Neck support and massage device for a passenger of a vehicle

Abstract

The present invention provides a neck supporting and massaging device for a passenger of a vehicle, the device being configured such that a neck supporting pad is integrally formed on a lower end portion of a headrest to hold and support the neck of the passenger, and a massaging device is installed in the neck supporting pad to massage the neck of the passenger, thereby stably supporting and massaging the neck of the passenger sitting on the seat.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a neck support and massage device for a passenger of a vehicle, and more particularly, to a neck support and massage device for a passenger of a vehicle in which a neck support pad is integrally formed on a headrest to stably support and massage the neck of a passenger sitting on a seat. Background Art

[0002] As is well known, a vehicle seat includes a seat cushion on which the lower body of a passenger sits, a backrest on which the back of the passenger leans, and a headrest that supports the neck and head.

[0003] A stay protrudes from the lower portion of the headrest and is inserted into the backrest so as to be able to rise and fall.

[0004] Thus, when the stay is moved to a desired position, the height of the headrest can be adjusted.

[0005] However, the conventional headrest has the following problems.

[0006] First, the problem with conventional headrests is that the head and neck of smaller passengers are not properly supported.

[0007] Reference Fig.13 Even if the stay 20 is inserted into the backrest 30 to the maximum extent to adjust the headrest 10 to the lowest height, the head of a passenger with a small body shape and height is supported at the lower portion of the headrest 10, so that the passenger's neck is folded, thereby causing discomfort.

[0008] Second, the problem with conventional headrests is that the passenger's neck is not properly supported.

[0009] In other words, even if the head of the passenger is supported by the headrest 10 , the passenger feels uncomfortable because the neck of the passenger is not supported by the headrest 10 .

[0010] Therefore, if Fig.14 As shown, the neck support 40 having a massage function is purchased separately and then mounted on the headrest 10 , but a separate purchase cost is undesirably required.

[0011] Therefore, there is a need for a headrest that can comfortably support the head and neck of a passenger while adjusting the height of the headrest according to the body shape of the passenger and has a function of alleviating fatigue by massaging the neck.

[0012] The information included in this Background section of the invention is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art. Summary of the invention

[0013] Various aspects of the present invention are directed to a neck supporting and massaging device for a passenger of a vehicle, in which a neck supporting pad is integrally formed on a lower end portion of a headrest to hold and support the neck of the passenger, and a massaging device is installed in the neck supporting pad to massage the neck of the passenger, thereby stably supporting and massaging the neck of the passenger sitting on the seat.

[0014] To achieve the purpose of the present invention, various aspects of the present invention provide a neck support and massage device for a passenger of a vehicle, the device comprising: a neck support pad integrally formed on a lower end portion of a headrest to support a neck of a passenger; a skeleton frame comprising: a front frame having guide holes on a first side and a second side of the front frame; a rear frame disposed at the rear of the front frame to be spaced apart from the front frame, and a wing frame rotatably mounted on a first side and a second side of the front frame, the skeleton frame being mounted in the neck support pad; a plurality of main air bags mounted on a front portion of the front frame to be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval in a vertical direction of the vehicle and to expand or contract to support a rear portion of a neck of a passenger; a side air bag mounted on a front portion of each wing frame to expand or contract to support a side portion of a neck of a passenger; a lifting and driving device mounted on the rear frame to be driven when a massage mode is selected; and a massage ball connected to the lifting and driving device to selectively protrude forward through each guide hole of the front frame and to be lifted and lowered to massage the neck of the passenger when the lifting and driving device is driven.

[0015] The lifting and driving device may include: a lifting track installed on the rear frame; a lifting rod inserted into and fastened to the lifting track to be lifted and lowered along the lifting track; a first motor installed on the rear surface of the lifting track; a friction roller installed on the output shaft of the first motor; a wire connected to the upper and lower parts of the lifting rod at its two ends respectively while being in friction contact with the friction roller; and a support frame installed on the first and second ends of the lifting rod to be connected with the massage ball.

[0016] The lifting and driving device may further include: a solenoid mounted on the support frame; and a plunger connected between the solenoid and the massage ball to transmit the linear moving force of the solenoid to the massage ball.

[0017] A guide roller may be attached to each of the upper and lower ends of the lifting rail to guide the cyclic movement of the wire.

[0018] Hollow hinge ends may be formed on both ends of the front frame, and a hinge pin may be installed on an inner end of each span frame to be inserted into the hollow hinge ends.

