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 are not only easy to adjust the height of the headrest, but also can be stably stopped at a desired position by the user, thereby reducing trial and error in operation.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, a headrest (HeadRest) or a neckrest (Neck Rest, hereinafter generally referred to as "headrest") is coupled to the upper side of the backrest of a chair to support the head or neck of a user.

[0003] The posture of a user when sitting on a chair can be classified into a business sitting posture and a rest sitting posture. Basically, the user changes the angle of the body to take a rest, and the headrest plays a role of supporting the head or neck of the user to maintain a more comfortable posture.

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

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

[0006] A chair having a typical 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] Figure 1 is a perspective view disclosing an example of a conventional headrest height adjustment device, and Figure 2 is a specific exploded perspective view of the headrest height adjustment device as shown in Figure 1.

[0008] A conventional headrest height adjustment device (70, referred to as a "height adjustment member" in the "Prior Art" specification), as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is provided between a backrest 20 and a frame 30 that supports the rear side of the backrest 20, and the height of the headrest 10 attached thereto is adjusted by the movement of a support member 40 in the vertical direction via a mounting member 50 having a movable hole 52.

[0009] In particular, a conventional headrest height adjustment device 70 comprises a locking groove member 72, an elastic projection 74, a housing member 78, and an elastic bracket 76. Here, the locking groove member 72 is formed to protrude from the front side of the support member 40 so as to have a plurality of locking grooves 73 in the vertical direction, and the height is limited by the elastic locking of hemispherical elastic projections 74 into the plurality of locking grooves 73 as the support member 40 moves in the vertical direction.

[0010] In the conventional headrest height adjustment device 70, when a user adjusts the height of the headrest 10 to suit their physical condition (body shape), after grasping the headrest 10 and applying a predetermined initial force, an elastic projection 74 elastically locked in one of the multiple locking grooves 73 moves toward the adjacent locking groove 73 and locks into the locking groove 73 at the point where the initial force is released, thereby adjusting the height.

[0011] However, conventional headrest height adjustment devices 70 that operate with the mechanism described above require a predetermined stopping friction force to prevent the headrest from falling off when the user leans their head against it after it has been adjusted to fit the user's body shape. On the other hand, the initial operating force required by the user for height adjustment relies solely on the elastic force of the spring 75 that elastically supports the elastic projection 73 mentioned above. Therefore, it is necessary to set the initial operating force (or stopping friction force) to be large.

[0012] As a result, when the user applies a relatively large initial operating force, the elastic projection 74 moves through several locking grooves 73 at once, making it difficult for the user to make precise height adjustments. This presents a problem in that the user must go through several trials and errors to adjust the height to suit them.

[0013] Furthermore, in order to ensure the smooth movement of the support member 40, which moves vertically for height adjustment, the mounting member 50's movement hole 52, which guides the vertical movement of the support member 40, must provide the support member 40 with a certain amount of space separated from its front and rear surfaces. However, this presents a problem in that play occurs between the front and rear of the support member 40 during the user's height adjustment process, generating high-frequency noise.

[0014] In particular, the frame 30 on which the mounting member 50 is provided, and the edge member 32 positioned at its front end, act as a resonant chamber when noise is generated by the support member 40, which has the problem of causing the noise to spread more widely. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0015] The present invention has been made to solve the above technical problems, and aims to provide a headrest height adjustment device and a chair including the same that allows the user to adjust the height of the headrest to the desired position without trial and error, and that also prevents the generation of operating noise. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] A headrest height adjustment device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a mounting portion formed in a forward recess 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 generating portion coupled to the front surfaces of both left and right ends of the height adjustment guide block and in contact with the back surface of the headrest body corresponding to the mounting portion, generating a friction force corresponding to the reaction force of the initial operating force provided by the user.

[0017] Here, the front surface of the support member may have a plurality of locking grooves formed thereon so as to be recessed to the rear in a continuous vertical direction, and the back surface of the height adjustment guide block may be provided with a haptic locking portion that is elastically supported and locked by the plurality of locking grooves.

[0018] Furthermore, the friction force generating part may be made of a flexible material.

