Abstract:
The headrest provides support to the person&#39;s head, thereby relieving neck fatigue and other various discomforts. A one-piece headrest ( 10 ) is formed as a single piece and includes a back mounted support plate ( 14 ) having concave central body portion ( 16 ) and side wings ( 17  and  18 ) which straddle the person&#39;s spine to increase comfort, reduce movement of the head rest, and increase stability of the back mounted support plate when attached to the person&#39;s upper back. The second embodiment is a two-piece headrest ( 110 ) that includes a separate head support portion ( 120 ) and a back mounted support plate ( 114 ). The head support portion is pivotally connected to the back mounted support plate and a spring ( 125 ) urges the head support portion toward the person&#39;s head so that support can be provided to the person&#39;s head over a continuous angle range of backwardly tilted head positions. A locking mechanism ( 130 ) can be provided which enables the person to fix the angular position of the head support portion ( 112 ). Three strap systems have been developed for use by individuals using the headrest for different applications; belayers wearing a belayer&#39;s climbing harness, workmen wearing a tool belt attached to the waist, and persons using leg straps. The straps releasably attach to the climbing harness, tool belt or leg straps.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to headrest devices and the like which are used by workmen and belayers when working in a position in which they must hold their heads in a backward tilted position for extended periods, or by physically impaired persons lacking motor skills controlling head position. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     When a person is looking forward, the center of gravity of the person&#39;s head is above and approximately in vertical alignment with the person&#39;s spine. With the person&#39;s head in this forward looking position, the weight of the person&#39;s head is supported by the spine, much like a column supports the weight of a building roof. However, when the person is looking upwards, the person&#39;s head will tilt backwardly and move the person&#39;s head out of vertical alignment with the spine. When the head is tilted backwards, the center of gravity of the head moves rearwardly of the spine and the person&#39;s neck muscles must support the weight of the head. Supporting the head in this backward tilted position requires more energy and effort from the neck muscles than is normally required when holding the head in an upright, forward looking position. If the person is looking upward for extended periods, the additional energy and effort expended by the neck muscles will soon result in discomfort and fatigue as the neck muscles begin to tire. 
     Headrests have been developed and used by people who must look upwardly for extended periods. These prior art headrests have been used by plasters, travelers, and mechanics who must hold their heads in a backward tilted position for extended periods. The primary purpose of these prior art headrests has been to provide the necessary head support to reduce neck fatigue. These prior art headrests usually rest on and derive support from the person&#39;s shoulders, or, are attached to the person&#39;s belt. Prior art headrests attaching to the person&#39;s belt may not be comfortable if the belt is pulled upwards and purchases itself under the person&#39;s ribs restricting the diaphragm, or if the person&#39;s pants are elevated until the pants crotch finds purchase on the body. 
     Recreational sporting activities can require the participant to look upward for extend periods. For example, when rock or mountain climbing or mountaineering, a belayer is responsible for the climbers safety by feeding the proper amount of rope to the climber through a friction creating device attached to the belayers harness. Maintaining the proper amount of rope tension requires that the belayer keep the climber in eye contact whenever possible. Since the climber moves upward from the belayers position, the belayer is required to keep the head tilted backward at a sever angle for extended periods of time. 
     Some individuals have difficulty or require assistance in holding their heads in a vertical position. For example, individuals with physical disabilities, people recovering from neck or head injury, or people suffering from chronic muscle spasms may require neck and/or head support. 
     Several key features have been lacking in these prior art headrests. One lacking feature is the construction of a headrest which provides adequate support to the back of the neck and the head, and which can be securely and comfortably mounted to the person. Another feature lacking in some prior art headrests is a simple construction of only one or two pieces, thereby minimizing the cost of production and simplifying the assembly process. Another lacking feature is a headrest which provides support at a selectable angle, or over a continuous angle range of backwardly tilted head positions. Also, many of the prior art head supports do not provide a back mounted support plate which is contoured or shaped to the person&#39;s shoulder blades, nor do the prior art back mounted support plates provide a space for the person&#39;s spinal cord, which would minimize discomfort to the person, reduce movement of the head support, and increase stability of the back mounted support plate when attached to the person&#39;s back. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a headrest used by a person who must hold their head in a backwardly tilted position for extended periods. Such a person could be a workman who works with their head tilted backwardly, or a belayer who looks upwardly while attending the ropes used by a climber, or an individual with a physical disability or injury. The headrest provides support to the person&#39;s head, thereby relieving neck fatigue and other various discomforts. 
