GB2212391A

GB2212391A - Pillows

Info

Publication number: GB2212391A
Application number: GB8824725A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Alistair Wattie; Joanna Mackenzie Wattie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-11-21
Filing date: 1988-10-21
Publication date: 1989-07-26
Anticipated expiration: 2008-10-21
Also published as: GB8824725D0; GB2212391B; GB8727334D0

Abstract

A pillow has an uppermost surface (16) the whole of which is smooth, and a lowermost surface in which is formed a recess (17), front and rear rolls (23, 24) of the pillow being of oval or part-circular section and side rolls (25, 26) being of part-circular section. In one embodiment a concave groove (27) is formed in the lowermost surface, and reliefs may also be formed therein. The pillows can be a one piece moulding of latex material or can be made up of a top part adhesively secured on a flat upper surface of a base part. Also disclosed is an underpillow having a top surface for reception, in use, of a conventional top pillow. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO PILLOWS This invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to pillows, particularly pillows formed of deformable moulded rubber or plastics material, and has as its object the provision of a pillow in a convenient and effective form. As used herein, the word 'pillow' includes analogous items, such as cushions.

According to the present invention there is provided a pillow having a first surface, which is intended to be uppermost, in use, and directly or indirectly to support a user's head, and a second surface which is intended to be lowermost, in use, the whole of said uppermost surface being smooth, and the second surface having a recess therein, so that, in use, the first surface can deform when a user's head is directly or indirectly received thereon.

Preferably a single main recess is provided in said second surface and disposed substantially centrally thereof.

Desirably front and rear portions of the pillow are of oval cross-section, and conveniently these are of different sizes so that the first surface of the pillow slopes from the front to the rear thereof or vice versa.

Advantageously at least a front surface of the pillow is concave, both to allow room for the user's shoulders and to allow arcuate movement of the user's head and neck.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a pillow of the invention, Figures 2 to 4 are cross-sections on the lines 2-2, 3-3 and 4-4 respectively of Figure 1, Figures 5 to 7 respectively are a top plan view, a front view and a side view of a base part of a two-piece pillow constructed according to a second embodiment of the invention, Figures 8 to 10 respectively are a front view, a rear view and a side view of the two part pillow, Figure 11 is a fragmentary view of the underside of the two-piece pillow, Figures 12 to 14 respectively are an underside view, a front view and a side view of an alternative form of the base part of a two-piece pillow, Figure 15 is an underneath plan view of a pillow constructed according to a further embodiment of the invention, Figures 16 and 17 are a side view and a front view respectively of the pillow of Figure 15, and Figures 18 to 20 are sectional views on the line 18-18 of Figure 17 and the lines 19-19 and 20-20 of Figure 16 respectively.

As can be seen from Figure 1, a pillow of the invention is generally rectangular in plan having straight shorter sides 10, 11 and longer sides 12, 13. Each longer side has a concave front edge surface, thereby providing a shallow bight 14 between flanking portions 15 of the pillow. As will be explained, the pillow can be used with either of the sides 12, 13 as the front of the pillow. The concave curving of the sides 12, 13 allows room for a user's shoulders and also allows for some flexion or extension movement of the neck, as occurs normally during sleep, to take place without displacing the relative position of the pillow and the sleeper's neck which rests on the central area of the pillow. The flanking tends to prevent a sleeper's head rolling off the pillow.

An upper surface 16 of the pillow is smooth, and has no recess or the like to accommodate a user's head, as is often the case with known contoured pillows for alleviating or preventing discomfort from neck or spine disorders.

The underneath or lower surface of the pillow, which, in use, is normally received on a mattress or the like, is formed with a recess 17 (shown in dashed lines in Figure 1) disposed substantially centrally of the pillow. The purpose of the recess is to provide a contoured under surface which allows the upper surface 16 to assume, in use, an ideal configuration for maximum support of a user's head and neck. The recess has longer convex sides 18, 19, disposed longitudinally of the pillow, and shorter convex sides 20, 21 disposed transversely of the pillow. At the four corners of the recess, adjacent sides thereof extend into the flanking portions 15 and are connected by concave surfaces 22. The curved nature of the sides 20, 21 provides respective buttress portions at opposite sides of the pillow.

