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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a headrest, and more particularly
concerns a headrest which is maintained in an operative position without
the aid of screws, bolts, clips and/or mounting brackets.
In certain vehicles, such as trucks and vans, an upper portion of the
seat-back of either a bucket or bench style seat may be located within a
few inches of a rear window. Since most of these vehicles do not come
standard with headrests, a safety hazard exists because if the vehicle
were to be rearended by another vehicle it is possible for a head of the
driver and/or a passenger to fly back and hit the rear window.
Commercially available aftermarket headrests require modification of either
the vehicle seat or body and the use of screws, bolts and/or brackets to
attach the headrest. Such modifications are undesirable because of the
associated labor expense and undesirable cutting or drilling of the seat
or vehicle. When these headrests are removed, undesirable holes and marks
are left on either the seat, body or both.
Hence, there is a need for a relatively inexpensive, easily attached and
detached, aftermarket headrest which can be maintained in an operative
position without requiring the use of fastener elements, brackets or the
modification of the seat or vehicle body.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a headrest is provided which is
placed and maintained in an operative position by squeezing a lower
portion of the headrest between an upper portion of a seat-back and an
adjacent portion of a vehicle surface.
The principal object of the present invention is the provision of an
aftermarket headrest which is relatively inexpensive, easy to install and
remove, and does not require the use of fastener elements, brackets, clips
or the modification of the seat or vehicle body.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a headrest
which can be used with any seat, chair, bench, headboard, etc. which is
located within inches of a wall, window, vehicle body or the like.
A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a
headrest which may be made from a variety of resilient materials and which
may be covered with upholstery material matching the color and/or
upholstery of the seat with which it is used.
Other objects and further scope of the applicability of the present
invention will become apparent from the detailed description to follow,
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like parts are
designated by like reference numerals.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an isometric illustration of a headrest in accordance with one
embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the headrest of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an exemplary representation of the production of two like
headrests from a rectangular block of resilient material;
FIG. 4 is an illustration of two differently proportioned headrests made
from the same rectangular block of starting material;
FIG. 5 is a side view of three different headrests made from a single block
of material;
FIG. 6 is a partial cross section of an exemplary headrest in an operative
position between a bench style seat and a rear window.
FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13 and 14 are isometric illustrations of headrests
in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention; and
FIGS. 12 and 15 are side views of the headrests of FIGS. 11 and 14,
respectively.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown
in FIGS. 1 and 2, a headrest 10 includes an upper head supporting part 12,
a lower placement maintaining part 14, a substantially horizontal and
planar support face 16 separating the upper and lower parts 12 and 14, and
a substantially vertical and planar back face 18. The headrest further has
substantially horizontal and planar top and bottom surfaces 20 and 21,
respectively, a first slanted planar surface 22 which in use contacts the
back of a user's head, and a second slanted planar surface 23 which in use
contacts the back of the upper portion of a seat.
The upper and lower parts 12 and 14 together form a unitary resilient body
24 which may be formed, for example, of foam rubber. As shown in FIG. 3, a
pair of like headrest bodies 24A and 24B may be cut from a single
rectangular block of foam rubber 26. The body 24A has an upper part 12A
and a lower part 14A, while the body 24B has an upper head supporting part
12B and a lower placement maintaining part 14B. In use, the body 24B would
be inverted.
As shown in FIG. 4, two resilient headrest bodies 28 and 30 having
different dimensions may be cut from a single block of material without
waste. The body 28 has an upper part 32 and a lower part 34 which is
shorter than the upper part 32. The body 30 has a head supporting part 36
and an elongated placement maintaining part 38. In use, the body 30 would
be inverted and the elongated part 38 would accommodate vertical
adjustment of the headrest.
As illustrated in FIG. 5, three different headrest bodies 40, 42 and 44 may
be cut from a single block of starting material with a minimal amount of
waste. The body 40 includes an upper part 46 and a lower part 48. The body
42 has a head supporting part 50 and a placement maintaining part 52. The
body 44 has a relatively thin end portion 54 and a relatively thick end
portion 56. In use, the end portion 54 would usually serve as a head
supporting part and the end portion 56 would be the placement maintaining
part. However, a particular user may prefer to have the portion 56 serve
as a head supporting part and the portion 54 be the placement maintaining
part. Either way, headrest body 44 has a continuous form which facilitates
vertical adjustment in headrest positioning.
It is contemplated that a headrest unitary body may be formed from a
variety of resilient materials, i.e. foam rubber, sponge rubber, or the
like. Such a foam body could be covered with an appropriately colored
material or cloth matching the seat with which it is used or other colors
pleasing to a user. A foam body can be formed by cutting as shown in FIGS.
