Technical Field

The present invention relates to a neckrest, intended to facilitate an improved possibility to perform a rearwardly directed movement of the neck with a maintained supporting action.

Prior Art In order to obtain an ergonomically adapted working position, chairs arranged with a neckrest are used. Such neckrests usually facilitate height adjustment, and also often adjustment with regard to the position and angle for the supporting cushion-shaped member in relation to an adjacent backrest onto which the neckrest is attached. Examples of such previously known solutions are disclosed, for example, in EP-A2-0 152 867 and US-3 885 831. Such previously known neckrests thus offer good adjustment possibilities, and are locked in desired position by means of manually operable locking screws. However, when adjustment has been completed, the cushion-shaped neck supporting member is fixed in a certain position, i.e. adapted to support the head of a person in a specific position. Should this person in his work be required to lean the head backwards, such a head movement is restricted by the fixed cushion-shaped supporting member. For example, fork lift trucks used in a high-storage system in which pallets with goods are stored in supporting structures having large height, the work requires a driver of such a fork lift truck to almost continuously lean his head backwards and forward in order to fulfil the work. This means that conventional neckrests do not give desired supporting action, and they are in many cases an obstacle for the movement of the head.

The object of the present invention is to disclose an improved neck rest, which obviates the above discussed problem, and which also can be arranged to act as a neck rest adapted as a collision protection means for a vehicle seat,

i.e. having required supporting action to restrict a rearwardly directed head movement for a person when an accident occurs.

Summary of the Invention

The neckrest according to the present invention includes a supporting structure, preferably arranged to facilitate adjustment for the supporting cushion-shaped member of the neckrest in one or a number of directions and/or angular relationships in relation to an adjacent backrest, the cushion-shaped supporting member including a substantially C-shaped core of an elastically resilient material, arranged having a preferably substantially convex surface forming a front contact surface for the neck and/or head of a person, and having an opposed rear surface, preferably substantially concave, arranged to facilitate a bending movement of the upper portion of the front surface towards the lower portion of the rear surface, the neckrest being mainly characterized in that the substantial C-shaped core includes a central part having a relatively low density, joined to a completely or partly surrounding part having a higher density, preferably arranged to form side portions and an upper portion in relation to the central part, and/or that the substantially C-shaped core is arranged having towards the rear surface open grooves or removed portions, preferably substantially V-shaped and with the pointed part forming a bottom part.

Brief Description of the Drawings

A number of non-restricting examples of embodiments of a neckrest according to the present invention will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional side view showing a basic example of an embodiment of a neckrest according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view corresponding to Fig. 1 showing a second position with an initially applied force against the

neck and head supporting surface, and indicating the original position according to Fig. 1 with broken lines;

Fig. 3 is a side view corresponding to Figs. 1 and 2 showing a second embodiment according to the invention;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view at the sectional line IV - IV in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a schematical cross-sectional view of the embodi¬ ment according to Figs. 3 and 4 viewed from above;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a further modified embodiment;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of a further example of an embodiment according to the invention;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of an example of a pneumatical spring means included in the embodiment according to Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional side view showing an example of an embodiment having a movement restricting means.

Embodiments for Utilization of the Invention

The neckrest according to the present invention will only be described with regard to the cushion-shaped member which acts as the neck and head supporting member, i.e. previously known methods to arrange same lockably adjustable with regard to the position of extension in relation to an adjacent backrest will not be described. However, the neckrest according to the present invention can obviously in a previously known fashion be arranged lockably adjustable in various directions in the same way as cushion-shaped supporting members of known neckrests, a fact obvious to a person skilled in the art.

The present invention is based on a novel approach with regard to the design of the supporting cushion-shaped member

of a neckrest. Said member has previously comprised of a core of a more or less compressable material, enclosed within a surrounding cover. Such a cushion-shaped member, fixed in a predetermined position, only facilitates that a head is bent backwards to the extent as the core of the cushion-shaped member can be compressed without larger application of force, i.e. only to a very restricted extent.

With reference to Fig. l, a side view of an example of a basic embodiment for a neckrest according to the present invention is shown, the cushion-shaped member comprising of a substantially C-shaped core 1 of an elastically compressable material, e.g. polyester foam with a protective surrounding cover.

Fig. 2 shows the C-shaped core 1 in a somewhat rearwardly moved position, i.e. when a person leans his head backwards, and with the original position indicated by broken lines. Such a movement can be performed by the person without loosing contact with the neckrest, and furthermore, no larger application of force is required to accomplish the movement.

Fig. 3 shows a view corresponding to Fig. 1, and intends to disclose a further development of the neckrest shown in Figs. 1 and 2. According to Fig. 3, the previously mentioned C- shaped core 1 has been arranged with a lower and central part 2 having low density, e.g. polyether foam, and with an attached upper and completely or partly surrounding part 3 of a material with higher density, for example also polyester foam. Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the neckrest shown in Fig. 3 at the sectional line IV- IV, whereas Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view seen from above, intended to disclose how the combination of materials with different density results in elastical compression when pressure from a head is applied (indicated by arrows) . The embodiment according to Figs. 3 - 5 results in a further improved flexibility in relation to the basic embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 3 - 5 is also arranged with an outer and preferably detachably arranged front part 4, e.g. attached by means of Velcro tape, which facilitates desired colour adaption and which advantageously may include an elastically resilient deformable core. Such a front part 4 can obviously also advantageously be used in connection with other embodiments of the invention.

