Traction Pillow System

Abstract

A neck traction device is designed to provide gentle neck tensioning stress with the body in a resting, horizontal position. The device includes a wedge-shaped head pillow angled away from the torso whereby the angle of the wedge promotes force of the head away from the body, promoting neck tension. The device also includes a wedge-shaped body pillow, positioned to properly align the head and spine in all resting positions, and to relieve shoulder compression for side resting positions.

Claims

1. A neck-traction pillow system for supporting a resting human body, said neck-traction system comprising: a head pillow and a body pillow; wherein said head pillow volume is defined by a right triangular area that defines the pillow volume as the area is swept through the width of the pillow, wherein the base leg of said triangular area is the base, the vertical leg of the triangle is the thick end of the pillow, and the included angle end of the pillow is the narrow end, with said thick end positioned under the base of the head and neck, and said narrow end positioned near the top of the head, said pillow volume positioned with its width transverse to the center spinal axis of the reclined user; wherein said head pillow integrates an optional base-shaped lifting volume to achieve optimal height; wherein said head pillow wedge angle is selected to pull the head away from the body by generating gentle neck tension; wherein said body pillow is a wedge-shaped volume formed by sweeping an isosceles triangular area to the full width of the pillow, said width generally matching the width of the head pillow, said body pillow with its thick end adjacent to the thick end of the head pillow and its thin end tapered down towards the midsection of the user's body, said body pillow providing a gentle transition from the mattress or support surface up from the thin end to the thick end; wherein said body pillow lifts the torso of the body to provide shoulder relief when the user is positioned on their side; wherein said body pillow is sufficiently thick at its thick end to ensure straight spinal alignment in all resting positions.

2. A neck-traction pillow system of claim 1; wherein the head pillow included angle may vary between 45 and zero degrees, the nominal right angle may vary by +/−20 degrees, the overall height may vary from 2.54 to 25.4 cm (1 to 10 inches), the width may vary from 15 to 40.6 cm (6 to 16 inches), and the overall width may vary from 25.4 to 101.6 cm (10 to 40 inches); wherein the body pillow may be defined by the swept area of a right triangle as well as an isosceles triangle, said body pillow may be an overall height from 2.54 to 25.4 cm (1 to 10 inches), a width to facilitate comfortable transition to its height, 25 cm to 100 cm (9.8 to 39.4 inches), and a length to match the head pillow, 15 to 40.6 cm (6 to 16 inches).

3. A neck traction pillow system of claim 1 composed from: viscoelastic polyurethane foam; polyurethane foam; latex foam; solid latex; feathers or down; batting material; horse hair; shredded foam; or any other suitable pillow fill material known to those skilled in the art of pillow fabrication.

4. A neck traction system of claim 1 comprised of single blocks or multiple materials; wherein single block pillows may be cut from larger buns of foam; wherein single block pillows may be molded from foam; wherein multiple materials may be multiple layers of the same material but of different hardness or softness; wherein pillow construction may be layers of different suitable materials, such as a harder material on the inside wrapped by softer material on the outside.

5. A neck traction system of claim 1, wherein the head pillow and the body pillow are separately covered with a relatively thin material layer or layers; wherein said cover layer is a fabric, weave, felt, or composite, said cover layer serving the purpose of protecting the core material, facilitating easy cleaning, providing for cooling or warming, providing for ventilation between the head and the core material, or providing a surface texture preferable to individual users; wherein said cover fabric has a zipper or opening for easy removal; wherein said cover layer is single or multi-layered; wherein said cover layer covers the entire pillow, or selectively covers a portion, such as the top surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] FIG. 1A—Force distributions of a conventional pillow, back resting position

[0029] FIG. 1B—Force distribution of a conventional pillow, side resting position

