Patent Publication Number: US-8528970-B2

Title: Multi-adjustable body-rest apparatus

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This application relates generally to body rests. More specifically, this application relates to a method and apparatus for a multi-adjustable head and body support configured to be used for resting and/or sleeping in a sitting position. 
     SUMMARY 
     In aspects of present disclosure, a body-rest apparatus is disclosed including an adjustable head support component, and an adjustable chest support component coupled with the head support component, the chest support component configured to be used by a user to rest while leaning forward. 
     In further aspects of the present disclosure, a portable body-rest apparatus is disclosed including an adjustable head support component, an adjustable chest support component coupled with the head support component, the chest support component configured to be used by a user to rest while leaning forward, and a vertical platform coupled with at least with one of the head support component and chest support component, the vertical platform configured to be coupled with a front seat in front of the user. 
     In still further aspects of the present disclosure, a method of enabling a user to rest is disclosed including enabling the user to lean forward onto a head support component and a chest support component, enabling the user to adjust the head support component and the chest support component to substantially align the user&#39;s neck and back, and enabling the user to fold away the head support component and the chest support component. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings, when considered in connection with the following description, are presented for the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the subject matter sought to be protected. 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an example body-rest structure suitable for use in a sitting position; 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of another example body-rest structure suitable for use in a sitting position; 
         FIG. 3  shows a side view of the example body-rest structure of  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 4  shows an example portable body-rest structure. 
         FIG. 5  shows an example portable body-rest structure in folded position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     While the present disclosure is described with reference to several illustrative embodiments described herein, it should be clear that the present disclosure should not be limited to such embodiments. Therefore, the description of the embodiments provided herein is illustrative of the present disclosure and should not limit the scope of the disclosure as claimed. 
     Briefly described, a method and a device are disclosed for a multi-adjustable body-rest structure suitable for use in a sitting position, including sitting positions in a multi-row seating arrangement such as those encountered on board of airplanes, busses, ferries, and trains, among other similar arrangements. The multi-adjustable body-rest structure is generally configured to be used for rest or sleep while leaning forward from the user seat onto the back of the seat in front of the user seat. The multi-adjustable body-rest structure is further configured to be folded into the back of the seat in front of the user seat when not in use. The multi-adjustable body-rest structure is further configured to be adjusted to a position that comfortably accommodates the head, chest, and arms of users with different body sizes. 
     With the advent of ubiquitous global communications, international business trips, vacation packages, and family trips have actually increased due to increased contact and interdependency between people. A side effect of this increase in travel is that transportation vehicles, such as airplanes, busses, trains, ferries, passenger cars, and the like have more cramped seating compared with a few years ago to accommodate ever more passengers in a cost-effective manner. Additionally, due to security concerns and resulting procedures, crowded airports and other transportation stations a trip can be a tiring experience. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a restful travel experience when passengers settle in their seats towards their destination. With cramped and limited space for each passenger, efficient, effective, and practical devices that accommodate resting and/or sleep for passengers in their seats are highly desirable. 
     Many forms and varieties of head rests are available for different sitting positions. For example, doughnut shaped neck pillows are available for resting neck and head in a sitting position while leaning back against the seat&#39;s back. Other head and neck restraint systems are known, which support the user&#39;s head and neck while sleeping or resting and leaning back on the seat. Such restraint systems generally use side pads and/or straps to limit the motion of the user&#39;s head and neck while resting and/or sleeping. Bean-bag type of pillows or are also used to lean against in a forward or backward leaning position while resting the head. 
     These apparatuses generally lack ergonomic features for supporting not only head and neck but also upper body and spine, which tend to curve and cause back aches when the user is sleeping. They also lack comprehensive adjustability for different dimensions, angles, and positions. For example, a bean-bag type pillow&#39;s size does not adjust to accommodate different size users. It also lacks rigid support for spine or head to hold them in a desired ergonomic position. Similarly, other head restraint devices lack support for keeping the neck and back (spine) in alignment to prevent pain or injury as a result of such misalignment. 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an example body-rest structure suitable for use in a sitting position. In various embodiments, body-rest apparatus  100  is coupled with front seat  102  via a vertical platform  130  and includes a substantially horizontal member  104 , chest support components  106 A and  106 B supported by chest structural members  120 A,  124 A and  120 B,  124 B, respectively, a U-shaped head support component  108  coupled with head structural member  110 , and arm support component  128  coupled with horizontal member  104 . Each of the body rest components, including at least head support component  108  and chest support components  106 A and  106 B, may be independently adjusted by a user of the body rest apparatus, typically sitting in a seat directly behind front seat  102 , in various ways. For example, in some embodiments, chest support components  106 A and  106 B may be adjusted by changing tilt angle as indicated by arrow  122 . 
