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Description  |
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The present invention relates to an apparatus useful as a headrest. More
particularly, the invention relates to a headrest for use in conjunction
with a seat having a back and a head support extending upwardly from the
seat back.
Since the mid 1970's, private passenger vehicles, such as automobiles,
trucks and the like, in the United States have been required to have seats
equipped with head supports. In general, these head supports extend
upwardly from the top of the seat back. These head supports may be an
integral part of and extend upwardly from the top of the seat back, or may
be adjustable and located on one or more rods which extend upwardly from
the top of the seat back. In any event, these head supports are designed
to reduce the severity of head and neck injuries which often occur as the
result of "whiplash" in vehicular accidents.
The following U.S. Patents were reviewed during the course of preparing
this application: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,206,945; 4,165,125; 4,074,373;
4,042,278; 3,578,383; 3,129,975; 2,983,310; 2,461,880; and 1,935,685.
Because of the design of the seat and/or the upwardly extending head
support and/or the posture of the seated driver/passenger, these head
supports are rarely used except in the event of an accident. People who
travel in vehicles equipped with such head supports, particularly those
who travel long distances, find little or no relief in these head supports
from tiredness and head/neck muscle fatigue which often results from such
travel. Thus, there is a clear need for a headrest system for use on
seats, in particular vehicle seats.
Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide a headrest for
use in conjunction with a seat having a back, in particular a seat in a
transportation vehicle. Other objects and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent hereinafter.
An apparatus useful as a headrest in conjunction with a seat having a back
with a latitudinal (cross wise as opposed to up and down) axis and a head
support extending generally upwardly from the seat back has been
discovered. In general, the apparatus comprises pillow means defined by
mutually opposing end walls, a curved sidewall and an opposing, preferably
substantially flat, sidewall and adapted to be removably secured to the
head support so that the head or neck of a human person seated in the seat
contacts the curved sidewall. In one broad aspect, the apparatus further
comprises at least one securement means affixed to the opposing sidewall
of the pillow means and is capable of being placed around the head support
substantially transverse of (i.e., substantially perpendicular to) the
latitudinal axis of the seat back to removably secure the pillow means to
the head support. In another broad aspect, the apparatus further comprises
at least one securement means affixed to the pillow means and capable of
being placed around the head support substantially parallel to the
latitudinal axis of the seat back to removably secure the pillow means to
the head support.
The present invention provides substantial advantages. For example, the
present apparatus provides firm neck/head support to ease the start-stop
head motion caused by travel on crowded freeways and streets. The present
headrest is particularly useful for individuals who spend substantial
amounts of time driving or riding in automobiles. This support and comfort
is easily provided while taking advantage of a modern safety feature,
i.e., the head support, of automobiles and trucks. Also, by reducing the
stress and muscle fatigue commonly associated with driving vehicles, the
present headrest itself is a safety feature. In addition, this headrest is
portable and can be in conjunction with various vehicles. In summary, the
present apparatus is structured relatively simply, is easy and inexpensive
to manufacture, makes use of an existing safety feature in vehicles, and
provides additional comfort and safety, particularly to those persons who
spend substantial amounts of time driving/riding vehicles.
The present pillow means is preferably at least partially, more preferably
substantially totally, filled with resilient material to provide a
cushioning effect to the head/neck of the person using it. This resilient
material is preferably formed in the shape of the pillow means and covered
with an outer, more preferably ornamental, covering or cover made, for
example, of designer fabric. This outer covering can be customized with
regard to color, material of construction, fabric design and the like to
suit the desires of the individual user and/or to match the interior of
the vehicle in conjunction with which the headrest is to be used. The
cover preferably includes an opening means adapted to be opened, as
desired, to provide access to the inner portion, e.g., the resilient
material, of the pillow means. For example, the opening means may involve
a conventional zipper device. Such ready access allows for easy cleaning
or replacement of the inner portion, as desired. Also, the inner portion
and the cover can be separately cleaned or replaced, if desired.
Preferably, the opening means is located on or near the substantially flat
sidewall of the pillow means. This is preferred so that the opening means
does not come into contact with the neck/head of the person using the
present headrest.
Any suitable resilient material or combination of such materials may be
employed in the present pillow means. Examples of such resilient materials
include foam rubber, sponge, polyurethane foam and the like. Polyurethane
foam is a preferred resilient foam since this material is durable, easy to
shape, fire resistant and is relatively easy to clean.
The shape of the pillow means is important. The opposing, preferably
substantially flat, sidewall provides a stable surface contacting the head
support of the seat when the present head rest is secured to the head
support. The preferred substantially flat contact surface reduces any
extraneous and unwanted movements of the headrest when it is in use and,
in addition allows the present headrest to be used in conjunction with
variously shaped head supports. On the other hand, the curved sidewall is
more conducive to contact with a person's head/neck. Preferably, the
curved sidewall is defined by a substantially uniform convex surface. This
convex surface "fits" or cradles the person's head/neck as contact is
made, thus increasing the comfort provided by the headrest. More
preferably, the curved sidewall is defined by substantially one-half of a
right, circular cylindrical surface.