[0030] FIG. 1C—Force distribution of a Tempur-Pedic® pillow

[0031] FIG. 2—Detailed view of wedge pillow system

[0032] FIG. 3A—Wedge pillow system, preferred embodiment

[0033] FIG. 3B—Wedge pillow system, shallower head pillow angle

[0034] FIG. 3C—Wedge pillow system, steeper head angle

[0035] FIG. 4—Head pillow showing force distributions

[0036] FIG. 5A—Wedge pillow system, side resting position

[0037] FIG. 5B—Wedge pillow system, back resting position

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] A traditional pillow, shown in FIG. 1A, (101) supports the head (102) during rest by providing upward reaction forces to the head's contours (103, 104). Support forces are generally normal to their contact surfaces. From FIG. 1A we observe that forces are not all parallel. Forces near the top of the head (103) have a horizontal element because the pillow material pushes back normal to the contact surface, toward the spine. Forces near the middle of the head (104) are substantially upward with little horizontal component. In a static system such as a head resting on a pillow, all forces must balance. Horizontal forces generated by head contact (103) must be balanced by neck forces (105) thus putting the neck into compression. Further, any pillow that lifts the head when the user is on their back must tip the head upward. A head tipped upward generates both a bend and stress at the neck (106) which may cause discomfort in some users. The Triangular Pillow, US2008/0109961, mentioned above, will generate these potentially uncomfortable neck issues in the back-down position.

[0039] FIG. 1B shows a conventional pillow (101) with the head (102) and torso (107) in a side position. Beginning at the jaw line, forces are generally vertical. But again, forces near the top of the head (108) have a horizontal element that push the head back toward the body. Horizontal component forces near the top of the head create compression in the neck (111). Additional support forces (109) are substantially vertical with no side component. The edge of the pillow near the jaw may generate forces (110) that are mainly vertical but have a slight horizontal component to offset the horizontal force component near the head. These offsetting forces are one reason that people bunch their pillows under their neck and jaw. A final note is that a side position with a conventional pillow puts the downward shoulder (112) in a support position adjacent to both the pillow (101) and the torso (107). Since the shoulder sticks downward more than the torso, it experiences more force than the torso.

[0040] No pillow discussion is complete without mentioning the Tempur-Pedic® contour pillow, shown schematically in FIG. 1C (113). In this figure, the head (102) rests on a contoured surface (114) that provides a minimum top head force (115) and an enhanced counter force (116) due to its curvature. As a result, neck forces (117) compressing the neck (118) are reduced.

[0041] To sum, a conventional pillow and to some extent the contoured pillow induce support forces toward the top of the head that creates neck compression. Observe that a traditional pillow and even a specially contoured pillow do not address induced cervical spine curvature in back-down or face-up positions. Neither does a traditional pillow address shoulder force that is higher than torso force for side positions. Even pillows that claim to be designed for side sleeping do not alleviate the excess force felt by the shoulder because the shoulder has a wider profile than the torso. For a person on their side, the shoulder pushes down further into the mattress and experiences higher force.

[0042] The proposed pillow system invention shown in FIG. 2 addresses these shortcomings. FIG. 2 shows a head pillow (201) adjacent to a body pillow (202). Together, these pillows create a resting surface whose combined upward contour generally matches the downward profile of the human body. Both head and body pillow are generally triangles; in use they are placed adjacent to one another with their wide ends (203, 204) proximal and pointed ends (205, 206) distal. Typically, a small gap (207) is placed between them, though this gap is not necessary for back and front rest positions.

[0043] The head pillow (201) is angled so that the narrow portion of the wedge (205) is near the top of the head and the thick end (203) is near the jaw or neck. The body pillow (202) is positioned with the narrow portion (206) more towards the waist and the thick portion (204) near the body pillow, thus allowing a gentle and comfortable height transition in support of the torso.

[0044] The resting surface of the head pillow (208) is inclined away from the body pillow. 30 degrees is the preferred included angle of the head pillow (209), but this may be adjusted to suit the user's needs. The angle may vary from zero degrees, or flat, to 45 degrees, with consequent neck tension decreased or increased. Pillow width, corresponding to the base leg, is typically 25.4 cm (10 in). Pillow length is typically 61 cm (24 inches) but can vary according to user preference.

[0045] The body pillow lifts the body slightly to provide shoulder relief and to keep the spine straight in all sleeping positions. Height of body lift is determined by the nominally vertical leg (210) minus foam compression. Body pillow angle is not critical, but must taper to a reasonably small, end (211) so that it comfortably transitions into the supporting surface.

[0046] To permit a sufficiently sloped head pillow angle without the pillow running out of material, the nominal right triangle of the pillow optionally includes a lift zone (212). Said lift zone is enough to create a total vertical leg (213) high enough to both support the head and keep the spine aligned.

[0047] The head pillow is generally a 30-degree right triangle with a base leg (214) of 25.4 cm (10 inches) and height of 14.7 cm (5.8 inches). It is thickened at the base by a 2.5 cm (1 inch) lift zone (212) to add to overall height, said thickening reflected by a flat tailing surface (215). Edges may be rounded or left sharp.

