U.S. patent application number 11/464236 was filed with the patent office on 2008-02-14 for inflatable neck pillow.
Invention is credited to Zondra L. Schmidt.
Application Number | 20080034504 11/464236 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39049059 |
Filed Date | 2008-02-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080034504 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schmidt; Zondra L. |
February 14, 2008 |
INFLATABLE NECK PILLOW
Abstract
Fillable neck pillows are described which are adapted for travel
use are described. The pillows are constructed for compact storage
and/or for accepting at least two different types of fill
media.
Inventors: |
Schmidt; Zondra L.; (San
Diego, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WESLEY B. AMES
7031 LOS VIENTOS SERENOS
ESCONDIDO
CA
92029
US
|
Family ID: |
39049059 |
Appl. No.: |
11/464236 |
Filed: |
August 14, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
5/644 ;
5/636 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C 7/383 20130101;
A47G 9/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
5/644 ;
5/636 |
International
Class: |
A47G 9/10 20060101
A47G009/10; A47C 20/00 20060101 A47C020/00 |
Claims
1. A fillable neck pillow, comprising a flexible, gas barrier
comprising a top layer and a bottom layer, wherein said top layer
and said bottom layer together define a fillable volume and
comprising a central head rest portion and two spaced-apart lateral
lobe portions; a fill port in said top layer or said bottom layer;
and fold lines extending across said pillow between said head rest
portion and each of said lobe portions.
2. The fillable neck pillow of claim 1, wherein said head rest
portion is reduced in depth as compared to portions laterally
adjacent thereto.
3. The fillable neck pillow of claim 1, wherein said pillow further
comprises a closure which retains said pillow in a folded
configuration.
4. The fillable neck pillow of claim 3, wherein said closure
comprises a snap.
5. The fillable neck pillow of claim 3, wherein said closure
comprises a hook and loop fastener.
6. The fillable neck pillow of claim 1, further comprising an
attached storage pouch.
7. The fillable neck pillow of claim 1, wherein said top layer and
said bottom layer are separate sheets joined at their peripheral
edges.
8. The fillable neck pillow of claim 1, wherein said top layer and
said bottom layer are formed of vinyl chloride sheeting.
9. The fillable neck pillow of claim 1, wherein said top layer and
said bottom layer are formed of polyethylene sheeting.
10. The fillable neck pillow of claim 1, wherein said top layer and
said bottom layer are formed of polypropylene sheeting.
11. The fillable neck pillow of claim 1, wherein said upper layer
or said bottom layer or both are externally covered with a soft
fibrous layer.
12. A fillable pillow, comprising a flexible, gas barrier
comprising a top layer and a bottom layer, wherein said top layer
and said bottom layer together define a fillable volume and
comprising a central head rest portion and two spaced-apart lateral
lobe portions; at least one fill port in said top layer or said
bottom layer, wherein said fill port comprises a fill port for air
inflation and a fill port for a liquid or a particulate fill or
both.
13. The fillable pillow of claim 7, wherein said at least one fill
port includes two separate fill ports, wherein one of said separate
fill ports is an air fill port and the other of said separate fill
ports is a liquid fill port.
14. The fillable pillow of claim 7, wherein said at least one fill
port is a single dual medium fill port.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] NOT APPLICABLE.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to neck pillows which can be
converted into a compact configuration and/or which are adapted for
multiple applications.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The following discussion is provided solely to assist the
understanding of the reader, and does not constitute an admission
that any of the information discussed or references cited
constitute prior art to the present invention. Each of the cited
references in incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
[0004] A number of neck pillows have been described, including
pillows which are filled with conforming solid materials such as
foam, small beads, and the like. In addition, a number of neck
pillows have been described which can be inflated with air.
[0005] El-Asir, U.S. Des. 322,380 describes an inflatable neck
pillow with a generally U-shaped design.
[0006] Futagami, U.S. Pat. No. 6,487,737 B1 (also Futagami, U.S.
D445,624 S) describes an inflatable air pillow formed of "a
flexible material, such as vinyl chloride sheet" which has "at
least one gusset in a head rest area of the pillow."
[0007] The Obus Forme Air Travel Pillow.TM. is described as an
inflatable travel pillow. The pillow is a generally U-shaped design
with a reduced thickness in the head rest area for which it is
stated that it "vertically supports your head." It is further
stated that the pillow "deflates in seconds for compact storage in
its own pouch."
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention concerns neck pillows which provide
particular advantages for travel purposes by being adapted for
compact storage due to the inclusion of localized fold lines across
the width of the pillow. Such compact storage prevents the pillow
from taking up significant space in the user's purse or travel bag.
