Therapeutic headrest device

A head support device to be used in cooperation with a treatment table for humans such as a chiropractic or therapeutic table. The head support device provides a comfortable support for a patient's head during therapy, wherein the head support device includes a baseplate of polygonal shape having at least four sides, including two opposing, longer sides and opposing top and bottom sides. The bottom side includes an opening that allows airflow to a patient when face-down on the table. The baseplate includes a pair of flanges connected to the opposing longer sides of the baseplate and extending upward from the baseplate within a range of 20 to 90 degrees. Attachment structure coupled to the head support device enables attachment of the head support device to the treatment table. A patient controlled pressure adjustment mechanism is attached to the pillow to permit the patient adjust air pressure to a desired comfort level. A second pillow having a medial hinged section is suspended from the baseplate.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
1. Field of Invention 
This invention relates to a device to be used in cooperation with a massage 
or chiropractic table, tanning bed, medical treatment table, or other 
support structure in which a comfortable surface for a patient's head is 
provided as he/she is undergoing therapy. Specifically, the invention 
provides a head support apparatus that supports a pillow on which the 
patient's head can rest in face-down orientation while still permitting 
normal breathing. 
2. Prior Art 
During therapy it is necessary that the patient be in a prone position on a 
massage table, thereby allowing the medical attendant to work on him with 
maximum efficiency. The patient usually lays on the massage table in 
either a face-down or face-up position depending on the work being done by 
the medical attendant. Early tables included a facial opening within a top 
surface that would allow the patient to lay on the table in a face-down 
position with his face in the opening. The location of the opening within 
the perimeter of the table often limited the medical assistant from 
complete access to the patient's head and neck. 
Discomfort to the patient on this earlier table and the lack of 
accessibility of the patient's head and neck to the medical attendant led 
to the use of an attachable head support device at the table end. The head 
support device protrudes from the top end of the table. This protruding 
device is a planar plate member that supports a pillow and positions the 
pillow at approximately the same lateral plane as the table. 
This prior art headrest included a plate with attachment means which was 
coupled to the massage table. Generally a pillow rests freely and 
unattached on the plate and can be changed at any time. A problem that 
exists with the freely resting pillow support is that the pillow lacks 
lateral stability. As the patient is moving the pillow may slide off the 
base support and cause the patient's head to contact the hard plate that 
supports the pillow. Despite this risk and inconvenience, such freely 
moveable pillows continue to be used to facilitate rapid switching of 
pillows for each new patient. 
Another reason this freely resting pillow is still being used is that the 
height of the pillows can be changed by simply stacking more pillows on 
top of each other. The stacked pillows provide a very comfortable surface 
for the head and effectively raise or lower the height of the head. It is 
important that the head support pillow be versatile, in that the height is 
adjustable due to the different needs of each patient. This height shift 
is necessary, for example, when a patient is shifted from the face down 
position to a face up position, wherein additional height is needed under 
the head. The conventional practice of stacking pillows not only provides 
an insecure head support, but also interrupts the massage or therapeutic 
process because the patient must usually sit up in order to allow the 
medical attendant to change the height of the pillow. 
The support pillows are generally stacked on a head support base which is 
usually attached to the table by using two rods that protrude from the 
head support base and slide into openings in the therapeutic table. These 
sliding rods allow the head support to be adjusted in relation to the 
height of the patient. In order for the attachment means to function 
properly, the distance between the rods must correspond to the distance 
between each hole in the table. Due to the lack of a universally accepted 
size of head support rods, there is sometimes an inconsistency between the 
attachment means of the head support base and the attachment means of the 
therapeutic table, therefore the medical assistant is limited to the type 
of head support he can use by the type of therapeutic table he uses. 
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the invention, therefore, to provide a new head support 
device that provides lateral support to a pillow that is resting on the 
planar plate of the head support device. 
It is a further object to provide an apparatus that allows the patient 
airflow as he is in a face-down position on the pillow. 
It is a further object to provide an apparatus to allow the medical 
attendant to adjust pillow height with minimal movement of the patient. 
It is a further object to provide adjustable attachment means on the head 
support device, thereby allowing the head support device to be used with 
most types of tables. 
