GB2534156B

GB2534156B - Pillow cover

Info

Publication number: GB2534156B
Application number: GB1500564.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Levin Avi
Original assignee: Travel Blue Ltd
Current assignee: Travel Blue Ltd
Priority date: 2015-01-14
Filing date: 2015-01-14
Publication date: 2019-07-24
Anticipated expiration: 2035-01-14
Also published as: CN104643757B; CN104643757A; CN204467619U; GB201500564D0; GB2534156A

Description

Pillow cover

The present invention relates to a pillow cover having a gel element in particular, but not exclusively, a removable travel pillow cover.

Travelling has become an increasingly more popular and/or necessary part of modern life. As a result, accessories to facilitate travel or make it more comfortable are also increasingly in demand. Travel pillows, in particular, are a popular product for travelling as they help travellers to sleep and/or rest during flights or any other form of travel.

There are a significant number of travel pillows available in the market. Typically, these are made from materials such as memory foam, micro beads, fibre and any other suitable materials. Inflatable pillows are also available. These pillows can be made in any shape; however, popular shapes include rectangular, cylindrical j-shaped and u-shaped pillows. Substantially u-shaped pillows are preferred by travellers who require lateral neck support. Some of the pillows available in the market are provided with pillow covers or protectors in an effort to increase comfort and make the product more hygienic.

The present invention seeks to provide a pillow cover or pillow case having a gel section.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a pillow cover arranged to receive a pillow in accordance with the features of Claim 1

In a preferred embodiment, the gel section is joined with the first material by stitching. This feature is advantageous because it allows the pillow cover or case to be constructed in a traditional, inexpensive and straight-forward manner.

In a further preferred embodiment the stitching goes through the first material, the film and the backing element. This feature allows the gel material to be protected at the edges and the shape of the gel section to be controlled when the gel section and the first material are assembled into an envelope.

In an alternative embodiment, the stitching goes through the first material, the film, the gel section and the backing element. This feature allows the gel material to be effectively encapsulated.

In a preferred embodiment, the film is made from thermoplastic material. In a further preferred embodiment, the thermoplastic material is thermoplastic polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride.

In the present invention, the gel section is made from a gel having higher thermal conductivity than the fabric to allow heat from a user to be conducted away from said user. This provides a user with a cooling sensation when in contact with the gel section.

In yet another embodiment, the gel section is generally planar and has elements which project outwardly from the plane of a main planar section. This feature is advantageous because the elements may be used to relieve pressure points on a user.

Advantageously, the pillow cover being washable and/or removable from the pillow. This allows the cover to remain hygienic.

In a preferred embodiment, the gel is made from a material selected from a group consisting of: a mixture of polyether polyol and isocyanate, hydroxyethyl cellulose, vinyl-coated silica gel, diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method in accordance with the features of Claim 10

In a preferred embodiment, the gel of step a) is formed by mixing liquid gel material directly onto a mould arranged on the heat press and lined with the thermoplastic film. The advantage of this feature is that the gel assembly is formed in one apparatus.

In an alternative embodiment, the gel of step a) is a pre-formed solid gel layer.

In a preferred embodiment the heat press comprises an indented plate to create an indented surface on the gel assembly. This feature allows projections to be formed on the gel assembly.

In a preferred embodiment, the fabric and gel assembly are joined by stitching. In a further preferred embodiment, the stitching goes through the fabric, the thermoplastic film and the backing material. In an alternative embodiment, the stitching goes through the fabric, the thermoplastic film, the gel layer and the backing material.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of a pillow cover according to a first embodiment of the present invention and a pillow insert;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the pillow cover encasing the pillow insert;

Figure 3 is a front view of the pillow cover and pillow insert of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a top view of a pillow cover according to a second embodiment of the present invention encasing a pillow insert;

Figure 5 is a front view of the pillow cover and pillow insert of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the pillow cover of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a diagrammatical representation of a first step of a method to manufacture a pillow cover according to the present invention;

Figure 8 is a diagrammatical representation of a second step of the method of

Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a diagrammatical representation of a third step of the method of Figure 7;

