Headrest device

• US 7,517,015 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2006
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Mori, Masatoshi, Mizuno, Takuya, Taniguchi, Hiromi, Terada, Takami, Yamada, Yukifumi, Nishimura, Seiya, Matsubayashi, Kiyoka, Akaike, Fumitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALEX, JAMES S
• Application Number:
  US11/545,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20070085400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 297/391, 297/216.12, 297/408
• US Class Current: 297/216.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4228 due to impact coming from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/888 with arrangements for protecting against abnormal g-forces, e.g. by displacement of the head-rest

Abstract

A headrest device includes a fixed base, a movable base disposed forward relative to the fixed base, at least one first link being rotatably supported by a connecting shaft provided between the movable base and the fixed base, at least one second link being supported by the connecting shaft so as to rotate relative to the first link, a connection portion connecting the movable base and the fixed base to be relatively movable by a relative rotation between the first link and the second link, a drive portion relatively rotating the first link and the second link in a direction so as to deploy the movable base away from the fixed base on the basis of a detected result by a rear-end collision detection means, and at least one relative rotation restricting portion provided for restricting a relative rotation between the first link and the second link about the connecting shaft.

Claims

1. A headrest device, comprising:

a fixed base being supported by a seatback;

a movable base disposed at a forward position relative to the fixed base;

at least one first link being rotatably supported by a connecting shaft provided between the movable base and the fixed base, the first link having a first end connected to the movable base and a second end connected to the fixed base;

at least one second link being supported by the connecting shaft so as to rotate relative to the first link, the second link having a first end connected to the movable base and a second end connected to the fixed base;

a connection portion including the first link and the second link and connecting the movable base and the fixed base to be relatively movable by a relative rotation between the first link and the second link;

a drive portion relatively rotating the first link and the second link in a direction so as to deploy the movable base away from the fixed base on the basis of a detected result by a rear-end collision detection means which is connected to the connection portion to detect and/or predict a vehicle rear-end collision;

at least one relative rotation restricting portion provided at a portion of the fixed base and/or the movable base; and

a biasing portion for biasing the first link away from the at least one relative rotation restricting portion,

the at least one relative rotation restricting portion restricting a relative rotation between the first link and the second link about the connecting shaft when a load larger than a biasing force of the biasing portion is applied to the movable base upon the vehicle rear-end collision and when subsequent rearward movement of the movable base establishes an engagement thereof with the first link,

the at least one relative rotation restricting portion allowing the relative rotation between the first link and the second link about the connecting shaft when the load applied to the movable base is smaller than the biasing force of the biasing portion and when the resulting disengagement of the movable base from the first link is established.

2. The headrest device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the fixed base and the movable base is formed with a slide guiding bore, and at least one of the fixed base and the movable base is provided with a connection hole, a slidable connecting shaft provided at the first link penetrates the slide guiding bore, and a rotatable connecting shaft provided at the second link Penetrates through the connection hole, wherein the slide guiding bore has a width wider than a width of the slidable connecting shaft in a moving direction of the movable base and guides the slidable connecting shaft moving along said at least one of the fixed base and the movable base in accordance with the relative rotation between the first link and the second link;

and wherein

the relative rotation restricting portion prevents a movement of the slidable connecting shaft in the slide guiding bore by a rearward movement of the movable base by the load within the width of the slide guiding bore.

3. The headrest device according to claim 1,

wherein a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion are provided, respectively, at the first link and at the relative rotation restricting portion to constitute a latch mechanism, the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion being selectively in meshing engagement with each other.

4. The headrest device according to claim 1, wherein the biasing portion is formed in a bar shape extended in a sliding direction of the slidable connecting shaft;

and further comprising a hook selectively contacting the biasing portion to limit movement of the slidable connecting shaft in a direction away from the at least one relative rotation restricting portion.

5. The headrest device according to claim 3, wherein the biasing portion is formed in a bar shape extended in a sliding direction of the slidable connecting shaft;

and further comprising a hook selectively contacting the biasing portion to limit movement of the slidable connecting shaft in a direction away from the at least one relative rotation restricting portion.

