The present invention relates to a temporary head rest arrangement, particularly, but not exclusively, for attachment to an existing seat back structure on vehicles such as aircraft, trains or buses having a seat back folding table actuable between a stowed and a deployed configuration. A seat back folding table comprising an integrated head rest member is also provided.

On long journeys passengers often become uncomfortable when seated for long periods of time. Although this can be a problem on many different modes of transport this is often a particularly acute problem on aircraft where space is generally at a premium and where the increased popularity of economy travel has resulted in passengers often being seated in relatively cramped conditions for long periods of time. Furthermore, on long-haul flights, passengers typically try to pass much of their time on-board the aircraft attempting to sleep. However, most passengers find this very difficult since they are unable to make themselves adequately comfortable. In an effort to address this problem, passengers often either bring their own small travel pillows with them or are provided with these by the airline as they arrive on-board the flight. In general, such measures are only partially effective and passengers often therefore tend to remain relatively uncomfortable throughout the journey. It is therefore evident that anything which improves a passenger's comfort level in such environments is desirable.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a temporary head rest arrangement for attachment to an existing seat back structure having a seat back folding table actuable between a stowed and a deployed configuration, the temporary head rest arrangement comprising: - a pillow member for supporting a user's head;

at least one hook member connected to the pillow member for securing it to an edge of a seat back folding table;

the hook member providing support against vertical movement of a user's head when a seat back folding table is in a stowed configuration such that at least a component of any downward force imparted on the pillow member by a user's head is imparted to an existing seat back structure via a stowed seat back folding table; and wherein the, or each, hook is recessed relative to an exterior surface of the pillow member.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a seat back folding table for use by a user seated in an seat row to the rear; the seat back folding table being actuable between a stowed and a deployed configuration and comprising: - an integrated head rest member providing support against vertical movement of a user's head when a seat back folding table is in a stowed configuration such that at least a component of any downward force imparted on the head rest member by a user's head is imparted to an existing seat back structure via the stowed seat back folding table.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the claims and the following description.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the following diagrams, in which: -

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a temporary head rest arrangement having a circular cross section according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2A is a transverse illustration of the temporary head rest arrangement installed on a seat back table which is in a deployed configuration;

Fig. 2B is a transverse illustration of the temporary head rest arrangement installed on a seat back table which is in a stowed configuration;

Fig. 2 C is a perspective illustration of the temporary head rest arrangement of Fig.

2B;

Fig. 3 a perspective illustration of the temporary head rest arrangement attached to the seat back table in an alternative fashion;

Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a temporary head rest arrangement having a D -shaped cross section according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5A is a transverse illustration of the temporary head rest arrangement of Fig. 4 installed on a seat back table in a deployed configuration; Fig. 5B is a transverse illustration of the temporary head rest arrangement of Fig. 4 installed on a seat back table in a stowed configuration;

Fig. 5C is a perspective view of the temporary head rest arrangement of Fig. 5B; Fig. 6 is a perspective illustration of the temporary head rest arrangement attached to the seat back table in an alternative fashion;

Fig. 7 is a schematic illustration of a flattened underside of a D -shaped head rest arrangement and associated concealed hook portions;

Fig. 8 is an illustration of a hook portion of Fig. 7 in isolation;

Fig. 9A is a transverse illustration of the temporary head rest arrangement of Fig. 7 installed on a seat back table which is in a deployed configuration;

Fig. B is a transverse illustration of the temporary head rest arrangement of Fig. 7 installed on a seat back table which is in a stowed configuration;

Fig. 9C is a perspective view of the temporary head rest arrangement of Fig. 9B;

Fig. 10A is a schematic illustration of a flattened underside of a D -shaped head rest arrangement showing alternative concealed hook portions in an extended position;

Fig. 10B is an illustration of a flattened underside of the head rest arrangement of

Fig. 10A with its concealed hook portions in a retracted position;

Fig. IOC is a perspective illustration of the temporary head rest arrangement of

Fig. 10A where the apparatus is attached to the seat back folding table;

Fig. 10D is a transverse illustration of the apparatus of Fig. IOC;

Fig. 11A is a schematic illustrated of a D— shaped head rest arrangement showing a yet further alternative concealed hook portion in a retracted position within a recess on the flattened underside of the D -shaped head rest;

Fig. 1 IB is a schematic illustration of the concealed hook portion of Fig. 11A when the hook is illustrated in an extended position;

Fig. 12A is a perspective illustration of the temporary head rest arrangement of Fig. 11A where the apparatus is attached to the seat back folding table;

Fig. 12B is a transverse illustration of the apparatus of Fig. 12A; Fig. 13A is a perspective illustration of the temporary head rest arrangement where the apparatus is attached to the seat back folding table by way of an alternative attachment arrangement;

Fig. 13B is a transverse illustration of the apparatus of Fig. 12A;

Fig. 14A is a schematic perspective illustration of a seat back folding table having an integrated head rest portion provided thereon shown in the stowed configuration; and

Fig. 14B is a perspective illustration of a seat back folding table having an integrated head rest portion provided thereon shown in the deployed configuration.