     Generally, a one-piece embodiment of the headrest is comprised of a back mounted support plate adapted to fit to the person&#39;s upper back and shoulders, a head support portion adapted to support the person&#39;s head, and a means for attaching the back mounted support plate to the person&#39;s upper back, such as a strap attachment system. In one embodiment, the headrest is unitarily formed from a moldable polymeric material so as to be easy and inexpensive to manufacture. The central body portion of the back mounted support plate has a concave surface which straddles the person&#39;s spine to increase comfort, to reduce movement of the head rest, and to increase stability of the back mounted support plate when attached to the person&#39;s upper back. Support to the person&#39;s head is provided by the head support portion which extends outwardly from the back mounted support plate. A head cushion may be affixed to the head support portion for extra comfort. 
     In a second embodiment, the headrest is comprised of a separate head support portion and a separate, back mounted support plate. The head support portion is pivotally connected to the back mounted support plate and a coil torsion spring functions as a biasing means to urge the head support portion toward the person&#39;s head so that contact can be maintained with the person&#39;s head over a continuous angle range of backwardly tilted head positions. A locking mechanism is provided which enables the person to fix the angular position of the head support portion. 
     The described headrest embodiments utilize a system of straps, threaded through strap slots in the wing portions of the back mounted support plate, to attach the headrest to the person&#39;s upper back and shoulders. Stability of the headrest is improved when the strap slots on the right wing portion are separated by at least six inches from the strap slots on the left wing portion. Three strap configurations have been developed for use by individuals using the headrest for different applications; belayers wearing a belayer&#39;s climbing harness, workmen wearing a tool belt attached to the waist, workers not wearing a tool belt, and physically impaired persons lacking motor skills controlling head position. These three embodiments rely on one of two means to offset the force exerted on the headrest when the weight of the head is supported by the headrest. One of these two means of support is a counter weight and more specifically the tool belt already worn by the worker and loaded with tools of his trade. The second means of support is the attachment of the primary straps to leg straps. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale relative to each other, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention. Furthermore, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of the one-piece headrest embodiment. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the back mounted support plate along the  2 — 2  plane of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the one-piece headrest embodiment. 
     FIG. 4 is a front view of the first strap attachment system embodiment and the one-piece headrest embodiment of FIG. 1 showing the relationship of the headrest and strap attachment system with the person. 
     FIG. 5 is a front view of the second strap attachment system embodiment and the one-piece headrest embodiment of FIG. 1 showing the relationship of the headrest and strap attachment system with the person. 
     FIG. 6 is a front view of the third strap attachment system embodiment and the one-piece headrest embodiment of FIG. 1 showing the relationship of the headrest and strap attachment system with the person. 
     FIG. 7 is a back perspective view of the two-piece adjustable headrest embodiment. 
     FIG. 8 is a detailed back perspective view to the left of plane  8 — 8  of FIG. 7 showing the threaded fastener, locking mechanism and hinge. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now in greater detail to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views. FIG. 1 illustrates the one-piece headrest  10  which includes a head support portion  12  and a back mounted support plate  14  joined unitarily together. A unitary construction simplifies manufacture and reduces cost. For simplicity of manufacture, the one-piece headrest  10  is preferably formed from a moldable polymeric material. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the one-piece headrest  10  could be formed by an alternate process, such as casting, pressing or stamping, or the headrest  10  could be made of a different material, such as metal, fiberglass or the like. 
