Pillowcase whose internal cavity accommodates an open pocket into which is fitted a neck support cushion

Abstract

A method of making a pillowcase and a pillowcase having a cavity that accommodates therein a pillow and having a pocket within the cavity that accommodates therein a neck support cushion. The pocket may have an opening that is fully accessible after folding the pillowcase inside out. The opening may be closed by a releasable fastener, such as fabric strips that tie to each other into knots across the opening.

Claims

1. A pillowcase product, comprising: a pillowcase that has two fabric side panels connected together along common side margins and along one common end margin to define a cavity therein, said two fabric side panels being unconnected at a remaining end margin thereof to define an open end in communication with the cavity, the cavity being dimensioned to accommodate fitting a pillow and a neck support cushion therein; a pocket panel having a peripheral edge region at least partially connected to the one of the two fabric side panels to define a boundary of a bounded portion of the one of the two fabric side panels, the bounded portion together with the pocket panel defining a pocket, the bounded portion having an inside surface within the cavity and having an outside surface outside the cavity; and wherein said pillowcase is configured to fold between a non-inside out position, at which the pocket is within the cavity, and an inside out position, at which the pocket is no longer within the cavity.

2. The pillowcase as in claim 1, wherein the pocket is an open pocket, the peripheral edge region having a portion connected to the one of the two fabric side panels and a further portion unconnected to the one of the two fabric side panels so as to give rise to an access opening between the further portion of the peripheral edge region of the pocket panel and the one of the two fabric side panels, the access opening being of a dimension sufficient, when open, to enable a neck support cushion to pass through the access opening to enter confines of the open pocket, wherein in the non-inside out position, access to the access opening is from inside confines of the cavity of the pillowcase, and an inside-out position, access to the access opening is from outside the pillowcase.

3. The pillowcase product as in claim 2, wherein the pillow is within confines of the cavity, the neck support cushion is within confines of the open pocket.

4. The pillowcase product as in claim 2, further comprising: a releasable fastener that is configured and arranged to retain the neck support cushion within confines of the open pocket.

5. The pillowcase product as in claim 4, wherein the releasable fastener is manually movable between a fastened position that fastens closed the access opening to deny access to the confines of the open pocket so that the neck cushion is blocked from passing through the access opening and a released position that unfastens the access opening to allow access to the confines of the open pocket so that the neck cushion may pass through the access opening.

6. The pillowcase product as in claim 5, wherein the releasable fastener is selected from the group consisting of a zipper, buttons, snap fasteners, hook and loop fasteners, a string passing through alternating fabric loops from sides of the opening and whose ends are knotted, and pairs of fabric straps that tie together into knots in the fastened condition and untie in the released condition with the pairs of the fabric straps having ends sewn to the pocket panel and to the one of the two fabric side panels.

7. The pillowcase product as in claim 2, further comprising: a releasable fastener that is configured and arranged to retain the neck support cushion within confines of the open pocket.

8. The pillowcase product as in claim 7, wherein the releasable fastener is configured and arranged to be manually movable between a fastened position that fastens closed the access opening to deny access to the confines of the open pocket so that the neck cushion is blocked from passing through the access opening and a released position that unfastens the access opening to allow access to the confines of the open pocket so that the neck cushion may pass through the access opening.

9. The pillowcase product as in claim 7, wherein the releasable fastener is selected from the group consisting of a zipper, buttons, snap fasteners, hook and loop fasteners, a string passing through alternating fabric loops from sides of the opening and whose ends are knotted, and pairs of fabric straps that tie together into knots in the fastened condition and untie in the released condition with the pairs of the fabric straps having ends sewn to the pocket panel and to the one of the two fabric side panels.

10. The pillowcase product as in claim 3, wherein the neck support cushion is made of a polyester material.

11. The pillowcase product of claim 1, wherein the pocket is an open pocket within the cavity, the open pocket defining an opening that provides access to contents of the open pocket, the open pocket being configured to accommodate as contents therein the neck support cushion, the one of the two fabric side panels having a region at least partially bounded by the peripheral edge of the pocket panel.

