US20230329439A1

US20230329439A1 - Support Pillow

Info

Publication number: US20230329439A1
Application number: US18/064,255
Authority: US
Inventors: Lance B. Gockel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2022-04-13
Filing date: 2022-12-10
Publication date: 2023-10-19

Abstract

A support pillow, comprised of a rear section, opposing wing sections, rotational means, wing cushions, wing covers, a skull cushion strip, and a seat friction strip. The rear section includes a rear portion, opposing offsets, opposing wing sections generally in a U-shape. The opposing ears angled inward 90 degrees. Opposing wing sections are rotationally connected to the ears. Wing cushions are placed on the wing sections and form a compressible fit capturing a person's head inside the support pillow at or above the ear level. Structural weight and counterweights are utilized on the rear section to keep the captured head from rotating or leaning forward. Sideways movement of pillow is prevented by a seat friction strip placed on the outside of the rear section which frictionally or stickily engages the seat back. A skull cushion strip allows the head and neck to rest comfortably against the rear section.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The support pillow invention relates to a travel pillow with a simple means for comfortably supplying support horizontally for a person's head while seated. It relates to a pillow with a flexible rear section rotationally connected to a pair of wing sections and wing cushions preventing sideways and forward movement, by capturing the head in a compression fit. A counterweight keeps the captured head from leaning or rotating forward and a seat frictional strip contacting the seatback resists side-to-side movements. The support pillow allows sitting individuals to rest or sleep in a moving vehicle, plane, or stationary chair without exerting effort to support their head.
Travel pillows commonly attempt to support the head by utilizing cushions resting on the shoulders or neck. Because the sides of the neck are so far below the head, these devices do not have the leverage or stiffness to support the head, rendering them comfortable but non-functional. There are also sling type pillows that attempt to make use of one part of body to counteract the weight of the head by using another part of the body in a sling fashion. Not only does this not work, but it makes two different parts of the body uncomfortable.
Some improvements have been made which attach the headrest cushion to the seatback. Unfortunately, “these seatbacks attached headrests cushions” do not particularly keep the head from falling forward. Additionally, they have limited flexibility horizontally, vertically, and rotationally depending on the configuration of the seat. Some such improved cushions show attachment means that are not actually available on all airline seats. Finally, those improved cushion attachment mechanisms are complicated, expensive, not very portable, heavy, and unsafe due to size and overly difficult mechanism for attaching them to the seatback or existing headrest. Since seats vary in size and shape, physically attaching to the seat back can become complicated if not impossible, particularly if you do not want to interfere with the person in the seat behind.
Therefore, a need exists for a stand-alone travel pillow that is easy to utilize on any car or plane seat or stationary seatback that prevents the head from moving forward or sideways. This travel pillow needs to allow various sized users to significantly adjust in the horizontal and vertical directions with a simple and inexpensive means to hold the head in a comfortable position without allowing it to slide forward or sideways and prevent the head from tilting forward while a person is at rest. Although there are hundreds of Travel pillows on the market, none are simple yet functional.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention, a support pillow, is comprised of 9 major parts: a rear section counterweights, wing sections, rotational means, wing cushions, wing covers, skull cushion strip and a friction strip. This invention is separated from present art by including a rear section of sufficient weight with an offset center of gravity, that acts as a counterweight to cause a person's head to passively lean backward into a seatback. It is uniquely designed to fit above a person's ears, far above the head pivot point of the neck, to gain vertical leverage on a person's head which minimizes forces required to prevent a head from tilting sideways or forward. A rotational connection between the rear section and the wing sections prevents rotational torque from being imparted on a person's head by forces originated by the support pillow engaging the seatback. The rotational capability also allows the wing sections to be folded 90 degrees to reduce the pillow perimeter dimension for easy insertion into carry-on luggage or shipping packages. A frictional strip on the back of the support pillow engages the seat back and utilizes the horizontally rigid rear section and wing sections to keep the entire support pillow and captured head from sliding sideways relative to the seat back. Frictional forces required are minimized by placing the support pillow high on the head above the neck and shoulders. Finally, a notch-out in the rear section formed by the vertical offsets allows the back of the head to protrude above the support pillow rear portion and engage the seat back between the offsets, thereby allowing the head to fully recline as if there were no support pillow between the seatback and the head, hence minimizing any forces from the pillow pushing the head or neck forward. Further, this offset is angled to facilitate supporting the head in an alternative, horizontally rotated head position, in which the offset engages the seatback rather than the rear portion. The support pillow accomplishes this on various user body sizes, configurations, and seatback arrangements without interfering with adjacent users and in a free standing manner remains on a user's head even with the user moves about.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 —Depicts a person sitting in a seat with the support pillow placed on the head.

