A headrest includes a frame made of metal, the frame includes a base plate supported by a headrest fixing device, and a cover plate disposed on an occupant head side of the base plate. The cover plate includes a cover panel portion, and a cover frame portion extending from an outer circumferential edge of the cover panel portion toward the base plate. The base plate includes a base panel portion, and a base frame portion extending from an outer circumferential edge of the base panel portion toward the cover plate, and fitted into the cover frame portion. A first part of the cover frame portion is joined to the base frame portion, and a remaining second part of the cover frame portion is enjoined to the base frame portion.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-112926 filed on Jun. 18, 2019, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a headrest for a vehicle seat.

Related Art

A headrest described in JP-2015-80976-A includes an impact absorber made of resin. The impact absorber is hollow, and a front portion of the impact absorber has an easily deformable bellows shape. When an impact force is applied by the head of an occupant, firstly, the bellows-shaped front portion deforms, and then the impact absorber compress to absorb the impact.

A headrest described in JP-2016-11068-A includes an energy absorbing member made of resin. The energy absorbing member includes a corrugated plate portion and a receiving plate portion disposed behind the corrugated plate portion. When an impact force is applied by the head of an occupant, the corrugated plate portion deforms to absorb the impact.

The impact absorber described in JP-2015-80976-A and the energy absorbing member described in JP-2016-11068-A both absorb the impact by deformation, and both are made of resin and elastically deform. Such absorbers generate a repulsive force after the impact subsides, and may push the head of the occupant forward.

SUMMARY

Illustrative aspects of the present invention provide a headrest with an excellent impact absorbing ability.

According to an illustrative aspect of the present invention, a headrest includes a frame made of metal, the frame includes a base plate supported by a headrest fixing device, and a cover plate disposed on an occupant head side of the base plate. The cover plate includes a cover panel portion, and a cover frame portion extending from an outer circumferential edge of the cover panel portion toward the base plate. The base plate includes a base panel portion, and a base frame portion extending from an outer circumferential edge of the base panel portion toward the cover plate, and fitted into the cover frame portion. A first part of the cover frame portion is joined to the base frame portion, and a remaining second part of the cover frame portion is enjoined to the base frame portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 to 3show a headrest for a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention.

A headrest1is a headrest for a seat installed in a vehicle such as an automobile, and in particular, is a headrest for a seat installed in a vehicle (for example, a truck or the like) having a panel that separates a cargo bed from a cabin where the seat is installed, and is fixed to the panel.

The headrest1includes a frame2as a framework of the headrest, a cushion pad3covering the frame2, a trim cover4covering the cushion pad3, and a bracket (headrest fixing device)5fixing the headrest1to the panel. The cushion pad3is made of a relatively soft resin foam, and the resin foam is, for example, urethane foam or the like. The trim cover4is formed by sewing a plurality of skin materials in a bag shape, and the skin material is, for example, leather (natural leather, synthetic leather), woven fabric, non-woven fabric, knit or the like.

The frame2includes a base plate10and a cover plate20. The base plate10and the cover plate20are plate members made of metal such as steel. The bracket5is joined to the base plate10and fixed to the panel. The base plate10is supported by the bracket5fixed to the panel. The headrest fixing device is not limited to the bracket5, and may be a stay having a crushed shape at an end portion thereof. The cover plate20is disposed on an occupant head side of the base plate10, and is assembled to the base plate10.

The cover plate20includes a cover panel portion21and a cover frame portion22. The cover panel portion21has a rectangular shape having an upper edge, a lower edge, and a pair of side edges, and has a flat plate shape. The cover frame portion22extends from an outer circumferential edge (the upper edge, the lower edge, and the pair of side edges) of the cover panel portion21toward the base plate10, and includes an upper portion22aextending along the upper edge of the cover panel portion21, a lower portion22bextending along the lower edge of the cover panel portion21, and a pair of side portions22c,22dextending along respective ones of the pair of side edges of the cover panel portion21.