     The back mounted support plate  14  has a central body portion  16  in vertical alignment with the head support portion  12 . Two opposing wing portions  17  and  18  are on opposite sides of the central body portion  16 . As shown in FIG. 1, the outside edges  17 A and  18 A of the wing portions  17  and  18  diverge upwardly and outwardly from each other. The upper edges  17 B and  18 B of the wing portions  17  and  18  slope upwardly from the wing portion side edges  17 A and  18 A up to the head support portion  12  so as to approximate the slope of a person&#39;s shoulders. However, the shape and size of the back mounted support plate  14  can assume other shapes or sizes which allow adequate contact to the person&#39;s upper back so that the necessary comfort and stability is maintained by the headrest  10 . 
     An optional headrest cushion  20 , which can be contoured to match the shape of the person&#39;s head, may be attached to the head support portion  12 . Normally, the padding material of the headrest cushion  20  comprises high density polymeric foam, although it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the headrest cushion  20  could alternatively be constructed of any soft, cushioning material suitable for a cushion. Although the headrest cushion  20  would normally be affixed to the head support portion  12  with PVC glue, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various other equivalent attachment methods could be used such as bonding, taping, fastening, threading, sewing, or the like. 
     Although not essential, a storage hole  22  can be provided on the central body portion  16 , or any other convenient location on the head rest  10 , for hanging on a wall hook, nail, prong or similar hanging device. 
     A means for attaching the back mounted support plate  14  to the person could include a strap attachment system  32  (see FIGS.  4 - 6 ). As shown in FIG. 1, the back mounted support plate  14  includes a plurality of strap slots  24  near each of the outside edges of the wing portions  18 . Each strap slot  24  is sufficiently large to accommodate the straps of a strap attachment system (see FIGS.  4 - 6 ). Stability of the headrest  10  is improved when the strap slots  24  on the right side wing portion  18  are separated by at least six inches from the strap slots  24  on the left side wing portion  18 . One skilled in the art will appreciate that a variety of alternative methods to attach the back mounted support plate  14  to the person could be utilized. Examples of these various alternative attachment methods include cords, belts, brackets, clips, snaps, buttons, snap fasteners or the like. Likewise, stability of the attachment method utilized will be enhanced when the contact points to the back mounted support plate  14  provided by the alternate attachment method have a separation equivalent to the strap slot  24  separation described herein. 
     FIG. 2, is a cross section of the back mounted support plate  14  along the plane  2 — 2  of FIG.  1 . The cross sectional view shows an optional contouring of the central body portion  16  so as to have a concave surface  26  to straddle the person&#39;s spine. The concave surface provides for a comfortable, secure and stable fit of the back mounted support plate  14  to the person&#39;s shoulder blades by providing for a firm contact of the opposing wing portions  17  and  18  to the person&#39;s shoulder blades and by minimizing contact with the person&#39;s spine. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the contouring of the back mounted support plate  14  can take a variety of shapes and forms, so long as adequate contact to the person&#39;s upper back is provided by the back mounted support plate  14  (FIG.  1 ). 
     When the headrest  10  is attached to the person&#39;s upper back as shown in FIG. 3, support to the person&#39;s head is provided by the outwardly extending head support portion  12 . The head support portion  12  has a backwardly curved surface  28  approximating the arch of the person&#39;s neck. When a person is looking forward, the center of gravity  30  of the person&#39;s head is above and in approximate vertical alignment with the person&#39;s spine. With the person&#39;s head in the forward looking position, the weight of the person&#39;s head is supported by the spine, much like a column supports the weight of a building roof. However, when the person is looking upwards, the person&#39;s head will tilt backwardly and move the person&#39;s head out of vertical alignment with the spine. That is, the center of gravity  30  will move from approximately above the spine to a position behind the spine, as shown by the new center of gravity  30 ′, requiring the person&#39;s neck muscles to support the weight of the person&#39;s head. When the person&#39;s head is further tilted to come into contact with the curved surface  28 , the weight of person&#39;s head becomes supported by the headrest  10  and the center of gravity  30 ″ becomes vertically aligned with the curved surface. The head now comfortably rests on the head support portion  12 , thereby reducing stress and fatigue of the person&#39;s neck muscles. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the backward curve of the head support portion  12  can be of a variety of alternative shapes, such as, but not limited to, a concave shape or a flat surface, so long as adequate support is provided to the person&#39;s head and/or neck by the head support portion  12  while allowing for normal head movements to the left or to the right. 
