U.S. patent application number 10/196348 was filed with the patent office on 2003-03-20 for storage pillow.
Invention is credited to Dickinson, Kent H..
Application Number | 20030052035 10/196348 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46204532 |
Filed Date | 2003-03-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030052035 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dickinson, Kent H. |
March 20, 2003 |
Storage pillow
Abstract
A storage pillow is provided having a flexible casing formed by
two body panels joined together with an unjoined portion in the
form of a mouth that communicates with an interior. The body panels
may be constructed of a water resistant material and the casing
mouth may have an associated closure. There may also be a
cushioning layer interposed between the body panels. The pillow
also includes an inflatable bladder that is removably disposed
inside the casing. The bladder may be filled with air via an
inflation valve that communicates with an array of inflatable cells
in communication with one another. The inflated bladder provides
protection for the storage of items or may be used as a cushioned
support. The bladder has an associated closure to enable it to
retain personal items within its interior.
Inventors: |
Dickinson, Kent H.;
(Covington, GA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TIMOTHY J MARTIN, PC
9250 W 5TH AVENUE
SUITE 200
LAKEWOOD
CO
80226
US
|
Family ID: |
46204532 |
Appl. No.: |
10/196348 |
Filed: |
July 15, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10196348 |
Jul 15, 2002 |
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10170013 |
Jun 10, 2002 |
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10170013 |
Jun 10, 2002 |
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09956478 |
Sep 18, 2001 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/522 ; 383/3;
383/5; 383/64 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2571/00043
20130101; B65D 33/25 20130101; B65D 33/34 20130101; B65D 71/0096
20130101; B65D 2203/10 20130101; G09F 23/00 20130101; B65D 2203/06
20130101; B65D 33/004 20130101; B65D 2571/00111 20130101; B65D
2571/00055 20130101; B65D 81/03 20130101; B65D 2571/00037 20130101;
B65D 5/4233 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/522 ; 383/3;
383/64; 383/5 |
International
Class: |
B65D 030/00 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A storage pillow, comprising: a. a flexible outer casing having
a casing interior and formed by first and second flexible body
panels joined about a majority of a perimeter of said outer casing,
with an unjoined portion defining a mouth communicating with the
casing interior; b. an inflatable bladder removably disposed in the
casing interior and having an associated bladder interior for
receiving and storing the personal items, said inflatable bladder
adapted to be filled with a selected quantity of air to provide
cushioned protection for said personal items as well as cushioned
support for the user; and c. a closure associated with said
inflatable bladder and movable between a closure open position such
that the personal items may be inserted into and removed from the
bladder interior and a closure closed position to retain the
personal items in the bladder interior.
2. A pillow according to claim 1 wherein each of said first and
second flexible body panels is formed as a multi-layered
construction.
3. A pillow according to claim 2 including a cushioning layer
interposed between said first and second flexible body panels.
4. A pillow according to claim 1 including a first grommet disposed
on said first flexible body panel and a second grommet disposed on
said second flexible body panel.
5. A pillow according to claim 1 wherein said inflatable bladder
includes an inflation valve having a valve stem adapted to receive
the selected quantity of air from an air source.
6. A pillow according to claim 5 wherein said inflatable bladder
includes an array of cells which communicate with said inflation
valve.
7. A pillow according to claim 1 wherein said closure is formed by
cooperative hook and loop fasteners.
8. A pillow according to claim 1 wherein said closure is formed by
matable tongue and groove structures.