Referring to Fig. 1, a temporary head rest arrangement 10 comprises a pillow member 12 having a circular cross section and a pair of connecting straps 14 wrapped around either end thereof.

The pillow member 12 has a soft outer texture and may be filled with air or any suitably soft material such as foam, polystyrene beads etc. in order to provide a soft rest for a user's forehead whilst maintaining sufficient structural rigidity in order to maintain the general shape of the arrangement 10.

The length of each connecting strap 14 is adjustable and may also be formed of a resilient elastic material to allow the arrangement 10 to be attached to a variety of differently sized and shaped seat back tables. One end of each strap 14 is attached to a connecting hook 16. When not in use, the connecting straps 14 may be wrapped around the body of the pillow 12 for ease of storage.

With reference to Figs. 2 A to 2C, in use, the temporary head rest arrangement 10 may be carried by a passenger onto a vehicle (such as an aircraft) and, when required, can be attached to the existing seat structure 20. To achieve this, the user first hinges open the seat back folding table 22 to the deployed configuration depicted in Fig. 2 A and then rests the two connecting straps 14 on the upper surface of the deployed table 22. The user then attaches the hooks 16 to the bottom (forward) edge of the opened seat back table 22 and allows the other end of the straps 14 to drape over the upper (rearward) edge of the opened seat back table 22. As shown in Fig. 2B, the user then folds the seat back table 22 back into its stowed configuration thereby securing the pillow member 12 suspended from the rear of the existing seat 20. The height at which the pillow member 12 is suspended may be adjusted by the user adjusting the length of the connecting straps 14 as required. The user may now rest their forehead in a comfortable position on the pillow member 12 and in so doing rest at least a portion of the weight of their head onto the existing seat structure by way of the seat back folding table 22. In this regard, the height and orientation of the pillow member 12 is such that, rather than simply providing a surface for resisting against lateral movement of the user's head during sleep, the pillow member 12 provides a surface primarily intended to resist against vertical movement of the user's head.

Once a user has finished with the arrangement 10 he can simply unfold the seat back table 22, remove the hooks 16 from the bottom edge of the table 22 and roll the connecting straps 14 onto the pillow member 12 again for storage of the arrangement 10.

With reference to Fig. 3, in an alternative simpler embodiment, the arrangement 10 is attached to the seat back table 22 by means of shortened connecting straps 14 in which the hooks 16 are intended to be attached to only the upper edge of the seat back table 22 when it is in its stowed condition.

With reference to Figs. 4 to 6, alternative embodiments of the invention are disclosed in which the pillow member has a D -shaped cross section rather than a circular cross section. In order to minimise repetition, similar features of the arrangement are numbered with a common two-digit reference numeral and are differentiated by a third digit placed before the two common digits. Such features are structured similarly, operate similarly, and/or have similar functions as previously described unless otherwise indicated.

In the embodiment of the arrangement 110 illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6, the pillow member 112 has a D-shaped cross section and a flattened rear surface 11 which (as best shown in Figs. 5 A and 5B) allows the pillow member 112 to rest in close abutment with the underside of the seat back folding table 22.

With reference to Figs. 7 and 8, a further alternative embodiment is illustrated for attaching the arrangement 110 to a seat back table 22. In this embodiment there are no connecting straps attached to the pillow member 112. Instead, the hook members 15A, 15B are directly connected to the pillow member within recesses 17 formed in the flattened rear surface 11 of the pillow member 112. Each hook member 15 is connected to the pillow member 112 at a lower end thereof and rotatable about its vertical longitudinal axis by 90 degrees. No part of the hook member 15A shown on the left of Fig. 7 projects beyond the flattened rear surface 11 of the pillow member 112, i.e. it is fully concealed within its recess 17. However, the hook member 15B shown on the right of Fig. 7 has been rotated by approximately 90 degrees in a clockwise direction such that a portion of its hook 19 does project beyond the flattened rear surface 11 of the pillow member 112, i.e. it partially protrudes from its recess 17. It will be appreciated that this arrangement provides an elegant means of attaching the pillow member 112 to a tray table without the need for straps. Furthermore, the overall footprint of the arrangement 110 can be minimised for storage and transportation when not in use by concealing its hook member 15 by rotating them into their recesses 17.

