Headrest Attachment

grabcad

Every year there are roughly 200,000 cases of whiplash in the United States due to the inefficiency of the modern car headrest. Coming to the age of driving, this 3D printed part was inspired by this alarming statistic. To make the car headrest more secure, it will work by maintaining the passenger’s upright, forward facing head position upon collision with another vehicle. This piece is attachable to the current headrests via the pins attaching to the driver’s seat. A stretchy band can then be attached to the top of the two plates and behind the headrest to secure upper portion. Finally, two motors at the base will hold 2 of the 3D printed plates in place and move the parts inward upon collison to limit the range of motion of the neck. The motors at the base can be triggered by a sensor which detects rapid deceleration due to collision. Although this part can be manufactured through casting or other manufacturing methods, 3D printing is beneficial for this part due to the fast production rates and flexibility of design. In accordance with the competition specifications, this part measures 4 inches high which may not match the headrest height of some modern cars. As this is meant to be an add-on, accessible to all car owners, 3D printing will provide easy access to the production of different sized headrest attachments.