Abstract:
In a method of head and neck restraint the head of a subject is secured to a head and neck restraint assembly that limits movement of the head. In response to sudden force in a first direction, whereupon the head of the subject experiences a force in a second direction, the head and neck restraint assembly controls deceleration of the head in the second direction and avoids rebounding of the head after deceleration.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/626,194, filed Feb. 19, 2015 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,321,383, issued Apr. 26, 2016), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/668,387, filed Nov. 5, 2012 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,967,720, issued Mar. 3, 2015), which claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application no. 61/555,039, filed Nov. 3, 2011, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a head and neck restraint system for use in vehicles for avoiding head and neck injuries. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    Heretofore, head and neck restraints were not designed to absorb impact forces and minimize stresses in several directions. In this regard, such prior art head and neck restraints do not avoid or reduce the force applied to the head and neck that causes additional injuries due to neck roll or violent, sudden movement (e.g., as might occur in a crash or accident), in a number of directions. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Disclosed herein is a head and neck restraint system that comprises a vertical support; and a head and neck restraint assembly coupled to said vertical support, said head and neck restraint assembly comprising a pair of spaced members coupled to said vertical support, said pair of spaced members having a spring memory that permits movement of one of said members toward and away from the other member or movement of both of said members toward and away from each other; and means for avoiding the spring memory from returning one or both of said members to a starting position prior to movement after movement of one of said members toward the other member or movement of both of said members towards each other. 
         [0007]    The means for avoiding can include a base supporting the pair of spaced members in spaced relation; a back plate supported by the vertical support and supporting the base in spaced relation to the back plate; and means for moving into the space between the back plate and the base in response to movement of one of said members towards the other member or movement of both of said members toward each other thereby avoiding the spring memory thereof from returning said member(s) to the starting position prior to movement. 
         [0008]    The means for moving can include a wedge that is biased toward the space between the back plate and the base and which, in response to an increase in the space between the back plate and the base, moves into said increased space thereby avoiding the spring memory from returning at least one of said members to a starting position prior to movement of said at least one member. 
         [0009]    The means for moving can include a pair of wedges that are spring biased together toward the space between the back plate and the base. 
         [0010]    The head and neck restraint system can further include a head restraint configured to be mounted to a head of subject; and means coupled between the spaced members and the head restraint. 
         [0011]    The means coupled between the spaced members and the head restraint can include a pair of flexible connections coupled in spaced relation to each side of the head restraint, wherein each pair of flexible connections opposite the head restraint is coupled to one of the pair of spaced members. 
         [0012]    Each pair of flexible connections opposite the head restraint can be slidably coupled to one of the spaced members. 
         [0013]    Each pair of flexible connections opposite the head restraint can be coupled to a slide which is slidable on a rod or rail of the one spaced member. 
         [0014]    Each flexible connection can be a cord or a cable. 
         [0015]    The pair of spaced members and the base of the means for avoiding can be substantially U-shaped, with the pair of spaced members defining arms of the U-shape and with the base of the means for avoiding defining the base of the U-shape. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a head and neck restraint system of the present invention in a child seat that can be installed in motor vehicles; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is an isolated perspective view of the head and neck restraint system shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is an isolated perspective view of the head and neck restraint assembly of the head and neck restraint system shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is another perspective view of the head and neck restraint assembly of  FIG. 3  coupled to an adjustable bracket used with the head and neck restraint system shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is an isolated perspective view of the adjustable bracket shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is an isolated top-down view of the response of the head and neck restraint assembly of  FIG. 3  to an applied forward impact force avoiding unconstrained movement of the head and neck of a subject; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  is an isolated top-down view of the response of the head and neck restraint assembly shown in  FIG. 3  to an applied lateral impact force avoiding unconstrained movement of the head and neck of a subject. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0023]    The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying figures where like reference numbers correspond to like elements. 
         [0024]    With reference to  FIGS. 1-5 , a head and neck restraint system  1  that can be incorporated as a seat insert in a pre-existing seat, such as, without limitation, a child safety seat (CS), includes a vertical frame  4  which supports a head and neck restraint assembly  12  at a desired position on frame  4  in a manner described hereinafter. Although head and neck restraint system  1  is shown as an insert on a pre-existing child safety seat (CS), it is envisioned that head and neck restraint system  1  can be formed as part of and integral with CS or any other vehicle seat. 