Figure 10 is a diagrammatical representation of a fourth step of the method of Figure 7;

Figure 11a is a diagrammatical representation of a first method of securing a gel assembly obtained by the method of Figures 7-10 to a piece of material to form a pillow cover;

Figure 11b is a diagrammatical representation a pillow cover obtained by the method of Figure 11a;

Figure 12a is a diagrammatical representation of a second method of securing a gel assembly obtained by the method of Figures 7-10 to a piece of materia! to form a pillow cover; and

Figure 12b is a diagrammatical representation a pillow cover obtained by the method of Figure 12a.

In the drawings, like parts are denoted by like reference numerals.

Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a pillow cover or pillow case 1 arranged to receive a piilow or piilow insert 20. The pillow insert 20 is made from any suitable material fabric or plastics material and may be filled with a material such as memory foam, fibres such as kapok, or feathers. In one form, the Insert 20 is a hollow inflatable bag. In this present embodiment, both the pillow cover 1 and insert 20 are generally u-shaped, that is, comprise two arms joined by a central portion, to provide a user with posterior and lateral neck support. The pillow cover or case is made from fabric 4 used to form an envelope which protects the piilow insert and comprises a zipped section 2 In the centra! portion to allow the pillow insert 20 to be removably inserted into the pillow cover 1. A gel section formed by a gel layer or a gel assembly 8 is provided on a face of the pillow cover 1. The gel assembly 6 is a generally u-shaped area mirroring the shape of the pillow cover and is arranged on a face of the piiiow cover 1 in such a way that both the relevant face of the u-shaped pillow cover 1 and the gel area 6 share internal edges, in other words, the u-shaped gel area 6 is superimposed on the u-shaped pillow cover surface so as to allow a user's neck to contact the gel area 8 when the piilow cover is placed around said user’s neck. The gel assembly 8 is protected by a film discussed in more detail below in relation to Figure 8.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, the gel assembly 8 in the present embodiment is made from a mixture of polyether polyol and isocyanate. The gel substance, when cooled, is such as to absorb much more heat from the user than, for example, water, in other words, the gel assembly has high thermal conductivity to allow heat to be conducted away form a user rapidly so that, in use, the gel assembly provides a cooling sensation to the user. Memory foam pillows inserts having a gel or cooling gel section are known. However, in use, these pillow inserts are covered by a protective cover which prevents the user from being in direct contact with the gel section. Accordingly, the gel section is often of little use. Further, gel sections are only used in conjunction with memory foam and not with other pillow filling materials. The cover of the present invention has the advantage of allowing a user to be in direct contact with the gel assembly and, in addition, can be used with any type of pillow insert such as micro bead, fibre filled or even air filled pillow inserts. Moreover, the pillow cover of the present Invention is also washable and therefore more hygienic than memory foam inserts having a gel section. in a second embodiment shown in Figures 4 to 6, the pillow cover is also made from fabric 4 and comprises a zipper 2 and a gel assembly 6. However, in this embodiment, the gel assembly 6 has two or more different layer thicknesses to form an indented surface including a main gel area 6 and protruding gel elements 8. Referring specifically to Figure 8, the gel assembly 8 including protruding gel elements 8 is sandwiched between a backing material 5, which in the present embodiment is polyester, and a thermoplastic polyurethane film 9. In other words, the gel assembly is generally planar and has sections which project outwardly from the plane of the main planar section. The gel assembly 7 is secured to the fabric 4 by any suitable means, such as stitching, to form a pillow cover 1.

Figures 7 to 10 show a method of constructing a gel assembly 6 suitable for the pillow cover of the present invention. As shown specifically in Figure 7, in a first step a thermoplastic polyurethane film 90 is placed over an indented mould which has indentations and/or protrusions and is arranged on a surface of a heat press 100. The mould is shaped and sized in accordance with the required gel assembly shape. As shown, the thermoplastic film 90 overhangs the mould and the heat press 100. A liquid mixture of poiyether polyol and isocyanate is then poured into the heated mould lined with the thermoplastic polyurethane film 90.

