Headrest height adjustment device and chair including the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a headrest height adjustment device and a chair including the same. In particular, it includes a mounting portion formed to be recessed forward on the back surface of the headrest body, support members provided at both left and right ends of the mounting portion, a height adjustment guide block inserted between the back surface of the headrest body corresponding to the mounting portion and the support members, and a friction force generation portion that is coupled to the front surfaces of a pair of guide protrusion ends corresponding to both left and right ends of the height adjustment guide block and contacts the back surface of the headrest body corresponding to the mounting portion to generate a frictional force corresponding to the reaction force of the initial operating force provided by the user. By including these components, the present invention provides the advantage of improving the convenience of the user and preventing the generation of operating noise.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a headrest height adjustment device and a chair including the same (HEIGHT CONTROL APPARATUS FOR HEADREST AND CHAIR INCLUDING THE SAME), and more particularly, to a headrest height adjustment device and a chair including the same, which not only facilitate the height adjustment of the headrest, but also allow the user to stably stop at a desired position and reduce the trial and error of operation.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, a headrest (HeadRest) or a neck rest (hereinafter generally referred to as a "headrest") for supporting the user's head or neck is coupled to the upper side of the backrest of a chair.

[0003] The posture of the user when sitting on the chair can be classified into a business sitting posture and a rest sitting posture. Basically, the body angle is changed to take a rest, and the headrest serves to support the user's head or neck and maintain a more comfortable posture.

[0004] Most chair headrests are either fixed to the backrest or have a structure with a height adjustment function to adjust to the user's body.

[0005] In particular, the height adjustment function provides the advantage of improving the convenience of the user by adjusting the height of the headrest according to the physical conditions and sitting postures of the seated person.

[0006] A representative chair with a height adjustment function is disclosed by Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2012-0134232 (published on December 12, 2012) (hereinafter referred to as the "prior art").

[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view disclosing an example of a headrest height adjustment device according to the prior art, and FIG. 2 is a specific exploded perspective view of the headrest height adjustment device among the configurations of FIG. 1.

[0008] The headrest height adjustment device (70, named "height adjustment member" in the specification of the "prior art") according to the prior art is provided between a backrest portion 20 and a frame 30 provided to support the rear side of the backrest portion 20, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The height of the headrest 10 attached thereto is adjusted by the movement of the support member 40 in the vertical direction through an attachment member 50 in which a movement hole 52 is formed.

[0009] In particular, the headrest height adjustment device 70 according to the prior art includes a locking groove member 72, an elastic protrusion 74, a housing member 78, and an elastic bracket 76. Here, the locking groove member 72 is protrudingly formed on the front side of the support member 40 so as to have a plurality of locking grooves 73 in the vertical direction. It is disclosed that the height is restricted by the elastic locking of the hemispherical elastic protrusion 74 in one of the plurality of locking grooves 73 while the support member 40 moves in the vertical direction.

[0010] Here, when the user adjusts the height of the headrest 10 to suit their physical condition (body shape), after gripping the headrest 10 and applying a predetermined initial operating force, the headrest height adjustment device 70 according to the prior art has a mechanism in which the elastic protrusion 74 elastically locked in any one of the plurality of locking grooves 73 moves to the adjacent locking groove 73 side and is locked in the locking groove 73 at the point where the initial operating force is released, thereby adjusting the height.

[0011] However, the prior art headrest height adjustment device 70 that operates by the mechanism as described above requires a predetermined stopping frictional force so that it does not fall when the user leans their head arbitrarily after being once adjusted to fit the user's body shape. On the other hand, the initial operating force of the user required for height adjustment entirely depends on the elastic force of the spring 75 that elastically supports the elastic protrusions 73 as described above. In this regard, it is necessary to set the initial operating force (or stopping frictional force) large.

[0012] As a result, when the user applies a relatively large initial operating force, the elastic protrusions 74 move several locking grooves 73 at once, making it difficult for the user to accurately adjust the height. There is a problem that several trial and errors must be experienced to adjust the height to suit the user.

[0013] Also, the moving hole 52 of the mounting member 50 that guides the vertical movement of the support member 40 to ensure smooth movement of the support member 40 that moves vertically for substantially height adjustment must provide a certain degree of spaced space for the support member 40 with respect to the front and rear surfaces. However, there is a problem that play occurs in the front and rear of the support member 40 during the height adjustment process by the user, generating high-frequency noise.

