Combination carrier unit and head support apparatus.

Abstract

A combination carrier unit (7) and head support (5) apparatus has a carrier unit body (7) with fasteners (2) for releasably fastening the combination carrier unit (7) and head support (5) apparatus to the upper body of a person (8). The combination carrier unit (7) and head support (5) apparatus has a head support in the form of a head band (5) for supporting a person's head (9). The headband (5) is attached to and supported by two rods (4). Each rod (4) is inserted into and supported by a tube (3), disposed and fixed within the carrier unit body (7). Each rod (4) can slide up and down within its tube (3), thereby allowing the headband (5), attached and supported by the two rods (4), to be raised to a position that supports the person's head (9) allowing the person to sit up and rest while travelling.

Description

This invention relates to a combination carrier unit and head support apparatus and in particular to a carrier unit and head support apparatus for use in confined spaces. The carrier unit can be a rucksack, backpack, knapsack or any other similar container having straps, including a handbag, a sports bag or a briefcase, allowing the container, containing the head support apparatus, to be carried on the human body. Due to increased volumes of traffic on the road and rail infrastructures and increased volumes of national and international airline flights, a greater number of passengers spend an increasing number of hours travelling which generally involves sitting in confined spaces. These spaces are particularly uncomfortable if a passenger is required to rest in an upright sitting position for prolonged periods, for example on a long haul flight in an economy class aeroplane seat. Passengers encounter problems trying to sleep under these conditions and one problem occurs as a direct result of the weight of the passenger’s head. When a person starts to slip into a light sleep, the muscles of the neck relax and the head drops suddenly causing a small shock to the body of the passenger as a result of the jerking motion and the passenger’s light sleep is broken. This cycle is repeated generally until the passenger finds a position where the weight of the head has at least partial support avoiding the jerking action of the head. The problem with this type of resting position is that passengers often waken up with a strain in their neck muscles causing ache and pain. It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the above outlined problem and to provide a comfortable means for rest or sleep sitting up. Accordingly, the present invention provides a combination carrier unit and head support apparatus having a carrier unit with fasteners for releasably fastening the carrier unit to a person and with the carrier unit containing the head support apparatus for supporting the person’s head. Ideally, the fasteners of the carrier unit comprise of at least one length adjustable strap. This strap may be arranged diagonally. Preferably, two length adjustable straps are located on the carrier unit, each having a length adjustable buckle. This invention can use an existing commercially available carrier unit and have the head support apparatus fitted into the existing carrier unit. Alternatively, a carrier unit can be designed, manufactured and fitted with the head support apparatus. Typically, the head support apparatus is made up of a supporting element, fixed within the carrier unit, comprising of two tubes fixed to each vertical side of a stiffening member all of which support a headrest unit comprising of two rods with a headband made of material, for example cotton, attached between the top of each of the two rods. Ideally, the stiffening member and its attached tubes are disposed within the carrier unit body and preferably the stiffening member is a rigid board of wood, plastics material or other suitable material. Ideally, the tubes are plastics material or other suitable material and are attached to each of the two sides of the rigid board and the top of the two tubes are approximately level with the top of the carrier unit and the bottom of each tube rests at the internal bottom of the carrier unit. Through two circular openings created at the top of the carrier unit, two rods made of wood, plastics material or other suitable material and with their outside diameter slightly less than the internal diameter of the tubes are inserted into each of the two circular openings into each of the two tubes, inserted down through the length of each tube to the bottom of each tube. With each of the two rods constructed longer than the two tubes, they protrude above their tubes, rising above the top of the carrier unit, to allow a headband, ideally made from material, for example cotton, to be attached to the exposed section of each tube. Advantageously, the headband attached to the rods can now be raised above or lowered to rest on the top of the carrier unit. The passenger sitting up in a confined space can wear the carrier unit by strapping it comfortably and securely to their chest and can then pull up the headrest unit and the passenger, allowing their head to tilt slightly forward, can allow their forehead to make contact with the headband. Advantageously, the weight of the passenger’s head is now transmitted through the head support apparatus and carrier unit and back to their own body with the carrier unit and head support apparatus acting as a strut. The weight of the passenger’s head, now being supported by the head support apparatus and carrier unit, holds the