Motor vehicle headrest
A motor-vehicle headrest has a relatively stationary and relatively rigid support structure positioned horizontally rearward of a head of a person sitting in front of the headrest. A cushion has a front face with a central portion directly engageable with the head of the person and with a peripheral portion surrounding the central portion and not normally directly engageable with the head of the person. The cushion further has a rear face bearing rearward of the peripheral portion directly on the support and forming rearward of the central portion a substantially empty cavity at which the rear face is spaced forward from the support. The cushion is elastically deformable such that on forceful rearward engagement of the head of the person with the central portion of the front face the front face deforms into a forwardly concave shape cupping the head of the person.
1. A motor-vehicle headrest comprising:
a support structure positioned horizontally rearward of a head of a person sitting in front of the headrest; and
a cushion having a front face with a central portion directly engageable with the head of the person and with a pair of side portions horizontally flanking the central portion and not normally directly engageable with the head of the person, the side portions being stiffer than the central portion, the cushion having a rear face bearing rearward of the side portions directly on the support and forming between the side portions a substantially empty cavity at which the rear face is spaced at the central portion forward from the support to form rearward of the central portion a substantially empty chamber, the cushion being formed with a passage connecting the chamber with the exterior and being elastically deformable such that on forceful rearward engagement of the head of the person with the central portion of the front face the front face deforms into a forwardly concave shape with the side portions cupping the head of the person and the cushion expelling air through the passage from the chamber and limiting rearward movement of the rear face at the central portion on rearward deformation.
2. The motor-vehicle headrest defined in claim 1 wherein the cushion is formed of synthetic-resin foam.
3. The motor-vehicle headrest defined in claim 1 wherein the rear face is concave toward the support.
4. A motor-vehicle headrest comprising:
a support structure positioned horizontally rearward of a head of a person sitting in front of the headrest; and
a cushion having a front face with a central portion directly engageable with the head of the person and with a peripheral portion surrounding the central portion and not normally directly engageable with the head of the person, the cushion having a rear face bearing rearward of the peripheral portion directly on the support and forming a substantially empty cavity at which the rear face is spaced forward from the support, the cushion being formed rearward of the central portion with a substantially empty chamber and with a passage connecting the chamber with the exterior, the cushion being elastically deformable such that on forceful rearward engagement of the head of the person with the central portion of the front face the front face deforms into a forwardly concave shape cupping the head of the person and the cushion expels air through the passage from the chamber, the chamber being formed between front and rear lips that in an undeformed condition of the cushion are spaced from each other and then in a rearwardly compressed condition of the cushion engage each other and limit air flow out of the chamber.
5. A motor-vehicle headrest comprising:
a support structure positioned horizontally rearward of a head of a person sitting in front of the headrest;
a cushion having a front face with a central portion directly engageable with the head of the person and with a peripheral portion surrounding the central portion and not normally directly engageable with the head of the person, the cushion having a rear face bearing rearward of the peripheral portion directly on the support and forming a substantially empty cavity at which the rear face is spaced forward from the support, the cushion being elastically deformable such that on forceful rearward engagement of the head of the person with the central portion of the front face the front face deforms into a forwardly concave shape cupping the head of the person; and
a bumper carried on the support and engageable with the central portion on rearward deflection of the central portion.
6. The motor-vehicle headrest defined in claim 1 , wherein the support structure is relatively stationary and rigid.