[0014] In particular, the frame 30 where the mounting member 50 is provided and the edge member 32 disposed at the front end thereof play the role of a resonance chamber when noise is generated by the support member 40, causing the problem that the noise spreads more widely. Summary of the Invention Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0015] The present invention has been made to solve the above technical problems, and an object thereof is to provide a headrest height adjustment device that can prevent the generation of operating noise, as well as a chair including the same, which can adjust the height without trial and error at a desired position when adjusting the height of the headrest. Means for Solving the Problems

[0016] A headrest height adjustment device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a mounting portion formed to be recessed forward on the back surface of the headrest body, support members provided at both left and right ends of the mounting portion, a height adjustment guide block inserted between the back surface of the headrest body corresponding to the mounting portion and the support members, and a friction force generation portion coupled to the front surfaces of both left and right ends of the height adjustment guide block and contacting the back surface of the headrest body corresponding to the mounting portion to generate a frictional force corresponding to the reaction force of an initial operating force provided by a user.

[0017] Here, a plurality of locking grooves may be formed continuously in the vertical direction and recessed backward on the front surface of the support member, and a haptic locking portion elastically supported and locked in the plurality of locking grooves may be provided on the back surface of the height adjustment guide block.

[0018] Also, the friction force generation portion may be made of a flexible material.

[0019] Also, the friction force generation portion may be provided with a friction material that generates a predetermined frictional force between the back surface of the headrest body corresponding to the mounting portion.

[0020] Also, the friction force generation portion may have a protruding amount for generating the friction force from the front surface of the height adjustment guide block to the back surface of the headrest body corresponding to the mounting portion at its front end.

[0021] Also, the haptic locking portion includes an elastic block inserted into a support groove formed on the back surface of the height adjustment guide block, and a haptic roller elastically supported by the elastic block with a predetermined elastic force and having a part of its outer peripheral surface protruding outside the support groove and contacting the locking groove of the support member. The friction force of the friction force generation portion can be set in consideration of the elastic force provided by the elastic block.

[0022] Further, a rear cover panel may be further included, which is coupled to the rear portion of the headrest body and has a through portion formed therein such that a space corresponding to the attachment portion communicates rearward.

[0023] Also, the left and right inner ends of the through portion may be provided so that the support member can be concealed from the outside by a separation distance.

[0024] Also, the separation distance between the upper end of the attachment portion and the upper end of the support member may be formed to be larger than the vertical length of the pair of guide protrusion ends of the height adjustment guide block.

[0025] Further, a guide panel may be further included, which is coupled to the back surface of the headrest body corresponding to the attachment portion and guides the vertical movement of the height adjustment guide block.

[0026] Also, the length between the left and right ends of the guide panel may be provided corresponding to the separation distance between the pair of guide protrusion ends.

[0027] A chair according to an embodiment of the present invention may include the above-described headrest height adjustment device.

Advantages of the Invention

[0028] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a headrest height adjustment device and a chair including the same can achieve the following various effects.

[0029] First, by adding a frictional force generating portion that acts as a reaction force against the initial operating force provided by the user for adjusting the height of the headrest, the user can stop the headrest at a desired position without trial and error, thereby improving the convenience for the user.

[0030] Second, by removing the separation space between the front end and the rear end of the height adjustment guide block through the frictional force generating portion, it has the effect of preventing the generation of high-frequency noise during height adjustment.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0031]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5A

Figure 5B

Figure 6A

Figure 6B

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9A

Figure 9B

Figure 10A

Figure 10B

Figure 11

Figure 12A

Figure 12B

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0032] Hereinafter, a headrest height adjustment device according to an embodiment of the present invention and a chair including the same will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] When attaching reference numerals to the components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same components are given the same reference numerals as much as possible even if they are shown on other drawings. Further, when explaining the embodiments of the present invention, if a specific explanation of such a known configuration or function is determined to hinder the understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, the detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

[0034] When explaining the components of the embodiments of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. can be used. Such terms are merely for distinguishing the components from other components, and the essence, order, or procedure of the components are not limited by such terms. Also, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless clearly defined in the present application.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view (a) and a rear perspective view (b) showing a headrest height adjustment device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of each of (a) and (b) in FIG. 3.