FIG. 2 —Is a plan view of a person's head in a compression fit with the support pillow.

FIG. 3 —Is a side view of the support pillow.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the invention as shown in FIG. 1 and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated by the figures or description below.
The present invention will now be described by referencing the appended figures representing preferred embodiments. The seven major parts of the invention are the rear section, wing sections, rotational means, wing cushions, wing covers, friction strip and skull cushion strip as shown in FIG. 2 .
A rear section is generally formed from a single continuous strip of flat or bar material approximately 1 inch wide and Y4″ thick that is formed in a U-shape. The rear section material is comprised of acrylic or plastic or other flexible yet light weight material. The rear section includes a back section, opposing offsets and opposing ears. The back section is approximately the length of a normal person's neck diameter and of sufficient length to prevent side-to-side rotation of the head. The offsets have an inner end attached to the rear portion and an outer end. The offset is angled upward at approximately a 45-degree angle from the rear portion and is approximately 3.5″ in length. This allows the back of a person's head to protrude just above the support pillow rear portion and between the offsets. The offsets are also angled inwards relative to the back portion at approximately a 15-degree angle. The ears are attached to the outer ends of the offsets and angled inward relative to the offsets at approximately a 90-degree angle. Hence, the rear section forms a slightly closed u-shape. This closed u-shape enhances the capturing forces by pinching the outer tips of the wing sections inward as shown in FIG. 2 . Each ear has an aperture. The flexibility of the rear section accommodates different sized heads by flexing outward or inward as needed. When in use, the rear portion engages the seatback. By placing the support pillow high on the head, side leverage is gained above the pivot point shown in FIG. 3 , thereby reducing the amount of force required. Additionally, the rear section exterior being convex in shape, facilitates mechanically engaging a concave seatback as shown in FIG. 2 and increases sideways horizontal support forces. An alternative head position with a single offset engaging the seatback is available simply by rotating the head horizontally and leaning to the side. The center of gravity of the rear section is towards the back of a person's head. This causes a person's head to rotate backward in a passive manner.
Opposing wing sections formed from a strip of flat material approximately 1 inch wide by ¼ inch thick and long enough to reach from the back of a person's hear to their ears. Each wing section first end contains a rotational connection comprised of an aperture and an outer end. The wing sections are comprised of a material that is stiff, yet somewhat flexible such as acrylic, such that it can exert capturing forces on the side of a person's head without breaking. Normally, these wing sections are worn above the ears to increase leverage above the pivot point shown in FIG. 3 .
A rotational means connects the wing sections and rear section is comprised of a nut and a bolt. The bolt passes through the ear apertures in the rear section and wing aperture in the wing sections and is treaded into the nut. This allows the wing sections to rotate vertically as shown in FIG. 3 relative to the rear section. The connection is sufficiently tight to allow the wing sections to stay in rotational position once moved but lose enough to be rotated by hand. This rotational connection prevents rotational forces from being transferred from the seatback through the rear section to the wing sections and consequentially the head when the flat rear portion engages a seatback with an angled surface. Consequentially, the rear portion can engage the seatback in a flush yet angled manner without imparting rotational forces to the head.
