Patent Publication Number: US-8979196-B2

Title: Removably engaged wheelchair headrest

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This application claims priority to Provisional Application No. 61/441,163 filed on Feb. 9, 2011, and incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
     The present invention relates to headrest and support assemblies and, more particularly, to a removably engageable headrest and support assembly configured for operative engagement with a wheelchair. The disclosed device is adapted to removably engage and support the weight of the headrest device itself and anything additionally engaged thereon, securely upon the handles of the chair. So supported, the device is easily disengageable for storage or for an engagement to another chair with a simple sliding engagement and no tools. 
    
    
     2. Prior Art 
     It is estimated that  1 . 5  million Americans residing outside of medical institutions employ manually operated wheelchairs. Reasons for wheelchair use can range from temporary injury rehabilitation to life long use from birth or after a severe injury. Users of wheelchairs are continually maintained in a seated position over extended periods of time and are offered only limited mobility. As such, wheelchair users as well as their loved ones often desire to provide the wheelchair user with the most comfortable seating experience possible. 
     Comfortable and ergonomic headrests in conventional chairs and other seated arrangements are extremely important for proper head and neck support where improper positioning and use can cause pain and even long term damage. This is even more true for wheelchair users who experience limited control of the neck muscles. When wheelchairs are used for temporary patient rehabilitation or when they are permanent fixtures of a person&#39;s life, the importance of proper head and neck support can make a huge difference in the person&#39;s recovery and overall quality of life. 
     Unfortunately, a conventional manual as well as motorized wheelchair available to the average consumer consists of a seating platform and backrest, and more often than not no specific neck or head support. Manual versions of such a chair are considered the bare minimum of medical technology for the patient and usually what insurance will buy. Without insurance such manual versions of wheelchairs are most affordable and available to average consumers. 
     Advancements in modern medical technology, however, have driven the evolution of the wheelchair to provide some support and some increase in the quality of life for individuals who would otherwise be fully incapacitated. These chairs can provide full body support, including neck and head, employ hydraulics and motors, and can have the ability to position the user in the standing position. Such adaptation with technology tends to increase costs, producing some with price tags in the tens of thousands of dollars. These types of chairs are employed by severely incapacitated users. 
     To the average consumer, be they significantly injured or just recovering from knee surgery, such expensive motorized chairs are simply unattainable. As a result, many consumers attempt to modify the conventional canvas or material supported wheelchair with attachments to fill certain needs. Head and neck support is one of those needs most sought after. 
     Some prior art efforts in headrest attachments are seen in full force. For example U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,996 to Carnahan, U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,836 Hudson III et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,574 to Carwin, U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,028 to Kornberg, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,735 to Helman teach headrest assemblies that are engageable to a wheelchair, often to the structural elements such as the frame, handles, or other rigid element in a manner that does not disturb the seating or backrest platforms. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,704 to Hildreth teaches a slidably and removably engaged headrest assembly for a wheelchair. Although providing convenient means for removability as well as maintaining simplicity, the headrest of Hildreth is supported by a less than rigid fabric backrest of the wheelchair. Support is therefor limited to the condition and tensile strength and stretched condition of the fabric providing the backrest. Even sturdy reinforced fabric backs, after extended periods of time, can become uncomfortable if not painful to users and are in no manner adapted to support weight vertically downward. 
     The available devices to provide such support, however, require complex assembly with permanent or mechanical engagement of many components. The need for employment of such complicated and permanent engagement means does not easily permit removable engagement in a hospital, convalescent home, the user&#39;s home, or other settings where wheelchairs are used from patient to patient, or when neck and head support is temporarily undesirable. 
     Additionally, many lower cost fabric based wheelchairs collapse for transport in a vehicle or storage, and then must be expanded for use. Consequently, any device engageable to the wheel chair for head support and to support and communicate the weight of luggage, bags, or other items to the chair, must also engage with the chair and collapse, or be disengageable quickly, and without tools when the chair is to be collapsed. Once collapsed and then re-enlarged, such a device must be easily re-engaged to the chair, and then allow attachment of luggage, and coats, and purses and the like thereto so that the user or caregiver need not have to carry it at the same time as navigating with the wheelchair. 