[0036] A headrest height adjustment device 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be coupled to a headrest 110 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0037] More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the headrest 110 is formed to be sized to support the rear portion of the user's head or the rear portion of the neck, and includes a headrest main body 111 that constitutes the entire skeleton, a rear cover panel 121 coupled to the back surface of the headrest main body 111, and a front cushion panel 131 coupled to the front surface of the headrest main body 111 and directly contacting the rear portion of the user's head or the rear portion of the neck.

[0038] An attachment portion 112 having a substantially vertically long and front-rear slim rectangular parallelepiped space may be provided in the middle portion of the headrest main body 111.

[0039] The attachment portion 112 may protrude forward of the headrest main body 111 and may be formed in a shape that is concave forward at the rear of the headrest main body 111. Further, the attachment portion 112 may be recessed in a quadrangular groove shape in which the length in the substantially vertical direction is larger than the width in the horizontal direction.

[0040] A headrest height adjustment device 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention described later can be coupled to such an attachment portion 112. The specific coupling state of the headrest height adjustment device 140 to the attachment portion 112 will be described in more detail later.

[0041] Support members 117 may be provided at both left and right ends of the attachment portion 112 to prevent both ends of the headrest height adjustment device 140 from disengaging rearward. More specifically, when the attachment portion 112 is a rectangular groove shape protruding forward from the back side of the headrest body 111 as described above, the support members 117 are respectively fixed to the headrest body 111 corresponding to the left and right edge ends of the attachment portion 112, and the widthwise ends facing each other are provided so as to overlap the inside of the attachment portion 112 by a predetermined length, whereby the headrest height adjustment device 140 can be locked rearward.

[0042] Here, the height of the upper end of the support member 117 can be set to be lower than the height of the upper end of the attachment portion 112 by a predetermined length. Since the height of the upper end of the support member 117 is set lower than the height of the upper end of the attachment portion 112, a gap that is not interfered with by the support member 117 in the front-rear direction is provided therebetween. Hereinafter, the space between the upper end of the support member 117 and the upper end of the attachment portion 112 will be defined as the "insertion portion 119". Therefore, the separation distance between the upper end of the attachment portion 112 and the upper end of the support member 117 can be formed to be larger than the vertical length of a pair of guide protrusion ends 141a and 141b corresponding to both left and right ends of the height adjustment guide block 141 described later.

[0043] At this time, when the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention is inserted through the insertion portion 119 defined by the space between the upper end of the support member 117 and the upper end of the attachment portion 112 and then moves downward by a predetermined distance, both ends thereof are respectively locked rearward by the support member 117, and detachment to the outside can be prevented.

[0044] Here, a movement restriction hook portion 118 may be provided on the back surface portion of the attachment portion 112 and on the back surface portion of the headrest body 111 corresponding to the insertion portion 119, to which the upper ends of both ends of the height adjustment guide block 141 described later are locked.

[0045] The movement restriction hook portion 118 has a hook end protruding rearward. When the height adjustment guide block 141, which will be described later, is inserted and coupled with a predetermined insertion force through the insertion portion 119, the hook end is pressed, and a space larger than the front-to-rear thickness of the height adjustment guide block 141 is formed between at least the support member 117, thereby playing a role of allowing the insertion and coupling of the height adjustment guide block 141.

[0046] Further, once the height adjustment guide block 141 is inserted into the attachment portion 112, the movement restriction hook portion 118 plays a role of making it impossible to remove it arbitrarily through the insertion portion 119 by a locking operation with the hook end of the movement restriction hook portion 118 restored to its original position after moving downward a predetermined distance.

[0047] At the same time, the movement restriction hook portion 118 can also play a role as a limit stopper that restricts the upward movement of the height adjustment guide block 141 once provided on the attachment portion 112.

[0048] The headrest height adjustment device 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention having this configuration provides an advantage that for attachment to the headrest 110, no other assembly tool such as a fastener is required, and simple assembly using the movement restriction hook portion 118 of the insertion portion 119 is possible.

[0049] On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the front cushion panel 131 may be arranged to cover the front of the headrest body 111.

[0050] Here, the front cushion panel 131 may be provided with a strong plastic material on the rear end surface and formed with a cushion including a sponge material in the front. A fitting groove 132 for fitting the attachment portion 112 protruding forward of the headrest body 111 may be formed on the rear surface of the front cushion panel 131.