[0019] Furthermore, the friction force generating portion may be made of a friction material that generates a predetermined friction force between itself and the back surface of the headrest body, which corresponds to the mounting portion.

[0020] Furthermore, the friction force generating portion may have a protrusion at its front end that generates 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.

[0021] Furthermore, 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 that is elastically supported by the elastic block with a predetermined elastic force, and whose outer peripheral surface part protrudes outside the support groove and contacts the locking groove of the support member, and the frictional force of the frictional force generating portion can be set considering the elastic force provided by the elastic block.

[0022] Further, it can further include a rear cover panel that is coupled to the rear portion of the headrest body and has a through portion formed therein such that the 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 at 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 larger than the vertical length of the pair of guide protrusion ends of the height adjustment guide block.

[0025] Further, it can further include a guide panel that is coupled to the rear 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] The chair according to an embodiment of the present invention can include the above-described headrest height adjustment device.

Effects of the Invention

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

[0029] First, by adding a frictional force generating portion that acts as a reaction force to 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, thus 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] This is a perspective view disclosing an example of a headrest height adjustment device using conventional technology. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows a detailed exploded perspective view of the headrest height adjustment device. [Figure 3] These are a front perspective view (a) and a rear perspective view (b) showing a headrest height adjustment device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figures 3(a) and 3(b) are exploded perspective views. [Figure 5A] This is a front-section exploded perspective view showing how the headrest height adjustment device is installed on the back of the headrest body. [Figure 5B] This is a rear-section exploded perspective view showing how the headrest height adjustment device is installed on the back of the headrest body. [Figure 6A] Figure 5B is a partially dissected and exploded perspective view showing the installation procedure for the headrest height adjustment device to the mounting section. [Figure 6B] Figure 5B is a partially dissected and exploded perspective view showing the installation procedure for the headrest height adjustment device to the mounting section. [Figure 7] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the installation of the height adjustment guide block. [Figure 8] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the installation of the angle adjustment rotation block, which is one of the components of the structure shown. [Figure 9A] This is a partially exploded perspective view illustrating the connection between the height adjustment guide block and the angle adjustment rotation block in the configuration shown in Figure 3. [Figure 9B] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the connection between the height adjustment guide block and the angle adjustment rotation block in the configuration shown. [Figure 10A] This is a horizontal cross-sectional view illustrating the connection between the height adjustment guide block and the angle adjustment rotation block in the configuration shown in Figure 3. [Figure 10B]This is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating the connection between the height adjustment guide block and the angle adjustment rotation block in the configuration shown in Figure 3. [Figure 11] Figure 3 is a front view showing the headrest as part of the configuration. [Figure 12A] Figure 11 shows a cross-sectional view (a) and an incision perspective view (b) along line AA. [Figure 12B] Figure 11 shows a cross-sectional view (a) and an incision perspective view (b) of the BB line. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

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

[0033] When assigning reference numerals to the components in each drawing, it should be noted that, as far as possible, identical components should have the same reference numeral even if they are shown in other drawings. Furthermore, when describing embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that a specific description of such known configurations or functions would hinder understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, such detailed description will be omitted.

[0034] In describing the components of the embodiments of the present invention, terms such as First, Second, A, B, (a), (b), etc., may be used. Such terms are merely for distinguishing a component from other components, and do not limit the nature, order, or procedure of that component. Furthermore, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and not in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this application.

[0035] Figure 3 shows a front perspective view (a) and a rear perspective view (b) of a headrest height adjustment device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of Figures 3(a) and (b).

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

[0037] More specifically, the headrest 110 may include a headrest body 111 that is sized to support the back of the user's head or the back of their neck and forms the overall frame, a rear cover panel 121 that is attached to the back of the headrest body 111, and a front cushion panel 131 that is attached to the front of the headrest body 111 and is in direct contact with the back of the user's head or the back of their neck, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0038] A mounting portion 112 may be provided in the middle of the headrest body 111, having a rectangular parallelepiped space that is roughly long vertically and slim front to back.

[0039] The mounting portion 112 may be formed to protrude forward from the headrest body 111 and to be recessed forward at the rear of the headrest body 111. Alternatively, the mounting portion 112 may be formed as a recessed rectangular groove, where the length in the vertical direction is approximately greater than the width in the horizontal direction.

