Storage structure for head rest

Details Storage structure for head rest Storage structure for head rest

1998-10-13

2001-03-20

Nelson, Jr., Milton (Department: 3636)

Chairs and seats

With holder or receptacle for disparate article

Directly under occupant seating portion

C297S391000, C297S378100, C297S335000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06203104

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The present invention relates to a storage structure for a head rest of an automobile.
Some of conventional 4-wheel automobiles are equipped with a rear seat of a double folding type which is designed in such a manner that with a head rest removed, a seat cushion and a seat back are folded. In this type of automobile, as shown in
FIGS. 4 through 7
, a seat cushion
52
or
62
of a rear seat
51
or
61
is pulled frontward of the automobile after which with a head rest
53
or
63
detached, a seat back
54
or
64
is folded frontward, and stays
53
a
or
63
a
of the head rest
53
or
63
removed from the seat back
54
or
64
are fitted in the seat cushion
52
or
62
. This provides wider baggage space at the back of the vehicle.
The reason why the head rest
53
or
63
is designed detachable from the seat back
54
or
64
is to avoid the following inconvenience. If the head rest
53
or
63
were attached to the upper end of the seat back
54
or
64
, the head rest
53
or
63
would interfere with the seat cushion
52
or
62
, pulled up in front of the head rest
53
or
63
, at the time of folding the seat back
54
or
64
frontward. Further, if the detached head rest
53
or
63
is left as it is inside the automobile, the head rest
53
or
63
may easily be damaged or stained. To prevent it, the head rest
53
or
63
is stored in the seat cushion
52
or
62
.
FIGS. 4 and 5
exemplify the storage structure for a head rest. The seat cushion
52
in the figures comprises a urethane pad
55
, a metal panel
56
and a molded carpet
57
. Provided at the rear end of the urethane pad
55
are support holes
58
where the stays
53
a
of the head rest
53
are to be inserted, with grommets
59
attached to openings
58
a
of the metal panel
56
and the molded carpet
57
, which correspond to the support holes
58
.
As the head rest
53
is held high its stays
53
a
can be inserted into the grommets
59
and the support holes
58
from above, and therefore, the head rest
53
is held on the seat cushion
52
.
FIGS. 6 and 7
show another example of the storage structure for a head rest. The seat cushion
62
in these figures comprises a urethane pad
65
and a carpet
66
. A webbing
67
is sewed onto and across the carpet
66
at the back of the seat cushion
62
so that two openings open to the top and bottom are formed.
As the head rest
63
is held high its stays
63
a
can be inserted into the openings of the webbing
67
from above, and therefore, the head rest
63
is held on the seat cushion
62
.
Because the above-described conventional storage structures require the grommets
59
or the webbing
67
separate from the seat cushion
52
or
62
in order to hold the stays
53
a
or
63
a
of the head rest
53
or
63
as shown in
FIGS. 4-7
; however, they suffer an increased number of components and an increased cost. Further, as the stays
53
a
or
63
a
of the head rest
53
or
63
are to be fitted into the urethane pad
55
or
65
and the carpet
57
or
66
which are soft, their power of holding the stays
53
a
or
63
a
is likely to become lower due to their time-dependent stretching or fatigue, and the appearance of the storage structure holding the head rest
53
or
63
is apt to get worse.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a storage structure for a head rest, which can surely hold the stays of the head rest and contribute to a reduction of the number of components and cost.
To achieve the above object, according to this invention, a storage structure for a head rest designed in such a way that with a seat cushion pulled up and frontward and a head rest detached, a seat back is to be folded frontward and stays of the head rest are to be fitted in the seat cushion, is characterized in that the back of the seat cushion is formed by a resin panel integrally provided with cylindrical portions for holding the stays of the head rest, with the cylindrical portions having bottoms.
This structure eliminates the need for separate components for holding the stays as required by the conventional storage structures, thus resulting in fewer components, and can contribute to improvement of the recycle usage and cost reduction. As the cylindrical portions are provided in the storage structure of this invention by making a good use of the property of a resin member, the head rest can be stored firmly for a long period of time.
According to the storage structure embodying this invention, a bead portion protruding inward may be provided at a vertical midway of each cylindrical portion, or a plurality of windows may be provided at intervals therebetween in the outer surface of, and along, each cylindrical portion. It is therefore possible to hold the stays of the head rest more firmly while suppressing rattling of the held head rest during driving. It is also possible to check how the stays are inserted and improve the head-rest storage capability.


REFERENCES:
patent: 655209 (1900-08-01), Dooley
patent: 1709200 (1929-04-01), Westbrook et al.
patent: 3429615 (1969-02-01), Belk
patent: 4376552 (1983-03-01), Pilhall
patent: 5139310 (1992-08-01), Itoh
patent: 5273336 (1993-12-01), Schubring et al.
patent: 5522645 (1996-06-01), Dahlbacka
patent: 5551750 (1996-09-01), Yoshimura
patent: 5690387 (1997-11-01), Sarti
patent: 5795023 (1998-08-01), Kayumi
patent: 5816650 (1998-10-01), Lucas, Jr.

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