Headrest

Abstract

To obtain a headrest that allows adjustment of the head's support level. [Solution] The headrest 12 comprises a center portion 16 located in the center of the seat in the left-right direction, and a pair of left and right side portions 18 located on both sides of the seat in the left-right direction relative to the center portion 16. The portion 16A of the center portion 16 on the seat back 14 side is supported so as to be rotatable with respect to the pair of left and right side portions 18 in the left-right direction, so that the portion 16C of the center portion 16 opposite to the seat back 14 can be displaced relative to the pair of left and right side portions 18 toward the opposite side from the head of the seated occupant.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a headrest.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses a headrest that forms part of a vehicle seat. The headrest described in Patent Document 1 includes an inverted U-shaped headrest main body portion composed of left and right side portions that constitute both side portions in the left-right direction of the headrest and upper portions located above the left and right side portions. Further, the headrest described in Patent Document 1 includes an eccentric support portion provided rotatably between the left and right side portions. And in the headrest described in Patent Document 1, by rotating the eccentric support portion with respect to the headrest main body portion, it is possible to change the support position of the head of a passenger sitting on the vehicle seat. Thereby, it is possible to adjust the state of supporting the head by the headrest according to the posture of the passenger sitting on the vehicle seat.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In consideration of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain a headrest capable of adjusting the state of supporting the head.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The headrest of the first embodiment is fixed to a seat back that supports the back of a seated occupant and supports the head of the seated occupant, and comprises a center portion located in the center of the seat in the left-right direction, and a pair of left and right side portions located on both sides of the seat in the left-right direction relative to the center portion, wherein the portion of the center portion on the seat back side is supported so as to be rotatable in the left-right direction relative to the pair of left and right side portions, so that the portion of the center portion opposite to the seat back can be displaced away from the head of the seated occupant relative to the pair of left and right side portions.

[0006] In the first embodiment of the headrest, by rotating the center portion relative to a pair of left and right side portions, the portion of the center portion opposite to the seatback can be displaced relative to the pair of left and right side portions toward the opposite side of the seated occupant's head. This allows, for example, the seated occupant's head to be supported by the portion of the center portion opposite to the seatback while the seated occupant's head is supported from the left and right directions by the pair of left and right side portions. In this way, the headrest of the first embodiment allows for adjustment of the head support state.

[0007] The second embodiment of the headrest is a headrest in which, in the center portion on the seat back side, a recess is formed that can support the neck of the seated occupant when the portion of the center portion opposite to the seat back is displaced relative to the pair of left and right side portions on the opposite side from the head of the seated occupant.

[0008] In the second embodiment of the headrest, a recess is formed in the center portion on the seatback side. When the portion of the center portion opposite to the seatback is displaced relative to the pair of side portions away from the seated occupant's head, the seated occupant's neck can be supported in a position where it fits into the recess. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The headrest according to the present invention has the excellent effect of being able to adjust the head support state according to the occupant's posture. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a front view of a vehicle seat equipped with a headrest according to the first embodiment, as seen from the front. [Figure 2] This is a side view showing the occupant's head being supported by the headrest of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a front view of a vehicle seat equipped with a headrest according to the second embodiment, as seen from the front. [Figure 4] This is a side view showing the occupant's head being supported by the headrest of the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Using Figures 1 and 2, a headrest 12, which constitutes a part of a vehicle seat 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, will be described. In the figures, arrow FR indicates the front side of the vehicle seat 10, arrow UP indicates the upper side of the seat, arrow RH indicates the right side in the seat width direction, and arrow LH indicates the left side in the seat width direction. Furthermore, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, when the front / rear, up / down, and left / right directions are indicated, they refer to the front / rear direction of the seat, the up / down direction of the seat, and the left / right direction in the seat width direction.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the headrest 12 of this embodiment has the function of supporting the head of a seated occupant while being fixed to the upper part of the seat back 14 that supports the back of the seated occupant. The headrest 12 comprises a center portion 16 located in the center in the left-right direction, a pair of left and right side portions 18 located on both sides of the center portion 16 in the left-right direction, and an upper portion 20 that connects the upper parts of the pair of left and right side portions 18 in the left-right direction.

[0013] The left and right side sections 18 and upper section 20 constitute a headrest body 24, which is fixed to the upper part of the seat back 14 via headrest stays 22. When viewed from the front, the headrest body 24 has a roughly U-shape with the lower side open.

[0014] The center portion 16 is formed in the shape of a rectangular block. This center portion 16 is located below the upper portion 20 and between the pair of left and right side portions 18.

[0015] Here, a support shaft 26 is fixed inside the portion 16A of the center section 16 on the seat back 14 side, with its axis oriented in the left-right direction. The left-right portions 26A of this support shaft 26 protrude to the left and right, respectively, from the portion 16A of the center section 16 on the seat back 14 side. The left-right portions 26A of the support shaft 26 are supported by a pair of left and right side portions 18, respectively, so that the portion 16A of the center section 16 on the seat back 14 side is rotatably supported by the pair of left and right side portions 18 with respect to the left-right side portions 18. When viewing the center section 16 from the front, the support shaft 26 is located below the vertical midpoint of the center section 16.