     As mentioned, for many wheelchair users the chair additionally provides a means to transport their belongings such as purses, bags, backpacks, or luggage. The user conventionally places their belongings on their lap, or if possible, hangs the bag or other belongings off the push handle located on the rear of the chair. However, belongings positioned on the user lap may further limit the mobility of the user especially if the user does not have aid from a caregiver to propel the chair. Further, many chair styles do not offer push handles or other means to securely engaged belongings. Consequently, users and/or caregivers must somehow move the wheelchair while also carrying or somehow supporting their luggage, purses, coats, and other items that move with the patient which can be quite difficult and dangerous. 
     As such there is a continuing and unmet need for an improved removably engageable headrest and transport assembly for a wheelchair. Such a device should be easily assembled, and more importantly be easily engageable and disengageable, to any of a plurality of wheelchairs. Such a device should provide this means for easy engagement to allow for easy transfer to another chair or to allow the chair to be collapsed and re-enlarged again. Importantly, such a device should anticipate engagement to a fabric-based chair and should be configured with a contact means to the chair, whereby the weight of the device and anything attached to it is fully supported by the rigid frame without tools. 
     Further, such a device once engaged, should be selectively adjustable for supporting a user&#39;s head support needs as well as adapted to slidably engage upon a wide variety of wheelchairs. Finally, in so doing, such a device must still provide weight support through a contact with the frame of the chosen chair, and do so without tools or compression fittings. The device should also engage in such a manner to maintain the ergonomic comforts provided by the wheelchair to which it is engaged. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The device herein disclosed and described provides a solution for the above noted shortcomings in prior art through the provision of a headrest assembly providing head support means that can be removably engaged to a position in concert with the backrest of a wheelchair. In the particularly preferred mode, the force of downward weight of the device is fully supported by the push handles and other rigid support members engaged to the patient support fabric which are positioned toward the rear of the wheelchair. 
     In accordance with at least one preferred mode of the invention, the device is adapted for slidable communication with the rear of the fabric seat back or backrest portion of a conventional wheelchair. The device includes curved support members engaged to the body of the device which, in the as-used mode, rest upon the upper terminating top edge of the fabric backrest of the wheelchair and provide a means to position and maintain the device securely thereon. However, it is preferred that the curved members do not obstruct the ergonomic seating arrangement of the backrest and, thus, are free of any contact with a user while seated. 
     The device further employs the advantage of laterally extending support members engaged to the body of the device which, in the as-used mode, engage in a weight-bearing communication with the top surface of the push handles of the wheelchair. The support members also provide a means for additional rigid support of the device. These support members engaged by the weight of the device in a contact with the top surface of the push handles provide a means to transfer the weight of the majority of the device, as well as that of the weight of a user&#39;s head, to the rigid frame of the wheelchair. As such the device and user are supported during movement or when stationary. Yet the engagement upon the handles allows for easy disengagement of the device from the chair as needed. 
     In a particularly preferred mode of the device, the curved members and lateral support members described above are slidably engaged to the body of the device through pin and slot arrangements, and additionally employ a thumb screw or similar locking mechanism. In this mode, the members are provided a means for selective lateral adjustment which can be set once correct via the thumbscrew or similar mechanism located on the pin and slot. The lateral support members may further be engaged in a manner allowing them to rotate, or they may be telescopic, or both, to provide a means to adapt their engagement to the rigid body of wheelchairs and to differently configured chairs. Thereby allowing for better conformity and engagement to the top surface of the chair&#39;s push handles. 
     A head support means is additionally provided and is preferably slidably engaged to the body of the device and is capable of vertical and horizontal or transverse adjustments. This provides a user with almost infinite adjustability to position the head support means, in this case a head cushion, to the exact position desired for comfort and support. 