Opposing wing cushions are placed inside the opposing wing sections, so they engage the side of a person's head. The cushions are sized and shaped such that they form a compression fit with a person's head and can hold the support pillow on the head without assistance. This interference fit is caused by the opposing wing sections applying forces which firmly retains the head inside the wing sections of the support pillow. The grip on the head extends the entire length of the wing section but may be viewed as a single grip point shown in FIG. 3 . This illustrates how gripping forces applied high on the head increase leverage thereby reducing the amount of force required to hold the head upright. The preferred material for the cushions is foam but other compressible materials may also be utilized. Cushions are adhesively attached to wing sections. Alternatively, slots are cut into the foam to allow the foam to be slid onto the wing sections. Under this alternative, having foam on the outside of the wing sections provides cushion for leaning against airplane cabin walls. Slots cut off center in the cushion under this alternative allow changing of the opening between the cushions simply by removing the cushion and flipping it upside down and reinstalling, thus accommodating different head sizes.
A wing cover surrounds each wing cushion and the wing sections. The preferred method is to have a separate wing cover for each wing section and wing cushion comprised of a pouch such that it can slip over the wings section. Wing covers can be fabricated of a cloth material that is comfortable to the skin such as a microfiber and have an expandable opening on one end utilizing a drawstring system to retain the wing cover on the wing sections and cushions.
A counterweight may be attached to the rear section or offset section to increase reverse or backward torque on the head as shown in FIG. 3 . Counterweights may be made of lead such as car tire weights and adhesively attached to the rear section. These counterweights, in conjunction with the compression fit, keep the head from rotating or sliding forward. By placing the counterweights at the rear of the bracket, they gain rotational leverage and apply rearward torque on the head as demonstrated in FIG. 3 . To minimize the amount of counterweight, these weights should be placed on the rear section of the flexible bracket to maximize torque imparted to the head.
The skull cushion strip is attached to the inside of the rear portion on the rear section shown in FIG. 2 . It provides a comfortable cushion between the person's skull and the rear portion. The skull cushion strip is preferably relatively thin to allow the head to be placed within the support pillow without the pillow thickness pushing the head forward in an uncomfortable manner. The skull cushion strip and rear portion are normally positioned in the neck nook as illustrated in FIG. 3 , which allows the head to contact the seatback through the notch in the rear section formed by the offsets. This allows the head to be reclined to the maximum extent allowed by the seat back without interference by the pillow. Preferred material for the skull cushion strip is foam but other compressible materials such as neoprene may also be utilized.
The friction strip is adhesively attached to the outside of the rear portion of the flexible bracket such that it engages the seat back. It provides a friction surface that will not easily slide once it contacts the seat back. By preventing the support pillow from sliding relative to the seat, the seat friction strip keeps the head captured within the support pillow from moving side-to-side. The seat friction strip is preferably relatively thin to minimize intervening material from forcing the head forward. A sleeve of neoprene material wrapped around the back portion can constitute the friction strip. The seat friction strip may be comprised of neoprene or other frictional or sticky material. Leverage is gained by placing the support pillow high on the head, which minimizes frictional forces required to prevent sideways movement of head.
Placement of the support pillow relative to the seat is flexible. As it is free standing and not directly attached to anything but a person's head, it can be placed centered on seat back, to one side, or against an adjacent surface such as an airplane window or arm-chair wing. An alternative head position is rotated horizontally which then utilizes the offset for support. The head may also be leaned to the side and still utilize the capability of the friction strip to prevent further movement. Leaning into the wing sections allows a person to replicate the feeling of sleeping on their side.
Although the present invention has been illustrated and described herein with reference to preferred embodiments and specific example thereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and examples may perform similar function and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the sprit and scope of the present invention, are contemplated thereby, and are intended to be covered.

