Abstract:
A head bed having a head cushion adapted to extend in an inclined position on the upwardly-facing top surface of a support adjacent an edge of the support, and an upper torso cushion adapted to hang down across the edge of the support.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to device on which a sitting person can rest his or her head to sleep or just take a rest. 
     2. Prior Art 
     Various head rests have been proposed heretofore for use by a person in a sitting position. 
     For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,315,282 to Lowery et al discloses a trapezoidal headrest pillow with an inclined top face on which a person can rest his or her head on the border of a central opening in the pillow. Other head rests for the same general purpose are shown in Cowgur U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,185 (a lap-supported inflatable pillow) and Sparks et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,472 (lap-supported, stacked, pillow-like components). 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a novel head bed, for use by a person seated next to a support, that provides both a cushion for a person&#39;s head and a cushion for the region of the person&#39;s body just below the neck (hereinafter referred to as the “upper torso.”) 
     A principal object of this invention is to provide a novel and advantageous portable head bed that provides a more complete and comfortable cushioning arrangement for person sitting next to a support, such as a table or desk, or steering wheel of a vehicle with a head cushion of the head bed positioned on an upwardly-facing top surface of the support, and an upper torso cushion hanging down across the edge of the support. 
    
    
     Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a head bed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevation of this head bed taken from the lower side of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an end view taken from the left end of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevation of this head bed taken from the upper side of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the head bed; 
     FIG. 6 is an end view taken from the right end of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a man resting his head and upper torso against the present head bed positioned on a table top. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Before explaining the present invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the particular arrangement shown and described since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. 
     As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, the head bed of the present invention comprises: an upper torso cushion in the form of a generally flat, elongated lower segment  10 ; a head cushion in the form of a slightly longer face-engaging segment  11  that inclines upward from the lower segment  10 ; a vertically short front platform segment  12  below the lower end of the head cushion  11 ; and a higher rear platform segment  13  below the upper end of the head cushion  11 ; and flexible, readily bendable, vertically thinner, connecting segment  14  joining the upper torso cushion  10  of the head bed to the lower end of its head cushion  11 . The head bed presents a transverse groove or channel  15  above the flexible connecting segment  14 . 
     Platform segments  12  and  13  have respective flat bottom faces  12   a  and  13   a  which are substantially coplanar with one another for engagement with the upwardly-facing top surface of support, such as a table or desk. The top surface of the support preferably is horizontal, as shown for the table top T in FIG. 7, but it may be inclined, also, as in the case of a car or truck steering wheel. 
     The head cushion  11  is formed with a large, generally keyhole-shaped, face opening  16  (FIGS. 1 and 5) that has a rectangular portion  16   a  at its lower end and a wider truncated circular portion  16   b  at its upper end. Opening  16  is shaped and dimensioned to receive most of a person&#39;s face, including the mouth, nose and eyes, so that the person can rest his or her head face-down on the head cushion  11  without feeling nervous or apprehensive. This opening extends from top to bottom all the way through the head cushion  11 , and throughout its entire extent the head cushion  11  is spaced above the table top or other support surface so that the person can breathe freely at the face opening  16 . The face opening is bounded by: a downwardly and inwardly inclined surface  17  at its lower end for supporting a person&#39;s head just below the mouth and at the chin; a downwardly and inwardly inclined surface  18  at its upper end for supporting the person&#39;s forehead; and respective downwardly and inwardly inclined surfaces  19  and  20  along its opposite sides for supporting the respective cheek and temple areas of the person&#39;s head. These sloping surfaces  17 - 20  comfortably support the person&#39;s head at the chin, forehead, and along opposite sides of the face. 
     As shown in FIG. 7, the head bed can bend readily at its vertically thinner connecting segment  14  so that its elongated front segment  10  provides a cushion for the person&#39;s collarbone (clavicle) and the upper part of his or her breastbone (the manubrium of the sternum). This greatly enhances the user&#39;s comfort by providing a cushioning support not only for the head but also for the upper part of the torso, which otherwise might engage the top corner between the table top T or other support and its peripheral edge E. 
     To give it the desired combination of structural firmness and compressible softness for comfortable cushioning support of the person&#39;s head and the upper part of his or her torso, the present head bed may be made of various suitable materials or combinations of them, such as polystyrene foam, foam rubber, or an envelope filled with a suitable gel, air, carbon dioxide, water, or other appropriate substance. The support platforms  12  and  13  may be of firmer construction than the parts of the head bed that engage the person (i.e., the inclined head cushion  11  and the depending upper torso cushion  10 ). 
     The various parts of this head bed are dimensioned to serve their respective functions when used as shown in FIG. 7, for example. In one practical embodiment the upper torso cushion  10  is about 9 or 10 inches long and about 7 or 8 inches wide, and the head cushion  11  is the same width and slightly longer than the upper torso cushion  10 . 
     If desired, the platform segment  13  at the upper end of the head cushion  11  of the head bed may be omitted, in which case the user will place a separate support device under this end to give it the desired elevation above the table top or other support surface. 
     Also, although the integral construction of the head bed disclosed herein is preferred, the flexible connection between the head cushion  11  and the upper torso cushion  10  may be made detachable from one or the other, if desired, for more compact storage of the head bed when not in use. 
     From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, it will be evident that the present head bed is a conveniently portable device that may be placed on any horizontal or inclined upwardly-facing support surface, such as a table top or desk top, to cushion both the upper torso and the head of a person sitting next to the support surface, thereby giving the person a more complete and more comfortable positioning arrangement for resting or sleeping.