         [0025]    Head and neck restraint system  1  can be placed onto the back of seat CS and can be attached to seat CS or a vehicle&#39;s latch system via a series of straps  2 . Frame  4  includes an adjustable upper belt bracket  6  and a lower belt bracket  8  that receives opposite ends of a harness  10  that holds a subject S (a child) in place with respect to frame  4  and head and neck restraint assembly  12 . Upper belt bracket  6  is desirably adjustable on frame  4  for height for proper fit to subject S. 
         [0026]    Head and neck restraint assembly  12  includes a generally U-shaped bracket  11  that includes a base  13  and a pair of spaced arms  12 - 1  and  12 - 2 . Base  13  is attached in spaced relation to a back plate  14  by a system of two wedges  16  and a spring  18  disposed therebetween. Spring  18  pulls wedges  16  together into the space between base  13  and back plate  14  thereby preventing rebounding of one or both of arms  12 - 1  and  12 - 2  upon flexing or bending in response to an impact force (described hereinafter). Spring  18  floats in the space between base  13  and back plate  14 . Frictional interaction between wedges  16 , base  13 , and back plate  14  supports the combination of spring  18  and wedges  16  between base  13  and back plate  14  in the position shown ( FIG. 3 ). 
         [0027]    Back plate  14  is attached to an adjustable bracket  20  ( FIG. 4 ) that enables the orientation of U-shaped bracket  11  to be adjusted as necessary relative to the head H of subject S. Arms  12 - 1  and  12 - 2  include rods or rails  22 - 1  and  22 - 2 , respectively, that in use are positioned substantially vertically on either side of head H of subject S. Disposed for slidable movement on each rod or rail  22  is a slide  25  that slides along the length of said rod or rail  22  so that dual cables  24  attached to each slide  25  will consistently pull straight any head restraint device  26  coupled between said dual cables  24  and head H of subject S in response to an impact force. 
         [0028]    Each dual cable  24  fastens to both the front and rear of a head restraint device  26  to be worn on head H of subject S to avoid head H and the neck of subject S from rotating in response to a vehicle which carries seat CS and subject S experiencing a sudden force, such as a sudden impact from being hit by another vehicle or from hitting another stationary or moving object. In other words, in response to an impact force (discussed hereinafter), head restraint  26  in combination with dual cables  24  and slides  25  riding up and down on rods or rails  22 - 1  and  22 - 2  act to avoid sudden rotation of head H and the neck of subject S, and act to constrain head H and the neck of subject S to look in a forward direction substantially perpendicular to base  13 , thereby avoiding potential head and neck injuries due to said impact. 
         [0029]    Base  13  attached to back plate  14  via fasteners  28  keeps spring  18  and wedges  16  in place via friction between wedges  16 , base  13  and back plate  14 . Adjustable bracket  20  includes a pair of pivotally connected plates  21 - 1  and  21 - 2  that include pairs of brackets  31 - 1  and  31 - 2  opposite the pivot axis  33  of plates  21 - 1  and  21 - 2 . Pivoting plates  21 - 1  and  21 - 2  about axis  33  moves brackets  31 - 1  and  31 - 2  in an arcuate path adjacent each other to align holes in brackets  31 - 1  and  32 - 2  to receive a pin  30  through said holes to fix the position of plates  21 - 1  and  22 - 2  in a desired position. Adjustable bracket  20 , upper bracket  6 , and lower bracket  8  each includes one or more slotted engagement brackets  32  (only brackets  32  on adjustable bracket  20  are shown) on a rear side thereof that in use are projected through slots  36  in frame  4  and are held in place by a rack  34  that includes an elongated blade like structure  35  (shown in phantom in  FIG. 5 ) that is lowered through the slots in said brackets  32  to secure adjustable plate  20 , upper bracket  6 , and lower bracket  8  in place on frame  4 . 
         [0030]    With reference to  FIG. 6  and with continuing reference to  FIGS. 1-5 , an isolated view of head and neck restraint assembly  12  is shown. In response to a sudden force directed in the direction shown by arrow  38 , head H of subject S will experience a force in the direction shown by arrow  40 . In response, dual cables  24  on either side of head restraint device  26  secured to head H will pull against slides  25  which, as necessary, slide along the axes on rods or rails  22 - 1  and  22 - 2 . In response, the semi-rigid material forming U-shaped bracket  11  will cause arms  12 - 1  and  12 - 2  to flex inwardly towards head H of subject S absorbing the force of head H moving in the direction shown by arrow  40  in response to the sudden impact force in the direction of arrow  38 . The pair of dual cables  24 , the pair of slides  25 , rods  22 - 1  and  22 - 2 , and arms  12 - 1  and  12 - 2  act to limit the movement of head H and decelerate head H in a manner that helps avoid injury to the neck and head H of subject S. 
