Seat for vehicle

• US 7,559,608 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2006
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Miyahara, Tamio, Michida, Nanae, Okiyama, Hiroshi, Nakaya, Kouichi, Kobayashi, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Cranmer; Laurie K
• Application Number:
  US11/509,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20070057559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 297/378.12, 297/391, 297/408
• US Class Current: 297/408
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/20 the back-rest being tiltable, e.g. to permit easy access B60N2/04, B60N2/22 , B60N2/3002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/34 into a bed
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/815 Release mechanisms, e.g. buttons
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/832 movable to an inoperative or stowed position
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/847 with stepwise positioning
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/891 with the head-rest being comma-shaped in side view
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2205/30 Seat or seat parts characterised by comprising plural parts or pieces

Abstract

A seat for a vehicle comprises a seat cushion, a seat back, a headrest having a neck-support portion, a headrest pole member to support the headrest, and a rotational support device. The rotational support device supports the headrest in such a manner that the neck-support portion of the headrest is rotated around a rotational axis that extends in substantially a width direction of the seat back and held at a specified angle relative to the seat back, wherein the headrest is its lowest position, the neck-support portion of the headrest is configured to be allowed to be rotated forward from its rearmost stored position by the rotational support device. Accordingly, a neck portion of a passenger can be supported by the neck-support portion of the headrest properly.

Claims

1. A seat for a vehicle, comprising:

a seat cushion having a passenger-support face;

a seat back having a passenger-support face, the seat back being pivotally attached to the seat cushion via a hinge mechanism;

a headrest including a main body to support a head portion of a passenger, and a neck-support portion to support a neck portion of the passenger, wherein the neck-support portion being formed separately from the main body;

a headrest pole member to support the headrest, the headrest pole member being provided at the seat back so as to move a position of the headrest between a lowest position and an upward-pulled position, wherein when the headrest is in the lowest position, a lower end portion of the main body of the headrest is located below a top portion of the seat back in an upright-use position; and

a rotational support device provided between the main body of the headrest and the neck-support portion of the headrest, the rotational support device being operative to support the neck-support portion of the headrest in such a manner that the neck-support portion of the headrest is rotated around a rotational axis that extends in substantially a width direction of the seat back and held at a specified angle relative to the main body of the headrest, wherein the neck-support portion of the headrest is substantially U shape so as to surround the main body of the headrest in such a manner when the neck-support portion of the headrest is rotated forward relative to the main body of the headrest by the rotational support device, and wherein a recess portion is formed between the neck-support member and the main body of the headrest.

2. The seat for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the seat is configured such that the seat back can be rotated forward and folded on the seat cushion in such a manner that the passenger-support faces of the scat back and the seat cushion are substantially in parallel to each other.

3. The seat for a vehicle of claim 2, wherein the neck-support portion of the headrest is configured to have a relatively-thick lower portion and a relatively-thin upper portion.

4. The seat for a vehicle of claim 2, wherein a gap which is formed between the passenger-support faces of the seat back and the seat cushion at a portion that is near the hinge mechanism when the seat back is rotated forward and folded on the seat cushion, is larger than a gap which is formed between the passenger-support faces of the seat back and the seat cushion at another portion that is away from the hinge mechanism when the seat back is rotated forward and folded on the seat cushion.

5. The seat for a vehicle of claim 2, wherein the passenger-support face of the seat back is configured to have a recess in such a manner that a central portion thereof is recessed compared to both-side portion thereof and at least part of the neck-support portion of the headrest that is in the lowest position is located in the recess of the passenger-support face of the seat back when the seat back is rotated forward and folded on the seat cushion.

6. The seat for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the seat is configured such that the seat back is rotated forward and folded on the seat cushion in a full-flat state via the hinge mechanism in such a manner that an angle between the passenger-support faces of the seat back and seat cushion is smaller than a specified narrow angle.

7. The seat for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein when the neck-support portion of the headrest in a rearmost stored position, a back face of the neck-support portion contacts an upper portion of the passenger-support face of the seat back.

8. The seat for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the seat back is configured to have a standard position where a center line of the seat back is slightly inclined rearward relative to a vertical line by a specified angle, and the headrest pole member is configured to have an extension line thereof that is inclined relative to the center line of the seat back in the standard position toward the vertical line by a specified angle.

9. The seat for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the top portion of the seat back is configured to allow a forward-rotation of the neck-support portion by the rotational support device.

10. The seat for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rotational support device further comprises a friction mechanism operative to provide a pressing force within a range of 30 to 150 N to suppress a rotation of the neck-support portion of the headrest and hold the neck-support portion with the pressing force.

11. The seat for a vehicle of claim 10, wherein the seat back is configured to be rotated forward via the hinge mechanism provided at a rear portion of the seat cushion with an operation from behind the seat, and a rear end portion of the headrest includes a portion that the passenger can hold from behind the seat when the headrest is in the lowest position.

12. The scat for a vehicle of claim 11, wherein the portion that the passenger can hold from behind the seat is provided behind the rotational axis around which the neck-support portion of the headrest is rotated.

13. The seat for a vehicle of claim 11, wherein the headrest is configured so as to be recognized from behind the seat that the lower end portion of the headrest is in a forward-rotated position when the headrest is in the lowest position.

14. The seat for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rotational support device further comprises a ratchet mechanism operative to allow only the forward-rotation of the neck-support portion of the headrest in a specified range, the neck-support portion that has been rotated forward beyond the specified range being allowed to be rotated rearward.

15. The seat for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein a frontal face of the main body of the headrest is substantially on the same plane with a frontal face of the neck-support portion of the headrest when the neck-support portion of the headrest is in a rearmost stored position.

16. A seat for a vehicle comprising:

a seat cushion having a passenger-support face

a seat back having a passenger-support face, the seat back being pivotally attached to the seat cushion via a hinge mechanism;

a headrest having a neck-support portion, the neck-support portion being provided to extend downward and operative to support a neck portion of a passenger;

a headrest pole member to support the headrest, the headrest pole member being provided at the seat back so as to move a position of the headrest between a lowest position and an upward-pulled position, wherein when the headrest is in the lowest position, a lower end portion of the neck-support portion of the headrest is located below a top portion of the seat back in an upright-use position; and

a rotational support device provided between the headrest and the headrest pole member, the rotational support device being operative to support the headrest in such a manner that at least the neck-support portion of the headrest is rotated around a rotational axis that extends in substantially a width direction of the seat back and held at a specified angle relative to the seat back, wherein when the headrest is the lowest position, at least the neck-support portion of the headrest is configured to be allowed to be rotated forward from a rearmost stored position thereof by the rotational support device,

wherein the seat is configured such that the seat back can be rotated forward and folded on the seat cushion in such a manner that the passenger-support faces of the seat back and the seat cushion are substantially in parallel to each other, and

the passenger-support face of the seat cushion is configured to have a recess, and at least part of the neck-support portion of the headrest that is in the lowest position is located in the recess of the passenger-support face of the seat cushion when the seat back is rotated forward and folded on the seat cushion.