[0051] On one side, a rear cover panel 121 can be coupled to the rear portion of the headrest body 111. The rear cover panel 121 can form the rear appearance of the headrest body 111.

[0052] At the same time, the rear cover panel 121 may be formed with a rectangular through-hole 122 so that the remaining part of the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention provided on the attachment portion 112 of the headrest body 111, except for the portion locked to the support member 117, penetrates and is exposed rearward.

[0053] Here, the left and right inner ends of the through-hole 122 are provided with a separation distance that can be concealed from the outside when observing in the front-rear direction (i.e., directly forward) after the rear cover panel 121 is coupled to at least the rear portion of the headrest body 111, so that the support members 117 provided at both left and right ends of the attachment portion 112 are concealed.

[0054] The headrest height adjustment device 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be provided to be movable in the vertical direction along the through-hole 122 by an operating force transmitted by the user's height adjustment action in a state where it is provided on the attachment portion 112 of the headrest body 111 through the through-hole 122 of the rear cover panel 121.

[0055] In this way, by providing the space corresponding to the attachment portion 112 to be completely communicated rearward by the through-hole 122 of the rear cover panel 121, it is possible to prevent in advance the attachment portion 112 from serving as a resonance chamber during operation.

[0056] A rear cover panel 121 can be hook-locked and coupled to the rear portion of the headrest body 111, and a front cushion panel 131 can be screw-coupled to the front portion of the headrest body 111 via a plurality of assembly screws 116.

[0057] For the hook locking connection of the rear cover panel 121 to the headrest body 111, on the headrest body 111, upper hook locking holes 114a and lower hook locking holes 114b are provided at three locations each in the shape of the apex of a triangle, and on the front surface of the rear cover panel 121, upper locking hooks 124a and lower locking hooks 124b may also be provided at three locations each in the shape of the apex of a triangle.

[0058] The three upper locking hooks 124a and lower locking hooks 124b penetrate the three upper hook locking holes 114a and lower hook locking holes 114b formed in the headrest body 111 from the rear to the front and are then locked, so that the rear cover panel 121 can be closely coupled to the rear part of the headrest body 111.

[0059] On the other hand, for the screw connection of the front cushion panel 131 to the headrest body 111, the front cushion panel 131 is provided with snap fitting holes 136 at a plurality of locations for accommodating and press-fitting tree snaps 135 that are fastened to the front surface of the headrest body 111 by assembly screws 116, and on the front surface portion of the rear cover panel 121, screw fastening bosses 126 through which the assembly screws 116 penetrate and are fastened to the snap fitting holes 136 may be provided at a plurality of locations.

[0060] Before connecting the front cushion panel 131 to the headrest body 111, the plurality of assembly screws 116 pass through screw through holes (not shown in the drawing) formed in the headrest body 111 while connecting the tree snaps 135 to the front surface of the headrest body 111, and then are respectively fastened to the screw fastening bosses 126 of the rear cover panel 121.

[0061] After that, the front cushion panel 131 is closely attached to the front of the headrest body 111, and the tree snap 135 is press-fitted into the snap fitting hole 136 provided on the back surface portion of the front cushion panel 131, thereby easily connecting the front cushion panel 131 to the front of the headrest body 111.

[0062] Here, when the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to the headrest 110, except when the tree snap 135 described above is attached, the user can easily couple and detach the front cushion panel 131 to and from the headrest body 111 in an interference fit manner without another assembly tool such as a fastener. Thus, an advantage of improving the convenience of the user is provided.

[0063] FIGS. 5A and 5B are front and rear exploded perspective views showing a state of installation of the headrest height adjustment device on the back surface of the headrest body, and FIGS. 6A and 6B are partially cut-away exploded perspective views showing an installation procedure of the headrest height adjustment device for the attachment portion of FIG. 5B.

[0064] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 5A to 6B, an installation process of the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention for the attachment portion 112 of the headrest body 111 will be briefly described.

[0065] First, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided in an attachment portion 112 which is a space provided on the back surface of the headrest body 111, and may be provided in advance before the rear cover panel 121 is coupled to the headrest body 111.

