Headrest for a motor vehicle seat

Abstract

The invention relates to a headrest (1) for a motor vehicle seat, the headrest comprising an auxiliary module having two side portions (7) which are each inscribed in a reference plane (P), the side portions being lined by two side cushions (9) comprising a padding block (10) and an air-permeable covering layer (11), and a sound transmission device comprising two loudspeakers (12) which are mounted, respectively, on each of the side portions, the loudspeakers each having a circular membrane (13), the loudspeaker (12) being mounted in a casing (14) which defines a rear sound cavity (15) and being provided with a circular opening (25) which opens towards the front, the periphery of the membrane being sealingly attached at the periphery of the opening, the casing (14) projecting at the front of the reference plane (P), the padding block being provided facing the opening of a duct (16).

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION i-motor vehicle seat head

[0002] The invention relates to a headrest for a motor vehicle seat.

[0003] It is known to manufacture a headrest for a motor vehicle seat, said headrest comprising:

[0004] • a metal frame for connecting said headrest to a backrest of said seat,

[0005] • a main module made of molded plastic material, mounted movably on said frame so as to allow adjustment of its position,

[0006] • an annex module made of molded plastic material fixed to the front of said main module, said annex module comprising a central part, furnished with a central cushion for receiving the head of an occupant of said seat, and two lateral parts generally in the form of plates, each generally inscribed in a reference plane, said plates being mounted articulated along two substantially vertical axes on said annex module so as to be able to be actuated forwards to define a lateral support configuration for said head, said lateral parts being furnished with two lateral cushions for receiving the lateral head, said lateral cushions comprising a padding block and an air-permeable covering layer, so as to allow sound transmission,

[0007] • a sound transmission device comprising two loudspeakers mounted respectively on each of the said lateral parts, said loudspeakers each having a circular diaphragm.

[0008] However, with such an arrangement, it may be desirable for the cushioned side sections to have a minimal thickness, while still maximizing head comfort for the occupant when resting laterally on the headrest. The invention aims to provide a headrest that meets these requirements.

[0009] To this end, the invention proposes a headrest for a motor vehicle seat, said headrest comprising:

[0010] • a metal frame for connecting said headrest to a backrest of said seat,

[0011] • a main module made of molded plastic material, mounted movably on said frame so as to allow adjustment of its position,

[0012] • an annex module made of molded plastic material fixed to the front of said main module, said annex module comprising a central part, furnished with a central cushion for receiving the head of an occupant of said seat, and two lateral parts generally in the form of plates, each generally inscribed in a reference plane, said plates being mounted articulated along two substantially vertical axes on said annex module so as to be able to be actuated forwards to define a lateral support configuration for said head, said lateral parts being furnished with two lateral cushions for receiving the lateral head, said lateral cushions comprising a padding block and an air-permeable covering layer, so as to allow sound transmission,

[0013] • a sound transmission device comprising two loudspeakers mounted respectively on each of said lateral parts, said loudspeakers each having a circular diaphragm, knowing that, laterally on either side:

[0014] • The loudspeaker is mounted in a housing defining a rear acoustic cavity and having a circular opening leading to the front, the periphery of said diaphragm being fixed in a sealed manner to the periphery of said opening,

[0015] • the side part is locally arranged so that the box protrudes in front of the reference plane, in order to minimize the protrusion of said box behind said plane, said padding block is provided opposite said opening with a conduit, in order to allow sound transmission to said appearance layer.

[0016] In this description, the terms of positioning in space (front, rear, horizontal, lateral, vertical, longitudinal, bottom, ...) are taken in reference to the vehicle in which the headrest is located, said vehicle extending longitudinally along its length (X axis), transversely along its width (Y axis) and vertically along its height (Z axis).

[0017] With such an arrangement, due to the positioning of the side parts at the rear relative to the boxes, said side parts covered with their cushion can have a minimized thickness, while preserving as much as possible the comfort of the occupant's head when it rests laterally on the headrest.

[0018] Indeed, in the headrest thus arranged, the side parts are covered at the front by the padding block, knowing however that the areas opposite the boxes have a lesser thickness of padding - or even non-existent as we will see later - but this in a localized way and not on the whole surface of the said side parts, which guarantees a minimum comfort.

[0019] Furthermore, as will be seen later, it may be advisable to position the boxes in the lower part of the side sections, so that they are located outside the head support area of ​​the seat occupant.

