AU691866B2

AU691866B2 - Improved body support

Info

Publication number: AU691866B2
Application number: AU14875/95A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Gary Munn; Stanley Puddifoot
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-03-16
Filing date: 1995-03-15
Publication date: 1998-05-28
Anticipated expiration: 2015-03-15
Also published as: AU1487595A

Description

44929 DP:MG P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: *STANLEY PUDDIFOOT Name of inventors: STANLEY PUDDIFOOT GARY MUNN Address for Service: COLLISON CO., 117 King William Street, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 Invention Title: IMPROVED BODY SUPPORT Details of Associated Provisional Applications: Application No. PM4467 dated 16th March 1994 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an improved body support. In particular the present invention relates to an improved pillow.

BACKGROUND ART During rest and sleep a body will typically move between numerous positions. More specifically, the head of a sleeper is likely to move frequently from one position to another.

S 1 The inventor of the present invention has observed the body supports, 1 0 such as mattresses and pillows, presently available are constructed in a manner which resists the movement of the body. It is further observed that horizontal movement across the mattress or pillow, and rotational movement in an axis aligned parallel to the plane of the mattress or pillow are particularly restricted. It is postulated that such resistance to 1 5 movement causes the sleeper to expend energy to overcome the resistance and move as required. It is further suggested that the expenditure of energy used to overcome the resistance is a possible cause of poor quality sleep or strains occurring after a period of sleep.

The present invention is therefore predicated on a recognition of the fact S 20 that there exists a need for a body support which both supports the body adequately where needed, and also facilitates the movement of the body as it occurs during a period of sleep.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Therefore, according to one aspect of the present invention there is 2 5 provided a support for use in supporting a person, at rest, the support comprising: a body of structured resilient material; the body of resilient material including a covering with a portion of the covering having a surface of reduced resistance to movement, the

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LUC0 .1 -1 3 portion of the covering being spaced inwardly from edges of the support, such that at an interface between a person resting on the support and the body of resilient material movement of the person resting on the support is restricted; the surface of the portion of the covering having reduced resistance to movement is arranged so as to be on an underside of the covering and not in direct contact with the person, resting on the support and is surrounded by a raised bolster extending to the edges of the 1 0 support, the po.-tion of the covering thereby being contained in a depression; and the covering having reduced resistance to movement comprising adjacent layers of smooth reduced friction material arranged so as to o allow interaction between the layers to further reduce the resistance to 1 5 movement over the surface, the lowermost Ihyer having a smooth low e° friction underside.

Thus, for example, the present invention may be constituted as a pillow in which a sleeper's head is able to move freely over the surface of the pillow in the regions of the covering, but is maintained in position on the 20 pillow by means of the periphery of the pillow having resistive surfaces, thereby preventing any undesirably excessive movement of the sleeper's head.

Preferably, the covering regions of reduced surface friction are separated from the periphery of the support by means of a raised bolster extending 2 5 around the covering. The specific size and shape of the bolster will be determined by the type of support envisaged. Thus in the example given above of a pillow, the bolster will be shaped with due regard to the overall dimensions of the head.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the covering is 3 0 characterised in that it includes a low friction surface fabric such as satin located close to an upper surface of the support. Moreover, it is preferred that in such embodiments there is more than one satin layer, the layers being disposed in such a manner so as to allow interaction between the 3a layers to further reduce the resistance to movement over the surface of the support.

In a preferred embodiment the layers of smooth reduced friction material are arranged such that there are adjacent layers of satin fabric arranged with opposing smooth surfaces, in particular, with opposing layers of satin fabric located on an upper surface of the body and an under surface of a cover fitted over the body. Where more than two layers of satin material are incorporated into the support it is preferable to use material having both faces formed with satin-like slippery surfaces.

It is convenient if the material forming the periphery of the support is S"formed of material having some elastic properties, for example material So: o o• S .o.

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o •i I ~r3 4 containing elastane as a component. Alternatively, the material of the periphery can be formed of traditional woven fabric, the fabric including therein one or more pleated sections to allow for expansion of the area without straining the fabric.

In an alternative embodiment, the support of the present invention may includes slip regions formed by slots formed in the body of the support, the slots being filled with air or other material having a reduced friction surface, for example liquids or gels. Such slots can also be filled with foamed material, providing such material has the necessary surface 1 0 properties, that is, a reduced resistance to movement over the surface.

Typically, the support would be formed of foamed material with slots formed of sections of foam of reduced density.

The slots formed in the support may extend partially or wholly through the support and may be formed in any orientation.

1 5 In a further form the present invention provides a support including a body of resilient material, the body being housed in a removable casing, the casing comprising one or more slip regions, the regions being characterised in that they are formed f or contain material having a reduced resistance to movement over the surface when compared with 20 the material forming the body of the support, the one or more slip regions :o being spaced from the edges of the body.

.oivo Thus the support of the present invention may be formed using a traditional support, such as a pillow and using a casing having one or more slip regions surrounded by non-slip regions. The present invention may therefore be constructed at a relatively low cost using av/ailable pillow bodies together with the casing described.

soots: a o11 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS pose The present invention will now be described, by way of the following non-limiting examples with reference to the following drawings in which: 30 FIG 1 illustrates in perspective view a support in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; _r I FIG 2 illustrates, schematically, and in cross-section, a support in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention showing in detail the construction of the support; FIG 3 illustrates in perspective view a third embodiment of a support in accordance with the present invention; and FIG 4 illustrates the support of FIG 3 in cross-section.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Shown in FIG 1 is a support in accordance with the present invention in the form of a pillow 10. The pillow 10 is being used by body 12 shown in FIG 1.

