TRAVEL SUPPORT DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING HEAD OF HUMAN WHILST IN A SITTING POSITION |
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申请号 | EP16162201.4 | 申请日 | 2016-03-24 | 公开(公告)号 | EP3072420B1 | 公开(公告)日 | 2018-08-29 |
申请人 | Symms, Kays Kanyie; | 发明人 | Symms, Kays Kanyie; | ||||
摘要 | A travel support device is provided supporting a head of a human whilst in a sitting position. The travel support device comprises a top portion, a bottom portion, and a middle portion extending from the top portion to the bottom portion. The top portion comprises a head cradle (2) for receiving the head of a human, and the bottom portion comprises a bottom edge (1) for resting upon the thighs of the human whilst the human is in a sitting position with the head of the human received in the head cradle (2), the middle portion transmitting the weight of the head to the thighs. A dip (7) in the middle portion is for receiving the head or the buttocks of the human when the travel support device is positioned in an alternate orientation relative to the human. | ||||||
权利要求 | |||||||
说明书全文 | The present invention relates to travel support device for supporting the head of a human whilst in a sitting position. It is well recognized that the sedentary traveling process can be tedious and uncomfortable, with the most prevalent issues being the inability to rest or sleep comfortably in an upright sitting position, having comfortable and appropriate seating, or having surroundings that offer a general purpose worktop. When sleeping or resting in an upright position, the only solace for the traveler may be a reclining chair or leaning against an adjacent surface without conforming cushioning. However, when reclining chairs or supportive surfaces are unavailable, the individual is more than likely to experience discomfort. As the person enters a state of sleep, the muscles relax, and the torso and neck are unable to structurally function as per normal. Thereafter, the body will naturally tend to slump with the head falling forward towards chest or dipping sideways towards either shoulder. Due to the strain, the muscles will eventually begin to ache, causing discomfort to the individual. It has been noted that most of the prior art devices have attempted to resolve this issue, but none have managed to deliver a device that affords full structural support, whilst offering additional functional features. A number of the devices rely on utilizing surrounding structures such as tables, windows, walls, reclining seats, high back chairs or seat restraining straps in order to effectively function. One such device and the most commonly used support is the horseshoe shaped travel pillow that is fitted behind the neck against a chair backrest. The horseshoe pillow provides minimal support by only enabling the head to rest in a backwards-reclined position, but does not prevent forward tilting motion support for the user. In vehicles, seat belt restraints have been fitted with cushioned wrap-around devices that have proved ineffective, because they only provide support on the side that the restraint is located and the user is unable to rest in any other position. The following cited references refer to the most pertinent prior art in relation to the present head, neck and torso support aspect of the present invention. Another issue associated with travel, is the lack of comfortable seating, mostly experienced with chairs that have little or insufficient cushioning. Furthermore, some seats have no backrests or arm rests to support the traveller. Also, safety belt restraints in standard motor vehicles are only appropriate for individuals of a particular height and if that height criterion were not met, the traveler would not be appropriately fastened. Therefore, certain motor vehicles, airplanes or other modes of transport would require some short travelers use height booster seats, for the safety restraints to effectively work. Lastly, there are instances when travelers require a flat surface to write, eat or work on, which are not always available. Some modes of transportation have fold down trays provided in tandem seating, but there are instances when such implements are absent or may not be convenient to have one. In all scenarios, support devices such as pillows, individual height booster seats, support cushions, foldaway or portable trays and desks are used to achieve the desired comfort when travelling. A journey with all the various individual travel devices can be inconvenient and take up a lot of space. Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a travel device with multiple functions that solves one or more of the abovementioned problems. According to the invention, there is provided a travel support device for supporting a head of a human whilst in a sitting position. The travel support device comprises a top portion, a bottom portion, and a middle portion extending from the top portion to the bottom portion. The top portion comprises a head cradle for receiving the head of a human with a front side of the travel support device facing forwardly in a same direction as the human. The middle portion comprises a front section extending from the top portion to the bottom portion at the front side of the travel support device, and a back section extending from the top portion to the bottom portion, at an opposite side of the middle portion from the front section, wherein the back section has a dip which reduces a thickness of the middle portion between the front and back sections at the dip. The bottom portion comprises a bottom edge for resting upon the thighs of the human whilst the human is in a sitting position with the head of the human received in the head cradle, the middle portion transmitting the weight of the head to the thighs. The head cradle is a cut-away in the top portion, the cut-away being centered at half-way across a width of the travel support device and in a top edge of the travel support device, the top edge being opposite from the bottom edge. The dip is a substantially circular depression in the back section, for receiving the head or the buttocks of the human when the travel support device is positioned in an alternate orientation relative to the human. When used as a travel pillow in a seated position, the travel