JPWO2010067401A1 - pillow - Google Patents

Abstract

The height of the pillow when sleeping on its side and lying on its side changes automatically and reliably according to the sleeping posture, and no adjustment is required and it is stable. The urging device 4 provided in the cavity of the head mounting member 2 of the pillow 1 is slidably mounted on the upper end portion of the rear link 9 on the rear end side, and is rotatably connected to the front end portion of the upper link 10 on the front end side. The link mechanism 6 having the load supporting link 11 and the tension spring 15 that urges the load supporting link 11 to push upward are provided. When the person's head is not placed on the head-mounted member, the product of the sine of the forward inclination angle and the link length is more than twice as large as that of the front link 8 than that of the rear link 9, and the front of the rear link. When the front link 8 and the rear link 9 are tilted forward while the head is placed on the head mounting member 2 and the inclination angle to the head is less than 20 degrees and less than 20 degrees, the load supporting link 11 descends to the lowest level. The biasing force of the tension spring 15 is set so as to descend to the position.

Description

  The present invention relates to a pillow used as a bedding, and more particularly to a pillow that automatically changes in height when lying on its back and lying on its side.

  It is most natural and preferable that the posture of the person at sleep is a state in which the upright state is tilted as it is and turned upside down. At this time, the back head, which is the lowest position in the head, is slightly higher than the back. Therefore, it is desired that the pillow used as the bedding is set so that the position of the back of the head is slightly higher than the back when a person is sleeping on his / her back (hereinafter, referred to as lying on his / her back).

  On the other hand, when a person lays down during sleep and sleeps sideways (hereinafter, referred to as sideways sleep), the head is supported by the shoulder, so the position of the head is higher than when lying on the back. Therefore, it is desired that the pillow automatically changes in height depending on whether it is sleeping on its back or lying on its side.

  However, the conventional general pillow has been manufactured by setting an intermediate height corresponding to both sleeping postures on the assumption that the user sleeps while lying in a lying posture. As a result, it was too high when lying on its back and too low when lying on its side, which was not satisfactory. Also, soft pillows made of low-resilience urethane foam are commercially available, and a sufficiently low level can be obtained when lying on their back, but it is too low when lying on their side and does not serve as a pillow. In addition, pillows with a high height dedicated to sideways sleeping, which use a lot of short pipes and beads, are also commercially available, but they are too high when lying on the back and may cause damage to the neck.

  Accordingly, various pillows whose height automatically changes according to the sleeping posture have been proposed. Many of such pillows identify whether they are in a supine posture or a lateral posture, and change the height of the pillow according to the identification result. For example, in Patent Documents 1 to 3, a plurality of sensors that detect pressure and area are embedded in a mat and the like, and whether each sensor is in contact with the mat is a side part or a back part of the body. Judgment is made according to the contact area obtained from the detection result to identify the sleeping figure, and according to the sleeping figure, the amount of air in the bag in the pillow is adjusted using an electric compressor or the like, or the link member is attached using a motor. It is disclosed that the height of the pillow is changed by moving it up and down.

  However, in such a pillow, if the body is removed from a predetermined portion of the mat by turning over, the sleeping figure cannot be accurately identified, and a malfunction occurs. In addition, motor noise and vibration are generated and a power source is required, which is not preferable.

  In view of this, a pillow that automatically changes its height has been proposed by utilizing the fact that the load applied to the pillow differs between the supine posture and the lateral posture. For example, Patent Document 4 discloses a lower support plate, a head support plate that is arranged in a substantially parallel state with respect to the lower support plate and on which the head is placed, and a substantially parallel state that is provided on the lower support plate. A support plate support mechanism that supports the head support plate so that the head support plate can be moved up and down, and a cushion portion installed on the head support plate. The support plate support mechanism has its lower end pivoted to the lower support plate. A first support member and a second parallel member that are connected to each other and that have an upper end pivotably connected to the head support plate and extend obliquely from the lower support plate toward the head support plate. A pillow having a support member and a biasing means such as a coil spring that biases the first support member and the second support member through a head support plate against a load that tilts them in an inclined direction is disclosed. Yes.

In this pillow, when the head is placed on the cushion portion and sleeping in an upright posture, the first and second support members fall down against the urging force of the urging means due to the weight of the head, and the head support plate is at the lowest. Moves down to the position and minimizes the height. If the head is turned sideways and the head is supported by the shoulder and the load acting on the head support plate is reduced, the first and second support members are raised by the biasing force applied by the biasing means, and the head The pillow rises to a height at which the load and the urging force by the part are in a balanced state. And this pillow is provided with the adjustment means which adjusts the biasing force of a biasing means, and can adjust the height at the time of lying down sideways. Furthermore, this pillow is provided with a stopper mechanism in which the support member is locked at a predetermined inclination angle against the biasing force of the biasing means, and the height when not in use is uniform.
JP 2005-342457 A JP 2004-57505 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-340198 JP 2007-98153 A

  However, in the pillow disclosed in Patent Document 4, the height of the state in which the load by the head and the urging force of the urging means are balanced is the height when sleeping sideways. Therefore, in order to make the height when sleeping sideways appropriate for the user, it is necessary for each user to adjust the urging force of the urging means according to his / her physique, head weight, etc. There is a problem that such adjustment is difficult. Furthermore, since the height of the pillow changes due to slight fluctuations in the load due to the head at bedtime, there is a problem in that the height when sleeping sideways is not stable and the user feels fluffy.

  In view of the above points, the present invention provides a pillow that automatically and reliably changes its height in sleeping on its side and lying on its side in accordance with its sleeping shape, does not require adjustment, and has a stable height. For the purpose.

