Patent Publication Number: US-7914079-B2

Title: Head and/or neck support

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The invention described and claimed hereinbelow is also described in German Patent Application DE 10 2008 008 961.3 filed on Feb. 13, 2008. This German Patent Application, whose subject matter is incorporated here by reference, provides the basis for a claim of priority of invention under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a head and/or neck support of a chair, in particular of an office chair, the support including a device for adjusting the swivel and height, with which the support may be moved relative to a back rest of the chair. The support includes a first receptacle for a head and/or neck cushion, and a second receptacle for fastening the support to the back rest. 
     Various embodiments of height-adjustable head supports which include neck cushions having an adjustable tilt are already known. Few head and neck supports also allow an adjustment of the extent to which the neck cushion extends forward or backward relative to the back rest. In addition, most of the known head and neck supports are difficult to adjust and lock in the desired position while the user is seated. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a head and/or neck support which makes it easy to carry out any two-dimensional adjustment of the neck cushion. 
     The object is attained using a head and/or neck support of a chair, in particular of an office chair, according to which the support includes a device for adjusting the swivel and height, using which the support may be moved relative to a back rest of the seat. The support also includes a first receptacle for a head and/or neck cushion, and a second receptacle for fastening the support to the back rest. The head and/or neck support is characterized by the fact that the support is rotatably held at one end on the second receptacle via two first swivel arms, and, at the other end, the first swivel arms are connected in a rotatable and swivelable manner to two second swivel arms which hold the first receptacle at the end which is opposite the hingedly-connected swivel arms. 
     The head and/or neck support according to the present invention therefore includes two pair of hingedly-connected swivel arms, the first pair of swivel arms being rotatably and swivelably connected to the receptacle for fastening the support to the back rest. The cushion is mounted on the free ends of the second pair of swivel arms. The head and/or neck support may therefore be moved into any position within the swivel range of the two pair of swivel arms in a stepless manner or in detent stages, thereby making it possible to meet the individual needs of the chair user in an optimal manner. 
     Further advantages result when the first receptacle on which the neck cushion is mounted is held on the second swivel arms in a manner such that it may rotate about a first axis. Once the main position of the cushion has been set, the cushion may adapt to the shape and motion of the head and neck which are resting thereon. The comfort of the head and/or neck support is further increased as a result. 
     To ensure simple usability of the head and/or neck support, the first receptacle may include a release and locking device for releasing and locking a swivel and rotational motion of the hinged connection between the first and second swivel arms, and for releasing and locking a rotational motion of the first swivel arms relative to the second receptacle. In this embodiment, it is possible to move the support entirely in any direction using a single release and locking device, and to subsequently fix it in the desired position. The release and locking device is also easy to operate, since it is located on the receptacle for the head and/or neck cushion. 
     The release and locking device is particularly easy to operate when it includes a release lever which is swivelably supported on the first receptacle, is manually actuatable at one end, and is connected at the other end to means which lock the connections between the swivel arms, and between the first swivel arms and the second receptacle, or which release them for motion. With the aid of a single lever which may be operated at one end using pressure, the chair may therefore be released from its current position and moved into the desired new position, where it may be locked in position simply by releasing the release lever. It is therefore possible for the user to operate the head support easily while seated. 
     The means for locking and releasing the motion of the head support may preferably include a spring-loadable cable which extends through the interior of the swivel arms and a first connection section between the first swivel arms. With the aid of this cable which extends through the swivel arms, it is possible to open and lock both articulation points simultaneously, i.e. the articulation point between the first pair of swivel arms and the second receptacle, and the articulation point between the two pair of swivel arms. 
     Various possibilities exist for locking the head support in position. In a preferred embodiment, the rotational motions at the joint between the swivel arms, and at the joint between the first swivel arms and the second receptacle may take place via engageable and disengageable ring gear connections. When the ring gears are engaged, the head support is locked in position. As soon as the ring gears become disengaged, the head support may be moved freely. 