support device is placed between the user's thighs and lower jaw, extending along the sides of the neck adjacent the shoulders, enabling the head and upper torso to be fully supported in an upright posture. The head is cradled allowing the user to rest in a forward incline. The weight compression between the thighs and lower jaw enable the device to remain in place. The device limits head movement to within the cradle, permitting the head to freely rest in a forward incline, while still being able to adjust it left to right, and also, in a sideways tilting motion towards the shoulders without the need to use the hands or additional aides. When the traveler is resting upright and the muscles are relaxed, the device becomes a secondary support for holding up the back and neck skeletal system, preventing the body from leaning or slumping. The travel support device is portable, so that it can easily be carried around during travelling, and may be sized for children or adults. Optionally, the travel device may further be used as, a conventional pillow, a seat support cushion for comfort and/or elevation and a portable serviceable desk when placed on the thighs. Advantageously, the dip in the back section allows the travel support device to be used in a variety of different positions with respect to the human body, beyond the positioning of the device between the head and thighs. The dip may for example be in the middle of the back section. The ergonomic design of the device allows it to be used in various positions. For example, the dip in the device can be positioned in a number of ways behind an individual's head against a vertical or horizontal surface, to support the user while seated or laying down. The device may be used as a sitting cushion for additional comfort or for increasing the sitting height of the user, and the dip may form a comfortable and stable area of the cushion for the individual to sit in. Accordingly, the travel support device is a multi-functional device. The dip may provide a concave surface in which the head or buttocks can rest. The travel support device may be formed as a singular, or in other words unitary, body. Accordingly, there may be no need for any straps or supports for the travel support device to function. The travel support device is ideal for use in multiple positions on any sitting surface with or without a backrest or even a reclining chair, without the need for additional device or structures. The singular body may be contoured to define the top, middle and bottom portions. The cut-away is positioned half way along the width of the device, i.e. centrally, at the top of the device. Optionally, the cut-away may be a semi-circular cut-away for optimum comfort and support, and to complement the shape of the lower jaw and lower face. The travel support device is ideal for use in multiple positions on any sitting surface with or without a backrest or even a reclining chair, without the need for additional device or structures. The top portion may further comprise two arm extensions which extend backwardly away from the head cradle, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the extension of the middle portion from the top portion to the bottom portion, for locating over respective shoulders of the human. Substantially perpendicular in this context means within 45 degrees of perpendicular. The arm extensions enable some of the weight of the head to be distributed onto the shoulders, and simultaneously provide a new support for the head to tilt sideways. Accordingly, the travel support device may support the head, neck and torso of a person resting or sleeping in a sitting position, allowing the head to rest in a forward and/or sideways leaning position. The arm extensions may be symmetrical to one another. Preferably, the arm extensions seamlessly emerge from the tops of the head cradle, the tops forming opposing sides of the cut-away in the head portion. A width direction of the travel support device extends perpendicular to the extension of the middle portion from the top portion to the bottom portion, and perpendicular to the thickness of the middle portion between the front and back sections. The widths of the top, middle, and bottom portions may be substantially the same as one another. The thickness of the middle portion all along the width of the middle portion at the bottom portion, and optionally all along the width of the middle portion at the top portion, may be greater than the thickness at the dip. Preferably, the front section is planar, or in other words flat, at the front side of the travel device. Then the front side can stably rest against other flat surfaces, and may be used as a desktop. For example, if the back section is laid upon the thighs of an individual in a sitting position, with the arm extensions closely positioned next to one thigh, then the planar front section of the device can be used as a multi-purpose workable surface, or a functional portable desk, for writing, eating or other general uses requiring a flat supporting surface. Advantageously, the travel support device may comprise a storage compartment located between the head cradle and the bottom edge, which is accessible from either the front section, back section, or bottom edge. Therefore, the device may be used to help carry item(s) around with an individual whist travelling. The travel support device may be encased in a removable and washable cover. Preferably, the cover conforms to the shape of the travel support device, and is made of a soft material for comfort against the skin of the individual using the device. The travel support device may be fitted with shoulder straps between each arm extension and the bottom portion, and the straps may assist in carrying the device or be used to further secure the device whilst in use as a support pillow. The travel support device may be housed in a housing of a rucksack or backpack type bag, the housing being an approximately cuboid shaped housing located between shoulder straps of the bag and a main bag storage compartment of the bag. Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of non-limiting example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The drawings are not to scale, and same or similar reference numerals denote same or similar features.