When stored, it is also advantageous to be able to hold the pillow
in the folded configuration so that it does not interfere with
other articles. This can be accomplished by using a closure and/or
a pouch. In addition, the invention concerns multi-fill pillows,
which are adapted to accept at least two different types of fills,
such as air, water, and/or particulate fill.
[0009] Thus, a first aspect of the invention concerns a fillable
neck pillow which includes a flexible, gas barrier. The gas is
substantially impervious to gases such as air. The gas barrier
includes a top layer and a bottom layer, where the top layer and
bottom layer together define a fillable volume between them. The
pillow includes a central head rest portion and two spaced-apart
lateral lobe portions, and a fill port in the top layer or the
bottom layer, and at least one fold line extending across the
pillow. For example, the pillow can include two fold lines, with
one such line between the head rest portion and each of the lobe
portions, or with three fold lines with one in the head rest
portion and one in each of the lobe portions, but other fold line
locations can also be used.
[0010] In particular embodiments, the head rest portion is reduced
in depth as compared to portions laterally adjacent thereto; the
pillow also includes a closure which retains the pillow in a folded
configuration, e.g., at least one snap, clip, hook and loop
fastener, and/or storage pouch (e.g., an attached storage
pouch).
[0011] In certain embodiments, the top layer and bottom layer are
separate sheets joined at their peripheral edges (e.g., by heat or
solvent welding); the top layer and bottom layer are formed of
vinyl chloride, polyethylene, or polypropylene sheeting; the upper
layer or bottom layer or both are externally covered with a soft
fibrous layer.
[0012] A related aspect concerns a multi-fill pillow which includes
a flexible, gas and liquid barrier which has a top layer and a
bottom layer. The top layer and said bottom layer together define a
fillable volume and the pillow includes a central head rest portion
and two spaced-apart lateral lobe portions. The pillow also
includes at least one fill port in the top layer or the bottom
layer, wherein such fill port includes a fill port for air
inflation and a fill port for a liquid or a particulate fill or
both.
[0013] In certain embodiments, two separate fill ports are
included, where one of the separate fill ports is an air fill port
and the other is a liquid fill port. In other embodiments, the fill
port is a single, dual medium fill port.
[0014] In particular embodiments, the pillow is as described for
the preceding aspect or an embodiment thereof.
[0015] A related aspect concerns a method of using a fillable
pillow as described above. The method involves filling the pillow
with a desired fill medium, and placing the pillow in position for
use behind a person, e.g., behind a person's head and/or neck. The
method can also involve emptying the fill medium and folding the
pillow into a compact configuration, and may be retained in such
compact configuration by use of the closure as indicated above. The
pillow may be used in many different contexts, e.g., for travel,
such as in an airplane, train, or automobile, and for minor medical
treatment.
[0016] In certain embodiments, the pillow is filled with cold water
or other cold liquid and is positioned for use against a person who
has or is expected to have swelling at or near the location where
the pillow is positioned. Similarly, in certain embodiments, the
pillow is filled with hot water or other hot liquid, and is
positioned against a person in a location which will or is expect
to medically benefit from exposure to warmth such as by increasing
blood flow in the treated area, e.g., a bruised area approximately
24-48 hours post injury.
[0017] In the context of the present pillows, the term "fill port"
refers to a sealable aperture through which a fill medium can be
introduced and removed without damage to the pillow. Highly
preferably, an air fill port allows inflating and deflating without
the use of any mechanical tools or equipment.
[0018] Additional embodiments will be apparent from the Detailed
Description and from the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of an exemplary neck pillow.
[0020] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the exemplary neck pillow of
FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] As described in the Summary above, the present invention
concerns fillable pillows, and in particular, inflatable pillows.
The present pillows are particularly advantageous for travel
purposes, but can also be useful in other contexts.
[0022] As is generally understood, inflatable pillows can be
constructed of a variety of different impervious, flexible, sheet
materials. Commonly, inflatable pillows, mattresses, floats, and
the like are made of flexible vinyl chloride, but other flexible
materials can also be used (e.g., flexible polypropylene or
polyethylene). Typically, the material is a flexible plastic or a
sealed fabric (e.g., woven fibrous material sealed on or in a
flexible plastic sheet. Additionally, a soft fibrous material can
be adhered on the surface of such flexible to provide a more
comfortable contact surface.
[0023] Such inflatable pillows can be constructed using
conventional techniques. One common method is to join separate
sheets, together with a fill port fitted in one of the sheets or at
the junction of the sheets to form an inflatable volume. The
joining is commonly accomplished by heating. However, the pillows
can also be formed using other methods known in the art, such as
blow molding.