[0019] A second motor may be connected to the hinge pin to adjust the angle of each span frame.

[0020] The device may further include: a support rod mounted on the rear frame to be inserted into and fastened to the backrest; a guide frame mounted on a lower portion of the support rod; a third motor mounted on a rear surface of the rear frame; and a lead screw connected to an output shaft of the third motor and fastened to the guide frame to be rotatable at the same position.

[0021] The device may further include: an input unit, through which the passenger selects whether to massage and selects a massage mode; a heart rate measurement unit installed at a predetermined position in the vehicle to monitor the heart rate of the passenger sitting on the seat; a body measurement unit installed at a predetermined position in the vehicle to measure the body size of the passenger; and a controller configured to execute one of a plurality of modes according to an input signal of the input unit, a monitoring signal of the heart rate measurement unit, and a measurement signal of the body measurement unit, wherein the plurality of modes includes a massage mode.

[0022] More specifically, the neck support and massage device for a passenger of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention may further include: a heart rate sensing radar installed in the vehicle to monitor the fatigue level of a passenger sitting on a seat and send the fatigue level to a controller; a camera installed at a predetermined position in the vehicle to monitor the position of the neck of the passenger as a body part to be massaged and send the neck position to the controller; a touch screen to guide a menu to enable the passenger to select whether to massage and select a massage mode, and at the same time send a signal of the selected mode to the controller; and a controller to execute one of a plurality of modes according to the monitoring signal of the heart rate sensing radar, the image signal of the camera, and the touch input signal of the touch screen, wherein the plurality of modes include a massage mode.

[0023] Through the above-mentioned means for solving the problems, various aspects of the present invention provide the following effects.

[0024] Firstly, the passenger's neck and head can be comfortably supported by controlling the inflation and deflation of the main airbag.

[0025] Second, the fatigue of the passenger can be relieved by massaging the passenger's neck using a massage ball driven according to various driving modes.

[0026] Third, the side airbags can be inflated during sleep to prevent the passenger's head from tilting to one side, thereby providing the passenger with a stable resting posture.

[0027] Fourthly, the existing necessity of purchasing a neck support separately can be eliminated, so that the marketability of the seat can be improved.

[0028] The method and apparatus of the present invention have other features and advantages which will be more clearly elucidated from or described in more detail in the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description incorporated herein, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 is a front view showing a neck supporting and massaging apparatus for a passenger of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 is a rear view showing a neck supporting and massaging apparatus for a passenger of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3 is a side view showing the appearance of a neck supporting and massaging device for a passenger of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 is a plan cross-sectional view showing an installation state of a neck supporting and massaging device for a passenger of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 5 is a side cross-sectional view showing an installation state of a neck supporting and massaging device for a passenger of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of a control system for driving a neck supporting and massaging device for a passenger of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a driving selection operation of a neck supporting and massaging device for a passenger of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a driving recommended operation of a neck supporting and massaging device for a passenger of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

[0037] Fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a driving scenario of a neck supporting and massaging device for a passenger of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

[0038] Fig.10 , Fig.11 and Fig.12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a driving method of a neck supporting and massaging device for a passenger of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

[0039] Fig.13 is a schematic diagram showing an example in which a passenger's head is supported by a conventional headrest; and

[0040] Fig.14 It is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a separate neck support is mounted on a conventional headrest and used.

[0041] It will be appreciated that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but rather present a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrating the basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of the present invention as incorporated herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment.

[0042] In the drawings, reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the various figures of the drawing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings and described below. Although the present invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that this specification is not intended to limit the present invention to those exemplary embodiments. On the other hand, the present invention is intended to cover not only exemplary embodiments of the present invention, but also various substitutions, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0044] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0045] Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 A neck supporting and massaging apparatus for a passenger of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention is illustrated.

[0046] Reference Figures 1 to 5 A neck support pad 20 for supporting the neck of a passenger is integrally formed on a lower end portion of the headrest 10 .

[0047] Therefore, when the passenger leans on the headrest 10 , the neck of the passenger may be in close contact with and supported by the neck support pad 20 .

[0048] Components and mechanisms capable of adjusting the supporting pressure and supporting position for the neck of the passenger and providing a massage function for the neck are installed inside the neck support cushion 20 .

[0049] To this end, the skeleton frame 100 is installed inside the neck support cushion 20 .

