Travel Head Support Frame Shaped to Shoulder for Upright Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional travel pillows fail to adequately support the head in an upright position, particularly lacking support under the chin and sides, and often shift during use, leading to discomfort and inadequate neck alignment.
Innovation Solution
A support structure with a resilient, flexible frame featuring a convex head engaging portion and a concave shoulder engaging portion, hingedly connected and adaptable to different neck lengths, secured by an anchoring scarf with bridging means to distribute weight and resist compression, ensuring comfortable support for various users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional travel pillows (C-shaped, O-shaped, L-shaped) are used, then the head can be supported in a reclined position, but the head cannot be adequately supported in an upright position, particularly lacking support under the chin and sides
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure employs a flexible frame that can dynamically adapt its shape to accommodate different head positions and neck lengths. The frame includes a head-engaging portion and a shoulder-engaging portion that can flex and conform to the user's anatomy, providing effective support in both upright and reclined positions while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure features different structural characteristics in different regions: the head-engaging portion has a specific configuration to support the chin and sides of the head, while the shoulder-engaging portion has a different configuration to distribute weight across the shoulders. This local differentiation allows the single device to effectively address multiple support needs simultaneously.
2Reliability
If conventional travel pillows are used, then they provide some head support, but they move during use, particularly away from the desired area of contact with the user, reducing support effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure combines the head support function and shoulder support function into a single integrated frame structure. The head-engaging portion and shoulder-engaging portion are connected as one unified device, ensuring that both components remain in their desired positions relative to each other during use, preventing the device from shifting or moving away from effective contact areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure utilizes a flexible frame that can conform to the user's body contours while maintaining its structural integrity. This flexibility allows the device to adapt to movement while the integrated design ensures it remains positioned correctly, combining adaptability with positional stability.
3Strength
If bead-filled pillows are used, then they can be quite firm, but they lack support in the upright position at the front of the neck
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible frame structure provides dynamic support that adapts to the user's posture. When the user is in an upright position, the frame's flexibility allows it to conform to the front of the neck and provide support, while maintaining its firmness through the rigid connecting members that prevent excessive deformation.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the frame is made resilient and flexible to accommodate different neck lengths, then it can adapt to various users, but it may compress under head weight, requiring bridging means to span gaps and distribute weight
Solution Approach 1:
The bridging means introduces an additional structural element that spans across the flexible frame, creating a triangular support structure. This dimensional addition provides extra strength and compression resistance while allowing the frame to maintain its flexibility and adaptability for different neck lengths. The bridging means effectively distributes the load across a wider area, preventing excessive compression.
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 support structure effectively maintains the head in an upright position, providing adequate support and comfort by distributing the weight of the head over a larger area, accommodating different neck sizes and lengths, and resisting further compression for improved stability.
Implementation Method 1
The frame may be resilient
Data Source
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AI summary
A support structure (10) for at least partially supporting a user's head is described. The support structure (10) comprises a frame (12) having a head engaging portion (30) and a shoulder engaging portion (40), the shoulder engaging portion (40) adapted to spread the load of the user's head over a user's shoulder, the frame (12) being shaped to the contour of the user's body from the head engaging portion (30) to the shoulder engaging portion (40).