extends along a first outer edge of the core to reduce the overall length of the core and the nose along a first axis in the vehicle.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 62 / 815,979, filed on March 8, 2019, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] Aspects disclosed herein generally relate to a headrest with an integrated nose piece and speaker enclosure. These and other aspects are set forth below and in the accompanying drawings. Background Art

[0004] Subat et al., U.S. Publication No. 2016 / 0039320, discloses a headrest with a speaker. The headrest includes: a headrest frame; a pair of left and right shells supported by the headrest frame; speaker units supported in the shells respectively; and a headrest cushioning member supported by the headrest frame to support the head. The headrest cushioning member includes: a mesh member having a pair of left and right sound-permeable parts at positions generally facing the corresponding speaker units; and a soundproofing part, the soundproofing part is respectively arranged between the pair of left and right sound-permeable parts in the mesh member and between the pair of left and right shells. Summary of the invention

[0005] In at least one embodiment, a vehicle device is provided, the vehicle device comprising a core, a nose, a first speaker, and a first speaker housing. The core is positioned within a headrest of a seat of a vehicle. The nose is attached to the core and positioned within the headrest. The first speaker is positioned on the nose for providing an audio signal from the headrest to the interior of the vehicle. The first speaker housing receives the first speaker and is positioned on the nose. The first speaker housing extends along a first outer edge of the core to reduce the overall length of the core and the nose along a first axis in the vehicle.

[0006] In at least another embodiment, a vehicle device is positioned in a headrest of a vehicle. The device includes a core, a nose, a first speaker, a first speaker housing, a second speaker, and a second speaker housing. The core is positioned in the headrest of a seat of the vehicle. The nose is attached to the core and positioned in the headrest. A first speaker is positioned on a first side of the nose for providing an audio signal from the headrest. The first speaker housing receives the first speaker and is positioned on the first side of the nose. The second speaker is positioned on a second side of the nose opposite the first side of the nose for providing the audio signal from the headrest. The second speaker housing receives the second speaker and is positioned on the second side of the nose.

[0007] In at least another embodiment, a vehicle device is provided, the vehicle device comprising a core, a nose, and a speaker. The core is positioned within a headrest of a seat of a vehicle. The nose is attached to the core. The speaker is positioned on the nose for providing an audio signal from the headrest. The speaker housing comprises an enclosed volume for receiving the speaker and is positioned on the nose. The enclosed volume extends along a first outer edge of the core to reduce the overall length of the core and the nose along a first axis in the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Embodiments of the present disclosure are particularly pointed out in the appended claims. However, other features of the various embodiments will become more apparent and will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0009] FIG1 shows a perspective view of a first headrest;

[0010] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the first headrest of FIG. 1 , the first headrest including a core and a nose;

[0011] FIG3 shows a perspective view of the core and nose of the first headrest of FIG1 ;

[0012] FIG4 illustrates a perspective view of a second headrest according to one embodiment;

[0013] Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a second headrest according to one embodiment, the second headrest comprising the core and nose of the second headrest of FIG. 4 ;

[0014] Figure 6 According to one embodiment, Figure 5 A perspective view of the core and nose of the second headrest;

[0015] FIG7 illustrates a top view of a second headrest according to one embodiment;

[0016] FIG8 shows a perspective view of the core and nose of a second headrest according to one embodiment;

[0017] Fig. 9 A view showing the rear side of the nose and the front side of the core of a second headrest according to one embodiment;

[0018] FIG10 illustrates a side view of a third headrest according to one embodiment;

[0019] FIG. 11 illustrates a side view of a fourth headrest according to one embodiment;

[0020] 12 illustrates a partial rear view of a core and nose that may be implemented in a third headrest and / or a fourth headrest according to one embodiment;

[0021] Fig.13 shows a front perspective view of a core and a nose that may be implemented in a third headrest and / or a fourth headrest according to one embodiment;

[0022] Fig.14 shows a rear view of a core and nose that may be implemented in a third headrest and / or a fourth headrest according to one embodiment;

[0023] Fig.15 shows a side view of a fourth head restraint according to one embodiment; and

[0024] Fig.16 A top view of a fourth head restraint is shown according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of the present invention that can be embodied in various forms and alternative forms. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale; some features may be enlarged or minimized to show details of specific components. Therefore, the specific structural details and functional details disclosed herein should not be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to adopt the present invention in different ways.