These and other objects of the present invention are realized in a head 
support device to be used in cooperation with a chiropractic, therapeutic, 
tanning or similar form of support table. This head support device 
provides a comfortable support for a patient's head during therapy. Part 
of the head support device is formed by a baseplate of polygonal shape 
having four sides, including two opposing, longer sides and opposing top 
and bottom sides. The bottom side includes an opening that allows airflow 
to the patient when face-down. The head support device contains a pair of 
lateral flanges connected to the opposing, longer sides of the baseplate. 
These lateral flanges extend upward from the baseplate within a range of 
20 to 90 degrees. The head support device also contains attachment means 
for connecting the head support device to the therapeutic table. The 
attachment means can be adjusted in relation to the table to provide 
extension positioning, as well as side-to-side positioning. Inflation 
adjustment means are also provided to allow either the therapist or the 
patient to modify inflation levels of the pillow to thereby soften facial 
contact or provide height adjustment. A second height-adjustment pillow is 
suspended from the base plate to enable rapid and comfortable placement 
over the inflatable pillow for further elevation. 
Other objects and features of the present invention will be apparent to 
those skilled in the art, based on the following detailed description, 
taken in combination with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring now to the drawings: 
FIG. 1 illustrates a head support device 10 to be used in cooperation with 
a chiropractic, massage, medical, tanning, or other form of therapeutic 
table. The purpose of the head support device is to provide a comfortable 
support for a patient's head during therapy. The head support device 
comprises a baseplate 15 of polygonal shape having four sides, including 
two opposing, longer sides 21 and opposing top 22 and bottom 23 sides. The 
base plate may include a channel indentation 24 which forms a recession 
for the patient's forehead when thinner pillows are used. Otherwise, a 
flat base plate may be equally acceptable particularly with the use of 
pillows having greater thickness and cushion support. The illustrated 
indentation is approximately one-half inch. 
The bottom side 23 includes an opening 16 that allows airflow to patient 
when face-down on a therapeutic table. It should be noted that although 
the opening 16 is depicted in a rectangular shape, other configurations 
may be equally useful. For example, a half elliptical opening could be 
used which would more nearly conform to the shape of the patient's face. 
It is to be understood, therefore, that the representation of a particular 
geometry for the base plate opening is not intended to be limiting. 
Similarly, the baseplate comprises a trapezoidal shape with the top side 
being longer in length than the bottom side. This likewise is merely one 
example of desirable structure. 
The head support device also contains a pair of flanges 30 connected to the 
opposing longer sides 21 of the baseplate. The flanges extend upward from 
the baseplate within a range of twenty to ninety degrees. The preferred 
inclination is approximately 45 degrees. This is favored because the 
flange also serves to block a patient's head from rolling over the edge of 
the pillow 17. Although this may not be a problem in general medical 
applications, the use of the present invention as part of massage therapy 
is designed to produce extreme relaxation. If the patient feels any sense 
of position insecurity, he will be reluctant to totally relax and will 
frustrate the work of the therapist. For example, if the patient's head is 
slightly teetering on the pillow edge, and there is not sense of lateral 
support, the patient will maintain some muscle tension in his neck to 
facilitate a quick recovery just in case the head starts to move toward 
the edge. This defeats the efforts of the therapist, who is trying to get 
total relaxation so that he can massage the muscles in a relaxed 
condition. 
Furthermore, there is less risk of injury when the flange is inclined, with 
the face portion directed toward the patient rather than the edge 31. When 
inclined, any contact tends to be at the flat face 32 of the flange, 
rather than on the sharper edge 31. When positioned at a more vertical 
orientation, the edge 31 becomes the point of initial contact with the 
patient's head, and could cause injury, depending upon the force of the 
contact. 
The actual length of the flanges will depend upon the anticipated inflated 
height of a pillow 17 which is supported on the base plate 15. Generally, 
the length should be approximately equal to the pillow when inflated. It 
should also be noted that the length will be a function of configuration 
of the flanges. For example, if the flanges are arcuate in convex fashion, 
rather than planar, the length may need to be slightly longer. Such an 
arcuate geometry is illustrated in phantom line 33, and offers less risk 
of adverse contact with the edge 34 of the flange. 