9. A pillow adapted to provide a substantially dry storage for
personal items while providing cushioned support to a user, said
pillow comprising: a. a flexible outer casing having a casing
interior and including: (i) first and second flexible casing body
panels joined about a majority of a perimeter of said casing with
an unjoined portion defining a casing mouth communicating with the
casing interior; (ii) an outer casing closure selectively movable
between open and closed positions; and b. an inflatable bladder
removably disposed in the casing interior and having an associated
bladder interior for storing the personal items, said inflatable
bladder adapted to receive a selected quantity of air to provide
cushioned protection for said personal items as well as cushioned
support for the user, said inflatable bladder including: (i) first
and second bladder body panels each formed of a water resistant
material and sealed about a majority of a perimeter of said
inflatable bladder to define a sealed edge, with an unjoined
portion defining a bladder mouth communicating with the bladder
interior; and (ii) a bladder closure movable between an associated
open position such that the personal items may be inserted into and
removed from the bladder interior and an associated closed position
to sealably retain the personal items in the bladder interior.
10. A pillow according to claim wherein each of said first and
second flexible casing body panels is formed of a fabric
material.
11. A pillow according to claim wherein each of said first and
second flexible casing body panels is formed as a multi-layered
construction.
12. A pillow according to claim 11 including a cushioning layer
interposed between said first and second flexible casing body
panels.
13. A pillow according to claim 9 including a first grommet
disposed on said first flexible casing body panel and a second
grommet disposed on said second flexible casing body panel in
opposed relationship to said first grommet so that an elongated
securement member can be inserted through said first and second
grommets and fastened to said flexible outer casing.
14. A pillow according to claim 9 wherein said inflatable bladder
is a multilayer plastic construction and includes an array of
inflatable cells in fluid communication with one another.
15. A pillow according to claim 14 wherein said inflatable bladder
includes an inflation valve in fluid communication with each of
said inflatable cells and having a valve stem adapted to couple to
an air source.
16. A pillow according to claim 9 and 13 wherein said outer casing
closure is a zipper having a pull tab.
17. A pillow according to any of claims 9 and 16 wherein said
bladder closure is formed by cooperative hook and loop fasteners
secured to said bladder mouth.
18. A pillow according to claim any of claims 9 and 16 wherein said
bladder closure is formed by matable tongue and groove structures
secured to said bladder mouth.
19. A container adapted to provide protected storage for personal
items, comprising: a. a casing having a casing interior and a mouth
communicating with the casing interior; b. a fillable insert
structure removably disposed in the casing interior and having an
associated insert interior for receiving the personal items and an
associated mouth communicating with the insert interior, said
fillable insert structure adapted to receive a selected quantity of
a filling medium to provide a cushioned protection for the personal
items stored in the insert interior; and c. a closure associated
with said fillable insert structure and movable between an open
position such that the personal items may be inserted into and
removed from the insert interior and a closed position to retain
the personal items in the insert interior.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part of my
co-pending application Ser. No. 10/170,013, filed Jun. 10, 2002 and
entitled "Shipping Container Along With Shipping Method Employing
The Same", which itself is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending
application Ser. No. 09/956,478, also entitled "Shipping Container
And System Along With Shipping Method Employing The Same", and
filed on Sep. 18, 2001.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention broadly relates to the field of
containers for storing personal items. The present invention more
particularly concerns containers in the form of travel-sized
pillows for providing substantially dry storage of personal items
as well as cushioned support to a user.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The prior art demonstrates numerous attempts to provide
pillow constructions which are comfortable to users, as well as
those which also serve a therapeutic purpose. Pillows come in a
variety of contours, shapes and materials for providing a
comfortable article for moderately supporting a user's head, neck
or back. A basic pillow design incorporates a deformable cushion
having a selected shape and made from any of a variety of materials
including foam, goose down, and the like, which is generally
covered by an appropriately sized pillowcase serving as an outer
protective covering.
[0004] A variety of different pillow constructions have been
developed over the years to serve particular needs. Many
appropriately contoured pillows are available for reducing muscle
strain and tension along the head, neck and shoulder region of the
body when one is in a reposed position. Other pillow constructions
are particularly suited to enable travelers in airplanes, cars,
trains and the like to more easily sleep while traveling. Many such
pillows are configured generally as a collar for stationarily
supporting the head by providing a neck engaging yoke. Generally
speaking, travel pillows have a reduced size in comparison to
conventional pillows. Indeed, some travel pillow constructions are
inflatable/deflatable so they can be conveniently compacted and
stored away when not in use without taking up precious space.
