Sports head and neck orientation retainer block and training device

Abstract

A head and neck orientation retainer block for training young or adult athletes for their sport while keeping their head up to provide a safer way to play, and also to enhance their skill and vision of the game. It can be worn during practices with the team and if one chooses, to practice at home. The retainer is a wedge block protrusion placed under the central forward chin of the child or adult player, to allow the player to have a wider freedom of side to side lateral movement, while the player's head is maintained horizontally for line of sight viewing purposes.

Claims

1. A sports head and neck retainer and training device comprising: a cervical collar having an adjustable locking strip along a rear portion thereof; and, a head adjusting protruding wedge block mounted on a front of said cervical collar located and shaped to contact and support a chin of a user for holding the user's head up for viewing forward horizontally while allowing lateral movement of the head of the user; whereby said protruding wedge block extends outward from said front of said cervical collar with an upper surface thereof of said wedge block adapted to contact said chin of said user.

2. A sports head and neck retainer and training device comprising: a cervical collar having an adjustable locking strip along a rear portion thereof; and a head adjusting protruding wedge block mounted on a front of said cervical collar located and shaped to contact and support a chin of a user for holding the user's head up while allowing lateral movement of the head of the user; in which said protruding wedge block has a rear surface attached to said cervical collar extending above a top edge of said cervical collar, a downwardly directed flat surface extending from a top edge of said rear surface for providing a resting place and support of the user's chin, said downwardly directed flat surface curving to form a front surface of said protruding wedge block.

3. The device of claim 2 in which said protruding wedge block comprises a stiff foam core with a fabric covering.

4. The device of claim 3 in which said protruding wedge block has a pair of flat oppositely facing sides.

5. The device of claim 4 in which a side cross section of said protruding wedge block is in the shape of a parallelogram, wherein at least two of the parallel sides are slanted.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said protruding wedge block is rounded on the top, upon which the player's chin rests, wherein further, the front and rear surfaces of said protruding wedge block are parallel to each other, and the top and bottom surfaces are sloped in a parallel fashion.

7. The device of claim 6 further comprising said top surface of said protruding wedge block is sloped down from rear to front, so that the sports player's chin comfortably rests thereon, and is supported to keep the head of the player in a horizontal, forward facing orientation.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein a bottom surface of said protruding wedge block slopes upward from front to back, to provide a concavity of generally triangular cross sectional configuration, wherein, if the sports player is wearing a chest protector, a top edge of the chest protector is inserted within the triangular concavity formed by the sloping bottom surface of said protruding wedge block, and the upright chest region of the player.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein said protruding wedge block is rectangular in cross section.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein said protruding wedge block is ovoid in cross section.

11. A method of training a player to hold his or her head upright while engaged in a sports activity comprising the steps of: installing a cervical collar on said player, said collar having an adjustable locking strip along a rear portion thereof; and mounting a protruding wedge block on a front of said cervical collar to support the chin of said player for holding the player's head up for viewing forward horizontally while allowing lateral movement of the head; whereby said protruding wedge block extends outward from said front of said cervical collar with an upper surface thereof of said wedge block adapted to contact said chin of said user.

12. A method of training a player to hold his or her head upright while engaged in a sports activity comprising the steps of: installing a cervical collar on said player, said collar having an adjustable locking strip along a rear portion thereof; and mounting a protruding wedge block on a front of said cervical collar to support the chin of said player for holding the player's head up while allowing lateral movement of the head; in which said protruding wedge block has a rear surface attached to said cervical collar extending above a top edge of said cervical collar, a downwardly directed flat surface extending from a top edge of said rear surface for providing a resting place and support of the player's chin, said downwardly directed flat surface curving to form a front surface of said protruding wedge block.

13. The method of claim 12 in which said protruding wedge block comprises a stiff foam core with a fabric covering.

14. The method of claim 13 in which said protruding wedge block has a pair of flat oppositely facing sides.

15. The method of claim 12 in which a side cross section of said protruding wedge block is in the shape of a parallelogram, wherein at least two of the parallel sides are slanted.

