Vehicle Headrest

Abstract

A vehicle headrest includes a main body portion having a front surface arranged to support a back of a head of a user. The main body portion includes first and second speakers which are disposed within the main body portion, and a cushion layer that is configured to surround the speakers and provide cushioning for a user's head. The cushion layer includes acoustic channels for controlling a radiation pattern of acoustic energy radiated from the speakers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vehicle headrest comprising:
 a main body portion having a front surface arranged to support a back of a head of a user, the front surface being 180 mm to 220 mm wide, the main body portion comprising:
 a core assembly configured to receive first and second speakers such that respective displacement axes of diaphragms of the first and second speakers each diverge at an angle of about 15 degrees to about 60 degrees relative to a vertical plane; and 
 first and second acoustic channels for controlling a radiation pattern of acoustic energy radiated from the speakers, the first and second acoustic channels having respective rear edges that are 40 mm to 70 mm from the front surface; and 
   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle headrest of  claim 1 , wherein the core assembly comprises a core configured to support the first and second speakers, and wherein the core defines portions of the acoustic chambers for the first and second speakers. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicle headrest of  claim 2 , wherein the core assembly comprises a back cover connected to the core, and wherein the back cover and the core together define the acoustic chambers. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicle headrest of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more support rods connected to the main body portion. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicle headrest of  claim 4 , wherein the core assembly comprises one or more sockets for receiving the one or more support rods. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicle headrest of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second speakers are substantially symmetrical about the vertical plane. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicle headrest of  claim 1 , wherein a central axis of the first acoustic channels is coincident with the displacement axis of the first speaker. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicle headrest of  claim 7 , wherein a central axis of the second acoustic channel is coincident with the displacement axis of the second speaker. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicle headrest of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second speakers are arranged with a vertical elevation angle within  5  degrees from horizontal. 
     
     
         10 . The vehicle headrest of  claim 1 , further comprising first and second grilles to protect the first and second speakers. 
     
     
         11 . The vehicle headrest of  claim 10 , wherein the grilles are acoustically transparent with 50% or less acoustic occlusion. 
     
     
         12 . The vehicle headrest of  claim 10 , further comprising filler material disposed within acoustic channels, wherein the grilles inhibit the filler material from contacting the speakers. 
     
     
         13 . The vehicle headrest of  claim 12 , wherein the filler material is acoustically transparent with 2 dB or less loss in a 100 Hz to 5 kHz frequency band. 
     
     
         14 . A seat comprising the headrest of  claim 1 .