[0066] Here, on the back surface portion of the headrest body 111 corresponding to the attachment portion 112, a guide panel 150 for guiding the up-and-down movement while preventing the left-and-right sway of the height adjustment guide block 141, which will be described later, among the components of the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention, may be provided in advance.

[0067] On both the left and right sides of the attachment portion 112, guide slots 112h formed long in the vertical direction are provided so as to be recessed forward, and guide attachment ribs 150h inserted into the pair of guide slots 112h, respectively, may be formed on the front surface of the guide panel 150 to prevent the left-and-right sway.

[0068] The length between the left and right ends of the guide panel 150 (i.e., the width length) is preferably provided corresponding to the separation distance between a pair of guide protrusion ends (141a, 141b, see FIG. 9A) protruding forward from the left and right end portions of the height adjustment guide block 141 described later.

[0069] On each front surface of the pair of guide protrusion ends 141a, 141b of the height adjustment guide block 141, a friction force generating portion 160 described later is provided. When the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention moves up and down within the attachment portion 112, it moves while forming a predetermined frictional force at a portion corresponding to the front surface of the attachment portion 112, and each step surface (inner surface) forming the pair of guide protrusion ends 141a, 141b is stably moved up and down while being guided without lateral sway along the left and right ends of the guide panel 150.

[0070] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6A, the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be easily installed by an operation of closely attaching to the back surface of the headrest main body 111 forming the attachment portion 112 after the height of the upper end of the support member 117 is positioned so as to be inserted through the space between the upper ends of the attachment portion 112 in a state where the rear cover panel 121 is separated from the headrest main body 111, as shown in FIG. 6B.

[0071] Next, although not shown in the drawings, when the height adjustment guide block 141 is moved downward in a state of being in close contact with the attachment portion 112, it can move downward through the space between the support member 117 while the movement restriction hook portion 118 is being pressed.

[0072] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the installation state of the height adjustment guide block in the configuration of FIG. 3, FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the installation state of the angle adjustment rotation block in the configuration of FIG. 3, FIGS. 9A and 9B are partial and full exploded perspective views for explaining the coupling state between the height adjustment guide block and the angle adjustment rotation block in the configuration of FIG. 3, and FIGS. 10A and 10B are a horizontal sectional view and a vertical sectional view for explaining the coupling state between the height adjustment guide block and the angle adjustment rotation block in the configuration of FIG. 3.

[0073] As shown in FIGS. 7 to 10B, a headrest height adjustment device 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be coupled to the attachment portion 112 of the headrest 110 having the above-described configuration.

[0074] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a headrest height adjustment device 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention is inserted and coupled inside the attachment portion 112, and is provided to relatively move vertically inside the attachment portion 112 when moving up and down for height adjustment of the headrest 110, and may include a height adjustment guide block 141 and an angle adjustment rotation block 144 that is rotatably connected to the height adjustment guide block 141 about a horizontal axis.

[0075] As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the angle adjustment rotation block 144 may include a hinge insertion end 144-1 for hinge coupling with the height adjustment guide block 141 and a backrest coupling end 144-2 that is formed integrally with the hinge insertion end 144-1 and mediates the coupling to the tip of the backrest portion in the configuration of a chair (not shown).

[0076] Here, the back surface portion of the height adjustment guide block 141 may be provided with a rotation coupling end 142 having a hinge hole 142h into which a rotation hinge shaft 145 of the angle adjustment rotation block 144 described later is inserted.

[0077] More specifically, at both left and right ends of the back surface of the height adjustment guide block 141, excluding the middle portion, a pair of pivot coupling ends 142 are provided at a predetermined distance (the middle portion) from each other. Between the separated pair of pivot coupling ends 142, the hinge insertion end 144-1 of the angle adjustment pivot block 144 can be positioned for hinge coupling.

[0078] At the same time, inside the hinge hole 142h of the pivot coupling end 142, a detachment prevention protrusion 143a provided in the form of the body portion of the flat head bolt 143 protrudes toward the center side of the hinge hole. On the pivot hinge shaft 145, a C-ring 146 with an interference protrusion 146a formed by bending the tip can be interposed, which interferes with the detachment prevention protrusion 143a.

[0079] Here, the flat head bolt 143 provided with the detachment prevention protrusion 143a can be a body portion that is exposed from the front surface of the height adjustment guide block 141 to the rear hinge hole 142h side and fastened, as shown in FIG. 9B. The flat head bolt 143 can be fastened to a bolt through hole 142h-b formed to penetrate in the front-rear direction of the height adjustment guide block 141.