  In carrying out the invention, the inventor of the present invention first elucidated that the order of the body parts contacting the pillow and the position where the load is applied differ between the supine posture and the lateral posture. That is, when a person sleeps in a supine posture, in order to protect his important head, he instinctively bends his neck up and floats up while lifting his head. As a result, when a person sleeps in a supine posture, he / she comes into contact with the armpit or pillow in the order of the back, neck, and back of the head. On the other hand, when a person sleeps in a sideways posture, he or she comes into contact with the armpit or pillow in the order of the side arm, shoulder, and temporal region. As a result, when sleeping in a sideways posture, the temporal region first comes into contact with the pillow, so that the neck is lightly in contact with the pillow.

  Therefore, the load applied to the pillow when sleeping in a supine posture is greatest at the bottom of the neck at first, and then a part of the load moves below the back of the head, so that the bottom of the neck and the bottom of the back of the head are substantially equal. That is, when lying on the back, a load is first applied under the neck, and then the load is distributed under the head. On the other hand, the load applied to the pillow when sleeping in a sideways posture hardly concentrates under the neck and concentrates under the temporal region. That is, when lying on its side, the load concentrates only below the temporal region.

  In this way, since the difference in load position due to sleeping is clarified, the front part of the pillow under the neck descends with a light load, and the center part of the pillow under the head can withstand a larger load. It was clarified that the structure can be lowered smoothly when lying on its back and stably maintain its height when lying on its side.

  At this time, the greater the difference in load resistance between the cervix and the temporal region, the smoother the descent when lying on the back and the height maintenance when lying on the side are more reliable. It does not depend on the difference. Specifically, it is favorable if the load resistance of the rear portion of the pillow is twice or more larger than the load resistance of the front portion. If the load resistance of each part is such a load, when a person with a small body shape and light head weight sleeps in a supine posture, the person will fall down smoothly, and a person with a large body shape and heavy head weight will be in a sideways posture The height is reliably maintained when sleeping. In the parallelogram link disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 4, there is almost no difference in load resistance between the lower neck and the lower head, and the resistance is increased by the biasing force of the biasing means that biases the pillow upward. It is necessary to provide a load difference, and it is necessary to make a delicate adjustment for each user.

  Therefore, in order to achieve the above object, the pillow of the present invention has a flat, substantially rectangular parallelepiped head-mounted member formed of a flexible member having a cavity inside, and an upper portion of the cavity of the head-mounted member upward. A pillow having an urging device provided in a cavity so as to urge and support the urging device, and the cervical portion is located in a state where a human head is placed on a head-mounted member With the side as the front side and the side where the crown is located as the rear side, a lower link extending horizontally in the front-rear direction, a lower link pivotally connected to the front end of the lower link, and a front link inclined forward, The lower end of the side link is pivotally connected to the rear end of the side link. The rear link is inclined forward, the front end is turned to the upper end of the front link, and the rear end is turned to the middle of the rear link. The upper link connected movably and the rear end side are slidably mounted on the upper end of the rear link. A link mechanism including a load support link rotatably connected to a front end portion of the upper link, an urging means for urging the upper link and the load support link to be pushed upward, and a rearward movement of the rear link. In the state where the link length of the front link is longer than the link length of the rear link and no person's head is placed on the head-mounted member, the forward inclination angle sine and the link are provided. The product of the length is more than twice as large as the front link than the rear link, the forward inclination angle of the rear link is more than 0 degree and less than 20 degrees, and is urged by the urging means. By being supported by the upper end of the rear link, the load support link is positioned at the highest position, and the front link and the rear link fall forward while the person's head is placed on the head mounting member. The load support link is lowered to the lowest position. As, characterized in that the biasing force of the biasing means is set.

  According to the pillow of the present invention, the load support link is located at the highest position when the person's head is not placed on the head support member, and the head support member is also supported by the load support link and is highest. Located in position. When a person's head is placed on the head mounted member positioned at the highest position, the downward load due to the weight of the person's head is applied to the load support link of the urging mechanism via the head mounted member. The load support link tends to be displaced downward by this load. In order to displace the load support link downward, the front link and the rear link are caused to fall forward by the structure of the link mechanism, and the biasing means. It is necessary to resist the urging power of. Here, since the product of the forward sine angle sine and the link length is more than twice the front link than the rear link, the same downward load is applied to the upper ends of the rear link and the front link. The rotational moment that acts in the direction that causes the front link to fall forward is twice or more larger than the rotational moment that acts in the direction that causes the rear link to fall forward. Therefore, the difference occurs depending on the urging force of the urging means, the link length of each link, etc., but the load resistance of the rear part of the pillow (the load necessary for the load supporting link to start moving downward) Approximately twice or more larger than the load capacity. Therefore, the load supporting link is more easily displaced downward as the position of the load acting on the head-mounted member is lower, and the load supporting link is less likely to be displaced downward as it is the rear side.

  If the rear link is inclined vertically or rearwardly, the rear link is likely to fall back in the direction opposite to the direction in which the front link falls, and the link mechanism may be damaged. Therefore, the forward tilt angle of the rear link needs to exceed 0 degrees. On the other hand, if the front link is steeply inclined forward, it is not preferable because the front link falls forward only when a slight load is applied to the front portion of the head mounted member. Too long in the front-rear direction. In view of these, it is necessary to set the forward inclination angle of the front link within an appropriate range. For this purpose, the forward inclination angle of the rear link is preferably 20 degrees or less. Therefore, it is preferable that the rear link is in a substantially vertical state with a forward inclination angle of more than 0 degrees and less than 20 degrees and tilted forward.

  As described above, when sleeping in a sideways posture, the load concentrates below the temporal region, but below the temporal region is the center of the head-mounted member in the front-rear direction, and the front link and the rear link have the same upper end. A downward load is applied. Under the action of these loads, the front link tends to fall forward, but the rear link falls forward and tries to maintain a substantially vertical state. And since the front side link and the rear side link are connected via the upper side link, if the rear side link does not fall forward, the front side link will not fall forward. As a result, the front side link and the rear side link do not fall forward, and the load supporting link maintains the highest position. Therefore, the head-mounted member does not descend but only bends due to the weight of the head, and maintains the highest position. This position is stable without moving up and down even if the load acting on the head-mounted member from the head changes slightly.