From Figures 2 and 3 it can be seen that front and rear rolls 23, 24 of the pillow are of ovoid shape, whilst respective side rolls 25, 26 of the pillow are generally part-circular. In this illustrated example of the invention, the roll 24 is of smaller diameter than the roll 23, so that as shown in Figure 3 the smooth upper surface 16 slopes from the roll 23 to the roll 24. The pillow can thus be used with either the roll 23 or the roll 24 at the front, as preferred. The single pillow can thus be used by people of differing anatomical dimensions or varying support requirements.

Figures 2 and 3 also show the provision of a continuous concave-shaped groove 27 in the pillow lower surface, at the junction of the recess 17 with the rolls 23 to 26. This groove is necessary to enable the desired oval shape of the rolls 23, 24 to be achieved and maintained under the weight of a user's head and neck.

The special design configuration of the surfaces 22 at the outer ends of the rolls 23, 24 provides support for the head and the neck at extremes of flexion and extension, preventing overstretching of muscles, tendons and ligaments and also preventing the head rolling off the pillow at either side thereof.

Whichever way round the pillow is used, the roll which constitutes the rear roll provides support for the head and neck with a cradling effect when the pillow is deformed by the weight of the head. The rear roll could be either larger or smaller than the front roll depending which one is being slept on.

The pillow is made in one piece and of latex material, normally by the 'pinhole' method of moulding and is of a size, approximately 68cms x 46cms, matching that of conventional pillows. For the cross-section shown in Figure 3, its maximum depth is approximately 20cms at the front and 17cms at the rear. The recess is preferably produced in the moulding process, but it could alternatively be formed by cutting out material from the lower surface of the moulded item.

Various alternative shapes of the pillow of the invention are possible. For example more than one recess could be provided beneath the central, head supporting upper surface of the pillow. The front and rear rolls could have the same diameters to produce a non-sloping, or slightly convex upper surface of the pillow. Vertical tubular holes could be moulded into the lower surface to reduce material density. The plan view of the pillow could be truly rectangular. The rear part of the pillow need not be a roll, but could be merely a rectangular 'leg' to provide the support required to keep the recessed under surface off the surface of the mattress on which the pillow is being used. In fact it is considered possible for the front part of the pillow to be other than a roll also.

The pillow of the invention thus has a contoured under-surface to allow the smooth upper surface to compress and deform under the weight of a user's head and neck, thereby providing correct anatomical support during resting and sleeping for both the head and neck to prevent over-flexion and over-extension of the head and neck (when the user is sleeping on the side), and over-rotation of the head and neck during sleep (when the user is sleeping flat on the back).

In a second embodiment of the invention, the pillow is made of two parts adhered together, a base part 28, shown in Figures 5 to 7, being moulded in latex material of a density greater than that of the latex material in which a top part 29 is moulded. The base part 28 is thus firmer than the top part and to 'soften' it relief holes, not shown in Figures 5 to 10, are provided. Alternative patterns and forms of such relief holes are shown in Figure 11 and Figures 12 to 14 respectively. Instead of latex material, the base part could be moulded using polyurethane foam.

The base part 28 is generally rectangular in plan having shorter sides 30, 31 and longer sides 32, 33.

The longer side 32 is intended to be a front side, in use, and this side has a concave front edge surface to provide a shallow bight 34 between flanking portions 35. An upper surface 36 of the base part is flat.

The lower surface of the base part is formed with a recess 37 (shown in dashed lines in Figure 5) having a longer straight side 38, parallel to the side 33, and a longer convex side 39. The sides 38, 39 extend longitudinally of the part 28, whilst shorter generally convex sides 40, 41 extend transversely thereof. At the four corners of the recess adjacent sides thereof are joined by concave surfaces 42, the sides 39, 40 and 39, 41 respectively extending into the flanking portions 35. Buttress portions are defined between the sides 30, 40 and 31, 41 respectively.

Front and rear rolls 43, 44 respectively of the base part are of generally ovoid or part-circular shape, although an inner surface of the front roll is angled inwardly and upwardly in forming the side 39 of the recess. As can be seen from Figure 6 the front roll is cut away at either side of a central part thereof. At its shorter sides, the part 28 has its undersurface sloping upwardly from rear to front. As with the pillow of Figures 1 to 4, the part 28 has a concave-shaped groove 45 in its lower surface at the junction of the recess with the rolls 43, 44.

The top part 29 is adhered to the surface 36 and completely wraps around the front of the base part 28, being adhered to the undersurface of the front roll.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10 the top part also partly wraps around the sides of the part 28. Any suitable adhesive can be used to secure the two parts together.

