WO2000020248A1

WO2000020248A1 - Arrangement at a supplementary head rest for a vehicle chair

Info

Publication number: WO2000020248A1
Application number: PCT/SE1999/001805
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lennart Barrenäs
Original assignee: Barrenaes Lennart
Priority date: 1998-10-08
Filing date: 1999-10-07
Publication date: 2000-04-13
Also published as: SE9803447L; SE9803447D0; EP1035985A1; SE517153C2; NO20002929L; NO20002929D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to an arrangement (1) for a supplementary head rest (2) for a vehicle seat comprising a principal support body with attachment devices (4-7) for the detachable attachment of the head rest (2) to the standard neck support of a vehicle seat on its front surface, in conjunction with which a filling material (10) is accommodated internally inside a case (11). In accordance with the invention, the head rest (2) is constructed as a pillow designed to be hung from the neck support (8) and comprises a number of layers (10A, 10B) in the form of sheets of rigid filling material (10) capable of being stuffed into the aforementioned case (11) to occupy and bridge the gap between the back (15A) of a person's head and the neck support (8) in question. The sheets of filling material (10) are in the form of a foam plastic material with closed cells which exhibits the characteristic of rigidity, i.e. it has a density of between 25 and 60 kg/m3. A softer comfort material (13) with a lower density, such as foam rubber material, is accommodated in front of the aforementioned rigid material (10), facing in the direction of travel of the vehicle and in a direction away from (12) an aforementioned vehicle seat (3).

Description

Arrangement at a supplementary head rest for a vehicle chair

The present invention relates to an arrangement for a supplementary head rest for a vehicle seat comprising a principal support body with attachment devices for the detachable attachment of the head rest to the standard neck support of a vehicle seat on its front surface, in conjunction with which a filling material is accommodated internally inside a case. Many injuries are caused to drivers and passengers by incorrectly adjusted seats and neck supports or because they are designed in an unsatisfactory fashion. The injuries concerned are so-called whiplash injuries to the cervical spinal column. Such injuries occur in the first instance when persons travelling in the vehicle, primarily following a rear impact even at very low speeds, are influenced in such a way that the body is thrown forwards in the direction of the impacting vehicle, at the same time as which the head is caused to jerk backwards. The rear surface of the cervical spinal column is compressed, at the same time as which its front surface is drawn apart, and the trunk is then displaced in a parallel fashion in a direction away from the head. This occurs rapidly and with sufficient force to cause tissue damage . The body is then caused to decelerate by the vehicle safety belt, while the head continues forwards like a lashing whip, in conjunction with which the rear side of the cervical spinal column is drawn apart and its front side is compressed. This can even cause the spinal cord to be stretched.

The principal reason why such injuries occur is the presence of a gap between the head and the neck support on the seat.

A thick pillow containing only foam rubber as a supplementary head rest is already disclosed, although a pillow of this kind can act on the head as a catapult due to the energy stored therein.

The principal object of the present invention is tc thus, in the first instance, to solve the aforementioned problem effectively and reliably by simple means.

The aforementioned object is achieved by means of an arrangement in accordance with the present invention, which is characterized essentially in that the head rest is constructed as a pillow designed to be hung from the neck support and comprises a number of layers in the form of sheets of rigid filling material capable of being stuffed into the aforementioned case to occupy and bridge the gap between the back of a person' s head and the neck support in question, in conjunction with which the sheets of filling material are in the form of a foam plastic material with closed cells which exhibits the characteristic of rigidity, i.e. it has a density of between 25 and 60 kg/m^J, and in that a softer comfort material with a lower density, such as foam rubber material, is accommodated in front of the aforementioned rigid material, facing in a direction away from an aforementioned vehicle seat.

The arrangement that can be appreciated from NO. Bl, 300, 362 shows a head rest in which the characteristics are in direct opposition to what is intended in accordance with the present invention, and it can scarcely be appropriate for a person skilled in the art to derive the idea of invention therefrom.

The illustrated previously disclosed solution for a head rest has the form of a bag that is passed over a standard neck support.

The head rest previously disclosed through DE 4,307,444 Al is in the form of a standard neck support, in which the front part consists of polyurethane foam, which material has a density of between 30 and 60 kg/m . The rear part is in the form of polypropylene or polyethylene foam, which material has a density similar to or less than 25 kg/m³. This relationship is thus the opposite of what is intended in accordance with the present invention.

If one were to make a head rest pillow capable of being detachably retained on a standard neck support in accordance with the materials used in the previously disclosed pillow illustrated here, such a pillow would be so arranged that it stores energy at the time of the impact, which causes the neck and the head to recoil instead of having a damping effect as intended in accordance with the present invention. The softer, elastic material closest to the neck support of the vehicle could thus produce a catapult-like effect on a head which is supported by a supplementary head rest of this kind. The invention is described below as a preferred illustrative embodiment, in conjunction with which reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a head rest installed on a seat neck support; Fig. 2 shows the head rest illustrated in a partially sectioned view and in perspective;

Fig. 3 shows the head rest laid out on a base and facing upwards;

Fig. 4 again shows the head rest laid out on a base, but with its front surface facing in a direction down towards the base; and

Fig. 5 shows the pillow from below in a partially open state.

The aims of the invention are thus to reduce the risk of injury to the cervical spinal column by eliminating the rearward rotation of the head and the retardation of the cervical spinal column, and to reduce significantly the maximum speed of rotation of the head.

A further distinctive feature of the present invention is the ability to adapt the head rest so that it fits the majority of vehicle seats by causing its thickness to match the seat and its neck support.

An arrangement 1 for a supplementary head rest 2, which is intended for a vehicle seat 3 and comprises a r.eaα rest body 20 with attachment devices 4, 5, 6, 7 for the detachable attachment of the head rest 2 to the standard neck support 8 of a vehicle seat 3 on its front surface 9, has a filling material 10 accommodated internally within an enclosing case 11. According to the present invention, the aforementioned filling material 10 consists of a plastic

■ material which exhibits closed cells and with the property of being rigid. The expression rigid material in this context denotes a material which exhibits characteristics such that, in the event of an impact, it does not store energy, but instead has a damping effect and thus prevents a reccil-like effect on the neck and the head. The aforementioned rigid filling material 10 also exhibits a density between 25 and 60 kg/m³. A softer comfort material 13 than the rigid filling material 10 is accommodated internally 14 within the case 11 in front of the aforementioned rigid material 10 and facing in a direction away from 12 the aforementioned vehicle seat 3.

The aforementioned rigid filling material 10 is in the form of foam plastic with closed cells and without cross- linking. More specifically, the rigid filling material IG exhibits a density between 25 and 45 kg/rrr, namely Ξ5 kg.'rr. .

An appropriate material which is suitable for use as a rigid filling material 10 in the case 11 is a material known as Ethafoam™ and is marketed by Dow Sverige AB under the trade mark of the Dow Chemical Company. Ethafoam™ 220-E has proved to be most suitable, and this material exhibits a density of 35 kg/m³, in its unworked form. The aforementioned material is normally used for packing goods. Compression of the aforementioned material by 10%, 25% and 50% takes place at 40 kPa, 55 kPa and 110 kPa respectively.

The softer comfort material 13, with which the rear of the head first comes into contact against the head rest 2 with associated restraint of the head 15, is appropriately in the form of foam rubber with open cells which is easily compressed and provides the user with a comfortable feeling in normal contact with it. It should be stated here that the head of an adult person normally weighs approx. 4.5 Kq .

The head rest 2, which is constructed as a pillow of a previously disclosed kind enabling it to be suspended from the neck support 8 of the vehicle, comprises at least one layer 10A, 10B of a rigid filling material and a layer 13 of foam rubber material. It is appropriate for the rigid filling material 10 to be divided into at least two layers 10A, 10B, so that sheet-like layers 10A, 10B of rigid filling material are capable of being stuffed into the aforementioned case 11 in an effective compression direction 16 in the head rest in a sufficient quantity for the head rest 2 to have the thickness T, such that it is essentially capable of cr dgmg the gap A between the back 15A of a person's head and the vehicle neck support 8 in question. Compression of the head rest 2 naturally reduces the gap A between the head 15 and the neck support 8, in conjunction with which the aforementioned injuries are avoided or the risk of such injuries occurring is significantly reduced. The various layers of filling material 10 and comfort material 13 are easily stuffed into or removed from the case 11 through a closeable opening 21 in the bottom 2B of the neck support. The head rest 2 can also be made in various thicknesses to enable it to be adapted to various gaps between the head and the neck support for different vehicle marques, in conjunction with which it is not necessary to divide the filling material 10 into several layers. It is also possible to conceive of causing filling materials of various kinds to be accommodated inside a case, in conjunction with which the layer of filling material 10A situated closest to the person 17 in the seat 3 exhibits a lower density than the layer 10B of filling material situateα closer to the seat 3, and so on.

The attachment devices 4-7 can be formed, as in the illustrative embodiment, from Velcro strips 18 attached to wrap-around flexible elastic textile tapes 19 on the rear side 2A of the head rest 2. By means of the aforementioned attachment devices, the head rest 2 is easily attached to the majority of vehicle seats by wrapping them round the neck support 8, although other embodiments and other kinds of attachment devices than those illustrated here can naturally be used for this purpose. It is also possible to attach straps to the rear corner of the head rest, so that the rear side of the back rest is surrounded by means of all the straps .

The invention is not restricted to the illustrative embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, but may be varied within the scope of the Patent Claims without departing from the idea of invention.

Claims

P a t e n t C la i m s

1. Arrangement (1) for a supplementary head rest (2) for a vehicle seat (3) comprising a principal support body (20) with an attachment device (4-7) for the detachable attachment of the head rest (2) to the standard neck support (8) of a vehicle seat (3) on its front surface (9), in conjunction with which a filling material (10) is accommodated internally (14) inside a case, characterized in that the head rest (2) is constructed as a pillow designed to be hung from the neck support (8) and comprises a number of layers (10A, 10B) in the form of sheets of rigid filling material (10) capable of being stuffed into the a orementioned case (11) to occupy and bridge the gap between the back (15A) of a person's head and the neck support (8) in question, in conjunction with which the sheets of filling material (10) are in the form of a foam plastic material with closed cells which exhibits the characteristic of rigidity, i.e. it has a density of between 25 and 60 kg/m^"', and in that a softer comfort material (13) with a lower density, such as foam rubber material, is accommodated in front of the aforementioned rigid material (10), facing in a direction away from (12) an aforementioned vehicle seat (3).

2. Arrangement in accordance with Patent Claim 1, characterized in that the aforementioned rigid filling material (10) is in the form of foam plastic with closed cells and without cross-linking.

3. Arrangement in accordance with Patent Claim 2, characterized in that the rigid filling material (10) exhibits a density between 24 and 45 kg/m^'.

4. Arrangement in accordance with Patent Claim 3, characterized in that the rigid filling material (10) exhibits a density of 35 kg/m³.

5. Arrangement in accordance with one or other of Patent Claims 2-4, characterized in that the rigid filling material (10) is in the form of Ethafoam™.

6. Arrangement in accordance with one or other of Patent Claims 1.5, characterized in that the softer comfort material (13) is in the form of foam rubber with open cells.

7. Arrangement in accordance with one or other of

Patent Claims 1-6, characterized in that the rigid filling material (10) is divided into at least two layers (10A, 10B) .

8. Arrangement in accordance with one or other of Patent Claims 1-7, characterized in that several layers (10A, 10B) in the form of sheets of rigid filling material (10) are capable of being stuffed into the aforementioned case ; 11 ,■ .

9. Arrangement in accordance with one or other of Patent Claims 1-8, characterized in that attachment devices (4-7) for the head rest are in the form of Velcro strips (18) attached to flexible elastic textile tapes (19) on the rear side (2A) of the head rest (2) for wrapping round the neck support ( 8 ) .