The base plate10includes a base panel portion11and a base frame portion12. Similarly to the cover panel portion21, the base panel portion11has a rectangular shape having an upper edge, a lower edge, and a pair of side edges, and has a flat plate shape. The base frame portion12extends from an outer circumferential edge (the upper edge, the lower edge, and the pair of side edges) of the base panel portion11toward the cover plate20, and includes an upper portion12aextending along the upper edge of the base panel portion11, a lower portion12hextending along the lower edge of the base panel portion11, and a pair of side portions12c,12dextending along respective ones of the pair of side edges of the base panel portion11.

The base frame portion12is fitted into the cover frame portion22, and the base frame portion12and the cover frame portion22are joined to each other. A method for joining the base frame portion12and the cover frame portion22is, for example, welding. However, a first part of the cover frame portion22is joined to the base frame portion12, and a remaining second part of the cover frame portion22is enjoined to the base frame portion12.

In the embodiment shown inFIGS. 1 to 3, the pair of side portions22c,22dof the cover frame portion22are joined to the pair of side portions12c,12dof the base frame portion12. The upper portion22aof the cover frame portion22is unjoined to the upper portion12aof the base frame portion12, and is spaced apart from the upper portion12a. Further, the lower portion22bof the cover frame portion22is unjoined to the lower portion12bof the base frame portion12, and is spaced apart from the lower portion12b.

FIGS. 4 and 5illustrate operation of the headrest1.

The headrest1is commonly fixed at a height at which an upper part21aof the cover panel portion21is behind the head of an occupant. The occupant is assumed to be an adult of standard physique. As shown inFIG. 4, at the time of a vehicle collision, the head of the occupant is displaced rearward and is pressed against the cover plate20. A load applied to the cover plate20is mainly input to the upper part21aof the cover panel portion21.

As shown inFIG. 5, unjoined portions (the upper portion12aand the upper portion22a, the lower portion12band the lower portion22b) of the base frame portion12and the cover frame portion22are allowed to shift in a fitting direction of the base frame portion12and the cover frame portion22due to the load applied to the cover plate20. Accordingly, the base plate10and the cover plate20deform easily, absorbing a part of the collision energy.

When the unjoined portions of the base frame portion12and the cover frame portion22shift in the fitting direction, a distal end of the base frame portion12that is fitted in the cover frame portion22comes into contact with the cover panel portion21at the unjoined portions. Thereafter, the base plate10and the cover plate20further deform with the inclining and/or bending of the base frame portion12that is in contact with the cover panel portion21, further absorbing the collision energy.

The base plate10and the cover plate20are made of metal, and the deformation of the base plate10and the cover plate20is plastic deformation. The plastic deformation of the base plate10and the cover plate20generates no repulsive force or suppresses the generation of the repulsive force after the impact subsides. Accordingly, the impact absorbing ability of the headrest1increases.

The distal end of the base frame portion12is directed toward the head of the occupant, but the base frame portion12is fitted in the cover frame portion22, and the distal end of the base frame portion12is covered by the cover panel portion21. Therefore, even if the base plate10and the cover plate20deform, the distal end of the base frame portion12never protrude from the cover panel portion21, and the base plate10and the cover plate20satisfy safety requirements.

Here, in the present embodiment, the load applied to the cover plate20is mainly input to the upper part21aof the cover panel portion21. The upper portion22aof the cover frame portion22adjacent to the upper part21ais unjoined to the upper portion12aof the base frame portion12, and the upper portion12aand the upper portion22ashift easily in the fitting direction. This promotes the deformation of the base plate10and the cover plate20due to the input load. Further, the input load is effectively transmitted to the upper portion12ain a state where the upper portion12a, shifted in the fitting direction, is in contact with the cover panel portion21. This promotes the inclining and/or bending of the upper portion12a. Promoting the deformation of the base plate10and the cover plate20and promoting the inclining and/or bending of the upper portion12afurther increase the impact absorbing ability of the headrest1.

When the upper portion12aof the base frame portion12and the upper portion22aof the cover frame portion22are unjoined, the pair of side portions12c,12dof the base frame portion12and the pair of side portions22c,22dof the cover frame portion22are preferably joined. This provides stability of the cover plate20as compared with the case where the cover plate20is assembled to the base plate10by joining the lower portion12bof the base frame portion12and the lower portion22bof the cover frame portion22. Note that the lower portion12band the lower portion22bmay be unjoined as in the present embodiment, or may be joined.

