POSITIONAL PILLOW

Abstract

A positional pillow includes an elongate back support and an L-shaped pillow portion for supporting a side-sleeper in a comfortable lateral position. The elongate back support includes a resiliently flexible insert disposed within a cushioning wrap. The L-shaped pillow includes a head section extending from one end of the back support, and an elongate body section extending perpendicularly generally parallel to the elongate back support.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/122,279, filed Oct. 17, 2014.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to pillows which encourage either left or right side position sleeping.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, there are over 18 million people suffering from sleep disorders, most of which are caused by Obstructional Sleep Apnea. It is well known that the lateral or side-sleep position is a means for preventing Obstructional Sleep Apnea or OSA.

Sleeping on one's back can cause the tongue and soft palate to rest against the back of the throat which will block the airway and cause snoring. Sleeping in the lateral or side-sleep position has been validated as a way to treat or reduce Sleep Apnea events and snoring because it helps to prevent the collapse of the breathing cavity.

Many people who suffer from Obstructional Sleep Apnea are prescribed use of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices as a meanings of effective treatment. However, many find that such devices interfere with restful sleep and prefer to do without expensive CPAP equipment and supplies. Sleeping on one's side helps to make CPAP therapy more tolerable and offers added support for the CPAP appliance.

Untreated sleep apnea is linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, memory lost, obesity, and various other health conditions including death. Accordingly, there is a need for a positional pillow that may be utilized with or without CPAP machines and which facilitates sleep in the lateral or side-sleep position. Such a positional pillow must be easy to use, preferably offer dual head and torso support allowing the sleeper to start and stay on his or her side to help reduce tossing and turning, and also separate adjacent sleepers to help prevent the sleep disorder from affecting the sleeping companion.

The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention resides in a positional pillow that provides comfort and support for persons desiring or who need to sleep in a lateral or side-sleep position. The positional pillow of the present invention comprises, generally, an elongate back support including a resiliently flexible insert disposed within a cushioning wrap, and an L-shaped pillow. The L-shaped pillow includes a head section having a first end extending perpendicularly from one end of the elongate back support, and an elongate body section extending perpendicularly from a second end of the head section generally parallel to the elongate back support. The elongate back support and the L-shaped pillow are associated within a unitary cotton liner.

Preferably, the L-shaped pillow is substantially filled with a 60%-40% polyester cluster fiber material/60%-40% polyester down alternative material, and most preferably a 50% polyester cluster fiber material/50% polyester down alternative material.

The resiliently flexible insert within the elongate back support comprises a polyurethane foam block disposed within a dual layer wrap of a low-melt fiber material, such as a polyester fiber.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:

FIG. 1 is an environmental perspective view of a positional pillow embodying the present invention and shown in use;

FIG. 2 is a front and top perspective view of the positional pillow of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a rear and top perspective view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the positional pillow of the present invention, showing, with dashed lines, the relative positioning of the elongated back support, on the one hand, and the L-shaped pillow portion, on the other;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the lines 6-6 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective and partially sectional view of the positional pillow of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the present invention is directed to a positional pillow generally identified by the reference number 10. The positional pillow 10 offers an alternative support option for those who are trying to maintain the lateral or side-sleep position during sleep as a means for preventing Obstructional Sleep Apnea or OSA.

For those diagnosed with sleep apnea, nightly use of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is a most effective treatment. The positional pillow 10 of the present invention is not a cure for sleep apnea or a replacement for CPAP therapy. However, the positional pillow 10 of the present invention does make the use of CPAP equipment much more comfortable and increases of the likelihood that CPAP patients will use the required equipment over longer periods of time.

Generally speaking, the positional pillow 10 of the present invention is a lower case “n”-shaped two component body pillow which differs from other body pillows in its dual cushioning design. Opposite sides of the positional pillow 10 are stuffed differently. It combines the comfort of an L-shaped side sleeper pillow 12 with the support of an elongate back support portion 14. The positional pillow 10 is intended for use for those suffering from positional sleep apnea, untreated sleep apnea, excessive snoring, tossing and turning, restless sleepers, and virtually anyone who wants to adopt the good sleeping hygiene habit of sleeping on one's side.

More particularly, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, the elongate back support 14 includes a resiliently flexible foam block insert 16 which is disposed within a cushioning wrap 18. The L-shaped pillow 12 includes a head section 20 having a first end 22 extending perpendicularly from one end of the elongated back support, and an elongate body section 24 extending perpendicularly from a second end 26 of a head section generally parallel to the elongate back support 14.

All of the foregoing structure, namely the elongate back support 14 and the L-shaped pillow 12, are associated within a unitary liner 28.

The L-shaped pillow 12 is substantially filled with a 60%-40% polyester cluster fiber material and a 60%-40% polyester down alternative material 30. Most preferably, the L-shaped pillow 12 is substantially filled with a 50% polyester cluster fiber/50% polyester down alternative material 30.

The foam block insert 16 disposed within the elongate back support 14 comprises a polyurethane foam block disposed within a dual layer wrap 18. Preferably, the dual layer (cushioning) wrap 18 comprises a low melt fiber such as a polyester fiber mesh.

In use, the positional pillow 10 is typically placed within a typical cotton pillow case 32 which may be occasionally removed and washed, and replaced as necessary or desirable

The positional pillow 10 is typically placed on a bed with the head section 20 disposed where the sleepers head will normally be positioned. The sleeper then lies down in the lateral or side-sleep position inside the pillow with the elongate back support 14 to the sleeper's back. With the sleeper's head on top of the head section 20, the sleeper may adjust the elongate body section 24 for comfort. If the sleeper wants to switch sides, it is very simple just to flip the positional pillow 10 over. When properly used, the two-sided support minimizes tossing and turning and prevents the sleeper from falling into the supine position.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the positional pillow 10 of the present invention provides a soft support to encourage one to sleep in the lateral or side-sleep position in a manner which may be utilized with or without CPAP machines and other sleep aids.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A positional pillow, comprising:

an elongate back support including a resiliently flexible insert disposed within a cushioning wrap; and

an L-shaped pillow including a head section having a first end extending perpendicularly from one end of the elongate back support, and an elongate body section extending perpendicularly from a second end of the head section generally parallel to the elongate back support.

2. The positional pillow of claim 1, wherein the elongate back support and the L-shaped pillow are associated within a unitary liner.

3. The positional pillow of claim 1, wherein the L-shaped pillow is substantially filled with 60%-40% polyester cluster fiber material and 60%-40% polyester down alternative material.

4. The positional pillow of claim 3, wherein the L-shaped pillow is substantially filled with a 50% polyester cluster fiber/50% polyester down alternative material.

5. The positional pillow of claim 1, wherein the resiliently flexible insert comprises a polyurethane foam block.

6. The positional pillow of either claim 1 or 5, wherein the cushioning wrap comprises at least a dual layer wrap.

7. The positional pillow of either claim 1 or 5, wherein the cushioning wrap comprises a low-melt fiber.

8. The positional pillow of claim 7, wherein the low-melt fiber comprises a polyester fiber.

9. A positional pillow, comprising:

an elongate back support including a resiliently flexible foam block insert disposed within a cushioning wrap;

an L-shaped pillow including a head section having a first end extending perpendicularly from one end of the elongate back support, and an elongate body section extending perpendicularly from a second end of the head section generally parallel to the elongate back support;

the L-shaped pillow being substantially filled with a polyester cluster fiber/polyester down alternative material;

wherein the elongate back support and the L-shaped pillow are associated within a unitary liner.

10. The positional pillow of claim 9, wherein the cushioning wrap comprises at least a dual layer wrap of a low-melt fiber.