Patent Application
20170232874
The present application relates generally to kits in the fields of garments, headrests, and particularly to head supports, that fit onto car and airplane seats to provide stability from undesired side to side and forward movement of a wearer's head.
Long distances commutes via land, sea, and air have become commonplace for both business and pleasure. During those commutes, the passenger spends most of their time seated, sometimes in a partially reclined position. As a result, passengers often fall asleep in their seats out of the boredom of being confined to their seat or due to fatigue from rising early or working late.
In 2008, a survey was conducted to gather data on how airplane seats affect travelers' backs and necks. The hypothesis that a majority of air passengers, even those that stay awake during flight, develop back and/or neck pain after a flight was confirmed by the survey. The results of that survey, depicted graphically in
It is common knowledge the neck and upper back muscles will relax when a person enters active or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. When that person falls asleep in an upright or slightly inclined position the head loses its support and will fall away from its vertical axis. When the head is resting against a head rest and the person falls asleep, the head may fall forward, roll to the left side or the right side, or fall forward and roll to one side, all of which negate the natural alignment of the spine. The movement of the head may become more frequent and forceful in turbulent travel conditions. Moreover, the head may jerk to compensate for an unsafe imbalance of mass away from the vertical axis. Due to sudden movement, vertebra in your neck can misalign, this in turn presses on nerves that in turn can cause neck muscle spasms. Since the average person's head weighs 5 to 6 kg (approximately 12 to 14 lbs), the head is designed to distribute weight evenly from front to back and side to side so as to not cause unnecessary strain on ligaments, tendons, and muscles.
Complaints of tension, neck pain, headache, and fatigue are common after waking from sleep where the person's head is in movement or comes to rest in an unnatural position. The position of the head while sleeping may affect circulation and constrict the airway in those prone to sleep apnea. Waking with neck pain after sleeping can mean that it is painful to turn your head, that the neck is stiff and perhaps even that your posture has changed slightly. Where the neck is tilted to one side this is referred to as acquired torticollis (wry neck). Adult acquired torticollis is usually able to be treated conservatively, however, as the cause is an acute problem with the musculoskeletal system. Basically, any time the neck is held in a poor posture position, the muscles become stressed and they can become fatigued.
Those who regularly suffer from torticollis and neck pain after sleeping may wish to consult their doctor and/or chiropractor to see if there is an underlying spine condition at work. Facet joint disease, disc bulging or herniation, cervical spine arthritis, or other mechanical problems could be at the root of the pain and could be exacerbated by awkward head positions or movement while sleeping. Where there is a stability problem in the spine, the muscles and ligaments often overcompensate by becoming tense, stiff and calcified, and new bone may even develop as bone spurs to try to restore stability in frequent travelers. Swelling and inflammation in the neck can also arise as a way of restricting damaging movements through hyper-flexibility. Using anti-inflammatories and pain relief medications may help in the short term in such cases but the problem will likely persist unless the underlying cause is dealt with effectively. The above issues and many other issues may be found discussed in non-patent literature regarding neck health and neck health while traveling.
U.S. Published Patent Application 2015/0203009 A1 by Swearingen is for a “HEAD STABILIZING STRAP ASSEMBLY”. Embodiments of the apparatus include a system for holding a user's head upright and in place, the system including a seat strap, a chin strap, and a forehead strap. The seat strap may be configured to fit around the circumference of a seat's headrest. The chin strap may be padded and have a central portion, a distal end, and a proximal end. The distal end and the proximal end may be spaced apart and removably attached to the seat strap by a fastener. The chin strap may be adjustable and configured to fit around a user's chin. The forehead strap may be attached to the seat strap between the proximal end of the chin strap and the distal end of the seat strap. The forehead strap may be adjustable and configured to fit around a circumference of the user's forehead.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,607,245 B1 by Scher is for a “HEAD RESTRAINT”. Scher discloses a head restraint for supporting a user's head with respect to the head rest portion of a seat. The head restraint has a headband strap for placing over the head across the forehead of the user. An anchor band is secured around the head rest portion of the seat. A righthand securement strap is affixed between the strap placed over the head of the user and the anchor band. Similarly, a lefthand strap is affixed between the strap placed over the head of the user and the anchor band.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,909,406 B2 by Samuelsen is for a “RESTING APPARATUS”. Samuelsen discloses a resting apparatus that includes a resting platform sufficient to support the leaning weight of the user and a configuration of straps to provide support in a limited or enclosed space. The resting platform has a pair of support loop straps extending from it. These support loop straps fasten to a suspension strap that loops around the seat back. Embodiments of the resting apparatus has some adjustable features.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,285,658 B2 by Cleveland is for a “HEAD SUPPORT DEVICE”. In Cleveland a pair of straps attach to a seat back. Cleveland suggests using safety pins in some applications and in other, more permanent, applications, snaps attached to the seat back to attach the straps. A cross brace extends between the straps to maintain their spacing. The straps join to opposite ends of a pad which hangs down in the front of a seat. This pad supports the head of a person occupying the seat.