[0005] A pillow is also a necessary travel item for many campers.
Depending upon one's particular travel accommodations, such as a
cabin, camper or tent, for example, the particular pillow of choice
may be determined based on comfort, available space and weight
considerations. For instance, backpackers who need to carry all of
their necessary provisions with them will be focused primarily on
size and weight considerations for their various provisions,
including the pillow. With these considerations in mind, a variety
of suitable pillows are readily available from recreational
equipment retailers.
[0006] Another important consideration for travelers in general,
and campers in particular, is providing safe storage for personal
articles such as wallets, keys, watches, jewelry and even smaller
electronic devices, to name only a few. There may be a variety of
places where one can store these personal items to reduce the risk
of theft or damage. Oftentimes such items are locked in one's car,
room, luggage, or a hotel safe. However, such conveniences are not
readily available to others, such as backpackers, or even others
who would simply prefer to have such personal items near them at
all times. For these individuals, it is desirable to provide
protective storage for items which reduces the risk of damage
thereto while at the same time being conveniently accessible. In
addition, for those outdoors adventurers such as canoeists,
kayakers, boaters and the like who are near water, it is also
important for obvious reasons to provide a dry storage device which
is floatable. It has been surprisingly found that all of these
needs can be satisfied by providing such a storage device for
personal articles which conveniently also serves as a pillow. The
present invention is suitably directed to meeting these needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a new
and improved pillow for protected storage of personal items.
[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
pillow adapted to receive personal items for storage, while also
providing cushioned support to a user.
[0009] A further object of the present invention is to provide such
a pillow which is travel-sized and provides substantially dry
storage for one's personal items.
[0010] Still a further object of the present invention is to
provide such a new and improved pillow construction which is also
floatable and adapted to be anchored to an object, such as a canoe,
kayak, boat or the like, so that it does not drift away.
[0011] In accordance with these objectives, the present invention
broadly relates to a container adapted to provide protected storage
for personal items. The container broadly comprises a casing, a
fillable insert structure removably disposed in the casing, and a
closure for the fillable insert structure. The casing has a casing
interior and a mouth communicating therewith. The fillable insert
structure has an associated insert interior for receiving the
personal items and an associated mouth communicating with the
insert interior. The fillable insert structure is adapted to
receive a quantity of a filling medium to provide a cushioned
protection for personal items stored in the insert interior. The
closure associated with the fillable insert structure is movable
between an open position such that the personal items may be
inserted into and removed from the insert interior and a closed
position to retain the personal items in the insert interior.
[0012] In its preferred form, the container of the present
invention has the characteristics of a storage pillow and provides
cushioned support to a user, while also being adapted to receive
the personal items. The pillow's outer casing is preferably
flexible and formed by first and second flexible body panels joined
about majority of a perimeter thereof, with an unjoined portion
defining a mouth for the casing which communicates with the casing
interior. These first and second flexible body panels may be formed
as a multi-layered construction with a cushioning layer interposed
between them. First and second grommets may be disposed,
respectively, on the first and second flexible body panels in
opposed relationship to one another so that a securement member,
such as a rope, can be inserted through the first and second
grommets and fastened to the flexible outer casing. The outer
casing may also have an associated closure, such as a zipper with a
pull tab, which is selectively movable between open and closed
positions to, respectively, allow for insertion and removal of the
inflatable bladder.
[0013] The inflatable bladder, itself, preferably includes first
and second bladder body panels that are each formed of a water
resistant material. These bladder body panels are sealed about a
majority of a perimeter to define a sealed edge, with an unjoined
portion defining a bladder mouth communicating with the bladder
interior. Each of the bladder's first and second body panels is
also a multi-layered construction, such as plastic or nylon, which
includes an array of inflatable cells in communication with one
another. An inflation valve is provided in fluid communication with
the array of cells, and this inflation valve includes a valve stem
adapted to receive air from an air source so that the bladder can
be inflated to a desired level. The inflatable bladder preferably
provides a substantially dry storage for personal articles retained
therein. To this end, it's closure may take on a variety of
constructions, including cooperative hook and loop fasteners or
matable tongue and groove structures, to name a few.