[0040] A headrest height adjustment device 140, according to one embodiment of the present invention, which will be described later, can be connected to such a mounting portion 112. The specific way in which the headrest height adjustment device 140 is connected to the mounting portion 112 will be described in more detail later.

[0041] Support members 117 may be provided at both the left and right ends of the mounting portion 112 to prevent both ends of the headrest height adjustment device 140 from detaching to the rear. More specifically, if the mounting portion 112 is a rectangular groove shape protruding forward from the rear side of the headrest body 111 as described above, the support members 117 are fixed to the headrest body 111 corresponding to the left and right edge ends of the mounting portion 112, and their opposing widthwise ends overlap the inside of the mounting portion 112 by a predetermined length, thereby allowing the headrest height adjustment device 140 to be locked to the rear.

[0042] Here, the height of the upper end of the support member 117 can be set to be lower by a predetermined length than the height of the upper end of the mounting portion 112. Since the height of the upper end of the support member 117 is set lower than the height of the upper end of the mounting portion 112, a gap is provided between them that is not interfered with by the support member 117 in the front-rear direction, and the space between the upper end of the support member 117 and the upper end of the mounting portion 112 will be defined as the "insertion portion 119" below. Therefore, the separation distance between the upper end of the mounting portion 112 and the upper end of the support member 117 can be made larger than the vertical length of the pair of guide projection ends 141a and 141b, which correspond to the 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 one embodiment of the present invention is inserted via the insertion portion 119 defined in the space between the upper end of the support member 117 and the upper end of the mounting portion 112 and moves downward a predetermined distance, both ends of the device are locked to the rear by the support member 117, thereby preventing it from detaching to the outside.

[0044] Here, the rear portion of the mounting portion 112, which corresponds to the insertion portion 119 of the headrest body 111, may be provided with movement-restricting hook portions 118 to which the upper ends of both ends of the height adjustment guide block 141, which will be described later, are locked.

[0045] The movement-restricting hook portion 118 has a hook end that protrudes to the rear. When the height adjustment guide block 141, described later, is inserted and connected with a predetermined insertion force via the insertion portion 119, the hook end is pressed, creating a space between it and the support member 117 that is larger than the front-to-back thickness of the height adjustment guide block 141, thereby allowing the insertion and connection of the height adjustment guide block 141.

[0046] Furthermore, the movement-restricting hook portion 118, once the height adjustment guide block 141 is inserted into the mounting portion 112 and moves downward a predetermined distance, plays a role in preventing arbitrary removal via the insertion portion 119 by engaging with the hook end of the movement-restricting hook portion 118, which is returned to its original position.

[0047] In addition, the movement-restricting hook portion 118 can also function as a limit stopper that restricts the upward movement of the height-adjusting guide block 141, which is initially provided on the mounting portion 112.

[0048] The headrest height adjustment device 140 according to one embodiment of the present invention, having this configuration, does not require any other assembly tools such as fasteners for attachment to the headrest 110, and offers the advantage of being easily assembled using the movement-restricting hook portion 118 of the insertion portion 119.

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

[0050] Here, the front cushion panel 131 may have a rear end surface made of a rigid plastic material and a front surface formed of a cushion including a sponge material. A mold-fitting groove 132 may be formed on the rear surface of the front cushion panel 131, into which the mounting portion 112 protruding forward of the headrest body 111 is molded.

[0051] On the other hand, a rear cover panel 121 can be attached to the rear part of the headrest body 111. The rear cover panel 121 can form the rear exterior of the headrest body 111.

[0052] In addition, the rear cover panel 121 may be formed by cutting a rectangular through-hole 122 so that the remaining portion of the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to one embodiment of the present invention, which is provided on the mounting portion 112 of the headrest body 111, excluding the portion that is locked to the support member 117, passes through and is exposed to the rear.

[0053] Here, the left and right inner ends of the through portion 122 may be provided such that, after the rear cover panel 121 is joined to at least the rear part of the headrest body 111, the support members 117 provided at both left and right ends of the aforementioned mounting portion 112 have a separation distance that allows them to be concealed from the outside when viewed in the front-rear direction (i.e., directly in front).