[0016] Furthermore, a concave recess 16B is formed in the center of the left-right direction at the lower end of the portion 16A on the seatback 14 side of the center portion 16, with the front and lower sides open. The bottom surface of the recess 16B is a flat surface that is recessed rearward from the front surface of the headrest body portion 24 and is located below the support shaft 26. The bottom surface of the recess 16B may be inclined towards the rearward side as it goes downward. In this case, the holding performance is improved when the center portion 16 is tilted backward and the neck is supported by the recess 16B.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in the headrest 12 of this embodiment, by rotating the center portion 16 relative to a pair of left and right side portions 18, the portion 16C of the center portion 16 opposite to the seat back 14 can be displaced relative to the pair of left and right side portions 18 toward the opposite side of the seated occupant's head. This allows, for example, the seated occupant's head P to be supported by the portion 16C of the center portion 16 opposite to the seat back 14, while the seated occupant's head P is supported from the left and right by the pair of left and right side portions 18. In this way, the headrest 12 of this embodiment can adjust the support state of the seated occupant's head P.

[0018] Furthermore, in the headrest 12 of this embodiment, when the portion 16C of the center portion 16 opposite to the seat back 14 is displaced relative to the pair of left and right side portions 18 toward the opposite side of the seated occupant's head P, the front portion of the lower end of the center portion 16 protrudes toward the seated occupant relative to the pair of left and right side portions 18. In this state, the seated occupant's neck can be supported by the center portion 16 in an elevated position and fitted into the recess 16B formed in the center portion 16. In this embodiment, an example in which a recess 16B is formed in the center portion 16 has been described, but a configuration in which a recess 16B is not formed in the center portion 16 can also be adopted.

[0019] Here, the center portion 16 can be rotated (tilted) within a range from a position where there is no step between the front surface of the center portion 16 and the front surface of the headrest main body portion 24 (a pair of left and right side portions 18 and an upper portion 20) (hereinafter referred to as "flush position") to a defined position on the opposite side of the seated occupant's head P (hereinafter referred to as "rearmost tilt position"). Here, a biasing member that biases the center portion 16 toward the flush position side may be provided, and the center portion 16 may be configured to be displaced from the flush position toward the rearmost tilt position side when the seated occupant's head P presses the center portion 16. Further, a lock mechanism (not shown) that locks the rotation of the support shaft 26 may be provided on the headrest main body portion 24, and by operating an operation portion 28 provided on the headrest main body portion 24, the lock of the rotation of the support shaft 26 by the lock mechanism may be released so that the position of the center portion 16 can be adjusted to an arbitrary position. Note that the mechanism for adjusting the position of the center portion 16 is not limited to the above. The mechanism for adjusting the position of the center portion 16 may be appropriately set in consideration of the usability of the headrest 12 by the seated occupant. Further, by using a one-way torque hinge, a resistance feeling may be generated when the center portion 16 is displaced toward the rearmost tilt position side, and the center portion 16 may return promptly to the flush position when the center portion 16 is displaced toward the flush position side. Further, by using a normal torque hinge, a resistance feeling may be generated both when the center portion 16 is displaced toward the rearmost tilt position side and when the center portion 16 is displaced toward the flush position side.

[0020] Also, when the headrest 12 is used with the center portion 16 disposed at the flush position, the head P of the seated occupant can be received by the center portion 16 during vibrations in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (vibrations in the vertical direction of the vehicle when the seat back 14 is reclined rearward). At this time, by adjusting the hardness of the center portion 16, the impact on the head of the seated occupant can be mitigated.

[0021] In addition, when using the headrest 12 in a state where the center portion 16 is arranged on the rearward inclined position side rather than the flush position, the head P of the seated occupant can be received by the pair of left and right side portions 18 during vibration in the left - right direction of the vehicle. As a result, the head P of the seated occupant is held in the left - right direction, the tension of the neck muscles of the seated occupant can be relaxed, and a high rest effect can be obtained.

[0022] Note that the hardness of the center portion 16 may be lower or higher than the hardness of the headrest main body portion 24. The hardness of the center portion 16 with respect to the headrest main body portion 24 may be appropriately set in consideration of functions required for the headrest 12 and the like.

[0023] In the embodiment described above, the configuration in which the headrest main body portion 24 has the upper portion 20 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a configuration without the upper portion 20 can be adopted as in the headrest 30 of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In the headrest 30 of the second embodiment, the members and portions corresponding to those of the headrest 12 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the members and portions corresponding to the headrest 12 of the first embodiment.

[0024] As described above, one embodiment of the present invention has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made and implemented within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0025] 12 Headrest 14 Seat Back 16 Center Portion 16A Portion on the seat - back side in the center portion 16C Portion on the side opposite to the seat - back in the center portion 16B Depression 18 Side Portion 30 Headrest

Claims

1. A headrest that is fixed to the seatback that supports the back of the seated occupant and supports the head of the seated occupant, The center section is located in the middle of the seat in the left-right direction, A pair of left and right side portions are arranged on both sides of the seat in the left-right direction relative to the center portion, Equipped with, A headrest in which the portion of the center section on the seatback side is supported so as to be rotatable in the left-right direction of the seat with respect to a pair of left and right side sections, and the portion of the center section opposite to the seatback is displaceable in the left-right direction away from the head of the seated occupant with respect to a pair of left and right side sections.

2. The headrest according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the center portion on the seat back side has a recess formed therein that can support the neck of a seated occupant when the portion of the center portion opposite to the seat back is displaced relative to the pair of left and right side portions on the opposite side from the head of the seated occupant.

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