JP2001163101A - Headrest structure of vehicle seat - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] It is possible to enhance protection of the head and neck of a seated person at the time of a rear collision, etc., without complicating the configuration. [Structure] The headrest body 12-2 formed separately from the base body 12-1 is biased in the forward protruding direction under the biasing force of the drive spring 26, and is released only when an impact load is input during a rear collision. The headrest body is held at the rear initial position against the biasing force of the drive spring under the locking by the operated stopper means 28. The headrest body 12-2 which has been slid in the forward projecting direction by the releasing operation of the stopper means 28 can be held irreversibly at its forward projecting position under the lock of the locking means 38.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a headrest structure for a vehicle seat capable of protecting a occupant's head from an impact such as a rear collision.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, when a so-called rear collision, such as a collision when the vehicle retreats or a rear-end collision with the vehicle, occurs, the head of the occupant tends to lean backward sharply under the inertia force. I do. Such a sharp backward tilt of the head is generally referred to as whiplash movement, and since this whiplash movement has the risk of damaging the neck of the occupant, suppressing such whiplash movement prevents damage to the neck and the like. Various configurations that can be prevented are provided in seats of automobiles and the like.

[0003] As such a seat capable of suppressing whiplash movement, for example, a movable seat for forcibly moving a headrest forward or an inflatable seat for forcibly expanding a support surface (cushion surface) of a headrest forward. Are generally known. All of these configurations further enhance the head support capability of the headrest by instantly narrowing the range between the headrest and the head, that is, the backward tilting range of the head. By suppressing the whip movement by the support ability, the protection of the head and neck of the seated person is intended to be enhanced.

[0004]

However, in any of the movable and inflatable headrests, the mechanism is built in the seat back. It is inevitable that it will be accompanied.

[0005] In the configuration in which the mechanism is built in the seat back, it is necessary to integrally provide the head rest with the seat back. It is not easy to apply to sheets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a headrest structure for a vehicle seat capable of strengthening protection of a head and a neck of a seated person at the time of a rear collision without complicating the configuration.

[0007]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve this object, a base body formed on a stay side is divided and slidable between a rear initial position and a front protruding position. The headrest body, which is connected to and supported by the base body via a predetermined slide guide so that it cannot be detached, is biased in the forward projecting direction under the biasing force of the drive spring, and is used to input an impact load at the time of a rear collision. The headrest main body is held at the rear initial position against the biasing force of the driving spring under the locking by the stopper means that is released only for the headrest.

The headrest body is slid in the forward projecting direction under the biasing force of the driving spring by the releasing operation of the stopper means in response to the input of the impact load at the time of a rear collision, and the lock generated at the forward projecting position of the headrest body. Under the lock of the means, the headrest main body can be held irreversibly at its forward projecting position.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in a headrest structure 10 for a vehicle seat according to the present invention, a headrest 12 has a substantially U-shaped base on the upper end of a stay 14 extending downward. Base body with bracket 16
12-1 and a headrest body 12-2 having a body frame 18
And formed separately.

The headrest main body 12-2 is formed, for example, such that elastic bodies (pads) are arranged around the main body frame 18, and these are covered with a trim cover so that the head of the seated person can be elastically supported. I have. In the present invention, the headrest main body 12-2 is, for example, provided with an elongated guide hole 20 formed in the side wall 16a of the base bracket 16, and a guide pin 22a slidably inserted into the guide hole. A slide guide comprising a combination with a slider 22 fixed to the side wall 18a of the body frame 18 with
1 and a front protruding position shown in FIG. 3 is slidably and irremovably connected to and supported by a base bracket via a base 24.

Headrest body relative to base body 12-1
As the front protruding position of 12-2, for example, a front upper position can be exemplified. In the embodiment of the present invention, the guide hole 20 is inclined upward so that the headrest main body can be slid diagonally upward from the rear initial position to the front upper. It is formed in the side wall 16a of the base bracket as a long hole.

The guide pin 22a of the slider may be formed in a flat shape having a substantially rectangular cross section which is long in the sliding direction. If the guide pin 22a is formed in such a flat shape, the rotation of the guide pin with respect to the guide hole 20, that is, the inclination of the headrest body 12-2 with respect to the base body 12-1, and the like can be reliably prevented. The posture can be easily stabilized.

Here, in the present invention, the headrest main body 12-2 is biased in the forward projecting direction under the biasing force of the drive spring 26. As the drive spring 26, for example, a tension coil spring can be used, and this tension coil spring can apply a biasing force in the forward projection direction to the headrest body,
Base bracket side wall 16a and rear surface 18b of body frame 18
It is erected and stretched between.

Here, a tension coil spring is used as a drive spring.
Although it is illustrated as 26, it is sufficient if the headrest main body 12-2 can be biased in the forward protruding direction, and the invention is not limited to this, and other spring members, for example, a compression coil spring or the like may be used as a drive spring. Good.

In the present invention, the locking by the stopper means 28 which is released only in response to the input of an impact load at the time of a so-called rear collision, such as a collision at the time when the vehicle retreats or a rear-end collision at the rear of the vehicle. In, the headrest body 12
-2 can be held at the rear initial position against the biasing force of the drive spring 26.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the stopper means 28 is formed, for example, with a weight 30a of a predetermined weight in the lower half thereof, and is provided with a bracket 32 of the base body 12-1.
Pendulum stopper rotatably supported in the front-rear direction by
1 and a biasing force in the locking position direction, that is, the clockwise direction in FIG. 1 is applied to the upper half portion of the pendulum stopper, and the inertial rotation of the pendulum stopper due to an input load equal to or less than the impact load at the time of a rear collision, that is, FIG. 1 can be exemplified by a configuration provided with a stopper spring 34 that can restrict the rotation in the counterclockwise direction under this biasing force. And in the embodiment of the present invention,
The pendulum stopper 30 under the biasing force of the stopper spring 34
The headrest main body 12-2 can be held at the rear initial position against the biasing force of the drive spring 26 by the engagement and locking of the headrest main body side specific member by the above.

As the stopper spring 34, for example, a torsion spring can be exemplified. However, it is sufficient that the pendulum stopper 30 can be displaced in the direction of the locking position, and the invention is not limited to the torsion spring. For example, another spring member such as a compression coil spring or a tension coil spring may be provided as the stopper spring 34. Good.

Reference numeral 35 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 designates, for example, a bracket 32 so as to prevent excessive rotation of the pendulum stopper 30 in a biasing direction due to the biasing force of the stopper spring 34.
It is a locking piece that is erected on the surface.

Here, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the embodiment of the present invention, for example, the main body frame 18 is provided.
The lock bar 36 erected and supported between the left and right side walls 18a so as to be able to ascend and descend is an object to be locked by the stopper means 28, that is, a headrest body side specific member to be locked by the stopper means 28. By the engagement of the stopper 30, the headrest body 12-2 is locked and held at the rear initial position. In the stopper means 28 having this configuration, the pendulum against the biasing force of the stopper spring caused by the inertial force of the weight 30a generated by the input of the impact load at the time of the rear collision exceeds the biasing force of the stopper spring 34. The headrest main body 12-2, that is, the lock bar can be released by the inertial rotation of the stopper 30, and in the present invention, the headrest main body is moved by the release of the lock by the stopper means.
It is slidable in the forward protruding direction under a biasing force of 26 (see FIG. 3).

As shown in FIG. 3, the headrest main body 12-2 slid in the forward projecting direction is held at the forward projecting position by the locking means 38 having the above-mentioned lock bar 36. The lock means 38 includes a combination of the lock bar 36 provided on the headrest body 12-2 and a lock guide 40 on the base body 12-1 side slidably receiving the sliding contact of the lock bar. The main body is configured to be irreversibly holdable at its forwardly projecting position.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lock bar 36
Is bent and formed into a substantially U-shaped front, and is supported on the side 18b of the main body frame so as to be able to move up and down under insertion of the bent end 36a into a pair of fixed upper and lower brackets 42. The lock spring 44, for example, is biased downward in the direction of sliding contact with the lock guide 40, that is, downward, under the biasing force of a compression coil spring wound around its bent end.

Further, as shown in FIG.
Is formed, for example, using the upper surface of the side wall 16a of the base bracket, so as to be able to define the movement range of the lock bar 36 under engagement with the rear edge 40a and the front edge 40b. Then, the concave lock groove 46 into which the lock bar 36 can enter and engage.
This lock guide 40 is formed as a form having the shape continuously with the front end edge 40b.

