GB2327603A - Collapsible headrest with sunshade - Google Patents

Abstract

A combined head rest and sunshade device 10, comprising a stand 12 pivotally connected to a head rest 11 with the pivot connection 23 between them arranged such that the angle of inclination of the head rest is adjustable and the device can be collapsed with the head rest lying substantially parallel to the stand. The sunshade 40 is pivotally attached to the headrest and located above the headrest to provide shade.

Description

COLLAPSIBLE HEADREST WITH SUNSHADE The present invention concerns the field of garden or beach furniture and relates in particular to devices which allow the user to recline in comfort during sunbathing or while relaxing.

Sun loungers are well known pieces of outdoor furniture which allow a user to recline outdoors in comfort. While some types of sun lounger are foldable they are, however, bulky and unwieldy to carry around, for example to a beach. It is usual for a sunbather simply to carry a towel and possibly a cushion when it is desired to sunbathe away from home, such as at the beach. The sunbather lies upon the towel and uses the cushion to provide a support for the head. This method of providing comfortable reclining support is simple and convenient.

However, there are many circumstance where the cushion does not provide the required support, or cannot be made comfortable. For example, when the sun bather is reading a book, or keeping an eye on children under his or her care it may be desired to prop the head up more than is possible with a cushion alone.

Furthermore, because of the risk of premature wrinkling and skin cancer, many people prefer not to have their face exposed to too much sun, and for this reason they may cover their face with a towel or a hat while sun bathing. These are rather uncomfortable arrangements which prevent the passage of any breeze available to cool the face of the sunbather. They also prevent the sunbather from reading or simply watching the world go by as they sunbathe.

EP-A-0202862 discloses a combined head rest and sunshade in which the head rest lies on a surface and the user places his or her head on a cushion provided on the head rest and a sun shade is hingably connected to the head rest so that the sun shade can be located above the head rest to provide shade or can lie flat against the head rest to provide portability.

US patent number 4100633 discloses a combined head rest and sunshade in which the head rest is equipped with a pillow and integral radio and the sun shade is telescopically attached to the head rest and is provided on an underside thereof with a book holder permitting hand-free reading during sunbathing.

UK-A-2242356 discloses a combined cushion and sun shade in which the sunshade is located on a vertical strut above the cushion.

All of the aforementioned prior art documents disclose devices in which a sunbather can rest his/her head on a pillow and may be provided with simultaneous shade from the sun. However they suffer from the disadvantage that the head rest lies directly on the ground giving a head position which is inconvenient for keeping an eye on children or the scenery in general and which may be uncomfortable after prolonged use.

UK patent specification number 707,953 discloses a combined head rest and sun shade in which a head rest is supported above the ground and under a collapsible canopy. The head rest is pivotally attached to a stand via wing nuts which may be loosened and tightened to permit a change in the incline of the head rest with respect to the ground. This device permits the position of the head of the user to be varied so that he/she can find the most comfortable or convenient orientation. This device is however rather uncomfortable because the front lip of the head rest can painfully abut the neck of the user.

UK-A-2283414 discloses a combined headrest and sunshade in which the head rest is in the form of a foam wedge which carries a collapsible sun shade thereabove. This device suffer from only permitting single, inclined head orientation which may not be the optimum for some users.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a combined head rest and sun shade with improved versatility and comfort for the user.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a collapsible combined headrest and sunshade device comprising: (i) a headrest portion comprising a head support pivotally connected to a stand portion which is adapted to permit location of the head support in one or more inclined configurations with respect to a sunbathing surface upon which the device is placed, and (ii) a sunshade portion pivotally attached to the head rest portion and locatable above the head support so as to provide shade therefor, wherein the pivotable connection between the head support and the stand is arranged at a front end region of the head support so that the head support can be folded to lie substantially parallel on the stand portion or can be inclined from the stand portion to form one or more wedge configurations.

The head support may comprise a generally rectilinear planar member, preferably provided on an upper surface thereof with a cushion or pillow. The pillow is preferably detachable from the planar member for cleaning. The planar member may comprise a wooden framework.

The stand portion may comprise a generally rectilinear frame or bracket which, in use, lies parallel to and on the sunbathing surface.

The head support and stand portion may be pivotally connected by means of one or more hinges between respective front end regions thereof.

The stand portion may further comprise one or more struts which are lockable in one or more positions between the frame of the stand portion and the head support to space the frame of the stand portion from the head support in the respective inclined wedge configurations.

The sunshade may comprise a generally rectilinear frame.

Preferably the frame is provided with a webbing of material which provides the bulk of the shade.

The sun shade may be attached to the headrest by means of one or more arms. The arms are preferably each provided with one or more lockable pivots permitting folding of the sun shade relative to the headrest. In one embodiment each arm is provide at an each opposite end region thereof with respective pivots, one between the sunshade and one between the headrest. In this way considerable flexibility of sunshade orientation and location may be given.

The lockable pivoting connections may be provided by wing-nut and bolt combinations.

The sunshade, head support and stand portions are preferably of similar general rectilinear plan so that the folded device forms and easy to carry flat rectilinear article. The device may be provided with a carry handle and/or tie to keep the device folded.

Alternatively, or in addition, there may be provided a bag into which the folded device may be slid for transport and storage when not in use.

The device may be included in a full length sun-bed for a reclining sunbather. In this case the sun-bed is preferably foldable for storage and portability. In a preferred arrangement the full length support comprises a plurality of support frames each of which carry flexible material suspended thereacross to provide support for a user when placed on the ground. Each frame is preferably foldably connected to its neighbour.