16. The method of claim 11 in which a side cross section of said protruding wedge block is in the shape of a rectangle.

17. The method of claim 11 in which a side cross section of said protruding wedge block is in the shape of an ovoid.

18. The method of claim 12 in which the sports activity being engaged in is ice hockey.

19. The method of claim 12 in which the sports activity being engaged in is basketball.

20. The method of claim 12 in which the sports activity being engaged in is soccer.

21. The method of claim 12 in which the sports activity being engaged in is field hockey.

22. The method of claim 12 in which the sports activity being engaged in is roller hockey.

23. The method of claim 12 in which the sports activity being engaged in is selected from the group consisting of ice hockey, field hockey, roller hockey, speed ice skating, speed roller skating, basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, archery, golf, polo, track and field, running cross country, tennis, squash, hand ball, volleyball, badminton, ping pong, bowling, gymnastics, ballet, competitive dancing, karate, judo, jiu jitsu, boxing, martial arts, wrestling, cricket, ethnic player team sports, football, lacrosse, figure ice skating, skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, tobogganing, outdoor bicycle riding, rodeo animal riding, horseback riding, ATV riding, skateboarding sail boating, motor boating or rowing crew boating.

24. The device of claim 1 in which said protruding wedge block comprises a stiff foam core with a fabric covering.

25. The method of claim 11 in which said protruding wedge block comprises a stiff foam core with a fabric covering.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention can best be understood in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiments shown in drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective prior art view of two youth hockey players colliding;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a youth hockey player skating with the puck, showing his forward and lateral fields of vision due to the wedge block orienting the head of the youth hockey player in a generally horizontal orientation;

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective close-up view of a youth hockey player wearing the wedge block;

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the wedge block and collar strap;

(6) FIG. 5 is an enlarged close-up detail view of the upper corner of the wedge block, with the cover ripped away to reveal the foam;

(7) FIG. 6 is a side view of the wedge block;

(8) FIG. 7 is a front view of the wedge block;

(9) FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the wedge block;

(10) FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a youth or adolescent basketball player dribbling while wearing the wedge block; showing his forward field of vision due to the wedge block orienting the head of the youth basketball player in a generally horizontal orientation;

(11) FIG. 10 is a perspective view like FIG. 9, but showing a youth soccer player dribbling a soccer ball with her feet, while the youth soccer player wears the wedge block under her chin;

(12) FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an adolescent or adult ice hockey player, training for playing ice hockey;

(13) FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a female high school athlete, training for playing field hockey; and

(14) FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a young female roller hockey player on skates.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(15) Prior art FIG. 1 represents a situation which should become less common as the head and neck orientation retainer of this invention is adopted for child or adult sports activities. Player 2 is shown crashing into player 1 on hockey ice, as player 1 seems to have his eyes and head down following the puck 3. Injuries could follow. In contrast, FIG. 2 shows player 5 in a practice session holding his head up. In this orientation, his forward cone of vision is outlined as reference numeral 6 for the nearby vicinity. By slightly turning his head, his vision would shift laterally to the cone of vision outlined by the two dashed lines 7. The wedge block of the present invention helps a player 5 hold his head up as shown.

(16) In FIG. 3 there is shown a seated player 5 clearly donning head orientation wedge block and collar retainer 10 of this invention. The details of the head orientation retainer 10 are illustrated in FIGS. 4-8. FIG. 4 shows the parts of retainer 10 as attached in a completed unit with wedge block 16 attached to neck encircling strap or cervical collar 12. The strap or cervical collar 12 is shown with VELCRO® adjustable locking strip 14. Head adjusting wedge block 16 is attached to front of strap or cervical collar 12. FIG. 5 is a close-up detail view showing the stiffer foam core 18 of wedge block 16 with a fabric covering.

(17) While other geometric shapes may be employed, FIG. 6 is a side view close-up of wedge block 16 showing the preferably roughly parallelogram shape, which makes the player 5's chin contact at the top surface thereof, while fitting to the top of a hockey chest protector (if present). FIG. 7 is a front view of the wedge block 16, shown attached to a front portion of strap or cervical collar 12, and FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the wedge block 16, also shown attached to a front portion of strap or cervical collar 12.

(18) FIG. 9 shows a boy basketball player 25 donning head orientation retainer 10 with wedge block 16 of this invention. It is noted that that he is dribbling a basketball with his hands, while looking forward according to forward cone of vision 6.

(19) FIG. 10 shows a girl soccer player 30 donning retainer 10 with wedge block 16 holding her head up while controlling the soccer ball with her feet.

(20) FIG. 11 shows an adult hockey player 40, wearing retainer 10 with wedge block 16, while training or playing ice hockey.

(21) FIG. 12 shows a female high school athlete 50, wearing retainer 10 with wedge block 16, while training or playing field hockey.

(22) FIG. 13 shows a young female roller hockey player 60, with protective gear and moving on skates, wearing retainer 10 with wedge block 16, while training or playing roller hockey.

(23) It is further noted that other variations of the head orientation retainer of the present invention may be disclosed, within the scope of the above noted description thereof.