[0080] On the other hand, inside the hinge hole 142h of the pivot coupling end 142, a ring fixing slit 142h-a into which the interference protrusion 146a of the C-ring 146 is inserted and placed may be formed.

[0081] The C-ring 146 fits and intervenes on the outer peripheral surface of the ring intervening portion 145b in the configuration of the pivot hinge shaft 145 described later, and the interference protrusion 146a can be inserted in the insertion direction into the ring fixing slits 142h-a that are respectively open in the left and right directions in the hinge hole 142h of the pivot coupling end 142.

[0082] At this time, the interference protrusion 146a of the C-ring 146 inserted into the ring fixing slit 142h-a is locked in the direction opposite to the insertion direction of the C-ring 146 by the detachment prevention protrusion 143a provided in the form of the body portion of the flat head bolt 143, so that any detachment to the outside can be prevented.

[0083] At the same time, since the interference protrusion 146a of the C-ring 146 is fixed to the ring fixing slit 142h-a, when the user adjusts the angle of the headrest body 111, unlike the rotation hinge shaft 145 that maintains a fixed state with respect to the angle adjustment rotation block 144, it is rotatably coupled in conjunction with the height adjustment guide block 141.

[0084] Here, the inner peripheral surface of the C-ring 146 forms a predetermined rotational frictional force with the outer peripheral surface of the ring intervening portion 145b of the rotation hinge shaft 145. When the user rotates the height adjustment guide block 141 with respect to the angle adjustment rotation block 144 to adjust the angle of the headrest body 111, it allows the rotational movement and can maintain the stopped state at that position when the user's operating force is removed.

[0085] At the same time, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the tip of the rotation hinge shaft 145 is penetrated and fastened outside each hinge hole 142h of the pair of rotation coupling ends 142, and then can be fastened to fit the shaft coupling end 144-4 formed inside the fastening hole 144-3 of the hinge insertion end 144-1 of the angle adjustment rotation block 144.

[0086] More specifically, the rotation hinge shaft 145 can include a shaft body 145a, a ring intervening portion 145b provided at the outer end of the shaft body 145a and having an outer peripheral surface with a circular cross-section so that the C-ring 146 intervenes, and a shaft fixing portion 145c at the tip of the shaft body 145a that is shaped to fit the shaft coupling end 144-4 of the hinge insertion end 144-1.

[0087] Here, the shaft fixing portion 145c is preferably formed to have an outer surface with a non-circular cross-section so that it moves and fits and fixes in the insertion direction in the left-right direction to the shaft coupling end 144-4 and is prevented from rotating in conjunction with the frictional force with the C-ring 146.

[0088] When the rotation hinge shaft 145 of the angle adjustment rotation block 144 having this configuration is inserted into the hinge hole 142h of the rotation coupling end 142 provided on the back surface portion of the height adjustment guide block 141, the open hinge hole 142h of the rotation coupling end 142 can be shielded from the outside using the hinge cap 147.

[0089] Thus, in the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the height adjustment guide block 141 allows the user to couple the rotation hinge shaft 145 to the open side of the hinge hole 142h of the rotation coupling end 142 without using another tool, and of course, prevents the C-ring 146 already coupled to the ring intervening portion 145b from being externally detached via the detachment prevention projection 143a of the flat head bolt 143. Also, since the hinge cap 147 is designed to be coupled in an interference fit manner, it provides the advantage that the user can assemble it more easily.

[0090] Here, the height adjustment guide block 141 may be disposed between a front surface forming a mounting portion 112, which is a part including the left end and the right end of both left and right ends, and a support member 117 provided at a predetermined distance rearward from the front surface of the mounting portion 112 so as to be prevented from detaching rearward.

[0091] However, since the height adjustment guide block 141 is configured to be fixed to a frame (not shown) constituting a backrest portion (not shown) via the angle adjustment rotation block 144, the meaning of being prevented from detaching rearward by the support member 117 may be a concept including the meaning of preventing the headrest 110 from detaching forward with respect to the height adjustment guide block 141.

[0092] FIG. 11 is a front view showing the headrest among the configurations of FIG. 3, and FIGS. 12A and 12B are cross-sectional views (a) taken along lines A - A and B - B of FIG. 11 and a cut-away perspective view (b).