[0020] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following description, made with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

[0021] • Figures 1a, 1b and 1c are views of a headrest according to a first embodiment in exploded perspective (figure 1a), in section along a horizontal plane (figure 1b) and along a longitudinal vertical plane (figure 1c),

[0022] • Figures 2a, 2b1, 2b2 and 2c are views of a headrest according to a second embodiment in exploded perspective (figure 2a), in section along two horizontal planes (figures 2b1 and 2b2) and along a longitudinal vertical plane (figure 2c).

[0023] With reference to the figures, a headrest 1 of a motor vehicle seat is described, said headrest comprising:

[0024] • a metal frame 2 for connecting said headrest to a backrest of said seat,

[0025] • a main module 3 made of molded plastic material, mounted movably on said frame so as to allow adjustment of its position - in particular vertical and possibly longitudinal -,

[0026] • an annex module 4 made of molded plastic material fixed - notably by snap-fit ​​- to the front of said main module, said annex module comprising a central part 5, fitted with a central cushion 6 for receiving the head of an occupant of said seat, and two lateral parts 7 in the general form of plates - for example of a thickness generally between 10 and 15 mm - each generally inscribed in a reference plane P, said plates being mounted in articulation along two substantially vertical axes 8 on said annex module so as to be able to be actuated forwards to define a lateral support configuration of said head, said lateral parts being fitted with two lateral cushions 9 for lateral reception of said head - which are here in one piece with said central cushion -,said side cushions comprising a padding block 10 and a covering layer 11 - for example made of fabric or leather with a soft foam underlayer - permeable to air, so as to allow sound transmission,

[0027] • a sound transmission device comprising two loudspeakers 12 mounted respectively on each of said lateral parts, said loudspeakers each having a circular diaphragm 13, knowing that, laterally on either side:

[0028] • the loudspeaker 12 is mounted in a housing 14 - either sealed, or provided with at least one vent in order to improve the reproduction of low frequencies - defining a rear acoustic cavity 15 and being provided with a circular opening 25 opening towards the front, the periphery of said diaphragm being fixed in a sealed manner to the periphery of said opening,

[0029] • the lateral part 7 is locally arranged so that the box 14 protrudes at the front of said reference plane, in order to minimize the protrusion of said box at the rear of said plane,

[0030] • said padding block is provided opposite said opening with a conduit 16, so as to allow sound transmission up to said surface layer.

[0031] According to the first embodiment shown, the local arrangement of the lateral parts 7 is in the form of a stamped 17 projecting forward from their reference plane P, said stamped defining a rear volume for receiving the corresponding box 14, the front wall 18 of said stamped being multi-perforated so as to allow sound transmission.

[0032] According to the embodiment shown, the box 14 is fixed by screws 19 to the rear of the stamped part 17.

[0033] According to the second representation shown:

[0034] • the local arrangement of the lateral parts 7 is in the form of an opening 20 - of approximately square shape in the embodiment shown -,

[0035] • the enclosure 14 is inserted into a housing 21 having a rear opening 22, said housing comprising a multi-perforated front wall 23 to allow sound transmission,

[0036] • said housing is fixed - here by screws 19 - by the periphery of said rear opening along the periphery of said orifice, so as to protrude at the front of the reference plane P,

[0037] • said box is fixed - here by the same screws 19 - by its periphery along the periphery of said rear opening.

[0038] According to the embodiment shown, the housing 21 and the box 14 are fixed by screws 19 tightened from the rear. In an alternative (not shown), the housing 21 and the box 14 can be fixed by screws 19 tightened from the front, which offers an advantage in the event of a rear-end collision for the distribution of forces. However, the integration of the screw heads 19 results in an increase in the thickness of the lateral portions 7 to prevent these heads from making contact, in order to ensure the safety of the seat occupant, and therefore may compromise the comfort and / or compactness of the headrest 1.

[0039] According to the embodiment shown, the housing 21 is supported locally at the front on a peripheral band of the orifice 20, so as to maximize the robustness of its attachment to the lateral part 7 in the event of a shock imparted towards the rear in relation to said housing by the head of the seat occupant.

[0040] In addition, the housing 21 is clipped to the side part 7 when mounted from the rear so as to ensure that it remains in place in case of impact, the clips of said housing then taking over the forces which are transmitted directly to the side parts 7, so as not to stress the screws 19 which are fixed from the rear.