12. The pillowcase product of claim 11, wherein one of the pocket panel and the region of the one of the two fabric side panels has the opening therein, the neck support cushion being within confines of the open pocket; further comprising: a releasable fastener configured and arranged to retain the neck support cushion within confines of the open pocket, the releasable fastener being configured to fasten into a fastened position to retain the neck support cushion and being configured to release into a released position to release the neck support cushion from being retained.

13. The pillowcase product of claim 11, wherein the opening is between the pocket panel and the region of the one of the two fabric side panels, the neck support cushion being within confines of the open pocket; further comprising: a releasable fastener configured and arranged to retain the neck support cushion within confines of the open pocket, the releasable fastener being configured to fasten into a fastened position to retain the neck support cushion and being configured to release into a released position to release the neck support cushion from being retained.

14. The pillowcase as in claim 11, wherein the releasable fastener is configured and arranged to be manually movable between a fastened position that fastens closed the access opening to deny access to the confines of the open pocket so that the neck cushion is blocked from passing through the access opening and a released position that unfastens the access opening to allow access to the confines of the open pocket so that the neck cushion may pass through the access opening.

15. The pillowcase as in claim 12, wherein the releasable fastener is configured and arranged to be manually movable between a fastened position that fastens closed the access opening to deny access to the confines of the open pocket so that the neck cushion is blocked from passing through the access opening and a released position that unfastens the access opening to allow access to the confines of the open pocket so that the neck cushion may pass through the access opening.

16. A method of manufacture of a pillowcase product, comprising: configuring a pillowcase to fold between a non-inside out position, at which a pocket is within a cavity, and an inside out position, at which the pocket is no longer within the cavity, the configuring including bounding a pocket by a pocket panel and one of two fabric side panels of the pillowcase by at least partially connecting a peripheral edge region of the pocket panel to the one of the two fabric side panels to define a boundary of a bounded portion of the one of the two fabric side panels, and connecting together the one of the two fabric side panels to a remaining one of the two fabric side panels of the pillowcase along common side margins and along one common end margin to define the cavity therein, said two fabric side panels being unconnected at a remaining end margin thereof to define an open end in communication with the cavity, the cavity being dimensioned to accommodate fitting a pillow and a neck support cushion therein, wherein the bounded portion of the one of the two fabric side panels together with the pocket panel define the pocket, the bounded portion having an inside surface within the cavity and having an outside surface outside the cavity.

17. The method as in claim 16, further comprising: placing the neck support cushion within confines of the pocket by placing the neck support cushion on one of the two fabric side panels and then stitching the peripheral edge region of the pocket panel to the one of the two fabric side panels.

18. The method as in claim 16, wherein the pocket is an open pocket, the at least partially connecting of the peripheral edge region of the pocket panel to the one of the two fabric side panels including connecting a portion of the peripheral edge region to the one of the two fabric side panels and leaving a further portion of the peripheral edge region unconnected to the one of the two fabric side panels so as to give rise to an access opening between the further portion of the peripheral edge region of the pocket panel and the one of the two fabric side panels, the access opening being of a dimension sufficient, when open, to enable a neck support cushion to pass through the access opening to enter confines of the open pocket, wherein in the non-inside out position, access to the access opening is from inside confines of the cavity of the pillowcase, and an inside-out position, access to the access opening is from outside the pillowcase.

19. The method as in claim 16, wherein one of the pocket panel and the bounded portion of the one of the two fabric side panels has an access opening therein that provides access to inside the pocket so that the pocket is an open pocket, further comprising: placing the neck support cushion within confines of the pocket in the inside-out position via the access opening; and retaining the neck support cushion within confines of the open pocket with a releasable fastener, the releasable fastener fastening into a fastened position to retain the neck support cushion and releasing into a released position to release the neck support cushion from being retained.