headband and its supporting rods at this position as the weight of the passenger’s head slightly bends each rod within their tubes and this distortion creates friction and acts to stop the rods moving down or up within each tube. As a result and with the weight of the passenger’s head being supported, the passenger can comfortably relax and fall asleep and when the passenger eventually awakens in the same supported position, there should be no neck pain. This invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example only, one embodiment of a combination carrier unit and head support apparatus in accordance with the invention. In the drawings:- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a person sitting on a seat wearing the combination carrier unit and head support apparatus with the headrest unit raised up against the person’s forehead. Figure 2 is a side view of the combination carrier unit and head support apparatus showing the headrest unit raised up. Figure 3 is a rear view of the combination carrier unit and head support apparatus showing the headrest unit raised up. Figure 4 is a rear view of the combination carrier unit and head support apparatus showing the headrest unit resting on the top of the combination carrier unit. Figure 5 is a front view of the combination carrier unit and head support apparatus showing the headrest unit resting on the top of the combination carrier unit. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the headrest unit 11. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along A-A of figure 2. Figure 8 is a plan view of the combination carrier unit and head support apparatus. Referring to the drawings generally there is shown a combination carrier unit and head support apparatus. The combination carrier unit and head support apparatus having a carrier unit 7 with buckles 1 for adjustment of the length of the fastening members 2. The fastening members are straps for releasably fastening the carrier unit and head support apparatus to the torso of a person 8. The carrier unit has a headband 5 for supporting a person’s head 9. The carrier unit 7 shown in the drawings is a rucksack which is commonly used all over the world for carrying a wide range of various articles from books to clothes. There is zipper access 10 to the contents storage compartment of the carrier unit. The head support means 5 is a headband that is attached to two plastic rods 4, for example attached by glueing the material headband 5 to each rod 4. Each rod 4 is inserted into a plastic tube 3. Each tube 3 is attached to the edge of a rigid plastic board 6 and the board 6 is attached to the internal rear side of the carrier unit 7. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along A-A of figure 2 and shows a section of the internal rear of the carrier unit 7. The plastic tubes 3 are glued to each side of the rigid board 6 and the board and tubes are then glued to the internal rear of the carrier unit 7. Two circular openings created at the top of the carrier unit 7 allows access to the plastic tubes 3 by the plastic rods 4, thus allowing the headrest unit 11, comprising of the headband and rods, see figure 6, to be located within the supporting element comprising of the plastic tubes 3 and the rigid board 6. This allows the headrest unit 11 to be moved up and down within the plastic tubes 3, manually by the user, thereby allowing the headband to be adjusted in height. This allows the person using the combination carrier unit and head support apparatus in Figure 1 to manually adjust the headband height such that it sits against the person’s forehead at a comfortable height in a comfortable position, with the weight of the person’s head being supported by the headrest unit and firmly by the supporting element comprising of the plastic tubes 3 and the rigid board 6. When not in use, the headrest unit 11 comprising of the headband and rods can be pulled out of the plastic tubes 3 completely and stored in the carrier unit or left in the tubes 3, figure 5, with the headband resting on the top of the carrier unit 7. There are various alternative means of attaching the rigid board 6 and the tubes 3 to the internal rear of the carrier unit, for example creating holes in the rigid board and the internal rear of the carrier unit, along the same horizontal level, at the top and at the bottom locations of the carrier unit and securing using plastic cable ties. Variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as outlined above. For example, the carrier unit storage capacity can be made much smaller allowing just enough storage capacity to accommodate the head support apparatus only, effectively creating a standalone head support apparatus.

Claims

1. A combination carrier unit and head support apparatus comprising:a carrier unit body;fastening means for releasably fastening the combination carrier unit and head support apparatus to the upper body of a person;a headband, for supporting the person's head, attached to each of two rods, with each rod inserted into and supported by a tube disposed and fixed within the carrier unit body;wherein the headband, attached to and supported by the two rods, protrudes from the outer edge of the carrier unit body;wherein each rod can be partially extracted from its tube, thereby allowing the headband to be raised to a position that supports the person's head.

2. An apparatus accordingto claim 1 wherein the carrier unit body is a rucksack.

3. An apparatus accordingto claim 1 wherein the carrier unit body is a backpack.

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