The sun shade webbing material may be chosen to exclude substantially particular wavelengths of light. In particular the material may comprise a UV filter. In one embodiment the flexible material comprises a woven cotton textile.

Following is a description by way of example only and with reference to the figures of the drawings of methods of putting the present invention into effect.

The drawing is a perspective view from one side of a headrest and sunshade according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The head rest 10 comprises a head support portion 11 pivotally connected to a base portion 12. The base portion comprises first and second elongate square section base members 13 and 14. The base members are mutually parallel and spaced apart by a rear transverse dowel 15 which extends between rear end portions of the base members, and a front transverse dowel (not visible in the drawing) which extends between front end portions of the base members. Respective upper surface portions of each base member are machined with three spaced apart parabolic grooves 20, 21 and 22. These grooves are formed such that the steep portion of each groove is located at a rear end portion of each groove. Front end margins of each base member upper surface carry a hinge member 23 attached by screwing into the underlying base member.

The head support portion 11 of the headrest sun shade comprises two square section elongate support members 24 and 25. The support members are mutually parallel and spaced apart by a rear transverse dowel 26 which extends between rear end portions of the support members, and a front transverse square section support rod (not visible in the drawing) which extends between front end portions of the support members. A second square section support rod 27 extends between the respective support members about one quarter in from rear ends of the support members. The two rods and the portions of the support members located between them together define a rectilinear frame. Eight rectangular section slats (not visible in the drawing) extend between the front and rear rods. The slats are spaced apart one from another and provide a support structure. The spacing of the slats provides ventilation for the underside of a cushion 28 located on an upper surface of the slats. The cushion is attached to the head support by releasable fabric ties.

The rear end portions of the support members are each provided with a transversely extending bore into which are entered respective bolts. These bolts also enter into respective transverse bores through lower end regions of respective elongate square section sunshade support struts 48,49. The bolts thereby from a pivoting connection between the struts and the head support. The struts may be locked in position by the tightening of wing nuts 51 which retain the struts in position on the bolts.

About halfway along each support member a transversely extending hole is machined. The holes carry respective metal dome-headed bolts 32 which pivotally connect a bracket 33 to the support members. The bracket comprises first and second arms 34,35. A top end region of each arm is provided with a transversely oriented hole which receives the dome headed bolts 32 as described above.

Lower end regions of each arm are connected by a transversely extending dowel 36.

A sunshade portion of the headrest is shown generally as 40 in the drawing. The sunshade portion comprises first and second elongate square section arms 41 and 42. The arms are mutually parallel and spaced apart by a rear transverse dowel (not visible in the drawing) which extends between rear end portions of the arms, and a front transverse dowel (not visible in the drawing) which extends between front end portions of the base members.

A fabric coating 44 is suspended taut between the respective dowels. Rear end portions of each arm are provided with transversely aligned holes (obscured in the drawing) which carry respective bolts 45. The bolts project outwardly from respective sides of the arms. The bolts also pass through upper end portions 46 of square section elongate struts 48 and 49. A wing nut 50 is attached to the end of each bolt so that the respective struts and arms may be tightened together manually.

Lower ends of the struts are pivotally connected to the members 24,25 as described in the foregoing.

During assembly, respective the hinges 23 on the base portion 12 are attached by screwing to the underside of front end portions of the support members 24,25, thereby allowing pivoting of the base portion relative to the support portion about the hinges. The dowel 36 of the bracket is accommodated in respective first, second or third grooves 20,21,22 in the base members so allowing adjustment and locking of the incline of the support portion in three different configurations (and a fourth in which the head support lies flat with the bracket folded). The sunshade portion may adjusted by loosening the wing nuts 50,51 to alter the angle of the sun shade and the forward or rear ward location of the sun shade.

When it is desired to store or carry the sunshade the bracket 33 may be folded lifted from the grooves 21,20 or 22 and folded flat. the wing nuts 50,51 may be loosened and the sunshade folded down onto the head support. In this way the whole device lies substantially flat and is compact and convenient to carry.

The present invention provides an incline-adjustable headrest with combined sun shade, which is adjustable into a wide range of configurations and foldable flat for ease of storage and portability.

Claims (10)

1. A collapsible combined headrest and sunshade device comprising: (i) a headrest portion comprising a head support pivotally connected to a stand portion which is adapted to permit location of the head support in one or more inclined configurations with respect to a sunbathing surface upon which the device is placed, and (ii) a sunshade portion pivotally attached to the head rest portion and locatable above the head support so as to provide shade therefor, wherein the pivotable connection between the head support and the stand is arranged at a front end region of the head support so that the head support can be folded to lie substantially parallel on the stand portion or can be inclined from the stand portion to form one or more wedge configurations.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the head support comprises a generally rectilinear planar member, preferably provided on an upper surface thereof with a cushion or pillow.

3. A device as claimed in 1 or claim 2 wherein the stand portion comprises a generally rectilinear frame or bracket which, in use, lies substantially parallel to and on the sunbathing surface and spacer means are provided to maintain the frame or bracket from the head support.

4. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the head support and stand portion are pivotally connected by means of one or more hinges between respective front end regions thereof.

5. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the stand portion comprises one or more struts which are lockable between the frame of the stand portion and the head support to space the frame of the stand portion from the head support in the respective inclined wedge configurations.

6. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the sun shade is attached to the headrest by means of one or more arms.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the arms are each provided with one or more lockable pivots permitting folding of the sun shade relative to the headrest.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein each arm is provided at each opposite end region thereof with respective pivots, one between the sunshade and one between the headrest.

9. A full length sun bed incorporating a device as claimed in any preceding claim.

10. A device substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in the drawing.