U.S. patent application number 13/179900 was filed with the patent office on 2012-03-29 for height adjustable pillow.
This patent application is currently assigned to ABSOLUTELYNEW, INC.. Invention is credited to Tristan Christianson, William Freund.
Application Number | 20120073056 13/179900 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45869144 |
Filed Date | 2012-03-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120073056 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Freund; William ; et
al. |
March 29, 2012 |
HEIGHT ADJUSTABLE PILLOW
Abstract
An adjustable pillow, comprising of a stretchable pillow cover
having a plurality of removable inserts. The inserts may be in
various thicknesses, shapes, compositions and firmness to permit
adjustment for overall pillow height, overall firmness, and surface
firmness when inserted into the cover. The total height of the
pillow depends on the total height of the various inserts being
used, the overall firmness depends on whether the inserts are soft,
medium or firm, and the surface firmness depends on the firmness of
the topmost inside layer.
Inventors: |
Freund; William; (San
Francisco, CA) ; Christianson; Tristan; (San
Francisco, CA) |
Assignee: |
ABSOLUTELYNEW, INC.
San Francisco
CA
|
Family ID: |
45869144 |
Appl. No.: |
13/179900 |
Filed: |
July 11, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61387657 |
Sep 29, 2010 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
5/639 ;
5/640 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 9/10 20130101; A47G
9/0253 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
5/639 ;
5/640 |
International
Class: |
A47G 9/10 20060101
A47G009/10; A47C 20/04 20060101 A47C020/04 |
Claims
1-13. (canceled)
14. A height adjustable pillow, comprising of: a. A pillow case
cover; b. A plurality of removable, inserts within the cover, and
each inserts has substantially the same top surface area as the
other inserts and the adjustable pillow as a whole.
15. A height adjustable pillow according to claim 14, where the
inserts are further comprised of differing thicknesses, with the
height differences of the thickness between the inserts to be in
between 0.75 to 1.25 inches.
16. A height adjustable pillow according to claim 14, where one or
more of the inserts further comprises of viscoelastic memory foam
material.
17. A height adjustable pillow according to claim 14, where the
pillow and the inserts are U-shaped with a shoulder cutout, said
cutout tapers from the shoulder portion to the head portion of said
cutout.
18. A height adjustable pillow according to claim 14, where the
pillow case cover further comprises of microfiber fill cushioning
layer.
19. A height adjustable pillow according to claim 14, where the
inserts comprise at least one insert made of breathable polyester
fiber material.
20. A height adjustable pillow according to claim 14, where the
cover is filled with down feather materials.
21. A height adjustable pillow according to claim 14, where the
pillow case cover, pillow and the inserts are tubular-shaped body
pillows.
22. A height adjustable pillow according to claim 14, where one or
more of the inserts comprise at least one adjustable air-filled
bladder.
23. A height adjustable pillow according to claim 14, where one or
more insert is individually enveloped in flexible cover material.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates generally to cushions and pillows and,
more particularly, to pillows with adjustable layers or
inserts.
[0003] 2. Prior Art
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 7,735,169, issued Jun. 15, 2010, discloses a
pillow comprising a viscoelastic sleeve defining a cavity and a
plurality of loose pieces of filler material substantially enclosed
within the cavity.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 7,707,668, issued May 4 2010, discloses a
pillow for relieving pressure on a neck of a user. The pillow
includes a body section, a first lobe member integrally bound to
the body section and adaptable for supporting a nape of the neck of
the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention provides an adjustable pillow that
includes a stretchable cover having a plurality of removable
inserts. The stretchable cover shrinks or expands depending on the
number of inserts and the overall height of the pillow. The
stretchable cover also securely holds the various independent
inserts together such that they act as one complete unit. The layer
inserts may be of various thicknesses and firmness. The removable
inserts permit the pillow to be adjusted for height, overall
compressibility and surface firmness. The total height of the
pillow will depend on the total height of the various individual
inserts used, the overall compressibility will depend on the
resistance to compression of each insert and the surface firmness
will depend on the firmness of the topmost insert, which may
comprise viscoelastic or "memory" foam.
[0007] To affect the ability of the inserts to move in a sliding
manner relative to each other, the coefficient of friction between
the layers may be varied. This may be accomplished, for instance,
by changing the composition of the inserts, by roughening or
smoothing the contact surfaces of the inserts, or by enclosing the
inserts in a flexible material, which material's properties may be
adjusted to achieve the same results.
[0008] The inserts may extend across the entire length and width of
the pillow so that the sleeper can uniformly adjust the height,
firmness and elasticity of the pillow. Unless desired to promote a
particular sleep position, a sleeper's head will maintain constant
height, firmness and elasticity as it may move on the surface of
the pillow while sleeping. The various layers may also be tapered
lengthwise from center to each edge to provide better breathing
access when the side of the head is positioned in the center of the
pillow. A cover closure, such as a zipper or hook and loop fastener
may facilitate removal and/or insertion of the individual
layers.
[0009] Other features and advantages of the present invention
should be apparent from the following description of the preferred
embodiment, which illustrates, by way of example, the principles of
the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is an isometric exploded view of one embodiment of
the present invention in a U-shape with a shoulder cutout
comprising three (3) insert layers and a cover.
[0011] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of another embodiment of the
present invention with all three (3) of the inserts placed inside
the cover.
[0012] FIG. 3 is an isometric exploded view of an adjustable pillow
in a conventional rectangular shape consisting of three (3) insert
layers and a cover.
REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0013] 1 case
[0014] 2 insert
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0015] The invention should be better understood with reference to
the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment
illustrated in the drawings.
[0016] FIGS. 1-3 show an adjustable pillow 1 constructed in
accordance with the present invention. The adjustable pillow
comprises a stretchable cover and multiple, removable inserts.
References to the inserts will otherwise be understood as
references to the inserts collectively. The inserts 2 are of
various thickness, firmness and composition to permit adjustment
for overall pillow height, overall firmness, surface firmness and
elasticity via memory foam, for instance. The total height of the
adjustable pillow 1 depends on the total height of the various
inserts being used, the overall firmness depends on the firmness of
the inserts and the surface firmness depends on the firmness of the
topmost inside layer. The inserts provide the option of memory foam
and/or adjustment across the entire length and width of the pillow
so that a user will not experience changing height or firmness
while sleeping.
[0017] FIG. 1 shows that the inserts are positioned in the cover
and extend along the entire length and width of the pillow. The
cover has an open end through which the inserts are inserted and
has a length dimension "L" and a width dimension "W" shown in FIG.
1 that defines a sleeping area of the pillow.
[0018] The sleeping area is the approximate area of the pillow on
which a sleeping person can be expected to rest his or her head. It
should be understood that the height of the pillow refers to the
vertical dimension of the pillow when viewed in cross section,
perpendicular to the plane defined by the length and width of the
pillow cover.
[0019] The three (3) inserts 2 illustrated in FIG. 1 comprise
inserts of different relative firmness and thickness. In
particular, a first insert is relatively soft and thin while a
second insert is of medium firmness and thickness, and a third
insert is relatively firm and relatively thick. The firmness of the
inserts need not correspond with the thickness as described. As
shown in FIG. 1, the pillow nominally includes three (3) inserts,
but may contain any number desired.
[0020] Moreover, inserts in multiple combinations of thickness,
firmness and composition can be made available separately from
those originally supplied with the cover. That is, users can
selectively mix and match the different firmness, thickness and
composition varieties of inserts to assemble a group of all soft
inserts, all firm inserts or any combination thereof. In addition,
the user may determine the overall height of the pillow by the
thickness of the various inserts selected. In this way, individual
users can tailor the pillow to their own preferences.
[0021] FIG. 2 shows the adjustable pillow with the three (3)
inserts placed in the stretchable cover to provide an initial
height, overall firmness and surface firmness. More particularly,
the total cross-sectional height of the adjustable pillow as
illustrated in FIG. 1 is substantially equal to the combined height
of any padding material in the pillow cover seen in FIG. 1, the
height of the first soft insert, the height of the second medium
insert, and the height of the third firm insert. The inserts may
all be equally thick or they may vary in thickness. Mathematically,
a greater number of different pillow heights may be achieved by
combining inserts each having a different thickness, as compared to
combining inserts of equal thickness.
[0022] The overall firmness of the pillow with inserts is the
firmness provided by the three (3) inserts and the cover, as
indicated by the resistance to compression of the combination. The
pillow may be adjusted to achieve a different perceived overall
firmness. The perceived overall firmness of the pillow largely
depends on the combination of inserts placed within the pillow
cover.
[0023] The surface firmness of the pillow cover and top insert is
generally the firmness perceived by the sleeper. If the pillow
cover has no padding material, the perceived surface firmness would
reflect the firmness of the insert closest to the sleeper's head.
In a "soft" embodiment, inserts made of the softest viable material
may be placed in the cover. Thus, both the number and type of
inserts can be varied to adjust the perceived overall firmness (and
height and surface firmness) of the pillow.
[0024] The adjustable pillow may be shaped to accommodate or
facilitate various therapeutic goals such as anti-snore, lower arm
"tunnels," CPAP cutouts, head-positioning protuberances and the
like.
[0025] The user may also use one or more inserts that are
ventilated with air circulation holes and/or inserts made of
viscoelastic memory foam to provide the benefits associated with
that material. The various insert layers may also contain other
materials to provide anti-bacterial, anti-odor, sleep inducing,
curative, fragrant, meditative and/or off-gas inducing or
inhibiting properties.
[0026] The adjustable pillow is compatible with conventional
pillowcases and accessories. In particular, the adjustable pillow
is sized to fit within conventional, readily available pillowcases
such as Twin, Double, Queen, King, California King and other
well-known bed size standards out in the market.
[0027] To prevent excessive warmth due to the insulating properties
of the insert material air circulation or ventilation may be
provided via vertical holes spaced throughout the field of one or
more of the inserts. If desired, the inserts may be made of
viscoelastic memory foam to provide the well-known benefits
associated with that material. The various insert layers may also
contain other materials to provide anti-bacterial, anti-odor, sleep
inducing, curative, fragrant, meditative and/or off-gas inducing or
inhibiting properties known to those skilled in the art.
[0028] The present invention has been described above in terms of a
presently preferred embodiment so that an understanding of the
present invention can be conveyed. There are, however, many
configurations for adjustable pillows not specifically described
herein but with which the present invention is applicable. The
present invention should therefore not be seen as limited to the
particular embodiment described herein, but rather, it should be
understood that the present invention has wide applicability with
respect to adjustable pillows and cushions generally. All
modifications, variations or equivalent arrangements that are
within the scope of the attached claims should therefore be
considered within the scope of the invention.
* * * * *