Inclinable headrest

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a headrest which can be mounted via a headrest stay(s) on an automotive seat and is inclinable forwardly and backwardly relative to the headrest stay(s). Hereinafter, this headrest shall be referred to as “inclinable headrest” for simplicity. In particular, the invention is directed to an inclinable headrest of this kind which is formed by a foaming process wherein a liquid foaming agent is injected into an inside of a trim cover assembly preformed to have a predetermined contour of headrest, and then, the liquid foaming agent is cured to form an increased mass of foam padding filled in that trim cover assembly.

2. Description of Prior Art

In most cases, a headrest for use on automotive seat is formed through a foaming process which basically consists of the steps of performing a three-dimensional trim cover assembly in a predetermined shape of headrest by sewing together a plurality of cover materials, then placing a performed headrest frame in that trim cover assembly, together with headrest stays, thereafter, injecting a liquid foaming agent into the inside of the trim cover assembly, and subjecting all those elements to a foaming process by use of a foaming die apparatus. By such foaming process, all the trim cover assembly, headrest frame and headrest stays are formed together integrally into a resulting headrest wherein the liquid foaming agent has been cured into an increased mass of foam padding filled in the trim cover assembly. In this formation of headrest, it has been a common practice to preform an injection hole in a bottom side of the trim cover assembly prior to the foaming process, and in actual foaming operation, a liquid foaming agent is injected through such injection hole into the inside of the trim cover assembly, as known for example from the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-11252.

Among various kinds of headrests formed in the foregoing foaming process, there has been known an inclinable headrest which allows a headrest body to be inclinable in forward and backward directions relative to a pair of headrest stays for example, wherein such pair of headrest stays are fixedly mounted on a seat back of automotive seat, so that a user can adjust forward and backward inclination of the headrest body to attain his or her preferred head support position. In this particular inclinable headrest, a pair of elongated holes are typically formed in the bottom side of headrest body and the two headrest stays extend outwardly through the respective such pair of elongated holes, thereby permitting the headrest body to be inclinable in the forward and backward directions relative to the two headrest stays.

As stated earlier, even in this inclinable headrest, the aforementioned injection hole is normally formed in a bottom surface of the trim cover assembly that covers the bottom side of headrest body, in order that a liquid foaming agent may be injected through the injection hole into the inside of the trim cover assembly during the foaming process.

As a result thereof, when the headrest is inclined forwardly relative to the headrest stays, the bottom side thereof shows up on a backward side of the seat, thus resulting in such injection hole being clearly viewed from the rear side of vehicle. This undesired problem also arises for backward inclination of the headrest; namely, with the headrest inclined backwardly relative to the headrest stays, the injection hole is then clearly viewed from the front side of vehicle. Such appearance of injection hole is objectionable and impairs the aesthetic appearance of headrest.

In view of the above-stated drawbacks, it is a purpose of the present invention to provide an improved inclinable headrest for automotive seat, which is devoid of the afore-said injection hole in the bottom side of the headrest, to thereby maintain aesthetic appearance of the headrest itself.

In order to achieve such purpose, in accordance with the present invention there is basically provided a headrest inclinable relative to at least one headrest stay, the headrest having at least one elongated hole formed in one side thereof and being formed by a foaming process involving the steps of: providing a three-dimensional trim cover assembly preformed in a predetermined shape conforming to a contour of the inclinable headrest, with the afore-said at least one headrest stay being placed in that particular three-dimensional trim cover assembly such that a part of the former projects outwardly from latter at a point for forming such at least one elongated hole; injecting a liquid foaming agent into the inside of the three-dimensional trim cover assembly, excepting the afore-said point for forming the at least one elongated hole, and then curing the liquid foaming agent into an increased mass of a foam padding filled in the three-dimensional trim cover assembly in integral manner, excepting the at least one elongated hole, the headrest comprising:

the three-dimensional trim cover assembly including a wall disposed on the one side of the headrest;

• • the foam padding filled in the three-dimensional trim cover assembly;
  • the at least one elongated hole formed in the wall of the three-dimensional trim cover assembly as well as in a local area of the foam padding corresponding to the wall of the three-dimensional trim cover assembly;
  • the at least one headrest stay extending outwardly through the at least one elongated hole; and
  • an injected point at which the liquid foaming agent has been injected into the three-dimensional trim cover assembly during the foaming process, the injected point being provided within the at least one elongated hole.