Ergonomic headrest for a seat
Patent Information
- Application Number
- EP2023710301
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-03-30
- Filing Date
- 2023-03-08
- Publication Date
- 2025-02-05
AI Technical Summary
Conventional airplane seat headrests provide inadequate support for passengers trying to sleep, leading to discomfort and potential muscular or respiratory issues due to the need to rest their heads on the seat back or neighboring passengers.
An ergonomic headrest design featuring a central part with a movable part mounted via a central pivot link, including lateral head support fins that rotate around vertical axes to provide enhanced support and adaptability, allowing the headrest to be positioned closer to the passenger's cheek for improved comfort and neck support.
The ergonomic design offers a larger support surface, evenly distributed support, and neck support, enabling passengers to maintain their head in a comfortable position, reducing the risk of discomfort and fatigue.
Smart Images

Figure 1.1
Abstract
Description
DESCRIPTION TITLE: ERGONOMIC HEADREST FOR A SEAT
[0001] The present invention relates to an ergonomic headrest for a seat. The invention finds a particularly advantageous, but not exclusive, application in economy class aircraft seats. However, the invention can also be implemented in business class aircraft seats or in seats in other means of transport, such as seats in motor vehicles, trains, or boats.
[0002] As is known, the headrest of an economy class airplane seat is mounted to the seat back via a headrest structure. The headrest can be movable between a raised position and a lowered position in which it is substantially parallel to the plane of the seat back. US2012 / 0139309 describes the construction of a seat headrest comprising a central portion and wings mounted on the central portion of the headrest via horizontal pivot joints. Each wing is thus movable between a raised position and an extended position in which the movable portion extends substantially perpendicularly to the central portion and the seat back. The passenger can then rest their head on the upper surface of the wings.
[0003] However, such a headrest offers limited support for the head of a passenger who wishes to sleep comfortably. The passenger may therefore be forced to rest their head on the back of the front seat, on the tray table, or sometimes on the shoulders of the passenger next to them, thus creating a risk of muscle fatigue or respiratory problems.
[0004] The invention aims to effectively remedy this drawback by proposing a headrest for a seat, in particular an airplane seat, comprising: - a central section against which a passenger's head can rest, and - a movable part mounted on the central part by means of a central pivot joint having a horizontal axis of rotation, said central pivot joint being disposed on a lower edge of the central part, so that the movable part is movable between a raised position and a deployed position in which the movable part extends substantially perpendicularly with respect to the central part, - said movable part comprises two lateral head support fins, each lateral head support fin being mounted on a corresponding end of a support via an end pivot joint having an end axis of rotation, - each end axis of rotation having a substantially vertical orientation when the moving part is in the raised position, - each end rotation axis having an orientation substantially perpendicular to the central part when the movable part is in the deployed position, so that each lateral head support fin is able to rotate around the corresponding end rotation axis to take a raised position in which the lateral head support fin is brought closer to a passenger's cheek.
[0005] The invention, thanks to its movable section, provides a large support surface on which the passenger can rest and maintain their head in a comfortable position. When deployed, the movable section can also be positioned very close to the passenger's cheek by rotating the fins around the corresponding end axis. The movable section also provides evenly distributed support on the passenger's cheek. Furthermore, the movable section offers neck support for the passenger.
[0006] According to one embodiment of the invention, the moving part has a U-shape.
[0007] According to one embodiment of the invention, said headrest is movable between a high position and a low position so as to be able to adapt to different passenger sizes.
[0008] According to one embodiment of the invention, the moving part extends parallel to the central part when the headrest is in the raised position.
[0009] According to one embodiment of the invention, the central pivot joint is constituted by a rotating friction element to selectively hold the moving part in the stored position or in the deployed position.
[0010] According to one embodiment of the invention, each pivot end connection is made up of a hinge having a first portion fixed on one end of the support and a second portion fixed on a corresponding head support fin.
[0011] According to one embodiment of the invention, said headrest comprises a modular interface for fixing to a backrest structure.
[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, the modular fixing interface comprises two pads intended to cooperate each with a guide rail carried by the backrest structure.
[0013] According to one embodiment of the invention, the modular fixing interface further comprises a clip forming a stop when the headrest is in the previously defined high position.