Claims

1. A support pillow, comprised of:

a. a rear section formed from a strip of material in a u-shape that fits around the back horizontal perimeter of an average adult's head with the rear section having a right end and a left end respectively;

b. opposing wing sections each having a first end attached to the rear section right end and rear section left end;

c. opposing wing cushions positioned inside the u-shaped rear section and between the wing sections, thick enough to engage the head of an average adult in a compressive fit between the wing sections; and

d. a counterweight including the weight of the rear section, of sufficient weight and offset center of gravity relative to a person's neck, to cause an average person's head to passively rotate backward into a seatback when the support pillow is placed around the back of the head.

2. A support pillow as in claim 1, comprised of:

a. the rear section having an aperture in both the right and left ends;

b. the wing sections each have an aperture in the first end;

c. a rotational means for connecting each wing section to the rear section right and left ends comprised of a bolt and a nut wherein the bolt passes through the wing section aperture and rear section aperture and is threaded into the nut allowing the wing sections to rotate in a vertical plane relative to the rear section.

3. A support pillow, comprised of:

a. a rear section formed from a strip of material in a u-shape that fits around the back horizontal perimeter of an average adult's head placed in a frictional manner against a seatback comprised of:

i. a back portion positioned in the nook of an average person's neck which is centered between;

ii. opposing offsets having an inner end and an outer end and of sufficient length to project an outer end of the offset to an average person's ear height from the inner end attached to the back portion; and

iii. opposing ears extending from the outer end of each offset;

b. opposing wing sections each having a first end attached to the rear section ears, wherein the wings sections are placed above an average person's ears thereby providing increased leverage above the heads pivot point of the neck; and

c. opposing wing cushions positioned inside the u-shaped rear section and between the wing sections and thick enough to engage the head of an average adult in a compressive fit between the wing sections.

4. A support pillow as in claim 3, comprised of:

a. the rear portion, comprised of:

i. the back portion;

ii. the offsets extend upward from the back portion allowing the back of a person's head to fit between the offsets and above the rear portion, thereby allowing a person's head to engage a seatback simultaneously with the rear section; and

iii. the ears.

5. A support pillow as in claim 4, comprised of:

a. the rear portion, comprised of:

i. the back portion

ii. the offsets that are angled inward approximately 15 degrees relative to the rear portion, wherein the offset will engage the seatback when a person's head is rotated, thereby supporting an alternative position with the head rotated; and

iii. the ears.

6. A support pillow, comprised of:

a. a rear section formed from a strip of material in a u-shape that fits around the back horizontal perimeter of an average adult's head and against a seatback comprised of:

i. a back portion to be positioned in the nook of an average person's neck and centered between;

ii. opposing offsets having an inner end and an outer end which is of sufficient length to project an outer end of the offset to an average person's ear height from the inner end attached to the back portion; and

iii. opposing ears extending from the outer end of each offset and having an ear aperture;

b. opposing wing sections each having a first end with a wing aperture;

c. a rotational means for connecting each wing section to the opposing ears that is comprised of a bolt and a nut wherein the bolt passes through the wing section aperture and ear aperture and is threaded into the nut allowing the wings sections to rotate relative to the rear portion when the wing sections are placed on opposite sides of an average person's head;

d. opposing wing cushions positioned inside the u-shaped rear section and between the wing sections, thick enough to engage the head of an average adult in a compressive fit between the wing sections

e. opposing wing covers each capturing internally one wing section and wing cushion;

f. a skull cushion strip attached to the inside of the u-shaped rear section comprise of a thin compressible material; and

g. a friction strip attached to the outside of the rear section to frictionally engage a seatback.

7. A support pillow as in claim 6, comprised of:

a. the rear section comprised of one continuous piece of stiff yet flexible acrylic material in the shape of a flat bar; and

b. the wing sections comprised of stiff yet flexible acrylic material in the shape of a flat bar.

8. A support pillow as in claim 7, comprised of:

a. the rear section, comprised of:

i. a back portion;

ii. opposing offsets angled upward between 30 and 60 degrees and angled inward between 10 and 20 degrees; and

iii. opposing ears angled inward 90 degrees thereby forming a slightly closed u-shape hence providing a physical pinch for a compression fit.