Skull-correcting pillow

Abstract

To provide a pillow capable of maintaining the head in a posture effective for skull correction.SOLUTION: A skull-correcting pillow 1 comprises: a pair of support sections 21, 31 that support areas corresponding to the surroundings of the left and right mastoid processes of the head of a supine subject; a pair of action sections 22, 32 that act for sandwiching, therebetween from left and right sides, areas corresponding to the vicinity of the boundary between the parietal bone and the left and right temporal bones of the head; and support mechanisms 23, 24, 42, 33, 34, 43 that variably support the relative positions and postures of the pair of support sections 21, 31 and the pair of action sections 22, 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pillow used for cranial correction. [Background technology]

[0002] Skull adjustment (adjustment) has been known for some time as a treatment to improve symptoms such as snoring, sleep apnea syndrome, sinusitis, migraines, and dizziness. The skull is made up of more than twenty bones, and distortion of these bones is believed to be the cause of the above-mentioned symptoms. A commonly known method of skull adjustment is to apply a specified external force to a specified part of the head using the practitioner's manual techniques to reduce the above-mentioned distortion.

[0003] In addition, the skull distortion that causes each of the above-mentioned symptoms is said to occur when an inappropriate load is applied to the skull for a long period of time due to an inappropriate sleeping position caused by an unsuitable pillow. Other causes of skull distortion include long-term use of smartphones, personal computers, etc. Various pillows that can hold the head in a specified position have been developed as pillows to suppress the generation of such load on the skull (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-068520 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a pillow capable of holding the head in a position that is effective for skull correction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the skull correction pillow of the present invention comprises: A pair of support parts supporting the left and right mastoid areas of the head of a patient in a supine position; A pair of working parts that act to sandwich a portion corresponding to the vicinity of the boundary between the left and right temporal bones and the parietal bones in the head from both the left and right sides; a support mechanism that variably supports the pair of support portions and the pair of action portions so that their relative positions and postures can be changed; The present invention is characterized by comprising: Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to hold the head in a position that is effective for skull correction. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of a skull correction pillow 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a cranial bone correction pillow 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention in use; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a skull correction pillow 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Schematic side view of a skull correction pillow 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The examples merely exemplify preferred configurations of the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the present invention to those configurations. Furthermore, the functions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components of the device in the following description are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to those components, unless otherwise specified.

[0010] (Example) A skull correction pillow 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of the skull correction pillow 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view explaining the use state of the skull correction pillow 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram explaining the configuration of the skull correction pillow 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a schematic side view of the skull correction pillow 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] A skull correction pillow 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as "pillow 1") can be used, for example, to support the head of a patient in a supine position during skull correction treatment.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, a pillow 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention generally comprises a right support structure 2 that supports the right side of the recipient's head, a left support structure 3 that supports the left side of the recipient's head, and a base portion 4 that supports the right support structure 2 and the left support structure 3.

[0013] The base unit 4 includes a right movable table 42 that supports the right support structure 2, and a left movable table 43 that supports the left support structure 3. The right movable table 42 and the left movable table 43 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction on the base plate 40. The left-right direction corresponds to the width direction of the head of a patient in a supine position. The right movable table 42 and the left movable table 43 are configured so that their relative positions in the left-right direction on the base plate 40 can be changed, and the interval and position in the head width direction can be changed according to the size and shape of the patient's head.

[0014] Specifically, the right-side movable base 42 and the left-side movable base 43 each have a fixed portion 44 with a long hole extending in the width direction (head width direction) of the base plate 40, and are fixed to the base plate 40 by fastening a screw 45 inserted into the long hole. The right-side movable base 42 and the left-side movable base 43 can have their fixed positions in the width direction on the base plate 40 adjusted by changing the fastening position of the screw 45 relative to the long hole of the fixed portion 44.

[0015] The configuration of the right side support structure 2 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Note that Figure 3 shows the cross-sectional configurations of each of the first right side finger portion 21, the second right side finger portion 22, the right side connecting portion 23, the first left side finger portion 31, the second left side finger portion 32, and the left side connecting portion 33.

[0016] The right side support structure 2 includes a first right side finger portion 21, a second right side finger portion 22, a right side connecting portion 23, and a right side rotation support portion 24. The right side support structure 2 includes the right side rotation support portion 24 that is rotatably supported by the right side movable base 42.

