Headrest for automotive seat

• US 4,865,388 A
• Filed: 04/03/1989
• Issued: 09/12/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tachi-S Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Tachi-S Company Limited
• Inventors: Nemoto, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/332,137
• Time in Patent Office: 162 Days
• Field of Search: 297/403, 297/408, 297/391, 297/DIG. 3
• US Class Current: 297/403
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/874 movable to an inoperative or stowed position B60N2/832, B60N2/856 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/888 with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 297/03 Pneumatic

Abstract

A headrest for an automotive seat which comprises a head contact portion, a stretchable rear portion which includes an elastic webbing, and an air bag disposed within those two portions, all of them being fixed upon the top of seat back of the seat. The expansion or shrivelling of the air bag, by using an air pump, causes the headrest to raise for turning upright the head contact portion, or permits the air bag to be compressed by the contracting force of the webbing, thereby lowering the headrest.

Claims

1. A headrest for an automotive seat, comprising:

an expandable air bag provided on a top of a seat back of said seat;

a head contact portion disposed forwardly of said air bag; and

a stretchable rear portion disposed rearwardly of said air bag, said stretchable rear portion including an elastic webbing which has a contracting force for compressing said air bag,

wherein said head contact portion and said stretchable rear portion are connected together and further to said top of said seat back, and wherein said air bag is disposed within said head contact portion and said stretchable rear portion.

2. The headrest according to claim 1, wherein said air bag has a plurality of partition walls formed therein, which define a plurality of air rooms in said air bag, and wherein said partition walls are each formed with a through hole so as to permit an air communication among said plurality of air rooms.

3. The headrest according to claim 1, wherein said air bag is connected with a pipe which is in turn connected with an air pump.

4. The headrest according to claim 3, wherein said pipe is connected with an air supply valve and air release valve.

5. The headrest according to claim 1, wherein said head contact portion comprises an outer covering member, a foam padding and a back cloth, wherein said stretchable rear portion further includes an outer cover member which is sewn to said webbing in a gathering fashion such as to define a plurality of bellows or acccordion pleats on said outer cover member of said stretchable rear portion, and wherein both said outer covering members of said head contact portion and stretchable rear portion are integrally fixed by sewing to said top of said seat back.

6. The headrest according to claim 1, wherein said air bag is formed such that it is to be expanded in a generally triangular shape such as to turn upright said head contact portion in a position for supporting a head of occupant seated in said seat, and wherein said air bag is fixed on said top of said seat back via a lug which is integrally formed at a forward end part of said air bag.