[0050] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the skeleton frame 100 includes: a front frame 101 having guide holes 102 on both sides thereof; a rear frame 104 disposed behind the front frame 101 to be spaced apart from the front frame 101; and a span frame 105 rotatably mounted on both sides of the front frame 101.

[0051] The front frame 101 and the rear frame 104 are connected to each other at upper end portions thereof by a connection frame 103 to be integrated with each other.

[0052] In the configuration of the skeleton frame 100 , a plurality of main airbags 110 are installed at the front portion of the front frame 101 to expand or contract, thereby supporting the back of the neck of the passenger.

[0053] In detail, Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, at least three main airbags 110 are installed on the front portion of the front frame 101 to be spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction of the vehicle, thereby increasing or decreasing supporting pressure of a desired portion in a vertical area of ​​a passenger's neck.

[0054] In addition, the side airbag 120 is installed at the front portion of the span frame 105 to expand or contract, thereby supporting the side of the neck of the passenger.

[0055] For example, when a passenger is sleeping, the side airbag 120 is inflated to stably support the side of the passenger's neck, thereby preventing the passenger's head and neck from tilting to one side thereof.

[0056] According to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, massage balls 130 for massaging a passenger's neck and a lifting and driving device 200 for lifting and lowering the massage balls 130 and driving the massage balls 130 forward and backward are mounted on the skeleton frame 100 .

[0057] The massage balls 130 protrude forward through the guide holes 102 of the front frame 101, so that the massage balls 130 massage the neck of the passenger while being lifted and moved forward and backward by the lifting and driving device 200. The lifting and driving device 200 is installed on the rear frame 104 to lift and move the massage balls 130 forward and backward when the passenger selects a massage mode.

[0058] For this reason, Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the lifting and driving device 200 includes: a lifting rail 210, which is vertically installed on the rear frame 104; a lifting rod 220, which is inserted into and fastened to the lifting rail 210 for lifting; a first motor 230, which is installed on the rear surface of the lifting rail 210; a friction roller 240, which is rotatably installed on the output shaft of the first motor 230; a wire 250, which is respectively connected to the upper and lower parts of the lifting rod 220 at its two ends and is in friction contact with the friction roller 240 at the same time; and a support frame 260, which is installed on each of the opposite ends of the lifting rod 220 to connect with the massage ball 130.

[0059] At this time, guide rollers 212 are attached to the upper and lower ends of the lifting rail 210 to guide the circular movement of the wire 250 .

[0060] Therefore, when the first motor 230 is driven, the friction roller 240 connected to the output shaft of the first motor 230 rotates to provide friction to the wire 250, thereby lifting the wire 250. Subsequently, the lifting rod 220 to which both ends of the wire 250 are connected is lifted along the lifting rail 210.

[0061] Meanwhile, since the massage balls 130 connected to both ends of the lift rod 220 via the support bracket 260 protrude forward through the guide hole 102 of the front frame 101, when the lift rod 220 is raised or lowered, the massage balls 130 are also raised or lowered, thereby massaging the neck of the passenger.

[0062] At this time, the function of massaging the passenger's neck when the massage balls 130 are raised and lowered can be combined with the massage function of tapping the passenger's neck when the massage balls 130 move forward and backward to obtain a better massage effect.

[0063] To this end, a solenoid 270 is mounted on the support frame 260 , and a plunger 272 as a forward and backward moving axis of the solenoid 270 is connected to the massage ball 130 .

[0064] Therefore, when the plunger 272 is repeatedly moved forward by periodically applying current to the solenoid 270 and repeatedly moved backward to its initial position by periodically releasing current, the massage ball 130 connected to the plunger 272 can perform a massage operation of tapping the passenger's neck while it moves forward and backward.

[0065] like Figure 4 As shown, a fourth motor 131 may be installed on the front end of the plunger 272 so that the massage ball 130 rotates while moving forward and backward to massage the neck of the passenger, and a rotating shaft 132 of the fourth motor 131 may be connected to the massage ball 130 .

[0066] At the same time, since the length and thickness of the passenger's neck vary depending on the body shape, it is preferred to adjust the angle of the wingspan frame 105 to be close to or away from the side of the neck according to the passenger's body shape, so that the side airbag 120 attached to the front of the wingspan frame 105 stably supports the side of the passenger's neck.