[0026] Vehicle Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) attempt to incorporate one or more speakers into the headrest of a seat. Typically, a headrest includes various components that form a joint that is a "core", a "nose", "one or more speakers" in addition to a sealed volume such as a 'shell' (if a speaker is required). Due to the various shapes implemented, the headrest may be too thin in the front-to-back direction of the vehicle. This situation may not allow the implementation of a standard design. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein may provide, but are not limited to, combining several components to form an integrated design that can, for example, reduce the front / rear thickness of the headrest.

[0027] In one example, a car headrest consists of several components, such as a core, nose, foam, and a sound chamber surface (e.g., leather or fabric). Car headrests are beginning to incorporate speakers therein, where the headrest surface may not be in the same position. A single nose design with modular rear speaker housing halves as disclosed herein allows a single part to be used over and over again on multiple vehicles and trims simply by replacing the rear half of the housing to account for different front positions of the headrest.

[0028] Typically, it may be desirable to package one or more speakers into a headrest of a seat in a vehicle to include a universal design with respect to adjustability in the fore-aft direction to account for various studio surfaces of the headrest. Embodiments disclosed herein provide, but are not limited to, a headrest having a nose with one or more speaker enclosure mounts that each receive a corresponding speaker.

[0029] FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 generally illustrate various views of a first headrest 100 of a seat 112 of a vehicle 114. As shown, the first headrest 100 generally includes a housing 116 and one or more support columns 118a, 118b. It should be appreciated that the first headrest 100 can be removably coupled to a seat back (or backrest) (not shown), and the first headrest 100 can be slidably moved relative to the seat back to adjust the height of the driver's or occupant's head relative to the seat back. For example, the seat back may include column guides 120a, 120b so that the corresponding support columns 118a, 118b can slide relative to the seat back. In one embodiment, the support columns 118a, 118b can be implemented as a single integral column (e.g., a U-shaped column), wherein the ends of the columns 118a, 118b are slidably received at the support columns 118a, 118b. In another example, the support columns 118a, 118b can each be formed by a single or integral component.

[0030] The first head restraint 100 generally includes a nose 121 and a core 124. The nose 121 and the core 124 are coupled to each other to support at least the shell 116 on the head of the vehicle occupant. The core 124 generally includes a recess 126 for receiving a switch (not shown). The vehicle occupant can select the switch to adjust the height of the first head restraint 100 relative to the seat back.