[0048] In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 3A the head pillow (301), adjacent to the body pillow (302) treats the edges accordingly: the edge contacting the head (303) is rounded to a radius of 5.1 cm (2 inches), the bottom edge near the gap (304) is a 2.5 cm (1 inch) radius, the top edge near the narrow end (305) is a 2.5 cm (1 inch) radius, and the bottom edge near the rear (306) may be sharp. Side edges may be sharp or slightly rounded.

[0049] The body pillow (302) is substantially an isosceles triangle positioned with its thick end near the head pillow. Its symmetry permits it to be flipped over with equal function, but again with the thick end towards the head pillow. Gap between the pillow (306) is determined by user preference but typically ranges from 5.1 to 10.2 cm (2 to 4 inches).

[0050] Head pillow function is maintained even when varying the proscribed dimensions. Included angle may vary between 45 and 0 degrees. Height may vary between 5.1-20.3 cm (3-8 inches). Depth may vary from 12.7-40.6 cm (5 to 16 inches). Length may vary from 25.4-10.6 cm (10 to 40 inches), or more. The right angle is shown in its preferred embodiment of 90 degrees but may also vary by +/−15 degrees.

[0051] FIGS. 3B and 3C depict alternative embodiments of the invention. FIG. 3B shows a shallower head angle (307) and a height that is closer to that of the body pillow (308). FIG. 3C shows an even steeper head pillow angle (309) with a vertical face (310) that leans slightly toward the body pillow (311).

[0052] In the preferred embodiment, pillow material is viscoelastic polyurethane foam. Construction is typically monolithic but may also be in layers, single or multiple, with materials varying in hardness. Layers may be as arranged as a core with wrapped outer layers, or in a flat stacked manner

[0053] We see in detail how the wedge-shaped head pillow creates neck tension in FIG. 4. The wedge pillow (401) supports the head (402), with more of the weight supported at the thick end of the pillow (403). If we depict support point (403) as the main support zone, we observe that force normal to the support surface (404) may be broken down into a horizontal element, F1 (405) and a vertical element, F2 (406). The vertical force element supports the head against gravity, and the balancing horizontal element, F3 (407) contributes to tension in the neck (408). Further, the center of mass of the head (409) creates a moment about the nominal contact point (403) because the head is cantilevered about said support. For static equilibrium, downward force of the head, F4 (410) times D1 (411) is equal to neck tension due to the head moment, F3 (407) times D2 (412).

[0054] To maintain static equilibrium of the head on the pillow, both the sum of X/Y forces and the sum of moments must be zero, or:

Σ(X forces): F1+F3=0

Σ(Y forces): F2+F4=0

ΣMoments: (F4×D1)+(F3×D2)=0

[0055] FIG. 5A describes the support elements of the pillow system when side sleeping. For side sleeping, the head (501) is supported by the head pillow (502) as described previously, creating gentle tension on the neck (503). Head support force (504) is generally away from the neck. With the body pillow (505) creating a stress relief gap for the shoulder (506), shoulder force (507) is reduced so that it is on the order of the same level as body support forces (508, 509). In addition, the body support pillow ensures a straight and aligned spine (510).

[0056] In FIG. 5B we see the pillow system supporting a supine position. The head (511) is supported substantially as previously described, with head support forces (512) creating gentle tension on the neck (513). The gap between head and body pillow (514) is easily bridged and the spine (515) is again straight and fully supported by evenly distributed support forces (516).

[0057] Although the described pillow system is passive, it is nonetheless performing several simultaneous functions in service of comfort and stress relief: [0058] The angle of the head pillow draws the head away from the body, gently stretching the neck [0059] The foam material of the head pillow can be deformed in shear by pulling the top surface towards the body, causing yet increased neck tension [0060] With the torso lifted, the head is well aligned with the torso, and the neck and cervical spine are straight, in all sleeping positions [0061] Spacing between the body pillow and head pillow permits shoulder relief when the user is side positioned

[0062] The gap between head and body pillow is imperceptibly overlain with no ill effects when the user is resting on their back or front.

[0063] Variations in material height for the pillow pair may accommodate various body sizes. Foam hardness may be varied as well to suit the preference of the user.

[0064] Both head and body pillows are preferably covered with a protective material, said cover material may be zippered or seamed to allow removal and cleaning. Covers may also be of multiple layers performing different functions such as moisture control and thermal regulation. In typical use, a pillow assembly of wedged foam with cover would be placed inside a pillowcase for final use.

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