As shown in Figure 8, the heat press 100 has a two part construction comprising a first press part which has a substantially even contacting surface and a second part which has a contacting surface on which the mould Is arranged. In use, the contacting surfaces are brought into a cooperating arrangement to enable the gel mixture 60 and the thermoplastic polyurethane film 90 to be joined together inside the mould thereby creating a two-layered moulded gel having protruding elements formed by the indentations on the surface of the heat press 100. The two-layered moulded gel is surrounded by the overhanging portion of the film SO.

Figure 9 illustrates that once the gel layer and film are joined in the step depicted in Figure 8, the heat press 100 is opened by raising the first press part or lowering the second press part to enable the two-layered moulded gel to be accessible. A backing material 50 is then placed on the free surface of the moulded gel 60, i.e. opposite the surface having the thermoplastic polyurethane film 90. The backing materia! is placed on the gel surface while the gel surface is still warm to form a permanent bond between the gel 60 and the backing material 50. The resulting gel assembly 6 comprises a central gel layer 60 sandwiched between a thermoplastic polyurethane film 90 on one side and a backing material 50 on the opposite side. In this embodiment, the thermoplastic polyurethane film 90 and the backing materia! 50 project out of the heat press 100 to form an overhanging portion around the gel assembly 6.

Subsequently, as illustrated in Figure 10, the gel assembly 6 is removed from the heat press. The gel layer 60 in the gel assembly 6 is sized in accordance with the mould used in the heat press 100 while the overhanging portion formed by the film 90 and backing material 50 projects around the gel layer 60 effectively encapsulating it. This overhanging portion can be cut to size. In an alternative embodiment discussed in more detail below the overhanging portion may be removed to obtain a gel assembly having three layers in a generally uniform arrangement.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown) a suitable pre-formed gel layer may be provided Instead of the liquid gel. The pre-formed gel layer could be bound to a thermoplastic film by using a heat press. Subsequent steps of the method to obtain a gel assembly would be as described above in relation to Figures 9 and 10.

As depicted in Figures 11a-12b the gel assembly 6 and the fabric 4 are joined together by stitching the fabric 4 to the gei assembly 6. Referring now to Figure 11a there is shown a gel assembly 6 obtained by removing the two-layer overhanging portion formed by the thermoplastic film 90 and the backing material 50 shown in Figure 10 to obtain an assembly 6 having three layers substantially throughout. The gel assembly is arranged so that, in use, the thermoplastic film 90 is exposed to a user while the backing material 50 is in contact with the pillow insert or fabric 4, i.e. the backing material 50 is unexposed. As shown in Figure 11b, the gel assembly 6 is joined to fabric 4 by stitching. It should be noted that the stitching goes through the fabric 4 and all the layers of the gel assembly 6 including the gel layer 60. In other words, the stitching goes through the cover material, the TPU film, the gel layer 60 and the backing material as well as the fabric 4. Thus, the gel assembly 6 is protected at the stitched edges and its shape is controlled. A zipper may be added to the fabric portion once the pillow cover is assembled.

In an alternative embodiment shown in Figures 12a and 12b, the overhanging portion formed by the film 90 and backing material 50 is cut to size but not removed so that it projects around the gel layer 60. As in the previous embodiment, the gel assembly 6 is arranged so that, in use, the thermoplastic film 90 is exposed while the backing material 50 is in contact with the pillow insert or fabric 4. In this embodiment, the gel assembly 6 is joined to the fabric 4 by stitching the fabric 4 to the overhanging portion so that the gel layer 60 is effectively encapsulated. As seen in Figure 12b, the stitching perforates the fabric 4, the film 90 and the backing material 50 while the gel layer 60 remains intact.

It should be noted that although Figures 7 to 10 show a heat press comprising an indented surface to create protrusions on the gel assembly, both heat press plates may have even contacting surfaces to create a generally planar gel assembly.

