GB2128879A

GB2128879A - Neck support

Info

Publication number: GB2128879A
Application number: GB08328412A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas Charles Martin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-10-27
Filing date: 1983-10-25
Publication date: 1984-05-10
Also published as: GB8328412D0

Abstract

A device for providing support to the neck and lower portion of the head of a person seated in a chair having a back rest, consists of a U-shaped support including a rear portion and two parallel forwardly extending side portions, the inner walls of the rear and side portions being contoured to the shape of the neck. The rear portion may have a flat outer surface for resting against the seat back rest; it may be releasably attached to the back rest by means of pieces of fabric 7 attached to the outside of the rear portion of the device, one piece of fabric passing over the top of the back rest. In alternative arrangements the device may be attached to rods slidably located in the back rest and adjustable for height, or to a cranked arm whose ends are pivotally connected to slides engaging in runners in the back rest. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Necksupport The present application relates to a device for supporting the neck and head of a person when in the sitting position.

When a person sits in a chair or other seat and assumes a relaxed position, in particularwhen falling asleep, it is common forthat persons head to fall forward or sideways; if sitting in a moving vehicle the head may rock, e.g. from side to side with the movement of the vehicle. Such movements place a considerable strain on the gristly tissues between the vertebrae in the neck and as a result iead to stiffness, soreness and neck disorders.

The problems of neck disorders are particularly acute with long distance travellers in aeroplanes or coaches and with the elderly, orthe disabled who are confined to wheel chairs for long periods of time.

There therefore exists a need for a device to support the neck and head and maintain the correct position when relaxing andlorsleeping in a sitting position.

I have developed a support device for supporting the neck and lower portion of the head of a person, comprising a rearsupport portion and two forwardly extending side support portions spaced apart to receive the neck of a person therebetween, the thickness of the device being sufficient to provide supportforthe neck and base of the head and the inner walls ofthe rear and side supports being continuously contoured to the shape ofthe back of the neck.

The person may be on a seat and the support then forms part of the back rest of the seat.

Preferablythe axes of the forwardly extending side supports are parallel and extend at right angles from the rear support.

The rear portion may be provided with releasable means for attachment to the backrest of the chair, which means may be rigid, e.g. shaped bands, or flexible, e.g. in the form ofupwardly and downwardly extending pieces of cloth attached to the rear portion of the support device. The support device may be attached to the backrest by means consisting of one or more rods extending slidably into the back rest of the chairforvertical adjustment. The support may be pivotally attached to the rod oF rods so that it may be moved into and "outofthe way" position, e.g. with the side portions directed upwardly.

The invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa diagrammatic representation of a plan view of one support device according to the present invention and Figure2 is afrontviewofthe device offigure 1.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a support of the present invention mounted on the backrest of a seat and in the "in use" position, Figure 4 is a diagrammatic representation of a front view of a further method of mounting a support of the present invention and is shown in the "out of use" position.

The necksupportofthe present invention comprises a rear portion 1 having a flat outsidesurface 6 from which extends two side portions 2 and 3. The inner walls 4 and 4a of the side sections 2 and 3, and the innerwall 5 ofthe rear portion 6 are contoured to the shape of a persons neck and lower portion of the head.

The thickness of the rear portion 1 (between inner and outer surfaces 5and 6) is sufficient to maintain the neck of a person sitting in a chair in a substantially upright condition. Two pieces of material 7 and 8 are attached to the outer surface of the rear portion 1 and are intended to be draped overthe back rest 9 of a chair. When the support is used in conjunction with a chair covered with a fabric, the friction between the pieces of material 7 and 8 and the fabric ofthe chair will normally be sufficient to allow the support to be positioned for use on the backrest without additional means of attachment.

When not required the support can be moved onto the top portion of the back of the chair into an out of the way position in which position the side supports 2 and 3 extend upwardly ofthe said back of the chair.

As indicated previously the cloth chair attachment portions 7 and 8 may be replaced by bands, e.g. ofthe plastics material attachedtothe outersurface 6 ofthe rear portion 1 and hooked to fit over the backrest of the chair.

In the embodiment offigure 3 the support is attached to the chairthrough rods 10 and 11 which are slidably retained in the backrest 12 in orderthatthe height of the support may be varied as required.

Additionallythesupportmay be pivotally attached to rods 10 and 11 to allowtheside support portions2 and 3to be moved into an upwardly extending condition i.e. the support moved into an "out of use" position.

In the embodiment of figure 4 a support 20 is retained in a recess 14formed in the backrest 13 of a chair. In this "out oef use" position the lower surface of the support is flush with the backrest The support 20 is mounted on a cranked arm 14the ends of which are pivotally attached to slides 16 and 17 which in turn frictionally engage in runners 18 and 19 located in the backrest 13. When required for use, the support 20 is pulled down into the horizontal position, the cranked arm 14 pivoting about slides 16 and 17. The heightof the support maythen be varied by moving the slides 16 and 17 up runners 18and 19.

The support is preferably constructed of a light flexible material, such as foamed rubber, and is preferably covered with a softfabric, although leather, pvc or other plastics materials may be employed.

