Headrest cover

A headrest cover for a headrest frame wherein the headrest cover has a connector with clips for securing the headrest cover to the headrest frame to prevent torsional motion of the headrest cover with respect to the headrest frame. The connector on the headrest cover further has stop members in contact with the ends of the headrest frame to prevent longitudinal motion of the headrest cover with respect to headrest frame.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates generally to the area of medical equipment, 
and more particularly, to a cover for a surgical headrest which is 
removably mounted to a headrest frame. 
2. Discussion of the Related Art 
Various pieces of therapeutic or other medical equipment require support 
for the patient's head. Such support is typically provided by a metal 
headrest frame for supporting the head and a headrest cover removably 
attached to the frame for receiving the head. One cover, manufactured and 
sold by the assignee of the present invention, is comprised of a gel 
filled pad having a VELCRO.RTM. strip on the back of the pad which joins 
with a mating VELCRO.RTM. strip attached to the headrest frame. In use, 
the forces applied to the headrest cover by the head of a patient during 
use have an undesirable tendency to rotate or shift the headrest cover 
with respect to the headrest frame. The tendency of the headrest cover to 
rotate or shift represents a potential disruption to the procedure being 
undergone by the patient, and further represents a potential discomfort to 
the patient. In addition, the VELCRO.RTM. strips have a disadvantage of 
being difficult to clean and sterilize for subsequent use. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
To overcome the disadvantages of existing headrest designs, the invention 
provides a headrest cover which is more positively secured to the headrest 
and is easier to clean and sterilize for subsequent use. 
The invention is especially suited for use with a headrest frame 
mechanically connected to the end of a table or other patient support. The 
headrest frame is comprised of two L-shaped frame members having their 
shorter sides joined together to form a U-shaped headrest. The headrest is 
oriented such that the joined short sides of the L-shaped frame members 
are directed outwardly from the patient support and the long sides of the 
L-shaped frame members are directed inwardly toward the patient support. 
Each of the frame members is curved to correspond generally to the 
curvatures of a human head. The support receives the patient's head such 
that the top of the head is supported at the junction of the short sides 
of the L-shaped frame members. 
According to the principles of the present invention and in accordance with 
the described embodiments, headrest covers are attached to each of the 
L-shaped frame members. Each of the headrest covers is comprised of a pad 
for supporting a patient's head and a connector attached to the lower 
surface of the pad. The connectors have mechanisms for mounting and 
securing the headrest covers on their respective frame members. Each 
connector has first and second clips on an outside lateral edge at outer 
and inner ends, respectively, which hook over an outer and upper edge of 
the frame member thereby mounting the headrest cover on the frame member. 
The first lateral edge of the connector extends around the outer edge of 
the frame member. 
Each of the connectors includes a stop member located on the outer end of 
the connector which extends around the outer end of the respective frame 
member thereby preventing the headrest cover from sliding toward the inner 
distal end of the frame member, that is, toward the patient support. Each 
of the connectors has a third clip located on an inside lateral edge of 
the inner end of the connector and opposite the first clip, thereby 
securing the inner distal end of the respective frame members between the 
first and third clips. 
Each of the connectors may include a fourth clip on the inside lateral edge 
at the outer end of the connector which hooks over the inside edge of the 
outer end of the frame member thereby securing the frame members at the 
outer end between the second and fourth clips. Each of the connectors has 
a second stop member at its inner end which extends around the inner end 
of the respective frame members to prevent the headrest cover from sliding 
toward the outer end of the frame members, that is, away from the patient 
support. The inside lateral edge of each of the connectors extends 
partially around the inside edge of the frame members. 
An advantage of the headrest cover of the present invention is that the 
clips on the connector secure the headrest cover in place against 
rotational movement with respect to the frame member. In addition, the 
stop members secure the headrest cover against longitudinal motion with 
respect to the frame member. The clips have the advantage of permitting 
the headrest cover to be easily slid on and off the outer end of the frame 
member. The connector for the cover does not require any mating pieces 
such as a VELCRO.RTM. strip on the frame member. The pad and connector of 
the present invention have the further advantage of being easily cleaned 
and sterilized for subsequent use. 