In the locking means 38, when the headrest body 12-2 slides in the forward projecting direction under the biasing force of the drive spring 26, the lock bar 36 slides forward on the lock guide 40, and When the slide of the lock bar is restricted under the engagement with the front edge 40b, the lock bar is inserted into the concave lock groove 46 of the lock guide under the biasing force of the lock spring (compression coil spring) 44. The headrest body is prevented from retreating by entering and engaging.

As described above, in the headrest structure 10 for a vehicle seat according to the present invention, the headrest main body 12-2 moves the stopper 28
The headrest main body cannot be retracted at the forward projecting position by the releasing operation of the forcibly sliding in the forward projecting direction under the biasing force of the drive spring 26 and being locked by the locking means 38 at the forward projecting position. Is held.

When the headrest body 12-2 is biased and held in the forwardly protruding position in this manner, the gap between the headrest 12 and the head of the occupant is filled. The subsequent sharp and extreme backward inclination of the head is reliably suppressed. Therefore, whiplash movement caused by a sharp backward inclination of the head can be reliably suppressed, and the protection effect of the head and neck at the time of a rear collision or the like is sufficiently improved, thereby further reducing the damage to the occupant.

According to the present invention, the headrest body 12-2 is formed separately from the base body 12-1, and the drive spring 26 is formed.
Slidable forward under the biasing force of
It is only necessary that the stopper 28 and the lock 38 can be held at the rear initial position and the front protruding position, respectively, so that the configuration can be reliably prevented from being complicated.

Further, since the drive spring 26, the stopper means 28, and the lock means 38 are all disposed inside the headrest 12, there is no need to dispose a mechanism or the like in the seat back. . Therefore, since the headrest can be formed independently, both the application to the detachable headrest and the application to the existing seat can be reliably achieved.

Here, in the embodiment of the present invention, the stopper means 28 is embodied as a combination of the pendulum stopper 30 and the stopper spring 34. The stopper means may be embodied as a structure having an inertia-movable slider or the like, as long as the structure is capable of performing the releasing operation only by the lever. However, if the stopper means 28 is formed from the combination of the pendulum stopper 30 and the stopper spring 34, a structure capable of obtaining an appropriate release operation can be realized without complicating the structure. The simplification of the configuration is ensured.

Although the lock means 38 is embodied as a combination of the lock bar 36 and the lock guide 40, the lock means only needs to be able to hold the headrest body 12-2 at the forwardly projecting position. Alternatively, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated shape. However, if the lock means 38 is formed as a combination of the lock bar 36 and the lock guide 40 as shown in the figure, a configuration capable of obtaining an appropriate locking operation can be realized without complicating the configuration. From the point of view, the structure inside the headrest 12 can be simplified.

Further, in the present invention, the lock bar 36
Is embodied as an object to be locked by the stopper means 28, but it is only necessary to be able to restrict the sliding of the headrest body 12-2 in the forward protruding direction under the locking by the stopper means, so it is limited to a lock bar. Instead, another member provided on the headrest main body, for example, the slider 22 or the like may be the locking target member. However, if the lock bar 36 is a member to be locked, the locking can be reliably obtained, so that a configuration in which a malfunction is prevented can be easily secured.

In the above-described embodiment, the headrest main body 12-2 is slidable forward and upward with respect to the base body 12-1, but the headrest main body is sufficient if it can be moved forward. The present invention is not limited to the upward movement, and may be configured to obtain, for example, only forward parallel movement. However, in this configuration in which the support position is changed forward from the normal setting position of the headrest 12, it is preferable to move the support surface to a position above the normal support position. If the headrest body 12-2 is held in the upper front part, the protection effect of the occupant's head and neck at the time of a rear collision or the like is further improved.

Further, according to this configuration in which the headrest body 12-2 is moved to a position higher than the normal support position, an effect of suppressing the rearward movement of the seated body at the time of a rear collision or the like can be obtained. However, further improvement of the protection effect for the occupant can be expected.

The embodiments described above are for explaining the present invention, and do not limit the present invention in any way. All the modifications and alterations within the technical scope of the present invention are not limited thereto. It goes without saying that it is included in the invention.

[0035]

As described above, according to the headrest structure for a vehicle seat according to the present invention, when a shock at the time of a rear collision is received, the headrest body slides in the forward projecting direction, and the forward projecting position is obtained. As a result, the gap between the headrest and the head of the seated person is filled under the sliding of the headrest body. Therefore, a whiplash movement caused by a sharp backward tilt of the head can be surely suppressed, and a sufficient improvement of the protection effect of the head and neck at the time of a rear collision or the like further reduces the damage to the occupant.

