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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to headrests for cab type vehicles such as pickup
trucks, large trucks, semi-trailer tractors, some recreational vehicles
and the like. Many such vehicles are not provided with headrests which
would cushion the head of vehicle occupants in case of an impact on the
truck which would cause a backward rearwardly directed momentum force on
the occupant's head which would cause the occupant's head to impact on the
rear window, or cause a whip-lash neck injury, or both. Such an impact and
injury could occur in many circumstances, but, for example, a vehicle
being struck from behind could cause the hazard just described. A
significant hazard is the uncushioned impact of a person's head against
the rear window glass. If the glass does not break, the hard surface can
cause injury to the person's head. If the glass does break, there is the
added hazard of cutting from the broken glass.
One problem with such headrests is the lack of room in which to mount such
a headrest. Another problem is that such headrests obstruct the view of
the occupants of the vehicle. Another problem is that such headrests are
made of resilient materials.
Injuries to a vehicle occupant's head as described above are due to the
person's head striking a hard surface. The inertia of a person's head can
be measured in foot-pounds of energy at the relative velocity of the
person's head with respect to the surface which impacts on the head. The
critical relative velocity measurement is important, irrespective of
whether the head or the surface is moving or stationary. The critical
property of the cushion is that the energy of inertia be absorbed, and not
be redelivered after the impact. Resilient materials by definition are
elastic, and rebound with a measurable portion of the absorbed energy
after the force of the impact by elastically recovering their original
shape. Desirably, a headrest cushion should not be resilient (elastic)
because greater injuries are probable if a persons head strikes a
resilient cushion, then is bounced away, causing a greater impact than
necessary than if the cushion were not resilient. Desirably a headrest
cushion should deform plastically, not elastically. Plastic deformation is
that deformation which is not recovered or regained after impact. Energy
absorbed by plastic deformation is not rebounded and in case of a headrest
will not bounce or redeliver the energy to a person's head after an
impact. One advantage of the present invention is that the cushion effect
distributes the impact forces over a much larger area of the person's head
and over a larger area of the window glass. These for distributions reduce
the contact pressure between the person's head and the window, resulting
in greatly reduced injuries and reduced likelihood of breakage of the
window glass.
M.S. Mazhar U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,886 discloses a truck headrest which
adjustably attaches to the truck seat and provides small pads which are
supported against the rear window.
D.R. Alexander U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,933 discloses a headrest which includes
a unitary resilient body which extends from the seat above the window and
is supported by the window frame above and below the window.
J.R. Perserfield U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,466 discloses a headrest including
recessed suction cups for detachably attaching a resilient headrest to a
support surface such as a rear window.
These and other attempts to provide a headrest for cab type vehicles have
not provided a headrest which solves the problems listed above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A headrest for attachment to an upright support surface such as a rear
window in a truck including a backing plate, a resilient cushion layer
engageable with the backing plate, and a non-elastically deformable energy
absorbing layer engageable with the resilient layer. Decorative signs or
insignia may be applied to the backing plate.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an elevation view of the preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross section elevation view of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a plan view section of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a view of FIG. 2 after impact of a person's head.
FIG. 5 is an elevation of an alternative embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 6 is a cross section elevation view of FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 is a rear elevation view of a rear window shown generally at 10, of
a cab type vehicle, as for example, a pickup truck. Two head rests
according to the present invention are illustrated attached to a vehicle
window at 12 and 14 positioned to provide headrest protection for 2
occupants of the vehicle, i.e., a driver and a passenger. The head rests
12 and 14 are affixed to the window glass 16. The headrest 12 comprises a
backing plate 18, a headrest cushion assembly 20, and guides 22 and 24 to
which the cushion 20 is attached in a manner to be described more
completely hereinafter. The cushion 20 is desirably a round or oval shape
to avoid obstruction of the driver's view through the rear window.
Guides 22 and 24 are formed of round rods and are attached to the backing
plate 18, which is clear plastic material so as to not obstruct the view.
The cushion 20 is mounted on the guides 22 and 24 with friction
attachments, not shown, in a manner well known in the industry to provide
vertical position adjustment of the cushion 20 to provide protection in
the proper position for the physical size of the occupant so that the
occupant's head will impact on cushion 20 in case of another vehicle
approaching from the rear and hitting the vehicle equipped with my
invention.
The clear plastic backing plate 18 can be imprinted with suitable insignia
such as a representation such as a football field, with a cushion 20 in an
oval shape representative of a football and may be imprinted to represent
a football and with the name or logotype of a football team or league.
Alternatively, the clear plastic backing plate can be imprinted to
represent a basketball court, and the cushion 20 can be round and
imprinted to represent a basketball and be imprinted with the name or
logotype of a basketball team or league. The backing plate 18 can
represent any kind of a playing field or court, and the cushion 20 can
represent any kind of a ball or playing piece. Signage on the backing
plate can be advertising, or some other kind of message desired by the
owner. The headrest 12 may be attached to the window by glue, suction
cups, double sided tape, or other means well known in the industry.
Referring now to FIG. 2, the cushion 20 desirably comprises a non-elastic
cushion portion 26, and preferably be attached to an elastic portion 28.
The major portion 26 of the cushion 20 should have plastically deformable,
that is non-elastic properties. Such properties will absorb energy in an
impact and will not rebound or recover the original shape, the energy of
impact will be absorbed to protect the occupant's head. Such energy
absorption properties reduces the pressure of impact on the occupant's
head, reducing the probability of injury.
Resilient cushion 28 has a concave side 29 facing toward the occupant's
head. The orientation of the concave side is then on the opposite side of
the resilient cushion 28 from the backing plate 18. Non-elastic cushion 26
preferably, although not necessarily, has a shape which is form fitting to
the concave side of the resilient cushion 28. Non-elastic cushion 26
preferably, although not necessarily, is attached to the concave side of
the resilient cushion 28.
FIG. 3 is a horizontal cross section of FIG. 2 looking downwardly,
illustrating the plan cross section shape of the preferred embodiment.
FIG. 4 is an illustration of the headrest of FIG. 2 after impact, showing
the crushing of the non-resilient portion 26, and the recovered shape of
the resilient portion 28 of cushion 20. Since the elastic portion 28 is of
a thicker dimension at the outer edges and of a lesser dimension in the
center area, the thicker edges will tend to direct the driver's head
toward the center of the headrest in case the driver's head impacts the
headrest. Such a force vector will reduce the likelihood of the driver's
head hitting the edge of the steering wheel or the side window. Increased
safety will result from such improved control in the direction a driver's
head will be deflected in a collision.
FIG. 5 is a rear elevation view of a rear window shown generally at 10, of
a cab type vehicle, as for example, a pickup truck. Two head rests of
alternative embodiments of the present invention are illustrated attached
to a vehicle window at 32 and 34 positioned to provide headrest protection
for 2 occupants of the vehicle, i.e., a driver and a passenger. The head
rests 32 and 34 are affixed to the window glass 36.
The illustrated headrests 32 and 34 may be imprinted with any kind of
message or advertising as illustrated in FIG. 5. The decorative nature of
my invention is also an important factor in the encouragement of drivers
to utilize the headrest and thereby achieve improved safety by use of my
invention.
Referring now to FIG. 6, a backing plate 38 may be formed of opaque
plastic. The cushion 40 is comprised of a non-elastic (non-resilient)
portion 46, and a much smaller resilient portion 48. The headrest 32 may
be attached to the window by glue, suction cups, double sided tape, or
other means well known in the industry. The portion 46 is non-elastic for
the energy absorptive and non-rebounding properties described
hereinbefore.
Although only two embodiments of my invention have been illustrated in the
accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing Descriptions, it will
be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments
disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and
substitutions of parts and elements without departing from the spirit of
the invention.
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