[0017] The first right finger portion 21 abuts on the right side of the boundary between the back of the head and the neck of the patient, more specifically, on the part between the mastoid process 54 of the right temporal bone 53 and the cervical vertebrae. The second right finger portion 22 abuts on the right side of the patient's head, more specifically, on the part extending from the temporal bone 53 to the parietal bone 52 on the right side of the head. The right connecting portion 23 has a substantially L-shape and includes a first right arm portion 231 and a second right arm portion 232 extending in directions perpendicular to (intersecting) each other. The first right finger portion 21 is attached to the first right arm portion 231, and the second right finger portion 22 is attached to the second right arm portion 232 (see FIG. 3).

[0018] The first right finger portion 21 and the second right finger portion 22 are portions that come into contact with the head of the patient, It is preferable that the right connecting portion 23 is made of a flexible material such as rubber. For example, an L-shaped metal plate can be used for the right connecting portion 23, but an L-shaped member made of resin such as plastic having a strength capable of generating a predetermined compressive force (or a predetermined moment) to be described later on the head of the person to be treated may also be used.

[0019] The first right finger portion 21 and the second right finger portion 22 are supported by the right movable base 42 via the right connecting portion 23 and the right rotating support portion 24 so that their position and posture can be changed around two axes, that is, around the vertical axis and the horizontal axis.

[0020] Specifically, the right side connecting part 23 is rotatably connected to the right side rotation support part 24 via the first right side rotation shaft part 25, and the right side rotation support part 24 is rotatably connected to the right side movable base 42 via the second right side rotation shaft part 26. The rotation axis of the first right side rotation shaft part 25 and the rotation axis of the second right side rotation shaft part 26 are perpendicular to each other. Specifically, the rotation axis of the first right side rotation shaft part 25 extends in a substantially horizontal direction, and the rotation axis of the second right side rotation shaft part 26 extends in a substantially vertical direction. In addition, the rotation axis of the first right side rotation shaft part 25 is substantially parallel to the direction in which the first right side finger part 21 extends (the direction in which the first right arm part 231 of the right side connecting part 23 extends).

[0021] Similar to the right support structure 2, the left support structure 3 includes a first left finger portion 31, a second left finger portion 32, a left connecting portion 33, and a left rotation support portion 34. In the left support structure 3, the left rotation support portion 34 is rotatably supported by the left movable base 43. The left connecting portion 33 has a first left arm portion 331 and a second left arm portion 332 (see FIG. 3). The specific configurations of the respective portions of the left support structure 3 are symmetrical to the configurations of the respective portions of the right support structure 2, and detailed explanations thereof will be omitted.

[0022] The skull correction effect of the pillow 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs.

[0023] The pillow 1 according to this embodiment is configured to be able to apply a pressure to the head of the person being treated that is the same as or similar to the pressure applied by the practitioner to the head of the person being treated in cranial bone correction. More specifically, the pressure caused by the weight of the head itself is concentrated at two predetermined points on the left and right sides of the head, and the same treatment effect can be obtained as when the practitioner applies pressure to the corresponding points with his / her fingers.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the first right finger portion 21 of the right support structure 2 and the first left finger portion 31 of the left support structure 3, as a pair of support portions, contact the boundary between the back of the head and the neck of the subject, respectively, to support the head. More specifically, they contact the portion corresponding to the portion between the mastoid process 54 of the temporal bone 53 and the cervical vertebrae (around the mastoid process 54) at the back of the subject's head and neck. By receiving the weight of the head intensively at the two points where the first right finger portion 21 and the first left finger portion 31 contact, the reaction force against the head weight is concentrated on the corresponding portion. That is, a compressive force is applied to the mastoid process 54 of the temporal bone 53. Therefore, the first right finger portion 21 and the first left finger portion 31 as a pair of left and right support portions also function as a pair of left and right second acting portions together with the second right finger portion 22 and the second left finger portion 32 as a pair of left and right acting portions described later.

[0025] 3 and 4, the second right finger portion 22 of the right support structure 2 and the second left finger portion 32 of the left support structure 3, as a pair of left and right acting portions, press the temporal region (the area behind the temples on the side of the head) of the patient from both the left and right sides. The area on the skull 5 where the compressive force acts is near the boundary between the temporal bone 53 and the parietal bone 52, more specifically, the area on the parietal bone 52 surrounded by the frontal bone 51, the sphenoid bone 56, and the temporal bone 53.

[0026] The pressing force of the second right finger portion 22 and the second left finger portion 32 is applied to the right movable base 42 and the left movable base 4 It can be made adjustable by adjusting the distance between the right support structure 2 and the left support structure 3 and adjusting the posture of each of the right support structure 2 and the left support structure 3. The degree of contact (strength, direction, posture, etc.) of the second right finger portion 22 and the second left finger portion 32 with respect to the temporal region is adjusted so that a force of sufficient corrective effect is applied to the temporal region of the patient without causing pain to the patient.