[0093] As shown in FIGS. 11 to 12B, a plurality of locking grooves 117a may be formed on the front surface of the support member 117, arranged continuously in the vertical direction and recessed rearward.

[0094] At the same time, a haptic locking portion 170 that is locked so as to be elastically supported by the plurality of locking grooves 117a of the support member 117 may be provided on each back surface of the left and right both ends of the height adjustment guide block 141.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 12A, the haptic locking portion 170 includes an elastic block 171 inserted into a support groove 148 formed by being recessed forward on the back surfaces of both ends of the height adjustment guide block 141, and a plurality of locking grooves 117a of the support member 117 in which a part of the outer peripheral surface protrudes outside the support groove 148 and is positioned rearward by the elastic force of the elastic block 171. It may include a haptic roller 172 that contacts any one of them.

[0096] When the user moves the headrest 110 up and down to fit their body shape, the support member 117 moves up and down in conjunction with the headrest body 111. At this time, the haptic roller 172 of the haptic locking portion 170 in the stopped state moves to the adjacent locking groove 117a side in the direction opposite to the direction of the moving support member 117 and is locked and placed so as to be accommodated in the locking groove 117a when the initial operating force of the user is released.

[0097] In the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the haptic locking portion 170 is illustrated and described as being arranged singly at each central portion of the left and right both ends of the height adjustment guide block 141, but is not necessarily limited to that number. It goes without saying that a plurality of haptic rollers 172 may be provided so as to be simultaneously locked to a plurality of locking grooves 117a corresponding to the design value of the initial operating force.

[0098] Here, an increase in the number of haptic locking portions 170 leads to an increase in the number of elastic blocks 171 that elastically support the haptic roller 172. Since an increase in the number of elastic blocks 171 means that the designed value of the initial operating force applied by the user increases accordingly, it can affect the designed value of the stopping frictional force of the frictional force generating portion 160 described later, which is devised to act in the opposite direction to the initial operating force.

[0099] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 12B, the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a frictional force generating portion 160 that is coupled to the front surfaces of a pair of guide protrusion ends 141a and 141b corresponding to both ends of the height adjustment guide block 141 and whose front surface contacts the back surface of the headrest main body 111 corresponding to the mounting portion 112.

[0100] Here, the frictional force generating portion 160 is formed to have a substantially "reverse C" - shaped cross - section and may be made of a flexible material. The flexible material means a material whose shape deforms when a predetermined external force is provided.

[0101] On the other hand, the frictional force generating portion 160 may be provided with a friction material that forms a predetermined frictional force with respect to the back surface of the headrest main body 111 (meaning the back surface forming the mounting portion 112) in direct contact therewith.

[0102] Such a frictional force generating portion 160 can be fitted and coupled to fitting protrusion ends 149 formed on the front surfaces of both ends of the height adjustment guide block 141.

[0103] Also, the front end of the frictional force generating portion 160 is preferably formed to protrude forward such that at least the front surface has a frictional force equal to or greater than a predetermined frictional force with respect to the back surface of the headrest main body 111 when the height adjustment guide block 141 is inserted inside the mounting portion 112. Here, the amount of protrusion of the frictional force generating portion 160 forward is preferably designed to generate the predetermined frictional force with reference to the front surfaces of a pair of guide protrusion ends 141a and 141b corresponding to both ends of the height adjustment guide block 141.

[0104] The frictional force formed between the headrest body 111 by the frictional force generating unit 160 is a stop frictional force, and when the headrest body 111 moves in the vertical direction by the initial operating force provided by the user through the headrest body 111, it can be a force that continuously acts on the headrest body 111 as a predetermined reaction force.

[0105] Therefore, from the moment when the haptic roller 172 of the haptic locking unit 170 moves onto the locking groove 117a of the support member 117 by the user providing the initial operating force, the frictional force generating unit 160 acts as a predetermined reaction force, so that even when the initial operating force is set large by the elastic force of the elastic block 171, the user can stop the headrest body 111 at the desired height without trial and error.

[0106] In addition, the frictional force generating unit 160 plays a role of eliminating the isolation distance before and after the height adjustment guide block 141 located between the support member 117 and the front surface corresponding to the mounting portion 112, and by blocking the play (shake) before and after the height adjustment guide block 141 in advance, it is possible to prevent the generation of high-frequency noise.