     Chest support components  106 A and  106 B may further be independently adjusted by changing the lengths of the chest structural members  120 A,  120 B,  124 A, and  124 B. In some embodiments, the chest structural members are telescopic or otherwise adjustable and may be adjusted equally to move chest support components  106 A and  106 B closer and farther away from front seat  102 , in the direction indicated by arrow  118 . By increasing the length of chest structural members  124 A and  124 B relatively more than the length of chest structural members  120 A and  120 B, respectively, the tilt angle of chest support members  106 A and  106 B may be increased, making chest support components closer to the vertical with respect to horizontal member  104 . Conversely, by increasing the length of chest structural members  124 A and  124 B relatively less than the length of chest structural members  120 A and  120 B, respectively, the tilt angle of chest support components  106 A and  106 B may be decreased, making chest support components closer to the horizontal with respect to horizontal member  104 . 
     Chest support components  106 A and  106 B may further be angularly adjusted from side-to-side with respect to each other, as indicated by arrow  126 , to form a substantially convex or concave support surface for the chest. Additionally, chest support components  106 A and  106 B may be adjusted to move towards each other or away from each other in parallel, effectively varying the width of the chest support surface formed by both chest support components  106 A and  106 B. In various other embodiments, chest support components  106 A and  106 B may be integrated as a single wider chest support component with angular and translational adjustments similar to those described above. 
     In various embodiments, head support component  108  is coupled to body-rest apparatus  100  via a head structural member  110 , which may be adjusted up or down and from side to side with respect to front seat  102  to accommodate an orientation of the user&#39;s head while resting or sleeping. In various embodiments, head support component  108  includes a soft and supple foam, soft rubber, padding, or other similar material to comfortably support head and face in a downwards position. In some embodiments, head support component  108  may be adjusted by tilting up or down as shown by the directional arrow  116  to support neck tilt. In some embodiments, the various adjustments described above are deliberately made by the user by using adjustment devices or mechanisms such as screws, sliders, telescopic arms, pivots, ratchet mechanisms, buckles, and the like, to move and position different components and members with respect to each other, while in other embodiments, at least some of the adjustments are friction based and take place automatically in reaction to forces exerted by user&#39;s body. 
     The head support component  108  may be held in a particular position by friction adjusted to a predetermined force level. When a force is exerted against the head support component that is sufficient to overcome the predetermined force level, the head support component begins to move further in response to and in the direction of the exerted force. For example, the predetermined force level may be sufficient to support the weight of the head and neck of the user while resting, but may give way in a desired direction if the user exerts slightly more force by his head to move or reposition the head support component. Similar friction-based techniques may be used to adjust other components, such as the chest support components. 
     In various embodiments, user&#39;s arms may be rested on the horizontal member while the user is leaning and resting on the head and chest support components. For example, the user&#39;s arms may be folded forward under chest support components  106 A and  106 B from opposite sides. In other embodiments, the user&#39;s arms may be supported by an adjustable arm support component  128 . In some embodiments, arm support component  128  includes a flexible membrane hanging under horizontal member  104 , such as canvas or leather, for resting arms, while in other embodiments, arm support component  128  includes a foldable rigid box compartment under horizontal component  104  for resting the arms. Arm support component  128  may be adjusted by adjusting the size of the hanging membrane or the size of the foldable box to allow the arms to hang down to a predetermined extent. 
     In various embodiments, head support component  108  and chest support components  106 A and  106 B may be positioned with respect to each other to allow alignment of the user&#39;s spine while resting. The rigid structure of head support component  108  and chest support components  106 A and  106 B allows reliable and firm positioning of these components to maintain the alignment of the user&#39;s spine without having to readjust due to unwanted movement of these components. 