The headrest body is formed separately from the base body, and can be slid forward under the biasing force of the driving spring, and is held at the rear initial position and the front protruding position by stopper means and locking means, respectively. Since it is sufficient if possible, complication of the configuration can be reliably prevented.

Further, since the driving spring, the stopper means, and the locking means are all disposed inside the headrest, there is no need to dispose a mechanism or the like in the seat back. Therefore, since the headrest can be formed independently, both the application to the detachable headrest and the application to the existing seat can be reliably achieved.

Further, if the stopper means is formed as a combination of the pendulum stopper and the stopper spring, it is possible to realize a structure capable of obtaining an appropriate release operation without complicating the structure. Simplification is ensured.

Further, if the locking means is formed as a combination of a lock bar and a lock guide, a structure for obtaining an appropriate locking operation can be realized without complicating the structure. The structure inside the device can be simplified.

Then, a lock bar serving as a lock means is
If the object is to be locked by the stopper means, the locking can be reliably obtained without complicating the configuration, so that a configuration in which a malfunction is prevented can be easily secured.

Further, if the headrest body can be slid and held forward and upward, the protection effect of the occupant's head and neck at the time of a rear collision is further improved, and the occupant's upper body at the time of a rear collision and the like. Therefore, further improvement of the effect of protecting the occupant can be expected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a headrest at an initial rear position of a headrest main body.

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing a headrest structure of a vehicle seat at a rear initial position of a headrest main body, partially broken away of the headrest.

FIG. 3 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the headrest at a position where the headrest body protrudes forward.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Headrest structure of vehicle seat 12 Headrest 12-1 Base body 12-2 Headrest body 24 Slide guide 26 Drive spring 28 Stopper means 30 Pendulum stopper 34 Stopper spring 36 Lock bar (headrest body side specific member) 38 Lock means 40 Lock guide 46 Concave lock groove

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle seat headrest provided at a top end of a vehicle seat via a stay so as to be capable of elastically supporting a head of a seated person, wherein the headrest is divided from a base body formed on a stay side, The headrest main body, which is slidable between the rear initial position and the front protruding position and is irremovably detachable from the base body via a predetermined slide guide, is protruded forward under the biasing force of the drive spring. The headrest body is held in the rear initial position against the biasing force of the drive spring under the locking by the stopper means which is biased in the direction and is released only when an impact load is input at the time of a rear collision. At the same time, the headrest body is slid in the forward protruding direction under the biasing force of the drive spring by the release operation of the stopper means in response to the input of the impact load at the time of the rear collision. Under the locking of the locking means resulting in forward projection position of the body,
A headrest structure for a vehicle seat, wherein the headrest main body can be held at a forwardly protruding position so as not to retreat. 2. A pendulum stopper having a weight of a predetermined weight in a lower half thereof and supported rotatably in a front-rear direction; a biasing force in a locking position direction of an upper half of the pendulum stopper. And a stopper spring capable of restricting the inertial rotation of the pendulum stopper due to an input load equal to or less than the impact load at the time of a rear collision under this biasing force. The headrest main body can be held at its rear initial position against the biasing force of the drive spring under the engagement and locking of the headrest main body side specific member by the stopper, and the impact load at the time of a rear collision is reduced. The lock on the headrest body can be released by the inertial rotation of the pendulum stopper against the biasing force of the stopper spring due to the inertial force of the weight generated by the input exceeding the biasing force of the stopper spring Formed claims 1 headrest structure of a vehicle seat according. 3. The lock means comprises: a lock bar on the headrest body side biased in a corresponding direction under the biasing force of the lock spring; and a sliding contact of the lock bar by the biasing force of the lock spring slides on the base body side. The lock bar defines a movable range of the lock bar under engagement with the rear edge and the front edge, and has a concave lock groove which can be inserted and engaged with the lock bar at least continuously to the front edge. Formed with the combination of
3. The headrest structure for a vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the headrest main body can be held at a forward projecting position by entering and engaging the lock bar into the concave lock groove. 4. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein the lock bar of the lock means is an object to be locked by the stopper means, and the headrest main body can be held at the rear initial position by the lock bar being locked by the stopper means. Headrest structure. 5. The headrest for a vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the headrest body is slidable from a rear initial position to an obliquely upper portion of a front upper portion thereof under a biasing force of a drive spring. Construction.