     For locking, it is also advantageous when the cable is under spring-loaded tension when the joints are in the fixed, rigid state. Using this embodiment, it is possible to slacken the cable by swiveling the release lever. A spring located in the joint between the swivel arms, and a spring located in the joint between the first swivel arms and the second receptacle disengage the ring gears situated therein and enable the rotational motions to be carried out. The locking may be realized using ring gears, multitooth shafts, or splined shafts. 
     It is also advantageous when the spring force of the first spring which tightens the cable is greater than the sum of the spring forces of all springs that take effect in the support, and is preferably greater than the friction forces that act on the cable. It is also advantageous that the cable is tightened when the release lever is in the resting position. In this manner, all necessary motions of the cable and the elements connected thereto may be realized using a minimum number of springs. 
     A preferred embodiment of a head and/or neck support according to the present invention is explained below in greater detail with reference to the drawing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective back-side view of a head and/or neck support according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows a central longitudinal view through the head and/or neck support in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Head and/or neck support  10  shown in  FIG. 1  includes a first receptacle  12  for a head and neck cushion which is not depicted here. In addition, a second receptacle  14  is provided, using which support  10  may be attached to the back rest of a chair which is not depicted here. Receptacle  14  is designed in a manner such that it may be attached to practically any type of back rest using screws. This design of receptacle  14  also makes it possible to attach support  10  to a back rest at a later point in time. Receptacle  14  may be covered entirely by a back rest cushion. 
     First swivel arms  16 ,  18  and second swivel arms  20 ,  22  are located between receptacles  14  and  12 . First swivel arms  16 ,  18  are connected to one another via a connection piece  27 , and, together therewith, they form a U-shaped component. Connection piece  27  defines an axis  32 . Swivel arms  16 ,  18  are attached to receptacle  14  in a manner such that they may swivel about axis  32 . In addition, first swivel arms  16 ,  18  are connected to second swivel arms  20 ,  22  in a manner such that they may swivel about an axis  30 . First receptacle  12  for the neck cushion is supported at the ends of swivel arms  20 ,  22  in a manner such that it may swivel about an axis  23 . The free ends of second swivel arms  20 ,  22  are connected to one another via a connection piece  28  on which first receptacle  12  is hingedly supported, and which forms a second U-shaped component together with swivel arms  20 ,  22 . 
     An appropriate mechanism is provided for releasing and locking the position of support  10 , i.e. a release lever  25  shown in  FIG. 1  is located on the back side of receptacle  12 , and is swivelable in arrow direction  26 . Support  10  is locked in position in the non-actuated state of lever  25  shown. Pressing lever  25  allows support  10  to be swiveled, as described below in greater detail with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
     The sectional view in  FIG. 2  shows a cable  34  which is situated in the interior of swivel arms  18 ,  20  and connection piece  27 . Cable  34  is attached via one end to swivel lever  25  and extends through a first spring  40 . A further spring  42  is provided at the articulation point between swivel arms  18  and  22 , and a further spring  44  is provided at the articulation point between swivel arm  18  and receptacle  14 . Springs  42  and  44  act on respective ring gear connections  36 ,  38  which are shown schematically in the figure, provided they are engaged with one another as shown, and lock swivel arm  22  in position relative to swivel arm  18 , and swivel arm  18  relative to receptacle  14 . Cable  34  extends through all ring gear connections  36 ,  38  and springs  42 ,  44 , and is attached via one end to a cylindrical component  52  which is displaceably supported in connection piece  27 . If pressure is now applied to release lever  25  in arrow direction  48 , first spring  40  is compressed, thereby relieving the tension on cable  34 . Via this slackening, springs  42 ,  44  are also able to slacken, thereby pressing swivel arms  22 ,  20  in arrow direction  54 , and pressing cylindrical component  52  in arrow direction  56 . The result is that ring gear connections  36 ,  38  become disengaged. Support  10  is now free to move, and it may be swiveled into the desired position. As soon as this position has been reached, release lever  25  is released, thereby relieving the tension on spring  40  and tightening second and third springs  42 ,  44 . Ring gear connections  36 ,  38  engage with one another and lock support  10  in position. 
     It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above. 
     While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a head and/or neck support, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 
     Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.