KR-20260067535-A - DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING HEADREST FOR VEHICLE

KR20260067535AKR 20260067535 AKR20260067535 AKR 20260067535AKR-20260067535-A

Abstract

The present invention aims to provide a vehicle headrest adjustment device and method that incorporates a body pressure sensor and air cells in a matrix array inside the headrest to detect body pressure when a passenger leans their head against the headrest using the body pressure sensor, and adjusts the air pressure within all or some of the air cells installed in the headrest to increase or decrease according to the detected body pressure result, thereby evenly distributing the body pressure when a passenger leans their head against the headrest and adjusting the headrest support force and support sensation to suit the passenger's head shape and hairstyle.

Inventors

이백희
이요섭
문상지
이원석
최숭언
곽민혁
이강은

Assignees

현대자동차주식회사
기아 주식회사

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20241106

Claims (20)

Multiple air cells mounted on the front of the headrest pad; Body pressure sensors attached to the front of each of the above air cells; An air distributor configured to supply or discharge air to each of the above air cells and mounted on the rear of the headrest pad; An intake blower mounted on the seatback frame and connected to the air distributor and intake hose; and An exhaust blower mounted on the seatback frame and connected to the air distributor and exhaust hose; and A controller that determines whether to supply or discharge air to all or some of the plurality of air cells based on body pressure detection signals from the body pressure sensors, and controls the air distributor to supply or discharge air while driving the intake blower or exhaust blower; A vehicle headrest adjustment device characterized by being composed of including
In claim 1, A vehicle headrest adjustment device characterized by the plurality of air cells and body pressure sensors being provided in equal numbers and arranged at regular intervals along the horizontal and vertical directions.
In claim 1, The above body pressure sensor is, A vehicle headrest adjustment device characterized by being arranged in a matrix of at least 4×4 or larger to detect body pressure when a passenger leans their head against the headrest, and to detect body pressure that varies locally depending on the passenger's head shape, hairstyle, and accessories.
In claim 1, The above air distributor is: Distribution case with multiple mounting holes formed on the front; An air inlet/outlet pipe mounted in each mounting hole of the distribution case and connected to communicate with the air cell; A connecting pipe inserted into an excretion hole penetrating the headrest pad from front to back, connecting the air inlet/outlet pipe and the air cell; An intake pipe mounted to be communicable at the rear end of the above air inlet/outlet pipe, connected to the above intake hose, and disposed within the above distribution case; An exhaust pipe extending from both ends of the intake pipe and connected to the exhaust hose; A first solenoid valve mounted on the air inlet/outlet pipe and opened/closed by a control signal from the controller; and A second solenoid valve mounted on the exhaust pipe and opened or closed by a control signal from the controller; A vehicle headrest adjustment device characterized by being composed of including
In claim 4, A vehicle headrest adjustment device characterized in that the intake hose connecting the intake blower and the intake pipe of the air distributor is arranged along the interior of one of a pair of headrest stays.
In claim 4, A vehicle headrest adjustment device characterized in that the exhaust hose connected between the exhaust blower and the exhaust pipe of the air distributor is arranged along the interior of the other of a pair of headrest stays.
In claim 4, The above controller is, A vehicle headrest adjustment device characterized by being configured to determine whether to supply air to some of the air cells among the plurality of air cells based on body pressure detection signals from the body pressure sensors when the air filled in the plurality of air cells is completely exhausted, and to drive the intake blower to supply a preset amount of air to the some air cells, while simultaneously controlling the opening and closing timing of the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve of the air distributor.
In claim 7, The above controller is, A vehicle headrest adjustment device characterized by being configured to control the rearward movement of the headrest according to the forward expansion length of the partial air cells as a preset amount of air is supplied to the partial air cells.
In claim 4, The above controller is, A vehicle headrest adjustment device characterized by being configured to determine whether to discharge air from some of the plurality of air cells based on body pressure detection signals from the body pressure sensors while a preset amount of air is drawn into the plurality of air cells, and to drive the exhaust blower to discharge a preset amount of air from the portion of air cells, and to control the opening and closing timing of the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve of the air distributor.
In claim 9, The above controller is, A vehicle headrest adjustment device characterized by being configured to control the forward movement of the headrest in accordance with the rear contraction length of the partial air cells as a preset amount of air is discharged from the partial air cells.
A step in which air within a plurality of air cells installed in the headrest is completely exhausted; A step in which body pressure is detected by a plurality of body pressure sensors installed in the headrest when a passenger leans their head against the headrest; A step in which the sum of body pressures detected by a plurality of body pressure sensors is calculated by a controller; A step of calculating the ratio of body pressure detected by each body pressure sensor relative to the sum of the body pressures by the controller above; A step of comparing the body pressure ratio detected by the body pressure sensor located in front of the nth air cell among a plurality of body pressure sensors with a reference value; A step in which the air supply to the nth air cell is cut off or a preset amount of air is supplied by the control of the controller according to the comparison result; A method for adjusting a vehicle headrest characterized by including
In claim 11, In the step where the air supply to the nth air cell is cut off or a preset amount of air is supplied, A method for adjusting a vehicle headrest, characterized in that if the body pressure ratio detected by a body pressure sensor located in front of the n-th air cell is greater than a first reference value, the air supply to the n-th air cell is cut off, and if it is greater than a second reference value that is smaller than the first reference value, a first set amount of air is supplied to the n-th air cell.
In claim 12, A method for adjusting a vehicle headrest, characterized in that if the body pressure ratio detected by a body pressure sensor located in front of the n-th air cell is greater than a third reference value which is smaller than a second reference value, a second set amount of air which is larger than a first set amount is supplied to the n-th air cell, and if it is smaller than a third reference value, a third set amount of air which is larger than a second set amount is supplied to the n-th air cell.
In claim 13, A method for adjusting a vehicle headrest, characterized by further including the step of moving the headrest backward to match the forward expansion length of the nth air cell by control of the controller when the second or third set amount of air is supplied to the nth air cell.
A step in which air within a plurality of air cells installed in the headrest is completely exhausted; A step of supplying a preset amount of air to the plurality of air cells under the control of a controller; A step in which body pressure is detected by a plurality of body pressure sensors installed in the headrest when a passenger leans their head against the headrest; A step of calculating the sum of body pressures detected by each of a plurality of body pressure sensors by the above controller; A step of calculating the ratio of body pressure detected by each body pressure sensor relative to the sum of the body pressures by the controller above; A step in which the difference between the maximum body pressure ratio and the minimum body pressure ratio among the body pressure ratios calculated by the above controller is compared with a reference value; If, as a result of comparison, the difference between the maximum body pressure ratio and the minimum body pressure ratio is greater than a reference value, a step of exhausting air for a set time from the nth air cell located behind the body pressure sensor that detected the maximum body pressure ratio under the control of a controller; A method for adjusting a vehicle headrest characterized by including
In claim 15, A method for adjusting a vehicle headrest, characterized in that the above reference value is determined by 100/N (total number of air cells) × C (sensitivity constant).
In claim 15, A method for adjusting a vehicle headrest, characterized by further including a step in which, if the difference between the maximum body pressure ratio and the minimum body pressure ratio among the calculated body pressure ratios is smaller than a reference value, the headrest is moved forward by the contraction length of the air cell by exhausting air from the nth air cell for a set time under the control of the controller.
A step in which air within a plurality of air cells installed in the headrest is completely exhausted; A step of supplying a preset amount of air to the plurality of air cells under the control of a controller; A step in which body pressure is detected by a plurality of body pressure sensors installed in the headrest when a passenger leans their head against the headrest; A step of calculating the sum of body pressures detected by each of a plurality of body pressure sensors by the above controller; A step in which the ratio of body pressure detected by each body pressure sensor to the sum of the body pressures is calculated by the controller and compared with a reference value; and A step in which air is exhausted for a set time under the control of a controller from the nth air cell located behind the body pressure sensor that detected a body pressure ratio greater than a reference value as a result of comparison; A method for adjusting a vehicle headrest characterized by including
In claim 18, A method for adjusting a vehicle headrest, characterized in that the above reference value is determined by 100/N (total number of air cells) × (1 + C (sensitivity constant)).
In claim 19, A method for adjusting a vehicle headrest, characterized by further including a step in which, if the ratio of body pressure detected by each body pressure sensor relative to the sum of the body pressures is all less than a reference value, the headrest is moved forward by the contraction length of the air cell by exhausting air from the nth air cell for a set time under the control of the controller.

