Headrest mounted video display

• US 20040007906A1
• Filed: 07/01/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Savv Corporation
• Original Assignee: Savv Corporation
• Inventors: San, Jung Ho, Park, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,040,698 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/217.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/809 vertically slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/847 with stepwise positioning
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/879 with additional features not related to head-rest positioning, e.g. heating or cooling devices or loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0235 of flat type, e.g. LCD
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0017 Head-rests

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention has a headrest restraint incorporating a remote-controlled, video monitor with a monitor safety cover and concealed video input and power supply cable. It can serve as an OEM headrest or as an after-market headrest replacement. This embodiment of the invention maintains headrest safety requirements and meets vehicle manufacturers'"'"' specifications, unlike headrests specially modified to incorporate a rearward facing video monitor. The monitor safety cover protects rear seat occupants from impact with the monitor. The abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device comprising:

at least one hollow pillar;

a headrest support;

said headrest support being connected to a seat by said at least one hollow pillar;

a video display device;

a cable to provide power and video input to said video display device;

a headrest pillow being attached to said headrest support, said headrest pillow having a rearward structure and a yielding forward structure, said yielding forward structure being sized, shaped and located to prevent the back of the seat occupant'"'"'s head from a sudden, whipping rearward motion, the rearward structure of said headrest pillow being sized and shaped to house said video display device; and

said cable extends through said at least one hollow pillar.

2. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 1 wherein said at least one hollow pillar having a vertical adjustment mechanism permitting it to adjust to a plurality of vertical positions relative to the seat on which it is mounted.

3. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 1 wherein said cable extends down from said at least one hollow pillar through said seat.

4. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 1 wherein said headrest pillow having a shaped foam pad core and a cover, said cover being fabricated from a material similar in appearance, color and texture to the material covering the seat onto which said headrest is mounted.

5. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 1 wherein said headrest pillow having a shaped foam pad core and a cover, said cover being fabricated from a material complementary in appearance, color and texture to the material covering the seat onto which said headrest is mounted.

6. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 1 wherein said video display device being an active matrix TFT LCD monitor.

7. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of said pillars connect said headrest support to said seat with at least one said pillar being hollow.

8. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 1 wherein said at least one hollow pillar being fabricated from chrome-moly tubing.

9. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 1 wherein said headrest support being tilt-able in relation to said at least one hollow pillar to a plurality of

10. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 1 wherein there are three forward tilted positions.

11. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 9 wherein each forward tilted position being locked into place by a ratcheting mechanism.

12. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 1 wherein said rearward structure of said headrest pillow contains an opening, said opening having a top side, a bottom side, a right side, a left side and a forward side.

13. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 12 further comprising a headrest housing, said headrest housing being sized and shaped to fit within said opening in said headrest pillow with said video display device held inside it.

14. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 13 wherein said headrest housing being fabricated from ABS plastic.

15. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 13 further comprising a monitor attachment bezel, said monitor attachment bezel being mounted into said headrest housing, said video display device being attached to said video display housing by said monitor attachment bezel.

16. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 15 wherein said video display device being attached to said monitor attachment bezel by two brackets.

17. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 1 wherein said combination power and video input cable being a DIN cable.

18. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 17 wherein said DIN cable being a 5-pin DIN cable.

19. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 17 wherein said DIN cable being a 8-pin DIN cable.

20. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 1 further comprising a removable video display device cover.

21. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 20 wherein said video display device cover is hingedly mounted to the rearward structure of said headrest pillow.

22. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 20 wherein said video display device cover is padded.

23. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 1 wherein said video display device is commanded by a remote control.

24. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 23 wherein said remote control employs an infrared signal to command said video display device.

25. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device according to claim 23 wherein said remote control employs a radio signal to command said video display device.

26. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device comprising:

at least one hollow pillar, said at least one hollow pillar having a vertical adjustment mechanism that allows it to be adjusted vertically to a plurality of vertical positions in relation to the seat on which it is mounted;

a headrest support, said headrest support being connected to the seat by said at least one hollow pillar, said headrest support being tilt-able in relation to said at least one hollow pillar to a plurality of forward tilted positions, each forward tilted position being locked into place by a ratcheting mechanism;

a seat;

a video display device, said video display device being an active matrix TFT LCD monitor;

a cable to provide power and video input to said video display device, said cable being a 5-pin DIN cable;

a video display device housing, said headrest housing being sized and shaped to house said video display device and fit into said opening in said rearward structure;

a headrest pillow being attached to said headrest support, said headrest pillow having a shaped foam pad core with a rearward structure and a yielding forward structure and a cover, said yielding forward structure being sized, shaped and located to prevent the back of the seat occupant'"'"'s head from a sudden, whipping rearward motion, the rearward structure of said headrest pillow being sized and shaped to house said video display device housing;

a monitor attachment bezel, said monitor attachment bezel attaches said video display device into said video display housing; and

said cable extends through said at least one hollow pillar into and through the seat.

27. A vehicle headrest with built-in video display device comprising:

at least one hollow pillar, said at least one hollow pillar having a vertical adjustment mechanism that allows it to be adjusted vertically to a plurality of vertical positions in relation to the seat on which it is mounted;

a headrest support, said headrest support being connected to the seat by said at least one hollow pillar, said headrest support being tilt-able in relation to said at least one hollow pillar to a plurality of forward tilted positions, each forward tilted position being locked into place by a ratcheting mechanism;

a seat;

a video display device, said video display device being an active matrix TFT LCD monitor;

a remote control to command said video display device;

a cable to provide power and video input to said video display device, said cable being a 5-pin DIN cable;

a video display device housing, said headrest housing being sized and shaped to house said video display device and fit into said opening in said rearward structure;

a headrest pillow being attached to said headrest support, said headrest pillow having a shaped foam pad core with a rearward structure and a yielding forward structure and a cover, said yielding forward structure being sized, shaped and located to prevent the back of the seat occupant'"'"'s head from a sudden, whipping rearward motion, the rearward structure of said headrest pillow being sized and shaped to house said video display device housing;

a monitor attachment bezel, said monitor attachment bezel attaches said video display device into said video display housing;

a padded video display device cover being hingedly mounted to the rearward structure of said headrest pillow, and

said cable extends through said at least one hollow pillar into and through the seat.