     FIG. 4 shows the first embodiment of the strap attachment system  32  consisting of a plurality of straps and fasteners. The strap attachment system  32  is connected to the one-piece headrest  10  by threading the shoulder straps  34  through the strap slots  24  (see FIG. 1) or by means of an alternate attachment method such as sewing, riveting or other fastening methods. The shoulder straps  34  extend upward over the person&#39;s shoulders and down front of the torso to a point just above the lower ribs. The strap  34  terminates with a fastener, such as a ladderloc buckle  35  sewn to the shoulder strap  34  ends. Two separate straps, one left  36   a  and one right  36   b  are attached to the belayer&#39;s climbing harness  37 , such as by means of a spring loaded clipping buckle  38 , as is commonly used for suspenders. The other end of straps  36   a  and  36   b  are fed through the fasteners  35  of strap  34  allowing for support and adjust ability of the headrest. 
     The user of the first strap attachment system  32  embodiment, shown in FIG. 4, will primarily be a belayer, although certain workmen wearing a tool belt may choose to utilize this first embodiment. This first embodiment utilizes the least complicated, easiest to don, and lightest weight design, all of which are of utmost importance to a belayer when situated on a small ledge possibly hundreds of feet above the ground. It should be further noted that this first embodiment does not utilize any attaching devices at the rear of the torso. Due to the nature of the job of belaying, the belayer must stay in one position for the duration of the act of belaying, and the belayer may be secured to the cliff in order to keep from being pulled off his position if the climber falls. Thus, the use of strap attachments only on the front of the person&#39;s body facilitates easy attachment. This strap attachment system utilizes the leg straps already incorporated into the belayer&#39;s climbing harness  37 . 
     FIG. 5 shows the second embodiment of the strap attachment system  33  consisting of a plurality of straps and fasteners. The strap attachment system  33  is connected to the one-piece headrest  10  by threading the shoulder straps  34  through the strap slots  24  (see FIG.  1 ). These straps extend upward over the person&#39;s shoulders and down the front of the torso to a point just above the person&#39;s lower ribs. Straps  34  also extend downward from the one-piece headrest  10  crossing at the person&#39;s spine and are secured together by fastener  44 . Straps  34  extend further downward to a point just above the lower ribs. These straps terminate with a fastener, such as a ladderloc buckle  35  sewn to both ends of the shoulder straps  34 . Four separate straps, one left front  36   a , one right front  36   b , one left back  36   c  and one right back  36   d  are attached to the workman&#39;s tool belt  39 , such as by means of a spring loaded clipping buckle  38  as is commonly used for suspenders at one end. The other end of the straps  36   a ,  36   b ,  36   c  and  36   d  are fed through the fasteners  35  of strap  34  allowing for support and adjustability of the headrest. This strap attachment system utilizes the counterbalance weight of the workman&#39;s tools held by the workman&#39;s tool belt  39  as a means of support. 
     The user of the second strap attachment system  33  embodiment shown in FIG. 5 will primarily be a workman wearing a tool belt, although certain belayers may choose to use this embodiment. Similar to the first embodiment, this second embodiment of the strap attachment system  33  includes the addition of straps  36   c  and  36   d  attached to the shoulder straps  34  at the rear of the person&#39;s torso. These straps  36   c  and  36   d  stabilize the headrest  10  when the user is mobile so as to keep the headrest  10  from moving out of position when the user moves about. Support for the headrest  10  is accomplished by attachment of the connecting straps  36   a - 36   d  to the worker&#39;s tool belt. Alternatively, support may be accomplished with this embodiment if a belayer chooses to attach straps  36   c  and  36   d  to his belayer&#39;s harness  37  (FIG.  5 ). 
     FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment of the strap attachment system  40  consisting of a plurality of straps and fasteners. The strap attachment system  40  is connected to the one-piece headrest  10  by threading the shoulder straps  34  through the strap slots  24  (see FIG.  1 ). These straps extend upward over the person&#39;s shoulders and down the front of the torso to a point just above the person&#39;s lower ribs. Straps  34  also extend downward from the one-piece headrest  10  crossing at the person&#39;s spine and are secured together by fastener  44 . Straps  34  extend further downward to a point just above the person&#39;s lower ribs. These straps  34  terminate with a fastener, such as a ladderloc buckle  35  sewn to both ends of the shoulder straps  34 . This embodiment utilizes two leg straps  41 . Fasteners, such as slide release buckles  42 , are attached to the end of strap  41 . Straps  41  are looped around the person&#39;s upper thigh and adjusted for comfortable fit. This embodiment utilizes four connecting straps,  43   a ,  43   b ,  43   c  and  43   d , each with a loop sewn at one end. Leg straps  41  are each passed through the loop ends of two connecting straps  43   a  and  43   c , and  43   b  and  43   d . The other end of straps  43   a - 43   d  are connected to straps  34  allowing for support and adjust ability of the headrest. 
     The user of the third strap attachment system  40  embodiment shown in FIG. 6 could be either a workman not wearing a tool belt or a physically impaired person lacking motor skills controlling head position. Support of the headrest  10  is accomplished with the use of additional leg straps  41  and straps  43   a - 43   d.    
     An alternative headrest embodiment is shown in FIG. 7, a two-piece adjustable headrest  110 , which is constructed in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 7 is a back perspective view of the two-piece adjustable headrest  10 . The two-piece adjustable headrest  110  serves the same purposes as the one-piece headrest  10  (see FIG.  1 ), to provide head support to reduce stress and fatigue of the person&#39;s neck. The two-piece adjustable headrest  110  may be substantially similar in construction to that of the one-piece headrest  10 . Therefore, the following disclosure will briefly describe the components of the two-piece adjustable headrest  110 . A more detailed description is reserved only for structures or features specific to the two-piece adjustable headrest  110  alone. 
     Similar to the one-piece headrest  10 , the two-piece adjustable headrest  110  has a head support portion  112  and a back mounted support plate  114 . The back mounted support plate  114  has a central body portion  116  in vertical alignment with the head support portion  112 . Two opposing wing portions  117  and  118  are on opposite sides of the central body portion  116 . As shown in FIG. 7, the outside edges  117 A and  118 A of the wing portions  117  and  118  diverge upwardly and outwardly from each other. The upper edges  117 B and  118 B of the wing portions  117  and  118  slope upwardly from the wing portion side edges  117 A and  118 A up to the head support portion  112  so as to approximate the slope of a person&#39;s shoulders. However, the shape and size of the back mounted support plate  114  can assume other shapes or sizes which allow adequate contact to the person&#39;s upper back so that the necessary comfort and stability is maintained by the headrest  10 . 
     The central body portion  116  may have an optional concave surface (see FIG. 2) to straddle the person&#39;s spine. The concave surface provides for a comfortable, secure and stable fit of the back mounted support plate  114  to the person&#39;s shoulder blades by providing for a firm contact of the opposing wing portions  118  to the person&#39;s shoulder blades and by minimizing contact with the person&#39;s spine. An optional headrest cushion  120  may be attached to the head support portion  112 . Finally, an optional storage hole  122  can be provided on the back mounted support plate  114  for hanging on a wall hook, nail, prong or similar hanging device. 
     Likewise, the strap systems shown in FIGS. 4-6 could be used to attach the back mounted support plate  114  to the person&#39;s back. As shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of strap slots  124  are located near each of the outside edges of the wing portions  118 . The stability of the headrest  110  is improved when the strap slots  124  on the right side wing portion  118  are separated by at least six inches from the strap slots  124  on the left side wing portion  118 . 