[0027] Here, the right side connecting portion 23 and right side rotating support portion 24 in the right side support structure 2, the left side connecting portion 33 and left side rotating support portion 34 in the left side support structure 3, and the right side movable table 42 and left side movable table 43 in the base portion 4 constitute a support mechanism that variably supports the relative positions and postures of the first right side finger portion 21, the first left side finger portion 31, the second right side finger portion 22, and the second left side finger portion 32.

[0028] In addition, a moment (arc arrow in the figure) generated by the head weight (white arrow in the figure) received by the first right finger portion 21 and the first left finger portion 31 can also contribute to the generation of a compressive force on the head of the patient by the second right finger portion 22 and the second left finger portion 32. The head weight received by the first right finger portion 21 can generate a moment with the connection portion between the right connector 23 and the right rotation support portion 24 as the base point. Similarly, the head weight received by the first left finger portion 31 can generate a moment with the connection portion between the left connector 33 and the left rotation support portion 34 as the base point.

[0029] The compressive force of the pair of second right finger portion 22 and second left finger portion 32 pinching the skull 5 generates a force that widens the boundaries of the bones that make up the skull 5. More specifically, a force that widens the vicinity of the boundaries between the frontal bone 51 and the temporal bone 53, the cheekbone 55, the sphenoid bone 56, the maxilla 57, and the nasal bone 58, and the vicinity of the boundary between the parietal bone 52 and the temporal bone 53 (the region along the line L1) is generated. In addition, a force that widens the vicinity of the boundary between the cheekbone 55 and the maxilla 57 (the region along the line L2) and the vicinity of the boundary between the cheekbone 55 and the sphenoid bone 56 (the region along the line L3) is also generated.

[0030] In addition, the compression by the second right finger portion 22 and the second left finger portion 32 also generates a force that widens the space between the first cervical vertebra and the base of the skull (frontal bone 51, occipital bone 50, temporal bone 53, sphenoid bone 56, ethmoid bone 59, etc.).

[0031] By generating the above-mentioned compression force, it is possible to reduce or eliminate distortion of the skull 5, which is believed to be the cause of various symptoms such as sleep apnea syndrome, sinusitis, and migraine headaches.

[0032] The support posture of the head of the person to be treated by the pillow 1 can be formed by adjusting the respective postures (position, direction, etc.) of the right support structure 2 and the left support structure 3 and the widthwise interval according to the shape of the head of the person to be treated. The first right rotation shaft portion 25 and the first left rotation shaft portion 35 may be fixed after adjustment or may remain freely rotatable. On the other hand, it is preferable that the second right rotation shaft portion 26 and the second left rotation shaft portion 36 remain freely rotatable both during and after adjustment. With each rotation shaft portion freely rotatable, the position of the right support structure 2 and the left support structure 3 that balances the support of the head of the person to be treated can be found, and the support posture of the head of the person to be treated can be determined.

[0033] The pillow 1 according to this embodiment can be used in various ways.

[0034] For example, in a cranial bone correction treatment by a practitioner, a more effective treatment effect can be expected by adding the above-mentioned compression force by the pillow 1 while performing the treatment by the practitioner's manual technique. In other words, the pillow 1 can be used as an auxiliary tool in the cranial bone correction treatment by the practitioner.

[0035] In addition, a certain degree of skull correction effect can be expected simply by placing the head on the pillow 1 in the above-mentioned predetermined support posture (supporting the head of the person being treated with the pillow 1 of this embodiment). Therefore, the pillow 1 is not limited to use in situations where a practitioner performs skull correction treatment, but can also be used for self-treatment (self-massage) in which the user places the head on the pillow 1 for a certain period of time.

[0036] The above-mentioned method of using the pillow 1 is merely an example, and is not limited to a specific method. For example, it can also be used for a patient in a seated position. That is, the pillow 1 according to this embodiment can be used as a headrest (head support part) of a chair. It is advisable to adjust the posture and angle of the right support structure 2 and the left support structure 3 to balance the head of the patient in a seated position so that the pillow 1 supports the head. Compared to the case of the supine position, the direction of action of the reaction force against the head weight received by the first right finger part 21 and the first left finger part 31 is more toward the mastoid process 54 side of the temporal bone 53. This makes it possible to create a head support posture that enhances the effect of the compression force on the boundary area between the temporal bone 53 and the occipital bone 50, for example.

