EP0680718A1

EP0680718A1 - Improved cervical pillow

Info

Publication number: EP0680718A1
Application number: EP94500145A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gabriel Nieto Pinet
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-05-06
Filing date: 1994-08-26
Publication date: 1995-11-08
Also published as: ES1027927Y; JO1859B1; IL110824A0; ES1027927U; MA23316A1

Abstract

This invention refers to an enhanced cervical pillow (1), formed by a soft and resilient element (2) such as polyurethane foam, duly coated by means of a soft and adequate material, with a general rectangular shape incorporating a central and longitudinal area (4) recessed with respect to the rounded segments (6,6',7,7') depicted around such central area (4). Such segments (6,6',7,7') have a curved concave outer edge (8), a longitudinal shape and different thicknesses.

The longitudinal central area (4) of the recess is edged by a closed line (5) joining both faces of the coating, thus determining a convex chamber filled with soft material (2'), such as padding, duvet, or similar; with the peculiarity that the area (4) determined by such convex chamber has a thickness much lower than that presented by the rounded segments (6,6',7,7') depicted perimetrically with respect to such central area (4).

Description

This invention refers to an improved cervical pillow, the obvious aim of which is to enable an adequate support for the head and neck of the user, especially as far as cervical vertebrae are concerned. The object of the invention is to provide an optimum rest, therefore constituting a therapeutical and relaxing item, both for those people without serious ailments and for those who suffer from cervical vertebrae.
There are many models of cervical pillows in the market and, especially, one of them presents a basically rectangular shape, with a central and longitudinal area joining both faces which determines two toroid-shaped segments at both ends, one of them thicker than the other one, and with rounded sides, so that the different thickness of the toroid-shaped sections enable to use one of them or the other as support, indistinctly, depending only on the kind of neck of the user, i.e., to achieve an optimal adaptation of the neck to the relevant toroid-shaped section.
The kind of pillow we are referring to is symmetrical at its both sides, thus enabling it to be used indistinctly.
Furthermore, the pillow is formed by a washable outer case, made of an adequate fabric, with a resilient filling material which recovers its usual shape once the pressure of the head or neck has ceased to be applied.
However, this kind of pillow, although it can be considered very efficient and with many more advantages than the remaining models of pillow existing nowadays in the market, presents the inconvenience of its central and longitudinal plainness derived from the joining of both sides of the case. Therefore, many users, due to the anatomic features of their head and neck do not feel themselves as comfortable as many other users.
Taking this disadvantage into consideration, the pillow described herein, and on the basis of the type and structure of the pillow referred to above, presents the peculiarity that the central and longitudinal area described above is not flat, but convex since it is only perimetrically joined at its sides, i.e., it determines a central hollow area filled with an adequate material and therefore, the central flat area of the above-mentioned pillow disappears. This enables a more comfortable use of the pillow, since the neck will rest on the relevant toroid-shaped segments at both sides of such central area and a certain area of the back part of the neck will also rest on the pillow, with the improved comfort it provides.
The central area will be filled with the adequate soft material, such as padding, duvet, polyurethane foam or similar.
In order to facilitate a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a detailed description follows, which is based on a series of drawings attached to this descriptive report as an integral part of it, where, in an illustrative but non limitative way, the following has been represented:

Figure 1 shows a front view of the pillow which is the object hereof.
Figure 2 shows an intermediate longitudinal section of the pillow, which corresponds to the plane defined as II-II in the previous figure.

1.- General structure of the pillow.
2 and 2' Filling material
3. Pillowcase
4. Central and longitudinal area
5. Closed line depicting the central area (4).
6 and 6'. Rounded or toric longitudinal segments
7 and 7'. Rounded lateral segments
8. Outer edge of segments (6) and (6'), (7) and (7').
9. Inner edge of segments (6) and (6')

e

Outside such central area (4) two toroid-shaped segments (6) and (6') are formed, of which segment 6 is thicker. i.e. broader or larger than segment (6'), so that the pillow can be equally used by individuals with different neck lengths or widths.
The sides (7) and (7') have also a rounded shape and present, as well as the longitudinal segments (6) and (6') a slightly convex outer edge (8), while the inner edge (9) is curved towards the inside part, its purpose being that the pillow and its different components serve as supporting means for the neck and the back of the neck of the user, providing him/her a suitable rest and with many therapeutical effects for many kinds of cervical ailments, headaches, etc.
As far as the dome shape of the central area (4) is concerned, it is smaller at both faces, than the outer upper point of the rounded segments (6) and (6').

Claims

Improved cervical pillow, formed by a soft and resilient element such as polyurethane foam, duly coated by means of a soft and adequate material, with a general rectangular shape incorporating a central and longitudinal area recessed with respect to the rounded segments depicted around such central area, such segments being longitudinal in shape and with different thicknesses. It is essentially characterized in that the longitudinal central area of the recess is edged by a closed line joining both faces of the coating, thus determining a convex chamber filled with soft material, such as padding, duvet, or similar; with the peculiarity that the area determined by such convex chamber has a thickness lower than that presented by the rounded segments depicted perimetrically with respect to such central area.