TWO-IN-ONE PILLOW

Abstract

A pillow including at least an inner assembly having a first sealed material-filled pocket juxtaposed with a second sealed material-filled pocket, the sealed pockets directly joined to one another and defining a chamber, the chamber containing an inner bag of shredded material, and the inner assembly enclosed within an outer sleeve.

Description

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This application claims priority to and benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/647,195 filed on Mar. 23, 2018, and to the U.S. Design Application No. 29/641,650 filed on Mar. 23, 2018, the entire content of each of which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a pillow for supporting the body or head of a reclining or sitting person, or patient.

BACKGROUND

Support systems, such as pillows, are generally one size fits all and do not fit the body confirmation of all users. For example, the proper angle of a pillow for the head and neck of one user is not appropriate for the head and neck of another user. Further, the compressibility, height and slope of a typical pillow is problematic because it is not adjustable and the fit for a particular user is unknown until after purchase by the user.

The pillow described herein is advantageous over prior art pillows by addressing the above problems as well as providing the comfort features of a hypoallergenic, anti-microbial, dust-mite resistant, and breathable pillow, and the added feature that materials used to manufacture the pillow are naturally derived materials from renewable resources.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the invention is directed to a support system such as a pillow to support the body or head of a reclining or sitting person or a patient in need of support of at least a portion of the body.

In one embodiment of the invention, the pillow comprises an inner assembly having at least two sealed pockets, a first sealed pocket containing a filler material and enclosed by seams, and a second sealed pocket containing a filler material and enclosed by seams. The first sealed pocket is juxtaposed with and directly coupled to the second sealed pocket along a portion of the seams of the first sealed pocket and the second sealed pocket. The filler material for the first sealed pocket and the second filled pocket is the same or different, for example, but without limitation, the sealed pocket filler material is selected from polyester fiber, such as, micro-denier polyester fiber, polyurethane fiber, latex fiber, viscoelastic polyurethane foam, and combinations thereof. In one embodiment of the invention, the pocket filler material is shredded.

The sealed pockets are directly coupled together along a portion of one or more of each of their seams. When the sealed pockets are directly coupled together, a chamber is formed between the sealed pockets. The chamber is open along a portion of the seams that are not coupled and is closeable with a chamber closing member, e.g., and without limitation, a closing member is a zipper. The chamber terminates at an end opposite to the open closeable end and is sealed, i.e. closed.

The chamber of the inner assembly encloses an inner bag, which is an inner pillow containing an inner bag filler material, for example, but not limited to shredded latex, for example, shredded talalay latex. The lining of the inner bag is typically a knitted polyester fabric. The inner bag is secured in the inner chamber for increased breathability and comfort by the closing member, such as a zipper, at the closeable end of the chamber.

The pillow, according to the invention, has advantages over prior art pillows. For example, the inner bag is an inner pillow which is removable from the chamber. This two-in-one (2 in 1) pillow arrangement can be reshaped by removing the inner bag from the chamber, or removing, reshaping and reinserting the inner bag into the chamber to adjust height and shape of the pillow so as to conform to the shape of the user's head and neck. Additionally, by directly coupling the first and second pockets together along at least a portion of their seams, assembly and manufacture of the pillow does not require an attachment piece to join the two pockets together thereby easing the assembly and manufacture of the pillow.

An outer sleeve surrounds the inner assembly, and is sized and shaped to enclose the inner assembly. The outer sleeve comprises a material, for example, but not limited to, a cotton fabric, for example organic cotton including a Coper satin welt, alternatively, one or more materials such as silk, cotton, satin, microfiber, bamboo, rayon, polyester, polyurethane, polyester, or combinations thereof.

The outer sleeve includes a closed end and a closeable open end, the open end closeable by a closing member, for example, but not limited to a zipper, at least one hook and eye, or one or more snaps, buttons, fabric ties, laces, hook-and-loop fasteners, hook-and-pile fasteners, and touch fasteners. Alternatively, the outer sleeve may overlap itself at one end providing a finished look to the outer sleeve. The sides of the outer sleeve are optionally gusseted for added support.

In another aspect, the invention is directed to a method of making the pillow described above. The method according to the invention includes providing a first sealed pocket having one or more seams containing a filler material and a second sealed pocket having one or more seams containing the same or a different filler material.