     It must be noted that although the preferred mode of the device described above provides a means to employ the device on any size or style of chair it is to be understood that the various support members of the device may instead be rigidly or permanently engaged to the body of the device should it be desired for permanent employment with one specific wheelchair. As such the following description and depictions are provided to merely portray the overall scope and intent of the device and should not be considered limiting. 
     In yet another preferred mode of the device, the body of the device, positioned behind the back rest portion of the wheelchair comprises a plurality of apertures similar to a peg-board, or keyhole shaped aperture, which serve as a means to engage hooks or other means for attachment for holding backpacks, purses, luggage, or the like. The engagement of luggage and the like allows the weight of such to be communicated through the body of the device and directly to the rigid frame of the chair, for support thereby, at the contact engagement with the top surface of the handles. This provision to engage luggage, clothing, purses, small suitcases and the like to the frame of the device, alleviates the need for the user/patient or the caregiver to carry such themselves while moving within the wheelchair. Furthermore, the apertures provide overall weight reduction in the device while still affording sufficient strength to the member providing the support for carrying other components. 
     With respect to the above description, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the herein disclosed invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention herein described is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present disclosed device. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a headrest assembly for a wheelchair which is removably engaged in a manner to be supported by the rigid frame components of the chair, such as the push handles which also requires no tools or brackets. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide such a headrest assembly that does not restrict the seating nature and maintains the ergonomic standards of the wheelchair. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide the user with selectively adjustable means to position and orient the head support cushion to an infinite number of positions as desired for the utmost comfort and ergonomic stability. 
     A further object is the provision of a plurality of apertures arranged in a peg-board style arrangement employed on the body of the device that allows users to engage hooks and other hanging means for luggage to allow the weight of such to be born by the wheelchair. 
     These together with other objects and advantages which become subsequently apparent reside in the details of the construction and operation of the invention, as more fully hereinafter described and claimed herein, without being in any manner considered limiting in scope, with reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  shows a rear elevated view of the device detailing the various components. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the device further detailing various components of the device. 
         FIG. 3  depicts the view of the device in the as used mode engaged to a wheelchair. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Now referring to drawings in  FIGS. 1-3 , wherein similar components are identified by like reference numerals, there is seen in  FIG. 1 , a rearward elevated view of the device  10 . Preferably, the device  10  is of a sturdy lightweight material such as but not limited to one or a combination of support materials from a group including stainless steal, aluminum, carbon fiber, magnesium alloy, and reinforced plastic. From the body  12  portion of the device  10  extends a first extending lower arm  14  and a second  15  extending lower arm along with first extending upper arm  16  and second extending upper arm  17 , all of which extend from an engagement to the body  12  at a first end, in a direction away from an imaginary central axis running through an elongated slot  27  to respective distal ends. 
     This plurality of arms provide a means to support the device  10  against the collapsible or other frame which support a canvas back and seat of a wheelchair  100  ( FIG. 3 ) as well as position the device  10  when engaged to the wheelchair  100  in an as-used position such as in  FIG. 3 , at a considerable distance rearward from the fabric  102  forming the seat back portion of the wheelchair  100 . This spacing is important so as to avoid obstruction or contact with the back of the resting position of the user while seated in the wheelchair  100 . This feature is best depicted in  FIG. 2  described shortly. 
     The upper extending arms  16 , 17  further are configured to employ a means for removable engagement with the backrest portion of the wheelchair  100  while concurrently communicating the weight of the device  10  to the frame of the chair to avoid harming or stretching the fabric portions. Particularly preferred in all modes of the device  10 , are lateral extending support members  18  which are shaped to overhang the top surfaces of the handles  101  ( FIG. 3 ) of the wheelchair  100  to which the device  10  engages. 
