VENTILATED BOLSTER
A bolster for supporting an object. The bolster has a frame. A blower is mounted on the frame and configured to blow air through the bolster. A fabric cover includes air-permeable fabric stretched over and secured to the frame to provide cushiony support for the object. The fabric defines a support surface and a bolster interior and is positioned on the frame such that blown air from the blower flows through the bolster interior and passes through the fabric adjacent the support surface to provide ventilation.
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This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/153,319, entitled VENTILATED BOLSTER, which was filed on Apr. 27, 2015, and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIELDThe present disclosure generally relates to ventilated bolsters and more specifically to a fabric-over-frame pillow with fans that direct air through a hollow interior.
BACKGROUNDBolsters such as pillows and other cushiony supports provide comfortable support surfaces for parts of the human body or other objects. Oftentimes, when bolsters support an object that generates heat, such as a human head or neck, a lack of temperature control can cause uncomfortable overheating of the support surface. Or even without such overheating, it is often desirable to provide localized cooling to the head and neck in warm conditions. Attempts have been made to use ventilation to provide cooling to pillows and other types of bolsters. However, conventional ventilated pillows and bolsters are either overly costly, ineffective, or both. Accordingly, an improved ventilated bolster is desired.
SUMMARYIn one aspect, a bolster for supporting an object comprises a frame. A blower is mounted on the frame and configured to blow air through the bolster. A fabric cover comprises air-permeable fabric stretched over and secured to the frame to provide cushiony support for the object. The fabric defines a support surface and a bolster interior and is positioned on the frame such that blown air from the blower flows through the bolster interior and passes through the fabric adjacent the support surface to provide ventilation.
Other aspects and features of the bolster will be apparent and/or pointed out hereinafter.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONReferring to the drawings, a ventilated pillow for supporting the head or neck of a human user is generally indicated at reference number 110. The pillow 110 includes a frame, generally indicated at reference numeral 112. A pair of fans 114 (each, broadly, a “blower”) are mounted on the frame 112 to blow air through the pillow 110. A fabric cover, generally indicated at reference number 116, stretches over the frame to provide a support surface for supporting the head and/or neck of a user. As will be apparent, the stretched fabric 116 provides a cushiony support surface, and the fans 116 blow air through the fabric to cool the fabric and any object supported on the support surface (e.g., the head or neck of a user). It will be understood that, although the illustrated pillow 110 is intended for use as a head or neck support, other types of bolsters and cushiony supports may also be constructed and used as described below without departing from the scope of the invention.
Referring to
Each fan housing 122 includes an outer air intake grate 130, a generally square fan box 132, and a somewhat arched fabric securement member 134. The fan box 132 includes generally square-shaped side walls 136 that extend along the longitudinal axis L1 between the air intake grate 130 and an air outlet plate 138. The air outlet plate 138 has a large circular opening 140 in substantial alignment with the blade of the fan 114. Each of the base frame member mounting fixtures 124 are mounted on lower corners of the fan box 132. The air intake grate 130 is mounted on an outer end of the fan box 130 and includes a plurality of air inlet openings. In use, each fan 114 draws air through the respective air intake grate 130 and delivers the air through the opening 140 in the air outlet plate 138. The fabric securement member 134 is mounted on an upper portion of the air intake grate 130. In the illustrated embodiment, an outwardly facing surface of the fabric securement member 134 is generally flush with an upper edge of the air intake grate 130. The fabric securement member 134 is generally arch-shaped and extends inward along the longitudinal axis L1 from the respective air intake grate 130. Each fabric securement member 134 includes a pair of side leg portions 142. Lower portions of the side leg portions 142 extend generally along a vertical axis. A top portion 144 of each fabric securement member 134 extends generally along the lateral axis L2 between the two leg portions 142 of the fabric securement member. The top portion 144 of the fabric securement member 134 connects the two leg portions 142.
As shown in
Referring to
Opposite end margins 156 of the fabric cover 116 are also secured to the end frame members 122. In particular, a portion of each end margin 156 stretches over a respective one of the fabric securement members 134. In the illustrated embodiment, the ends of the fabric cover 116 stop short of the air intake grates 130 such that no portion of the end margins 156 extends over the vertically oriented outwardly facing surface of the grates. In certain embodiments, the tension in the fabric cover 116 between the longitudinal edges thereof is sufficient to pull the end margins 156 tight against the outwardly facing surface of the fabric securement member 134 and thereby secure the fabric to the fabric securement members. In other embodiments, supplemental attachments (e.g., zip ties, adhesives, mechanical fasteners, etc.) secure the end margins 156 to the fabric securement members to ensure the fabric cover 116 does not slide off the fabric securement members in use. In these embodiments, it may be preferable for the attachments that hold the end margins 156 against the fabric securement members 134 to impart a tension on the fabric cover 116 between the ends thereof (e.g., generally parallel to the longitudinal axis L1′ of the cover). Preferably the fabric cover 116 is stretched against the fabric securement members 134 so that the end margins of 156 engage the top portion 144 and both opposite leg portions of the fabric securement members. The securement members 134 shape a support surface 160 of the fabric to have a top portion that gently curves toward opposite side portions.