In one embodiment, the present securement means is preferably affixed, more
preferably permanently affixed, to the opposing, preferably substantially
flat sidewall of the pillow means. In one specific embodiment, the present
headrest comprises two securement means each of which is affixed to a
different location on the substantially flat sidewall. Each of these
securement means preferably comprises a first strip containing hooks and a
second strip containing loops. The hooks and loops are adapted to engage
together when the first and second strips are placed around the head
support to removably secure the pillow means to the head support. For
example, such first and second strips may comprise Velcro hooks and Velcro
loops, respectively. Such strips are particularly useful when the
securement means is to be placed around the head support in a direction
substantially transverse to (perpendicular to) the latitudinal axis of the
seat back, i.e., the axis through the side-to-side dimension of the seat
back.
The securement means is preferably sized so as to be incapable of being
placed around the body of the seat back, i.e., the seat back below the
head support.
In a specific embodiment, the securement means comprises at least one, and
preferably only one, loop of a elastic material and is preferably affixed,
more preferably permanently affixed, to the substantially flat sidewall of
the pillow means. Elastic materials, such as natural rubber, synthetic
rubber, and the like, may be used to construct such loop or loops. Such
loop or loops of elastic material are particularly applicable when the
securement means is to be placed around the head support in a direction
substantially parallel to the latitudinal axis of the sat back.
These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention are set
forth in the following detailed description and claims, particularly when
considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like
parts bear like reference numerals. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is an illustration showing an embodiment of the present headrest in
use.
FIG. 2 is a front side perspective view, partly in cross-section, of the
headrest shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a plan view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a back plan view of the headrest in FIG. 1 shown in conjunction
with an alternate head support.
FIG. 5 is a back side perspective view of the headrest shown in FIG. 1.
When headrest 10 is removably secured to either adjustable head support 34
or stationary head support 42, as discussed above, it provides a very
convenient place to rest one's head during long periods of driving or
riding in an automobile 44, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Headrest 10 takes
advantage of head supports, such as 34 and 42, which are conventionally
included in transportation vehicles as safety devices to protect against
head/neck whiplash injuries. While such built-in head supports are
substantially effective in whiplash situations, they are often not
properly located to serve as headrests under normal driving conditions.
Headrest 10 acts to allow one to rest his/her head under normal driving
conditions. Such headrest 10 is removably secured to the head support, it
is portable and can be removed and used in other vehicles, as desired. The
cover 28 of headrest 10 can be chosen from a great variety of fabrics,
patterns and designs to suit the individual user. In short, the present
headrest provides comfort and portability with little or no structural
complexity, while being attractive and pleasing to the eye.
Headrest 10 is shown in the drawing used in conjunction with two types of
head supports commonly employed in automobiles.
In FIGS. 1 and 3, headrest 10 is shown in use with an adjustable head
support 34 which extends upwardly from seat back 36 and is secured to seat
back 36 by rod 38. The position of head support 34 is adjustable up and
down relative to seat back 36. In this use, first and second hook/loop
fastener combinations 20 and 22 are wrapped around head support 34 and
secured in place by engaging the hooks and loops of each of combinations
20 and 22, respectively, together. Combinations 20 and 22 are wrapped
around head support 34 in a direction substantially transverse, or
perpendicular, to the latitudinal axis of seat back 36, represented by A
in FIG. 3.
In certain situations, automobiles and other vehicles employ a seat
back/head support construction as shown by the shadow lines in FIG. 4.
This alternate seat back 40 includes a stationary, relative to the
position of seat back 40, head support 42 which is an integral part of
seat back 40, extending upwardly from the main body of seat back 40. In
these situations, elastic band 24 is placed around head support 42 in a
direction substantially parallel to the latitudinal axis of seat back 40,
represented by B in FIG. 4. Elastic band 24 is sized so that when it is
placed around head support 42 headrest 10 becomes removably secured to
head support 34. Elastic band 24 is sized so as to be incapable of being
placed around the body of seat back 40. Elastic band 24 is also sized so
as to be capable of being placed around head support 34 in a direction
substantially parallel to the latitudinal axis of back seat 36.
Referring now to the drawing, a headrest, shown generally as 10, includes a
half-right circular cylindrical front surface 12, a substantially flat
back surface 14, and mutually opposing substantially flat side surfaces 16
and 18. Permanently affixed to back surface 14 are first and second
hook/loop fastener combinations, e.g., Velcro strips, 20 and 22. Also
permanently affixed to back surface 14 is an elastic band 24. Only one of
the fastener combinations 20, 22 or elastic band 24 need be present on any
one headrest 10. However, in order to increase the usefulness of headrest
10, both fastener combinations 20, 22 and elastic band 24 may be present.
Headrest 10 is filled with a preshaped polyurethane foam element 26 which
provides the desired resilience to headrest 10. An ornamental cover 28 is
fitted over foam element 26 to give headrest 10 an attractive appearance.
The design or pattern and fabric or fabrics used for cover 28 may be
individually chosen based on the desires of the user and/or the interior
of the vehicle in which headrest 10 is to be most often used. Thus,
headrest 10 may be constructed of materials which are customized to any
one of a great number of specific situations. Cover 28 includes a
zipper-like opening/closing mechanism 30 located across flat back surface
14, as shown in FIG. 5. Mechanism 30 allows access to foam element 26,
e.g., for cleaning or replacing foam element 26. Mechanism 30 is covered
by a flap 32 which acts to protect mechanism 30 and to remove mechanism 30
from view during normal use of headrest 10.
While this invention has been described with respect to various specific
examples and embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not
limited thereto and that it can be variously practiced within the scope of
the following claims.
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