The arrangement 110 of Fig. 7 may be simply clipped onto the upper edge of a seat back folding table 22. This is achieved by the user firstly folding a seat back table 22 toward the deployed configuration illustrated in Fig. 9A, and then attaching a protruding pair of hooks 15 to the upper (rearward) edge of the seat back folding table 22. The seat back folding table 22 may then be moved to its stowed configuration illustrated in Figs. 9B and 9C.

With reference to Figs. 10A to 10D, there is shown a modification of the arrangement of Figs. 7 to 9 whereby a single, elongate and horizontally arranged hook 18 is concealed within a corresponding single elongate recess 17 on the flattened side surface 11 of the pillow member 212. The hook 18 is connected to the pillow member 212 by a hinge extending along a lower edge of the recess 17 and is rotatable about its horizontal longitudinal axis by 90 degrees. Fig. 12A shows the hook 18 in a fully extended position whereby the U-shaped cross-section of the hook 18 projects beyond the flattened rear surface 11 of the pillow member 212, and hence out of the recess 17. Fig. 12B shows the hook 18 in a fully retracted position whereby the U-shaped cross-section of the hook 18 is situated behind the flattened rear surface 11 of the pillow member 212, and hence fully concealed within the recess 17.

It will be appreciated that, like the embodiment of Figs. 7 to 9, this arrangement also obviates the need for straps, and reduces the overall footprint or storage and transportation purposes. Whilst alternatives to a full length rotatable hinge are of course possible, this arrangement provides additional strength.

The arrangement of Fig. 10A may be simply clipped onto the upper edge of a seat back folding table 22. This is achieved by the user firstly folding a seat back table 22 toward the deployed configuration and then attaching the protruding hook 18 to the upper (rearward) edge of the seat back folding table 22. The seat back folding table 22 may then be moved to its stowed configuration illustrated in Figs. IOC and 10D. A cutaway portion 21 is provided midway along the length of the hook 18 so as to accommodate a catch commonly employed to retain the seat back table 22 in its stowed condition.

With reference to Figs. 11A and 11B, there is shown a further modification of the arrangement of Figs. 7 to 9 whereby a single, elongate and horizontally arranged hook 23 is concealed within a corresponding single elongate recess 25 on the flattened side surface 11 of the pillow member 312. The hook 23 is connected to the pillow member 312 by a hinge 29 extending along an upper edge of the recess 25 and is rotatable about its horizontal longitudinal axis by 180 degrees. Fig. 11B shows the hook 23 in a fully extended position whereby the U-shaped cross-section of the hook 23 has been pivoted out of the recess 25 and into an engaging position. Fig. 11A shows the hook 23 in a fully retracted position whereby the U-shaped cross-section of the hook 23 is situated flush within the recess 25. It will be appreciated that, like the embodiments of Figs. 7 to 9, 10A and 10B, this arrangement also obviates the need for straps, and reduces the overall footprint or storage and transportation purposes.

The arrangement of Fig. 11B may be simply clipped onto the upper edge of a seat back folding table in a similar fashion as described in relation to the embodiment previously illustrated in Figs. IOC and 10D.

With reference to Figs 13 A and 13 B, a further alternative means of attaching the arrangement 210 to a seat back folding table 22 is illustrated. This requires adjustable attachment straps 214 connected to the underside of the seat back table 22. The straps 214 may be permanently fixed to the seat back table 22 or removably attached by stud fasteners, hook and loop, or other fastening arrangements. The pillow member 212 may be slid up or down along the length of the straps 214 and then fixed in a desired position by a user in order to adjust the height of the pillow member 212. It is envisaged that when provided as part of a permanent or semi-permanent arrangement, removable advertising media may be displayed on the pillow member 212.

With reference to a second aspect of the invention, the apparatus is provided as a fully integrated part of a seat back folding table by incorporating a hinged resting surface 30 into the rear of the seat back table 22. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 14A and 14B, the resting surface 30 is attached to the seat back folding table 22 by a hinge extending horizontally. The hinged resting surface 30 may be provided with a soft, padded and/or resilient surface to provide a comfortable rest for a user's head. When it the position shown in Fig. 14A, the resting surface 30 is either flush with, or recessed relative to, the surrounding seat back structure 22. The resting surface 30 may have removable advertising media provided on it. When it the position shown in Fig. 14B, the resting surface 30 may be maintained in position relative to the surrounding seat back structure 22 by a strut or other suitable bracing means to enable it to support the weight of a user's head. A number of different bracing positions may be provided so allow the angular orientation of the resting surface 30 relative to the seat back table 22 to be varied. Although particular embodiments of the invention have been disclosed herein in detail, this has been done by way of example and for the purposes of illustration only. The aforementioned embodiments are not intended to be limiting with respect to the scope of the appended claims.

It is contemplated by the inventors that various substitutions, alterations, and modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims.