Headrest and vehicle seat provided with the same

• US 8,936,310 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2012
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NHK Spring Company Limited
• Original Assignee: NHK Spring Company Limited
• Inventors: Nishikido, Satoshi, Shimizu, Eiji, Takayama, Masami, Yasuda, Kenzo, Kageyama, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, PETER R
• Application Number:
  US13/371,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20120212017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 297/216.12, 297/216.14, 297/391, 297/308
• US Class Current: 297/216.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4221 due to impact coming from the front
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42745 of the back-rest B60N2/433 takes precedence; higher part of the back-rest moving together with the headrest B60N2/888
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/844 Release mechanisms, e.g. buttons
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/847 with stepwise positioning
• 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 including: a headrest body that supports a head portion of an occupant; a pair of side frame sections that supports the headrest body, the side frame sections extending along a seat height direction and disposed at a separation from each other along a seat width direction; and an inclined wall portion that is provided between the side frame sections, that is inclined towards a seat front-rear direction front side with respect to the side frame sections such that a lower end portion of the inclined wall portion is positioned further to the seat front-rear direction front side than an upper end portion of the inclined wall portion, and that bears load acting on the headrest body from a seat front-rear direction rear side.

Claims

1. A headrest comprising:

a headrest body that supports a head portion of an occupant;

a pair of side frame sections that supports the headrest body, each of the side frame sections extending along a seat height direction and being inclined towards a front side in a seat front-rear direction with respect to respective headrest stay sections, wherein the pair of side frame sections are disposed at a separation from each other along a seat width direction, the headrest stay sections extending upwardly along the seat height direction in a plane defined by a seat back, the headrest stay sections including an upper portion that is inclined towards the front side in a seat front-rear direction relative thereto, the upper portion defining the pair of side frame sections;

a top frame section that extends along the seat width direction and interconnects upper end portions of each of the side frame sections; and

an inclined wall portion connected to the pair of side frame sections and the top frame section, that is inclined with respect to a plane defined by the pair of side frame sections and lying in the seat width direction such that a lower end portion of the inclined wall portion is spaced from the plane defined by the pair of side frame sections towards the front side in a seat front-rear direction a greater distance than that of an upper end portion of the inclined wall portion, and that bears load acting on a rear side of the headrest body, wherein the inclined wall defines an intermediate part of a pressure bearing member having an inverted T-shaped profile as viewed from a front side of the headrest body, and connects to the pair of side frame sections and the top frame section, wherein the inclined wall portion is provided at a seat width direction intermediate portion of the pressure bearing member.

2. The headrest of claim 1 further comprising a tilting mechanism that is provided at the pair of side frame sections for supporting the headrest body such that the headrest body is capable of being tilted in a seat front-rear direction with respect to the plane defined by the pair of side frame sections.

3. A vehicle seat comprising:

a seat cushion on which an occupant sits;

a seat back that supports a back portion of the occupant, the seat back provided at a rear end portion of the seat cushion to as to be capable of reclining; and

the headrest of claim 1 that is provided at an upper end portion of the seat back for supporting the head portion of the occupant.