TRANSIT

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a device for improving resting comfort of a person in transit. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a device for improving the resting comfort of a backpacker in transit.

Travellers often face long layovers between different stages of their journeys, thereby requiring them to spend extended periods of time in public places such as transports hubs. This is a common problem for backpackers, i.e. persons travelling with backpacks, seeing that backpackers are generally young people who travel the world on limited budgets. It is therefore not uncommon for backpackers to be seen waiting several hours at airports for connecting flights, trains or buses, for example. Although some airports, train stations and bus stops offer resting areas, these facilities are not always available. Even if resting facilities are available, backpackers often do not make use of such facilities as they are too expensive for the average backpacker travelling on a limited budget. It is aiso for this reason that backpackers typically decide to rest at the transport hub instead of seeking the services of a hotel. As a result, backpackers have a tendency to sleep in uncomfortable and difficult conditions in public buildings. Their need for sleep in such conditions is also often necessitated by factors such as jet lag and travel-related sleep- deprivation. Sleeping is at times also used as a means of passing time during lengthy layovers. When not making use of dedicated resting facilities, backpackers are required to sleep wherever they find a suitable space while trying to avoid the bright lighting and buzz of a transport hub. It is therefore common for backpackers to try and sleep on chairs with fixed armrests, hard benches, cold floors and the like.

The problem of uncomfortable sleeping conditions is not only encountered during layovers, but also while travelling over long distances. In the event that a traveller wishes to sleep on the journey he/she has to sleep whiie sitting on a seat designed for a single person. This often leads to a traveller sleeping with his head in a backwardly tilting position with his/her mouth open. This is not only extremely uncomfortable for the traveller but is also embarrassing to many travellers.

A number of products which aim to improve the resting comfort of a traveller have been suggested and some are currently available on the market. One of the drawbacks of these products is that they require additional hand luggage to be carried around or take up valuable space in the backpack of the traveller. An example of such a product is the travel pillow, of which many different designs are available. As a result of its bulky design it takes up considerable space in a backpackers backpack. To address this issue it has been suggested to make an inflatable travel pillow. The drawback of this is that a puncture renders the pillow useless as it cannot be used if not inflated. It has also been found that travel pillows are more suitable in situations where the traveller has a high upright seat to lean against. In many instances such seats are simply not available and, accordingiy, a travel pillow is of very little value as a means of improving the resting comfort of the traveller.

Backpackers generally also face a security threat posed by thieves and pickpockets, especially while resting in public spaces. Backpackers are particularly vulnerable as a result of the typical design of modern backpacks. Most backpacks have many exterior pockets which are easily accessible, !n an attempt to negate this threat, backpackers commonly use padlocks or combination locks to secure these pockets. This method of theft prevention is inconvenient as it requires backpackers to travel with a number of locks in order to secure their backpacks. The use of locks also does not prevent a thief from stealing the entire backpack while the backpacker is sleeping. The products currently on the market that aim to improve the resting comfort of a traveller do not address the security threats that the backpacker face while travelling.

Backpackers are also wary of sleeping on long layovers as there is a risk that they might miss the next stage of their journey due to not waking up in time. Is it is therefore not uncommon to see a handwritten note next to a sleeping backpacker asking fellow travellers to wake him/her up at a certain time. Although the use of an electronic device such as a cell phone to set an alarm might be an obvious choice, this is not always an option. Firstly, on long journeys the battery life is often insufficient and as a result of backpackers spending a lot of time on the move they are not able to charge the batteries of their cell phones regularly. When using a cell phone as an alarm it must be kept where the alarm is audible to the sleeping backpacker. For example, it cannot be locked away inside the backpack as there is a chance that the backpacker might not hear the alarm and, as a result, could miss the next journey of his/her travels. By not locking the cell phone away there is again a risk of it being stolen while the backpacker is sleeping. It is an object of this invention to alleviate at least some of the problems experienced with existing products which aim to improve the resting comfort of a traveller.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device for improving the resting comfort of a person in transit that will be a useful alternative to existing products.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION in accordance with the invention there is provided a device for improving resting comfort of a person in transit, the device including:

a flexible body carrying connecting means for connecting the device to a piece of luggage, the connection means being releasabiy connectable to the piece of luggage in such a manner that the body is wrapped around at least a portion of the luggage when connected thereto;

a recess in the body in which the person's hands may, in use, be at least partially received; and

a cushion for placement on top of the piece of luggage on which the person's head may, in use, be rested.

The device may further include a flexible cover which is connected to the body. In the preferred embodiment the cover has a central portion extending from the body and a hood portion provided at end of the central portion so that the hood portion may, in use, be pulled over the head of the person using the device.

The cover and, in particular the hood portion, is preferably made from an elastic material so that it, in use, supports the user's neck and head in the resting position on top of the piece of luggage. The cover may be made from spandex, such as the brand currently being sold under the trade mark Lycra®.

The elastic material of the hood portion is preferably black in colour.