Further, it should be apparent to a skilled person that the pillow cover need not be removable. Moreover, the fabric used to create the pillow cover or case may be provided as a substantially integral piece, a constructed case or simply as fabric cuttings to be joined to the gel assembly to create a pillow cover or case. In addition, the term fabric may cover any fibre capable of being woven into a suitable material, including synthetic fibres.

Although the fabric and gel assembly are easily joined by stitching, these elements may also be joined by any other suitable means such as, for example, by adhesion, stapling or using hook and loop strips.

It should be apparent to the skilled person that the gel layer could also be made from propylene glycol, hydroxyethyl cellulose, vinyl-coated silica gel, diethylene glycol or ethylene glycol. Further, the film layer could be polyvinyl chloride instead of thermoplastic polyurethane. Moreover, any suitable material could be used instead of polyester for the backing material; for example, polyester could be substituted with cotton, neoprene, elastane, nylon or any other synthetic or natural fibres depending, for example, on cost and/or fire rating restrictions.

Claims

1. A U-shaped pillow cover arranged to receive a pillow, the cover comprising an envelope made from a fabric of a first material and a gel assembly in such a way that both the relevant face of the pillow cover and the gel assembly share internal edges, which gel assembly comprises a gel layer covered by a film arranged to protect an exposed face of the gel assembly and backing material placed on an unexposed face of the assembly wherein, in use, the gel assembly is on an exposed surface of the pillow cover so as to contact the skin of a user, wherein the gel section is made from a gel having higher thermal conductivity than the fabric to allow heat from a user to be conducted away from said user.

2. A pillow cover according to Claim 1, wherein the gel assembly is joined with the first material by stitching.

3. A pillow cover according to Claim 2, wherein the stitching goes through the first material, the film and the backing element.

4. A pillow cover according to Claim 2, wherein the stitching goes through the first material, the film, the gel layer and the backing element.

5. A pillow cover according to any preceding Claim, wherein the film is made from thermoplastic material.

6. A pillow cover according to Claim 5, wherein the thermoplastic material is thermoplastic polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride.

7. A pillow cover according to any preceding Claim, wherein the gel assembly is generally planar and has elements which project outwardly from the plane of a main planar section.

8. A pillow cover according to any preceding Claim, the pillow cover being removable from a pillow.

9. A pillow cover according to any preceding Claim, wherein the gel layer is made from a material selected from a group consisting of: a mixture of polyether polyol and isocyanate, hydroxyethyl cellulose, vinyl-coated silica gel, diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.

10. A method of constructing a U-shaped pillow cover comprising the steps of: a) providing a gel and a thermoplastic film; b) covering the gel with the thermoplastic film; c) pressing the gel and the thermoplastic film with a heat press to form a gel layer and to join the film and the gel; d) opening the heat press; e) providing a backing material and placing the backing material on a free gel surface on an opposite face to the film while the free gel surface is warm to allow the backing material to bond with the gel to thereby form a gel assembly, wherein the film is arranged to protect an exposed face of the gel assembly and the backing material is placed on an unexposed face of the assembly; f) removing the gel assembly from the heat press; g) providing an envelope made from fabric; h) joining the envelope and the gel assembly to form a pillow cover in such a way that both the relevant face of the u-shaped pillow cover 1 and the gel area 6 share internal edges; wherein, in use, the gel assembly is on an exposed surface of the pillow cover so as to contact the skin of a user and the gel has a higher thermal conductivity than the fabric to allow heat from a user to be conducted away from said user.

11. A method of constructing a pillow cover according to Claim 10, wherein the gel of step a) is formed by mixing liquid gel material directly onto a mould arranged on the heat press and lined with the thermoplastic film.

12. A method of constructing a pillow cover according to Claim 10, wherein the gel of step a) is a pre-formed solid gel layer.

13. A method of constructing a pillow cover according to Claim 10, Claim 11 or Claim 12, wherein the heat press comprises an indented plate to create an indented surface on the gel assembly.

14. A method of constructing a pillow cover according to any one of Claims 10 to 13, wherein the fabric and gel assembly are joined by stitching.