FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a head support apparatus for attachment to a wheelchair or bed for preventing the formation of sores between the patient's neck and chin.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many infirm, paralyzed, or elderly persons have inadequate use or control of their neck muscles. When such persons are seated in a wheelchair, their weak neck muscles often allow their head to fall forwards such that their chin rests upon their chest. This, combined with feeding and drinking difficulties, can lead to the formation of damp and unsanitary conditions between the patient's neck and chin, leading to the formation of sores.

Attempts have been made to provide head supporting strap arrangements that can be worn around the head to maintain the head in an upright position. However, the constant pressure applied to the skin by such strap arrangements can lead to pressure sores. WO 95/01 1 14 discloses a head support for a wheelchair bound patient comprising a headband attached to a frame on the wheelchair via an adjustable cord, whereby the length of the cord can be manually adjusted to progressively lift the patient's head. However, this arrangement is not able to automatically lift and lower the patient's head. It is purely a manually operable head supporting device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention there is provided a head support apparatus for attachment to a wheelchair or bed, the apparatus comprising a headband or harness to be fitted to the patient's head and lifting means attached to the headband or harness for lifting and supporting the patient's head, the lifting means being adapted to periodically raise and support the patient's head and subsequently allow the patient's head to slump forwards. The invention allows the patient's head to be raised and supported to reduce the formation of sores between the patient's neck and chin while avoiding the formation of pressure sores on the head which might othewise form if the patient's head were supported by the headband or harness for long periods of time. The periodic raising and lowering of the patient's head may also provide therapeutic excercise for the patient's neck.

The lifting means may comprise a crank arm or wheel, to which the headband or harness may be attached at a location offset from the centre of rotation of the crank arm or wheel.

The crank arm or wheel may be rotated or turned by a motor under the control of a controller. The contoller may be programmed to periodically raise and lower the patient's head at predetermined intervals.

The headband or harness may be attached to the crank arm or wheel via an elongate rope, cord or strap. The lifting means is preferably mounted within a housing, the housing being adapted to be affixed to a wheelchair or bed. The housing may include a control panel having user controls for controlling the operation of the lifting means.

In a preferred emboidment the lifting means may be adapted to rotate the head from side to side, for example by alternately raising and lower either side of the head or by raising and lowering either side of the head out of phase with one another. Such rotation may provide beneficial excercise for the neck muscles. This may be achieved by connecting separate ropes, cords or straps on each side of the headband or harness, connecting each rope, cord or strap to a separate crank arm or wheel which may be rotated out of phase with one another by a single motor or which may be rotated independently by separate motors. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A head support apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-

Figure 1 is a side view of a head support apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a front view of the head support apparatus of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a perpsective view of the head support apparatus of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is a detailed view of the head support apparatus of Figure 1 ; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the head support apparatus of Figure 1 with the outer cover removed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A illustrated in the drawings, a head support apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing 2 adapted to be mounted onto a wheelchair or bed within which a patient may be confined. A lifting means is mounted in the housing 2 in the form of a motor (4, Figure 5) drivingly coupled to a drive shaft 6, preferably via suitable gearing, the drive shaft 6 extending transverse to the housing to extend through apertures on either side of the housing. A pair of parallel crank arms 8,10 are mounted on either end of the drive shaft to be located on either side of the housing 2.

Each crank arm 8,10 is coupled to a strap 12,14 attached to a respective side of a harness or headband 16 to be fitted around the head of a patient, as shown in Figures 2 to 3. The straps 12,14 are mounted on either side of the harness or headband 16 such that the patient's head is supported in both a vertical and a horizontal plane. A slot is provided in each crank arm 8,10 such that the distance between the point and which the respective strap 12,14 is coupled to the crank arm 8,10 and the rotational axis of the crank arm 8,10 can be adjusted to adjust the stroke or range of motion of the patient's head between raised and lowered positions. It is envisaged that each crank arm 8,10 may be replaced by respective discs to which the straps 12,14 may be respectively attached at locations spaced from the centre of rotation of each disc.

The straps 12,14 pass through respective guides 18,20 provided on either side of the housing 2. As shown in Figure 5, the height of the guides 18,20 may be adjusted to suit different sized patients. In the embodiment shown, the guides 18,20 are mounted on threaded support posts 22.

A programmable controller, incorporating a timer, is associated with the motor for periodically operating the motor at predetermined intervals, such that the motor rotates the crank arms, raising and lowering the head of the patient.

A control panel 24 is provided on a rear side of the housing enabling a user to control the operation of the controller and thus the lifting means.

In use, the harness or headband 16 is attached to the patient and the control panel 24 is used to programme the controller to enable the lifting means to periodically lift and support the patient's head, holding the patient's chin away from the patient's neck, and periodically lower the patient's head, releiveing pressure from the harness or headband.

Each strap 12,14 may be connected to a respective crank arm 8,10 such the straps 12,14 pull against the harness or headband 16 out of phase with one another, for example by mounting the cranks 8,10 out of phase with one another on the drive shaft 6, preferably 180° out of phase with one another, such that operation of the motor 4 causes the head to rotate from side to side. Such movement may provide beneficial excercise for the neck. Alternatively each strap 12,14 may be connected to a respective crank arm 8,10 driven by a respective and separate motor so that the two cranks arms 8,10 can be rotated independently under the control of the controller.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment(s) described herein but can be amended or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.