Flip-up headrest

• US 5,622,405 A
• Filed: 10/10/1995
• Issued: 04/22/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hector M. Pitencel
• Original Assignee: Hector M. Pitencel
• Inventors: Pitencel, Hector M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Peter R.
• Application Number:
  US08/541,558
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 297/391, 297/283.4, 297/408, 297/405
• US Class Current: 297/283.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/809 vertically slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/838 Tiltable

Abstract

A dual-aspect headrest especially suitable for use on a vehicle having a seatback for supporting a user of the vehicle, which headrest has (a) a support body having (i) a front face and (ii) a rear face having an anatomical cavity therein for supporting the head of a user of the vehicle, the support body having in an tipper edge thereof a nondeformable neck support having the shape of a semicircle and having an inner part, the neck support being open toward the rear face, and intersecting the anatomical cavity, and having a rigid inner core incorporated in the internal structure of the body, and a spongy material covering the core; (b) pivoting means pivotally connected to the body for pivoting the support body around a horizontal axis and allowing the body to be flipped over the seatback between a first position at which the front face faces the head of a user and a second position at which the rear face faces the head of a user, so that the anatomical cavity and the neck support are positioned to receive, respectively, the head and neck of a user; and (c) linking means for linking the body to the seatback, the linking means being connected to the pivoting means.

Claims

1. A dual-aspect headrest especially suitable for use on a vehicle having a seatback for supporting a user of the vehicle, which headrest comprises:

(a) a support body having (i) a front face and (ii) a rear face having an anatomical cavity therein for supporting the head of a user of the vehicle, said body having in an upper edge thereof a non-deformable neck support having the shape of a semicircle and having an inner part, said neck support being open toward said rear face, and intersecting said anatomical cavity, and having a rigid inner core incorporated in the internal structure of the body, and a spongy material covering said core;

(b) pivoting means pivotally connected to said body for pivoting said body around a horizontal axis and allowing the body to be flipped over the seatback between a first position at which the front face faces the head of a user and a second position at which the rear face faces the head of a user, so that the anatomical cavity and the neck support are positioned to receive, respectively, the head and neck of a user; and

(c) linking means for linking said body to said seatback, said linking means being connected to said pivoting means.

2. A dual-aspect headrest, in accordance with claim 1, wherein said linking means comprise means for regulating the height of the body with respect to the seatback.

3. A dual-aspect headrest, in accordance with claim 1, wherein said body is made of spongy material.

4. A dual-aspect headrest, in accordance with claim 1, wherein when said body is in said second position said neck support is adapted to hold the user'"'"'s neck and absorb the weight of a user'"'"'s head.

5. A dual-aspect headrest, in accordance with claim 1, wherein when said body is in said second position said neck support is adapted to stretch a user'"'"'s nape behind a line of support of a user'"'"'s back on the seatback.

6. A dual-aspect headrest, in accordance with claim 1, wherein in its when said body is in said second position said neck support is adapted to absorb the weight of a user'"'"'s head directly onto the inner part of the semicircle.

7. A dual-aspect headrest, in accordance with claim 1, wherein said anatomical cavity, when said body is in said second position, is located behind the line of support of a user'"'"'s back on the seatback.

8. A dual-aspect headrest, in accordance with claim 1, wherein said anatomical cavity, when said body is linked to said seatback and is in said second position, extends the length of the support surface area of the seatback to a length greater than that of the seatback without said body linked thereto.

9. A dual-aspect headrest in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pivoting means comprises a friction box, a horizontal shaft pivotally mounted in said friction box, and one or more pressure regulators attached to said friction box, and wherein said linking means comprises two vertical shafts each connected to one end of said horizontal shaft.

10. A dual-aspect headrest in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pivoting means comprises a friction box, a friction ball joint sphere pivotally mounted in said friction box, one or more pressure regulators positioned in said friction box, and two rods joined together by said sphere, each rod extending horizontally through a coaxial rod exit in said friction box and connected to said linking means.