[0014] These and other objects of the present invention will become
more readily appreciated and understood from a consideration of the
following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments of the
present invention when taken together with the accompanying
drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view illustrating one
possible use for the storage pillow of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating another possible
use for the storage pillow of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a
variety of personal items which can be removably stored in the
storage pillow of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the outer
casing and the inflatable bladder for the storage pillow of FIGS.
1-3;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a is a cross-sectional showing the grommet
structure for the pillow's outer casing;
[0020] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one corner of the storage
pillow when in the closed state, and showing the fastening of a
securement member thereto;
[0021] FIG. 7 is an enlarged exploded view showing the inflatable
bladder's inflation valve and the squeeze bulb for use
therewith;
[0022] FIG. 8 is a perspective view, partially cut-away, of the
inflatable bladder having it's mouth in a partially open state;
[0023] FIG. 9(a) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the
inflatable bladder's mouth region as viewed about lines 9-9 in FIG.
8, and showing the mouth prior to being sealed;
[0024] FIG. 9(a) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the
inflatable bladder's mouth region as viewed about lines 9-9 in FIG.
8, and showing the mouth after being sealed; and
[0025] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an alternative mouth
construction for the inflatable bladder, with a portion of the
bladder's panel pulled apart.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0026] According to the present invention, then, a container in the
form of a pillow is provided which is adapted to receive personal
items for storage while providing cushioned support to a user. The
pillow has water resistant characteristics so that it is
particularly suited to provide a substantially dry storage for the
personal items. While such a pillow can fulfill the needs of a
variety of users, it is contemplated that it will be particularly
well received by travels, campers, canoers and the like who desire
both a travel pillow as well as a means for protectively storing
their belongings in a manner which is space efficient.
[0027] Examples of some uses for the storage pillow of the present
invention are illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In FIG. 1 it may be
seen that the pillow 10 of the present invention can be used by one
in a canoe 2 and propped up against the canoe's backrest 4 to
provide a cushioned support for one's back, while at the same time
providing a dry storage environment for personal items. Pillow 10
is constructed so that it can also be appropriately anchored to the
canoe via a securement member, such as rope 6, which has a first
end portion 5 tied to pillow 10 and an opposite second end portion
7 tied to an appropriate portion of the canoe such as webbing cords
8. As such, were canoe 2 to tip over during use, storage pillow 10
would float but not drift away. In FIG. 2, it may be seen that
pillow 10 can be used by a camper or the like while sleeping in a
sleeping bag 9. FIGS. 1 and 2, of course, only illustrate two
possible uses for storage pillow 10 of the present invention.
[0028] In FIG. 3 it may be seen that a variety of personal items 11
such as one's personal organizer 12, cell phone 13 and keys 14 can
be conveniently placed within the pillow's interior, after which
the pillow 10 can be appropriately inflated to a desired level and
sealed in a manner which is water resistant to provide a dry,
protected storage environment for the personal items 11. Indeed,
any of a variety of personal belongings could be stored, so that
those shown in FIG. 3 are for illustrative purposes only.
[0029] Storage pillow 10 of the present invention incorporates the
construction of components which have been described in one or both
of my earlier co-pending application Ser. No. 09/956,478 filed Sep.