6. The headrest device according to claim 1, wherein

the drive portion includes a motor which is capable of selectively rotating in a normal and reverse direction as a drive source;

the first link and the second link selectively rotate in a normal and reverse direction about the connecting shaft; and

the movable base retracts back to or deploys away from the fixed base in accordance with a rotational direction of the first link and the second link about the connecting shaft.

7. The headrest device according to claim 3, wherein

the drive portion includes a motor which is capable of selectively rotating in a normal and reverse direction as a drive source;

the first link and the second link selectively rotate in a normal and reverse direction about the connecting shaft; and

the movable base retracts back to or deploys away from the fixed base in accordance with a rotational direction of the first link and the second link about the connecting shaft.

8. The headrest device according to claim 4, wherein

the drive portion includes a motor which is capable of selectively rotating in a normal and reverse direction as a drive source;

the first link and the second link selectively rotate in a normal and reverse direction about the connecting shaft; and

the movable base retracts back to or deploys away from the fixed base in accordance with a rotational direction of the first link and the second link about the connecting shaft.

9. The headrest device according to claim 5, wherein

the drive portion includes a motor which is capable of selectively rotating in a normal and reverse direction as a drive source;

the first link and the second link selectively rotate in a normal and reverse direction about the connecting shaft; and

the movable base retracts back to or deploys away from the fixed base in accordance with a rotational direction of the first link and the second link about the connecting shaft.

10. The headrest device according to claim 3, wherein the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion are arranged to face each another when the movable base is deployed.

11. The headrest device according to claim 3, wherein the second engaging portion is provided at the movable base.

12. The headrest device according to claim 2, wherein a clearance between the slidable connecting shaft and the slide guiding bore in a state where the movable base is retracted is narrower than a clearance between the slidable connecting shaft and the slide guiding bore in a state where the movable base is deployed.

13. A headrest device, comprising:

a fixed base supported by a seatback;

a movable base disposed at a forward position relative to the fixed base;

at least one first link being rotatably supported by a connecting shaft provided between the movable base and the fixed base, the first link having a first end connected to the movable base and a second end connected to the fixed base;

at least one second link supported by the connecting shaft to rotate relative to the first link, the second link having a first end connected to the movable base and a second end connected to the fixed base;

the first link and the second link connecting the movable base and the fixed base to be relatively movable by relative rotation between the first link and the second link;

rear-end collision detection means for detecting and/or predicting a vehicle rear-end collision;

a drive portion operatively connected to the connecting shaft to relatively rotate the first link and the second link to move the movable base away from the fixed base based on a result detected by the rear-end collision detection means;

a first engaging portion provided on the first link;

a second engaging portion provided on the movable base, the second engaging portion being engageable with the first engaging portion to restrict relative rotation between the first and second links;

a spring applying a biasing force to the first link biasing the first and second engaging portions away from one another;

the engagement of the first and second engaging portions restricting the relative rotation between the first link and the second link about the connecting shaft when a load larger than the biasing force of the spring is applied to the movable base upon the vehicle rear-end collision and when subsequent rearward movement of the movable base establishes engagement of the first and second engaging portions; and

the first and second engaging portions being disengaged to allow the relative rotation between the first link and the second link about the connecting shaft when the load applied to the movable base is smaller than the biasing force of the spring and when the resulting disengagement of the first and second engaging portions is established.

14. The headrest device according to claim 13, further comprising an elongated slide guiding bore provided in the movable base, a connection hole provided in the fixed base, a connecting shaft provided on the first link, and a connecting shaft provided at the second link, the connecting of the first link being slidably positioned in the elongated slide guiding bore, the connecting shaft of the second link being rotatably positioned in the connection hole.

15. The headrest device according to claim 14, wherein the elongated slide guiding bore has a width in a direction transverse to a direction of elongation of the elongated slide guiding bore that is greater than a width of the connecting shaft of the first link.

16. The headrest device according to claim 13, wherein the first engaging portion comprises teeth and the second engaging portion comprises teeth.