[0054] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the headrest height adjustment device 140 may be mounted on the mounting portion 112 of the headrest body 111 from the rear via the through portion 122 of the rear cover panel 121, and may be provided so as to be movable vertically along the through portion 122 by the operating force transmitted by the user's height adjustment action.

[0055] In this way, by providing a space corresponding to the mounting portion 112 that is fully connected to the rear through the through portion 122 of the rear cover panel 121, it is possible to prevent the mounting portion 112 from acting as a resonating body during operation.

[0056] The rear part of the headrest body 111 can be connected to the rear cover panel 121 with hooks, and the front part of the headrest body 111 can be connected to the front cushion panel 131 with screws via multiple assembly screws 116.

[0057] For the hook-locking connection of the rear cover panel 121 to the headrest body 111, the headrest body 111 may be provided with three upper hook locking holes 114a and three lower hook locking holes 114b in a triangular vertex shape, and the front surface of the rear cover panel 121 may also be provided with three upper locking hooks 124a and three lower locking hooks 124b in a triangular vertex shape.

[0058] The three upper locking hooks 124a and lower locking hooks 124b pass through the three upper hook locking holes 114a and lower hook locking holes 114b formed in the headrest body 111 from rear to front, and are then locked in place, thereby enabling the rear cover panel 121 to be tightly attached to the rear part of the headrest body 111.

[0059] On the other hand, for screw connection of the front cushion panel 131 to the headrest body 111, the front cushion panel 131 may be provided with multiple snap fitting holes 136 that accommodate and tighten tree snaps 135, which are fastened to the front surface of the headrest body 111 by assembly screws 116. The front surface of the rear cover panel 121 may also be provided with multiple screw fastening bosses 126, through which the assembly screws 116 pass and fasten the snap fitting holes 136.

[0060] The multiple assembly screws 116 are fastened to the screw fastening bosses 126 of the rear cover panel 121 after the tree snaps 135 are attached to the front of the headrest body 111, passing through screw through holes (not shown in the drawing reference numerals) formed in the headrest body 111, before the front cushion panel 131 is attached to the headrest body 111.

[0061] Subsequently, the front cushion panel 131 is brought into close contact with the front of the headrest body 111, and the tree snap 135 is tightened into the snap fitting hole 136 provided on the back of the front cushion panel 131, thereby easily connecting the front cushion panel 131 to the front of the headrest body 111.

[0062] Herein, except when attaching the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to one embodiment of the present invention to the headrest 110, and when attaching the tree snap 135 described above, the user can easily connect and detach the front cushion panel 131 to the headrest body 111 using a snap-fit ​​method without the need for other assembly tools such as fasteners, thus providing the advantage of improving user convenience.

[0063] Figures 5A and 5B are exploded perspective views showing the installation of the headrest height adjustment device on the back of the headrest body, while Figures 6A and 6B are partially cut-out exploded perspective views showing the installation procedure for the headrest height adjustment device on the mounting part of Figure 5B.

[0064] The process of installing the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to one embodiment of the present invention onto the mounting portion 112 of the headrest body 111 will be briefly described below with reference to Figures 5A to 6B.

[0065] First, as shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided in the mounting portion 112, which is a space provided on the back 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, a guide panel 150 may be pre-provided on the back of the headrest body 111, which corresponds to the mounting portion 112, to guide the vertical movement of the height adjustment guide block 141, which will be described later, while preventing it from swaying from side to side, as part of the configuration of the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] Guide slots 112h, which are formed to be elongated in the vertical direction, are provided on both the left and right sides of the mounting portion 112, recessed in the front, and guide mounting ribs 150h may be formed on the front surface of the guide panel 150, which are inserted into a pair of guide slots 112h respectively to prevent lateral shaking.

[0068] The length between the left and right ends of the guide panel 150 (i.e., the width) is preferably provided to correspond to the distance between the pair of guide projections (141a, 141b, see Figure 9A) that protrude forward from the left and right ends of the height adjustment guide block 141, which will be described later.

