JPH10258656A - Sleeping prevention device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] To effectively prevent sleepless driving,
In addition, it is possible to provide a sleeping operation prevention device which can easily replace parts, has a large degree of freedom in design, and can maintain high cushioning property. A vibration means (9) having a DC motor (11) and two unbalanced weights (17) is attached to a rear part of a headrest (1) attached to an upper part of a seat of an automobile.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for preventing a sleepy driving which is used for a driving seat of a vehicle such as an automobile for preventing the sleepy driving.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various devices have been proposed to prevent the driver of a car or the like from sleeping. These devices usually include sensing means for sensing that the driver is making a nap, and wake-up means for receiving the sneezing detection signal from the sensing means to wake the driver. For example, as the sensing means, if the driver starts to sleep, the driver will tilt the head forward, so the number of times the head is tilted per unit time, the time during which the head is tilted, etc. There is something that senses and sends this to the wake-up means as a wake-up detection signal, and the wake-up means operates when the above-mentioned wake-up detection signal is sent,
Some wake up with a loud noise at the driver's ear. Therefore, according to this device, when the driver makes a sneeze, it senses that the driver is making a sneeze due to the inclination of the head, thereby activating the wake-up means to wake the driver. it can.

[0003]

However, since the above-mentioned device wakes up after the driver has sowed, when the driver is sowed to the extent that it cannot be sensed by the sensing means, Sleepiness can cause loss of concentration and an accident. In view of the above, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-117247 discloses an apparatus in which a driver's head is always stimulated during driving (or at an arbitrary time) to clarify the driver's consciousness and thereby prevent a sneaking operation.
No. 1993. As shown in FIG. 6, a vibration body 34 is provided inside a cushion elastic body 32 of a headrest 31 attached to an upper end of a backrest (not shown) of an automobile seat. This vibrator 34
Is a motor 35 having a weight 36 attached to an output shaft 35a.
And a case 37 for accommodating the motor 35. The base 35 b of the motor 35 is bolted to a boss 38 projecting from a side wall of the case 37. On the other hand, a mounting plate 33 for receiving the cushion elastic body 32
A channel-shaped support plate 41 is fixed on the upper surface of the case, a lower end 40a of the rubber support 40 is fitted into a mounting hole 41a formed in the support plate 41, and an upper end 40b of the rubber support 40 is attached to the case. The lower hole 37 is fitted in a mounting hole 39 formed in the lower wall. In the figure, reference numeral 42 denotes a support shaft projecting from the lower surface of the mounting plate 33, which is detachably inserted into an insertion hole at the upper end of the backrest.

However, in this case, since the vibrating body 34 is disposed inside the cushion elastic body 32, there are the following problems. That is, when exchanging the parts of the vibrating body 34, the vibrating body 34 must be taken out from the inside of the cushion elastic body 32 by disassembling the cushion elastic body 32 and the like, and this work is troublesome. Moreover, the vibrating body 3
4 must be manufactured to a size that fits inside the cushion elastic body 32, and the size of the vibrator 34 is limited. Further, a portion of the cushion material of the cushion elastic body 32 on which the vibrating body 34 is provided must be cut out to form a vibrating body providing space, and the cushion material is reduced in amount and thickness by that amount. Is reduced. Further, although the vibration body 34 employs a structure capable of generating noise such as chattering sound when the motor 35 rotates, the motor 35 is surrounded by a cushion material made of foam. The noise is absorbed by the material, and the effect of awakening by the noise is not so much obtained.
In addition, since the vibrating body 34 is supported by the cushion elastic body 32 and the rubber support 40, there are the following problems. That is, the cushion elastic body 32 and the rubber support 4
As the zero material, a material that can withstand the weight of the vibrating body 34 must be used, and the selection of this material is restricted.
In addition, since the cushion elastic body 32 and the rubber support 40 are weak in strength, the upper and lower ends 40a, 40b of the cushion elastic body 32 and the rubber support 40 are vibrated by the vibration of the vibrator 34.
Is damaged at an early stage, and the supporting force of the cushion elastic body 32 and the rubber support 40 is weakened. Further, when the headrest 31 is inclined backward, a downward external force acts on the cushion elastic body 32 due to the weight of the vibrating body 34,
The mounting strength (for example, adhesive strength) between the lower end surface of the cushion elastic body 32 and the upper surface of the mounting plate 33 must be set to a strength that can resist the above-mentioned external force, and the strength must be increased accordingly.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and can effectively prevent sleepless driving.
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sleepless driving prevention device that can easily replace parts, has a large degree of freedom in design, does not reduce cushioning property, and can effectively use noise such as chattering sound as awakening sound.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, an apparatus for preventing toying driving according to the present invention is provided with a vibration means attached to a headrest attached to an upper part of a vehicle seat, and arranged on an outer peripheral portion of the headrest. The headrest is vibrated so as to prevent drowsiness by the vibrating means.