     These support members  18  provide a means for removable weight bearing engagement to the handles  101  of the wheelchair  100 , and thereby communicate substantially the entire weight of the device  10 , and any luggage or items attached to the device  10 , to the frame of the wheelchair. This removable weight bearing engagement is accomplished by extending above and lowering upon the push handles  101  portions ( FIG. 3 ) of the wheelchair when the device is engaged to the as-used position shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     This supported or weight bearing engagement of the top surfaces of push handles  101  with the support members  18  provides a means to communicate the weight of the device  10  and any other weight engaged to the device  10  such as the user&#39;s head, or luggage engaged thereon, from the body  12  and to the handles  101  where it may be born by the rigid frame of the wheelchair. The support members  18  are preferably selectively adjustable by a translation in the vertical direction parallel to the axis defined by the slot  27 . They may also be made to rotate in their connection to the body  12  parallel to the plane of the planar body  12  to which they connect. This provides a means to raise and lower the support members  18  to align with the handles  101  and also a means to rotate them to be further from or closer to the axis running through the slot  27  again to provide alignment over the top edge of the handles  101  when being placed to the as-used position. 
     Vertical translation as well as rotation are currently accomplished using means for translational and rotational mounting to the body  12  which in the current form is accomplished via an operative slot  20  that slidably and rotationally engages them to the body  12  whereafter they may be secured in their adjusted positions by compression provided by turn screw  22 . Those skilled in the art will realize upon reading this specification that other modes of translational and rotational engagement to the body  12  may be employed such as hinges, vertical and horizontal slots, translation upon the upper arms  16  and  17 , and forming the distal ends of the support members in a telescopic fashion and allowing for a lengthening to allow for more adaptability of the device to a wider array of chairs. It must be noted that those skilled in the art may recognize other means to provide adjustability and adaptability as needed, and are anticipated. 
     Similarly located on the upper edge of the extending arms  16  and  17 , are the curved members  24  providing a hook which provide a means for removable engagement to the terminating top edge of the wheelchair seat back fabric ( FIG. 3 ). These hook-shaped curved members  24  operatively engage and provide a positioning of the body  12  of the device  10  just rearward of the seat back portion of the wheelchair. With the support members  18  properly translated and rotated to position them in contact with the handles  101  on each side frame of the wheelchair, when the curved members  24  are lowered over the fabric edge, a contact is made with the support members  18  to these handles  101  allowing all the weight to be communicated to and born by the handles  101  of the two side frames which are in a scissored engagement forming the collapsible wheelchair frame of conventional design. This alignment and contact thereby provide a means to maintain the fabric back unstressed during use in its natural state. Furthermore, the members  24 , by adjustment of the support members  18  in their engagement to the top surface of the handles  101 , are positioned near the lateral edges of the seat back fabric ( FIG. 3 ) as to keep weight from communicating to the fabric back and to provide a free area of clearance therebetween, for the seated position of a user. 
     The head support means  34  is engaged to the body  12  of the device  10  through a series of slidably engaged support components. A first support component  26  is an elongated member translatably engageable to the body  12  to provide a means for vertical adjustment of the cushion providing the head support means  34 . The support element  26  employs an operative slot  27  which is slidably and translatabley engaged to the body  12  of the device  10  via a turn screw  28  communicating through the slot into the body  12 . A pin  29  extending through the slot  27  from engagement to the body  12  is employed at a distance near the turn screw  28  to maintain alignment during translation and prohibit rotation of the support element  26  about the turn screw  28 . The turn screw, once tightened, will maintain the support element  26  in position and removably but rigidly engaged to the body  12 . 
     A second support component  30  is engaged to the first support component  26  and extends traverse or perpendicular to the axis defined by the slot  27  of the first support component  26 . A third support component  31  is further slidably engaged to the second support component  26 . The third support component  31  similarly employs an operative slot  32  to translatabley engage it to the second support component  30  and may be fixed in position with an additional turn screw  33 . The head support means  34  may be a cushion or similar material. Again it must be noted that those skilled in the art may recognize other means to provide adjustability and adaptability of the head support means  34 , and are anticipated. 