[0041] According to the embodiments represented, the padding block 10 extends partially in relation to the boxes 14, the conduits 16 being circular and of a diameter similar to that of the membranes 13, so as to allow maximum sound transmission.

[0042] According to an embodiment not shown, the padding block 10 does not extend beyond the boxes 14, the upholstery layer 11 being in direct contact with the front wall 18 of the stamping 17 or the front wall 23 of the housing 21. Such an arrangement is particularly suitable for a headrest 1 whose size is to be reduced, as comfort is then ensured solely by the upholstery layer, which is not detrimental to the lateral head support of a seat occupant. According to the embodiments shown, the side sections 7 are fitted with a rear cover 24—in particular in the form of a molded plastic plate—concealing the corresponding box 14.According to the embodiment shown, the cover 24 is substantially parallel to the reference plane P of the side sections 7; it is specifically clipped to the rear of the side sections 7 and ensures an aesthetically pleasing appearance of the headrest 1 when said side sections are moved forward. According to an embodiment not shown, the housings 14 are positioned in the lower part of the side sections 7, so that they are located outside the head support area of ​​the seat occupant.

Claims

DEMANDS 1. Headrest (1) of a motor vehicle seat, said headrest comprising: • a metal frame (2) for connecting said headrest to a backrest of said seat, • a main module (3) made of molded plastic material, movablely mounted on said frame so as to allow adjustment of its position, • an annex module (4) made of molded plastic material fixed to the front of said main module, said annex module comprising a central part (5), furnished with a central cushion (6) for receiving the head of an occupant of said seat, and two lateral parts (7) generally in the form of plates, each generally inscribed in a reference plane (P), said plates being hinged along two substantially vertical axes (8) on said annex module so as to be able to be actuated forwards to define a lateral support configuration for said head, said lateral parts being furnished with two lateral cushions (9) for lateral reception of said head, said lateral cushions comprising a padding block (10) and an air-permeable covering layer (11) so as to allow sound transmission, • a sound transmission device comprising two loudspeakers (12) mounted respectively on each of said lateral parts, said loudspeakers each having a circular diaphragm (13), said headrest being characterized in that, laterally on either side: • the loudspeaker (12) is mounted in a housing (14) defining a rear acoustic cavity (15) and having a circular opening (25) opening towards the front, the periphery of said diaphragm being fixed in a sealed manner to the periphery of said opening, • the lateral part (7) is locally arranged so that the box (14) protrudes in front of the reference plane (P), in order to minimize the protrusion of said box behind said plane, said padding block is provided opposite said opening with a conduit (16), so as to permit sound transmission to said surface layer.

2. Headrest (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the local arrangement of the lateral parts (7) is in the form of a stamping (17) projecting forward from their reference plane (P), said stamping defining a rear volume for receiving the corresponding box (14), the front wall (18) of said stamping being multi-perforated so as to allow sound transmission.

3. Headrest (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the housing (14) is fixed by screws (19) to the rear of the stamping (17).

4. Headrest (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: • the local arrangement of the lateral parts (7) is in the form of an orifice (20), • the enclosure (14) is inserted into a case (21) having a rear opening (22), said case comprising a front wall (23) multi-perforated so as to allow sound transmission, • said housing is fixed by the periphery of said rear opening along the periphery of said orifice, so as to protrude at the front of the reference plane (P), • said box is fixed by its periphery along the periphery of said rear opening.

5. Headrest (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the housing (21) and the box (14) are fixed by screws (19) screwed from the rear.

6. Headrest (1) according to one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the housing (21) rests locally from the front on a peripheral strip of the orifice (20).

7. Headrest (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the padding block (10) extends partially in relation to the boxes (14), the conduits (16) being circular and of diameter similar to that of the membranes (13), so as to allow maximum sound transmission.

8. Headrest (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the padding block (10) does not extend in relation to the boxes (14), the coating layer (11) being in direct contact with the front wall (18) of the stamping (17) or the front wall (23) of the housing (21).

9. Headrest (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the side parts (7) are provided with a rear cover (24) masking the corresponding housing (14).

10. Headrest according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the boxes (14) are positioned in the lower part of the lateral parts (7), so that they are located outside the head support area of ​​the seat occupant.

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