That is, in the apparatus for preventing toying driving according to the present invention, a vibration means is attached to a headrest mounted above a seat of a vehicle, and the vibration means is disposed on an outer peripheral portion of the headrest. Therefore, when the driver feels a little drowsy, the vibrating means can be vibrated by operating the vibrating means to cause vibration in the headrest to which the driver is attached. Then, this vibration is transmitted to the driver's head, and the driver's drowsiness is awakened, and the driver does not go to sleep. In addition, according to the present invention, since the vibrating means is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the headrest, it is not necessary to disassemble the headrest portion when replacing the components of the vibrating means, so that the operation can be performed quickly. In addition, the size of the vibration means can be set regardless of the size of the headrest. Furthermore, since the vibration means is not attached by using the inside of the headrest portion, there is no need to perform processing such as cutting off the cushion material of the headrest portion, and high cushioning properties are maintained. Further, noise such as chattering noise generated by the vibration of the vibration means is easily heard by the driver, and can be effectively used as the awakening sound. In the present invention, “vibrating to a state where drowsiness is prevented” means that the frequency is 5 to 50 times / minute (1 time means
(In the case of vibration in the front-rear direction, it is assumed to be one round trip back and forth)
Preferably, the vibration width is 2 to 25 mm at 8 to 42 times / minute.
This means that vibration of 3 to 15 mm is preferably applied. Further, in the present invention, the vehicle seat includes a driving seat of various automobiles and a seat of an operation room such as a crane truck.

In the present invention, the headrest includes a headrest portion and a support portion for receiving the headrest portion.
When the vibrating means is attached to the support portion, it is not necessary to use a material that can withstand the weight of the vibrating means as the cushioning material of the headrest portion, and there is no particular restriction on the selection of the cushioning material. In addition, since the support portion is much stronger than the cushioning material of the headrest portion, the support portion is not damaged by the vibration of the vibration means, and is excellent in durability. In addition, even if the headrest is tilted backward, the vibration means is fixed to the support, so a large downward external force does not act on the headrest, increasing the mounting strength between the headrest and the support. No need to do.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an apparatus for preventing toying operation according to the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a headrest, which is detachably fixed to an upper end of a backrest 4 of a driver's seat 3 of an automobile 2 (see FIG. 3). The headrest 1 includes a headrest 6 (indicated by a two-dot chain line in the drawing), a metal support plate 7 for supporting the headrest 6, and a projection from the lower surface of the support plate 7. Two metal pipe legs 8 (see FIG. 4), which are provided and detachably attached to the upper end of the backrest 4, an attachment plate 7 a extending flat from the rear end surface of the support plate 7, This mounting plate 7a
Vibrating means 9 detachably attached to the upper surface of the device. The legs 8 are provided with positioning / fixing means (not shown) capable of switching the mounting position to the backrest 4 in a plurality of stages. In FIG. 3, 5 is a driver's seat 3.
Is the seating section.

The vibrating means 9 is, as shown in FIG. 2, a plastic case 10 removably fixed to the upper surface of the mounting plate 7a of the support plate 7 (in FIG. 1, it is shown by a dashed line). ), A DC motor 11 and a coupling (connection member) 12 connected to a rotating shaft 11 a of the DC motor 11.
And a rotating shaft body 13 connected via the DC motor 11.
A V-shaped fixing plate 14 is fixed to the upper surface of the support plate 7 of the headrest 1 with a bolt 15. The rotating shaft body 13 is rotatably supported by a pair of left and right pillow bearings 16 arranged at a predetermined interval, and the left and right pillow bearings 16 are located between the pillow bearings 16. A pair of unbalanced weights 17 are detachably fixed. These two unbalance weights 17 are formed in a plate-like body, and as shown in FIG.
A is formed of a substantially 円 arc-shaped portion concentrically formed on a, and a triangular portion protruding from a flat surface of the 円 arc portion. The rotating shaft 11a of such a DC motor 11
The rotating shaft 13 is oriented horizontally and in the left-right direction with respect to the driver's seat 3 (in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the vehicle 2). In the figure, 18 is a pillow bearing 16
Is fixed to the upper surface of the support plate 7 by welding or the like.

The DC motor 11 is electrically connected to a battery 21 (see FIG. 3) provided at the front of the vehicle body of the automobile 2. In addition, a control box (not shown) is provided on the side of the driver's seat 3.
START to start (ON) the DC motor 11
There are provided a switch, a STOP switch for stopping (turning off) the DC motor 11, a strength adjustment switch for adjusting the strength of vibration, and the like. This strength adjustment switch is set to “weak position”,
It is configured to be switched to three positions of a "middle position" and a "strong position", and in each position, there are several vibration cycles (in this embodiment, three times) of vibrating for 20 seconds and then resting for 10 seconds. Repeated. In this embodiment, when the strength adjustment switch is in the “weak position”, the rotation speed of the DC motor 11 is set to 500 times / minute, and in the “middle position”.
Is set to 1500 times / minute, and to "strong position", set to 2500 times / minute. When the frequency is calculated from the rotation speed, the frequency is 8.3 in the case of the “weak position”.
Times / minute, 25.0 times / minute for the “medium position”, and 41.7 times / minute for the “strong position”. Also,
When measuring the vibration width from "weak position" to "strong position",
3 to 15 mm. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 22 denotes an instrument panel to which meters are attached, and reference numeral 23 denotes a handle.

In the above embodiment, when the driver feels a little drowsy, he presses the START switch of the control box to turn on the DC motor 11. This allows
The DC motor 11 is driven, and the driving of the DC motor 11 causes the rotating shaft 11a to rotate, and the rotating shaft 13 connected thereto to rotate. The unbalanced weights 17 attached to the rotating shaft 13 are also rotated. Rotate and vibrate (this vibration, as described above,
This is a periodic vibration in which a pause of two seconds is alternately repeated three times). This vibration is applied to the mounting plate portion 7 via the two fixing plates 14, the two pillow bearings 16, the two fixing portions 18, and the like.
a. As a result, the support plate 7 vibrates and the headrest portion 6 also vibrates, and the entire headrest 1 vibrates. With this vibration, the driver leaning the head on the headrest portion 6 becomes drowsy, Stops sleeping.

As described above, according to the above embodiment, the rotating shaft 13 connected to the rotating shaft 11a of the DC motor 11 is used.
The vibration generated by the unbalanced weights 17 is transmitted to the driver's head, so that the driver does not sneeze, and the accident due to the sneaking operation can be completely eliminated. Moreover, since the DC motor 11 and the like are disposed outside the headrest 1, the DC motor 1
1. The parts such as the unbalance weights 17 can be quickly replaced. Further, the size and the like of the DC motor 11, the unbalanced weights 17 and the like are not limited by the size and the like of the headrest portion 6. Further, there is no need to perform processing such as cutting out the cushion material of the headrest portion 6, and the cushioning property of the headrest portion 6 does not decrease. In addition, noise such as chatter caused by the rotation of the DC motor 11 can be easily heard by the driver. In addition, DC motor 1
1, since the rotating shaft 13 and the like are fixed to the support plate 7, almost no load acts on the cushioning material of the headrest portion 6, and there is no particular restriction on the selection of the cushioning material, and the headrest is not affected. There is no increase in the mounting strength between the part 6 and the support plate 7. Further, the strength of the support plate 7 is high, and the support plate 7 is not damaged by the vibration generated by the DC motor 11.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, two rod-shaped torsion coils 25 (one torsion coil 25 is hidden and cannot be seen) are used instead of the two leg portions 8 in the above embodiment, and the upper end portions of the two torsion coils 25 are supported. The lower end is fixed to a cylindrical portion (not shown) attached to a support portion (supporting the headrest portion 6) of the headrest 1 or the like. It is fitted and fixed. Other parts are the same as those of the above-described embodiment, and the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In this case, the same operation and effect as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained, and further, there is an advantage that the vibration generated by the rotation of the DC motor 11 is amplified by the torsion coil 25, and the vibration effect is increased.

