Patent ID: 7048334

Claim:
A vehicle headrest apparatus comprising: a headrest unit including left and right headrest members dividing the headrest unit approximately midway in a transverse direction and a mounting member swingably coupling the left and right headrest members to an upper end part of a seatback by the mounting member, the left and right headrest members being adapted to support a seated passenger; a head restraining member operatively coupled to the left and right headrest members and movable upward and frontward in a deployment direction; a swing/pushup force applying device applying an urging force to the left and right headrest members, the urging force swinging the left and right headrest members upward and frontward in the deployment direction of the head restraining member during deployment of the left and right headrest members; an auxiliary force adding device applying an auxiliary urging force to the left and right headrest members in the deployment direction of the head restraining member during deployment of the left and right headrest members; a lock device operatively coupled to the left and right headrest members, the lock device holding the left and right headrest members in an initial storage position against the urging force applied by the swing/pushup force applying device and the auxiliary urging force applied by the auxiliary force adding device; and a controller operatively coupled to the lock device, the controller releasing the lock device upon detecting a rear-end collision.