[0067] For this reason, Figure 2 As shown, hollow hinge ends 106 are formed on both ends of the front frame 101 , and a hinge pin 107 is fixedly mounted on the inner end of each span frame 105 to be inserted into the hinge end 106 , and the output shaft of the second motor 108 is connected to the hinge pin 107 .

[0068] Therefore, when the rotational force caused by the drive of the second motor 108 is transmitted to the hinge pin 107, the wingspan frame 105 is also rotated by the rotation of the hinge pin 107, so that the angle of the wingspan frame 105 can be adjusted to be close to or away from the side of the neck according to the body shape of the passenger.

[0069] Meanwhile, the neck supporting height of the neck supporting pad 20 is preferably automatically adjusted according to the body shape of the passenger.

[0070] For this reason, Figure 2 As shown, a guide frame 142 is mounted on the support rod 140, the support rod 140 is mounted on the rear frame 104 to be inserted into and fastened to the backrest, a third motor 144 is mounted on the rear surface of the rear frame 104, and a lead screw 146 fastened to the guide frame 142 so as to be rotatable at the same position is connected to the output shaft of the third motor 144.

[0071] At this time, the guide rod 148 is attached to the housing of the third motor to be ejectably inserted into the guide frame 104 .

[0072] Therefore, when the rotation force caused by the driving of the third motor 144 is applied to the lead screw 146, the lead screw 146 rotates at the same position, and the guide frame 142 is raised and lowered along the lead screw 146 and the guide rod 148. In addition, the stay 140 on which the guide frame 142 is mounted is raised and lowered, and the rear frame 104 on which the stay 140 is mounted is raised and lowered. When the rear frame 104 is raised and lowered, the skeleton frame 100 is raised and lowered, so that the neck supporting height of the neck supporting pad 20 can be adjusted.

[0073] Here, the configuration and operation for controlling driving of a neck supporting and massaging device according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention are as follows.

[0074] Reference Figure 6According to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a configuration for controlling driving of a neck support and massage device for a passenger of a vehicle includes: an input portion through which a passenger selects whether to massage and selects a massage mode; a heart rate measurement portion installed at a predetermined position in the vehicle to monitor the heart rate of a passenger sitting on a seat; a body measurement portion installed at a predetermined position in the vehicle to measure the body size of the passenger; and a controller configured to execute one of a plurality of modes according to an input signal of the input portion, a monitoring signal of the heart rate measurement portion, and a measurement signal of the body measurement portion, the plurality of modes including a massage mode.

[0075] In detail, according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a configuration for controlling the driving of a neck support and massage device for a passenger of a vehicle includes: a camera 310 installed at a predetermined position in the vehicle to photograph a head area including a face and neck of the passenger and a neck support pad 20, and to send the photographed image to a controller 300; a heart rate sensing radar 320 installed at a predetermined position in the vehicle to monitor a heart rate condition to determine a degree of fatigue of a passenger sitting on a seat, and to send the monitoring result to the controller 300; a touch screen 330 to display a menu through which the passenger selects whether to massage and selects a massage mode, and to send a signal of the selected massage mode to the controller 300; and a controller 300 to execute a massage mode according to an image signal of the camera 310, a monitoring signal of the heart rate sensing radar 320, and a touch input signal of the touch screen 330.

[0076] The controller 300 receives an image signal from the camera 310 to compare the height of the head area of ​​the passenger with the height of the neck support cushion 20. When the height difference between the height of the head area of ​​the passenger and the height of the neck support cushion 20 is equal to or greater than a reference value, a current signal for raising and lowering the neck support cushion 20 is applied to the third motor 144.

[0077] Therefore, when the rotational force caused by the driving of the third motor 144 is applied to the lead screw 146 in response to the current signal of the controller 300, the rear frame 104 raises and lowers the skeleton frame 100, so that the neck support height of the neck support cushion 20 can be adjusted to fit the head area of ​​the passenger.

[0078] In addition, the controller 300 receives the monitoring signal of the heart rate sensing radar 320 to compare the heart rate of the passenger with the normal heart rate. When the difference between the heart rate of the passenger and the normal heart rate is equal to or greater than the reference value, it is determined that the fatigue level of the passenger has increased due to long-term driving, etc., and the passenger is Figure 8 It is shown that a massage recommendation message for alleviating fatigue is displayed on the touch screen 330.