For certain applications, it may be desirable to facilitate a further reduction of the force necessary when leaning the head supported by the neckrest in direction backwards. An example of how this can be accomplished is shown in Fig. 6, the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2 being further modified by removal of a number of V-shaped portions 5, 5', 5" from the rear surface of the neckrest. The number of such portions 5,

5', 5", and their location, shape, size and depth, can obviously be varied as desired. The V-shaped grooves shown are regarded as a preferred embodiment, but also other shapes can obviously be used, e.g. rectangular cross-sectional configuration.

For other applications, a neckrest having a stiffer cushion- shaped member may be regarded as desirable. Also such a desired feature can easily be accomplished by a further modification of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 7 shows an example of how a pneumatic spring means 6 can be arranged joined to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, attached to the surface directed away from the contact surface of a person's head. An example of such a pneumatic spring means 6 is shown more in detail in Fig. 8, coupled to a tubular supply and discharge tube 7 with a pump means 8 attached at the other end portion, e.g. a rubber ball with associated valve member. By the pump means 8, air can be supplied to the channels of the pneumatic spring means 6, whereby the strengthening action of same can be enlarged. In order to reduce the air pressure of the pneumatic spring means 6, and thus the stregthening action of same, a valve means 9 is arranged in the tubular supply and discharge tube

7, which, when manually operated, dacilitates discharge of air from the channels of the pneumatic spring means 6 to the surrounding atmosphere. This embodiment makes it thus possible for a user to increase the stiffness of the cushion- shaped member of the neckrest by operating the pump means 8, and also to reduce this stiffness as desired by operating the valve means 9. Each user can thus gradually and as desired adjust the stiffness of the cushion-shaped member in the neckrest.

As a further modification, the neckrest according to the present invention can εlso be arranged with, for example, a substantially airtight surrounding cover, and with a valve means arranged to reduce the exhaust air flow speed from the cover. Said valve means is advantageously arranged to facilitate adjustment of desired exhaust air flow speed, but non-restricting the air flow speed in opposite direction (back into the cover) . This makes it possible to adjust as desired for an increased stiffness when a head is pressed against the cushion-shaped member, whereas the cushion-shaped member rapidly returns to original shape when the pressure is decreased. This action can obviously be further increased by arranging the core 1 of the cushion-shaped member with channels or grooves for an increased air volume, e.g. as described with reference to Fig. 6. Furthermore, such channels or grooves can also be arranged as substantially airtight channels, connected to the valve means, whereby the surrounding cover to the core 1 of the cushion-shaped member can be arranged from a non-airtight material. Said valve means can also advantageously be arranged by a sidepiece of the neckrest, thereby easily accessable for adjustment by a user.

For those applications in which a neckrest according to the present invention should be used in a vehicle, and also give required protection, for example when a collision occurs, a restriction of the head movement for a person in direection backwards may also be a necessary requirement. Also such a

feature can easily be accomplished, and an example of this is shown in Fig. 8. By arranging a sheet metal part 10 or similar at a distance from the rear portion of the cushion- shaped member, attached at its lower part against the supporting structure of the neckrest, desired restriction of a rearwardly directed head movement can be obtained. Such a movement restricting sheet metal part 10 or similar movement restricting member can by suitable design and suitable distance from from the cushion-shaped member be arranged for accepted rearwardly directed head movement. The sheet metal part 10 is obviously preferably arranged with a protective elastical coating.

As shown in Figs, l, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 9, the substantially C- shaped core 1 is advantageously arranged attached to a supporting member (shown with broken lines) which has an attachment plane inclined downwards in direction forward. Hereby is the foremost portion of the C__-^haoed core 1 (the contact portion for the head of a person) given a larger distance from the lower attachment point for the front surface, which improves the bending abillity in direction rearwards for the core 1 in a most desirable fashion.

The various examples of embodiments discussed above can obviously be combined in a large number of ways to form further embodiments within the scope of the invention, and are thus only regarded to serve as basic examples of possible embodiments. Essential for the invention is obviously the substantially C-shaped core 1, having a preferably convex contact surface for the head and/or neck of a person, and with a preferably substantially concave opposed surface, arranged to facilitate a bending movement in direction backwards for the surface contacted by the head of a person. Furthermore, the present invention also discloses a number of examples of how the resistance against such a bending movement can be increased as well as decreased, and also how a definite restriction of such a movement can be accom¬ plished. Possibility to make substantial changes with regard

to angle and shape obviously exist with regard to the design of the movement restricting member 10, in order to obtain desired restriction of the movement backwards for the cushion-shaped member of the neckrest. Furthermore, previ- ously discussed pneumatic spring means can obviously be replaced by other known spring means, e.g. suitably designed blade springs having a suitable shape can be arranged in contact with the rear surface of the C-shaped core 1, and the force of such spring means can also be arranged manually adjustable by influencing associated adjustment screws or similar.

The neckrest according to the present invention is thus in no way restricted to described and shown basic embodiments, since it can be further modified within the scope of the inventive thought and the following claims.