[0069] The front surfaces of the pair of guide projection ends 141a and 141b of the height adjustment guide block 141 are provided with friction force generating units 160, which will be described later. When the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to one embodiment of the present invention moves up and down within the mounting portion 112, it moves while forming a predetermined friction force on the portion corresponding to the front surface of the mounting portion 112, and the stepped surfaces (inner surfaces) forming the pair of guide projection ends 141a and 141b move stably up and down along both the left and right ends of the guide panel 150 while being guided without lateral swaying.

[0070] On the other hand, the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to one embodiment of the present invention can be easily installed by, as shown in Figure 6A, positioning the upper end of the support member 117 so that it is inserted through the space between the upper ends of the mounting portion 112 while the rear cover panel 121 is separated from the headrest body 111, and then, as shown in Figure 6B, by bringing it into close contact with the back surface of the headrest body 111 that forms the mounting portion 112.

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

[0072] Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the installation of the height adjustment guide block in the configuration of Figure 3; Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the installation of the angle adjustment rotation block in the configuration of Figure 3; Figures 9A and 9B are partial and full exploded perspective views illustrating the connection between the height adjustment guide block and the angle adjustment rotation block in the configuration of Figure 3; and Figures 10A and 10B are horizontal and vertical cross-sectional views illustrating the connection between the height adjustment guide block and the angle adjustment rotation block in the configuration of Figure 3.

[0073] As shown in Figures 7 to 10B, a headrest height adjustment device 140 according to one embodiment of the present invention can be attached to the mounting portion 112 of the headrest 110 having the configuration described above.

[0074] A headrest height adjustment device 140 according to one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, may include a height adjustment guide block 141 that is inserted into and coupled to the inside of a mounting portion 112 and is provided to move relative to the mounting portion 112 in the vertical direction when the headrest 110 is moved up and down for height adjustment, and an angle adjustment rotation block 144 to which the height adjustment guide block 141 is rotatably connected around a left and right horizontal axis.

[0075] The angle adjustment rotation block 144 may include a hinge insertion end 144-1 for hinge connection with the height adjustment guide block 141, as shown in Figures 9A and 9B, and a backrest connection end 144-2 formed integrally with the hinge insertion end 144-1, which mediates the connection to the front of the backrest portion of a chair configuration (not shown).

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

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

[0078] In addition, a detachment prevention projection 143a, which is provided in the form of the body portion of a flat-head bolt 143, is formed inside the hinge hole 142h of the pivot coupling end 142, protruding toward the center of the hinge hole, and a C-ring 146 can be interposed on the pivot hinge shaft 145, which has a bent tip and an interference projection 146a formed thereon that interferes with the detachment prevention projection 143a.

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

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

[0081] The C-ring 146 is fitted and interposed on the outer circumferential surface of the ring interposition portion 145b of the rotating hinge shaft 145, which will be described later. The interference projection 146a can be inserted in the insertion direction into the ring fixing slits 142h-a, which are provided in the hinge hole 142h of the rotating coupling end 142, opening to the left and right, respectively.

[0082] At this time, the interference projection 146a of the C-ring 146 inserted into the ring fixing slit 142h-a is locked in the opposite direction to the insertion direction of the C-ring 146 by the detachment prevention projection 143a provided in the body form of the flat-head bolt 143, thereby preventing arbitrary detachment to the outside.

[0083] In addition, the C-ring 146 is rotatably connected in conjunction with the height adjustment guide block 141, unlike the pivot hinge shaft 145 which remains fixed to the angle adjustment pivot block 144 when the user adjusts the angle of the headrest body 111, because the interference projection 146a is fixed to the ring fixing slit 142h-a.

[0084] Here, the inner surface of the C-ring 146 forms a predetermined rotational friction force with the outer surface of the ring intervening portion 145b of the pivot hinge shaft 145, allowing the user to rotate the height adjustment guide block 141 relative to the angle adjustment rotation block 144 in order to adjust the angle of the headrest body 111, and maintaining a stopped state in that position when the user's operating force is removed.