[0014] According to one embodiment of the invention, said headrest includes an elastic return element to automatically move the movable part from the deployed position to the stored position when the passenger's head is not resting on the movable part.
[0015] According to one embodiment of the invention, when the movable part is in the deployed position, an upper face of a lateral fin forms a fixed non-zero angle with respect to an lower face of said lateral fin.
[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, each end pivot joint includes a device for limiting the angle of rotation of the corresponding lateral fin.
[0017] According to one embodiment of the invention, said headrest comprises a device for retaining the moving part under the action of a strong acceleration experienced by the headrest.
[0018] According to one embodiment of the invention, the retaining device comprises a ball associated with a rod mounted to slide between a default position and an active position in which the rod pushes said ball inside a housing to block the moving part from rotating relative to the central part, the passage from the default position to the active position of the rod occurring under the action of the strong acceleration experienced by the headrest.
[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, an elastic element stresses the rod in the rest position when the headrest is not subjected to strong acceleration.
[0020] According to one embodiment of the invention, the retaining device comprises a ball and a part fixed on the moving part of the headrest, said part carrying a pivoting latch capable of rotating under the effect of a movement of the ball generated by the acceleration so as to block the moving part of the headrest.
[0021] According to one embodiment of the invention, the retaining device is provided with a hard point so as to be able to be activated at the beginning of a downward rotation sequence following a determined angular range in which an effort applied to deploy the movable part of the headrest is greater than an effort required to deploy the movable part over the remainder of a rotation sequence extending from the end of the predetermined angular range to the deployed position.
[0022] The invention also relates to a seat comprising a headrest as previously defined.
[0023] The present invention will be better understood and other features and advantages will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description, which includes embodiments given by way of illustration with reference to the accompanying figures, presented by way of non-limiting examples, which may serve to complete the understanding of the present invention and the explanation of its implementation and, where appropriate, contribute to its definition, on which:
[0024] [Fig. 1 a] [Fig. 1 b] Figures 1 a and 1 b are respectively perspective views of the headrest according to the invention when the moving part is in the stored position and in the deployed position;
[0025] [Fig. 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the headrest according to the invention without the layers of flexible materials covering its structural parts;
[0026] [Fig. 3] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the headrest according to the present invention;
[0027] [Fig. 4a] [Fig. 4b] [Fig. 4c] Figures 4a, 4b, 4c are perspective views illustrating different possible configurations of the headrest according to the present invention;
[0028] [Fig. 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the rear part of the headrest according to the invention;
[0029] [Fig. 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the modular fastening interface disassembled in relation to the headrest according to the invention;
[0030] [Fig. 7] Figure 7 is a perspective view illustrating the mounting of the headrest according to the invention on a backrest structure;
[0031] [Fig. 8] Figure 8 is a view showing a passenger with one cheek resting against a fin of the headrest according to the invention in the deployed position;
[0032] [Fig. 9] Figure 9 is a perspective view of the headrest according to the invention illustrating an embodiment in which the fins have a trapezoidal cross-section;
[0033] [Fig. 10a] [Fig. 10b] Figures 10a and 10b illustrate a first embodiment of a device for retaining the moving part when the headrest is subjected to strong acceleration;
[0034] [Fig. 11 a] [Fig. 11 b] Figures 11 a and 11 b illustrate a second embodiment of a device for retaining the moving part when the headrest is subjected to strong acceleration;
[0035] [Fig. 12a] [Fig. 12b] Figures 12a and 12b illustrate a third embodiment of a device for retaining the moving part when the headrest is subjected to strong acceleration.
[0036] It should be noted that, in the figures, structural and / or functional elements common to the different embodiments may have the same reference numbers. Thus, unless otherwise stated, such elements have identical structural, dimensional, and material properties.
[0037] The relative terms such as "horizontal", "vertical", "lower", "upper", are understood by reference to their common meaning when the headrest is in the position of use on a seat.
[0038] Expressions such as "approximately horizontal" or "approximately vertical" or "approximately perpendicular" mean that there may be a slight angular offset, less than 20 degrees from the direction indicated.