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become 
more readily apparent during the following detailed description taken in 
conjunction with drawings herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
FIG. 1 illustrates the headrest cover of the present invention as utilized 
with a patient support. The headrest cover 10 is mounted on a headrest 
frame 12 connected to the end of a table, or patient support 14. The 
headrest cover 10 is generally configured to comfortably receive a 
patient's head 16, and the headrest frame 12 is structurally designed to 
support the head 16. As shown in FIG. 2, the headrest frame 12 is 
comprised of two L-shaped frame members 18 and 20 having their shorter 
sides joined together to form a U-shape. The headrest cover 10 is oriented 
such that the joined short sides of the L-shaped frame members are at an 
outer end directed away from the patient support 14, and the long sides of 
the L-shaped frame members have distal inner ends directed toward the 
patient support 14. Each of the frame members 18 and 20 is curved to 
correspond generally to the shape of a human head. The headrest frame 1 2 
receives the patient's head 1 6 such that the top of the head is supported 
at the junction of the short sides of the L-shaped frame members at the 
outer end 17 of the headrest frame 12. 
The first (left) and second (right) frame members 18 and 20 are mirror 
image twins of each other; that is, they are dimensionally identical but 
with opposing left-hand and right-hand geometries. Therefore, the headrest 
cover 10 includes first (left) and second (right) headrest covers 21 and 
23 which are connected to their respective frame members 18 and 20. 
Similar to the frame members 18 and 20, the first and second headrest 
covers 21 and 23 are mirror image twins having identical dimensions but 
opposite lefthand and right-hand geometries to match left-hand and 
right-hand geometries of their respective frame members. FIGS. 1 and 2 
illustrate the structural details with respect to the first headrest cover 
21 and FIGS. 4-6 illustrate the structural details of second headrest 
cover 23. However, except for their mirror image distinctions, first and 
second headrest covers 21 and 23 are identical. 
Referring to FIGS. 2-6, the headrest covers 21 and 23, have gel filled pads 
24, each having an upper pad surface 26 for comfortably receiving the head 
16 and a lower pad surface 28. Each of the headrest covers include a 
connector 30 with an upper connector surface 32 connected to the lower pad 
surface 28. Each connector 30 has a lower surface 34 in sliding contact 
with an upper surface 36 of its respective frame members 18, 20. Referring 
to FIG. 3, each connector 30 further has an outside lateral edge 38 
extending from an inner end 40 of the connector to an outer connector end 
42. An inside lateral edge 44, opposite outside lateral edge 38, extends 
between the inner and outer ends 40 and 42, respectively, of the 
connector. As shown in FIG. 5, the outside and inside lateral edges 38 and 
44, respectively, extend partially over the outside and inside edges 46 
and 48, respectively, of the respective frame member. The outside and 
inside lateral edges 38 and 44 of the connector 30 are approximately 
parallel to the longitudinal centerline 39 of the connector 30, as shown 
in FIG. 3. 
A first clip 50 is located on the outside lateral edge 38 of each connector 
30 proximate the inner connector end 40 and extends from the outside 
lateral edge 38 around the outside edge 46 and over the lower surface 37 
of the respective frame members 18, 20 (FIGS. 2 and 6). A second clip 52 
is located on the outside lateral edge 38 of each connector 30 proximate 
its outer end 42. The second clip 52 extends from the outside lateral edge 
38 around the outside edge 46 and over the lower surface 37 of the 
respective frame members 18, 20. 
Given the posture of the patient's head 1 6 with respect to first and 
second frame members 18 and 20 shown in FIG. 1, placing the head 16 on the 
headrest covers 21, 23 will result in inwardly directed torsional forces 
between the headrest covers 21, 23 and the frame members 18 and 20. 
Consequently, there will be a tendency for the headrest covers 21, 23 to 
twist in an inward and downward direction, designated by arrow 53 in FIG. 
4, generally perpendicular the longitudinal centerline of the frame 
members. The clips 50 and 52 mount the headrest covers 21, 23 on the frame 
members 18, 20 in a manner to prevent inwardly directed rotational motion 
of the headrest covers 21, 23 with respect to the frame members 18, 20. 
The frame members 18, 20 have an outer frame end 17 proximate the upper 
portion of the head 16 and an inner frame end 56. Each connector 30 
preferably further includes a first stop member 58 extending from the 
outer connector end 42 between the inside and outside lateral edges 38 and 
44, respectively. The stop member 58 extends along an edge of the outer 
end 17 of the respective frame members 18, 20 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. 
Depending on the patient activity, the patient may have a tendency to move 
in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the patient 
support 14. Such motion will have a tendency to move the headrest covers 
21, 23 along the longitudinal axis of the frame members 18 and 20. The 
stop members 58 are effective to prevent longitudinal motion of the 
headrest covers 21, 23 toward the inner end 56 of the frame members 18, 20 
that is, toward the patient support 14. 