In the above-described embodiment, a combination of the DC motor 11 and the rotating shaft 13 is used as the vibration means. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a DC vibration motor may be used. Alternatively, other various vibration means may be used. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the DC motor 11 and the like are fixed to the support plate 7 which also serves as a means for attaching to the backrest 4, but a supporting part ( (Which only supports the headrest 6). Further, in the above embodiment, the vibration means 9 is fixed to the rear part of the headrest 1, but may be fixed to the left and right side parts or the front part as long as it is the outer peripheral part of the headrest 1. In the case where the DC motors 11 and the like are arranged at the front of the headrest 1, they need to be mounted at positions where they do not hit the driver's head. In addition, if it is not arranged inside the cushion material of the headrest 6, the cover may be covered with a cover (not shown) of the headrest 6.

In the above embodiment, a START switch is arranged in the control box, and when the driver feels a little drowsy, the START switch is pressed to activate the DC motor 1.
1 is turned on, but the START
A timer may be provided instead of the switch. In this case, the DC motor 11 can be turned on when the set time of the timer (for example, 10 minutes) elapses by pressing the switch of the timer at the time of starting the car or the like. When a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) elapses after the operation, the operation of the DC motor 11 can be automatically stopped.
Such a timer is used for a predetermined time after the vehicle starts moving (for example,
This is convenient when it is known from experience or the like that a person feels drowsy after about 10 minutes have elapsed. When a timer is used, a beeping sound is emitted from the microphone provided in the control box before the set time of the timer (time for automatically turning on the DC motor 11) (for example, about 5 seconds before). It is preferable that a warning sound such as a loud intermittent sound or the like be played to let the driver predict the ON operation of the DC motor 11. Also, a switch for stopping the operation of the DC motor 11 is provided together with the timer, and the operation of the DC motor 11 is not stopped by the timer.
You may make it manually possible. Also, in the above embodiment, the STAR that starts the DC motor 11 is
Although a T switch and a STOP switch for STOP are separately provided, the present invention is not limited to this, and START (ON) and STOP (OFF) of the DC motor 11 are provided.
An ON / OFF switch that can perform both of the above may be provided.
In the above embodiment, the control box is connected to the driver's seat 3.
, But is not limited to this.
A switch, a timer, and the like may be arranged on the instrument panel 22 on the front side of the driver's seat 3, and the control unit may be housed inside the instrument panel 22.

The shape of the unbalance weight 17 is not particularly limited, and may be any shape as long as it can be rotated to generate vibration. In the above embodiment, the unbalanced weight 17 is attached to the rotating shaft 13 connected to the rotating shaft 11a of the DC motor 11, but the present invention is not limited to this. May be attached.

[0019]

As described above, according to the apparatus for preventing a toying operation of the present invention, the toying operation can be effectively prevented. In addition, according to the present invention, since the vibrating means is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the headrest, it is not necessary to disassemble the headrest portion when replacing the components of the vibrating means, so that the operation can be performed quickly. In addition, the size of the vibration means can be set regardless of the size of the headrest. Furthermore, since the vibration means is not attached by using the inside of the headrest portion, there is no need to perform processing such as cutting off the cushion material of the headrest portion, and high cushioning properties are maintained. Further, noise such as chattering noise generated by the vibration of the vibration means is easily heard by the driver, and can be effectively used as the awakening sound. Further, in the present invention, when the headrest includes a headrest portion and a support portion for receiving the headrest portion, and a vibration means is attached to the support portion,
It is not necessary to use a material that can withstand the weight of the vibrating means as the cushion material of the headrest portion, and there is no particular restriction on the selection of the cushion material. In addition, since the support portion is much stronger than the cushioning material of the headrest portion, the support portion is not damaged by the vibration of the vibration means, and is excellent in durability. In addition, even if the headrest is tilted backward, the vibration means is fixed to the support, so a large downward external force does not act on the headrest, increasing the mounting strength between the headrest and the support. No need to do.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the vibration means.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an automobile.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an attached state of a headrest.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Headrest 6 Head rest part 7 Support plate 11 DC motor 17 Unbalance weight

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A headrest attached to an upper part of a seat of a vehicle is provided with vibration means, and is disposed on an outer peripheral portion of the headrest, and the headrest is vibrated by the vibration means so as to prevent drowsiness. Sleepless driving prevention device. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the headrest comprises a headrest portion and a support portion for receiving the headrest portion, and a vibration means is attached to the support portion. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a vibration means is provided at a rear portion of the headrest. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vibration means is a vibration motor. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vibration means is a motor and an unbalanced weight attached to a rotating shaft of the motor.