Headrest control device and headrest drive mechanism for use in an automotive seat

Claim 3

A headrest control device in linkage with gear shift means for use with an automotive seat, comprising: a headrest disposed in the upper end portion of a seat back of a rear seat and rotatable between a support position for supporting the head of a rear seat passenger and a storage position situated below a backward field of view line of a driver; a motor for rotating said headrest; a motor drive circuit for driving said motor; sitting detection means for detecting the presence or absence of a passenger in said rear seat; reverse gear detection means for detecting the shifting of gears to reverse; a central processing unit for processing information transmitted thereto from said sitting detection means and said reverse gear detection means in accordance with a predetermined program and for transmitting a control signal to said motor drive circuit to thereby control the driving of said motor so that in the absence of detection of a rear seat passenger by said sitting detection means and upon shifting to reverse as detected by said reverse gear detection means, then said motor is driven to thereby rotate said headrest from said support position to said storage position; and a door opening detection means for detecting the opening of a rear door and for transmitting a detection signal to said central processing unit so that said central processing unit, on receiving said detection signal from said door opening detection means, transmits to said motor drive circuit a signal for rotating said headrest from said storage position to said support position, thereby driving said motor.

Claim 4

A headrest control device in linkage with gear shift means for use with an automotive seat, comprising: a headrest disposed in the upper end portion of a seat back of a rear seat and rotatable between a support position for supporting the head of a rear seat passenger and a storage position situated below a backward field of view line of a driver; a motor for rotating said headrest; a motor drive circuit for driving said motor; sitting detection means for detecting the presence or absence of a passenger in said rear seat; reverse gear detection means for detecting the shifting of gears to reverse; a central processing unit for processing information transmitted thereto from said sitting detection means and said reverse gear detection means in accordance with a predetermined program and for transmitting a control signal to said motor drive circuit to thereby control the driving of said motor so that in the absence of detection of a rear seat passenger by said sitting detection means and upon shifting to reverse as detected by said reverse gear detection means, then said motor is driven to thereby rotate said headrest from said support position to said storage position; and a door opening detection means for detecting the opening of a rear door and for transmitting a detection signal to said central processing unit so that said central processing unit, on receiving said detection signal from said door opening detection means, transmits to said motor drive circuit a signal for rotating said headrest from said storage position to said support position, thereby driving said motor.

Claim 5

A headrest control device as set forth in claim 2, further including: a limit switch for limiting the range of movements of said headrest; and a manual switch for transmitting a signal to said motor drive circuit to drive said motor to thereby rotate said headrest to an arbitrary position.

Claim 6

A headrest control device as set forth in claim 2, further comprising means present in the rear seat for manually rotating said headrest to a desired support position to the taste of said rear seat passenger.

Claim 7

A headrest control device as set forth in claim 2, further comprising electrical switch means present in the rear seat for controlling rotation of said headrest to a desired support position to the taste of said rear seat passenger.