Curved Head Rest With Arm Passageway for Circulation Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pillows 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 head rest with a spine member that has a concave portion for the head and a passageway for the arm, featuring a gentle upward curve at the front and a steeper upward curve at the rear, allowing the arm to be placed underneath without supporting the head's weight, combined with cushioning and a flexible design for comfort and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the head is positioned on a conventional pillow, then head support is provided, but blood circulation in the arm is disrupted due to head weight pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The head rest is segmented into distinct functional zones: a head support portion with a first concave portion for cradling the head, and an arm support portion with a passageway that receives and supports the arm. This segmentation allows the head weight to be borne by the head support portion while the arm rests independently in the passageway, preventing circulation disruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a vertical dimension to the design by curving the front and rear ends upwardly towards the passageway. This creates a three-dimensional structure where the head support portion is elevated and positioned such that the head does not directly compress the arm, allowing gravitational force to act on the head without transmitting harmful pressure to the arm.
2Ease of operation
If the arm is placed under the head for comfort, then sleeping position is improved, but circulation loss occurs due to head weight on the arm
Solution Approach 1:
The head rest structure acts as an intermediary between the head and the arm. The curved front and rear ends create a structural mediation that redistributes the head weight to the supporting surface rather than allowing it to concentrate on the arm. The passageway provides a dedicated intermediate space for arm placement that is structurally decoupled from the head support function.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If known pillows are designed to address circulation loss, then circulation is protected, but the pillows become oddly shaped and uncomfortable
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the head rest are designed with locally optimized qualities: the head support portion features a first concave portion with specific curvature for head cradling, the arm support portion has a passageway with appropriate dimensions for arm reception, and the front and rear ends have upward curves at specific angles. This local quality optimization ensures both circulation protection and comfort without compromising overall shape.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the spine member is made rigid to support head weight, then head support stability is improved, but arm comfort in the passageway may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The spine member's physical parameters are optimized to balance rigidity and comfort: it is constructed with sufficient rigidity (modulus of elasticity between 0.5-5.0 MPa) to support head weight and maintain structural stability, while the passageway dimensions (width 5-15 cm, height 10-20 cm) and upward curvature angles (front end 5-20 degrees, rear end 10-30 degrees) are adjusted to provide arm comfort and prevent circulation disruption.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
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.