[0085] In addition, the pivot hinge shaft 145 can be fastened so that its tip is fastened through the outside of each hinge hole 142h of the pair of pivot coupling ends 142, as shown in Figures 9A and 9B, and then aligns with the shaft coupling end 144-4 formed inside the fastening hole 144-3 of the hinge insertion end 144-1 of the angle adjustment pivot block 144.

[0086] More specifically, the pivot hinge shaft 145 may include a shaft body 145a, a ring intervening portion 145b provided at the outer end of the shaft body 145a and having a circular cross-sectional outer surface for interposing a C-ring 146, and a shaft fixing portion 145c at the tip of the shaft body 145a that is fitted to the shaft coupling end 144-4 of the hinge insertion end 144-1.

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

[0088] When the pivot hinge shaft 145 of the angle adjustment pivot block 144, which has this configuration, is inserted into the hinge hole 142h of the pivot coupling end 142 provided on the back of the height adjustment guide block 141, the hinge cap 147 can be used to shield the open hinge hole 142h of the pivot coupling end 142 from the outside.

[0089] Thus, in the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the height adjustment guide block 141 is designed so that the user can assemble it more easily, as it allows the user to connect the pivot hinge shaft 145 to one of the open hinge holes 142h of the pivot coupling end 142 without the need for any other tools, and prevents the C-ring 146, which is already connected to the ring interposition portion 145b, from coming off to the outside via the anti-detachment projection 143a of the flat-head bolt 143, and also allows the hinge cap 147 to be connected using a snap-fit ​​method.

[0090] Here, the height adjustment guide block 141 may be positioned between the front surface, which includes the left and right ends of both the left and right ends and forms a mounting portion 112, and a support member 117 provided at a predetermined distance rearward from the front surface of the mounting portion 112, in order to prevent it from detaching to the rear.

[0091] However, since the height adjustment guide block 141 is fixed to a frame (not shown) that constitutes a backrest (not shown) via an angle adjustment rotation block 144, the meaning that the support member 117 prevents detachment to the rear may also include the meaning that the headrest 110 is prevented from detaching to the height adjustment guide block 141.

[0092] Figure 11 is a front view showing the headrest as part of the configuration in Figure 3, and Figures 12A and 12B are cross-sectional views (a) and incised perspective views (b) of lines AA and BB in Figure 11.

[0093] As shown in Figures 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 toward the rear.

[0094] In addition, the back surfaces of both the left and right ends of the height adjustment guide block 141 may be provided with haptic locking parts 170 that are elastically supported and locked into a plurality of locking grooves 117a of the support member 117.

[0095] As shown in Figure 12A, the haptic locking portion 170 may include an elastic block 171 inserted into support grooves 148 formed in recessed forward on the back surfaces of both ends of the height adjustment guide block 141, and a haptic roller 172 whose outer surface protrudes outward from the outside of the support grooves 148 and contacts one of the multiple locking grooves 117a of the support member 117, which is positioned rearward by the elastic force of the elastic block 171.

[0096] When the user adjusts the headrest 110 to fit their body shape and moves it up and down, the support member 117 moves up and down in conjunction with the headrest body 111. At this time, the haptic roller 172 of the stationary haptic locking part 170 moves onto the adjacent locking groove 117a in the opposite direction 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 user's initial operating force is released.

[0097] In the headrest height adjustment device 140 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the haptic locking portion 170 is shown and described as being arranged singly at the center of both the left and right ends of the height adjustment guide block 141. However, it goes without saying that the number is not necessarily limited to this, and it is also possible to provide multiple haptic rollers 172 such that two or more haptic rollers 172 are simultaneously locked into two or more locking grooves 117a, corresponding to the design value of the initial operating force.

[0098] Here, an increase in the number of haptic locking parts 170 leads to an increase in the number of elastic blocks 171 that elastically support the haptic roller 172. An increase in the number of elastic blocks 171 means that the design value of the initial operating force applied by the user increases accordingly, which can affect the design value of the stopping friction force of the friction force generating part 160, which will be described later and is designed to act in the opposite direction to the initial operating force.

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

[0100] Here, the friction force generating section 160 is formed to have a roughly "inverted U" shaped cross-section and may be made of a flexible material. A flexible material means a material whose shape deforms when a predetermined external force is applied.

