Foam-Free Vehicle Headrest Frame With Flexible Support Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional headrests for vehicles rely on foamed materials for cushioning, which can be costly and may not provide optimal support and safety in collisions, while also being complex to produce.
Innovation Solution
A headrest body designed with a frame and internal flexible support elements made from plastic materials, such as thermoplastic or fiber composite materials, that form a concave support surface without the need for foamed materials, offering improved support and safety through ergonomic design and reduced padding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If foamed materials are used to fill the headrest body, then comfort and support properties are improved, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the foamed filling material from the headrest body, eliminating the need for separate molding and assembly steps. The headrest body is produced as a single injection-molded component, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining structural integrity and support properties through the integrated frame design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters by using a rigid plastic material for the entire headrest body instead of combining foam with a shell. This parameter change allows the headrest to be manufactured as a single piece through injection molding, simplifying the manufacturing process while providing adequate support through the optimized frame structure and flexible support elements.
2Reliability
If foamed materials are used in the headrest body, then comfort is improved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the headrest shell and filling material into a single integrated component manufactured through injection molding. This eliminates the need for separate foam production, molding, and assembly operations, thereby reducing production costs while maintaining comfort through the integrated design of the frame and flexible support elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the foamed filling material from the manufacturing process, producing the headrest body as a single molded piece. This extraction simplifies production steps and reduces costs associated with handling, assembling, and quality control of multiple components, while comfort is maintained through the optimized single-piece structure.
3Reliability
If a complex multi-component structure is used, then support properties are improved, but manufacturing simplicity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the frame, support elements, and headrest body into a single integrated component manufactured through injection molding. This merging maintains the necessary structural complexity for adequate support while eliminating the manufacturing simplicity losses associated with multi-component assembly, tooling, and quality control.
Solution Approach 2:
The single-piece headrest body performs multiple functions: it provides the structural frame, the support surface, and the lateral positioning elements. This multi-functionality integrated into one component maintains adequate support properties while simplifying manufacturing by eliminating the need for separate components and assembly operations.
4Ease of manufacture
If padding is reduced or eliminated, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but comfort may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by using a rigid plastic material with integrated flexible support elements instead of soft padding materials. This parameter change eliminates the need for separate padding layers while maintaining comfort through the flexibility and ergonomic design of the molded-in support elements that adapt to the head shape.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating specific flexible support elements in critical contact areas through injection molding. These localized flexible regions provide comfort where needed while maintaining the overall rigid structure, eliminating the need for extensive padding while preserving comfort in key areas through optimized local geometry and material properties.
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
The solution results in a cost-effective, comfortable, and safe headrest that minimizes head movement during collisions by providing a stable, ergonomic support surface with reduced padding, enhancing both comfort and safety without the use of foamed materials.
Implementation Method 1
The headrest body is formed by injection molding a material free from foamed plastic materials or by multi-component injection molding from a number of plastic materials
Implementation Method 2
a headrest body (1) designed as at least one frame (1.1) with one or more flexible support elements (1.4) lying on the inside and forming a support surface (1.3)
Implementation Method 3
The headrest body is made of an impact-resistant elastoplastic or thermoplastic material, for example a thermoplastic material, in particular polypropylene, urethane, polyurethane, polyethylene or polycarbonate-acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC-ABS)
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a headrest body (1) for a headrest (3), formed as at least one frame (1.1) having one or more supporting elements (1.4) located on the inside and forming a supporting surface (1.3), and formed by primary forming from a plastics material, in particular a material free of foam materials, or a composite material.