Arm-Passage Head Rest for Pressure-Free Side Sleeping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional headrests often disrupt blood circulation in the arm when positioned under the head, leading to discomfort and sleep interruption due to the weight of the head, and existing solutions are often awkwardly shaped, compromising comfort.
Innovation Solution
A headrest with a sheet member featuring a concave portion for the head and a passageway for the arm, designed to distribute the head's weight away from the arm, ensuring the arm does not support the head, made from rigid yet resilient material with adjustable foam cushioning for comfort and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the arm is positioned under the head to support the head weight, then the user can sleep in a comfortable position, but the arm experiences loss of blood circulation and discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a headrest as an intermediary device between the head and the arm. The headrest supports the head weight, preventing direct pressure on the arm while maintaining the comfortable sleeping position. The headrest acts as a mediator that transfers the load from the arm to the headrest structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The headrest provides a counterbalancing support structure that compensates for the head weight. By positioning the headrest to extend along the mattress surface and provide rigid support, it creates a counterweight effect that prevents the head from pressing down on the arm, thereby maintaining circulation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a rigid headrest structure is used to prevent arm pressure, then circulation is maintained, but the headrest may be less comfortable
Solution Approach 1:
The headrest applies local quality by providing rigid support specifically in the regions where structural integrity is needed (to prevent arm pressure), while allowing more compliant or cushioned areas in contact with the head. The headrest can have different material properties or structural characteristics in different zones to simultaneously achieve rigidity for circulation protection and comfort for head support.
Solution Approach 2:
The headrest may utilize composite materials or construction, combining rigid materials (such as molded foam or rigid plastics) for the structural framework with softer, more compliant materials (such as memory foam or cushioning layers) for the head-contact surfaces. This composite approach allows the headrest to maintain rigidity where needed while providing comfort where required.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the headrest extends forward and backward to distribute weight, then stability is improved, but the headrest occupies more space
Solution Approach 1:
The headrest extends in the longitudinal dimension (forward and backward along the mattress) rather than expanding laterally. By utilizing the length dimension of the mattress, the headrest achieves stability through distributed weight bearing along its length without significantly increasing its width or lateral footprint. This dimensional strategy allows stability improvement while minimizing space occupation.
Data Source
AI summary
A head rest (10) comprises a curved sheet member (12) having an upper surface (14), a lower surface (16), and front and rear ends (18, 20), wherein the upper surface (14) comprises a generally forwardly facing portion (26) and a generally rearwardly facing portion (28), and wherein the generally forwardly facing portion (26) includes a first concave portion (34) for receiving the head of a user, the front and rear ends (18, 20) are configured for contact with a resting surface (38) and, between the front and rear ends (18, 20), the lower surface (16) defines a passageway (36) dimensioned to receive at least one arm of the user. The head rest has sufficient rigidity such that when the user's head is resting on the member (12), one or both arms of the user may be positioned in the passageway (36) in a manner that does not require the arm(s) to support the weight of the head. In this way, the head rest allows comfortable resting without loss of circulation in the arms.