Headrest

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10596941-B2
Application number	US-201715847133-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2017
Priority date	Dec 19, 2017
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

A headrest includes: (a) a headrest frame, (b) a speaker unit supported by the headrest frame and having a speaker box, a speaker attached to the speaker box, and a megaphone-shaped tube attached to the speaker box, (c) a cushion material, (d) a skin material having an opening, sewed into a pouch shape, and covering the headrest frame, the speaker unit, and the cushion material, and (e) a ring-shaped member securing the entire opening-side end portion of the skin material sandwiched between the ring-shaped member and the megaphone-shaped tube.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A headrest comprising:
(a) a headrest frame;
(b) a speaker unit supported by the headrest frame and including a speaker box, a speaker attached to the speaker box, and a megaphone-shaped tube attached to the speaker box;
(c) a cushion material formed by a foam injection process;
(d) a skin material having an opening, the skin material being sewed into a pouch shape, covering the headrest frame, the speaker unit, and the cushion material, wherein the opening in the skin material is provided adjacent an opening at an end of the megaphone-shaped tube; and
(e) a ring-shaped member securing portions of the skin material surrounding the opening in the skin material by sandwiching the portions of the skin material surrounding the opening in the skin material between the ring-shaped member and the megaphone-shaped tube, thereby forming a seal for the prevention of leakage of the cushion material during the foam injection process.

2. The headrest according to claim 1 ,
wherein the megaphone-shaped tube has a flange portion at an end portion on the side opposite the speaker,
wherein the ring-shaped member has a tubular portion inserted into and abutted against the megaphone-shaped tube and a flange portion abutted against the flange portion of the megaphone-shaped tube, and
wherein the portions of the skin material surrounding the opening are sandwiched and secured between the flange portion of the megaphone-shaped tube and the flange portion of the ring-shaped member.

3. The headrest according to claim 2 ,
wherein the speaker and the megaphone-shaped tube are jointly fastened to the speaker box.

4. The headrest according to claim 3 ,
wherein the opening at an end of the megaphone-shaped tube is larger than an opening in the speaker box.

5. The headrest according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a speaker grill attached to the ring-shaped member and covering an opening portion of the speaker unit.

6. The headrest according to claim 2 ,
wherein the flange portion of the megaphone-shaped tube has an engaging portion, and
wherein the flange portion of the ring-shaped member has an engaging portion engaged with the engaging portion of the flange portion of the megaphone-shaped tube.

7. The headrest according to claim 1 ,
wherein the headrest frame includes: a headrest stay inserted into a mounting portion of a seat back, a first bracket securing a front face of the speaker box, a second bracket securing a bottom face of the speaker box, and an auxiliary wire anchoring the speaker box, and
wherein the headrest stay includes: a longitudinal frame portion securing the first bracket and the auxiliary wire, and a horizontal frame portion securing the second bracket.

8. The headrest according to claim 1 ,
wherein the ring-shaped member comprises an attachment portion for attaching a speaker grill to the ring-shaped member.

9. The headrest according to claim 1 ,
wherein the headrest is manufactured by a method comprising the steps of:
preparing the headrest frame, preparing the skin material into a pouch shape, preparing the speaker unit including the speaker box, the speaker attached to the speaker box, and the megaphone-shaped tube attached to the speaker box;
securing the speaker unit on the headrest frame;
inserting the speaker unit secured on the headrest frame into the skin material pouch;
sandwiching and securing the portions of the skin material surrounding the opening in the skin material between the megaphone-shaped tube and ring-shaped member; and
injecting a foaming material into the skin material pouch to form the cushion material.

10. A manufacturing method for the headrest according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
(a) preparing the headrest frame, preparing the skin material into a pouch shape, preparing the speaker unit including the speaker box, the speaker attached to the speaker box, and the megaphone-shaped tube attached to the speaker box;
(b) securing the speaker unit on the headrest frame;
(c) inserting the speaker unit secured on the headrest frame into the skin material pouch;
(d) sandwiching and securing the portions of the skin material surrounding the opening in the skin material between the megaphone-shaped tube and ring-shaped member; and
(e) injecting a foaming material into the skin material pouch to form the cushion material.

11. The manufacturing method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the step (a) includes a step of jointly fastening the speaker and the megaphone-shaped tube to the speaker box.

12. The manufacturing method for a headrest according to claim 11 , further comprising the step of:
(f) after the step (e), attaching a speaker grill to the ring-shaped member.

13. A vehicular seat comprising:
(a) the headrest according to claim 1 ;
(b) a seat back having a headrest holder supporting the headrest; and
(c) a seat cushion coupled to the seat back.

14. The vehicular seat according to claim 13 ,
wherein the megaphone-shaped tube has a flange portion at an end portion on the side opposite the speaker,
wherein the ring-shaped member has a tubular portion inserted into and abutted against the megaphone-shaped tube and a flange portion abutted against the flange portion of the megaphone-shaped tube, and
wherein portions of the skin material surrounding the opening are sandwiched and secured between the flange portion of the megaphone-shaped tube and the flange portion of the ring-shaped member.

15. The vehicular seat according to claim 14 ,
wherein the speaker and the megaphone-shaped tube are jointly fastened to the speaker box.

16. The vehicular seat according to claim 15 ,
wherein the opening at an end of the megaphone-shaped tube is larger than an opening in the speaker box.

17. The vehicular seat according to claim 16 , further comprising:
a speaker grill attached to the ring-shaped member and covering an opening portion of the speaker unit.

18. The vehicular seat according to claim 13 ,
wherein the headrest frame includes: a headrest stay inserted into the headrest holder, a first bracket securing a front face of the speaker box, a second bracket securing a bottom face of the speaker box, and an auxiliary wire anchoring the speaker box, and
wherein the headrest stay includes: a longitudinal frame portion securing the first bracket and the auxiliary wire, and a horizontal frame portion securing the second bracket.

19. The vehicular seat according to claim 13 ,
wherein the flange portion of the megaphone-shaped tube has an engaging portion, and
wherein the flange portion of the ring-shaped member has an engaging portion engaged with the engaging portion of the flange portion of the megaphone-shaped tube.

Assignees

• Tachi S Eng Usa Inc
• Bose Corp
• Tachi S Eng U S A Inc

Inventors

• Kakishima Yasuo
• Krishnan Ravi
• Hamel Dave
• Mclean Barry
• Kawakami Seiji

Classifications

• H04R5/023

  in a chair, pillow · CPC title

• B60N2/897

  with sleeves located in the back-rest for guiding the rods of the head-rest · CPC title

• B60N2/6045

  by clamping means · CPC title

• B60R2011/0017

  Head-rests · CPC title

• B60R11/0217

  for loud-speakers · CPC title