The flanges 30 also serve to prevent lateral movement of a pillow that 
rests on the baseplate 15, thereby maintaining the pillow 17 in an 
appropriate position. Attached to the baseplate 15 are pieces of velcro 18 
or other attachment means, to further secure the desired position. The 
pillow may also be banded to the base plate with straps, however, these 
tend to cause discomfort to the patient's face. The use of lateral flanges 
facilitates the use of less rigid attachment means between the pillow and 
base plate because of the lateral support provided by the flanges. 
The pillow 17 also contains an opening 40 that is placed over the opening 
16 in the baseplate. The openings in the pillow 40 and in the baseplate 17 
provide an air passage to the patient as he is in a face-down position. On 
the top rim of the opening in the pillow 40 is an indentation 41 that 
extends toward the center of the opening. The indentation is used to 
support the forehead in a pocket which tends to cradle the head in greater 
comfort. This may be formed by a vertical wall 42 within the volume of the 
pillow which will produce indentation 42 across the pillow. 
The opening within the pillow 40 provides a comfortable support for face in 
a face-down position. The opening allows the nose and mouth to be 
positioned within the opening. The rim 43 of the opening in the pillow 
provides support to the cheek bones, the chin and the forehead. The rim 25 
of the supporting base plate complements this support to give the patient 
a sense of security and comfort, without any breathing restriction. When a 
towel is wrapped around the pillow for sanitary purposes, the opening 16 
formed within the surrounding towel can be scented with medications that 
may be appropriate for patient inhaling. 
To further secure the position of the pillow about the chin of the patient, 
a fastening means such as a snap 29 can be applied near the bottom of the 
pillow to join the opposing extended 27 and 28. This ensures that the face 
of the patient will remain cradled within the opening 40. Other fastening 
means may likewise be used in place of the disclosed snaps. 
The present invention is particularly well suited for use with an 
inflatable pillow. Such a pillow has the ability to expand or contract in 
accordance with the medical assistant's needs. The present invention 
includes the use of a pumping circuit which enables the patient to adjust 
the inflation to his desired level of comfort. Prior use of inflatable 
pillows required the degree of inflation to be set prior to therapy. If 
the pillow was highly inflated, it becomes stiff and uncomfortable. 
Although a patient may prefer less air pressure, there was no convenient 
mechanism to allow adjustment of this air pressure. Furthermore, the 
pillow may lose some pressure during therapy. Rather than disturbing a 
comfortable massage, the patient will typically ignore the uncomfortable 
pressure loss, instead of raising his head while the pillow is 
re-inflated. 
The present invention includes an air pressure adjustment mechanism that 
allows the therapist to quickly add or release air from the pillow for 
specific height adjustment. Similarly, the patient may reach from his 
inclined position and modify the air pressure without interfering with the 
activities of the attendant. In this manner, the inflation is set to the 
exact comfort level by the patient. This involves no need to communicate 
with the attending medical person or to interrupt the therapy. 
The pillow is connected to a pumping mechanism 50 by means of a hollow tube 
51, which is fed through a cleft 52 within the baseplate 15 and finally 
hooked to a valve 53 that allows the pumped air to enter into the pillow. 
The pumping system utilizes a pressure pump/release device similar to that 
applied to blood pressure cuffs. This includes the compressible bulb 55 
and the attached detente valve 53 which enables the user to release air 
from the pillow my merely pressing the button/valve 53 combination. With 
this attached pumping system, the patient can grasp the bulb in one hand 
while laying in a relaxed position face down, and either increase or 
decrease the pillow air pressure. The medical attendant need have no 
involvement with this operation. 
Positioned on the pillow is another valve, a pressure release valve 54. 
This pressure release valve provides a safety mechanism against 
over-expansion of the pillow. When the pressure of the air within the 
pillow is equal or greater than a specific pressure which is preset into 
the pressure release valve 54, the valve will automatically release air 
from the pillow. The safety release valve may also allow the medical 
attendant to release the air from the pillow when desired. 
An additional pillow 60 hangs from the head support device by a strap 61. 