The second sealed pocket is juxtaposed with the first sealed pocket and the first and second sealed pockets are directly coupled together along at least a portion of the one or more seams of the first and second sealed pocket thereby forming a chamber between the first sealed pocket and the second sealed pocket. The chamber terminates and is sealed at one end and has an opening at the chamber opposite end. A bag containing a filler material is introduced into the chamber that is formed by the directly coupled pockets.

The inner assembly is enclosed by an outer sleeve which, optionally is gusseted along its sides.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a pillow according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a longitudinal section of the closed inner assembly of the pillow illustrated in FIG. 1 at 2-2 according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates an open end view of the open inner assembly of the pillow illustrated in FIG. 1 according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a transverse section of the pillow illustrated in FIG. 1 at 4-4 according to one embodiment of the invention;

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is of the best contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention.

Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features.

In general, the invention is directed to a pillow, such as a pillow to support the body or head of a reclining or sitting person or a patient in need of support of a portion of the body, or the whole body.

Aspects of the present invention generally provide a rectangular, soft, substantially compressible pillow typically greater in length than in width.

In general, the invention described herein is a pillow, typically polygonal, for example, rectangular, but may be of any size and shape suitable for the purpose of the pillow.

The pillow has an inner assembly comprising two sealed pockets juxtaposed to one another and directly coupled together along at least a portion of their seams. Each of the sealed pockets contain a resilient pocket filler material that expands the pockets so that the pockets are compressible without compressing completely to provide support for a portion or whole of the body of a person. The pockets, when assembled together, define a chamber which encloses a bag or inner pillow containing a filler material.

An outer sleeve encloses the inner assembly and is optionally gusseted.

In one aspect of the invention, referring to FIG. 1, the pillow 8 in one embodiment is substantially rectangular, however other pillow shapes are also contemplated by the invention. An optional outer sleeve 22, of the pillow 8, encloses an inner assembly 10.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, in one embodiment of the invention, the inner assembly 10 has a sealed end 16 and an end 24 optionally closeable that is opposite to the sealed end 16.

With continued referenced to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, in one embodiment of the invention, the inner assembly 10 includes at least a first pocket 20a and a second pocket 20b. Each of the first pocket 20a and second pocket 20b are enclosed and sealed by seams along all sides such as sides 12a and 12b, respectively, and along their end sides 14a and 14b, respectively. Each of the sealed pockets 20a and 20b contain a fiber-fill, for example, but not limited to polyester fiber, such as, hypoallergenic micro-denier polyester fiber, polyurethane fiber, latex fiber, viscoelastic polyurethane foam, and combinations thereof. Micro-denier polyester fiber is preferable because it contains micro-air-pockets for increased air flow and breathability of the pillow.

The first pocket 20a is directly coupled to the second pocket 20b along at least a portion of each of their seams. For example, in one embodiment, side seams of the first pocket 20a and side seams of second pocket 20b are directly coupled, illustrated, for example, as 11a and 11b in FIGS. 3 and 4, and end seam 14a of the first pocket 20a and end seam 14b of the second pocket 20b are directly coupled at sealed end 16 shown in FIG. 2. Directly coupling the seam of one pocket to the seam of the other pocket advantageously aids in the ease of assembly and manufacture of the pillow by eliminating the need to insert an attachment piece between the first and second pockets to join them together to form the chamber.

At open end 24, end seams 14a and 14b of sealed pocket 20a and sealed pocket 20b, respectively, may be coupled by a chamber closing member 40, such as, for example but not limited to, hook and eye, zipper, snaps, buttons, fabric ties, laces, hook-and-loop fasteners, hook-and-pile fasteners and touch fasteners. Accordingly, uncoupling the closing member 40 permits access to chamber 26 formed by the juxtaposition of the first pocket 20a and second pocket 20b via open end 24.

Referring to FIG. 2, the chamber 26 extends from open end 24 to sealed end 16 where the chamber 26 terminates.

Referring to FIG. 4, in transverse section, the chamber 26 is lined by the inner portions 18a, 18b, of first pocket 20a and second pocket 20b, respectively.

With reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, an inner bag 28 is enclosed but free in the chamber 26. The inner bag 28 is manufactured from a fabric, for example, but not limited to a polyester fabric, a knitted polyester fabric, silk fabric, cotton fabric, microfiber, bamboo, rayon, polyurethane, and combinations thereof. The inner bag 28 encloses a shredded material, for example, but not limited to, shredded latex, shredded foam, viscoelastic polyurethane foam, in particular, shredded talalay latex.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, the inner assembly 10 is enclosed within an outer sleeve 22. The outer sleeve 22 is closed at end 36 and is closeable at end 34 by a sleeve closing member 38, for example, but not limited to, hook and eye, zipper, snaps, buttons, fabric ties, laces, hook-and-loop fasteners, hook-and-pile fasteners, touch fasteners, or the sleeve 22 may overlap itself at one end providing a finished look to the sleeve 22. The outer sleeve 22 is sized and shaped to enclose the inner assembly 10 and is optionally gusseted along its sides.

The outer sleeve 22 in one embodiment is manufactured from a cotton fabric, for example organic cotton including a Coper satin welt, alternatively, one or more materials such as silk, cotton, satin, microfiber, bamboo, rayon, polyester, polyurethane, polyester, or combinations thereof.

Various embodiments are described in this specification with reference to the details discussed above, the drawings, and the claims. Specific details of the pillow are described to provide context and understanding of the embodiments. In certain instances, well known or conventional details are not described in order to provide a concise description of the invention. The figures are not to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show the details of some elements. Specific functional and structural features described herein are not to be interpreted as limiting but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for one skilled in the art to employ the embodiments.

Various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in suitable combinations. Although features described above may be described as acting in certain combinations, and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can, in some cases, be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a sub-combination or a variation of a sub-combination.

Claims

1. A pillow comprising;

an inner assembly comprising,

a first sealed pocket enclosed by seams and containing a first filler material;

a second sealed pocket enclosed by seams and containing a second filler material, the second sealed pocket juxtaposed with the first sealed pocket;

at least a portion of the seams of the first sealed pocket coupled directly to at least a portion of the seams of the second sealed pocket, the direct seam coupling forming a chamber between the first sealed pocket and the second sealed pocket; and,

an inner bag enclosed within the chamber, the inner bag containing a third filler material.

2. The pillow of claim 1 further comprising an outer sleeve enclosing the inner assembly.

3. The pillow of claim 1, wherein the chamber comprises an open end closeable by a closing member.

4. The pillow of claim 3, wherein the closing member is selected from the group consisting of a zipper, snaps, buttons, fabric ties, laces, hook-and-loop fasteners, hook-and-pile fasteners and touch fasteners.

5. The pillow of claim 1, wherein the first and second sealed pocket filler materials are the same.

6. The pillow of claim 1, wherein the inner bag third filler material comprises shredded latex.

7. The pillow of claim 6 wherein the inner bag filler material comprises talalay latex.

8. A method for manufacturing a pillow, comprising:

providing a first sealed pocket comprising one or more seams, the first sealed pocket containing a first filler material, and a second sealed pocket comprising one or more seams, the second sealed pocket containing a second filler material;

juxtaposing the second sealed pocket with the first sealed pocket;

directly coupling at least a portion of the one or more seams of the first sealed pocket with at least a portion of the one or more seams of the second sealed pocket;

forming a chamber between the first sealed pocket and the second sealed pocket, the chamber closed at one end and open at another end;

introducing a bag containing a third filler material into the chamber formed by the coupled pockets.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the inner bag containing a third filler material is introduced through the chamber opening.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising providing an outer sleeve.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising enclosing the inner assembly in the outer sleeve.

12. The method of claim 8 providing a closing member for closing the opening of the chamber.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the closing member is selected from the group consisting of a zipper, snaps, buttons, fabric ties, laces, hook-and-loop fasteners, hook-and-pile fasteners and touch fasteners.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the filler material of the first sealed pocket and the second sealed pocket comprises polyester fiber.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the filler material of the first sealed pocket is different than the filler material of the second sealed pocket.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein the filler material of the inner bag comprises shredded latex.

17. The method of claim 8 wherein the filler material of the inner bag comprises shredded talalay latex.