[0037] In this embodiment, the first right finger portion 21 and the second right finger portion 22 are separate from each other, but the first right finger portion 21 and the second right finger portion 22 may be integrated, that is, the entire L-shaped rigid member may be covered with a flexible material. The same applies to the first left finger portion 31 and the second left finger portion 32.

[0038] In addition, in this embodiment, the right side support structure 2 is configured such that the first right side finger portion 21 is attached to one end of the right side connecting portion 23 made of an L-shaped metal plate, and the second right side finger portion 22 is attached to the other end, but this configuration is merely an example. In other words, as long as the first right side finger portion 21 and the second right side finger portion 22 can be supported so as to abut against predetermined portions of the head, the configuration is not limited to that of this embodiment. The same applies to the left side support structure 3.

[0039] In this embodiment, an L-shaped metal plate is used as the right side rotation support part 24, but other types of members capable of forming the first right side rotation shaft part 25 and the second right side rotation shaft part 26 whose rotation axes intersect with each other may be used. That is, the configuration that allows the first right side finger part 21 and the second right side finger part 22 to rotate (pivot) at least around the above-mentioned two intersecting axes is not limited to the configuration of this embodiment. The same applies to the left side rotation support part 34.

[0040] In this embodiment, the two axes that allow the first right finger portion 21 and the second right finger portion 22 to rotate (pivot) are perpendicular to each other, but the crossing angle of the two axes does not have to be perpendicular (right angle). For example, the first right finger portion 21 and the second right finger portion 22 may be configured to extend at an angle wider than a right angle.

[0041] In this embodiment, the right support structure 2 is configured to integrally support the first right finger portion 21 as the support portion and the second right finger portion 22 as the action portion, but is not limited to this configuration as long as the above-mentioned compressive force can be applied to the head of the patient. In other words, the structure supporting the support portion and the structure supporting the action portion may be configured separately. The same applies to the left support structure 3.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the support part that most heavily bears the weight of the patient's head is configured as a pair on the left and right (first right finger part 21 and first left finger part 31), but it may also be configured as an integrated single support part.

[0043] In addition, the configuration of the base part 4 is not limited to the configuration shown in this embodiment, which is merely an example. For example, with regard to the configuration for fixing the right movable platform 42 and the left movable platform 43 to the base plate 40 so as to be adjustable at any position in the left-right direction, the fixing configuration using the long holes and screws shown in this embodiment is merely an example, and other known position adjustment configurations may be appropriately adopted.

[0044] In this embodiment, the right support structure 2 and the left support structure 3 are configured so that their positions can be adjusted independently with respect to the base plate 40, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, an interlocking mechanism may be employed in which, when the position of either the right movable base 42 or the left movable base 43 is changed, the position of the other is changed in conjunction with the change.

[0045] In addition, one of the right support structure 2 and the left support structure 3 may be fixed to the base plate 40, with the other being configured so that its position can be adjusted in the left-right direction relative to the base plate 40. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1… pillow, 2… right side support part, 21… first right side finger part, 22… second right side finger part, 23… right side connection part, 24… right side rotation support part, 25… first right side rotation shaft part, 26… second right side rotation shaft part, 3… left side support part, 31… first left side finger part, 32… second left side finger part, 33… left side connection part, 34… left side rotation support part, 35… first left side rotation shaft part, 36… second left side rotation shaft part, 4… base part, 40… base plate, 42… right side movable table, 43… left side movable table

Claims

1. A pair of support parts supporting the left and right mastoid areas of the head of a patient in a supine position; A pair of working parts that act to sandwich a portion corresponding to the vicinity of the boundary between the left and right temporal bones and the parietal bones in the head from both the left and right sides; a support mechanism that variably supports the pair of support portions and the pair of action portions so that their relative positions and postures can be changed; A pillow for skull correction, comprising:

2. The support mechanism includes: a left connecting portion including: a first left arm portion to which a left supporting portion of the pair of supporting portions is attached; and a second left arm portion extending in a direction intersecting with the first left arm portion and to which a left acting portion of the pair of acting portions is attached; a left rotation support part that supports the left connection part so as to be rotatable around at least two axes that intersect with each other; a right connecting portion including: a first right arm portion to which a right support portion of the pair of support portions is attached; and a second right arm portion extending in a direction intersecting with the first right arm portion and to which a right action portion of the pair of action portions is attached; a right rotation support portion that supports the right connection portion so as to be rotatable around at least two axes that intersect with each other; The pillow for cranial correction according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The skull correction pillow according to claim 2, wherein the left rotation support portion and the right rotation support portion are configured so that their relative positions in the left-right direction are variable.

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