WO2019112445A2

WO2019112445A2 - Travel mattress with neck pillow

Info

Publication number: WO2019112445A2
Application number: PCT/NZ2018/050165
Authority: WO
Inventors: James BOUNSALL
Original assignee: Bounsall James
Priority date: 2017-11-20
Filing date: 2018-11-20
Publication date: 2019-06-13
Also published as: WO2019112445A3

Abstract

A compact travel mattress designed for airplane seat that can be rolled up and stored on carry-on luggage. The roll formation and handle allow for portability through airports and train stations. The travel mattress can have a seat cushion, back cushion and neck pillow combination, whilst conforming to airline size and weight restrictions.

Description

Travel mattress with neck pillow

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of invention

The invention relates to travel mattresses, travel pads, sleeping pads, seat cushions, back supports and neck pillows. Specifically, travel mattresses with pillows or neck pillows attached .

2. Description of related Art

Sleeping pads, travel mattresses or mattress toppers

(henceforth the term travel mat will be used) are usually relatively flat on both top and bottom.

Travel mats have been designed for specific purposes, i.e.

camping, comfort or hard beds.

One drawback of the typical travel mat is that it is not designed for air travel. They are not readily suitable to carry through airports. Patent US 8,291,531 is a sleeping pad with a temporary pillow attached by making use of a plurality of projections at one end of the mat and corresponding holes on the mat form the pillow. While this design has a temporary pillow attached, both the pillow and mattress are not designed with air travel in mind or have not been designed to allow for multiple shapes and sizes of the neck pillow attached as is common with air travel .

Summary of the Invention

It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a travel mat designed for travel, specifically air travel.

A further object of the invention is to improve travel mats that have pillows attached, particularly pillow/mattress combination that can be used whilst sitting upright, where the pillow attached is shaped like a neck pillow as is common with air travel .

Another object of the invention is to conform to sizing

restrictions regarding airline seat space and carry-on luggage. The attached drawings will clarify the above statements and highlight the uniqueness of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An exemplary embodiment as well as alternative embodiments of the present invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG .1 is one side of the travel mat, with #1 being the

reference number for the entire mattress and #12 and #14 being counterpart fasteners to #10 in FIG.2. Item #109 is a handle. FIG.2 is the opposite side of the travel mat, with #10 being counterpart fasteners to #12 and #14 in FIG.l. Item #100 is a hood for blocking out light.

FIG.3 is a side view of the travel mat, with the #10 fasteners secured to #14, forming pillow formation #30.

FIG.4 is a further side view of the travel mat, with #4 being a cover with fasteners on it, so that the cover can be removed. FIG.5 is a side view of the travel mat, with fasteners

piercing both the travel mat (#1) and the cover (#4) .

FIG.6 is a perspective view of the travel mat with pillow formation #30. FIG.7 is the travel mat rolled up, being secured with fasteners #10 and #14. Fasteners #10 and #12 could be used for a tighter roll. Item #109 is a handle that can be used for transportation .

FIG.8 highlights the travel mat being rolled up. The fasteners used can be replaced with bands or buckles in various

positions on the travel mat as depicted in FIG.l

FIG.9 is the lumbar support #161 with fasteners #163 used to attach to the travel mat .

FIG.10 is the lumbar support #151 with loops #155 for passing the brace #152 through.

FIG.11 is an embodiment of the travel mat with flaps for further pillow formations and with fasteners #162 being

counterpart fasteners for #163 in FIG. 9. #104 are pockets attached to the travel mat. This embodiment has a blanket #105 attached to the side.

FIG.12 is a further embodiment wherein the lumbar support is connected to the travel mat with braces #152 passing through the loops #155 on lumbar support. The braces are secured to the travel mat with counterpart fasteners #153 on the travel mat and #154 on the brace.

FIG.13 highlights the pillow formation #31 which can be formed by securing #10 fasteners to fasteners #12 and #14.

FIG.14 highlights a further pillow formation #32 by securing #10 fasteners to #12 and #14 fasteners in a different

combination .

Page 3

FIG.15 is the view of the opposite side of FIGS.11 and 12 with additional fasteners #11 and #13 and the flaps numbered as #111, #112 and #110.

FIG.16 highlights the fasteners #11 and #13 secured together to form a further pillow formation with flap #112 folded backwards to cushion the nape of a neck.

FIG.17 is a further embodiment of the travel mat referred to as #2 with a further pillow attachment at one end of the travel mat. This has fasteners #15, #16, #17 and #18.

FIG.18 is a further embodiment of the travel mat referred to as #3 with 2 flaps #110 and #111 attached to one end. This has fasteners #11, #13, #40 and #42.

FIG.19 - 21 depict the travel mat being used in an airplane seat with various formations of the pillow.

FIG.19 depicts the travel mat #1 pillow formation #31 on an airplane seat #22. #24 is an outline of person.

FIG.20 is travel mat #2 in an airplane seat with pillow

formation #34 wherein fasteners #15 and #17 have been secured together to form #34.

FIG.21 is travel mat #3 in an airplane seat with pillow

formation #35 wherein fasteners #11 and #13 have been secured together to form #35.

FIG.22 is the travel mat with flaps #110 and #111 with

fasteners #10 and #13 which can be secured together to connect flaps together around the neck or to form a thicker pillow.

#401 are loops or fasteners to secure the travel mat to itself. #402 is a zipper if a cover is used for the mattress.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIGS 18 and 22, these are preferred embodiments of the invention. The flaps #110 and #111 have been designed to form a U or V shape so that the flaps can be used as a support to the neck area. As seen in FIG 17, these flaps can come in various shapes as and sizes to allow for neck, jaw or head contours .

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 in this embodiment of the invention there is a travel mat (or mattress topper, mattress, sleeping pad, yoga mat, etc. henceforth referred to as travel mat) in a rectangular shape, this shape can change as will be shown in further embodiments. For simplicity, the travel mat will predominately be depicted as rectangular. The travel mat is formed of at least one resilient material (e.g. foam, rubber, etc.) . As is the case with a mattress this could be a fabric case or cover filled with the resilient material or a

plurality of resilient materials (e.g. seat cushion, back cushion and neck pillow) ; the travel mat is highlighted in FIGS 3, 4 and 5 with and without a cover.

The travel mat has attached to it a plurality of fasteners (consistent with the invention these connecting devices could include buttons, straps, loop-catch systems etc. henceforth referred to as fasteners) . These fasteners are male and female counterpart fasteners and are secured to the travel mat in opposition to each other. The reason for this will become apparent when viewing FIGS. 6, 7, 13, 14, 16, 20 and 21.

In this embodiment fasteners #10 are the counterpart fasteners for #12 and #14, these can be secured together when the travel mat is bent over on itself, thus forming various pillow formations #30, #31 and #32. With modification to the

fasteners' placement on the travel mat, the amount of pillow formations could be increased; for instance, #10 fasteners could be placed on the same side of the travel mat with #12 and #14 to form a pillow that is flatter than #30.

These same fasteners can be used to secure the travel mat in a roll formation as depicted in FIG. 7 leaving the handle #109 exposed for transportation. The travel mat can be rolled up in varying degrees of tightness depending on which fasteners are connected. As depicted in FIG. 7 fasteners #10 are secured to fasteners #14 for a tighter roll.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 highlight how the travel mat can be used to lay horizontally as a sleeping pad or as highlighted in FIG.

19 on a seat with pillow formation 31.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, these depict a further

embodiment of the travel mat, wherein there is a plurality of arms or flaps on the travel mat (these arms or flaps are due to incisions in the travel mat or having arms or flaps attached to travel mat, henceforth these are referred to as flaps) . Flaps #110 and #111 can be secured together with counterpart fasteners #11 and #13, leaving flap #112 which could be rolled over as a further support to the neck area. Flaps #110 and #111 can also be secured to fasteners #12 or #14 to form further pillow formations.

FIGS. 17 and 18 depict the pillow section in various shapes, these shapes are indicative of the plurality of shapes that could be produced for support or comfort .

Further embodiments are depicted in which more than one flap is used to form a number of pillow formations. FIG. 18 is one such embodiment wherein flap #112 has been removed so that there is no added support for rear of the head. The flaps #110 and #111 can still be secured around the neck area.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, the travel mat has a lumbar support (this cushion or pillow is not limited to just the lumbar area, it will be described henceforth as lumbar support) #151 or #161 as depicted in FIGS. 9 and 10. This lumbar - support is made of the same or similar resilient material. The lumbar support is attached to the travel mat by means of either counterpart fasteners placed on the lumbar support and the travel mat or by at least one brace #152, the brace

described here is a suspender-like apparatus, where the brace passes through at least one loop #155, like the process of passing a belt through the loop on a pair of trousers. The brace-and-loop system allows the position of the lumbar

support to be adjusted on the travel mat according to the needs of the individual using the travel mat and lumbar

support. The brace or loops are detachable, thus allowing the lumbar support to be removed by detaching fasteners #153 and #154 which secure the brace to the travel mat. This is the case with the counterpart fasteners #162 and #163 on the travel mat and lumbar support #161, also allowing the lumbar support to be attached or detached from the travel mat. The lumbar support can be permanently attached to the travel mat . Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12 items numbered #104 and #105.

Item #104 is a pocket. In this embodiment there is at least one pocket attached to the travel mat. Depicted, the pocket or pockets can be placed in a number of positions. Item #105 is a blanket (or sheet, towel or throw, henceforth the term blanket will be used) . In this embodiment the blanket is attached to the travel mat on one side. Consistent with the invention, the blanket could be attached on either side or there could be a plurality of blankets attached, the blanket can have openings in it to allow the travel mat to be worn as piece of clothing (e.g. jacket, sweater, coat, etc.). Consistent with the

invention, the blanket can be detachable. Referring back to FIG. 2 #100 is a hood (this could be a cap, hat, eye mask or cover henceforth described as hood) attached to the travel mat which can be used to block out light. Consistent with the invention this hood can be placed in varying positions on the travel mat due to the varying positions of fasteners, flaps and pillow formations.

Referring back to FIG 22 a zipper is depicted as #402, thus allowing for a cover, so that the invention can be made up of several parts .

Claims

Claims The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A travel mat including or comprising of: a mattress of at least one resilient substance wherein the mattress has at least one flap on at least one end of the mattress whereby the attached flap or flaps can be formed into a neck pillow to support various parts of the body.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the neck pillow support is formed or can be formed into various shapes and curves to support various parts of the body.

3. The invention of claim 2 where in the mattress has loops or fasteners attached to itself to allow the travel mat to be secured to itself or secured to a mode of transporting goods .

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein the travel mat has at least one male fastener attached to the mattress; has at least one female fastener attached to the mattress wherein the male fasteners and the female fasteners are

positioned on the mattress to allow the mattress to have at least one of a plurality of pillow formations when the said male fasteners and the said female fasteners are secured together.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein the said male fasteners and the said female fasteners are positioned on the said mattress enabling the mattress to form either the said pillow formations or the said roll formation when the said male fasteners and the said female

fasteners are secured together.

6. The invention of claim 5 further

comprising of a handle attached to the said mattress.

7. The invention of claim 6 further comprising of at least one of a plurality of pockets attached to the said mattress .

8. The invention of claim 7 further comprising of at least one blanket attached to the said mattress .

9. The invention of claim 8 further

comprising of a hood attached to the said mattress .

10. The invention of claim 9 wherein further said fasteners are positioned on the said mattress to allow at least one lumbar support to be secured to the said mattress.

11. The invention of claim 10 further

comprising of at least one brace.

12. The invention of claim 11 wherein the said brace is detachable from the said

mattress .

13. The invention of claim 12 further comprising of a lumbar support made of said resilient substance wherein the said lumbar support has at least one of the said fasteners attached to the said lumbar support allowing the said lumbar support to be attached to the said mattress when the said fasteners on the said mattress and on the said lumbar support are secured together.

14. The invention of claim 13 further comprising of a lumbar support made of said resilient material wherein the said lumbar support has at least one loop attached to the said lumbar support allowing the said lumbar support to be attached to the said mattress by passing the said brace through the said loop .