[0079] Therefore, the passenger can read the message displayed on the touch screen 330 and can perform the massage function.

[0080] In addition, if Figure 7 As shown, the controller 300 receives an input signal selected by the passenger touching the menu displayed on the touch screen 330 by himself, and applies a current signal to the first motor 230 and the solenoid 270 to perform the selected massage mode in response to the selected input signal.

[0081] Here, driving examples of the neck supporting and massaging device according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention are as follows.

[0082] Fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating driving scenarios of a neck supporting and massaging apparatus for a passenger of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0083] First, when a passenger sits on a seat, the camera 310 photographs a head region including the face and neck of the passenger and the neck support pad 20 ( S101 ).

[0084] Subsequently, an image signal photographed by the camera 310 is transmitted to the controller 300 , thereby determining whether the height of the neck support pad 20 for supporting the neck of the passenger is appropriate ( S102 ).

[0085] In other words, when the controller 300 receives the image signal of the camera 310, it compares the height of the head area of ​​the passenger with the height of the neck support cushion 20. When the height difference is equal to or greater than the reference height, a current signal for raising and lowering the neck support cushion 20 is applied to the third motor 144.

[0086] Thus, when the rotation force caused by the driving of the third motor 144 is applied to the lead screw 146, the rear frame 104 raises and lowers the skeleton frame 100, so that the neck supporting height of the neck supporting pad 20 can be adjusted to fit the head area of ​​the passenger (S103).

[0087] Therefore, the neck of the passenger is stably supported by the neck support pad 20, thereby solving the problem in the prior art that the neck of the passenger is not supported by the headrest and causes discomfort, thereby making the neck feel comfortable.

[0088] Next, the passenger may select various modes to drive the airbag and / or the massage ball (S104).

[0089] For example, the controller 300 compares the passenger's heart rate with a normal heart rate. When the difference between the passenger's heart rate and the normal heart rate is equal to or greater than a reference value, it is determined that the passenger's fatigue level has increased due to long-term driving, etc., and thus Figure 8 As shown, a massage recommendation message for relieving fatigue is displayed on the touch screen 330 , and then the passenger can select a massage mode through the touch screen 330 .

[0090] Alternatively, the passenger himself may select a massage mode by touching a menu displayed on the touch screen 330 .

[0091] Thus, when the controller 300 selects the massage mode, a current signal is applied to the first motor 230 and the solenoid 270 .

[0092] Therefore, when the friction roller 240 rotates due to the driving of the first motor 230, the friction force is transmitted to the wire 250, so that the wire 250 is lifted and lowered. Subsequently, the lifting rod 220 connected to both ends of the wire 250 is lifted and lowered along the lifting rail 210, and at the same time, the massage balls 130 connected to both ends of the lifting rod 220 through the support frame 260 are also lifted and lowered, thereby massaging the neck of the passenger (S107).

[0093] Furthermore, by the driving of the solenoid 270, the plunger 272 and the massage ball 130 move forward and backward, thereby performing a massage operation of tapping the neck of the passenger (S107).

[0094] At the same time, the massage ball 130 is rotated by the driving of the fourth motor 131, thereby massaging the neck of the passenger.

[0095] On the other hand, when the passenger selects the sleep mode through the touch screen 330, the controller 300 sends a driving signal to the air pump so that the main airbag 110 and the side airbag 120 are inflated together (S105). In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the main airbag 110 and the side airbag 120 are connected to the same air pump through an air distribution device connected to the controller to supply air to one or both of the main airbag 110 and the side airbag 120. In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the main airbag 110 and the side airbag 120 are connected to separate air pumps through each air distribution device connected to the controller to supply air to the main airbag 110 and the side airbag 120, respectively.

[0096] Therefore, the rear of the passenger's neck can be stably supported by the expansion of the main airbag 110, and the side airbag 120 can stably support the side of the passenger's neck, thereby preventing the passenger's head and neck from tilting to one side, thereby keeping the passenger's sleeping posture comfortable.

[0097] At this time, when the passenger selects the sleep mode and then further selects the massage mode, massage may be further performed by lifting and lowering and moving the massage balls 130 forward and backward (S106).

[0098] Furthermore, when the passenger selects the reading and movie viewing mode through the touch screen 330, the controller 300 transmits a driving signal to the air pump, thereby inflating each main airbag 110 (S108).