  On the other hand, when sleeping in a supine position, the load concentrates under the neck at first, but the neck is on the front side of the head-mounted member, and a large downward load acts on the upper end of the front link. A substantial load does not act on the upper end of the. Due to the action of these loads, the front link tends to fall forward with a large force, and the rear link connected via the upper link tends to fall forward. As a result, the front link and the rear link fall forward, and the load support link descends accordingly. Once the load support link is lowered, it is automatically lowered to the lowest position against the urging force from the urging means. Therefore, the head mounted member descends to the lowest lowered position along with the load supporting member. This position is stable without moving up and down even if the load acting on the head-mounted member from the head changes slightly.

  Further, the urging means may be anything that generates an urging force that does not lower the load support link due to its own weight and does not hinder the descent of the load support link once started to decrease. Further, unlike the urging means in the pillow disclosed in Patent Document 4, the urging force does not adjust the height when lying on its side, so that the urging force generated may have some variation. . Therefore, the urging force management of the urging means is simplified and the manufacture of the pillow is facilitated.

  Further, since the rear link is provided with restricting means for restricting the rearward inclination, it is possible to prevent the link mechanism from being damaged by the front link falling forward and the rear link falling backward. .

  Moreover, in the state which does not put a person's head on a head mounting member, it is preferable that the upper surface of a load support link and a head mounting member inclines forward.

  In this case, when the head is placed on the pillow in a supine posture, it is further certain that the neck comes into contact with the pillow earlier than the back of the head. Therefore, the load supporting link is automatically and surely lowered to the lowest position when lying on its back.

  Further, the biasing means is a tension spring in which one end side is fixed to a portion extending forward from the rotating connection portion with the front link of the load support link, and the other end side is fixed in the vicinity of the rear end portion of the lower link. It is preferable that

  In this case, since one end side of the tension spring is fixed to the portion extending forward from the rotation connecting portion, the extended portion is lowered by the urging force of the tension spring, and the load connecting link is lowered. It acts to lift the rear part. When sleeping in a supine posture, the load behind the neck raises the rear part of the pivotal connecting portion, so the contact pressure between the load support link and the upper end of the rear link is reduced, and the load support The link becomes easier to slide and easier to descend.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the shock absorbing member is positioned between the front link, the rear link, and the lower link when the front link and the rear link fall forward.

  In this case, it is possible to suppress the impact and contact noise generated by the front link, the rear link, and the lower link coming into contact.

The external appearance perspective view of the pillow which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2. Partially broken top surface of pillow. The side view of the link mechanism at the time of the highest rise. The side view of the link mechanism at the time of the lowest fall. The schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the pillow at the time of lying on its back. The schematic cross-sectional view of a pillow when lying on its back. The schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the pillow at the time of lying down sideways. The schematic cross-sectional view of the pillow at the time of lying down sideways.

  A pillow according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the pillow 1 is disposed on the rear side of the head mounting member 2 having a flat, substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape formed from a flexible member having a cavity 2 a therein, and A lid member 3 covering the back of the cavity 2a of the head-mounted member 2; and a biasing device 4 provided in the cavity 2a so as to bias and support the upper portion 2b of the cavity 2a of the head-mounted member 2. ing. Here, in the state where the person's head is placed on the pillow 1, the side on which the top of the head is located is the rear side, and the side on which the person's neck is located is the front side. Further, the pillow 1 is covered with the outer covering cloth 5 in a state where the urging device 4 is disposed in the cavity 2 a and the lid member 3 is adhered to the rear end of the head mounting member 2.

  The head-mounted member 2 is formed of a flexible member, and here, is formed of a molded body made of low-resilience urethane foam. Low-resilience urethane foam has low repulsive force and excellent adaptability, and is therefore popular as a pillow material. However, the head mounted member 2 may be made of high resilience urethane foam. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the external appearance of the head-mounted member 2 is a flat, generally rectangular parallelepiped shape in which the shape in plan view is a substantially rectangular shape that is horizontally long in the left-right direction, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The upper surface is inclined forward, the lower front surface is inclined rearward, and the front upper corner is rounded with a large radius of curvature. In addition, the shape of the head-mounted member 2 should just be formed in the flat substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is not limited to the shape to show in figure, For example, elliptical view top view may be sufficient.

  The cavity 2a is formed with the rear opening. The head-mounted member 2 has a large number of air holes 2c communicating with the outside of the cavity 2a at the center of the upper portion 2b of the cavity 2a, thereby preventing heat from being accumulated in the cavity 2a. A three-dimensional knitted fabric 5a (see FIGS. 2 to 4) is disposed on the outer cover cloth 5 located above the vent hole 2c so that the vent from the vent hole 2c also acts on the portion where the vent hole 2c does not exist. I am letting. Furthermore, the vertical speed of the pillow 1 is made appropriate by the amount of air that is sucked and exhausted through the air holes 2c.

  When the person's head is placed on the pillow 1, the upper portion 2 b of the cavity 2 a of the head mounting member 2 is not less than a predetermined value so that the presence of the urging device 4 disposed in the cavity 2 a is not felt and a sense of incongruity is not felt. A thickness, for example, about 2 to 3 cm is required. However, if the overall height of the pillow 1 is too high, a sufficiently low level cannot be obtained when lying on its back, which is not preferable. Therefore, the head-mounted member 2 is formed such that the thickness of the lower portion 2d of the cavity 2a is thinner than the thickness of the upper portion 2b of the cavity 2a. The thickness of the lower portion 2d of the cavity 2a is preferably as thin as about 1 cm, for example. However, if the cavity 2a lower part 2d is made thin, sufficient strength cannot be obtained, and it is particularly easy to tear during molding. Therefore, by forming the head mounting member 2 by covering the outer periphery of the inner mold for the cavity 2a with the cloth 2e, the cloth 2e is attached to the entire inner surface of the cavity 2a to reinforce the head mounting member 2. In addition, by providing the cloth 2e, it is possible to prevent air leakage from the head mounting member 2 other than the vent hole 2c and excessive swelling and breakage of the cavity 2a.

