US20110131728A1

US20110131728A1 - Ergonomic pillow

Info

Publication number: US20110131728A1
Application number: US12/632,676
Authority: US
Inventors: Christina Rose; Jason Rose
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-12-07
Filing date: 2009-12-07
Publication date: 2011-06-09

Abstract

An ergonomic pillow for support where the pillow includes a foam base, a flat bottom side along the foam base and a curved topside. The foam base provides foundational support for the pillow. The topside includes a curved indentation, which extends across the top side and a cushion within the curved indentation. An oval sloped indentation is provided at the substantial center of the top side and a sloped edge extends across a bottom side of the pillow. The oval sloped indentation may extend across the sloped edge and extends across the cushion. In one exemplary embodiment, the foam base may include memory foam and the cushion may be made of cotton.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an ergonomically designed pillow for supporting the neck and spine.
2. Description of Related Art
Pillows are utilized by many users during sleeping or reclining in a chair or a sofa. The pillow is designed as a large cushion support device made of foam, feathers or other finable materials between a textile liner. Pillows may provide support and comfort for various parts of the body. Furthermore, pillows may be simply used for decorative purposes. The classic bed pillow is usually square or rectangular in shape and may vary in size depending on the size of the bed. Larger pillows may provide support for other portions of a person's body. The traditional pillows are principally used to support the head and neck areas while other pillows have been designed to support the back, knees and legs. Many of the special purpose pillows are considered orthopedic-type pillows that may have special designs and curvatures in order to accommodate curvatures of particular body parts.
Some of the special designed or ergonomic-type pillows of the prior art include U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,279 which discloses a neck supporting pillow that provides a means to maintain a clear air passage through a user's neck while the user lies on the pillow. Another example of a therapeutic pillow exists and is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,629,324 which discloses a pillow specifically designed to avoid pressure on the ears, lobes and cartilage in order to evenly distribute pressure on the outer surfaces of the face. Yet another example of a specially designed contour pillow is U.S. Pat. No. 6,742,207 that discloses a contour pillow that includes a top, bottom, front, back and opposite sides that includes neck support and support for side-cradling or side-support for the shoulder. Although several ergonomic or specialty contoured pillows exist in a prior art, the continued need for specialty contoured pillows to accommodate a specific need of users thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an ergonomic pillow for support comprising: a foam base, where the foam base provides foundational support for the pillow; a flat bottom side along the foam base; a curved top side, where said top side includes a curved indentation, the curved indentation extends across the top side; a cushion within the curved indentation; an oval sloped indentation at the substantial center of the top side; and a sloped edge across a bottom side of the pillow. The sloped indentation may extend into the sloped edge and the oval sloped indentation extends across the cushion. In one exemplary embodiment, the foam base may include memory foam and the cushion may be made of cotton.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an ergonomic pillow according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides an ergonomically designed pillow to support the neck and spine of a user. The ergonomic pillow according to the present invention includes various stuffing materials to distribute weight evenly and helps eliminate discomfort in various sleeping positions. The ergonomic pillow according to the present invention is a multi-layer pillow that assists users in keeping the neck and spine aligned while lying on the pillow.
An ergonomic pillow 10 is depicted in FIG. 1. The ergonomic pillow 10 includes a memory foam base 22. The memory foam forms the base of the pillow 10 and provides a foundational support for the pillow 10. The pillow 10 includes a flat bottom side and a curved top side with a curved indentation that extends from one side of pillow 10 to the opposite side of pillow 10. A cotton cushion 24 is provided in the curved indentation of pillow 10 and extends across the pillow 10 from one side to the other. At the center of pillow 10 a sloped indentation 26 is provided for placement of a user's head. The sloped indentation 26 is substantially oval in shape and abuts a gradual slope 21 at one edge of the pillow 10. The gradually sloped edge 21 is provided on a bottom side of the pillow 10. The sloped oval indentation 26 and sloped edge 21 enable the user to lie comfortably and eliminates discomfort that may be associated with the cervical portion of the neck and back. The supporting indentation 26 and curvature helps to prevent pressure and keeps the back and neck in alignment while the user sleeps either on his or her back or side.
The pillow 10 as depicted in FIG. 1 is shown without a pillow case. A pillow case may be used with the pillow 10 and in one particular embodiment includes a waterproof algae-proof fitted sheet that conforms to the curvatures and shape of the pillow. In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the pillow 10 may be approximately 28 inches wide, 17 inches high and 6 inches in depth. The top of the pillow is manufactured of soft cotton cushion that is supported by the memory foam base 22. The pillow 10 helps users to avoid back and neck pain while sleeping or awakening with pain due to insufficient support from a conventional pillow. The instant invention has been shown and described in what it considers to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made there from within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Claims

1. An ergonomic pillow for support comprising:

a. a foam base, where the foam base provides foundational support for the pillow;

b. a flat bottom side along the foam base;

c. a curved top side, where said top side includes a curved indentation, the curved indentation extends across the top side;

d. a cushion exclusively within the curved indentation;

e. an oval sloped indentation at the substantial center of the top side, where said sloped indentation extends across the curved indentation and said cushion extends from each side of the sloped indentation; and

f. a sloped edge across a bottom side of the pillow.

2. The ergonomic pillow according to claim 1, where the sloped indentation extends and merges into the sloped edge.

3. (canceled)

4. The ergonomic pillow according to claim 1, where the foam base includes memory foam.

5. The ergonomic pillow according to claim 1, where the cushion is made of cotton.