Vehicle Seat Headrest Extension for Flat Reclining Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle seats with foldable footrests cannot be fully adjusted to a horizontal reclining position, limiting the reclining surface and requiring additional support for extended comfort.
Innovation Solution
The headrest is designed with an extended supporting structure that can pivot and support an additional cushion, allowing the seat to be converted into a reclining position with an enlarged lying surface, and a foldable footrest can further extend this surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If the backrest is folded back to a horizontal position, then the reclining surface is extended, but the headrest cannot provide adequate support and the seat requires additional cushioning structures
Solution Approach 1:
The headrest support structure is designed to serve dual functions: supporting the headrest in the upright position and providing a base for the additional cushion when the backrest is folded back. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate support structures for different seating positions, resolving the contradiction between extended reclining surface area and structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The headrest is nested within the support structure that can be extended backward. When the backrest is folded, the support structure extends and the additional cushion is placed on this extended structure. This nesting approach allows the system to compactly store the extended support function when not needed, while providing it when required, thus avoiding permanent structural complexity
2Length of moving object
If the headrest support structure is extended to enable horizontal reclining position, then the reclining surface is enlarged, but the headrest requires significant extension compared to conventional designs
Solution Approach 1:
The headrest support structure is divided into segments that can slide relative to each other within the support profiles. This segmentation allows the structure to extend to the required length for horizontal reclining while maintaining a compact form when retracted, avoiding the need for a permanently extended complex structure
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure employs sliding mechanisms that allow dynamic adjustment of the headrest position and extension. The support pillars can slide within the support profiles to achieve the extended position only when needed, transforming a static complex structure into a dynamic one that adapts its configuration based on usage requirements
3Ease of manufacture
If the support profiles are designed as hollow profiles, then the structure is simplified and stabilized, but the support supports require precise sliding guidance within the profiles
Solution Approach 1:
The sliding support pillars are designed to automatically engage and lock within the hollow support profiles through their own weight and geometric configuration. The profiles themselves provide the guidance features needed, eliminating the need for additional precision-machined guidance elements. This self-service approach simplifies manufacturing while achieving the required positioning precision
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a vehicle seat comprising a seat part (2) with a seat cushion (15), a backrest (3) pivotably mounted on the seat part (2) with a back cushion (16), and a headrest (5) adjustably mounted on the backrest (3) with a supporting structure (21). The supporting structure (21) of the headrest (5) is designed to be extended into a reclining position that is further extended than the usual sitting position and to support an additional cushion (6) that extends the support surface of the back cushion (16) rearward in a folded-back reclining position.