     A top view of the device  10  can be seen in  FIG. 2 . The depiction better shows the head support means  34  and corresponding support members. The second support component  30  is shown extending in the transverse direction or perpendicular to the first support component  26 . Again, the second support component  30  is engaged to the first support element  26 . This engagement may be rigid or may be accomplished by employing a unitary structure in concert with the first support component  26 . The third support component  31  is slidably engaged to the second support component  30  via operative slot  32  and turn screw  33 . A pin  35  can be seen employed within slot  32  to prohibit rotation of the head support means  34  that is rigidly engaged to the third support element  31 . 
     The hook shaped curved support members  24  engaged to the first  16  and second  17  upper extending arms  18  lie in a vertical plane substantially parallel with distal ends of the first  14  and second  15  lower extending arms. In this manner, upon engagement with the seat back portion of a wheelchair, the body  12  of the device  10 , is maintained at a position considerably rear the plane associated with engagement of the curved members  24  and thus rearward of the fabric or other seat back portion of the wheelchair. The body  12  of the device  10  therefore does not communicate with or otherwise obstruct the body of the resting seated user. 
     Furthermore, in a particularly preferred mode of the device the lateral support members  18  employ a TEFLON or similar slip pad surface upon the lower surface  103  which is positioned for weight bearing contact with the top surface of the push handles  101  of the wheelchair ( FIG. 3 ). This slip pad is of importance as it provides a means for the device  10  to move and accommodate the consistent movement of the user and seat back portion. For example, the device  10  will tend to shift horizontally and translate with the seat back portion of the wheelchair (when contacted by the weight of the back of a seated user) due to the engagement at the curved members  24  therewith. Further, the upright supports for the fabric seatback can shift and draw the handles  101  slightly closer and toward the axis defining the slot  27 . As such, this shifting motion will be accommodated allowing the wheelchair to react naturally as designed and contract with weight, by the lateral support members  18  which may slide on the push handles  101  in a manner consistent with the motion of the seat back. This slip-accommodating engagement is much preferred to a non-slip engagement of the lateral members  18  to the push handles, such as with clamps, fittings, or fasteners, where the natural designed motion of the fabric and frame chair would be resisted, making the chair ride uncomfortable and also acting prevent strain of the users head against the head support means  34  as they lean back, for instance. Further, by allowing for a slidable engagement of the device  10  to the chair, in addition to allowing the designed natural contraction and expansion action of the chair, the handles  101  will continually bear the weight of the device  10  and attachments with no fittings or permanent engagement to the handles  101 . Thus, in addition to allowing for natural designed chair operation, the device  10  can be removed easily and in a matter of seconds from the chair, to allow for collapse of the chair for transport, or to allow the device to be slidably engaged with another such wheelchair  100 . 
       FIG. 3  is a view of the device  10  in the as used mode. The device  10  is engaged on the seat back portion  102  of a wheelchair  100 . The lateral support members  18  are seen in a frictional yet slidable engagement to the top surface push handle portions  101  of the wheelchair just to the rear of the seat back portion  102 . Mounting is as easy as sliding the device upon the chair back until the support members  18  contact the handles  100  while the curved members  24  are aligned with the fabric of the chair back. Disengagement is in reverse. 
     The first  14  and second  15  lower expending arms provide support of the device  10  on the lower portion of the wheelchair seat back  102  and provide a means to prevent rearward tipping of the slidably engaged device  10  and prevent the cushion of the head support from moving away from the user&#39;s head. Selective adjustments of the lateral support members  18  are achieved via slidable engagement of the turn screw  22  with the slotted portions  20  of the members  18 . Of course, other means to adjust the members  18  such as making them telescopic so as to allow lengthening or shortening thereof, or a rotatable engagement to the device  10 , or combinations thereof may be employed. The major concern is to provide a means to transfer the weight of the device  10  and any attachments thereto, to the wheelchair  100  without any clamps, or fasteners, or the like which would make it hard and time consuming to remove and remount the device  10 . 
     While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the invention have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Consequently, all such modifications and variations and substitutions are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.