Abstract:
The head immobilizer including a planar rack board, wherein the head immobilizer&#39;s rack board removably attached to a back board. The head immobilzer including a right wedge and a left wedge made of thin planar folded material slideably received upon the rack board for clamping a persons head between each of the wedges wherein the wedges including a locking tongue attached to the wedge and corresponding locking grooves defined in the rack board. The tongue engages with the grooves for operably locking the wedge in a preselected groove preventing the wedges from moving away from each other.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM  
       [0001]     This application claims priority from previously filed U.S. Provisional Application 60/618,989 filed on Oct. 18, 2004. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates in general to head immobilization apparatus and more specifically to head immobilization apparatus which are attachable to spine or back boards.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Head immobilization devices are used by emergency medical technicians to secure an injured patients head from movement, especially rotational movements of the head during transport to a medical care facility. Rigid spine and/or back boards are typically used to support the victim who is lifted or transferred onto the board. Stiff pillows or blocks are placed tightly on either side of the victims head and one or more head and/or chin straps are then tightly secured over the pillows to fixedly hold the victims head in place. The pillows or blocks can be selectively placed on the spine or backboard to accommodate different size victims heads.  
         [0004]     Numerous devices have been proposed in the past to perform the function of immobilizing or stabilizing the human head and/or neck for emergency purposes. Such devices are extremely important, particularly in emergency situations and handling of possible fractures of the cervical spine. In the case of industrial injuries, automobile accidents and battle field injuries, it is usually necessary to remove the patient from the injury scene, often under conditions of stress or time pressure for transport to medical facilities. In handling and/or moving the patient has a high risk of aggravation of injuries to the cervical spine if the patients head or neck is not properly immobilized and stabilized for transport. The current devices in use are usually single use or disposable devices made of corrugated cardboard which do not require sterilization after use. It is desirable that such a disposable immobilizer be sturdy, but also inexpensive. Furthermore, the storage capacity of emergency medical vehicles is limited and therefore, it is important that before use the head immobilizer be as compact as possible to minimize the storage space taken up by the devices within the ambulance. It is particularly desirable that head immobilization devices can be stored in the flat condition and unfolded to an operative condition when required.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     A head immobilizer including:  
         [0006]     (a) planar rack board including a means for removably attaching said rack board to a back board;  
         [0007]     (b) a right wedge and a left wedge slideably received upon said rack board for clamping a person head between clamping faces of each of said wedges;  
         [0008]     (c) a means for releasably locking said wedges in preselected positions on said rack board. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     The present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the following drawings in which:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of the present invention a head immobilizer.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of the present invention a head immobilizer showing it together with the head clamped in the device.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a top perspective view of the present invention a head immobilizer shown with the wedges in closer proximity.  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of the head immobilizer shown in  FIG. 1  with the unit in the completely folded position.  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of the head immobilizer with the unit in the partially unfolded position.  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view of the head immobilizer shown in  FIG. 1  in the completely unfolded position with the wedges spaced far apart.  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view of the head immobilizer in the unfolded position with the wedges spaced closer together.  
         [0017]      FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view present invention a head immobilizer with the wedges spaced in a even closer position.  
         [0018]      FIG. 9  is a cross sectional view of the head immobilizer together with a back board showing the head immobilizer mounted onto a back board.  
         [0019]      FIG. 10  is a side elevational view of the head immobilizer together with a persons head clamped into the wedges and the head immobilizer unit mounted onto a back board.  
         [0020]      FIG. 11  is a top plan view of a die cutting pattern of one of the wedges shown in an alternate embodiment in  FIG. 13 , having a fold line D- 118 .  
         [0021]      FIG. 12  is a top plan view of the rack board with fold line B- 72 .  
         [0022]      FIG. 13  is an alternate embodiment of the head immobilizer shown generally as  120  with left and right wedges having a fold line positioned at D- 118 .  
         [0023]      FIG. 14  is a top perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention, a head immobilizer shown general as  120 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 15  is an upright unfolded perspective view of a wedge shown in the assembled condition, not mounted on the rack.  
         [0025]      FIG. 16  is a top perspective view of the back portion of a wedge shown in the folded position, wherein the wedge is folded flat onto itself for shipping purposes.  
         [0026]      FIG. 17  is a top perspective view of the wedge in a partially unassembled condition, showing how the wedge assembles to form a unfolded wedge. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0027]     The present invention a head immobilizer shown generally as  20  in  FIGS. 1 through 10 , includes the following major components, namely; rack board  22 , right wedge  24  and left wedge  26 . Note that right wedge  24  and left wedge  26  are completely interchangeable in that the wedges are identical in construction and shape and can be used as either a left or right wedge on the rack board  22 .  