  By the way, it is easier to fit the upper surface of the head-mounted member 2 of the pillow 1 with a curved surface that conforms to a concave-convex curve extending from the back of the neck of the person to the back of the head when lying on its back. On the other hand, when lying on its side, it is more suitable for the temporal region to be planar. Therefore, in order to solve these contradictions, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper surface of the head-mounted member 2 is made flat, and the upper portion 2b of the cavity 2a is turned upside down with an uneven curved surface extending from the back of the neck to the back of the head. It is formed to be a curved surface. Specifically, unevenness extending from the front side portion (hereinafter referred to as the upper lower surface front side portion) 2f to the central portion (hereinafter referred to as the upper lower surface center portion) 2g of the lower portion of the central portion in the left-right direction of the upper portion 2b of the cavity 2a of the head-mounted member 2 The shape is formed so that the back curve shape in a side view from the neck of the person to the back of the head is inverted upside down. That is, the upper lower surface front side portion 2f is thicker in accordance with the recessed shape of the cervical rear surface and the lower surface protrudes downward, and the upper lower surface central portion 2g is thinner in accordance with the protruding shape of the occipital region. The bottom surface is depressed. Thereby, when the urging device 4 becomes very thin when lying on its back and the cavity 2a substantially disappears (see FIG. 8), the upper surface of the pillow 1 has a shape that follows the shape of the back of the head from the back of the neck of the user. The user can sleep without an excessive repulsive force from the head-mounted member 2.

  The lid member 3 is formed of a flexible member in the same manner as the head-mounted member 2, and here is formed of a molded body made of low-resilience urethane foam. The lid member 3 has the same thickness as the front side portion 2h of the head-mounted member 2, and its front end surface matches the shape of the rear end surface of the head-mounted member 2, so that the cover member 3 has a flat and short shape that is short in the front-rear direction. It is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The rear end surface of the head-mounted member 2 is formed substantially vertically. With the urging device 4 and the like disposed in the cavity 2a, the front end surface of the lid member 3 is aligned with the rear end surface, and the joint surface is The cavity 2 a is sealed by the lid member 3 by being closely fixed with an adhesive or the like. Since the lid member 3 is located at the rear end of the pillow 1, the head does not rest on the top of the pillow 1, and even if the adhesive or the like is cured, the user does not feel its presence. The height of 1 can be reduced.

  The urging device 4 includes a pair of link mechanisms 6 and 6 that are spaced apart from each other in the cavity 2a in the lateral direction. Each link mechanism 6 includes a lower link 7 extending horizontally in the front-rear direction, a front link 8 having a lower end pivotably connected to a front end of the lower link 7, and a lower link 7. A rear link 9 having a lower end pivotably connected to a rear end, a front end at an upper end of the front link 8, and a rear end at an intermediate portion of the rear link 9. The upper link 10 is connected to the upper link 10 and the load support link 11 is slidably mounted on the upper end of the rear link 9 and the front is rotatably connected to the front end of the upper link 10. . Here, the rear link 9 stands up in a predetermined forward tilted substantially vertical state, that is, has a forward inclination angle β of more than 0 degree and not more than 20 degrees, preferably not less than 3 degrees and not more than 15 degrees. It is configured. On the other hand, the forward inclination angle α of the front link 8 is configured to be larger than the forward inclination angle β of the rear link 9. More specifically, the product of the sine of the forward inclination angle α of the front link 8 and the link length of the front link 8 is the sine of the forward inclination angle β of the rear link 9 and the link of the rear link 9. It is configured to be twice or more, preferably 2.5 times or more larger than the product of the length. And the front side link 8 is comprised so that the load support link 11 may incline forward, and the link length of the front side link 8 is longer than the link length of the rear side link 9. FIG. When the biasing device 4 is disposed in the cavity 2a, the load support link 11 faces the upper portion 2b of the cavity 2a.

  The lower link 7, the front link 8, the rear link 9 and the load support link 11 are each made of an elongated metal flat plate having the same width, and the lower link 7 and the front link 8, and the front link 8 and the load support link. Although not shown in detail, the links 11 are rotatably connected by a hinge mechanism. A pin mechanism is used between the lower link 7 and the rear link 9 by using rear link attachment pieces 7a and 7a integrally formed at the rear end portion of the lower link 7 so as to protrude upward from both left and right ends. Are pivotally connected. On the other hand, the upper link 10 is formed by separating a pair of elongated metal flat plates by a distance exceeding the width of the lower link 7 or the like. The rear end portion of the upper link 10 is rotatably connected to upper link attachment pieces 9a, 9a formed integrally with the middle portion of the rear link 9 so as to protrude forward from both left and right ends by a pin mechanism. . Further, the front end portion of the upper link 10 is rotatably connected by a pin mechanism to upper link attachment pieces 11a and 11a formed integrally with the front end portion of the load support link 11 so as to protrude downward from both left and right ends. Yes. The load support links 11 and 11 are configured to protrude downward from the upper lower surface front side portion 2d of the head-mounted member 2 in a side view, and the height of the pillow 1 as a whole is low.

  The rear link 9 includes a sliding portion 9b covered with a low friction material such as polytetrafluoroethylene on an upper end portion obtained by extending a rotation connecting portion with the upper link 10 upward. A load support link 11 is placed on the top. Since the sliding portion 9b is covered with the low friction material, the load support link 11 smoothly slides in the front-rear direction on the sliding portion 9b, and noise generated during the sliding is suppressed. Note that the sliding portion 9b may be one in which the upper end portion is simply rounded without being covered with the low friction material.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the left and right lower links 7, 7 are connected in parallel to each other by a lower connecting member 12 so as to maintain a predetermined separation distance between the left and right. The lower connecting member 12 is composed of an elongated rectangular metal flat plate, is fixed by welding or the like, and extends rearward from the rotating connecting portion between the lower links 7 and 7 and the rear links 9 and 9. The extension portions 7b are connected to each other. The left and right rear links 9, 9 are connected in parallel to each other so as to maintain a predetermined separation distance between the left and right by the intermediate connecting member 13. The intermediate portion connecting member 13 is formed of a long and thin rectangular metal flat plate, and is fixed by welding or the like, so that the rotating link portion between the lower links 7 and 7 of both the rear links 9 and 9 and the upper link 10. , 10 are connected to each other. The left and right load support links 11 are connected in parallel to each other so as to maintain a predetermined separation distance between the left and right by the upper connecting member 14. The upper connecting member 14 is formed of a long and thin rectangular metal flat plate, and is fixed by welding or the like, and is behind the portion that contacts the sliding portion 9b of the rear links 9 and 9 of the load supporting links 11 and 11. The parts are connected. In addition, each connection member 12,13,14 may be formed integrally with each each link 7,9,11, respectively.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 6, each link mechanism 6 configured as described above has a lower link 7 that receives the entire load, and a large forward so that it can easily fall forward with a small downward load. An inclined front side link 8, a rear side link 9 that is tilted forward so as to be able to withstand a large downward load, and an upper side link 10 that connects the front side link 8 and the rear side link 9 are provided. The links 7, 8, 9, and 10 are pivotably connected to form a substantially rectangular link. However, the amount of movement at the time of tilting differs between the front link 8 having a large tilt angle β and the rear link 9 having a small tilt angle α and being tilted forward and substantially vertical. Accordingly, when the upper rotating part of the rear link 9 and the upper rotating part of the front link 8 are connected by the upper link 10 in accordance with the front link 8 having a small amount of movement, the upper link 10 is greatly lowered downward, If the upper link 10 is a link that supports the upper portion 2b of the cavity 2a of the head-mounted member 2, there arises a disadvantage that the upper surface of the pillow 1 is largely inclined. Therefore, in the link mechanism 6 of the main pillow 1, the supporting link is not greatly lowered rearward, and the rear link 9 is extended further upward than the rotational connection portion with the upper link 10 so as to be thinned at the lowest position. In addition, the load supporting link 11 is slidably mounted on the sliding portion 9b which is the extended upper end portion, and the front portion of the load supporting link 11 is rotatably connected to the front end portion of the upper link 10. By configuring the link mechanism 6 in this way, the link that supports the upper portion 2b of the cavity 2a of the head-mounted member 2 becomes the load support link 11, and the inclination thereof can be set arbitrarily close to the horizontal.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the urging device 4 includes tension springs 15 and 15 as urging means for urging the upper links 10 and 10 and the load support links 11 and 11 so as to push them upward. Yes. Each of the tension springs 15 has one end fixed to the rear outer side of the rotating link with the rear link 9 of the lower link 7, and the other end forward of the rotating link with the front link 8 of the load support link 11. It is stretched by being fixed to the outside. Here, the hook on one end side of the tension spring 15 is hooked in a hole of a spring mounting piece 7 c that is integrally formed so as to protrude upward from the left and right outer end portions of the extension portion 7 b of the lower link 7. Then, the hook on the other end side of the tension spring 15 is integrally formed so as to protrude downward outward in the left-right direction from an extension portion 11b that extends forward from a rotational connection portion with the front link 8 of the load support link 11. The spring mounting piece 11c is hooked into the hole. In this manner, the tension spring 15 pushes up the load support link 11 and urges the front link 8 to rise.

  Further, since the front end of the tension spring 15 is fixed to the extension portion 11b that protrudes forward from the rotation connecting portion, the extension portion 11b is lowered by the urging force of the tension spring 15 and the load supporting link 11 is rotated. The main body portion behind the dynamic connecting portion is acted to lift. As a result, the load support link 11 has a small contact pressure with the sliding portion 9b, and can easily slide on the sliding portion 9b.

  The urging device 4 includes stoppers 16 and 16 as restricting means for restricting rearward inclination of the rear links 9 and 9. Each stopper 16 is provided in the vicinity of the rotational connection portion with the rear link 9 of the lower link 7. Here, the stopper 16 is formed by bending the tip portion protruding upward from the rear portion of the rear link attachment piece 7a for rotational connection with the rear link 9 of the lower link 7 to the inside. However, the stopper may be provided behind the load support link 11. When the rear link 9 comes into contact with the bent front end surface 7d, the rear link 9 is restricted from tilting backward from a predetermined vertical tilted state. When the rear link 9 is in the rearward tilted state, the rear link 9 is easily tilted to the rear opposite to the front link 8, and the link mechanism 6 may be damaged. Therefore, the stopper 16 prevents this.

  The urging device 4 serves as an impact absorbing member that absorbs an impact caused by the fall of the front side links 8 and 8 and the rear side links 9 and 9 when the load supporting links 11 and 11 are lowered, and suppresses the generation of an impact sound. Shock absorbing blocks 17 and 17 are provided. The shock absorbing blocks 17 and 17 are formed of a flexible member, but here are formed of a molded body made of low-resilience urethane foam. Here, the shock absorbing blocks 17, 17 are positioned between the links 8, 9 and the lower link 7 when the front link 8 and the rear link 9 are collapsed. It is fixed by adhesion or the like. The shock absorbing block 17 for the front link 8 is provided on the upper surface of an extension portion 7e that extends forward from a rotational connection portion of the lower link 7 with the front link 8. The shock absorbing blocks 17 and 17 may be fixed to the lower surfaces of the front link 8 and the rear link 9 by adhesion or the like. When the front side link 8 and the rear side link 9 fall down and each of the links 8 and 9 deflects the shock absorbing blocks 17 and 17 to the minimum thickness, the position of the load support link 11 at this time becomes the lowest lowered position. Further, since the bent shock absorbing blocks 17 and 17 have a restoring force, an urging force is given so as to displace the front link 8 and the rear link 9 upward, and the urging force is applied upward by the tension springs 15 and 15. To assist. In addition, you may use spring members, such as a coil spring and a leaf | plate spring, as the shock absorption blocks 17 and 17. FIG.