[0024] The present pillows, in most cases, have a generally
U-shape. Depending on the particular shape and sizing, such pillows
are typically used in one of two ways. For pillows which have an
appropriately-sized space between the side lobes of the pillow, a
person using the pillow can place the pillow around their neck such
that the side lobes are around the neck and the central, or head
rest, portion is behind the head. Alternatively, for smaller
pillows, the entire pillow is placed behind the user, with the
central portion behind the head, and the lobe portions extending
down along the sides of the neck. The pillows can also be placed
such that the central portion of the pillow is placed behind the
user's neck, and the lobes extend forward around the sides of the
person's neck.
[0025] In order to fill (e.g., inflate) the pillow, a fill port is
provided in the flexible material. For air inflation, the fill port
usually is configured to allow inflating by mouth and deflating by
pressing the pillow flat (manipulation of a valve at the fill port
may also be needed depending on the particular design). Such fill
ports for inflation are commonly used for inflatable objects which
can suitably be used for the present pillows. In many cases, other
fill methods can also be used, e.g., hand air pumps, etc.
[0026] In addition, the present pillows can be constructed such
that they are multi-fill pillows (either with or without the fold
lines). That is, a person may select which fill medium is
preferred, e.g., air, water (or other such liquid), and/or dry
particulates (e.g., small foam beads and the like). In such cases,
either one fill port is used which is adapted to accept filling and
emptying two or more different media, or multiple fill ports are
used for different media. For example, for air inflation, a fill
port having a relatively small inside aperture is usually used.
However, for dry particulate media (and often for liquid media) a
larger aperture is more convenient or even necessary in order to
allow practical filling and emptying. For such other media,
suitable fill port designs are known and can be used in the present
pillows.
[0027] The ability to utilize liquid fill media provides the option
of using the present pillows for therapeutic applications. For
example, use of cold liquid (e.g., cold water) fill can be useful
for reducing swelling, for cooling a person's head and/or neck
(e.g., for hot weather sports and other exercise), as well as for
other such conditions in which a cold pack is useful. Likewise, use
of a warm or hot fill can be useful for increasing blood flow,
either alone or in alternation with use of a cold pack. In such
applications, the material from which the fillable pillow is
constructed should be selected to tolerate the fill liquid and the
anticipated temperatures without damage.
[0028] In certain advantageous pillow designs, the pillow is
particularly configured for compact storage. Such compact storage
allows a person to conveniently carry the pillow in a very small
space without damage or interference with other objects, and to
re-use the pillow whenever desired.
[0029] To facilitate the compact storage, the pillow can be
constructed with a closure which holds the pillow in the compact
configuration. Any of a variety of different closures can be used,
separately or in combination. For example, one or more snaps can be
used (e.g., plastic or metal snaps) which hold the pillow in the
folded configuration. Preferably, such snaps are on the outer
periphery and/or on the outer surface of the lower layer so that
they do not poke against the user during normal use. Similarly,
other types of clips can be used in substantially the same manner.
Likewise, the closure can utilize hook and loop fasteners. In such
case, it is preferable that neither the hook nor loop portion bear
against the user during normal use.
[0030] Another type of closure, which can be used separately or in
combination with other types of closures, is a storage pouch. As
indicated in the Background, separate storage pouches have been
provided for inflatable pillows. The difficulty with such separate
storage pouches is that often the pouch will become separated from
the pillow and lost. Thus, to overcome this difficulty, the present
pillows can include an attached storage pouch. In most case the
pouch will attach at one edge of the pillow. The pouch can, for
example, attach along an edge such that the folded pillow can be
folded over and into the pouch. In alternate designs, the pouch is
attached to the body of the pillow via a strap or line such that
the folded pillow can be inserted into the pouch. This design has
the advantage that even improperly folded pillows can be inserted
into the pouch.
[0031] Alternatively or in addition, the pillow can be constructed
with one or more specific fold lines (e.g., 1, 2, 3, or 4 fold
lines) which extend across (or substantially across) the width of
the pillow. The fold lines are located such that folding the pillow
along those lines results in the pillow folding on itself into a
substantially more compact configuration. For example, fold lines
can be provided at the junctions between the central head rest
portion and the lateral lobe portions, such that the lobes fold
onto the head rest portion resulting in a configuration which is
approximately 1/3 the area of the un-folded pillow. If desired, the
pillow can be further folded to further reduce the area, which may
be along additional fold lines.
[0032] For inflatable and/or liquid fillable pillows, the top and
bottom layers of the pillow are usually joined or partially joined
at the fold lines. In most cases, partial joining is more
convenient because it allows the use of a single fill port to fill
the entire pillow because partial joining leaves one or more
passages through the fill line which allows the air or liquid to
pass from one fill volume into the adjacent fill volume (e.g., from
the head rest portion into the adjacent lobe portions.