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, each connector 30 preferably further comprises a 
third clip 60 located on the inside lateral edge 44 proximate the inner 
end 40 of the connector 30. The third clip 60 extends from the inside 
lateral edge 44 around the inside edge 48 and over the lower surface 37 of 
the respective frame members 18, 20. The third clip 60 is effective to 
secure the inner ends 56 of the frame members 18, 20 between the first and 
third clips 50 and 60 thereby preventing torsional motion of the headrest 
covers 21, 23 in either direction with respect to the frame members 18, 
20. 
As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6, each connector 30 preferably has a second 
stop member 62 extending from its inner end 40 between the first and third 
clips 50 and 60. The second stop member extends along an edge of the inner 
end 56 of the respective frame members 18, 20 and is effective to restrain 
longitudinal motion of the headrest covers 21, 23 toward the outer end 17 
of the frame members 18, 20 that is, away from the patient support 14. 
FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative fourth clip 64 located on the inside 
lateral edge 44 of the connector 30 proximate its outer end 42. The fourth 
clip 64 extends from the inside lateral edge 44 around the inside edge 48 
and over the lower surface 37 of the respective frame members 18, 20. The 
fourth clip is effective to further secure each headrest cover to its 
respective frame member by capturing the frame member between the second 
and fourth clips 52 and 64, respectively. 
The connector 30 may be thermal formed from ABS plastic material having a 
starting gage in the range of from 0.040 inches (1 mm) up to 0.062 inches 
(1.6 mm). The second and fourth clips 52 and 64 have flexibly resilient 
tabs 68 and 70, respectively, that may be bent or moved away from the 
lower surface 34 of the connector 30. However, upon releasing the tabs 
they spring back to their original position with respect to the lower 
connector surface 34. The clips 50 and 60 are preferably substantially 
longer than the clips 52 and 64; however, they may be the same length. 
While clips 50 and 60 have the same flexibly resilient characteristics, 
preferably they are substantially more rigid than the clips 52 and 64. The 
upper surface 32 of the connector 30 may be bonded to the lower surface 28 
of the pad 24 with an ABS cement. 
The mounting of the headrest covers on their respective frame members is 
identical and is described with respect to headrest cover 21. Headrest 
cover 21 is mounted on the frame member 18 by positioning first ends 66 
and 67 of the first and third clips 50 and 60, respectively, adjacent the 
inner end 56 of the frame member 18 with the surfaces 34 and 36 adjacent 
each other. Next, the inner end 56 of the frame member 18 is inserted 
between and within the first and third clips 50 and 60, respectively, of 
the connector 30. The headrest cover 21 is then moved longitudinally 
relative to the frame member 18 toward the outer end 17 of the frame 
member 18. That motion engages the inner end 56 of the frame member 
between and within the first and third clips 50 and 60, respectively, 
thereby securing the inner end 40 of the connector, and hence that end of 
the headrest cover 10, with respect to the inner end 56 of the frame 
member 18. 
Next, the tab 68 of the second clip 52 is flexed outwardly away from the 
upper surface 32 of the connector 30. The tab 68 is then moved around the 
outside edge 46 of the frame member 18 and over the lower frame surface 
37. That step secures the first end 42 of the headrest cover to the outer 
end 17 of the frame member 18. In a similar manner, the tab 70 of the 
fourth clip 64 is bent outwardly away from the lower surface 34 of the 
connector 30 and thereafter moved around the inside edge 48 and over the 
lower surface 37 of the frame member 18, thereby further securing the one 
end 42 of the headrest cover 21 to the outer end 1 7 of the frame member 
18. 
While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of 
embodiments, and while the embodiments have been described in some detail, 
it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit 
the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and 
modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. For 
example, preferably, the connector is constructed with the first, second 
and third clips 50, 52 and 60, respectively, and the first and second stop 
members 58 and 62, respectively. The second stop member 62 may be removed. 
The fourth clip 64 may be added. The extent to which the inside and 
outside lateral edges 38 and 44, respectively, of the connector extend 
along the inside and outside edges 48 and 46, respectively, of a frame 
member can vary with different designs. The lengths and stiffness of the 
clips may vary. The extent to which the clips extend over the lower frame 
surface 37 may vary. The stiffness and resiliency of the clips 52 and 60 
may differ from the clips 52 and 64. The invention in its broadest aspects 
is therefore not limited to the specific details shown and described. 
Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing 
from the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept.