WO2016009094A1

WO2016009094A1 - Dynamic cervical pillow

Info

Publication number: WO2016009094A1
Application number: PCT/ES2015/070325
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pablo Martin-Ballestero Lebrero
Original assignee: Pablo Martin-Ballestero Lebrero
Priority date: 2014-07-18
Filing date: 2015-04-21
Publication date: 2016-01-21
Also published as: ES1123408U; ES1123408Y

Abstract

The invention relates to a dynamic cervical pillow comprising a pillow body, said body including a first portion for supporting the user's head and a second portion for accommodating the user's neck, as well as comprising pressure sensor means disposed in the first portion and lifting means disposed in the second portion, the pressure sensor means and the lifting means being connected to one another by control means. According to the invention, the lifting means comprise an elongate rotary body arranged along a longitudinal direction of the pillow body, and at least one driving unit is provided that can rotate the rotary body about the rotation axis extending along the longitudinal direction of the pillow body, said driving unit being connected to the control means. Moreover, the cross-section of at least one region of the rotary body includes a point on the outer contour of the rotary body that follows an elliptical path during rotation.

Description

DESCRIPTION

DYNAMIC CERVICAL PILLOW OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of this application is to register a cervical pillow that incorporates notable innovations. More specifically, the invention proposes the development of a dynamic cervical pillow that allows the height of it to be adapted to maintain a user's neck in its physiological resting position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Multiple pillows called "cervical" are known in the state of the art whose theoretical object is to protect the cervical spine of the person during their rest. Thus, in the market there are different models according to the form they contain, the material they are made of, or according to both joint characteristics.

As for the shape exclusively, there are, in addition to the conventionally shaped cervical pillows, butterfly-shaped pillows, with a narrower central part than the lateral ones and with little support area of the upper part of the head, which entails that said part is not fully supported, or if it did, produce additional tension due to hyperextension of the neck to achieve such support.

There are also concave shaped cervical pillows, consisting of two or three elements whose first is convex for resting the cervical spine of the user. These types of pillows are designed to keep the cervical spine of the subject in his physiological lordosis as long as he rests in a supine position, since if he did it on the side it would only produce an inclination of the spine, nothing ergonomic and even counterproductive.

As for the material, the available pillows can be made of latex, a hardly deformable natural material that does not generate heat, which favors its perspiration and its maintenance. Another very expanded material in its manufacture is viscoelastic, a material that adapts to the body due to the pressure it exerts on it. Its main problem is that it does not correct the user's position, since it simply adapts to it to provide rest. Therefore, viscoelastic pillows do not fulfill the corrective and aligning purpose of cervical pillows. These are two materials among many others that have no specific utility for the purpose of the present invention.

Although we would join the characteristics of form and material already described in a pillow, we would not meet the objectives of correct cervical rest, perfect alignment of the cervical spine and firm head support, since they are not pillows that allow us to discriminate if the user is sleeping supine or in lateral recumbency. They do not take into account the fact that the head does not have the same support surface, nor the same weight, when sleeping on its side or supine, as well as do not discriminate between the optimal positions of the cervical spine when the person sleeps in recumbency lateral or when it is supine.

All the previously described and commonly known pillows are static elements, that is, they remain in the same state. If the nature of the element does not change as the user's posture changes during rest, they cannot produce what is intended, align and correct the cervical vertebrae during sleep. They simply maintain the curvature of the person (often incorrect) or force it into a single position, regardless of the continuous changes in position that occur during the night. This often translates into cervical tensions upon waking, as well as contractures of the muscles in this area due to incorrect positions maintained for a long period of time.

Other devices are also known in the state of the art that aim to maintain the correct alignment of the cervical spine by means of a system of independent air chambers or other fluids, whose mechanisms are activated manually, and that do not discriminate the supine position. or lateral. An example of this is the utility model ES 1, 072,186 U, which describes an inflatable cervical pillow composed of three independent air chambers that the user can manually inflate to his liking, thus achieving both a cervical pillow and a conventional pillow as wish. However, this utility model does not take into account that the sleeping position varies along of the night, so there will be times when a correct and physiological alignment of the cervical spine does not occur.

Another example of this type of cervical pillows of the state of the art is the patent ES 2045546 T3, which describes a cushion that has an elastic inflatable envelope adjacent to a first edge where the neck would be supported and which is operated by a manual pump, allowing the user to regulate the height of his cervical spine as desired. This cushion, therefore, does not take into account the optimal position of the cervical vertebrae at any time, but leaves the user the function of being able to decide the most comfortable height according to his criteria. As is evident, this action seems illogical to be carried out during sleep.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been developed in order to provide a dynamic cervical pillow that resolves the aforementioned drawbacks, also providing additional advantages that will be apparent from the description that follows. The object of the present invention is a dynamic cervical pillow having a pillow body, said pillow body comprising a first portion for supporting a user's head and a second portion for accommodating the user's neck. The pillow body further comprises pressure sensing means arranged in the first portion and lifting means arranged in the second portion, the pressure sensing means and the lifting means being linked to each other with control means, in which the means elevators comprise an elongated rotating body disposed along a longitudinal direction of the pillow body, at least one driving unit configured for the rotation of said rotating body relative to a rotation axis arranged in the longitudinal direction of the pillow body having been provided and the driving unit is connected to the control means, in which the cross section of at least one region of said rotating body comprises a point of the outer contour of said rotating body that defines an elliptical path in a turning condition. Thanks to these characteristics, a cervical pillow is achieved which, unlike the state of the art, is capable of correcting anomalous / pathological positions of the user, maintaining a correct alignment of the vertebrae while sleeping due to the ability to modify the elevation of the second portion where The neck is adjusted. Said modification is made in a simple manner thanks to the information collected by the pressure sensing means and processed by the control means that are able to distinguish whether the user is supine or lateral recumbency; sending the corresponding signal to the elevator means of relatively simple configuration. In addition the user has a sufficient surface to rest the head and neck unlike for example of the butterfly-shaped designs. In addition, the use of fluids such as gases or liquids for the modification of the height of the second portion is avoided, so there is no risk of leakage or operating noise.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the pillow body may further comprise a cover layer made of padded material, which guarantees comfort for the user; and also the first portion and the second portion can be independent or solidarity to facilitate the production process.

Preferably, the pressure sensing means comprise at least one pressure sensor, preferably a plurality disposed in the first portion; The control means may comprise a processing unit and the driving unit may comprise an electric motor that may be linked to a power battery.

To ensure optimum positioning of the rotating body, it may be supported on at least one support, said support being associated with a rigid and elongated base arranged under the rotating body. In the present application it should be understood that "rigid" refers to the fact that the base is made of materials or has a structure that allows the different components to be supported without major deformations on them.

According to another aspect of the invention, the rotating body may have an eccentric cross section or an oval shaped cross section. In this way a relatively compact design of the rotating body is achieved and also effective in raising the second portion. The second portion may comprise at least one cavity, said cavity being configured so that the rotating body contacts the walls of said cavity in an elevated condition. Thanks to these characteristics, the entire lifting mechanism can be accommodated compactly without reducing comfort to the user.

Other features and advantages of the dynamic cervical pillow object of the present invention will be apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment, which is illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 .- It is a perspective elevation view of a dynamic cervical pillow in accordance with the object of the present invention;

Figure 2.- It is a schematic and profile view of the dynamic cervical pillow of Figure 1 in an elevated condition for a supine position posture devoid of lateral coverage;

Figure 3.- It is a schematic and profile view of the dynamic cervical pillow of Figure 1 in a non-elevated condition for a lateral decubitus posture devoid of lateral coverage;

Figure 4.- It is a schematic perspective view of a support associated with a rigid base and control means of the dynamic cervical pillow of Figure 1;

Figure 5.- It is a schematic perspective view of the dynamic cervical pillow of Figure 1 presenting an electrical connection and a wiring for feeding a battery;

Figure 6.- It is a schematic view of the dynamic cervical pillow of Figure 2 in a condition of use in which the user is placed supine; Y

Figure 7.- It is a schematic view of the dynamic cervical pillow of Figure 3 in a condition of use in which the user is placed in lateral recumbency.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in the attached figures, a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a dynamic cervical pillow according to the present invention is shown. In Figure 1 it can be seen that the dynamic cervical pillow of the present invention has a pillow body 1 and that said pillow body 1 comprises a first portion 1 1 for the support of a user's head and a second portion 12 for the user neck accommodation. The first portion 1 1 and the second portion 12 are independent in the present embodiment although it would be possible in an alternative embodiment not shown in which both potions 1 1 and 12 were in solidarity. Additionally, the pillow body 1 comprises a covering layer 13 made of padded material to ensure user comfort. The pillow body 1 further comprises pressure sensing means 2 arranged in the first portion 1 1 and lifting means 3 disposed in the second portion 12, as can be seen in Figures 2 and 3. In turn, the sensor means of pressure 2 and the lifting means 3 are linked to each other through control means 5 shown in Figure 4 and which preferably comprise a processing unit. The pressure sensing means 2 may comprise a pressure sensor or a plurality thereof.

Returning to Figures 2 and 3 it can be seen that the lifting means 3 comprise an elongated rotating body 31 arranged along a longitudinal direction of the pillow body 1; The rotating body 31 is able to rotate thanks to the action of at least one driving unit 32 shown in Figure 4, and which preferably comprises an electric motor linked to a supply battery which guarantees silent operation. In Figure 5 it is illustrated that in the present embodiment a wiring 34 with a connector 35 for recharging the power battery is provided; It should be mentioned that all electrical equipment of the present invention will be conveniently isolated for safety reasons. The expert may find other possibilities for the power supply of the drive unit 32, including the direct connection to the power grid.

The rotation of said rotating body 31 occurs with respect to an axis of rotation arranged in the longitudinal direction of the pillow body 1. For the management of the rotation the driving unit 32 is linked to the control means 5.

Preferably, the rotating body 31 is supported on a pair of supports 33 arranged on both sides of the rotating body 31, and these supports 33 are associated with a rigid and elongated base 4 arranged under the rotating body 31. In this embodiment Preferably, the rigid base 4 is further configured to position the pressure sensing means 2 on it, in this way a more reliable reading of the user's movements during sleep is achieved. In the present embodiment, the rotating body 31 has an oval shaped cross-section, although alternatively the rotating body 31 may have a cross-section with other shapes such as eccentric, like a cam.

To facilitate the elevation of the second portion 12, the cross section of said rotating body comprises a point of the outer contour of said rotating body defining an elliptical path in a turning condition. It is worth mentioning that the present embodiment has a rotating body 31 with a uniform cross-section, although it will be obvious to have a rotating body 31 in which at least one region has a cross-section with an outer contour as shown in the attached figures.

As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, it is provided that the second portion 12 comprises a cavity 14, said cavity 14 being configured so that the rotating body 31 contacts the walls of said cavity 14 in an elevated condition in relation to the rigid base 4, as shown in figure 3. It can be seen that the cavity 14 is defined within a cushion 6 made of a flexible and comfortable material to allow rotation of the rotating body 31 and transmit this elevation to the user.

To fulfill its function, the present cervical pillow must adapt to the anthropometric variations of the different individuals either by different final sizes thereof, modifying the radial distance of the cross-section of the rotating body 31 or with the help of an external computer program and specific to manage the control means 5 and specifically a processing unit comprised therein.

When a user wishes to employ the present invention he will rest his head on the first portion 1 1; there the pressure sensing means 2 detect the pressure exerted on them and send the information to the control means 5 that determine if the user is supine (figure 6) or lateral recumbent (figure 7) and if it is it is necessary to modify the position of the rotating body 31. Once the position is determined, the control means 5 send the corresponding order on the driving unit 32 that drives the rotating body 31 rotating it around its longitudinal axis. Depending on the form Geometric of the cross-section of the rotating body 31 the angle of rotation will be more or less wide, but in the present embodiment the rotation will have a magnitude of 90 ^e both clockwise and counterclockwise. Thanks to the geometric shape of the cross section of the rotating body 31 which in this preferred embodiment is oval, with the rotation of 90 ^{e it} is achieved that the second portion 12 is raised or lowered in relation to the user's neck, allowing the correct support on That part of the anatomy. Furthermore, and thanks to the presence of the covering layer 13 and the cushion flux 6 arranged in both the first portion 1 1 and the second portion 12, optimum comfort is achieved for the user without contact with any rigid component, to the once the connection between the cushion 6 and the rotating body 31 is achieved regardless of the position thereof.

In summary, the height of the cervical pillow at which the user supports the neck will vary depending on their position, rising a few centimeters if the person is resting in the supine position or will fall if they are in the lateral recumbency. As a consequence, the present invention is capable of correcting the position of the neck either towards rectification in the frontal plane when the user sleeps on the side, or towards the slight physiological lordosis in the sagittal plane when the user sleeps in a supine or upside down position.

As noted above, the drive unit 32 may be powered by a battery that is recharged through the connector 35; Thanks to this possibility, the user can use the present invention regardless of the proximity to an electrical supply source.

The details, shapes, dimensions and other accessory elements, as well as the materials used in the manufacture of the dynamic cervical pillow of the invention may be conveniently substituted by others that do not depart from the scope defined by the claims included below. .

Claims

one . Dynamic cervical pillow having a pillow body, said pillow body comprising a first portion for the support of a user's head and a second portion for the accommodation of the user's neck, characterized by the fact that the pillow body comprises furthermore, pressure sensing means arranged in the first portion and lifting means arranged in the second portion, the pressure sensing means and the lifting means being linked to each other with control means, in which the lifting means comprise a rotating body elongate arranged along a longitudinal direction of the pillow body, at least one driving unit configured for the rotation of said rotating body with respect to an axis of rotation arranged in the longitudinal direction of the pillow body and connected state of the unit having been provided impeller with the control means, in which the cross section of po At least one region of said rotating body comprises a point of the outer contour of said rotating body that defines an elliptical path in a turning condition.

2. Dynamic cervical pillow according to claim 1 wherein the pillow body further comprises a cover layer made of padded material.

3. Dynamic cervical pillow according to any of the preceding claims wherein the first portion and the second portion are in solidarity.

4. Dynamic cervical pillow according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the pressure sensing means comprises at least one pressure sensor.

5. Dynamic cervical pillow according to any of the preceding claims wherein the driving unit comprises an electric motor.

6. Dynamic cervical pillow according to claim 5 wherein the electric motor is linked to a power battery.

7. Dynamic cervical pillow according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the control means comprise a processing unit.

8. Dynamic cervical pillow according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the rotating body is supported on at least one support, said support being associated with a rigid and elongated base arranged under the rotating body.

9. Dynamic cervical pillow according to any of the preceding claims wherein the rotating body has an eccentric cross section.

10. Dynamic cervical pillow according to any of the preceding claims wherein the rotating body has an oval shaped cross section.

eleven . Dynamic cervical pillow according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the second portion comprises at least one cavity, said cavity being configured so that the rotating body contacts the walls of said cavity in an elevated condition.