     The two-piece adjustable headrest  110  incorporates a significant difference from the one-piece headrest  10 ; a separate, biased head support portion  112  with a locking mechanism. Shaped similarly to the one-piece headrest  10  head support portion  12 , the head support portion  112  can pivot in relation to the back mounted support plate  114 . The person may use a locking mechanism to secure the head support portion  112  in a fixed position, or the head support portion  112  may be allowed to freely pivot so that contact can be maintained with the person&#39;s head over a continuous angle range of backwardly tilted head positions. This feature could be particularly advantageous to physically impaired persons who lack the ability to support the head and must maintain a to specific head/neck angle for comfort or must periodically alter this angle so as to reduce fatigue and stiffening of the neck. 
     The two-piece adjustable headrest  110  embodiment shown in FIG. 7 uses two hinges  122  to connect the head support portion  112  to the back mounted support plate  114 , and to allow the head support portion  112  to pivot about the back mounted support plate  114 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the head support portion  112  could alternatively be connected to the back mounted support plate  114  by any plurality of hinges. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that another type of connection device such as a resilient flap, wire or clip could be used to provide for an equivalent connection. 
     Biasing the head support portion  112  and the back mounted support plate  114  urges the head support portion  112  toward the person&#39;s head. Biasing is an option providing for a constant measure of supportive force to the person&#39;s head. For the two-piece adjustable headrest  110  embodiment shown in FIG. 7, biasing is provided by a torsion spring  125 . The torsion spring  125  is secured to the headrest  110  by two torsion spring brackets  126 . A pin  128  provides a simple means to hold the torsion spring  125  in position. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any type of biasing means, such as a flexible resilient member composed of metal, plastic or similar material, which urges the head support portion  112  toward the person&#39;s head, could be used. 
     Another optional feature is a locking mechanism consisting of a threaded fastener  130  in combination with a hinge  122 . This locking mechanism allows the person to select and fix the position of the head support portion  112 . The two-piece adjustable headrest  110  as shown in FIG. 7 utilizes two locking mechanisms, however one locking mechanism may suffice. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any type of locking mechanism which performs the function of locking the head support portion  112  in a fixed position could be used. 
     The locking mechanism is shown in greater detail in FIG. 8, which is a close up view of the two-piece adjustable headrest  110  to the left of plane  8 — 8  of FIG.  7 . Each threaded fastener  130  is comprised of a finger knob  132 , such as a wing nut or the like, and a threaded screw  134 . The screw  134 , being long enough to pass through the unthreaded hinge piece  136  into the hinge piece  138 , has threads for screwing into the hinge piece  138 . The aperture of the hinge piece  136  is smooth and has an aperture diameter greater than the screw  134  diameter. The aperture of the hinge piece  138  is threaded so as to mate with the screw  134 . When the threaded fastener  130  is tightened by the person rotating the finger knob  132 , frictional forces developing on the various contacting surfaces of the hinge mechanism and the threaded fastener  130  locks the head support portion  112  in a fixed position. When the person untightens the threaded fastener  130 , biasing urges the head support portion  112  toward the person&#39;s head to provide support over a continuous angle range of backwardly tilted head positions. 
     An enhancement of the locking mechanism is illustrated in FIG.  8 . Irregular shapes are located on the opposing hinge surfaces  140  and  142 . When the threaded fastener  130  is tightened, the opposing surfaces  140  and  142  are squeezed together to come into contact, thereby creating substantial frictional forces such that the position of the head support portion  112  is securely fixed. For illustrative purposes, the high friction hinge surfaces  140  and  142  are of a plurality of small ridges  142 . Additionally, those skilled in the art will appreciate that a resilient locking washer, such as a nylon washer, rubber washer, or metal lock washer, could be substituted for the irregular shaped high friction surfaces, wherein the tightening effect of the threaded fastener  130  would compress the washer into a locking position. 
     It would be apparent to one skilled in the art that many variations and modifications may be made to the preferred embodiment as described above without substantially departing from the principles of the present invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included herein and are within the scope of the present invention, as set forth in the following claims.