This pillow is preferably of foam rubber composition, but may also be 
inflated with air. The pillow 60 is used to raise the height of the head 
support device in one step by stacking the second pillow 60 on the 
inflatable pillow 17 which is already resting on the head support device. 
This is generally required when a patient moves from his front to a back 
position. Generally, the patient's head needs to be raised one to two 
inches when resting on his back. 
Prior art techniques have required the attendant to leave the patient to 
secure this second pillow, creating a momentary break in the therapy. The 
present invention places the second pillow in immediate access to the 
attendant. At the point of need, the attendant merely reaches under the 
head support device and moves the pillow to the superimposed position as 
shown by the phantom lines 56. 
A further unique feature of the present invention is provided by the slit 
or groove 57 constructed within the foam insert of the pillow. Although 
the groove 57 is substantially unnoticeable to the patient, it facilitates 
sliding the pillow under the patient's head without a need for raising the 
head any more than the thickness of the pillow. Without the groove 57, the 
stiffer pillow 60 would be pivoted around the end of the head support 
device in its flat configuration. If the strap were left in place, the 
patient's head must be raised a substantial distance to allow the pillow 
to follow an arched path into the flat position shown in FIG. 2. With the 
groove, the pillow 60 can be positioned by bending it around the end of 
the head support device and sliding it into position. 
This groove 57 also allows the pillow to be folded in half when desired, as 
illustrated in FIG. 2. This configuration takes less space. The 
interconnecting structure 63 which joins the two halves of the pillow 60 
also acts as a hinge to allow the medical assistant to slide the hanging 
pillow 60 along the arched path and under the patient's head, thereby 
minimizing the movement of the patient and effectively raising the height 
of the patient's head. 
The head support device of the present invention may be adapted for 
attachment to all forms of therapeutic tables. These may include those 
with bracket or clamp attachment mechanisms, or with the interlocking 
rod/insert configuration as illustrated. In accordance with the preferred 
embodiment, protruding from the bottom side 23 of the baseplate are two 
adjustable rods 70. These rods slide into two holes in the therapeutic 
table for rigid attachment. 
To facilitate use with tables of different configuration, the preferred 
embodiment of the present device incorporates laterally adjustable rods. 
Specifically, the distance between the rods can be adjusted by four 
sliding clamps 71. The length between the rods can be adjusted by 
loosening the clamps and then sliding the rods to the desired position and 
re-clamping the rods to the baseplate. The range of the distance between 
the rods is five inches to fifteen inches. The adjustable rods make the 
head support device compatible to most of the therapeutic tables in 
existence. 
One means for providing the slidable structure is to form tracks or slots 
72 in push-out tabs cut directly into the base plate 15. Where the device 
is formed of a single construction in which the lateral flanges are bent 
end sections of a single plate, the openings for the slots, as well as the 
cuts for the tabs can be accomplished with a single pass of the cutting 
die. This enables the fabrication of the device with a single piece of 
metal. The lateral adjustment tabs 73 remain in the plane of the base 
plate 15, as the flange sections are bend upward to the desired 
inclination of 45 degrees. 
Alternatively, the rods could be formed with inwardly bent ends as shown in 
phantom line 80 in FIG. 3. These rods could be rotatably anchored to the 
base plate so that variable mounting widths 81 could be matched by merely 
adjusting the degree of rotation of the rods at the base plate, enabling 
selection of the correct separation distance. 
An alternate configuration for attachment is shown in FIG. 4. This 
embodiment enables mounting the support device laterally. A C-channel 90 
and channel insert 91 are respectively attached to the joining ends of the 
support device 92 and table 93. The figure illustrates the C-channel 
attached to the baseplate at a forward end, with the channel insert being 
affixed to the end of the table. This configuration enables the headrest 
to be slidably emplaced from the side of the table, offering an advantage 
of lateral position adjustments. 
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other variations of 
structure can be envisioned with respect to the foregoing disclosure. For 
example, the attachment means may also comprise two clamps 75 coupled to 
the bottom side of the baseplate, which can be clamped onto the 
therapeutic table. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the scope of 
the present invention is intended to cover equivalent constructions which 
are comprehended within the following claims.