As may be seen from the relevant art, there is a need for a support apparatus that is easily adjustable to different seats and different positions, and uses the full height of the seat back.
The embodiments of the device described herein comfortably maintains the position of the wearer's head while sleeping in an upright position, such as on an airplane, bus, train, etc. The device provides a sling, preferably formed of a foam material or memory foam, which supports a user's head by contacting a user's mandible or keeps a user's head vertical aligned by contacting a user's forehead. The sling has a distal surface which is adjacent to the mandible or forehead of the user and a proximal surface which faces away from the user. Ideally, the distal surface is soft and comfortable to the user. The proximal surface, in an embodiment, is durable and capable of acting as the outer shell of a pouch in which the device is self-contained.
In some arrangements, the user's mandible rests in the sling against a distal surface which faces the user. This provides support that prevents the forward movement of the head, and the side-to-side movement of the head as well. The tension across the sling is sufficient to prevent dramatic and sudden movements of the head, but does not provide so much force as to be uncomfortable to the user while seated and awake, permitting normal head movement such as turning and moving the chin down and up with eating or with reasonable forward and back head movements. In some arrangements, the sling may be adjusted to allow the head to lay to the side and be supported. For some users, or for long trips, a strictly vertical position may be uncomfortable. Alternatively, the device may be adjusted to contact a user's forehead to maintain the head in an upright and neutral position.
The sling is affixed to straps which form a first loop adjacent to the sling and a second loop adjacent to the first loop. Alternatively, drawstrings are utilized instead of straps. The drawstrings are pulled tight and held in place by drawstring fasteners.
The first loop is affixed to the lengthwise ends of the sling at a first end and a second end, with the ends being situated at the lengthwise ends of the sling which, when worn, extend distally upward from the mandible. The first loop is formed by a proximal side consisting of the sling and a distal side adjacent to or integrated with the proximal side of the second loop. The second loop extends distally away from the distal side of the first loop and possesses a proximal side adjacent to or integrated with the first loop's distal side. The proximal side of the second loop encircles the chair back.
The first loop is preferably smaller than the second loop, with the second loop having a means to adjust the circumference of the loop so as to securely fit around a chair back. The second loop of the device is placed over the chair back with the proximal end of the second loop arranged across the distal side of the chair back, opposite of the proximal side where a person would sit and rest their back. The second loop is then tightened by the means to adjust the circumference of the loop so as to fit securely around the chair back.
The first loop and sling are pulled up and over the headrest so that the first loop is arranged across the headrest and arranged so that the distal side of the first loop lies on the distal side of the chair back and the sling lies on the proximal side of the chair back while the lateral sides if the first loop drape over the headrest. When utilized with a seat, the wearer's mandible is placed in the sling for support. The lateral ends of the sling extend upward from the mandible so as to provide lateral and rotational stability to the head. By using the full height of the seat back, embodiments of the device allow the first loop to remain closer to vertical as it extends upward from the sling.
Alternatively, the head support is comprised of a sling possessing a drawstring extending from the first and second sides of the sling and through a plurality of drawstring fasteners through which two loops are created. The drawstring may comprise a drawstring loop which is a continuous conjoined drawstring along which a plurality of drawstring affixing means are utilized to securely bring a first drawstring side and a second drawstring side together so as to create at least two loops; two separate drawstrings which originate from each side of the sling and which run parallel to each other so as to create a plurality of loops, the first of which encompasses the chair back. The first drawstring fastener is arranged so as to create a first loop by pulling the two sides together so as to affix and secure the headsling around the chair back. The first drawstring fastening means is configured to tighten the drawstring about the chair back. The first drawstring fastening means is intended to tighten against and stop adjacent to the proximal side of the chair back, i.e. the seating surface.