     In various embodiments, horizontal member  104  may be used as a tray for serving food or holding objects such as books and purses, while chest and head support components are folded into the back of the front seat. In some embodiments, body-rest apparatus  100  is folded flat onto vertical platform  130  by folding chest support components  106 A,  106 B, and folding chest structural members  120 A,  120 B,  124 A, and  124 B. Head support component  108  and head structural member  110  are similarly folded down flat onto vertical platform  130 . Finally, horizontal member  104  along with arm support component  128  are folded up against vertical platform  130  to present a substantially flat back of front seat  102  to the user. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many other folding scenarios of components are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosures. In some embodiments, body-rest apparatus  100  and vertical platform  130  are integrated as one package that may be installed in a recession in the back of the front seat in a permanent or temporary configuration. In other embodiments, body-rest apparatus  100  and vertical platform  130  are attached to the back of the front seat using other techniques, as further described with respect to  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of another example body-rest structure suitable for use in a sitting position. In various embodiments, body-rest apparatus  200  is attached to the back of front seat  202  and includes a substantially horizontal member  204 , chest support component  206 , head support component  208  coupled with head structural member  210 , arm support component  216 , and structural leg  220 . 
     In various embodiments, chest support component is coupled to a sliding head support component  208  via head structural member  210 . The size of head support is determined at least by the extent to which head support component  208  slides outwards with respect to chest support component  206 . Head support component  208  and head structural member  210  slide together and hide within chest support component  206  for storage. In various embodiments, head support component  208  includes a soft and supple foam, soft rubber, padding, or other similar material to comfortably support head and face in a downwards position. 
     In some embodiments, chest support component  206  is coupled with structural leg  220 , the length of which is adjustable, by being telescopic or otherwise adjustable. By adjusting the length of structural leg  220  an angle of chest component  206  may be adjusted, as indicated by arrow  222 , to accommodate different degrees of tilt for the user&#39;s upper body. Additionally, the sliding and rigid coupling between head support component  208  and chest support component  206  allows alignment of user&#39;s spine while resting. 
     In various embodiments, horizontal member  204  includes sliding plates or other similar mechanisms to allow adjustment of a length of horizontal member  204  by sliding inwards and outwards with respect to the back of the front seat to accommodate different body sizes of different users. 
     In various embodiments, horizontal member  204  includes a padded arm support component  216  for resting the user&#39;s arm while leaning forward against chest and head support components. In other embodiments, arm support component  216  is implemented as a hanging compartment under horizontal member  204 , similar to that shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     In various embodiments, body-rest apparatus  200  may be folded up into the back of the front seat by sliding head support component  208  into chest support component  206 , reducing length of support leg  220  to a substantially minimal size, and flipping up horizontal member  204  to be held against the back of front seat  202 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a side view of the example body-rest structure of  FIG. 2 . In various embodiments, body-rest apparatus attached to front seat  302  includes chest support component  306 , which is coupled with head support component  308  via head structural member  310  and structural leg  320 . Horizontal member  304  includes arm support component  316  and is coupled with chest support component  306 . 
     In various embodiments, multiple adjustments may be made to each component of the body-rest apparatus. Tilt angle of chest support component  306  may be adjusted, as indicated by arrow  322  by adjusting the length or angle of structural leg  320 , as indicated by arrow  314 . Horizontal member  318  may also be adjusted by sliding it in or out with respect to front seat  302 . Head support component  308  may slide in and out along the surface of chest support component  306 , as indicated by arrow  312 . 
     In some embodiments, to fold up the body-rest apparatus completely out of the user&#39;s space in the seat behind the front seat, structural leg  320  is folded flat onto chest support component  306 , head support component  308  is pushed downwards in parallel with the surface of chest support component  306 , chest component  306  is folded down flat, as indicated by arrow  322 , onto horizontal member  304 , and horizontal member  304  is folded up and held flat against the back of front seat  302 . 
       FIG. 4  shows an example portable body-rest structure. In various embodiments, portable body-rest apparatus  400  includes chest support component  406 , head support component  408 , structural leg  420 , and horizontal member  404  coupled with vertical platform  410 . 
     In various embodiments, vertical platform  410  includes a curved section that may be hung over the top of front seat  420 . In some embodiments, the back of front seat  420  includes a mechanical interface for attaching vertical platform  410 , for example, using screws or other fasteners, such as hooks, buckles, mating sliders, and the like. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other techniques may be used for attaching body-rest apparatus  400  to the back of front seat  402  without departing from the spirit of the present disclosures. For example, a hollow inset box space in the back of the front seat may be used to take in the body-rest apparatus  400  integrated into a foldable box. 
     Using such portable configurations, different types of body-rest apparatus may be installed on the same seat depending on the preferences of a commercial carrier such as an airline. Conversely, the same body-rest apparatus may be carried by a user to be used during a trip in the back of a passenger car, a bus, an airplane, and the like. 
     While the present disclosure has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.