         [0028]     Right wedge  24  for example, includes the following major components, namely; clamping face  28 , bottom portion  30  a back portion  32  which includes an overlap section  34  which is fastened to back portion  32  with fastening tabs  36  which pass through fastening slots  38  defined in back portion  32 . A person skilled in the art will note that right wedge  24  and left wedge  26  form a triangular shape and cross section with clamping face  28  being a vertical flat plane, and wherein the bottom portion  30  and the back portion  32  serves to support and maintain the upright position of clamping face  28 . Overlap section  34  of right wedge  24  or left wedge  26  includes a locking tongue  40  which cooperatively engages with locking grooves  42  defined in rack board  22 .  
         [0029]     Rack opening  44  which is defined in clamping face  28 , overlap section  34  and back portion  32  allows both right wedge  24  and left wedge  26  slideably move along rack board  22 . The two clamping face  28  of right wedge  24  and left wedge  26  define an opening width one (w 1 ) shown as  46  in  FIG. 1  and this opening width depends upon the relative position between right wedge  24  and left wedge  26 .  
         [0030]     In  FIG. 1 , head immobilizer  20  is shown in unfolded position  60 , whereas in  FIG. 4  head immobilizer  20  is shown in folded position  62 , wherein rack board  22  is folded along fold line B denoted as  72  in  FIGS. 1 and 4  and clamping face  28  of both right wedge  24  and left wedge  26  is folded along fold line A denoted as  70  in both  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 4 , such that rack board  22  and left wedge  26  and right wedge  24  all collapse upon each other as shown in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0031]     In  FIG. 5 , head immobilizer  20  is shown in the partially unfolded position  64  in which rack board  22  is unfolded along fold lines B shown as  72  into the position shown in  FIG. 5 .  
         [0032]      FIG. 6  shows head immobilizer  20  in the unfolded position  60  as does  FIG. 1 , however  FIG. 6  shows head immobilizer  20  in cross sectional view indicating that the rack board  22  is unfolded along fold lines B- 72  and right and left wedge  24  and  26  is unfolded along fold line A- 70  as shown in  FIG. 6 . Both  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 7  show the opening at W- 2  denoted as  48  and furthermore,  FIG. 8  shows an opening at W- 3  denoted as  49  depicting the possibility that right wedge  24  and left wedge  26  can be positioned in many different positions relative to each other.  
         [0033]     Referring now to  FIG. 9 , head immobilizer  20  is shown in cross-sectional view with the head immobilizer  20  mounted onto a back board  80 . There are many different options for mounting rack board  22  onto back  80 , however in the preferred embodiment adhesive strips shown as adhesive  130  in  FIG. 12 , preferrably spaced at both distal ends of rack board  22  and also centrally close to the centre line of fold line B- 72  of rack board  22  is the preferred method for adhesively bonding rack board  22  onto back board  80 . In this manner, removable strips can be taken off of adhesive strips  130  and then pressure placed down onto back board  80  as shown by arrow  84 .  
         [0034]      FIG. 10  shows head immobilizer  20  mounted onto a back board  80 , wherein arrows  86  indicate the movement of right wedge  24  and left wedge  22  in order to immobilize or fix a persons head  50  into position, between clamping face  28 .  
         [0035]      FIG. 13  shows an alternate embodiment, namely head immobilizer  120 , in which clamping face  28  rather than folding at fold line “A” depicted as  70  in  FIG. 6 , fold at line “D” shown as  118  in  FIG. 13 , rather than clamping face  28  folding inwardly towards back portion  32 , it folds outwardly away from back portion  32 .  
         [0036]     A person skilled in the art will note that there may be other methods of folding right and left wedge  24  and  26  onto themselves, such that they lie flat during transportation. We have shown two examples of how this can be accomplished, namely using fold lines A- 70  and fold line B- 72  for head immobilizer  20  or using fold lines D- 118  shown in  FIG. 13  and fold line B- 72 .  
         [0037]     Head immobilizer  120  operates in analogous fashion as head immobilizer  20  and in all other respects functions in identical manner as head immobilizer  20  and as described below under the section in use. The only difference between head immobilizer  120  and head immobilizer  20  is the manner in which it collapses or folds into folded position  62 , wherein head immobilizer  120  folds along fold line D- 118  and head immobilizer  20  folds along fold lines A- 70 .  
         [0038]      FIG. 11  shows a die cutting pattern of wedge blank  110  for either right wedge  24  or left wedge  26 .  
         [0039]     Right wedge  24  and left wedge  26  are constructed from a single piece of flat corrugated plastic and/or corrugated cardboard and is die cut and/or cut in some manner to the shape shown in  FIG. 11  and scored and/or pre-bent at the fold lines and bend lines as shown in the diagram.  
         [0040]     In particular  FIG. 11  shows some of the details of right wedge  24  and left wedge  26 , namely the construction of fastening tabs  36  which fit into fastening slot  38  and rack opening  44  which receives slideably there through rack board  22 .  FIG. 11  also shows wedge blank  110  having two tongues  40  and this is an optional feature and it is possible to manufacture or produce right wedge  24  and/or left wedge  26  with either one locking tongue  40  or two locking tongues  40 .  