A second loop is formed between the distal side of the chair back and the sling. The length of the second loop is adjustable to accommodate different length requirements. The distal end of the second loop is integrated with the sling. The sling and second loop passes over the head rest of the chair for engagement with the wearer's chin drawstring fastener.
When not being used, the sling acts as a pouch to store the straps or drawstrings which comprise the first loop and second loop. In one embodiment, the sling is deployed by inverting the pouch to reveal the soft, distal side of the sling. The sling possess a means for fastening so as to seal the pouch with the straps inside. In an embodiment, the first loop is affixed to the sling so that the point of affixation will lie within the pouch formed when the sling is inverted and sealed. In a further embodiment, the straps or drawstrings used in the first loop are elastic to accommodate the comfort of the wearer.
In other embodiments of the device, the sling has spring powered reels at each end. The spring power reels carry within them straps, which have clips at their ends. The straps may be made of cord, cable, or any suitable tensile material. After a loop is placed around the seat back and adjusted to be sufficiently snug to maintain its position on the seat. The straps are extended from spring powered reels and the respective clips attached to the loop. The straps pass up over the top of the seat back and present the sling at the front side of the seat back. The spring powered reels can be locked maintain the straps at a set length, or the spring powered reels may be allowed to keep tension in the straps. In some embodiments, the spring powered reels are enclosed in the ends of the sling and the straps exit the ends of the sling. Buttons on the spring powered reels are accessible through the sling to lock or unlock the spring powered reels.
Also disclosed herein is a collapsible garment which expands to form a cocoon in which a person may relax while in a seated position. The cocoon acts as a blanket within which a traveler may seek comfort and refuge while sitting on an airplane, train, bus, or similar means of transportation. The garment is preferably comprised of a thin material such as a synthetic material like nylon or vinyl, but may also be comprised of natural fabrics such as cotton. Ideally, the garment will be soft, and be capable of retaining a traveler's body's heat so as to create a comfort zone in which the wearer resides.
The garment possesses an internal surface and an external surface, a front, left and right sides, a neck covering which transitions from the chest and back into a hood to cover the wearer's head, tube-like arm coverings, and at least one leg pouch, but alternatively two leg pouches, in which the wearer's legs are inserted. In an alternative embodiment, the garment is lined on the internal surface. The liner is intended to enhance the comfort of the wearer. The liner is preferably intended to enhance softness but may also increase warmth in a further alternative embodiment.
The garment possesses an open back through which the wearer may enter the cocoon while seated, preferably feet first. The garment's open back preferably transitions to a closed back across the shoulders and legs. The wearer then inserts their arms into the arm coverings. The arm coverings are tube-like and enclose the length of the wearer's arms when inserted therein from the back of the garment. The arm coverings possess proximal and distal ends. The distal ends of the arm coverings are preferably configured with elastic so as to enclose the wearer's arms.
In an embodiment, a pouch is integrated into the outer surface of the garment's chest to provide for storage. Preferably, the pouch is utilized to enclose the garment when collapsed. When collapsed, the garment can be rolled up and folded so as to facilitate its entry into the pouch for storage.
When combined with a headsling, it forms a traveler's comfort kit which is employed by a traveler for the purpose of finding comfort while traveling. The kit may be entirely contained within a single pouch or alternatively within separate pouches. The pouch is sealed by a pull drawstring fastener to keep the pouch closed.
Additional utility and features of the invention will become more fully apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following drawings, which illustrate some of the primary features of embodiments of the head support apparatus.
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It is to be understood that the embodiments and arrangements set forth herein are not limited in their application to the details of construction and arrangement of the components set forth in the description and illustrated in the drawings. Rather, the description and the drawings provide examples of the embodiments envisioned, but the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments. The embodiments disclosed herein are further capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways, including various combinations and sub-combinations that may not have been explicitly disclosed. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting the claims.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which the application and claims are based may be readily utilized as a basis for the design of other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the embodiments and claims presented in this application. It is important, therefore, that the invention be regarded as including such equivalent constructions.
This application is a utility application which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 62/295,491, filed on Feb. 15, 2016. The entire disclosures contained in the specification and figures for U.S. Provisional Application 62/295,491, including the attachments thereto, are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62295491 | Feb 2016 | US |
