Headrest apparatus for vehicle
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A headrest apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
- a headrest body attached to stays that are adapted for attachment to the upper end of a vehicle seat back to support a passenger'"'"'s head;
wherein the headrest body includes;
a pair of left and right headrest members separated from each other at a substantial center of the headrest body in the left-and-right direction of the vehicle, the left and right headrest members each having one separation end adjacent to the other headrest member and the other end in opposition to the separation end, rotatably attached to the stay;
a sheet of stretchable material stretched between the separation ends of the left and right headrest members;
rotating-and-urging mechanisms for rotating and urging the left and right headrest members in a forward direction, respectively; and
a locking unit for holding the left and right headrest members at their initial positions in opposition to urging forces by the rotating-and-urging mechanisms; and
a control unit for releasing the locking unit on detection of a rear-end collision of the vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A headrest apparatus for a vehicle has a headrest body 10a provided with a left headrest member 11 and a right headrest member 12 and a locking unit 40 for holding the left and right headrest members 11, 12 at their initial positions. At a vehicle rear-end collision, the locking unit 40 is released by a control unit 50 for detecting the vehicle rear-end collision. As a result, the left and right headrest members 11, 12 rotate forward about the vehicle, so that a sheet 13 stretched between respective separation ends of the members 11, 12 is unfolded to restrict a passenger'"'"'s head without making use of the passenger'"'"'s inertia at the collision, surely and rapidly.
49 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A headrest apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
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a headrest body attached to stays that are adapted for attachment to the upper end of a vehicle seat back to support a passenger'"'"'s head;
wherein the headrest body includes;
a pair of left and right headrest members separated from each other at a substantial center of the headrest body in the left-and-right direction of the vehicle, the left and right headrest members each having one separation end adjacent to the other headrest member and the other end in opposition to the separation end, rotatably attached to the stay;
a sheet of stretchable material stretched between the separation ends of the left and right headrest members;
rotating-and-urging mechanisms for rotating and urging the left and right headrest members in a forward direction, respectively; and
a locking unit for holding the left and right headrest members at their initial positions in opposition to urging forces by the rotating-and-urging mechanisms; and
a control unit for releasing the locking unit on detection of a rear-end collision of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
the sheet stopper is formed by a pinching member arranged about the periphery of a winding part of the sheet of stretchable material wound by the winding mechanism, the pinching member being formed by an elastic member having both ends arranged close to both sides of the pay-out part of the sheet of stretchable material; both ends of the pinching member are arranged so as to oppose the tip of a front end of the pinching member in front of the sheet of stretchable material to the tip of a rear end of the pinching member;
the front end of the pinching member is provided, at a position abutting on the periphery of the winding part, with a fulcrum projection; and
the rear end of the pinching member is provided, at a position abutting on the periphery of the winding part, with a bending part.
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13. The headrest apparatus of claim 11, wherein
the sheet stopper is formed by a rotating member arranged behind a winding part of the sheet of stretchable material wound by the winding mechanism, the rotating member having its intermediate portion rotatably supported by the side of the left and right headrest member; - and
one end of the rotating member is arranged behind the sheet of stretchable material thereby to form an input part of a backward pressure acting on the sheet of stretchable material, while the other end of the rotating member is arranged close to the periphery of the winding part thereby to form a pressing part that comes into pressure contact with the winding part when the backward pressure is inputted to the input part.
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14. The headrest apparatus of claim 13, wherein the input part is provided with an engagement part for engagement with front and rear faces of the sheet of stretchable material.
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15. The headrest apparatus of claim 13, wherein
the sheet stopper has a pair of rotating members arranged on both upper and lower sides of the sheet of stretchable material, the rotating members having their ends extended up to the front side of the winding part of the sheet of stretchable material thereby to provide extension ends; - and
the extension ends are connected with each other through a connecting part.
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16. The headrest apparatus of claim 13, further comprising an assistant sheet stopper which is juxtaposed with the sheet stopper, the assistant sheet stopper having its base part rotatably supported on either side of the left and right headrest members and a free end arranged close to the front face of the sheet of stretchable material, wherein the assistant sheet stopper has a contact part formed at the free end, for contact with the passenger'"'"'s head and a pressing part formed at an intermediate portion of the assistant sheet stopper, for pressure contact with the periphery of the winding part.
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17. A headrest apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
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a headrest body attached stays that are adapted for attachment to the upper end of a vehicle seat back to support a passenger'"'"'s head;
wherein the headrest body includes;
a pair of left and right headrest members separated from each other at a substantial center of the headrest body in the left-and-right direction of the vehicle, the left and right headrest members each having one separation end adjacent to the other headrest member and the other end in opposition to the separation end, rotatably attached to the stay;
a sheet of stretchable material stretched between the separation ends of the left and right headrest members;
rotating-and-urging means for rotating and urging the left and right headrest members in a forward direction, respectively; and
locking means for holding the left and right headrest members at their initial positions in opposition to urging forces by the rotating-and-urging mechanisms; and
control means for releasing the locking means on detection of a rear-end collision of the vehicle.
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Specification