The part 29 has an upper surface 46, which is smooth, being slightly convex longitudinally of the pillow and sloping from front to rear transversely of the pillow.

The completed two-piece pillow is not dissimilar to the one-piece pillow of Figures 1 to 4, in having a smooth upper surface and a recess in its lower surface.

Figure 11 shows a first pattern and form of relief holes provided in the underside of the base part 28 to 'soften' it. The holes are moulded in the base during production. The shape and arrangement of holes could vary depending on the material density and whether latex material or polyurethane foam is used. The arrangement and shapes of the holes must allow for the required depth of pillow and the 'give' required for comfort in conjunction with the top part.

Along a shorter side of the part 28 are provided two rows of circular-section holes 47, with the depths of the holes increasing from the front to the rear of the part 28. The largest diameter holes, with maximum depth, continue regularly in the rear roll 44. In the front roll 43 are holes 48 each having a pair of parallel sides joined by curved ends, the lengths of the longer sides increasing away from the side 31 of part 28. If required there can be a raised ridge 49 extending centrally longitudinally across the recess 37, the ridge having a row of circular holes 50 therein. If necessary each of the circular holes can have a conical closed end.

Figures 12 to 14 show an alternative arrangement of relief holes in the base part 28, the holes again being produced during the moulding of the part and varying, as mentioned above, depending on the material density and on the material used. The holes are also for the same purpose and subject to the same requirements. Generally, relief holes for a base part of polyurethane foam would be larger than for one made of latex material.

In the rear roll 44 are a series of downwardly open holes 51 of oval or ellipsoidal shape, these continuing around the shorter sides of the recess 37 but decreasing in size, as shown, as they extend to the flanking portions 35. The cross-section of the holes 51 in a vertical plane can be seen from Figure 14.

The front roll 43 is formed with a number of recesses 52, which as well as being open downwardly are open laterally inwardly, so as to communicate with the recess 37. Between the recesses are thus formed webs or ribs 53.

Further relief holes 54, similar to but smaller than the holes 51, are formed as a row in the groove 45 adjacent the side 38 of the recess 37.

Figures 15 to 20 show a pillow 55 constructed in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, the pillow 55 being however less deep than the pillows previously herein described and being intended for use as an underpillow to allow use of a full thickness top pillow of a user's own choice, i.e. foam, feather or man-made fibre filled. Thus instead of the user's head resting directly on the top surface of the pillow, as is the case with the pillows of Figures 1 to 14, the top surface of the underpillow indirectly receives a user's head and indirectly supports it. The pillow 55 is produced by moulding latex, but is harder than the pillow of Figures 1 to 4.

The pillow 55 is of generally rectangular shape in plan, having shorter straight sides 56, 57, a straight rear side 58 and a front side 59 providing a concave front edge surface defining a bight 60. The top surface 61 of the pillow 55 is smooth and although shown as flat, it could be slightly convex.

The lower surface of the pillow is formed with a recess 62 having facing, convexly curved longer front and rear sides 63, 64 respectively and shorter convexly curved sides 65, 66. Mid-way along the sides 65, 66 are very sharply curved to define respective peaks 67, 68 well inward of the respective adjacent pillow sides 56, 57.

The respective areas thus defined between the pillow sides 56, 57 and the peaks 67, 68 form buttresses 69, 70. The sides 65, 66 join the sides 63, 64 at concave surfaces 71. The top surface 72 of the recess is slightly concave.

The pillow has front and rear rolls 73, 74 respectively and also side rolls of generally ovoid shape, i.e.

slightly flattened upper and lower surfaces. The front roll 73 has a pair of longitudinally spaced apart narrow concave recesses 75 extending therethrough from the surface 59 to the surface 63, the recesses being symmetrically spaced at opposite sides of a centre line of the pillow and lying parallel to the sides 56, 57.

An aligned, identical pair of narrow recesses 76 similarly extend through the rear roll from surface 58 to surface 64. Further narrow, concave recesses 77, 78 extend from pillow side 56 to recess side 65 and from pillow side 57 to recess side 66 respectively, the recesses being parallel to pillow side 58 and disposed in the bottom surface of the pillow at respective positions centrally of the buttresses 69, 70.

In use, with a top pillow on the top surface 61 of the underpillow a user's head and neck acts through the top pillow to deform the top surface 61 of the underpillow.

