Headrest

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11014480-B2
Application number	US-202016745794-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2020
Priority date	Jan 24, 2019
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

A headrest can be pivoted between a use state and a retracted state. The headrest has a pivot shaft pivotally supported to an upper part of a back frame. Opening ends of the headrest frame are connected to the pivot shaft. A locking mechanism is provided on the pivot shaft between the ends of the headrest frame. The lock mechanism includes right and left lateral wall portions into which the pivot shaft is inserted. Right and left lateral plate portions are connected to the pivot shaft between the right and left lateral wall portions. The headrest frame is pivotally biased toward the retracted position by a pivot member biasing spring. The locking mechanism may have a columnar member. The columnar member may approach the pivot shaft while maintaining a parallel state with the pivot shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A headrest attached to a vehicle seat so that the headrest can pivot between a use state and a retracted state, the headrest comprising:
a pivot shaft extending in a seat width direction, the pivot shaft being directly or indirectly supported by an upper part of a seatback frame in a pivotal manner;
a headrest frame having left and right ends connected to the pivot shaft; and
a locking mechanism provided on the pivot shaft between the left and right ends of the headrest frame, the locking mechanism including:
left and right fixed walls through which the pivot shaft extends, the left and right fixed walls being directly or indirectly fixed to the upper part of the seatback frame and extending in a direction perpendicular to the seat width direction,
left and right pivotal walls connected to the pivot shaft, the left and right pivotal walls being located on an inner side of the left and right fixed walls and extending in parallel to the left and right fixed walls,
a locking member configured to lock the left and right pivotal walls with respect to the left and right fixed walls so that the left and right pivotal walls do not pivot at least when in a use position, and
a bias spring configured to pivotally bias the headrest frame in a direction toward a retracted position,
wherein the locking member has a rod shape and is movably supported with respect to the left and right fixed walls while being maintained in parallel with the pivot shaft, so that when the locking member approaches the pivot shaft, the locking member comes in contact with a part of the left and right fixed walls and a part of the left and right pivotal walls, and consequently, the headrest is locked in a non-pivotal manner by the locking member.

2. The headrest according to claim 1 , wherein:
the left and right fixed walls are respectively provided with left and right elongate holes,
the left and right elongated holes extend parallel to one another, and
left and right ends of the locking member are respectively inserted in the left and right elongated holes so that the locking member is slidably supported by the left and right fixed walls.

3. The headrest according to claim 1 , wherein each of left and right ends of the locking member is provided with a plate member, the plate members slidably contacting the respective left and right fixed walls, so that the plate members assist the locking member move while maintaining the locking member perpendicular to the left and right fixed walls.

4. The headrest according to claim 1 , wherein the bias spring is a coil spring interposed between the left and right pivotal walls, the pivot shaft being inserted in a coil portion of the bias spring, the bias spring directly or indirectly biasing the left and right pivotal walls with respect to the upper part of the seatback frame.

5. The headrest according to claim 1 , wherein the locking mechanism is provided entirely between the left and right ends of the headrest frame.

6. The headrest according to claim 1 , wherein the locking member has a length less than a distance between the left and right ends of the headrest frame.

7. The headrest according to claim 1 , wherein the pivot shaft is structured to pivot within the left and right fixed walls.

8. A headrest that can pivot between a use state and a retracted state, the headrest comprising:
a pivot shaft rotatably supported by an upper part of a seatback frame so as to be rotatable about a pivot axis;
a headrest frame having left and right ends connected to the pivot shaft so as to be pivotal about the pivot axis;
a locking member slidably supported so as to be slidable in a direction perpendicular to the pivot axis.

9. The headrest according to claim 8 , wherein the locking member is slidably supported by a fixing member so as to prevent the locking member from pivoting about the pivot axis of the pivot shaft.

10. The headrest according to claim 8 , wherein the pivot shaft and the headrest frame are structured to concurrently pivot about the pivot axis.

11. The headrest according to claim 9 , wherein left and right ends of the locking member are respectively inserted in left and right elongated holes of the fixing member so that the locking member is non-pivotally supported about the pivot axis by the left and right elongated holes.

12. The headrest according to claim 8 , wherein the locking member does not pivot about the pivot axis while the headrest frame pivots about the pivot axis.

13. The headrest according to claim 8 , wherein the locking member has a length shorter than a length between the left and right ends of the headrest frame.

14. The headrest according to claim 8 , further comprising a pivot member supported by the pivot shaft so as to be concurrently pivotal with the pivot shaft about the pivot axis,
wherein the locking member slides along an outer surface of the pivot member while the pivot member pivots about the pivot axis.

15. The headrest according to claim 8 , wherein:
the headrest frame comprises left and right vertical rod portions and a lateral rod portion connecting ends of the left and right vertical rod portions, the lateral rod portion extending in a direction parallel to the pivot axis.

16. A headrest that can pivot between a use state and a retracted state, the headrest comprising:
a pivot shaft rotatably supported by an upper part of a seatback frame so as to be rotatable about a pivot axis;
a headrest frame having left and right ends connected to the pivot shaft;
left and right pivotal walls connected to the pivot shaft so as to be concurrently pivotal with the pivot shaft about the pivot axis; and
a locking member slidably supported so as to be slidable in a direction perpendicular to the pivot axis while contacting the left and right pivotal walls.

17. The headrest according to claim 16 , wherein the locking member has a length shorter than a length between the left and right ends of the headrest frame.

18. The headrest according to claim 17 , wherein a distance between left and right pivotal walls is less than the length of the locking member.

19. The headrest according to claim 16 , wherein each of left and right ends of the locking member is provided with a plate member, the plate members being configured to concurrently slide with the locking member in the direction perpendicular to the pivot axis when the left and right pivotal walls pivot about the pivot axis.

Assignees

• Toyota Boshoku Kk

Inventors

• Inadome Seiichirou

Classifications

• B60N2/841

  characterised by their locking devices · CPC title

• B60N2/856 Primary

  movable to an inoperative or stowed position · CPC title

• B60N2/859

  specially adapted for rear seats · CPC title