[0099] Therefore, since the back of the passenger's neck is supported by the expansion of the main airbag 110 and at the same time the passenger's neck is naturally bent toward the book or the smart device, the passenger's posture can be changed to a posture for comfortably reading a book or watching a movie.

[0100] At this time, when the passenger selects the reading and movie watching mode and then further selects the massage mode, massage may be further performed by lifting and lowering and moving the massage balls 130 forward and backward (S109).

[0101] Meanwhile, the passenger may select one of various massage modes displayed through the touch screen 330 so that the passenger may select a desired massage intensity.

[0102] For example, Fig.10 As shown, the passenger can select a normal mode (eg, a mode in which the massage balls are raised and lowered at a predetermined speed and move forward and backward) and a strong massage mode (eg, a mode in which the massage balls move forward and backward a maximum distance) as massage modes.

[0103] In addition, if Fig.11 As shown, when a passenger selects free mode as the massage mode, the passenger can drag on the touch screen to adjust the massage intensity that will be generated by the lifting and lowering and forward and backward movement of the massage balls.

[0104] In addition, if Fig.12 As shown, when the passenger selects the part-focused mode as the massage mode, the massage balls stop at one of desired upper / middle / lower positions during lifting and lowering, and at the same time, the beating caused by the forward and backward movement of the massage balls strongly massages the desired part.

[0105] As described above, the present invention controls the inflation and deflation of the main airbag to comfortably support the passenger's neck, prevents the passenger's head from tilting to one side during sleep by inflating the side airbag, thereby providing the passenger with a stable resting posture, and reduces passenger fatigue by massaging the passenger's neck using a massage ball driven according to various driving modes.

[0106] In addition, the term "controller", "control unit" or "control device" refers to a hardware device including a memory and a processor, which is configured to execute one or more steps interpreted as an algorithm structure. The memory stores the algorithm steps, and the processor executes the algorithm steps to perform one or more processes of the method according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The controller according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be implemented by a non-volatile memory storing an algorithm for controlling the operation of various components of the vehicle or data about software commands for executing the algorithm, and a processor that performs the operations described above using the data stored in the memory. The memory and the processor can be separate chips. Alternatively, the memory and the processor can be integrated in a single chip. The processor can be implemented as one or more processors.

[0107] The controller or control unit may be at least one microprocessor operated by a predetermined program, which may include a series of commands for executing the method according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0108] The aforementioned invention may also be embodied as computer-readable code on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium is any data storage device that can store data that can be subsequently read by a computer system. Examples of computer-readable recording media include hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state disks (SSDs), silicon disk drives (SDDs), read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, optical data storage devices, etc., and implementations of carrier waves (e.g., transmitted over the Internet).

[0109] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, each operation described above may be performed by a controller, and the controller may be constructed of a plurality of controllers or an integrated single controller.

[0110] For convenience of explanation and accurate definition of the appended claims, the terms "upper", "lower", "up", "lower", "upward", "downward", "front", "back", "rear", "inner", "outer", "inwardly", "outwardly", "inner", "external", "inner", "outer", "inner", "external", "forward" and "rearward" are used to describe the features with reference to the locations of the features of the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings. It will be further understood that the term "connect" or its derivatives refers to both direct and indirect connections.

[0111] In addition, the term "fixedly connected" means that the fixedly connected members always rotate at the same speed. In addition, the term "selectively connectable" means that "when the selectively connectable members are not engaged with each other, the selectively connectable members rotate separately; when the selectively connectable members are engaged with each other, the selectively connectable members rotate at the same speed; and when at least one selectively connectable member is a fixed member and the remaining selectively connectable members are engaged with the fixed member, the selectively connectable members are fixed."

[0112] For the purpose of illustration and description, the foregoing description of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention is given. These descriptions are not intended to be exhaustive of the present invention or to limit the present invention to the precise form disclosed, and it is apparent that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. Exemplary embodiments are selected and described to explain certain principles of the present invention and their practical applications so that other persons skilled in the art can make and utilize various exemplary embodiments of the present invention and various substitutions and modifications thereof. The scope of the present invention is intended to be limited by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A neck support and massage device for a passenger of a vehicle, comprising: a neck support pad integrally formed on a lower end portion of the headrest to support the neck of the passenger; a skeleton frame including a front frame, a rear frame and a wing span frame, wherein the front frame has guide holes on a first side and a second side, the rear frame is installed behind the front frame to be spaced apart from the front frame, the wing span frame is rotatably installed on the first side and the second side of the front frame, and the skeleton frame is installed inside the neck support pad; at least one main air bag installed at the front portion of the front frame to expand or contract so as to support the back of the neck of the passenger; at least one side airbag mounted at a front portion of each of the wing span frames to expand or contract so as to support a side portion of the passenger's neck; a lifting and driving device mounted on the rear frame to be driven when a massage mode is selected; a massage ball connected to the lifting and driving device to selectively protrude forward through each of the guide holes of the front frame and to be lifted and lowered to massage the neck of the passenger when the lifting and driving device is driven; An input unit, through which the passenger selects whether to massage and selects the massage mode; a heart rate measuring unit installed at a predetermined position in the vehicle to monitor the heart rate of the passenger sitting on the seat; a body measuring unit installed at a predetermined position in the vehicle to measure the body size of the passenger; as well as a controller for executing one of a plurality of modes according to an input signal of the input unit, a monitoring signal of the heart rate measurement unit, and a measurement signal of the body measurement unit, wherein the plurality of modes include the massage mode, The multiple modes include: In the massage mode, the controller performs massage of the passenger's neck via the lifting and driving device and the massage ball; sleep mode, the controller being configured to inflate the at least one main airbag and the at least one side airbag; and In the reading and movie watching modes, the controller is configured to open the at least one primary airbag.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The lifting and driving device comprises: A lifting rail is installed on the rear frame; A lifting rod, inserted into and fastened to the lifting track, so as to be lifted and lowered along the lifting track; A first motor is mounted on the rear surface of the lifting rail; a friction roller mounted on the output shaft of the first motor; a wire connected to the upper and lower portions of the lifting rod at a first end and a second end, respectively, while being in frictional contact with the friction roller; and A support frame is installed on the first end and the second end of the lifting rod to be connected with the massage ball.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein: The lifting and driving device further comprises: a solenoid mounted on the support frame; and A plunger is connected between the solenoid and the massage ball to transmit the linear movement force of the solenoid to the massage ball in response to a selected massage mode.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein: A guide roller is attached to each of the upper and lower ends of the lifting rail to guide the circular movement of the wire.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein: A motor is mounted on a front end portion of the plunger to selectively rotate the massage ball, and a rotation shaft of the motor is connected to the massage ball.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein: Hollow hinge ends are formed on the first and second ends of the front frame, and a hinge pin is installed on the inner end of each of the span frames to be inserted into the hollow hinge ends.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein: A motor is connected to the hinge pin to adjust the angle of each of the span frames.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a stay mounted on the rear frame to be inserted into and fastened to the backrest; a guide frame mounted on the lower portion of the strut; a motor mounted on the rear surface of the rear frame; as well as A lead screw is connected to the output shaft of the motor and is fastened to the guide frame to be rotatable at the same position.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The input portion includes a touch screen connected to the controller and installed at a predetermined position in the vehicle to display a menu through which the passenger selects whether to massage and selects one of the plurality of modes and transmits a signal of the selected mode to the controller.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein: The controller is configured to receive an input signal selected by the passenger touching the menu displayed on the touch screen by himself, and apply a current signal to the lifting and driving device connected to the controller to perform the selected massage mode in response to the selected input signal.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein: The heart rate measurement section includes a heart rate sensing radar installed at a predetermined position in the vehicle to monitor the fatigue level of the passenger sitting on the seat and output a monitoring signal of the fatigue level to the controller.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein The controller is configured to receive a monitoring signal from the heart rate sensing radar to compare the passenger's heart rate with a normal heart rate, and when a difference between the passenger's heart rate and the normal heart rate is equal to or greater than a reference value, display a massage recommendation message on the touch screen for alleviating the passenger's fatigue.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The body measurement part includes a camera installed at a predetermined position in the vehicle to monitor a position of the neck of the passenger to be massaged and output the monitored position to the controller.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein: The controller is configured to receive the image signal of the camera to compare the height of the head area of ​​the passenger and the height of the neck support cushion, and when the height difference between the height of the head area of ​​the passenger and the height of the neck support cushion is equal to or greater than a reference value, apply a current signal to the lifting and driving device to lift the neck support cushion.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one main air bag is formed in plural and mounted on the front portion of the front frame to be spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals in a vertical direction of the vehicle and to expand or contract.

Images