Each buttress 69, 70 both slopes and tapers from side to side and front to rear and this provides support to the user's head and neck together with the front (rear) roll, and prevents the head and neck slipping off the pillow in extreme arcuate positions.

The recesses 75, 76, 77 and 78 allow the required 'give' when the head and neck are towards the ends of the pillow to increase comfort and to provide lateral support.

This underpillow has an improved roll shape to provide greater support and comfort, and when a user's head and neck is in flexion or extension it provides improved support and comfort as a result of the shaped buttresses and recesses. This avoids any tendency to 'oversupport', i.e. support too firmly, the head and neck and thus raise their level in an arcuate i.e.

flexed or extended position.

If required, a top part 29 could be adhesively secured to the top surface 61 of the pillow 55 to form a two-piece pillow similar to those of Figures 8 to 14, but which is shallower. The composite pillow would then be intended for use as a top pillow and not an underpillow.

With all the embodiments, the recess in the lowermost surface allows the necessary deformation of the uppermost surface to take place either directly or indirectly. The reliefs allow the base part of a two-piece pillow to 'soften' sufficiently to allow for the required deformation.

The provision of a continuous upper surface, for example flat or slightly convex, with a recessed undersurface is important for improved user comfort, as well as for improved support compared to placing the head and neck directly on to a contoured surface as with various prior art pillows. In practical terms, sleeping with the head and neck directly on any contoured surface, however compliant the material used, is less comfortable, particularly for all night use, compared to a smooth surface.

Ideal support is given by a curved roll to support the neck and fit the slope of the neck onto the shoulders.

It is best that the roll does not support the neck directly, but instead through a layer of material above it. Whilst one roll, e.g. the front roll, supports the neck, a further roll, e.g. the rear roll can be provided to support the back of the head.

The flank areas - buttresses and recesses - provide support and comfort to the neck and head in arcuate, i.e. flexed or extended, positions thereof, to prevent the head rolling off an end of the pillow. However this support and comfort is achieved without raising the level of the head and neck relative to the surface of the bed and relative to the height of the head and neck when resting on a central part of the front/rear roll. If the head and neck are in a relatively raised position when flexed or extended, then muscle and ligament strain will result as, even during sleep, the user tries to maintain the position of the head and neck as it were at the 'top of a slope'. During sleep it is desirable that the head and neck be allowed to take up arcuate positions relative to the shoulders, and that these positions should be correctly supported. The lateral recesses which comprise the front/rear roll, flank portion and sloping buttresses provide this support. Depending on the material used, it may be necessary to mould in relief contours i.e.

the recesses 75 to 78.

As previously mentioned, the main function of the relief holes or webs is to 'soften' the material, the number used depending on the nature of the material. The laterally open, 'web' pattern appears to produce the best softening/support results, for the front/rear rolls.

Claims

1. A pillow having a first surface, which is intended to be uppermost, in use, and directly or indirectly to support a user's head and a second surface which is intended to be lowermost, in use, the whole of said uppermost surface being smooth, and the second surface having a recess therein, so that, in use, the first surface can deform when a user's head is directly or indirectly received thereon.

2. A pillow as claimed in claim 1, wherein a single main recess is provided in said second surface.

3. A pillow as claimed in claim 2, wherein said single main recess is bounded by opposite longitudinal sides connected by shorter transverse sides.

4. A pillow as claimed in claim 3, wherein the shorter sides are convexly curved.

5. A pillow as claimed in claim 4, wherein the longer sides are convexly curved.

6. A pillow as claimed in claim 5, wherein the longer and shorter sides are joined at the corners of the recess by respective concave surfaces.

7. A pillow as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein a continuous groove is formed in said second surface adjacent the longer and shorter sides.

8. A pillow as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 7, which is rectangular or substantially rectangular in plan.

9. A pillow as claimed in claim 8, comprising front and rear parts defining said longitudinal sides respectively, at least one of said front and rear parts being in the form of a roll.

10. A pillow as claimed in claim 9, wherein one of said front and rear parts is a rectangular leg.

11. A pillow as claimed in claim 9, wherein both parts are rolls.

12. A pillow as claimed in claim 11, wherein said rolls are of oval cross-section.

13. A pillow as claimed in claim 12, wherein the rolls have different diameters, said first surface sloping from the larger diameter roll to the smaller.