  Furthermore, a lower plate 18, an upper plate 19, a mesh cloth 20, a sponge member 21, and a flexible sheet 22 are attached to the urging device 4. The lower plate 18 is made of a hard resin flat plate made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or the like, and is positioned below the head portion mounted on the front portion and the upper surface of the pillow 1 from a substantially rectangular shape substantially the same as the lower surface of the cavity 2a. The central part is cut out, that is, it is formed in a substantially U shape with the front opened. The lower plate 18 is fixed to the lower surfaces of the lower links 7 and 7 and the lower connecting member 12 by rivets or the like (not shown). By placing the lower plate 18 on the lower surface of the cavity 2a, the urging device 4 can be disposed at a predetermined position in the cavity 2a. As described above, the lower links 7 and 7 and the lower connecting member 12, which are narrow metal members, are covered with the lower plate 18, so that the user can detect the presence of the metal member from the lower part of the pillow 1. There is no sense of incongruity.

  The upper plate 19 is made of a hard resin flat plate made of PET or the like, covers the upper surfaces of the load support links 11, 11 and the upper connecting member 14, and cuts out the front portion and the central portion in the same manner as the lower plate 18. It is formed in a letter shape. The upper plate 19 is fixed to the upper surfaces of the load support links 11, 11 and the upper connecting member 14 by rivets (not shown). As described above, since the upper surfaces of the load supporting links 11 and 11 and the upper connecting member 14 which are narrow metal members are covered with the upper plate 19, the user can sense the presence of the metal member from the upper part of the pillow 1. There is no sense of incongruity.

  The mesh cloth 20 is stretched over the upper plate 19 with an appropriate strength so as to compensate for the removed front and center portions, and supports the head when sleeping sideways to prevent a large drop of the head. As described above, the upper lower surface front side portion 2d of the head-mounted member 2 protrudes downward, but it is preferable to match this protruding position with the position where the mesh cloth 20 below the center portion is stretched. In this case, in order to reduce the height of the pillow 1 at the lowest position, even if the mesh cloth 20 is stretched loosely, the flat central portion of the upper surface of the pillow 1 does not dent when not in use, and the shape is as a whole. The pillow 1 can be obtained.

  The sponge member 21 is formed of a high resilience urethane foam as a flexible member, and is provided so as to be positioned on the uppermost surface of the urging device 4, so that the head-mounted member 2 is sufficiently soft and has an upper portion of the cavity 2a to some extent. Even if the portion 2 b is thinned, the user does not feel the hardness of the upper plate 19 from the upper surface of the pillow 1. The sponge member 21 is formed with a vent hole that communicates with the vent hole 2 c of the head-mounted member 2.

  The flexible sheet 22 is formed from a single soft resin sheet made of urethane or the like, and left and right between the front upper surface of both load support links 11 and 11 and the front lower surface of both lower links 7 and 7. It is stretched across. The flexible sheet 22 reinforces the front side portion of the mesh cloth 20 and forms an arc shape projecting to the front surface to improve the feel of the pillow 1 that hits the shoulder of the user when lying sideways.

  The pillow 1 configured as described above is urged so that the load support links 11 and 11 are lifted by the urging force (tensile force) of the tension springs 15 and 15 when nothing is placed thereon. ing. And as for the load support links 11 and 11, since the rear part is supported by the sliding part 9b of the rear side links 9 and 9, and the rising of the rear side links 9 and 9 is prescribed | regulated, the upper surface of the pillow 1 is After all, it will be in the highest position. The height of the pillow 1 at this time is suitably 8 cm to 16 cm, for example.

  By the way, in the pillow which moves up and down automatically, it was a big subject to obtain sufficient lowness suitable for sleeping on the back when the upper surface descended most. Therefore, the urging device 4 that is provided inside the pillow 1 and moves up and down is more preferable when the height is lower and the state is thinner at the lowest position. The distance between the back of the head and the saddle when a person sleeps in a supine posture is about 2 cm to 5 cm depending on the individual difference. Accordingly, although it is supported by a flexible material such as the mesh cloth 20, if the left and right sides when the urging device 4 is lowered are high, the mesh cloth 20 that is stretched between them is about 2 cm unless it is stretched considerably loosely. Cannot be obtained. However, if it is stretched loosely, when it is raised and lies on its side, the temporal region sinks excessively, resulting in an uncomfortable feeling. This can be solved by tightly stretching the mesh cloth 10. To that end, it is desirable that the urging device 4 has a height of 1 cm or less when lowered.

  Therefore, the urging device 4 of the present pillow 1 is such that when the front links 8 and 8 and the rear links 9 and 9 are collapsed and the load support links 11 and 11 are lowered, the upper link 10 It is provided so that it may be located in a pair on both outer sides in the width direction so as to sandwich the links 7, 8, 9, 11. Therefore, the upper link 10 does not interfere with the other links 7, 8, 9, and 11, and the urging device 4 becomes very thin.

  In addition, the larger the difference in load resistance between the front portion 1a of the pillow 1 on which the neck is placed and the central portion 1b on which the temporal portion is placed, the smoother lowering when lying on the bed and the higher the height when sleeping on the side. This is preferable because the maintenance of the height is ensured and it does not depend on individual differences such as body shape and head weight. As a result of the experiment, in order not to depend on individual differences, it is good if the load resistance of the front part 1a is 4 kg and the load resistance of the rear part 1b is more than twice that of the front part 1a, that is, 8 kg or more. found. The load resistance of each portion is such that the product of the sine of the inclination angle α of the front links 8 and 8 and the link length is obtained by the product of the sine of the inclination angle β of the rear links 9 and 9 and the link length. It can be easily obtained by making the tension springs 15, 15 energized upward to an appropriate strength while increasing the size by two times or more. Therefore, the inclination angle α of the front links 8 and 8, the link length, the inclination angle β of the rear links 9 and 9, the link length, and the tension spring 15, so that the load resistance of each portion 1 a and 1 b becomes the load. By setting the strength of 15, the urging device 4 is in the lowest position when a person with a small body shape and light head weight sleeps in a supine posture without adjusting the urging force of the tension springs 15 and 15. The urging device 4 can be obtained in which the urging device 4 reliably maintains the most elevated position when a person with a large body shape and heavy head weight sleeps in a horizontal posture while descending smoothly. For this reason, since the manufacturer does not need an adjustment mechanism inside the pillow 1, mass production can be performed at low cost as well as weight reduction. In addition, the pillow 1 and the urging means 4 smoothly rising and lowering means that the repulsive force is low and the speed rises and falls at a moderate speed without disturbing the user's sleep without accompanying a rapid speed change. Say.

  In this way, the pillow 1 can obtain a sufficient height when lying on its side and at the same time, a sufficiently low level suitable for sleeping on its back, and can be obtained automatically, especially in middle-aged and older people with reduced physical ability. The trouble with pillows can be resolved. In addition, as with the size selection of shirts and shoes, the user selects an appropriate pillow 1 from a combination of height (the highest position) and low (the lowest position) prepared in advance. This makes it possible to use a pillow that is suitable for both lying on its back and lying on its side without performing troublesome adjustment work. By preparing nine types of pillows that combine three types of heights and three types of lows, it is possible to provide pillows that are suitable for people of almost all physiques and head weights. Here, the height can be changed, for example, by changing the link lengths of the front links 8 and 8, the rear links 9 and 9, and the upper links 10 and 10. On the other hand, the change in the height changes the thickness of the shock absorbing blocks 17 and 17 by changing the thickness of the lower portion 2d of the cavity 2a of the head mounting member 2, for example, providing a bulky member on the lower surface of the pillow 1. Can be done.

  Next, the operation of the pillow 1 when the head is placed on the upper surface of the pillow 1 to sleep in the supine posture will be described. Generally, when a person sleeps in a supine posture, the neck is instinctively pulled to protect the important head, and the back of the head is floated so as to touch the pillow 1 last. As a result, the back first comes into contact with the armpit, and then comes into contact with the pillow 1 in the order of the lower neck and the back of the head. As shown in FIG. 2 and the like, in the pillow 1, the front portion 1 a with which the lower neck contacts is higher than the central portion 1 b with which the back of the head contacts approximately 2 cm to 4 cm. Therefore, when sleeping in a supine posture, the neck is first placed on the front portion 1 a of the head-mounted member 2, and then the occipital region is placed on the central portion 1 b of the head-mounted member 2. Then, the upper surface of the pillow 1 and the load support links 11 and 11 are inclined forwardly upward, and an extension portion 11c in front of the rotation connection portion between the front portions of the load support links 11 and 11, in particular, the front links 8 and 8. A large load is applied to the neck portion, and the load support links 11 and 11 have the rear portion floating about the rotating connection portion. As a result, the load supporting links 11 and 11 are less likely to slide because the contact pressure with the sliding portion 9b of the rear links 9 and 9 becomes smaller, and the rear links 9 and 9 that stand substantially vertically are more likely to fall forward. . Further, at this time, the product of the sine of the forward inclination angle α of the front links 8 and 8 and the link length is 2 than the product of the sine of the forward inclination angle β of the rear links 9 and 9 and the link length. Since it is more than twice as large, a large forward rotational moment acts on the front links 8, 8. Therefore, the front links 8 and 8 are more likely to fall forward. As a result, the load support links 11 and 11 are easy to descend and the top surface of the head-mounted member 2 is easily sunk, so that the pillow 1 on which the head is placed in an upright posture sinks smoothly.

  When the front links 8 and 8 fall forward, the tensile force of the tension springs 15 and 15 acts as a repulsive force against this. However, the tension springs 15 and 15 are set so as to generate only a repulsive force that does not prevent the front links 8 and 8 from smoothly falling forward, and the pillow 1 on which the head is placed in an upright posture. Does not prevent the sinking.

  When the upper surface of the pillow 1 sinks, the front links 8 and 8 and the rear links 9 and 9 come into contact with the tops of the shock absorbing blocks 17 and 17 and then fall down while crushing the shock absorbing blocks 17 and 17. Therefore, since the front links 8 and 8 and the rear links 9 and 9 do not directly contact the lower links 7 and 7, the contact noise can be suppressed, and as shown in FIGS. It is possible to suppress the impact that occurs when 8, 9 falls to the maximum and the upper surface of the pillow 1 sinks to the lowest position. Note that the crushed shock absorbing blocks 17 and 17 generate a restoring force that prevents the links 8 and 9 from falling down as they are crushed, but the front link 8 and the rear link 9 smoothly fall forward. Is set so as to generate only a restoring force that does not hinder the movement, and does not prevent the pillow 1 on which the head is placed in a supine posture from sinking to the lowest position.

  Moreover, when the upper surface of the pillow 1 sinks, the volume of the cavity 2a decreases, and the air inside the cavity 2a flows out to the outside through the vent hole 2c. Therefore, by appropriately forming the number and size of the air holes 2c and setting the air outflow amount per unit time, the vertical speed of the upper surface of the pillow 1 becomes appropriate, and rapid vertical movement can be suppressed, and the pillow The impact generated when the upper surface of 1 sinks to the lowest lowered position can be suppressed. Also, the vertical movement of the upper surface of the pillow 1 causes the cavity 2a to repeatedly expand and contract, and a large amount of air inside the cavity 2a is sucked and exhausted from the vent hole 2c. Is even more comfortable.