18, 2001 and Ser. No. 10/170,013 filed Jun. 10, 2002, the
disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. As such,
with initial reference to FIG. 4, it may be seen that storage
pillow 10 broadly comprises an outer casing or pouch 15 having an
interior 17 in which a fillable insert structure, such as
inflatable bladder 80 can be inserted. Casing 15 of container 10
includes a front casing panel 16 and a back casing panel 18 which
are rectangular in shape and joined about three edges 21, 22 and 23
which are located at the perimeter thereof. Panels 16 and 18 are
open along a portion of the perimeter to define a mouth 20 through
which inflatable bladder 80 may be inserted. A zipper 30 is
provided and includes a pull-tab 32 shown in an open position so
that mouth 20 is open. Zipper 30 is preferably a number 10 type
luggage pull zipper available from a variety of suppliers.
[0030] With reference to FIG. 5, the perimeter edges of casing 12,
such as edge 22, is formed by sewing margins 17 and 19 of panels 16
and 18 together, as is known in the art. Furthermore, it may be
seen that front panel 16 is formed out of fabric layers 34 and 36,
while back panel 18 is formed by fabric layers 38 and 40. In the
preferred embodiment, each of panels 16 and 18 is flexible. Outer
fabric layers 34 and 38, as well as inner fabric layers 36 and 40,
may be formed of any suitable material, such as soft two-ply
"cotton-like" polyester blend so that it becomes very durable and
stain resistant. Of course, casing 11 could alternatively be made
out of plastic, nylon or other water proof/water resistant material
as desired. Thus, the material of choice will depend on the
intended use but can be any appropriate material without
restriction.
[0031] Storage pillow 10 can be placed in a closed state once the
inflatable bladder and personal items have been inserted by
manipulating zipper 30 to close mouth 20. When open (FIG. 4) pull
tab 32 is thus located at one corner 42 of pillow 10 but, when
closed (FIG. 6) it is located proximate to a second corner 44 of
pillow 10. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, front panel 16 is provided
with a metal grommet 46 located proximately to corner 44. Back
panel 18 is similarly provided with an associated metal grommet
that is also located proximately to corner 44 so that the two metal
grommets are in opposed relationship to one another. Moreover,
these grommets may be located proximately to pull-tab 32 when
zipper 30 is shut with pillow 10 being in the closed state. From
this, it can be appreciated that zipper 30 provides a closure for
pillow 10 that is movable between an open position such that the
inflatable bladder can be inserted and removed from the interior 17
of pillow 10, and a closed position so as to retain the inflatable
bladder in the interior 17. With reference particularly to FIG. 6,
a securement member, such as a rope 6, can be inserted through the
metal grommets and tied down to fasten rope 6 to pillow 10.
[0032] With reference again to FIG. 4, and as discussed in my
co-pending application Ser. No. 10/170,013, inflatable bladder 80
is also a generally rectangular flexible member formed of a
multi-layered construction to include a matrix of cells 84 which
communicate with one another to receive air via inflation valve 84.
This provides a cushion of air to protect the personal items while
additional providing a cushioned support to either the user's head
region, neck region or back. With reference generally to FIGS. 4
and 7, inflatable bladder 80 is formed by a pair of flexible panel
sections 81 and 83 which are sealed together along their
surrounding peripheral edge margin, such as through heat sealing or
the like, as known in the art. Panels 81 and 83 are also secured by
a matrix of spot "welds" to create the array of cells 84 to be
inflated. To provide the bladder's open mouth 82, after the
flexible panels 81 and 83 are appropriately sealed together, the
sealed structure is then folded over upon itself about fold line 88
and appropriately sealed again to create a pouch-like structure. It
can be appreciated, then, that the sealing of the peripheral margin
of bladder 80 and the spot welding creates a confined volume
between the panels 81 and 83 so that the cells 84 can be inflated
to a desired level. Accordingly, the "welds" limit the expansion of
the bladder while preferably providing a 3/4" to 1-1/2" layer of
expansion air protection for one's personal items. While the welds
are shown in the figures to be evenly distributed to create the
array of cells 84, these welds may be located in a different
patterned arrangement, as desired. This would permit different
regions of the bladder to have varying degrees of air cushioning so
the bladder can be tailored to accommodate different configurations
of received items or provide varying degrees of air cushioning to
the user.
