Headrest for vehicle seats with swivellable side cheeks

Details Headrest for vehicle seats with swivellable side cheeks Headrest for vehicle seats with swivellable side cheeks

1999-11-05

2001-04-24

Crown, Peter R. (Department: 3636)

Chairs and seats

Headrest

C297S403000, C297S464000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06220668

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application claims the priority of 198 51 027.6-16, filed Nov. 11, 1998, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a headrest for vehicle seats, and more particularly, to a headrest having a head cushion and two side cheeks which are assigned to the head cushion and which, in an in-use position, project laterally on the head cushion beyond the cushion front and, in their not-in-use position, can be swivelled into a contour of the head cushion.
In a known headrest of the type shown in DE 195 28 716 A1, (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,742) the head cushion consists of an upper and a lower cushion elevation. Two identically constructed side cheeks each have a parallelepiped-shaped basic cushion body which rests between the two cushion elevations and has a depth corresponding to the depth of the cushion elevations as well as a cushioned wedge piece which continues therefrom in one piece. The two wedge pieces are constructed such that, in the not-in-use position of the side cheeks, they overlap one another between the cushion elevations viewed in their depth and close off approximately flush with the front and back side of the cushion elevations.
In a driving operation, such a known headrest has a compact minimal dimension and allows the driver to sufficiently look toward the rear and sideways. In the not-in-use phase, this headrest offers side cheeks which can be swivelled out and which prevent the head from rolling off. When the side cheeks are in use, however, as the result of the folded-out side cheeks, a recess is formed in the head cushion. This is not a problem when the headrest is used in a non-driving operation. However, when the side cheeks are used in the driving operation by the front seat passenger or other passengers, the safety and comfort features of the known headrest are not made available because of the recess formed by folding out the side cheeks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved headrest in which the cushion contour of the headrest aimed at safety and comfort demands is not impaired by the use of the side cheeks.
According to the invention, this object has been achieved by providing that the two side cheeks have an identical construction and are mirror-symmetrically swivellably arranged with respect to the vertical center line of the head cushion such that, in the not-in-use position, they cover the back side of the head cushion.
The headrest according to the present invention has the advantage that the front-side cushion contour of the head cushion remains unaffected by the swivelling operation of the side cheeks and can therefore be designed exclusively according to aspects of safety and comfort. The two side cheeks have an identical construction, can be produced at reasonable cost and, when not in use, fold together on the back side of the head cushion so that the head cushion has a compact dimension without projecting parts which fold out and form a recess in the head cushion.
The sides of the side cheeks in the in-use position swivel and face towards the front of the vehicle, and in the not-in-use position, these sides swivel back and form the back side of the compact unit including the side cheeks and the head cushion. Accordingly, the side cheeks are capable of being folded onto the back side of the head cushion. As a result, a uniform component is created with aesthetically attractive outer surfaces which can be integrated without any problem into the design of the interior of the vehicle.


REFERENCES:
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patent: 5669668 (1997-09-01), Leuchtmann
patent: 5752742 (1998-05-01), Kerner et al.
patent: 5806933 (1998-09-01), Tsui et al.
patent: 5997091 (1999-12-01), Rech et al.
patent: 3621278 (1988-01-01), None
patent: 195 28 716 (1997-02-01), None
patent: 196 53 516 (1997-06-01), None
patent: 197 24 764 (1998-10-01), None
patent: 19754168 (1999-06-01), None
patent: 2132479 (1984-07-01), None
patent: 2 302 268 (1997-01-01), None

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