  Further, when the head is placed on the upper surface of the pillow 1 and lays down, a link mechanism in which the lower surface of the upper portion 2b of the cavity 2a of the head mounting member 2 made of a molded product made of low-resilience urethane foam is made of a metal member by the weight of the head. Sink over the top of 6 and 6. In addition, the head-mounted member 2, the outer cover cloth 5, the mesh cloth 20, the sponge member 21, and the flexible sheet 22 are present below the head and neck when viewed from above, and these are all formed of a soft member. There is no hard member. Therefore, when the head is placed on the upper surface of the pillow 1, the hard member below the pillow 1 is sensed so that it does not feel uncomfortable and a soft feel can be obtained. In addition, since there is no hard member below the head or neck, a soft feel can be obtained without increasing the thickness of the upper portion 2b of the cavity 2a of the head-mounted member 2. In addition, since the soft feel can be obtained without using the thick head-mounted member 2 in the upper portion 2b of the cavity 2a, the height of the pillow 1 can be kept low.

  Next, the operation of the pillow 1 when the head is placed on the upper surface of the pillow 1 in order to sleep in a sideways posture will be described. In general, when a person sleeps in a sideways posture, first, the side arms and shoulders are brought into contact with the heel to receive weight, and then the temporal region is placed on the central portion 1b of the pillow 1. As shown in FIG. 10, since the difference in height between the temporal region and the shoulder is large when sleeping on the side, most of the load on the head is applied to the central portion 1b of the pillow 1, and part of the load on the head is Supported by the shoulder through the neck. The pillow 1 has an upper surface that is inclined upward. However, in the horizontal posture, the neck portion is recessed from the temporal region, so the load applied to the front side portion 1a of the pillow 1 under the neck portion with low load resistance is Little load on the head is applied to the rear links 9 and 9 via the mesh cloth 20 and the load support links 11 and 11. Since the rear links 9 and 9 stand substantially upright, the forward rotational moment due to the load from the head from above is small, so that it is difficult to fall forward. As a result, since the state in which the rear links 9 and 9 stand upright is maintained, the load support links 11 and 11 are stably maintained at the highest position without being lowered. The height of the pillow 1 is stable and does not give the user a fluffy feeling. In addition, because of the height of the side shoulders, it is impossible to apply a load under the neck even when intentionally sleeping on the side.

  Next, the operation of the pillow 1 when turning over and changing to a supine posture from sleeping sideways will be described. When lying on its side, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the load support links 11, 11 are in the highest position. And, from this state, when the user takes the shoulder portion out of the contact position with the saddle and takes a supine posture, as in the case of sleeping in the supine posture described above, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, The load support links 11 and 11 sink to the lowest position. As described above, even if the user turns over and turns into a lying posture from lying down, the load supporting links 11 and 11 are automatically moved to the lowest position suitable for lying on the supine and stop automatically. Can be obtained.

  Next, the operation of the pillow 1 when turning over and changing to a horizontal posture from lying on its back will be described. When lying on its back, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the load support links 11, 11 are in the lowest lowered position. From this state, when the user inserts the shoulder portion with the body facing sideways, the head is supported by the shoulder portion, so that the load due to the weight of the head on the load support links 11 and 11 is eliminated. Or very small. At this time, the load supporting links 11 and 11 are automatically displaced upward by the urging force of the tension springs 15 and 15 and the restoring force of the shock absorbing blocks 17 and 17. Then, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the load support links 11, 11 are displaced to the highest position, and automatically stop at the positions via the stoppers 16, 16. As described above, even if the user turns over and turns into a sideways posture from lying on his / her back, the load support links 11 and 11 are automatically stopped by being displaced to the most elevated position suitable for lying on their side. Can be obtained.

  In addition, when the number of people sleeping in a sideways posture has increased, if the front and rear sides of the pillow 1 are reversed and the rear links 9 and 9 are used so as to be under the neck, the temporal region becomes the pillow 1. Even when the bed is slightly placed, it is possible to reliably maintain a height suitable for the horizontal posture. In this case, when sleeping in a supine posture, the smoothness that the pillow 1 sinks is slightly inferior, but by getting used to it a little, it automatically changes to a low level suitable for sleeping on the supine.

Claims (4)

A flat, substantially rectangular parallelepiped head-mounted member formed of a flexible member having a cavity inside;
A pillow having a biasing device provided in the cavity so as to bias and support the upper part of the cavity of the head-mounted member upward;
The urging device has a lower link extending horizontally in the front-rear direction, with the side where the neck is located in the state where the head of the person is placed on the head-mounted member as the front side and the side where the top of the head is located as the rear side, A lower link is rotatably connected to the front end of the side link, and the front link is inclined forward, and a lower link is rotatably connected to the rear end of the lower link, and the rear link is inclined forward. The upper end of the front link is slidably mounted on the upper end of the rear link, the upper end of the rear link is connected to the upper end of the rear link, and the rear end is slidably mounted on the upper end of the rear link. A link mechanism consisting of a load support link whose front end is rotatably connected to the front end of the upper link;
An urging means for urging the upper link and the load support link to be pushed upward;
A regulating means for regulating the rearward inclination of the rear link,
The link length of the front link is longer than the link length of the rear link,
When the person's head is not placed on the head-mounted member, the product of the sine of the forward inclination angle and the link length is more than twice as large as that of the rear link. The inclination angle is greater than 0 degree and 20 degrees or less, and is urged by the urging means and supported by the upper end of the rear link, whereby the load support link is located at the highest position,
The urging force of the urging means is set so that the load support link descends to the lowest position when the front link and the rear link fall forward while the person's head is placed on the head-mounted member. A pillow characterized by   2. The pillow according to claim 1, wherein in a state where a human head is not placed on the head-mounted member, the upper surfaces of the load support link and the head-mounted member are inclined upward.   The biasing means is a tension spring in which one end side is fixed to a portion extending forward from the rotational connection portion with the front link of the load support link, and the other end side is fixed near the rear end portion of the lower link. The pillow according to claim 1 or 2, wherein:   The shock absorbing member is configured to be positioned between each of the front link, the rear link, and the lower link when the front link and the rear link fall forward. The pillow according to any one of claims.

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