[0039] Figures 1a and 1b show a headrest 10, also called a head pad, for a seat, in particular an airplane seat. The headrest 10 has a central part 11 on which a passenger's head can rest and a movable part 12. The central part 11 and the movable part 12 are covered by a layer of soft material 13, such as a layer of foam, which is itself covered by a cover 15.
[0040] The generally U-shaped movable part 12 is mounted on the central part 11 of the headrest 10 by means of at least one central pivot joint 18 with horizontal axis X1, clearly visible in the figures as well as in Figures 4a, 4b, and 4c. The central pivot joint 18 is located on a lower edge of the central part 11. The horizontal axis X1 is parallel to the lower edge of the central part 11.
[0041] Thus, the movable part 12 is movable between a raised position in which the movable part 12 extends parallel to the central part 11, preferably in the same plane as the central part 11, and a deployed position in which the movable part 12 extends substantially perpendicularly with respect to the central part 11. In the deployed position, the movable part 12 then extends substantially in a horizontal plane.
[0042] In this case, the central pivot joint 18 consists of a rotating friction element 19 to selectively hold the moving part 12 in the stored or deployed position. Preferably, the rotating friction element 19 is of the asymmetrical type, meaning that it requires a greater torque in the direction of deployment than in the direction of retraction to the raised position.
[0043] The movable part 12 comprises two lateral fins 23 for head support. In this case, each of the lateral fins 23 consists of a plate with a generally trapezoidal shape. Alternatively, the lateral fins 23 may, however, be square, rectangular, triangular, or any other shape suitable for the application.
[0044] Each lateral fin 23 is mounted on a corresponding end of a support 24 of the movable part 12 via an end pivot joint 27 having an end axis of rotation X2.
[0045] When the movable part 12 is in the raised position, the end rotation axis X2 is oriented substantially parallel to a lateral edge of the central part 11. It is thus possible to adjust the angular position of the fin 23 by rotating it laterally around the end rotation axis X2 so as to bring the fin 23 closer to the passenger's cheek, as shown in Figure 4a. The lateral deflection angle A1 of a fin around the axis X2 is between 30 and 90 degrees and is preferably on the order of 75 degrees. "On the order of" means a possible variation of 10% around the stated value.
[0046] When the movable part 12 is in the deployed position, the end rotation axis X2 has an orientation substantially perpendicular to the central part 11. The rotation axis X then extends in a substantially horizontal plane. Each lateral fin 23 is then movable between a default position in which the lateral fin 23 is in the same plane as the movable part 12 and A raised position in which the side fin 23 is directed upwards and forms a non-zero angle with a horizontal plane, as shown in Figure 4c. The side fin 23 can thus be brought closer to the passenger's cheek to improve their comfort. The angle of movement A2 of the side fin 23 between the default position and the raised position is, for example, between 30 and 70 degrees and is preferably around 55 degrees.
[0047] More specifically, as can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, the central part 11 comprises a structural plate 28 on which a modular fastening interface 30 is mounted, allowing the headrest 10 to be attached to a backrest structure 31. The modular fastening interface 30, also visible in Figures 5 and 6, comprises a support plate 33 on which two glides 34 are fixed. These glides 34 are designed to cooperate with each guide rail. 35 is supported by the backrest structure 31, as shown in Figure 7. When the seat is in the upright position, the guide rails 35 are oriented approximately vertically. The headrest 10 is thus movable in translation relative to the backrest structure 31 between a high and a low position so as to adapt to the different heights of passengers.
[0048] Such a configuration has the advantage of requiring only the modification of the fixing interface 30, in particular the spacing between the pads 34, so that the headrest 10 can adapt to different seat models where the spacing between the rails 35 is likely to vary from one model to another.
[0049] Preferably, the modular fastening interface 30 further includes a clip 36 forming a stop intended to bear against a fixed element of the seat structure, for example a pin, when the headrest 10 is in its highest position. The clip 36 may be L-shaped and is made of a metallic material such that the operator can deform the clip. 36 in order to detach the headrest 10 from the backrest structure 31 during a maintenance operation.
[0050] The movable part 12 comprises an elongated support 24 extending longitudinally along the lower edge of the structural plate 28. The elongated support 24 is mounted on the central part 11 by means of the rotating member friction element 19. For this purpose, the rotating friction element 19 comprises a body 39 and two end arms 40 that are movable in rotation relative to the body 39. The end arms 40 may include a non-circular section, in particular a rectangular section.
