Pillow with foam insert

Abstract

The present invention provides an improved down pillow made from two down pillow sections sewn together along their respective edges to form an interior pocket or chamber for receiving a foam insert to provide rigidity and shape to the down pillow. The interior chamber is closed by zippers. The down pillow and foam insert may be of any shape. In alternate embodiments, instead of down material, the pillow may be formed from polyester, feathers, or the like.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved down pillow having an interior pocket for receiving a foam insert to provide rigidity and shape to the down pillow with the foam insert being surrounded by down material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Down pillows are comfortable but collapse very easily and do not maintain their shape. There is a need for a comfortable down pillow that maintains its shape.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a comfortable down pillow which maintains its shape and does not collapse.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an improved down pillow having an interior pocket or chamber for receiving a foam insert to provide rigidity and shape to the down pillow, with the foam insert being surrounded by down material. The interior chamber is closed by zippers.

The down pillow and foam insert may be of any shape.

In alternate embodiments, instead of down, the pillow may be formed from polyester, feathers, or the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an improved down pillow in the shape of a rectangle;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the down pillow shown in FIG. 1 having an interior pocket or chamber for receiving a foam insert;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a rectangular-shaped, down body pillow;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a rectangular-shaped down pillow having a gusset;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the pillow shown in FIG. 3 having an interior chamber and a foam insert;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a rectangular-shaped down pillow having a gusset;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the pillow shown in FIG. 6 having an interior chamber and a foam insert;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a lumbar pillow;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a foam insert for the lumbar pillow shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a rectangular-shaped mattress pad;

FIG. 11 is a cross-section view of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a travel pillow;

FIG. 13 is an end view of the travel pillow shown in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the foam insert for the travel pillow shown in FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a U-shaped orthopedic pillow;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the foam insert for insertion into the pillow shown in FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a wedge-shaped pillow;

FIG. 18 is an end view thereof,

FIG. 19 is a side view thereof,

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a bolster pillow;

FIG. 21 shows the foam insert for the bolster pillow; and

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a circular-shaped pillow and the foam insert therefor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an improved down pillow 10 formed from a first section 12 and a second section 14 which are connected by sewing along their respective edges 16 and 18 to form an interior pocket or chamber 20 for receiving a foam insert 22. An L-shaped zipper 24 is provided along one side edge 26 and one end edge 28 to open and close the pillow 10. Alternatively, the opposite ends of the pillow may have zippered openings to insert and remove the foam insert 22. Sections 12 and 14 each have an outer layer of fabric and an inner layer of fabric sewn together to form a closed pillow section filled with down material.

Edges 16 and 18 may be connected by sewing or other suitable devices for permanently closing edges 16 and 18.

Pillow sections 12 and 14 may be filled with down material, polyester, feathers, or the like. Foam insert 22 may be any type of foam, such as polyurethane, visco elastic foam, open cell foam, or closed cell foam. The thickness of the foam insert 22 is preferably in the range of 2 inches to 12 inches. Pillow 10 may be any shape, and foam insert 22 may be of any shape, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7.

Pillow 10 may be stitched at 25 to form 2 channels or compartments 27 and 29 to hold the down material in place so it does not move around. Pillow 10 may be rectangular in shape or square shaped, and may also have two stitch lines 25 to form three channels for holding the down material.

ALTERNATE EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 3 and 5 show a rectangular-shaped body pillow 30 having first and second down-filled sections 32 and 34 which are sewn together along their edges 36 and 38, and which have zippers 40 and 42 for opening and closing the other edges of the pillow, as shown. A rectangular-shaped foam insert 44 is disposed within the interior chamber 46 of pillow 30. Body pillow 30 preferably has a size of 20 inches by 54 inches, and foam insert may have other shapes, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7. Body pillow 30 may also have stitch lines to form channels or compartments for holding the down material in place. In addition, it may also include a gusset, as shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 shows a rectangular-shaped pillow 50 having first and second down-filled sections 52 and 54 which are sewn together along their edges 56 and 58, and which have zippers 60 and 62 for opening and closing the other edges of the pillow. A rectangular-shaped foam insert is disposed within the interior chamber of pillow 50. Pillow 50 has a two-inch gusset 64, and may also be square in shape. Further, pillow 50 may have one or two stitch lines to form two or three channels 27 to hold the down material in place. The pillow sizes may be 20 inches by 26 inches, 20 inches by 30 inches, or 20 inches by 36 inches.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a rectangular-shaped pillow 70 having down-filled sections 72 and 74, sewn edges 76 and 78, zippers 80 and 82, and an interior chamber 84 for receiving a foam insert 86. Pillow 70 has a two-inch gusset 88, and may also have stitch lines 87 for forming channels 89 to hold the down material in place.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show a lumbar pillow 90 having down-filled sections 92 and 94, sewn edges 96 and 98, zippers 100 and 102, and an interior chamber for receiving a foam 15 insert 104.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show a mattress pad 110 having down-filled sections 112 and 114, a sewn edge 116, three zippered edges 118, 120 and 122, and an interior chamber for receiving a foam insert 124. Pad 110 may have three or five stitch lines 126 to form four or six channels 128 for holding the down material in place. Alternatively, stitch lines may be provided in a transverse direction to form squares for holding the down material in place. There is also a two-inch gusset.