         [0031]    U-shaped bracket  11  is formed from a material that is semi-rigid but is capable of bending or flexing as shown in  FIG. 6 . This material also has a spring memory that acts to rebound arms  12 - 1  and  12 - 2  back to the starting position shown in  FIG. 3 . To avoid this rebound after arms  12 - 1  and  12 - 2  have flexed to the position shown in  FIG. 6 , thereby potentially injuring the head H and neck of subject S, spring  18  urges wedges  16  together into the gaps G formed between back plate  14  and base  13  in response to the flexing or bending of arms  12 - 1  and  12 - 2  and base  13  as shown in  FIG. 6 . In other words, wedges  16  moving together as shown in  FIG. 6  in response to base  13  and arms  12 - 1  and  12 - 2  bending in response to head H moving in the direction of arrow  40  avoids base  13  and arms  12 - 1  and  12 - 2  from rebounding to their starting position (shown in  FIG. 3 ), thereby avoiding the application of an unwanted rebound force to the head H or neck of subject S after U-shaped bracket has helped dissipate the force applied to head H in the direction shown by arrow  40 . 
         [0032]    With reference to  FIG. 7  and with continuing reference to all previous figures, head and neck restraint assembly  12  can also act to prevent injury to the head H and neck of subject S in response to a sudden lateral impact force shown by arrow  44  in  FIG. 7 . In response to force  44 , head H will experience a force in the direction of arrow  46 . In response to head H experiencing this force in the direction of arrow  46 , head restraint device  26  coupled to head H will pull on the dual cables  24  coupled to rod or rail  22 - 2  causing arm  12 - 2  of U-shaped bracket  11  to move in the direction of arrow  46  thereby dissipating the energy of the force  44  and avoiding injury to the head H and neck of subject S. Because head H is experiencing a force only in the direction of arrow  46 , only arm  12 - 2  moves in the direction of arrows  46  and responds to said force  46 . Because head H is moving toward arm  12 - 1 , arm  12 - 1  does not flex or bend in response to the force applied in the direction of arrow  46  to H. 
         [0033]    As can be seen in  FIG. 7 , the movement of arm  12 - 2  in the direction of arrow  46  causes arm  12 - 2  and the side of base  13  coupled to arm  12 - 2  to flex or bend away from back plate  14 , whereupon spring  18  pulls the right wedge  16  (in  FIG. 7 ) into the gap G thus formed on the right side (in  FIG. 7 ) between base  13  and back plate  14  thereby avoiding rebound of arm  12 - 2  in the direction opposite the force shown by arrow  44  and avoiding potential injury to the head H and neck of subject S due to the rebound of arm  12 - 2  that would otherwise occur. 
         [0034]    As can be seen, head and neck restraint assembly  12  absorbs impact force(s) by bending of the material that it is constructed of. As a result, in response to the head H of subject S moving in a direction opposite the impact force, the force of the movement of head H of subject S is absorbed, at least in part, by head and neck restraint assembly  12  thereby avoiding injury to the head H and neck of subject S. 
         [0035]    By varying the material and/or thickness of head and neck restraint assembly  12 , the capability of head and neck restraint assembly  12  to avoid injury to the head and neck of S can be tuned to the size of the subject S. For example, for a subject S having a larger more massive head H, the material and/or thickness of head and neck restraint assembly  12  can be selected to control deceleration and movement of said head H. Conversely, for the head of a toddler which is lighter, the material and thickness of head and neck restraint assembly  12  can be selected to provide a desirable amount of deceleration in response to a forceful impact to the vehicle in which the toddler is riding. 
         [0036]    It is envisioned that the head and neck restraint system  1  discussed above can be applied in a number of situations and versions including child car seats, seats in military vehicles, seats of wheelchairs, seats in aviation, seats in race cars and the like. Accordingly, the invention is not to be construed or limited in any way to use with the child car seat depicted above. 
         [0037]    The present invention has been described with reference to the accompanying figures. Obvious modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.