3-5 or by molding or extrusion techniques known in the foam arts. For
example, a continuous foam extrusion having a cross section as shown in
FIG. 2 can be sliced transverse to its length to form individual headrest
bodies. Further, the body could have rounded or curved edges as well as
angled edges.
Also, a headrest body could be an air filled plastic, vinyl or rubber
hollow article which could be filled by a user to a preferred head support
pressure. Such an air filled body could be filled manually by the user or
automatically by an aftermarket air compressor system similar to that used
in modern power seats. It is contemplated that such an automatic headrest
filling system could be a vital part of a complete crash safety system
made up, for example, of seat belts, steering wheel and dash board air
bags, and inflatable headrests.
In operation and as shown in FIG. 6, a headrest 10 (FIG. 1) is clamped in
an operative position with the lower part 14 squeezed between the seat 58
and vehicle body 60. A headrest can be placed in such an operative
position by: (a) moving the seat to its most forward position; (b)
releasing latch 62 and tilting the seat back forward; (c) placing one or
more headrest faces 16 on seat top surface 64 with the surface or surfaces
23 against the back surface of the upper portion of the seat back; (d)
tilt the seat back up till latch 62 locks; and, (e) then move the seat to
the desired position.
The face 16 is designed to extend far enough and the body 24 is made from
resilient enough material to accommodate forward and backward movement of
the seat 58. In other words, if a user has short legs and moves the seat
58 as far forward as it will go, the face 16 will still touch the top seat
surface 64 and not allow the headrest 10 to fall down behind the seat 58.
Also, if a user has long legs and moves the seat 58 as far rearward as it
will go, the lower part 14 is sufficiently resilient to accommodate this
movement. An added advantage of the present headrest is that the lower
part 14 absorbs the jolt usually experienced when a seat is moved to its
most rearward position.
It is contemplated that one or more separate, for example 9-12 inch wide,
headrests 10 are used to accommodate one or more users or that a single,
for example 40 inch wide, headrest is used.
As shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings, a headrest 100 includes a foam body 110
and a blow cushioning, rectangular section 112. For example, the body 110
is made of foam rubber, while the section 112 is made of styrofoam. The
foam body 110 includes a head supporting upper part 114, a lower placement
maintaining part 116, a planar surface 118 therebetween, and a vertical
back face 120. The body 110 and section 112 are joined by, for example, a
suitable adhesive and covered with fabric, leather, fur, etc.
With reference to FIGS. 8, 9, and 10 of the drawings, headrests 200, 300,
and 400, respectively, are adjustable in that each one includes a
plurality of horizontal support surfaces. The headrest 200 includes an
upper head supporting formation 210, a lower placement maintaining
formation 212, and major and minor horizontal support surfaces 214 and
216. Similarly, the headrest 300 includes an upper head supporting
formation 310, a lower placement maintaining formation 312, and major and
minor horizontal support surfaces 314 and 316. Likewise, the headrest 400
includes an upper head supporting formation 410, a lower placement
maintaining formation 412, and major and minor horizontal support surfaces
414 and 416. The minor support surfaces accommodate vertical adjustment of
the headrest to suit the particular height and/or comfort of the user.
As shown in FIGS. 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 of the drawings, exemplary
headrests or headrest bodies 500, 600, and 700 having complex geometrical
configurations are encompassed by the present invention. The headrest 500
includes an upper head supporting formation 510, a lower placement
maintaining formation 512, and a horizontal support surface 514 (FIGS. 11
and 12). Similarly, the headrest 600 includes an upper head supporting
formation 610, a lower placement maintaining formation 612, and a
horizontal support surface 614 (FIG. 13). The headrest 700 includes an
upper head supporting, cylindrical formation 710 and a lower placement
maintaining, hemispherical formation 512 joined by a rectangular vertical
section 714. A lower surface of the cylinder 710 forms a horizontal
support surface 716. The headrests 500, 600, and 700 are formed, for
example, by cutting, extruding, joining and/or molding one or more foam
materials.
Thus, it will be appreciated that as a result of the present invention, a
highly effective improved headrest is provided by which the principal
objective, among others, is completely fulfilled. It is contemplated, and
will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the preceding
description and accompanying drawings, that modifications and/or changes
may be made in the illustrated embodiments without departure from the
present invention. Accordingly, it is expressly intended that the
foregoing description and accompanying drawings are illustrative of
preferred embodiments only, not limiting, and that the true spirit and
scope of the present invention be determined by reference to the appended
claims.
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