Travel pillow providing head and neck alignment during use

Abstract

Disclosed is a travel pillow for providing the head and neck alignment of a human user resting against a seat back. The travel pillow has an interior shell of a semi-stiff unitary construction. There is a head support region defining a head supporting space for supporting the user's head, a neck support region defining a neck supporting space for supporting the user's neck posteriorly, an enlarged portion bridging together the head support region and the neck support region, the enlarged portion varying in radius from the head support region to the neck support region all elements functioning together as a single unit to maintain the columnar alignment of the user's head directly above the user's neck, and lobes extending upwardly on either side of the head support region to support the head at the intersection of the occipital bone, parietal bone and temporal bones on either side of the head to prevent lateral bending of the neck. The pillow is placed between the user and the seat back, wherein the pillow is held in place during use by the user's weight resting against the seat back. The head support region may be sized and shaped to match the approximate shape of the back of the user's head. The head support region may be transversely curved about the user's vertebral axis and is cut away at the user's occiput such that the user's head rests directly against the seat headrest.