[0051] Each end arm 40 cooperates with a groove 41 formed in one end of a central bridge-shaped portion 42 of the elongated support 24. To ensure the mechanical connection between the end arms 40 and the elongated support 24, one or more clamping screws 44, visible in Figure 2, are inserted into through holes made in a wall of the groove. 41 and a corresponding end arm 40. Each clamping screw 44 cooperates with a tapped hole made in the elongated support 24. Alternatively, the mechanical connection between the end arms 40 and the elongated support 24 can be achieved by welding, gluing, or press-fitting the end arms 40 into the corresponding grooves 41.
[0052] Furthermore, the body 39 of the friction element is fixed to a central structural part 49 called the "nose". This nose 49 comprises two parallel parts 50, 51 separated by a spacer 52 inserted into a notch 53 formed in a lower edge of the structural plate 28. The rear part of the nose 49 is fixed to the rear face of the structural plate 28 by screwing, riveting, welding, bonding, or any other fastening technique suitable for the application. The body 39 of the rotating element 19 is fixed to a front face of the nose 49 by means of fasteners, such as screws or rivets. Alternatively, the body 39 of the rotating element 19 may be welded or bonded to the nose 49. This depends on the application.
[0053] A cover 56 may cover at least part of the nose 49 and a front face of the structural plate 28. This cover 56 has an aesthetic function, insofar as its purpose is to mask the metallic structural parts of the headrest 10 when the movable part 12 is in the deployed position.
[0054] Each end of the central bridge-shaped portion 42 is extended by an end of the support 24 on which an end pivot joint 27 is mounted. In this case, each end pivot joint 27 is made up by a hinge 59 having a first portion 61 fixed to the end of the support 24 and a second portion 62 fixed to the lateral fin 23. The two portions 61, 62 are articulated to each other about the end axis of rotation X2. The fasteners used to secure a portion 61, 62 of the hinge 59 to a corresponding element (support 24 or lateral fin 23) may be in the form of screws, rivets, or any other fastener suitable for the application. The hinge 59 may be a friction hinge.
[0055] Each end pivot joint 27 may be equipped with a device 65 for limiting the angle of rotation of the corresponding lateral fin 23. This device 65 comprises two T-shaped pieces, each associated with a portion of the hinge 59, and bearing against each other when the lateral fin 23 has reached its limit angle of rotation.
[0056] A reinforcing plate 68 can be attached to a corresponding side fin 23. The reinforcing plate 68 can be attached to the rear face of the side fin 23 by screwing, riveting, welding, bonding, or any other fastening technique suitable for the application.
[0057] In the embodiment shown in Figure 9, when the movable part 12 is in the deployed position, an upper face 70 of a lateral fin 23 can form a fixed, non-zero angle A3 with respect to a lower face 71 of said lateral fin 23. This limits the angular deflection of the lateral fins 23 when the movable part 12 is in the deployed position. The inclination of the upper face 70 with respect to the lower face 71 of the lateral fin 23 can be achieved by the layer of flexible material 13 having a trapezoidal cross-section.
[0058] The headrest 10 may include an elastic return element 73 visible in figure 3. This elastic return element 73 allows the movable part 12 to automatically move from the deployed position to the stored position when the passenger's head is not resting on the movable part 12. The elastic return element 73 may, for example, take the form of a torsion spring integrated inside the central pivot joint 18.
[0059] The operation of the headrest 10 according to the invention installed on a backrest structure 31 is described below. Initially, the passenger can adjust the vertical position of the headrest 10 by sliding it along the rails carried by the backrest structure 31 in the direction D shown in figure 7.
[0060] When the movable part 12 is in a raised position, the passenger can rotate the lateral fins 23 around the end rotation axes X2, which are then vertically oriented. The passenger can thus choose either to leave the lateral fins 23 in the plane of the central part 11, or to bring the lateral fins 23 closer to their cheeks in order to improve lateral head support, as illustrated in Figure 4a.
[0061] In order to place their head in a comfortable position during a rest phase, the passenger pulls the movable part 12 downwards. The movable part 12 then rotates around the horizontal axis of rotation X1 to move into the deployed position, as illustrated in Figures 1b and 4b.