[0031] Figure 4 to Fig. 9Generally, various views of the second headrest 200 of the seat 112 according to one embodiment are shown. As shown, the shape and size of the shell 116 are designed to be different from the shell 116 shown in Figures 1 to 3. Specifically, the shell 116 defines a smaller profile (or a smaller headrest volume 215) than the profile of the shell 116 shown in Figures 1 to 3. The second headrest 200 includes a nose 221, a core 224, and a plurality of speakers 226a, 226b positioned in the headrest volume 215. It should be recognized that the number of speakers 226 implemented in the second headrest 200 can vary. In general, speaker housings 228a, 228b are provided for receiving and / or supporting speakers 226a, 226b, respectively. Each speaker housing 228a, 228b generally includes a corresponding cover seat 230a, 230b and a corresponding elongated speaker housing 235a, 235b. The cover seat 230a, 230b generally receives the front side of the corresponding loudspeaker 226a, 226b respectively. The loudspeaker housing 235a, 235b is generally positioned at the rear of the cover seat 230a, 230b. The loudspeaker housing 235a, 235b extends rearwardly adjacent to the front 237 of the core 224 respectively, and extends beyond the front 237 (see Figures 7 and 8). The total length of the loudspeaker housing 235a, 235b extending relative to the front 237 of the core 224 can be varied. As shown in the figure, the housing 235a, 235b is integrated with the nose piece 221. Each housing 235a, 235b generally defines a closed volume 239a, 239b, so that each corresponding loudspeaker 226a, 226b can produce enough audio volume for the occupant positioned in the seat 112 of the vehicle 114. For example, the enclosed volumes 239a, 239b store air therein so that when the speakers 226a, 226b experience deflection in a generally linear direction (e.g., a front-to-back direction) when transmitting audio signals into the vehicle 114, such speakers 226a, 226b can increase air pressure. The extension of the speaker housings 235a, 235b relative to the front face 237 of the core 224 generally enables the speakers 226a, 226b to be positioned in a smaller profile of the second headrest 200, as opposed to the larger profile of the headrest as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. As shown in FIG. 7, at least a portion of the speaker housings 235a, 235b extends parallel to the corresponding outer side outer edges 241a, 241b of the core 224 to form an overlapping pattern between the housings 235a, 235b (and the enclosed volumes 239a, 239b) and the core 224. This pattern can reduce the overall length of the nose 221 and the core 224 in the second headrest 200 along the first axis 249. The first axis 249 extends from the rear of the vehicle 114 to the front of the vehicle 114 (eg, in a rearward to forward direction in the vehicle 114). Referring to FIG. 8, the nose 221 generally defines a wire channel 232 to enable a wire harness 234 to pass to each speaker 226a, 226b.

[0032] Figure 8 to Fig. 9 A more detailed view of the nose 221 described in conjunction with Figures 4 to 7 is shown. Specifically, Figure 8 shows an exploded view of the nose 221 and the core 224 of the second headrest 200 shown in Figures 4 to 7. Fig. 9 Generally, a rear view of the nose 221 and a front view of the core 224 are shown. Fig. 9 This implementation as shown generally enables the overall length (or thickness) of the fore-aft position of the vehicle 114 to be varied based on the overall length of the fore-aft direction of the second headrest 200 while maintaining a similar core 224 whose length in the fore-aft direction in the vehicle 114 does not change because the nose 221 can be removably coupled to the core 224. Thus, depending on the overall length of the second headrest 200, different lengths of the nose 221 (e.g., the front of the nose 221 in addition to the length of the speaker housing 235a or 235b) can be provided to accommodate different length profiles of the second headrest 200 in the fore-aft position (or along the first axis 249).

[0033] The nose 221 generally includes a plurality of first connection mechanisms 268a-268f positioned on its rear side. The core 224 generally includes a plurality of second connection mechanisms 270a-270f positioned on its front side. The first connection mechanisms 268a-268f cooperate with the second connection mechanisms 270a-270f to couple the nose 221 to the core 224. The corresponding first connection mechanisms 268a-268f of the nose 221 can slide behind the corresponding second connection mechanisms 270a-270f of the core 224 and remain engaged with each other. The nose 221 includes a rearward lower protruding member 250 and a bottom protruding member 252. The bottom protruding member 252 is recessed relative to the lower protruding member 250. The core 224 includes a forward extending member 254 positioned on its front side. When the corresponding first connection mechanism 268a-268f of the nose 221 slides behind the corresponding second connection mechanism 270a-270f of the core 224, the rearward lower protruding member 250 of the nose 221 contacts the forward extending member 254 of the core 224. The forward extending member 254 prevents the rearward lower protruding member 250 from moving further downward. This prevents the corresponding first connection mechanism 268a-268f of the nose 221 from sliding beyond the corresponding second connection mechanism 270a-270f of the core 224, and thus keeps the corresponding first connection mechanism 268a-268f of the nose 221 engaged with the corresponding second connection mechanism 270a-270f of the core 224.