Hereinafter, the features and advantages of the present invention will be explained with reference to This permits the individual to rest the lower jaw and face in a forward inclined position at any point on the cradle, keeping the user's backbone approximately straight, preventing the upper body from slumping while rested, and also permits the individual to rest either side of the head in a tilted sideways position at any point on the arm extensions, keeping the user's backbone approximately straight, preventing the upper body from slumping while rested. The device may be maintained in the desired position by the compression of the middle section between the head and thighs, and anchoring of the arm extensions over the individual's shoulders for additional support and weight distribution. The pillow device props up the head, neck and torso of the user when the muscles are relaxed. The bottom edge of the device 1 is placed on both the thighs, whilst the head cradle 2 is placed under the lower jaw. The weight compression between the two points enables the support device to remain in place without additional aides. The device props up the user's head while secured on the thighs enabling the back to remain approximately straight in its natural position and preventing the upper body from slumping. The device can be used on any surface with or without a backrest without the need for additional aides. The bottom edge of the device 1 is relatively straight to conform to the shape of both the top of the thighs. The cradle 2 is semicircular to conform to the lower jaw and to permit the head to rest comfortably at any point of the cradle. The cradle 2 seamlessly merges with the arm extensions 4 which extend along both sides of the buccal region, neck and below the ear, terminating adjacent to the back of the shoulders. The arm extensions merge with the top of the cradle at a perpendicular angle of 90°; however it should be noted that there is scope to adjust the angle to within 45° and 135°. The arm extensions 4 enable the user to rest the side of the head either to the left or right towards the shoulder. The head may be tilted towards any point on the top of the arm extensions 5, whilst the lower portion of the arm supports 6 are anchored on top of the shoulders. The arm extensions 4 create support between the head and the shoulder preventing the head from tilting to an uncomfortable degree when the user is rested. The arm extensions 4 are also designed to distribute some of the weight from the neck onto the shoulders when the head is held in the cradle 2, preventing the neck muscles from straining or stiffening due to supporting the entire upper body for prolonged periods. By anchoring the device on the shoulders, it enables the shoulders to absorb some of the weight away from the neck and spreading it onto a much broader and stronger region. The device may also be used as a conventional pillow as represented by In addition, The contoured middle dip 7 on the back is preferably rounded, square, or circular in shape with a maximum depth of between 1cm and 4cm, and a diameter of between 7cm and 40cm end to end. Its composition permits the head to be accommodated from any direction that the travel device is used whilst also serving as support for the buttocks as next described. The contoured middle dip 7 may also be used for buttock support when utilized as a seat support The user has the option of tilting the head onto the adjacent surface or into the cradle 2, or sideways onto the arm extensions 4. On the arm extensions, the head can be placed on the top portion of the arm extensions 5, with the lower portion 6 anchored on the shoulders. Furthermore, as shown in The overall stated dimensions of the device are scalable in relation to the user's physical size, that is, height and weight. The size can be adjusted proportionally according to the dimensions of the individual in keeping with the device measurements. The travel support device may be constructed with preferably any light weight material that enables the formation of a unitary rigid frame-like structure, such as moldable polymers, carbon fiber, foam, rubber or air, that allows the user to be appropriately supported when the device is positioned between the head and the thighs, can also be used as a portable desk and support seat. In addition, a combination of softer materials and rigid materials may be used to manufacture the travel device making it rigid enough to prop up the upper body yet soft enough to be comfortable on the thighs, lower jaw and face. For added comfort, the manufacturing process can incorporate softer materials to line the bottom 1, cradle 2 and arm extensions 4. The device may be one solid structure, or may be wholly or partially hollow, dependent on the materials used and additional features included in the device. The methods and materials of manufacture are not exhaustive and other variations of approaches will be used in keeping with the principal idea. In another embodiment, a collapsible version of the device is introduced that can be filled with gases, water or beads via regulation valve or spout located on either the sides, bottom or back of the device which would not impede with the user. When not in use, the contents of the device can be removed via the valve or spout making it compact and easy to store. The bag has overall dimensions of between 20cm Length x 10cm Width x 10cm Depth and 65cm Length x 50cm Width x 50cm Depth. The general storage compartment 13 of the bag may be manufactured in either fabric material such as canvas, leather, cotton, and CORDURA®, or in hard shell material such as polycarbonate, polypropylene or carbon fiber. The travel device storage compartment 12 and the straps 14 are preferably manufactured with durable flexible fabric material. It should be noted that other materials may be used, and the aforementioned materials are not exhaustive. In another embodiment, the travel device has a fitted conforming cover that is both removable and washable. The cover can be fitted from the top of the device beginning on the arms 4 and channeled down to the bottom 1. The conforming cover may be elasticated, fitted with a zip or a drawstring at the bottom 1, to keep it secure. The cover may also feature open pockets for storage at the front 3, the sides or the back 7 of the travel device. The cover may be manufactured with a number of soft materials such as foam, polar fleece, or wool; however, other soft materials may be used and the materials list is not exhaustive. It is to be understood by persons skilled in the art that even though reference is made to a specific support and multi-purpose travel device, any variations of this invention which utilize the features described are to be considered part of this invention, within the scope of the accompanying claims. |