The hood portion may also include securing means for, in use, securing it on the head of a person when pulled over the person's head. In one embodiment the securing means is in the form of an elastic binding, in alternative embodiments the securing means may be in the form of comp!ementaliy shaped connectors or a draw string.

The elasticity of the central and hood portions may differ. The centra! and hood portions may be made from the same material but in different thickness. Preferably, the elasticity of the hood portion is greater than the elasticity of the central portion.

The body may further include a pocket on its inside surface in which the sleeve is stored when not in use.

The recess in the body in which the person's hands may, in use, be at least partially received may be in the form of a sleeve formed in the body, wherein the sleeve is dimensioned to receive, at least partially, both arms of the person when in the resting position. Preferably, the sleeve has two openings located at opposite sides of the body for receiving the person's left and right arm respectively.

The sleeve is at least partially made from an elastic material so as to return to its original state when the person removes his/her arms from the sleeve.

The cushion is preferably made from a po!yurethane memory foam.

In the preferred embodiment the cushion is connected to the body of the device by a flexible cord. The body may further carry a pocket on its exterior surface for receiving a card therein, wherein the pocket has a transparent wall so that the card is visible when placed inside the pocket.

It is envisaged that the device may be particularly useful for use on a backpack, preferably in the form of a daypack or rucksack, thereby allowing the user to place the backpack on his/her lap in a sitting position while tilting his/her head in a forward while resting on the cushion placed on top of the backpack.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a front view of the device for improving resting comfort of a person in transit in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 shows a rear view of the device of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the device of Figure 1 in use connected to a backpack, with a hood portion stored away; and

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the device of Figure 1 in use connected to a backpack, with the hood portion pulled over the head of a resting traveller.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like features, a non-limiting example of a device for improving resting comfort of a person in transit in accordance with the invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10.

Figure 1 shows a front view of the device 10. From this figure it can be seen that the device 10 includes a flexible body 12 which carries connecting means 14 for connecting the device to a piece of luggage 100 (shown in Figures 3 and 4). It is envisaged that the device 10 will be particularly useful in improving the resting comfort of backpackers, i.e. travellers you travel with backpacks. The piece of luggage 100 will therefore be described as a backpack in this description. However, the device 10 could still be used on other pieces of luggage and is in no way limited to the use of backpacks only. it is further envisaged that the device 10 may be particularly useful for use on a backpack in the form of a daypack or rucksack. A person familiar with rucksacks will know that they are typically dimensioned to be used as hand luggage. For example, rucksacks are typically designed to meet the limitations for hand luggage set by airlines. Rucksacks are accordingly in the order of about 56cm x 45cm x 25cm in height, width and depth respectively. These dimensions allow a traveller to place the rucksack on his/her lap when in a sitting position and rest his/her head on top of the rucksack 10, as shown in Figure 3. The position of Figure 3 is referred to as the resting position.

Returning now to Figure 1 , the connecting means 14 are in the form of two pairs of straps 14.1 and 14.2, with each pair of straps connecting to one another by means of a releasable connector 16. In use the flexible body 12 is placed over a portion of the backpack 100 so that its surface 18, which is, in use, its inner surface, is in contact with the backpack. It follows naturally that the other surface 20, which is, in use, its outer surface faces away from the backpack. With the body 12 placed over the backpack 100 the straps 14 are wrapped around the backpack to allow each pair of straps 14.1 and 14.2 to be secured by means of the connectors 16. It must be understood that the body 12 and the connectors 16 are provided on opposite sides of the backpack when the device 10 is connected to the backpack. From Figure 3 it can be seen that in the resting position the connectors 16 are located between the backpack 100 and the traveller while the body 12 of the device 10 is located on the other side of the backpack.

The straps 14 and connectors 16 allow the device 10 and, in particular its body 12, to be re!easably connected to the backpack. As a result, the device 10 can be fitted to different backpacks. The connectors 16 also allow the length of the straps 14 to be adjusted to tighten them around the backpack and to accommodate backpacks of different sizes.

Still referring to Figure 3 it can be seen that the body 12 covers a significant part of the backpack 100 and accordingly its exterior pockets which are normally accessible from the outside. This is an important security feature as the body 12 prevents any potential thief or pickpocket from gaining access to the exterior pockets of the backpack 100.

Returning now to Figure 1 it can be seen that the device 10 includes a recess 22 in which the person's hands may, in use, be at least partially received, in the illustrated embodiment the recess 22 is in the form of a sleeve formed in and running over the entire length of the body 12. The sleeve 22 is open on both sides of the body 12 and dimensioned to receive, at least partially, both arms of the person when in the resting position as shown in Figure 3. From Figure 3 it can be seen that the two openings 24.1 and 24.2 of the sleeve 22 receive the person's left and right arm respectively.

As illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the sleeve 22 supports the traveller's arms when in the resting position. This allows the resting traveller to relax his/her arms completely while maintaining a compact sitting position. It must be noted that the resting traveller in this resting position takes up no more space than he/she would sitting upright on a single seat. By placing his/her arms in the sleeve 22 the resting traveller is also given a sense of security as it feels as if he/she is holding onto the backpack. It must be noted that in this resting position with the traveller's arms inside the sleeve 22 the backpack 100 cannot be removed without the knowledge of the traveller.

At least a portion of the sleeve 22 is made from an elastic material so that it returns to its original state when the traveller removes his/her arms. This allows for a more compact design in which the walls of the sleeve 22 retract as soon as the traveller removes is/are arms from the sleeve.

The device 10 further includes a cushion 26 for placement on top of the backpack 100 so that the resting traveller can rest his/her head thereon when in the resting position. To prevent the cushion 26 from being misplaced it is connected to the body 12 by means of a flexible webbing or cord 28. When not being used the cushion 26 can simply be inserted into the space between the body 12 and the backpack 100.

In the preferred embodiment of the device 10 the cushion 26 is made from a polyurethane memory foam located inside a covering closed off by stitching the top and bottom walls together. It should be clear that the webbing 28 is also sewn onto the covering of the cushion 26.

Referring now to Figure 2 in particular it can be seen that the illustrated embodiment of the device 10 further includes a flexible cover 30 which is connected to the body 12. The cover 30 has a central portion 32 extending from the body 12 and a hood portion 34 provided at end of the centra! portion so that the hood portion may, in use, be pulled over the head of the traveller when in the resting position, as shown in Figure 4. In the position illustrated in Figure 4, i.e. with the hood portion 34 pulled over the head of the traveller, the resting traveller is shielded from external conditions such as bright lighting often found in transport hubs, such as airports, train stations and bus stops for example, !n addition to sheltering the traveller from the external environment, he/she is afforded some privacy and peace by pui!ing the hood portion 34 over his/her head. in view of the fact that the hood portion 34 is inter alia used to block out bright light it is envisaged that black would probably be the most suitable colour for the hood portion. Alternatively, a multi-layered material or an increased material thickness could be used as a means to block out bright light.

The hood portion 34 is made from an elastic material so that, in use, it fits snug!y on the head of the traveller. It has also been found that the elastic material provides support and stability to the resting traveller's neck and head while in the resting position. The support provided by the elastic material affords the resting traveller to relax completely without the fear of his/her head dropping sideways or backwards while sleeping. It is believed that this is an important feature to prevent travellers from waking up with sore and stiff necks.

It is believed that spandex, such as the brand currently being sold under the trade mark Lycra®, could be used as an elastic material for the hood portion 34.

Referring still to Figure 2, the hood portion 34 has securing means 36 for, in use, securing it on the head of a resting traveller when pulled over his/her head. In the illustrated embodiment of the device 10 the securing means 36 is in the form of an elastic or bias binding running along the length of the edge of the hood portion 34. In alternative embodiments not illustrated in the accompanying drawings the securing means could be in the form of complemental!y shaped connectors, such as male and female clips, or a draw string, for example.

In the preferred embodiment the central portion 32 of the cover 30 is also made from an elastic material. It has been found that this allows the cover 30 to retract into a more compact size when not in use, thereby taking up less space when stored. To store the cover 30 when not in use, the body 12 includes a pocket on its inside surface 8. In Figure 2 the opening of the pocket in which the cover is stored is illustrated by the numeral 38.

Although both the central portion 32 and hood portion 34 of the cover 30 could be made from an elastic materia! it is envisaged that the elasticity of the two portions could differ. The central and hood portions could be made from the same elastic material but in different materia! thickness. The thickness of the material would typically be varied so that the elastic force exerted by the hood portion 34 is greater that the elastic force exerted by the central portion 32, thereby allowing the hood portion to fit snugly around the head of the resting traveller while not forcing his/her head onto the cushion 26 in an uncomfortable manner.

The device 10 and in particular the body 12 further carries a pocket 40 on its exterior surface 20 in which a card (not shown in the accompanying drawings) may be received. In the illustrated embodiment the pocket 40 is again stitched onto the body 12 and has a covering surface made from a transparent material, such as clear vinyl for example. The transparent covering surface allows the card inside the pocket 40 to be visible from the outside so as to allow passers-by to view it. This allows the card inside the pocket 40 to be used as a medium for communicating to fellow travellers. For example, the backpacker can use the card to ask fellow travellers to wake him/her up at a certain time. Alternatively, the pocket can be used to house cards containing other information such as the travellers personal details or the flag of his/her home country, for example.

From the above description it must be must be clear that the device 10 in accordance with the invention provides a means for improving the resting comfort of a traveller and, in particular, a backpacker. The device 10 allows a backpacker to rest in a seated position while taking up no more space than a single seat. The device 10 also provides some peace and privacy to a resting traveller when the hood portion 34 is pulled over his/her head. Yet another advantage of the device 10 is that it addresses the security threat normaily posed by thieves and pickpockets.