         [0041]      FIG. 14  shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention, head immobilizer  120  shown with right wedge  24  and left wedge  26  mounted onto rack board  22 . Right and left wedges  24  and  26  respectively differ from the previous embodiment in that in the folded position the clamping face  28  of the wedge folds along fold line D- 118  in contrast to fold line A- 70  in the previous embodiment. In addition, in the previous embodiment, clamping face  28  of wedges  24  and  26  folded inwardly toward the back portion  32 , whereas in the presently preferred embodiment as best shown and depicted in  FIG. 13  as well as in  FIG. 16 , clamping face  28  folds outwardly along fold line D- 118  away from back portion  32 .  
         [0042]      FIG. 15  shows the wedge of the presently preferred embodiment  120  in the ready to use unfolded position, whereas  FIG. 16  shows the wedge of the presently preferred alternate embodiment  120  in the folded position in which clamping face  28  folds along fold line D- 118 , such that the clamping face  28  and the back portion  32  as well as the bottom portion  30  are folded flat onto each other.  
         [0043]      FIG. 17  shows the presently preferred alternate embodiment wedge in a partially unassembled state showing how the blank depicted in the  FIG. 11  is folded and bent in order to assemble a wedge into either the unfolded position shown in  FIG. 15  or the folded position shown in  FIG. 16 .  
         [0044]     The advantage of the presently preferred embodiment wedge is that when pressure is placed against clamping face  28 , clamping face  28  will resist folding inwardly, whereas in the previous embodiment clamping face  28  would more easily collapse or fold inwardly on itself when pressure was placed on clamping face  28 .  
         [0000]     In Use  
         [0045]     Head immobilizer  20  is shipped in the folded position  62  as shown in  FIG. 4  and upon receipt, the user would unfold head immobilizer  20 , by firstly unfolding it along fold line B depicted as  72 , such that head immobilizer  20  is then unfolded to partially unfolded position  64  shown in  FIG. 5  and then furthermore, right and left wedge  24  and  26  are unfolded along fold lines A denoted as  70 , such that both right and left wedge  24  and  26  are brought to the unfolded position shown as  60  in  FIG. 6 . In unfolded position  60 , right wedge  24  and left wedge  26  may be at some arbitrary position along rack board  22  as shown in  FIG. 1  for example and right wedge  24  and left wedge  26  can be slideably moved along rack board  22  by either slideably urging right wedge  24  and/or left wedge  26  closer to the centre of rack board  22 , wherein locking tongue  40  automatically disengages from the locking groove  42  moves into the next locking groove  42  that it meets up with. In this manner opening width W- 1 , shown as  46  can become narrow by forcibly urging right wedge  24  and left wedge  26  together.  
         [0046]     It is also possible to move right wedge  24  and left wedge  26  away from each other by lifting locking tongue  40  out of locking groove  42  by placing ones fingers into finger opening  90  and thereby manually lifting locking tongue  40  out of locking groove  42 . Once locking tongue  40  is clear of locking groove  42 , left wedge  26  or right wedge  24  can be moved away from each other or away from the centre of rack board  22  therefore creating a greater opening W- 1 , denoted as  46  in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0047]     The purpose of head immobilizer  20  is to clamp a head between clamping face  28  of right wedge  24  and left wedge  26  as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 10 . This may be a requirement, when for example an injured person has suffered neck trauma and thereby the paramedics wish to immobilize the neck and head portion of a person when they are placed on a back board. Rack board  22  further includes a bottom surface  23  which may have an adhesive applied thereto such that rack board  22  can be adhesively affixed to a back board upon which the patient is securely strapped.  
         [0048]     Head immobilizer  20  provides for two vertical planer surface namely clamping face  28  which are found on both right wedge  24  and left wedge  26  and require no assembly, other than unfolding the head immobilizer along fold line A- 70  and fold line B- 72  prior to use.  
         [0049]     A positive lock is provided by locking tongue  40  engaging with locking grooves  42  and by providing for a large number of locking grooves  42 , one can provide for a very fine adjustment in opening W- 1  shown as  46 .  
         [0050]     In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the components are made out of corrugated poly propylene of a pre-selected thickness. It may also be possible to make the unit out of cardboard and/or other sheet materials having suitable strength properties.  
         [0051]     Locking tongue  40  is locked into locking groove  42  simply by the geometry created between right and left wedge  24  and  26  and rack board  22 . Locking tongue  40  is dimensioned to be slightly longer and projecting into the rack board  22  such that right wedge and/or left wedge  24  and  26  are slideably moved along rack board  22 , locking tongue  40  automatically projects into locking grooves  42 . In order to retract or open up the gap between right and left wedge  24  and  26 , one must manually use fingers in finger openings  90  to manually lift locking tongue  40  out of locking groove  42 , thereby allowing right and left wedge  24  and  26  to be moved slideably further apart from each other.  
         [0052]     It should be apparent to persons skilled in the arts that various modifications and adaptation of this structure described above are possible without departure from the spirit of the invention the scope of which defined in the appended claim.