FIGS. 12 to 14 show a small travel pillow 130 having upper and lower down-filled sections 132 and 134, sewn edges 136 and 138, zippers 140 and 142, and an interior chamber for receiving a foam insert 144.

FIG. 15 and 16 show a U-shaped neck pillow or orthopedic pillow 150 having down-filled sections 152 and 154, a sewn edge 156, a U-shaped zipper 158, and an interior chamber for receiving a U-shaped foam insert 160.

FIGS. 17 to 19 show a wedge-shaped pillow 170 having down-filled sections 172 and 174, sewn edge 176, zippered edges 178, 180 and 182, and an interior chamber for receiving a foam insert in the shape of a wedge. Pillow 170 may have stitch lines to form compartments for holding the down material in place.

FIGS. 20 and 21 show a bolster pillow 190 having down-filled sections 192 and 194, sewn edge 196, zipper 200, and an interior chamber for receiving a cylindrical-shaped foam insert 202. Stitch lines may be provided to form compartments for holding the down material in place. A second zipper may also be provided at the opposite end.

FIG. 22 shows a circular-shaped pillow 220 having upper and lower down-filled sections 222 and 224, sewn edge 226, zipper 228, and foam insert 230. It may also include a two-inch gusset, and stitch lines to hold the down material in place. Alternatively, there may also be transverse stitch lines to form squares to hold the down material in place.

In the alternate embodiments described above, it should be understood that the sewn edges may be connected by other suitable devices for permanently closing the edges. Also, the pillow sections may be formed from down material, polyester, feathers, or the like. The foam inserts may be of any type of foam, as described above.

A latitude of modification, change, and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure, and in some instances, some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.

Claims

1) A down pillow having a foam insert, comprising:

a) first and second pillow sections connected along their respective edges to form an interior chamber having at least one opening;

b) said first and second pillow sections being filled with down material;

c) a closure device for opening and closing said at least one opening; and

d) a foam insert removably disposed within said interior chamber through said at least one opening for providing rigidity and shape to said down pillow.

2) A pillow in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pillow has a shape selected from the group consisting of square, rectangular, round, oval, flat, cylindrical, U-shaped, contoured, and in the shape of a wedge.

3) A pillow in accordance with claim 1, wherein said foam insert has a shape selected from the group consisting of square, rectangular, round, oval, flat, cylindrical, U-shaped, contoured, and in the shape of a wedge.

4) A pillow in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first and second pillow sections are connected along their respective edges by sewing.

5) A pillow in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pillow has two edges sewn together and has two edges having closure devices in the form of zippers.

6) A pillow in accordance with claim 1, wherein said closure device is a zipper.

7) A pillow in accordance with claim 1, wherein said interior chamber has two openings and a closure device for each of said two openings.

8) A pillow in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pillow is U-shaped and has one edge sewn and the other edge has a zipper, and wherein said foam insert is U-shaped.

9) A pillow in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pillow is round in shape and has one edge sewn and the other edge has a zipper, and wherein said foam insert is circular in shape.

10) A pillow in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pillow is a bolster pillow with a cylindrical foam insert.

11) A pillow in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pillow is wedge-shaped with a wedge-shaped foam insert.

12) A pillow in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pillow is a mattress pad.

13) A pillow in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pillow is a lumbar pillow for use with the lumbar area of the back.

14) A pillow in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pillow is contoured in shape.

15) A pillow in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first pillow section has one or more stitch lines for forming channels or compartments for holding the down material in place.

16) A pillow in accordance with claim 1, wherein said foam insert is polyurethane.

17) A pillow in accordance with claim 1, wherein said foam insert is open cell foam.

18) A pillow in accordance with claim 1, wherein said foam insert is closed cell foam.

19) A pillow in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first and second pillow sections are formed from down material, polyester, feathers, or a combination thereof.

20) A pillow in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pillow has a square shape and has a gusset along its edges.

21) A pillow in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pillow has a rectangular shape and has a gusset along its edges.