Vehicle headrest apparatus

A vehicle headrest apparatus comprising:

• a headrest portion including left and right headrest members dividing the headrest portion approximately midway in a transverse direction and a mounting member configured to swingably couple the left and right headrest members to an upper end part of a seatback;
• a head restraining member moveably coupled between the left and right headrest members, the head restraining member including a vertical support portion arranged to face towards a passenger's head and a horizontal support portion arranged substantially perpendicular to an upper edge of the vertical support portion, at least one of the horizontal and vertical support portions being made of a resilient shape-retaining material;
• a swing force applying device operatively coupled to the left and right headrest members to apply an urging force to the left and right headrest members to swing the left and right headrest members toward a front of a vehicle;
• a lock device operatively coupled to the left and right headrest members to hold the left and right headrest members in an initial storage position against the urging force applied by the swing force applying device;
• a controller operatively coupled to the lock device to release the lock device upon detecting a rear-end collision;
• and
• a tensioning device operatively coupled to the vertical support portion to apply tension in at least part of the vertical support portion of the head restraining member when the left and right headrest members are in a swung forward state and to reduce deflection of the vertical support portion during elastic deformation of the vertical support portion.

A vehicle headrest apparatus comprising:

• headrest means for mounting to an upper end part of a seatback;
• vertical head restraining means for supporting a passenger's head when a rear-end collision occurs;
• horizontal vertical head restraining means for supporting a passenger's head when the rear-end collision occurs, the horizontal vertical head restraining means being arranged substantially perpendicular to the vertical support portion;
• and
• tensioning device means for applying tension to at least part of the vertical head restraining means when the rear-end collision occurs.