[0107] On the other hand, a chair (not shown) according to an embodiment of the present invention can include the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention configured as described above.

[0108] Here, it has already been described that the headrest height adjustment device 140 has the angle adjustment rotation block 144 coupled to a frame provided at the upper end of a backrest portion (not shown), and the height adjustment guide block 141 is rotatably connected to the angle adjustment rotation block 144. At the same time, it has already been described that when the headrest height adjustment device 140 hinge-couples the height adjustment guide block 141 to the angle adjustment rotation block 144, it is designed to be easily assembled by the user without another assembly tool such as a fastener, improving the assembly convenience.

[0109] As described above, the headrest height adjustment device according to an embodiment of the present invention and a chair including the same have been described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, it goes without saying that the embodiments of the present invention are not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and implementations within an equivalent range can be made by those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. Therefore, the true scope of the rights of the present invention is defined by the scope of the claims described below.

Industrial Applicability

[0110] The present invention provides a headrest height adjustment device and a chair including the same, which can prevent the generation of operating noise while allowing a user to adjust the height without trial and error at a desired position when adjusting the height of the headrest.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0111] 110: Headrest, 111: Headrest main body 112: Mounting part, 114a, 114b: Upper and lower hook locking holes 116: Assembly screw, 117: Support member 117a: Locking groove, 118: Movement restriction hook part 119: Insertion part, 121: Rear cover panel 122: Through hole, 131: Front cushion panel 132: Alignment groove, 136: Screw through hole 150: Guide panel, 160: Friction force generating part 170: Haptic locking part, 171: Elastic block 172: Haptic roller

Claims

1. a mounting portion formed by being recessed forward on the back surface of the headrest body; support members provided at both left and right ends of the mounting portion; a height adjustment guide block inserted between the back surface of the headrest body corresponding to the mounting portion and the support members; a friction force generating portion that is coupled to the front surfaces of a pair of guide protrusion ends corresponding to both left and right ends of the height adjustment guide block and contacts the back surface of the headrest body corresponding to the mounting portion to generate a frictional force corresponding to the reaction force of the initial operating force provided by a user, the headrest height adjustment device comprising the same.

2. a plurality of locking grooves are formed continuously in the vertical direction and recessed backward on the front surface of the support member; the headrest height adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein a haptic locking portion that is elastically supported and locked in the plurality of locking grooves is provided on the back surface of the height adjustment guide block.

3. the headrest height adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the friction force generating portion is made of a flexible material.

4. the headrest height adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the friction force generating portion is provided with a friction material that generates a predetermined friction force between the back surface of the headrest body corresponding to the mounting portion.

5. the headrest height adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the friction force generating portion has a protruding amount for generating the friction force from the front surface of the height adjustment guide block to the back surface of the headrest body corresponding to the mounting portion at its front end.

6. the haptic locking portion includes: an elastic block inserted into a support groove formed on the back surface of the height adjustment guide block; a haptic roller that is elastically supported by the elastic block with a predetermined elastic force and a part of the outer peripheral surface protrudes outside the support groove and contacts the locking groove of the support member; the headrest height adjustment device according to claim 2, wherein the friction force of the friction force generating portion is set in consideration of the elastic force provided by the elastic block.

7. the headrest height adjustment device according to claim 1, further comprising a rear cover panel coupled to a rear portion of the headrest body and having a through portion formed so that a space corresponding to the mounting portion communicates backward.

8. the headrest height adjustment device according to claim 7, wherein the left and right inner ends of the through portion are provided so as to have a separation distance at which the support member can be hidden from the outside.

9. The headrest height adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein a separation distance between an upper end of the mounting portion and an upper end of the support member is formed to be larger than an up-and-down length of ends of a pair of guide protrusions of the height adjustment guide block.

10. The headrest height adjustment device according to claim 1, further comprising a guide panel coupled to a rear surface of the headrest body corresponding to the mounting portion to guide vertical movement of the height adjustment guide block.

11. The headrest height adjustment device according to claim 10, wherein a length between left and right ends of the guide panel is provided corresponding to a separation distance between ends of the pair of guide protrusions.

12. A chair including the headrest height adjustment device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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