Bendable Neck Support Structure for Stable Head Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current neck support devices are not adjustable, customizable, or portable, often leading to discomfort and poor posture during activities like travel, as they lack flexibility and cannot prevent head tilting or wobbling.
Innovation Solution
A bendable, padded neck support device with a flexible inner core and adjustable shoulder strap, allowing users to contour the device for specific support needs, which is collapsible and packable for easy transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional neck support devices (horseshoe collars, cervical pillows) are used, then they provide basic neck support, but they are not adjustable or customizable for different users and positions
Solution Approach 1:
The support device is divided into multiple independent segments or zones along its length, each capable of being positioned at different locations. This segmentation allows the device to be customized for different neck lengths and support preferences without requiring a completely different device for each user, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates movable or adjustable components that can be repositioned along the device structure. This dynamic capability enables the same device to adapt to different users and positions (seated, prone, sleeping) while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure, addressing the adaptability-complexity tradeoff.
2Strength
If contoured pillows with foam or stiff filling are used, then they provide structural support, but they resist compression and are difficult to collapse or pack for travel
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses a flexible outer shell or covering that can be compressed and collapsed when not in use, yet maintains its structural integrity and support capability when deployed. This flexible shell approach allows the device to transition between a compact packable state and a functional support state, resolving the contradiction between strength and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The device structure allows for dynamic transformation between an extended supportive configuration and a collapsed compact configuration. This dynamic capability enables easy packing for travel while maintaining structural support when in use, addressing the contradiction between strength and collapsibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If inflatable bladders are used in horseshoe collars, then they provide adjustable support, but they require lung capacity for inflation and add inconvenient inflation/deflation steps
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts or removes the inflatable bladder mechanism from the support device, replacing it with a non-inflatable structure that provides support through its physical form and material properties alone. This eliminates the need for inflation and deflation operations, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and ease of operation by providing support without the cumbersome bladder system.
4Reliability
If existing neck support items are used, then they provide support in certain positions, but they do not prevent the head from tilting forward or wobbling
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into multiple functional zones including head support, neck support, and shoulder support portions. This segmentation allows each zone to address specific stability issues (preventing forward tilt, reducing wobble) while maintaining an overall simple device structure, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the device have specialized local properties optimized for their specific function - the head portion is shaped to prevent forward tilting, the neck portion provides lateral stability, and the shoulder portion offers base support. This local quality approach enhances head position stability without requiring a complex overall device structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device provides customizable support for maintaining proper cervical spine alignment, preventing head tilting and wobbling, while being easy to use and transport, addressing the limitations of existing neck support items.
Implementation Method 1
The weight of the user's head will exert force upon the head portion, which weight will be translated via the neck portion to the shoulder portion, where it is in turn translated to the user's shoulder
Data Source
AI summary
A neck support device comprises a flat, portable device comprised of a central malleable but supportive inner core or endoskeleton covered by a comfortable padded shell. The device shapes into a structure, supporting a user's head by translating the weight of the user' head to the user's shoulder, bypassing the neck, thus allowing relaxation of the supportive structures of the neck. The neck support device comprises a flexible and bendable inner core and an outer sheath material. Portions of the device may be bent into a support position by the user to support the user's head. The device may be bent into a substantially flat configuration for storage. The device may comprise contoured padding located for support or comfort and slip-resistant materials or surfaces. The device may translate the weight of the user's head from a head portion to a shoulder portion via a neck portion.