[0033] As shown in FIG. 7, inflation may be accomplished by
injecting air through the bladder's inflation valve 86, such as
through the use of a squeeze bulb 90. Squeeze bulb 90 is similar to
that conventionally found on a medical blood pressure cuff, and has
a pair of opposed nipples 91 and 94 which are each sized and
adapted for attachment to the valve stem 86 of bladder 80 to,
correspondingly, inflate and deflate the bladder 80 when the
bulbous body 92 of the squeeze bulb 90 is compressed, all as is
known in the art. Advantageously, the squeeze bulb 90 can be
appropriately attached to the bladder through any appropriate means
or simply inserted into the pillow when not in use. As also
discussed in my co-pending application Ser. 10/170,013, inflatable
bladder 80 can be provided with different inflation valve
structures and inflated/deflated through a variety of means such as
by mouth, with a hand pump or through a compressor. However, it is
believed that users wanting to conserve space will either orally
inflate the bladder or utilize the squeeze bulb 90.
[0034] Inflatable bladder 80 has an associated closure construction
which permits the mouth 82 of the bag to be releasably sealed,
preferably in a water tight and air tight engagement, to provide a
protected and dry storage environment for personal articles stored
within bag 80. This closure for inflatable bladder 80 is best seen
with reference to FIGS. 8, 9(a) and 9(b). The transverse mouth
margin 90 of inflatable bladder 80 has a pair of opposed margin
portions 92 and 94 which releaseably engage one another. Margin
portions 92 and 94 are, respectively, joined to bag panels 81 and
83 by any conventional means. Margin portions 92 and 94 are
preferably formed of a polyurethane material, while upper and lower
bag panels 81 and 83 are preferably formed of nylon, plastic or
other water proof/water resistant material.
[0035] The sealing means for the bladder's mouth region 90 is akin
to that conventionally found on sandwich bags, freezer bags and
other types of bag structures where either an air tight seal or
water tight seal is desired. Accordingly, the bag's lower mouth
margin 94 is formed to include a pair of transversely extending
ridges 91 and 93 which are separated from one another by an
elongated transversely extending channel 95. The bag's upper mouth
portion 92 has an associated elongated rib 96 which has a width
that is preferably slightly larger than the width of channel 95, as
shown in FIG. 9(a), so that when margins 92 and 94 are compressed,
ridge 96 becomes seated in a close friction engagement within
channel 95 and compressed between ridges 91 and 93, as shown in
FIG. 9(b). This friction engagement is sufficient to maintain the
bag's mouth 92 in the closed orientation as shown in FIG. 9(b) so
that the seal is not broken. Of course, to open inflatable bladder
80, one simply urges margin portions 92 and 94 apart from one
another to overcome the sealed engagement, thereby permitting
insertion and removal of personal items into the bag's
interior.
[0036] Another type of closure for the inflatable bladder is shown
with reference now to FIG. 10. Here, inflatable bladder 180 is
provided with hook and loop fastening strips 193 and 194 disposed,
respectively, on upper mouth margin 192 and lower mouth margin 194
by any conventional means, such as by sewing, through adhesion or
the like. While this construction would not provide as much of an
airtight and water tight seal as that discussed in FIGS. 8-9(b), it
will nonetheless serve the purpose of substantially affording a dry
storage environment for the received personal items. Of course, a
variety of other closure constructions for both the inflatable
bladder 80 and the outer casing 11 associated with storage pillow
10 would be well within the purview of the ordinarily skilled
artisan, so that the figures herein only illustrate representative
constructions.
[0037] Accordingly, the present invention has been described with
some degree of particularity directed to the exemplary embodiments
of the present invention. It should be appreciated, though, that
the present invention is defined by the following claims construed
in light of the prior art so that modifications or changes may be
made to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention without
departing from the inventive concepts contained herein.
* * * * *