[0062] The passenger can then rotate a side fin 23 around its end axis of rotation X2 so as to move it into a raised position, as illustrated by Figures 4c and 8. The upper face of the side fin 23 is then brought closer to the passenger's cheek to improve their comfort.
[0063] Alternatively, all pivot joints may have the same configuration, i.e. either all pivot joints may take the form of friction hinges 59 or friction rotating elements 19.
[0064] Advantageously, as illustrated by figures 10 to 12, the head 10 includes a retaining device 75 for the movable part 12 under the action of a strong acceleration experienced by the head 10. This retaining device 75 makes it possible in particular to avoid an uncontrolled movement of the movable part 12 of the head 10 during a shock suffered by the aircraft.
[0065] In the embodiment of Figures 10a and 10b, the retaining device 75 comprises a ball 76 associated with a rod 77 mounted to slide relative to a fixed support 78 mounted on the movable part 12 between a position by default and an active position in which the rod 77 pushes said ball 76 inside a housing 79 provided in the central part 11 to block in rotation the movable part 12 relative to the central part 11, the passage from the default position to the active position of the rod 77 occurring under the action of the strong acceleration suffered by the head 10.
[0066] For this purpose, the rod 77 includes a small-diameter section 77.1 positioned opposite the ball 76 when the rod 77 is in its default position, so that the ball 76 is free from the housing formed in one of the parts, either the fixed central portion 11 or the movable portion 12 of the head 10. The rod 77 includes a large-diameter section 77.2 designed to apply a radial force to the ball 76 so as to push it into the housing when the rod 77 is in its active position. The rod 77 is oriented along the direction of the acceleration experienced by the head 10.
[0067] An elastic element 80, such as a spring-loaded arm, exerts force on the rod 77 in its rest position when the headrest 10 is not subjected to strong acceleration. This elastic element 80 determines the resistance force at which the rod 77 moves from its rest position to its active position.
[0068] Alternatively, the structure can be reversed, i.e. the fixed support 78 can be mounted on the central part 11 while the housing 79 intended to receive the ball 76 is provided in the mobile part 12.
[0069] In the embodiment shown in Figures 11a and 11b, the retaining device 75 comprises a ball 82 and a support piece 83 fixed to the movable part 12 of the head 10. The piece 83 carries a pivoting latch 84 capable of rotating under the effect of a movement of the ball 82 generated by acceleration so as to lock the movable part 12 of the head 10. For this purpose, one end of the latch 84 can be housed inside a recess 85 formed in the central part 11 of the head 10. In order to ensure the rotation of the latch 84, the ball 82 can roll against an inclined face 86 provided in the piece 83 or the latch 84.
[0070] The ball 82 is thus mobile between a rest position in which the ball 82 is located on the side of the lowest level of the inclined face 86, so that the latch 84 is disengaged from housing 85 and an active position in which the ball 82 is located on the side of the highest level of the inclined face 86, so that the latch 84 cooperates with the housing 85 provided in the central part 11.
[0071] Alternatively, the structure can be reversed, i.e. the support piece 83 can be mounted on the central part 11 while the housing 85 intended to receive the latch 84 is provided in the moving part 12.
[0072] Thus, in the first two embodiments, the retaining device 75 includes a movable element (the rod 77 or the ball 82) capable of moving, under the action of a strong acceleration, towards an active position allowing the movable part 12 to be blocked relative to the central part 11.
[0073] In the embodiment of Figures 12a and 12b, the retaining device 75 is provided with a hard point 84 so that it can be activated at the beginning of a downward rotation sequence along a determined angular range in which an effort applied to deploy the movable part 12 of the headrest 10 is greater than the effort required to deploy the movable part 12 over the remainder of a rotation sequence extending from the end of the predetermined angular range to the deployed position.
[0074] For this purpose, the retaining device 75 comprises an arm 88 that rotates relative to the moving part 12 and an elastic element 89, such as a spring, which applies force to the arm 88 against the rigid point 84 formed on the central part 11. In this case, the rigid point 87 is formed by a rounded slope. To move the moving part 12 into the deployed position, it is necessary to compress at least part of the spring 89 so that the arm 88 can pass over the obstacle formed by the rounded slope. The need to compress the spring 89 increases the force required to deploy the moving part 12 over the determined angular range. The value of this angular range can be adjusted according to the shape and extent of the rounded slope.