Description

Device and Method for Adjusting Headrest for Vehicle The present invention relates to a vehicle headrest adjustment device and method, and more specifically, to a vehicle headrest adjustment device and method capable of adjusting the support force of the entire or partial area of the headrest according to the passenger's head shape and hairstyle. As is well known, vehicle seats include a seat cushion that supports the passenger's lower body, a seat back that supports the passenger's back and waist, and a headrest that supports the passenger's neck and head. If the back of a passenger's head is not fully supported by the headrest, it leads to passenger discomfort and poses a problem that may increase the risk of injury in the event of a collision. To resolve these problems, an electric headrest is being applied that includes a forward/backward driving mechanism to adjust the forward/backward position of the headrest to match the passenger's head position and an up/down driving mechanism to adjust the up/down position of the headrest. Nevertheless, there is a problem in that the body pressure exerted when a passenger leans their head against the headrest is not evenly distributed due to the shape of the passenger's head (e.g., shape of the back of the head), hairstyle (e.g., ponytail), and accessories attached to the hair (e.g., hairpins, hats, etc.), which causes discomfort. For example, if the right side of the passenger's occipital region protrudes more than the left side, the body pressure when the right side of the occipital region is supported by the headrest becomes greater than the body pressure when the left side of the occipital region is supported by the headrest, so the body pressure when the passenger's head is supported by the headrest is not evenly distributed, which causes discomfort. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a vehicle headrest adjustment device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a vehicle headrest adjustment device according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a vehicle headrest adjustment device according to the present invention, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an air distributor of a vehicle headrest adjustment device according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating an air distributor of a vehicle headrest adjustment device according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an air distributor of a vehicle headrest adjustment device according to the present invention. FIGS. 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views illustrating an example of operation of a vehicle headrest adjustment device according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating that the air pressure of each air cell of a vehicle headrest adjustment device according to the present invention varies according to the shape of the passenger's head. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating that the air pressure of each air cell of a vehicle headrest adjustment device according to the present invention varies depending on the passenger's hairstyle and accessories. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method for adjusting a vehicle headrest according to the present invention. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating another embodiment of a method for adjusting a vehicle headrest according to the present invention, FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating another embodiment of a method for adjusting a vehicle headrest according to the present invention. The specific structural or functional descriptions described in the embodiments of this specification are merely illustrative for the purpose of explaining embodiments according to the concept of the present invention, and embodiments according to the concept of the present invention may be implemented in various forms. Furthermore, the invention should not be interpreted as being limited by the embodiments described in this specification, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. In this specification, terms such as "first" and/or "second" may be used to describe various components, but said components are not limited by said terms. For the sole purpose of distinguishing one component from other components, for example, without departing from the scope of rights according to the concept of the present invention, a first component may be named a second component, and similarly, a second component may be named a first component. Where in this specification it is stated that a component is "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, or that there may be other components in between. Conversely, where it is stated that a component is "directly connected" or "directl