CA2249773A1

CA2249773A1 - Traveller's pillow

Info

Publication number: CA2249773A1
Application number: CA002249773A
Authority: CA
Inventors: David Randolph Hine
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-11-12
Filing date: 1998-10-07
Publication date: 1999-05-12
Also published as: GB9821433D0; GB2331238A9; GB2331238A; GB2331238B; GB9723755D0

Abstract

There is disclosed a traveller's pillow having an upper side cover, and a lower side cover. The lower side cover has a material which forms a barrier to prevent dust and other airborne particles from entering the core.

Description

. CA 02249773 1998-10-07 TRAVELLER'S PILLOW
This invention relates to a traveller's pillow, suitable for use to reassure travellers concerning the hygiene of hotel and other bedding, and protect against infection from such sources as pillows in hotel bedrooms.
It has been observed that people who travel frequently using hotels and boarding houses for overnight stays have a high incidence of colds and non-specific respiratory infections. Despite the general practice of regularly laundering pillow cases, the pillow cores themselves are often found to be unhygienic or unsavoury, at least in appearance or smell. Quite apart from the objective risks of infection or infestation due to latent bacteria or viruses, headlice or eggs, etc arising from the fact that such pillows are used frequently by hundreds of strangers in the course of a few months, the possibilities are distressing to fastidious people.
An object of the invention is accordingly to provide a traveller's pillow which will enable a traveller to either dispense with or cover a hotel etc pillow so that he or she can be assured of the hygiene or absence of risk of extraneous infection or infestation.
According to the invention, a traveller's pillow comprises a resilient core, an upper side cover, and a lower side cover of a breathable material which nevertheless forms a barrier to prevent dust mites, bacteria and other airborne particles from entering the core.

The resilient core is preferably of a material which tends to return to its previous shape and thickness after having been subjected to pressure or distortion. The material is preferably a stable fibre preformed non-woven batt of uniform thickness. Other materials such as down or foamed plastics (e.g. polyurethane) may however be used. The fibres of the core may for example be polyester.
The core is preferably from 25-75mm in thickness when relaxed or not subject to compression or other distortion, and capable of being folded or rolled for storage in e.g. a suitcase or travel bag. A flap with a hook and pile type fastener, such as VELCRO (Registered Trade Mark) may be provided at one end to hold the pillow in the rolled state.
The upper side cover may be any conventional fabric used for pillows, including natural fibres such as cotton, or synthetic yarns or fibres such as polyester. The upperside cover will be fully breathable, but is preferably 1 5 down-proof.
The lowerside cover may be a semi-permeable microporous polypropylene which is breathable to avoid internal build up of condensation, or may be a proprietary breathable fabric such as GORETEX
(Registered Trade Mark). The lower side cover is preferably capable of being wiped clean.
The traveller's pillow of the invention may be used over, or in place of, the pillow provided by the hotel or guest house, and may after use be rolled up, to reduce its volume for packing.
A preferred embodiment of traveller's pillow according to the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the 5 accompanying drawings, wherein:-Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view a traveller's pillow according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the pillow of Fig 1 being used over a hotel or guest house pillow; and Fig. 3 is a view of the pillow compressed and rolled and partially inserted in a sleeve for packaging.
A traveller's pillow 9 according to the invention is shown diagrammatically, and not to scale in Fig. 1. The pillow comprises a preformed fibrous batt core 10 of uniform thickness, a top side cover 1 1 15 and a bottom side cover 12, which are joined along a stitched and/or welded seam 13. The batt core 10, because of its uniform thickness, can be conveniently rolled up after use.
The fibrous batt 10 comprises loose, thermally bonded, or felted fibres of a suitable synthetic or natural fibre or blend of fibres such as 20 polyester. The top cover layer 11 is of woven cotton, and the bottom cover layer 12 is of a semi-permeable microporous polypropylene which breathes to release condensation but which is impervious to dust mites and bacteria which might pass into the pillow.
In alternative embodiments, the core 10 may comprise a foamed plastics material such as polyurethane, or natural down, or flocked fibres.
5 The top cover layer 11 maybe of polyester woven fabric, or a cotton/synthetic fibre blend. The bottom cover layer 12 may be a breathable micro-porous polypropylene. The main desired characteristics of the bottom cover layer 12 are that the layer 12 should be sufficiently breathable to prevent condensation in the pillow core, provide a barrier to dust and other particles, and be wipeable after use. At one end of the pillow, a flap 16 is provided, with a Velcro (Trade Mark) strip 17 for ~ engaging with a complementary strip 18 on the underside of the pillow when rolled up (see Fig. 3).
Fig. 2 illustrates the pillow 11 in use, laid upon a host pillow 14 provided by a hotel or guest house. The pillow 11 provides a barrier between the user of the pillow, and any contamination of the host pillow 14. These contaminants may include skin flakes and scurf, body fluids such as sweat, vomit, mucus and saliva, and fluids arising from incontinence and sexual activity as well as hair lice and hair louse eggs. Any or all of the 20 above may be present when a bed has had multiple previous occupants, and are difficult to remove completely from e.g. foam pillow cores even if pillow ' CA 02249773 1998-10-07 slips are regularly laundered.
Fig. 3 shows the pillow rolled up and compressed for insertion into a plastics sleeve 15 for packing for travel, the pillow being fastened in the rolled up position by the flap 16 and engaging Velcro strips 17, 18.
Alternatively the pillow of the invention may be laid flat in a case, and compressed from say ~5-76mm thickness to 5-20mm thickness.
The advantages offered by the pillow of the invention include the reassurance that the user sleeps on his own pillow every night, and reduces the risk of contamination by latent or active viruses, bacteria, louse eggs, allergens or other sources of infection or infestation. The pillow can be made from a wide range of materials, be light in weight, and readily compressible for packing for transit.

Claims

1. A travellers pillow, comprising a resilient core, an upper side cover, and a lower side cover, said lower side cover comprising a material which forms a barrier to prevent dust and other airborne particles from entering said core.

2. A pillow according to Claim 1 wherein said core comprises a material which tends to return to its previous shape and thickness after having been subjected to pressure or distortion.

3. A pillow according to Claim 2 wherein said core comprises a preformed staple fibre non-woven butt of uniform thickness.

4. A pillow according to Claim 1 wherein the upper side cover comprises a woven fabric which is fully breathable and is down-proof.

5. A pillow according to Claim 1 wherein the lower side cover comprises a semi-permeable micro-porous polypropylene fabric, which is breathable and is capable of being wiped clean.

6. A pillow according to Claim 1 wherein said upper side cover and said lower side cover comprise different materials.

7. A pillow according to Claim 1, wherein a flap is provided at one end of the pillow, said flap having fastening means, for retaining the pillow in a rolled-up condition.

8. A traveller's pillow comprising a preformed butt core of uniform thickness and comprising a fibrous material, a lower side cover of a breathable semi-pervious material which forms a barrier to dust and other particles, and an upper side cover of a woven air pervious material.

9. A pillow according to Claim 8, wherein the pillow can be rolled up and has a flap at one end provided with hook and pile fasteners for retention when rolled-up, for insertion into a carrying sleeve.