[0075] Of course, the different features, variants and / or embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other. according to various combinations insofar as they are not incompatible or mutually exclusive.
[0076] Furthermore, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and provided solely by way of example. It encompasses various modifications, alternative forms, and other variations that a person skilled in the art may envision within the scope of the present invention, and in particular all combinations of the different modes of operation described above, which may be considered separately or in combination.
Claims
CLAIMS Headrest (10) for a seat, including an aircraft seat, comprising: - a central part (11) against which a passenger's head can rest, said central part comprising a structural plate (28), and - a movable part (12) mounted on the central part (11) by means of a central pivot joint (18) having a horizontal axis of rotation (X1), said central pivot joint (18) being disposed on a lower edge of the central part (11), such that the movable part (12) is movable between a raised position and a deployed position in which the movable part (12) extends substantially perpendicularly with respect to the central part (11), characterized in that said movable part (12) comprises: - an elongated support (24) extending longitudinally along a lower edge of the structural plate (28), said elongated support (24) being mounted on the central part (11) by means of a rotating friction member (19) constituting the central pivot joint (18), and - two lateral head support fins (23), each lateral head support fin (23) being mounted on a corresponding end of the support (24) via an end pivot joint (27) having an end axis of rotation (X2), - each end rotation axis (X2) having a substantially vertical orientation when the moving part (12) is in the raised position, - each end rotation axis (X2) having a substantially perpendicular orientation with respect to the central part (11) when the movable part (12) is in the deployed position, such that each lateral head support fin (23) is able to rotate about the corresponding end rotation axis (X2) to assume a raised position in which the lateral head support fin (23) is brought closer to a passenger's cheek. Headrest according to claim 1, characterized in that the movable part (12) has a U-shape. Headrest according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is movable between a high position and a low position so as to be able to adapt to different passenger sizes. Headrest according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the movable part (12) extends parallel to the central part (11) when the headrest (10) is in the raised position. Headrest according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the central pivot joint (18) is constituted by a rotating friction member (19) for selectively holding the movable part (12) in the stored or deployed position. Headrest according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that each end pivot joint (27) is constituted by a hinge (59) having a first portion (61) fixed to one end of the support (24) and a second portion (62) fixed to a corresponding head support fin (23). Headrest according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises a modular attachment interface (30) for a backrest structure (31).Headrest according to claim 7, characterized in that the modular fastening interface (30) comprises two pads (34) each intended to cooperate with a guide rail (35) carried by the backrest structure (31). Headrest according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises an elastic return element (73) for automatically returning the movable part (12) from the deployed position to the stored position when the passenger's head is not resting on the movable part. (12). Headrest according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that when the movable part (12) is in the deployed position, an upper face (70) of a lateral fin (23) forms a fixed non-zero angle with respect to an underside face (71) of said lateral fin (23). Headrest according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it comprises a retaining device (75) for the movable part (12) under the action of a strong acceleration experienced by the headrest (10). Headrest according to claim 11, characterized in that the retaining device (75) comprises a ball (76) associated with a rod (77) mounted to slide between a default position and an active position in which the rod (77) pushes said ball (76) into a housing to lock the movable part (12) in rotation with respect to the central part (11), the transition from the default position to the active position of the rod (77) occurring under the action of the strong acceleration experienced by the headrest (10).A headrest according to claim 11, characterized in that the retaining device (75) comprises a ball (82) and a part (83) fixed to the movable part (12) of the headrest (10), said part (83) having a pivoting latch (84) capable of rotating under the effect of a movement of the ball (82) generated by acceleration so as to lock the movable part (12) of the headrest (10). A headrest according to claim 11, characterized in that the retaining device (75) is provided with a detent (84) so as to be able to be activated at the beginning of a downward rotation sequence along a predetermined angular range in which the force applied to deploy the movable part (12) of the headrest (10) is greater than the force required to deploy the movable part (12) over the remainder of a rotation sequence extending from the end of the predetermined angular range to the deployed position.Seat comprising a headrest (10) as defined according to any one of the preceding claims.