[0101] On the other hand, the friction force generating unit 160 may be made of a friction material that forms a predetermined friction force against the back surface of the headrest body 111 (meaning the back surface that forms the mounting portion 112) with which it directly contacts.

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

[0103] Furthermore, it is preferable that the front end of the friction force generating section 160 protrudes forward so that, when the height adjustment guide block 141 is inserted inside the mounting section 112, at least the front surface has a predetermined friction force or greater against the back surface of the headrest body 111. Here, it is preferable that the amount of forward protrusion of the friction force generating section 160 is designed to generate the predetermined friction force based on the front surfaces of the pair of guide projection ends 141a and 141b corresponding to both ends of the height adjustment guide block 141.

[0104] The frictional force formed between the friction force generating unit 160 and the headrest body 111 is a stopping frictional force, and when the headrest body 111 moves vertically due to 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 the user provides the initial operating force and the haptic roller 172 of the haptic locking part 170 moves onto the locking groove 117a of the support member 117, the friction force generating part 160 acts as a predetermined reaction force. As a result, even if the initial operating force is set to a large value 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] Furthermore, the friction force generating unit 160 plays a role in eliminating the front-to-back isolation distance of the height adjustment guide block 141 located between the support member 117 and the front surface corresponding to the mounting portion 112. By blocking the front-to-back play (swaying) of 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 one embodiment of the present invention may include a headrest height adjustment device 140 according to one embodiment of the present invention configured as described above.

[0108] As previously explained, the headrest height adjustment device 140 has an angle adjustment rotating block 144 coupled to a frame provided at the upper end of the backrest (not shown), and a height adjustment guide block 141 is rotatably connected to the angle adjustment rotating block 144. Furthermore, as previously explained, the headrest height adjustment device 140 is designed to be easily assembled by the user without the need for additional assembly tools such as fasteners when hinge-connecting the height adjustment guide block 141 to the angle adjustment rotating block 144, thereby improving the convenience of assembly.

[0109] A headrest height adjustment device and a chair including the same, according to one embodiment of the present invention, have been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings. However, it goes without saying that the embodiments of the present invention are not necessarily limited to the embodiment described above, and that various modifications and equivalent implementations are possible by persons with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Therefore, the true scope of the present invention is defined by the claims described later. [Industrial applicability]

[0110] The present invention provides a headrest height adjustment device and a chair including the same, which not only allows the user to adjust the height of the headrest to the desired position without trial and error, but also prevents the generation of operating noise. [Explanation of Symbols]

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

Claims

1. A mounting section formed on the back of the headrest body, recessed forward, Support members provided at both the left and right ends of the mounting portion, A height adjustment guide block is inserted between the back surface of the headrest body corresponding to the mounting portion and the support member, A friction force generating unit is coupled to the front surface of a pair of guide projections corresponding to both the left and right ends of the height adjustment guide block and contacts the back surface of the headrest body corresponding to the mounting portion, generating a friction force corresponding to the reaction force of the initial operating force provided by the user. Includes, The friction force generating unit is fitted and coupled to the fitting projections formed on the front surfaces of both ends of the height adjustment guide block. Headrest height adjustment device.

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

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

4. The headrest height adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the friction force generating portion is made of a friction material that generates a predetermined friction force between itself and 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 protrusion at its front end that generates 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.

6. The haptic locking portion is, An elastic block inserted into a support groove formed on the back surface of the height adjustment guide block, The haptic roller is elastically supported by the elastic block with a predetermined elastic force, and a portion of its outer 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 unit is set taking into consideration 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 the rear portion of the headrest body and having a through portion formed therein so that the space corresponding to the mounting portion communicates with the rear.

8. The headrest height adjustment device according to claim 7, wherein the left and right inner ends of the through-hole are provided such that the support member is separated by a distance that allows it to be concealed from the outside.

9. The headrest height adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the upper end of the mounting portion and the upper end of the support member is formed to be greater than the vertical length of the pair of guide projection ends of the height adjustment guide block.

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

11. The distance between the left and right ends of the guide panel corresponds to the distance between the ends of the pair of guide protrusions. The headrest height adjustment device according to claim 10, provided as such.

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

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