14. A pillow as claimed in claim 13, wherein said first surface is flat.

15. A pillow as claimed in claim 12, wherein the rolls are of equal diameters, said first surface being non-sloping.

16. A pillow as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 15, wherein side parts defining the respective shorter transverse sides are in the form of rolls.

17. A pillow as claimed in claim 16, wherein said rolls forming the side parts are of circular cross-section.

18. A pillow as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17, which is moulded in latex material.

19. A pillow as claimed in claim 18, wherein vertical tubular holes are moulded in the second surface.

20. A pillow as claimed in any of claims 8 to 19, wherein at least one of the longer sides of said rectangular shape is concave.

21. A pillow as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, which is made up of two parts secured together, namely a top part providing said smooth first, uppermost surface and a base part providing said recess in said second surface.

22. A pillow as claimed in claim 21, wherein the two parts are of materials with different densities respectively.

23. A pillow as claimed in claim 22, wherein the material of the base part has a higher density than the material of the top part.

24. A pillow as claimed in any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein the base part is rectangular or substantially rectangular in plan, having at its longer sides front and rear rolls.

25. A pillow as claimed in claim 24, wherein an inner surface of the front roll which defines a surface of the recess slopes upwardly and inwardly from the front roll.

26. A pillow as claimed in claim 25, wherein said surface of the recess is convexly curved and the other longer surface of the recess, defined by an inner surface of the rear roll, is straight.

27. A pillow as claimed in claim 26, wherein the longer surfaces of the recess are joined by respective curved side surfaces, which are shaped to define respective buttress portions at the sides of the pillow between the recess and the respective exterior shorter sides of the base part.

28. A pillow as claimed in any one of claims 24 to 27, wherein the front roll is of reduced depth at either side of a central full-depth portion thereof.

29. A pillow as claimed in any one of claims 24 to 28, wherein respective under surfaces at the sides of the base part slope upwardly from the rear roll to the front roll.

30. A pillow as claimed in any one of claims 21 to 29, wherein said base part has a flat top surface.

31. A pillow as claimed in any one of claims 24 to 30, wherein said top part is adhered to a top surface of said base part and wraps around the front of the base part and partly wraps around the sides of the base part.

32. A pillow as claimed in claim 31, wherein said top part provides a front roll having a larger diameter than said rear roll of the base part, so that said uppermost first surface slopes from said larger front roll to said rear roll.

33. A pillow as claimed in any one of claims 21 to 32, wherein said second surface is formed with a plurality of reliefs.

34. A pillow as claimed in claim 33, wherein reliefs are provided in the unrecessed part of the second surface.

35. A pillow as claimed in claim 34, wherein reliefs are also provided in the recessed part of the second surface.

36. A pillow as claimed in claim 33 or 34, wherein some of said reliefs communicate with said recess to provide webs between the reliefs.

37. A pillow as claimed in any one of claims 21 to 24, wherein the longitudinal and transverse sides of the recess are convexly curved, buttress areas being formed between said transverse sides and respective shorter exterior sides of the base part.

38. A pillow as claimed in claim 37, wherein respective open ended further recesses extend below said buttresses to communicate said recess with the exterior sides of the base part.

39. A pillow as claimed in claim 37 or claim 38, wherein at least one respective open ended further recess also extends from said recess to at least one of the longer exterior sides of the base part.

40. A pillow as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the longitudinal and transverse sides of the recess are convexly curved, and respective buttress areas are formed between the transverse sides of the recess and shorter exterior sides of the pillow respectively.

41. A pillow as claimed in claim 40, wherein the recess in said second surface is in communication with longer and/or said shorter exterior sides of the pillow by means of further recesses.

42. A pillow as claimed in claim 41, wherein respective aligned further recesses extend below the buttress areas.

43. A pillow as claimed in claim 42, wherein respective further recesses extend between the recess and said longer exterior sides, to which sides they are parallel.

44. A pillow as claimed in any one of claims 41 to 43, wherein the further recesses are of concave cross-section.

45. A pillow as claimed in any one of claims 40 to 44, comprising front and rear rolls.

46. A pillow as claimed in claim 45, wherein the roll diameters are equal to provide a non-sloping uppermost, first surface.

47. A pillow substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 4, or Figures 8 to 10, or Figures 8 to 10 as modified by Figure 11, or Figures 8 to 10 as modified by Figures 12 to 14, or Figures 15 to 20 of the accompanying drawings.