The axes 14,16 and 18 are used to indicate the potential movements of the head of the body 12 during a period of sleep. The axes 14,16 and 18 are arranged substantially at right angles to one another and indicate that the body 12 can effectively move in all directions.

In the illustration the support comprises a standard pillow body (not shown) 1 5 covered by a casing 19. Shown on the outer surface of the casing 19 is a '"centre or slip region 20 indicated generally on the pillow slip by the hatched centre portion, and outer peripheral region 22. The region 20 forms a surface covering which has an underside having a low friction surface. It is to be noted that the region 20 is spaced inwardly from edges of the support, such 2 0 that movement of a head on the pillow is restricted. It is to be further noted that the slip region, or low friction surface of the region 20 is on an underside of the covering.

FIG 2 illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention in cross section. The embodiment is in the form of a pillow support 23. The pillow 23 2 5 has a centre body 24 bounded by a cover 26. Attached to a surface designated to be an upper surface of the pillow is a further cover 28. The cover 28 is formed of a non-slip and in this case elastic material.

Attached to the under side of the upper cover 28 is a slippery non-elastic cloth panel 30. Similarly, attached to an outer upper surface of the pillow cover 26 3 0 is a further slippery non-elastic panel 32. For the convenience of illustration ,,the panels are shown in cross section in FIG 2 considerably enlarged and separ I so as to be clear. However, it should be understood that in use the panelo 32 would be touching. Moreover, the panels 30 and 32 are arranged with satin-like slippery faces opposing one another. To therefore reduce any frictional forces between the two surfaces. The panels 30, 32 are arranged so as to fall within the centre slip region 20 of the pillow 23 and are bounded by the outer periphery 22.

A further satin-like slippery non-elastic panel 34 is attached to an inner surface of the pillow cover 26. The panel 34 has a slippery satin-like face adjacent the pillow filling material and accordingly the frictional forces 1 0 between the filling and the pillow cover are minimised in the centre slip region of the pillow.

A surrounding and defining the centre slip region is a small cloth bolster The bolster 40 provides in use a depression in which the head of the body 12 would naturally rest. The bolster 40 also serves to reduce adhesion between S1 5 the slip layers and therefore reduce resistance to movement.

In use, the satin-like slippery non-elastic cloth panels 30, 32 and 34 are arranged so as to produce a slip region 20 in the centre of the pillow which effectively causes reduced frictional forces to the movement and rotation of the head in the axis 14, 16 and 18 shown in FIG 1.

20 An alternative arrangement of a support in accordance with the present °.***invention is shown in form of second embodiment of a pillow 50 illustrated in FIGS 3 and 4. In pillow 50 the pillow is comprised of a number of fused layers of foam or other supporting material 52. Cut into the layers are a number of slot regions 54. As shown in FIG 4 the slot regions 54 do not necessarily 2 5 extend through the depth of the pillow but may be offset.

.a°aa* Moreover, as illustrated in FIG 3 the slots can be arranged in a number of separate orientations including a circular orientation defining a central region in which a head may rest. As with the earlier embodiment the slip regions, formed in this case throughout the body of the pillow, rather than in a single 3 0 central location, are nevertheless still displaced from the edges of the pillow thereby ensuring that the head supported by the pillow 50 is not allowed to inadvertently roll of the pillow.

0 It should be noted that the examples described above are used for the purposes of illustration only and should not be regarded as being limiting of the present invention. The invention may be constituted by any of a number of embodiments. Any modifications and variations of the present invention which are apparent to the skilled addressee are deemed to be within scope of the invention.

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Claims

1. A support for use in supporting a person, at rest, the support comprising: a body of structured resilient material; the body of resilient material including a covering with a portion of the covering having a surface of reduced resistance to movement, the portion of the covering being spaced inwardly from edges of the support, such that at an interface between a person resting on the support and the 1 0 body of resilient material movement of the person resting on the support is restricted; the surface of the portion of the covering having reduced ,resistance to movement is arranged so as to be on an underside of the covering and not in direct contact with the person, resting on the support and is surrounded by a raised bolster extending to the edges of the :i support, the portion of the covering thereby being contained in a depression; and the covering having reduced resistance to movement comprising adjacent layers of smooth reduced friction material arranged so as to 20 allow interaction between the layers to further reduce the resistance tc movement over the surface, the lowermost layer having a smooth low friction underside.

2. A support according to claim 1, in which the body of resistant material is provided with an uppermost surface of smooth low friction material arranged so as to be coincident with a smooth low friction underside of the covering.

3. A support according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein an area of the support extending around the covering is formed of material having some elastic properties. 3 0 4. A support according to claim 3, wherein the material having elastic properties includes an elastane component. I I rs3

9. r II 9 A support according to claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 19th day of March 1998 STANLEY PUDDIFOOT By his Patent Attorneys, COLLISON CO. *0 e* eaoe 9 9 6 g C ~C -rl L--C~ I IICIIMI~ ABSTRACT A body support comprising a body of resilient material, the resilient material having associated therewith one or more slip regions, the regions being characterised in that they are formed of or contain material having a reduced resistance to movement over the surface when compared with the material forming the body of the support, the one or more slip regions being spaced from the edges of the body. so 0 o 0 0@ 0 o 0 ~i *eo• IL~ ~d I=b