[0034] FIG. 10 shows a side view of the nose piece 221 positioned in the third headrest 300 according to one embodiment. The third headrest 300 includes a shell 302 surrounding the nose piece 221. The shell 302 extends in the front-to-back direction by a certain length, such as that shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. Fig. 9 The length of the housing 202 is long as indicated. At 304, the length from the front of the speaker housing 228 to the front surface of the housing 302 is generally shown. Although not shown, it should be recognized that the core 224 is present in the third headrest 300. The third headrest 300 includes speaker housings 228a, 228b and speakers 226a, 226b respectively positioned in the speaker housings. The speaker housings 228a, 228b include corresponding cover seats 230a, 230b and corresponding speaker shells 235a, 235b. Considering that the overall profile of the third headrest 300 may be larger than the overall profile of the second headrest 200, the total length of the speaker shells 235a, 235b as shown in conjunction with the third headrest 300 may be less than the total length of the shells 235a, 235b as shown in conjunction with the second headrest 200.

[0035] FIG. 11 shows a side view of the nose 221 positioned in the fourth headrest 400 according to one embodiment. The fourth headrest 400 includes a shell 402 surrounding the nose 221. At 404, the length from the front of the speaker housing 228 to the front surface of the shell 302 is generally shown. The fourth headrest 400 can correspond to a large headrest studio surface. The length shown at 404 is generally greater than the length shown at 304 in conjunction with FIG. 10. The nose 221 and the speaker housing 228a, 228b are generally similar to the nose 221 and the speaker housing 228a, 228b as shown in conjunction with FIG. 10.

[0036] FIG. 12 shows a partial rear side view of a nose 221 according to one embodiment. Specifically, each of the speaker housings 235a, 235b generally includes an interlocking mechanism 240. The interlocking mechanism 240 for each housing 235a, 235b receives a corresponding mating element 242 positioned on the extended flange portions 251a, 251b. The extended flange portions 251a, 251b are integrally formed on the nose 221. It should be appreciated that the interlocking mechanism 240 can be formed by a convex member (or protruding member) to engage with the mating element 242. Alternatively, the interlocking mechanism 240 can be formed by an opening to receive the protruding mating element of each housing 228a, 228b. In addition, the nose 221 can define a cavity therein to receive the mating portion (not shown) of the core 224, so that the core 224 can be attached to the nose 221. It should be appreciated that the cover seats 230a, 230b and speaker housings 235a, 235b can remain fixed (i.e., the cover seats can remain fixed in size). However, the dimensions of the rear half of the integrated housing (or nose 221) can vary or change to compensate for the different front-to-back dimensional differences between the studio surfaces. In one example, the overall length of the rear half of the integrated housing (or nose 221) can vary to provide such compensation. Therefore, it should be appreciated that the nose 221 can be implemented in any number of shell configurations for the headrest, and the size and shape of the housing 116 can vary. Fig.13 A perspective view of a nose 221 and a core 224 is shown according to one embodiment.

[0037] Fig.14 A complete rear view of the nose piece 221 is shown according to one embodiment. Fig.14 In the embodiment shown, the speaker housings 235a, 235b can be fixed to the extended flange portions 251a, 251b via an adhesive, and therefore this embodiment does not require the use of the interlocking mechanism 240 or the mating element 242 as illustrated in FIG. 12. As described above, the nose 221 generally includes a plurality of first connecting mechanisms 268a-268f positioned on its rear side to engage with the second connecting mechanisms 270a-270f (see Fig. 9 The second connecting mechanism 270a-270f) cooperates to connect the nose piece 221 to the core 224. Fig.14 In the embodiment shown, it is recognized that the cover seats 230a, 230b can be integrated with the speakers 235a, 235b to form a single piece for accommodating the speakers 226a, 226b, respectively. Alternatively, the cover seats 230a, 230b can be formed by a separate component from the components of the speaker housings 228a, 228b, respectively.