1. A device arranged to provide supportforthe neck and lower portion of the head of a person, comprising; a rear support portion and two forwardly extending side support portions spaced apart to receive the neck of a person therebetween, the thickness of the device being sufficient to provide supportforthe neck and the base of the head and the inner walls of the rear and side supports being continuously contoured to the shape ofthe back ofthe neck.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Necksupport The present application relates to a device for supporting the neck and head of a person when in the sitting position. When a person sits in a chair or other seat and assumes a relaxed position, in particularwhen falling asleep, it is common forthat persons head to fall forward or sideways; if sitting in a moving vehicle the head may rock, e.g. from side to side with the movement of the vehicle. Such movements place a considerable strain on the gristly tissues between the vertebrae in the neck and as a result iead to stiffness, soreness and neck disorders. The problems of neck disorders are particularly acute with long distance travellers in aeroplanes or coaches and with the elderly, orthe disabled who are confined to wheel chairs for long periods of time. There therefore exists a need for a device to support the neck and head and maintain the correct position when relaxing andlorsleeping in a sitting position. I have developed a support device for supporting the neck and lower portion of the head of a person, comprising a rearsupport portion and two forwardly extending side support portions spaced apart to receive the neck of a person therebetween, the thickness of the device being sufficient to provide supportforthe neck and base of the head and the inner walls ofthe rear and side supports being continuously contoured to the shape ofthe back of the neck. The person may be on a seat and the support then forms part of the back rest of the seat. Preferablythe axes of the forwardly extending side supports are parallel and extend at right angles from the rear support. The rear portion may be provided with releasable means for attachment to the backrest of the chair, which means may be rigid, e.g. shaped bands, or flexible, e.g. in the form ofupwardly and downwardly extending pieces of cloth attached to the rear portion of the support device. The support device may be attached to the backrest by means consisting of one or more rods extending slidably into the back rest of the chairforvertical adjustment. The support may be pivotally attached to the rod oF rods so that it may be moved into and "outofthe way" position, e.g. with the side portions directed upwardly. The invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa diagrammatic representation of a plan view of one support device according to the present invention and Figure2 is afrontviewofthe device offigure 1. Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a support of the present invention mounted on the backrest of a seat and in the "in use" position, Figure 4 is a diagrammatic representation of a front view of a further method of mounting a support of the present invention and is shown in the "out of use" position. The necksupportofthe present invention comprises a rear portion 1 having a flat outsidesurface 6 from which extends two side portions 2 and 3. The inner walls 4 and 4a of the side sections 2 and 3, and the innerwall 5 ofthe rear portion 6 are contoured to the shape of a persons neck and lower portion of the head. The thickness of the rear portion 1 (between inner and outer surfaces 5and 6) is sufficient to maintain the neck of a person sitting in a chair in a substantially upright condition. Two pieces of material 7 and 8 are attached to the outer surface of the rear portion 1 and are intended to be draped overthe back rest 9 of a chair. When the support is used in conjunction with a chair covered with a fabric, the friction between the pieces of material 7 and 8 and the fabric ofthe chair will normally be sufficient to allow the support to be positioned for use on the backrest without additional means of attachment. When not required the support can be moved onto the top portion of the back of the chair into an out of the way position in which position the side supports 2 and 3 extend upwardly ofthe said back of the chair. As indicated previously the cloth chair attachment portions 7 and 8 may be replaced by bands, e.g. ofthe plastics material attachedtothe outersurface 6 ofthe rear portion 1 and hooked to fit over the backrest of the chair. In the embodiment offigure 3 the support is attached to the chairthrough rods 10 and 11 which are slidably retained in the backrest 12 in orderthatthe height of the support may be varied as required. Additionallythesupportmay be pivotally attached to rods 10 and 11 to allowtheside support portions2 and 3to be moved into an upwardly extending condition i.e. the support moved into an "out of use" position. In the embodiment of figure 4 a support 20 is retained in a recess 14formed in the backrest 13 of a chair. In this "out oef use" position the lower surface of the support is flush with the backrest The support 20 is mounted on a cranked arm 14the ends of which are pivotally attached to slides 16 and 17 which in turn frictionally engage in runners 18 and 19 located in the backrest 13. When required for use, the support 20 is pulled down into the horizontal position, the cranked arm 14 pivoting about slides 16 and 17. The heightof the support maythen be varied by moving the slides 16 and 17 up runners 18and 19. The support is preferably constructed of a light flexible material, such as foamed rubber, and is preferably covered with a softfabric, although leather, pvc or other plastics materials may be employed. CLAIMS

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the person is on a seat and the support forms part of a back rest ofsaid seat.

3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the axes ofthe forwardly extending side supports are parallel and extnd at right angles from the rear support.

4. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the rear portion ofthesaid devicehas a substantially flat outer surface and in use is located againstthesaid support.

5. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the device is releasably attached to the said support.

6. A device according to claim 5 as dependent on claim 2 wherein the rear portion of the device is provided with releasable means for attachmentto the said back rest.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein the reieasable means are in the form of rigid shaped bands for location over the top of the said back rest.

8. A device according to claim 6 wherein the releasable means comprises upwardly and downwardly extending pieces of cloth attached to the rear portion of the said device, one portion of the said cloth extending down the back rest and the other portion extending overthetop ofthe back rest.

9. A device according to claim 5 as dependent on claim 2wherein the device is attached to the said back rest by means consisting of one or more rods slidably extending into the back rest for vertical adjustment.

10. Adevice according to claim 9wherein said device is pivotally attached to the rod or rods for movement into an "out of the way" position.

11. A device suitable for supporting the neck and lower portion ofthe head of a person substantially as herein described with reference to figures 1 and 2,3 or 4 of the drawings.