From a viewpoint of promoting the inclining and/or bending of the base frame portion12at the unjoined portions, a thickness of the base plate10is preferably equal to or less than a thickness of the cover plate20. The relatively thin base plate10further promotes the inclining and/or bending of the base frame portion12, and further increases the impact absorbing ability of the headrest1.

FIG. 6shows a headrest according to another embodiment of the invention, in which the upper part21aof the cover panel portion21is concavely curved in accordance with a shape of the head of an occupant. This provides load dispersal and impact reduction when the head of the occupant is pressed onto the cover panel portion21.

FIG. 7shows a headrest according to still another embodiment of the invention, in which the base frame portion12has a bent portion13between a distal end portion and a base end portion connected to the base panel portion11. The bent portion13serves as a starting point in the inclining and/or bending of the base frame portion12. The bent portion13further promotes the inclining and/or bending of the base frame portion12, and further increases the impact absorbing ability of the headrest1. A plurality of bent portions13may be provided between the base end portion and the distal end portion of the base frame portion12. The bent portion13is to be provided at least at an unjoined portion (upper portion12a) of the base frame portion12.

The base plate10and the cover plate20are not limited to the shape shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, and may have an annular shape as shown inFIGS. 8 and 9, for example. In the example shown inFIGS. 8 and 9, the base panel portion11and the cover panel portion21have the annular shape, the base plate10includes a base inner frame portion14extending from an inner circumferential edge of the base panel portion11, and the cover plate20includes a cover inner frame portion24extending from an inner circumferential edge of the cover panel portion21. The base inner frame portion14is disposed between the cover frame portion22and the cover inner frame portion24and is fitted to the cover inner frame portion24, and a distal end of the base inner frame portion14, which is directed toward the head of an occupant, is covered by the cover panel portion21.

The base inner frame portion14and the cover inner frame portion24may be joined to each other. In this case, the entire cover inner frame portion24may be joined to the base inner frame portion14, or a part of the cover inner frame portion24is joined to the base inner frame portion14, and a remaining part of the cover inner frame portion24is unjoined to the base inner frame portion14. Alternatively, the entire cover inner frame portion24may be unjoined to the base inner frame portion14.

FIGS. 1 and 2andFIGS. 8 and 9illustrate the bracket5as the headrest fixing device, but the headrest fixing device may be a pair of or a single stay6. The headrest1is fixed to a seat back (not shown) of the seat with a pair of or a single stay6.

As described above, the present invention has been described by taking the headrest1for a seat mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile as an example. However, the configuration of the headrest1can also be applied to a headrest for a vehicle seat mounted on other vehicles such as an aircraft or a ship.

According to the embodiments of the invention described above, a headrest for a vehicle seat includes a frame made of metal, in which the frame includes a base plate supported by a headrest fixing device, and a cover plate disposed on an occupant head side of the base plate. The cover plate includes a cover panel portion, and a cover frame portion extending from an outer circumferential edge of the cover panel portion toward the base plate. The base plate includes a base panel portion, and a base frame portion extending from an outer circumferential edge of the base panel portion toward the cover plate, and fitted into the cover frame portion. A first part of the cover frame portion is joined to the base frame portion; and a remaining second part of the cover frame portion is unjoined to the base frame portion.

The cover panel portion may have a rectangular shape having an upper edge, a lower edge, and a pair of side edges. The cover frame portion may include an upper portion extending along the upper edge of the cover panel portion. The remaining second part of the cover frame portion may include the upper portion, and the upper portion may be unjoined to the base frame portion.

The cover frame portion may include a pair of side portions extending along respective ones of the pair of side edges of the cover panel portion. The first part of the cover frame portion may include the pair of side portions, and the pair of side portions may be joined to the base frame portion.

A thickness of the base plate may be equal to or less than a thickness of the cover plate.

The base frame portion may include one or more bent portions between a distal end portion and a base end portion connected to the base panel portion.