[0038] Fig.15 A side view of a fourth head restraint 400 is generally shown according to one embodiment. Fig.16 A top view of a fourth headrest 400 is generally shown according to one embodiment. In this example, a first gap 269a and a second gap 269b are formed between the front face of the core 224 and the extended flange portions 251a, 251b, respectively. In the event that the overall length of the speaker housings 228a, 228b needs to be increased to facilitate a smaller profile of the housing 402, or simply to provide more volume or air pressure to enable the speakers 226a, 226b to provide a greater audio volume inside the vehicle 114, such an increase can be achieved by reducing or simply eliminating the first gaps 269a, 269b.

[0039] Although exemplary embodiments are described above, these embodiments are not intended to describe all possible forms of the present invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are descriptive rather than restrictive, and it should be understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, the features of the various embodiments implemented can be combined to form other embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle device, comprising: a core positioned within a headrest of a seat of a vehicle; a nose piece for attachment to the core and positioning within the headrest; a first speaker positioned on the nose piece for providing an audio signal from the headrest; as well as a first speaker housing for receiving the first speaker and positioned on the nose, wherein the first speaker housing extends along a first outer edge of the core to reduce an overall length of the core and the nose along a first axis in the vehicle; wherein the first speaker housing defines a first enclosed volume to store air for the first speaker during audio playback; Wherein the first speaker housing includes a front side and a rear side, and wherein the rear side of the first speaker housing extends rearwardly adjacent to the front side of the core and extends beyond the front side of the core to store air for the first speaker during audio playback. 2 . The vehicle apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first axis corresponds to a front-rear direction in the vehicle. 3 . The vehicle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the enclosed volume extends along the first outer edge of the core to increase the amount of air stored in the enclosed volume.

4. The vehicle apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first speaker housing is integrated with the nose piece to form a single component.

5. The vehicle apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second speaker positioned on the nose opposite the first speaker.

6. The vehicle apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a second speaker housing for receiving the second speaker and positioned on the nose.

7. The vehicle apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second speaker housing extends along a second outer edge of the core to reduce the overall length of the core and the nose along the first axis in the vehicle.

8. The vehicle apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second outer edge of the core is positioned opposite the first outer edge of the core.

9. The vehicle apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nose includes a plurality of first connection mechanisms positioned on a rear side thereof for cooperating with a plurality of second connection mechanisms positioned on a front side of the core to couple the nose to the core.

10. The vehicle apparatus of claim 9, wherein the plurality of first connection mechanisms slidably engage the plurality of second connection mechanisms to couple the nose to the core.

11. The vehicle apparatus of claim 1, wherein the core, the nose, and the first speaker can be packaged in a plurality of housings of the headrest, the plurality of housings extending in lengths different from each other in a front-rear direction of the vehicle.

12. A vehicle device positioned in a headrest of a vehicle, the device comprising: a core positioned within the headrest of a seat of the vehicle; a nose piece for attachment to the core and positioning within the headrest; a first speaker positioned on a first side of the nose piece for providing an audio signal from the headrest; as well as a first speaker housing for receiving the first speaker and positioned on the first side of the nose, a second speaker positioned on a second side of the nose opposite the first side of the nose for providing the audio signal from the headrest; as well as a second speaker housing for receiving the second speaker and positioned on the second side of the nose; wherein the first speaker housing defines a first enclosed volume to store air for the first speaker during audio playback, wherein the first speaker housing includes a front side and a rear side, and wherein the rear side of the first speaker housing extends rearwardly adjacent to the front side of the core and extends beyond the front side of the core to store air for the first speaker during audio playback.

13. The vehicle apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first speaker housing and the second speaker housing are integrated with the nose and positioned in front of the core.

14. The vehicle apparatus of claim 12, wherein the nose includes a plurality of first connection mechanisms positioned on a rear side thereof for cooperating with a plurality of second connection mechanisms positioned on a front side of the core to couple the nose to the core.

15. The vehicle apparatus of claim 14, wherein the plurality of first connection mechanisms slidably engage the plurality of second connection mechanisms to couple the nose to the core. 16 . The vehicle apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the core, the nose, and the first speaker can be packaged in a plurality of housings of the headrest, the plurality of housings extending in lengths different from each other in a front-rear direction of the vehicle.

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