When the fabric cover 116 is secured to the frame 112 as shown in
The fans 114 are mounted adjacent the longitudinal ends of the frame 112 to blow air through the interior 162 of the pillow 110 in opposing directions. As shown in
In use, a user positions the pillow 110 on an underlying support surface. The bottom edges of the air intake grates 130 support the pillow so that the support surface 160 faces upward. A user activates a switch 172 that is operative to power on both fans 114. Air flows through the pillow interior 162 and further through the central sheet 150 of the fabric cover 116 to ventilate the support surface 160. A user rests his or her head or neck on the support surface 160, and the air moving through the central sheet 150 provides cooling to the head or neck. The user can actuate the switch 170 to switch off the fans 114 if cooling is no longer desired.
Having described the invention in detail, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.
As various changes could be made in the above constructions and methods without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
Claims
1. A bolster for supporting an object comprising:
- a frame;
- a blower mounted on the frame and configured to blow air through the bolster; and
- a fabric cover comprising air-permeable fabric stretched over and secured to the frame to provide cushiony support for the object, the fabric defining a support surface and a bolster interior and being positioned on the frame such that blown air from the blower flows through the bolster interior and passes through the fabric adjacent the support surface to provide ventilation.
2. A bolster as set forth in claim 1 wherein the frame comprises a base and first and second end frame members secured to the base adjacent opposite longitudinal ends of the bolster.
3. A bolster as set forth in claim 2 wherein each of the first and second end frame members comprises first and second leg portions and a top portion connecting the first and second leg portions opposite the base.
4. A bolster as set forth in claim 3 wherein the cover comprises first and second end margins, the first end margin being secured to the first end frame member along the first leg, top, and second leg portions thereof and the second end margin being secured to the second end frame member along the first leg, top, and second leg portions thereof.
5. A bolster as set forth in claim 4 wherein a length of the cover extending between the first and second end margins thereof is stretched along a longitudinal axis of the cover between the first and second end frame members.
6. A bolster as set forth in claim 3 wherein the base comprises first and second base frame members, the first base frame member extending between the first and second end frame members adjacent the respective first leg portions thereof and the second base frame member extending between the first and second frame members adjacent the respective second leg portions thereof.
7. A bolster as set forth in claim 6 wherein the cover comprises first and second longitudinal edge margins, the first longitudinal edge margin being secured to the first base frame member and the second longitudinal edge margin being secured to the first longitudinal end margin.
8. A bolster as set forth in claim 7 wherein a width of the cover extending between the first and second end margins thereof is stretched along a lateral axis of the cover when the cover is secured to the frame.
9. A bolster as set forth in claim 2 wherein the blower comprises a first fan mounted on the base adjacent the first end frame member.
10. A bolster as set forth in claim 9 wherein the bolster further comprises a second fan mounted on the base adjacent the second end frame member.
11. A bolster as set forth in claim 10 wherein each of the first and second fans comprises an air intake grate defining at least a portion of a respective one of the opposite longitudinal ends of the bolster.
12. A bolster as set forth in claim 1 wherein the frame is substantially rigid.
13. A bolster as set forth in claim 1 wherein a first portion of the cover comprises open mesh.
14. A bolster as set forth in claim 13 wherein said first portion of the cover defines the support surface.
15. A bolster as set forth in claim 14 wherein a second portion of the cover comprises non-porous fabric.
16. A bolster as set forth in claim 15 wherein said second portion of the cover connects said first portion of the cover to the frame.
17. A bolster as set forth in claim 1 wherein the blower comprises a first fan mounted on the frame adjacent one longitudinal end of the bolster and the bolster further comprises a second fan mounted on the frame adjacent an opposite longitudinal end of the bolster.
18. A bolster as set forth in claim 17 wherein the first and second fans are configured and arranged to blow air through the bolster interior in generally opposing directions.
19. A bolster as set forth in claim 18 wherein the fabric extends generally along a longitudinal axis of the bolster and the first and second fans are configured and arranged to blow air through the bolster interior generally parallel to the longitudinal axis.
20. A bolster as set forth in claim 19 wherein blown air from the first blower and blown air from the second blower mix in a longitudinally central portion of the bolster interior to create turbulent air flow in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 27, 2016
Publication Date: Oct 27, 2016
Applicant: Traveling Breeze Leisure Products LLC (O'Fallon, MO)
Inventors: Charles Bowen (Dardenne Prairie, MO), Greg Squires (St. Peters, MO), David A. Kasprzyk (St. Charles, MO)
Application Number: 15/140,156