Collapsible Headrest With Flexible Membrane for Stowage
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a headrest solution that allows for easy removal and storage when not required, particularly in vehicles where rear seats are folded to increase cargo space, as existing headrests lack a practical method for stowage.
Innovation Solution
A deployable headrest assembly with a collapsible structure comprising a flexible membrane and wedge-shaped members that can expand and retract, allowing the headrest to change thickness and be slidably coupled to the seat back, enabling it to be stowed within the seat back when not in use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the headrest is made fixed and attached to the seat back, then the headrest provides stable support, but the headrest cannot be removed or stowed when not required
Solution Approach 1:
The headrest is designed with a collapsible structure that can transition between expanded and collapsed states, allowing it to be deployed when needed and stowed within the seat back when not required. This dynamic capability provides adaptability without requiring separate storage mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible headrest structure allows the headrest to be nested within itself when collapsed, reducing its overall volume to fit within the seat back cavity. This nesting principle enables compact stowage while maintaining full functionality when deployed.
2Ease of operation
If the headrest is made collapsible to enable stowage, then the headrest can be stored in the seat back, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The collapsible structure utilizes a flexible membrane as the primary load-bearing element, replacing traditional rigid mechanical linkages. This flexible film approach simplifies the overall structure while enabling smooth expansion and collapse motions for easy deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge-shaped members are configured to automatically engage with the flexible membrane during expansion, creating self-locking action that stabilizes the headrest in its deployed position without requiring additional locking mechanisms or complex control systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the headrest is made thinner for stowage, then the headrest fits in the seat back, but the comfort support is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The headrest thickness is made dynamically adjustable through the collapsible structure, allowing it to be thin for stowage and thick for comfort support. The flexible membrane maintains its ability to conform to the occupant's head and neck contours regardless of the overall headrest thickness.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient storage and deployment of the headrest by allowing it to expand and collapse, accommodating varying thickness and height preferences, while providing a comfortable and adjustable resting surface for occupants.
Implementation Method 1
the collapsible structure comprises a flexible membrane and a plurality of wedge-shaped members sequentially arranged on the flexible membrane such that non-parallel wedge surfaces of the wedge shaped members are in successive engagement
Data Source
AI summary
A deployable headrest assembly for a seat is provided. The headrest assembly includes a headrest slidably coupleable to the seat such that the headrest is movable from a stowed position, in which the headrest is stowed within a seat back of the seat, to a deployable position, in which the headrest extends from the seat back. The headrest is expandable from a collapsed state to an expanded state such that the headrest has a thickness that is larger in the expanded state than in the collapsed state, the headrest being retractable into the stowed position in the seat back when in the collapsed state.