[0033] While the present pillows can be configured in many
different ways, an exemplary neck pillow is illustrated in FIGS. 1
and 2. FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the bottom of the pillow. The
top is substantially the same except that no fill port is present
in the top layer. As shown in FIG. 1, the pillow has a lower or
bottom layer 10, with a bottom layer beneath it such that a
fillable volume is defined. The pillow has two central, head rest
portions 12 and 13, joined with two lateral lobe portions 14 and
15. In this exemplary design, the junctions between the head rest
portion and the lobe portions are fold lines 18, 19, and 20. The
fold lines are lines of a selected width in which the top layer and
the bottom layer are partially joined (e.g., partially sealed
together). The fold line may be created by a single joining line of
a selected width, or may incorporate two or even more joining lines
relatively close together. The partial joining leaves at least one
channel 22, 23, and 24 through each fold line to allow fluid (e.g.,
air) to move between adjacent fill volumes. In many cases it will
be desirable to have the channels of sufficient size that the
additional fill volumes will fill quickly and easily with only a
person blowing through the fill port (and will also deflate quickly
and easily with light pressure after the fill port is opened).
After folding, the pillow is held in the folded position with the
male 28 and female 29 snap members. Of course, those snap members
may be replaced by other types of closures, e.g., as described
above. In other embodiments, the fold lines are absent and the
pillow is held in the folded configuration by the closure(s).
[0034] An optional attached storage pouch 30 is also shown,
attached to the body of the pillow with retention strap 32 and with
the insertion opening 34 shown by the dashed line. The size of the
pouch can be varied as desired such that the folded pillow will fit
within it. The storage pouch may be used as the sole closure, or in
combination with another closure, such as the snap closure
indicated above.
[0035] FIG. 2 shows the exemplary pillow of FIG. 1 inflated in side
view, with the top layer 10 and the bottom layer 12 joined at seam
11. One of the fold lines 20 is shown with the channel 24. The fill
port 26 is mounted in the bottom layer 12.
[0036] Alternatively, the fold lines can be fully joined. In this
case, a fill port will be provided for each separate fill volume.
This design is not presently preferred due to the lesser
convenience of use and/or the greater cost.
[0037] Clearly, many other configurations can be provided, e.g.,
with different locations and numbers of fold lines, various types
of fill ports, different closures, etc. Such variations are also
within the scope if this invention.
[0038] All patents and other references cited in the specification
are indicative of the level of skill of those skilled in the art to
which the invention pertains, and are incorporated by reference in
their entireties, including any tables and figures, to the same
extent as if each reference had been incorporated by reference in
its entirety individually.
[0039] One skilled in the art would readily appreciate that the
present invention is well adapted to obtain the ends and advantages
mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The methods,
variances, and compositions described herein as presently
representative of preferred embodiments are exemplary and are not
intended as limitations on the scope of the invention. Changes
therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art,
which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention, are
defined by the scope of the claims.
[0040] It will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that
varying substitutions and modifications may be made to the
invention disclosed herein without departing from the scope and
spirit of the invention. For example, variations can be made to the
construction materials and the particular shape. Thus, such
additional embodiments are within the scope of the present
invention and the following claims.
[0041] The invention illustratively described herein suitably may
be practiced in the absence of any element or elements, limitation
or limitations which is not specifically disclosed herein. Thus,
for example, in each instance herein any of the terms "comprising",
"consisting essentially of" and "consisting of" may be replaced
with either of the other two terms. The terms and expressions which
have been employed are used as terms of description and not of
limitation, and there is no intention that in the use of such terms
and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown
and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that
various modifications are possible within the scope of the
invention claimed. Thus, it should be understood that although the
present invention has been specifically disclosed by preferred
embodiments and optional features, modification and variation of
the concepts herein disclosed may be resorted to by those skilled
in the art, and that such modifications and variations are
considered to be within the scope of this invention as defined by
the appended claims.
[0042] In addition, where features or aspects of the invention are
described in terms of Markush groups or other grouping of
alternatives, those skilled in the art will recognize that the
invention is also thereby described in terms of any individual
member or subgroup of members of the Markush group or other
group.
[0043] Also, unless indicated to the contrary, where various
numerical values or value range endpoints are provided for
embodiments, additional embodiments are described by taking any 2
different values as the endpoints of a range or by taking two
different range endpoints from specified ranges as the endpoints of
an additional range. Such ranges are also within the scope of the
described invention.
[0044] Thus, additional embodiments are within the scope of the
invention and within the following claims.
* * * * *