Foldable Car Headrest Ratchet Structure for Clear Rear Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foldable headrests for cars have complex structures that complicate manufacturing and assembly, leading to high costs, material waste, and poor productivity, while also obstructing the view of occupants.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight headrest design featuring a pivotable housing member with a ratchet mechanism, return spring, check member, and release member, allowing for easy assembly and operation, enabling the headrest to be easily folded and maintained in an upright position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a foldable headrest structure is implemented, then the view obstruction problem is solved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The headrest is divided into a headrest body and a stay member that can be independently folded. The stay member includes a body stay and a leg stay that can be separately collapsed, allowing the headrest to be segmented into upright and folded configurations. This segmentation enables the headrest to clear the driver's view path when folded while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The headrest structure incorporates dynamic elements including a pivot at the top of the seat back, a telescopic body stay with sliding engagement, and a hinged leg stay. These dynamic components allow the headrest to transition between upright and folded positions, adapting to different usage scenarios and eliminating view obstruction when needed.
2Ease of operation
If complex stopper and rotating elements are used, then the headrest can be folded, but manufacturing and assembly difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is merged into the structural components themselves rather than being separate elements. The notched腿 stay and protrusion on the body stay form an integrated locking system that combines the stopping and folding functions into the basic structural members, eliminating the need for separate complex stopper and rotating elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The headrest structure uses self-locking features where the notched腿 stay automatically engages with the protrusion on the body stay through spring-loaded interaction. The spring member provides automatic engagement and disengagement forces, allowing the structure to lock and unlock itself without complex external operating mechanisms.
3Reliability
If larger elements are used for folding mechanism, then the headrest can be folded reliably, but material waste and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The leg stay incorporates a spring member that acts as a flexible element enabling reliable folding through elastic deformation. The spring provides the necessary force for engagement and disengagement while using minimal material compared to rigid locking mechanisms. The thin-walled tubular construction of the stay members further reduces material usage while maintaining structural integrity during folding operations.
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 design simplifies manufacturing and assembly, reduces costs, and provides a compact, effective headrest that maintains the upright position during impacts, enhancing occupant safety and visibility.
Implementation Method 1
a return spring wound around the horizontal portion of the stay rod between the ratchet member and the other of the housing halves and biasing the housing member in the forward direction by its spring force
Implementation Method 2
a ratchet member provided with a notch or groove, disposed near the inner side wall of one of the housing halves of the housing member and fixed to the horizontal portion of the stay rod
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention generally relates to a headrest for vehicles, and more particularly to a headrest for cars which may be easily folded manually or electrically, thereby providing other passengers with a wider prospect. A headrest of the present invention comprises a pivotable housing member comprising a pair of housing halves and rotatably coupled to the horizontal portion of the stay rod, a ratchet member fixed to the horizontal portion of the stay rod adjoining the inner side wall of one of the housing halves, a return spring wound around the horizontal portion of the stay rod between the ratchet member and the other of the housing halves, a check member pivotably arranged above the ratchet member to engage with or be disengaged from the ratchet member and keep the upright position of the pivotable housing member when the ratchet member engages with the check member, a check spring for maintaining the engagement of the ratchet member with the check member, a release member for disengaging the check member from the ratchet member.