20. The method as in claim 18, further comprising: placing the neck support cushion within confines of the open pocket; and retaining the neck support cushion within confines of the open pocket with a releasable fastener, the releasable fastener fastening into a fastened position to retain the neck support cushion and releasing into a released position to release the neck support cushion from being retained.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

(1) For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description and accompanying drawings, while the scope of the invention is set forth in the appended claims.

(2) FIG. 1 is an isometric bottom end view of a pillowcase in accordance with the invention with the pillowcase open end folded.

(3) FIG. 2 is an isometric top view of the pillowcase of FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 3 is an inside out view of the pillowcase of FIGS. 1-3 showing the closed opening of the neck support cushion opening with a portion of the neck support cushion visible within.

(5) FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the neck support cushion and depicting its longitudinal seam as well as one of two of its symmetric end seams. Although the neck support cushion is partially seen through the open pocket slit of FIG. 3, the longitudinal seam in FIG. 4 is on the diametrically opposite side to that of the side seen through the open pocket slit in FIG. 3.

(6) FIG. 5 is an inside out view of a further embodiment of the pillowcase in that the slit of FIGS. 1-3 is removed as well as some stitching along a side edge of the pocket panel so as to define an open space between the side edge of the pocket panel and one of the fabric side panels of the pillowcase.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) FIGS. 1-3 show a pillowcase having two fabric side panels 12, 14 connected together at two common side margins 16, 18 and at one common end margin 20 so as to define within a cavity. The remaining end is unconnected to form an opening 22 in communication with the cavity.

(8) FIG. 3 also shows an open pocket 30 closed by releasable fasteners that are in the form of knotted or tied together fabric straps 50. The open pocket 30 includes a pocket panel 32 whose two side edges 34, 36 and two end edges 38, 40 are connected to the one of the two fabric side panels 12 to bound a portion of the one of the two side panels 12. An opening or lengthwise slit 42 extends between the two end edges 38, 40, but is shorter than the length of the pocket panel 32. The slit 42 may either be in the pocket panel 32 itself or in the portion of the one of the two side panels 12 that is bounded by the pocket panel 32.

(9) A neck support cushion 60 is inserted into the open pocket 30 when the pillowcase is folded inside out in the manner of FIG. 3. Unlike common pillowcases. the present invention has two compartments, one for the pillow and one for an interchangeable neck support cushion which may be referred to as a loaf. The loaf is a neck support cushion 60 of FIG. 4 that is sized to fill the average gap between our head and shoulders and can be made of tempered foams and/or a sealed pad stuffed with shreds of different shaped substances made from foam, polyester or possibly even feathers. A fabric having two longitudinal edges and two pairs of end edges is wrapped around such contents and the two longitudinal edges are sewn together to form a seam and each pair of the two pairs of end edges is sewn together to form end seams. Each end seam has a portion that is perpendicular to the longitudinal seam and remaining portions that are inclined on either side of the neck support cushion 60 in the manner shown in FIG. 4 for one of the inclined remaining portions.

(10) To access the interior of the open pocket 30, the tied pairs of fabric straps 50 need to be untied. After insertion of the neck support cushion 60 into the open pocket 30, the pairs of fabric straps 50 are tied again. Each pair of fabric straps 50 includes an end of one of the fabric straps 50 sewn to a portion of the pocket panel 32 close to one side of lengthwise slit 42 and includes a further end of a further one of the fabric straps 50 sewn to a further portion of the pocket panel close to an opposite side of the lengthwise slit 42.

(11) As an alternative to fabric straps 50 that need to be tied, any conventional, releasable, fasteners may be used, such magnets, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, snap fasteners, buttons, a knotted string inserted through alternating loops, and tied fabric strips. An example as to how such conventional, releasable, fasteners may be used to close a fabric opening is depicted in FIGS. 7 and 12-14 of U.S. Pat. No. 10,499,755, whose contents are incorporated herein by reference with respect to its FIGS. 7 and 12-14 and accompanying discussion.

(12) The neck support cushion 60 may be tubular in shape and fits into the open pocket 30 to become its contents. The open pocket 30 does not necessarily extend the full length of the pillowcase 10. For instance, it is common practice for the open end of a pillowcase to have an edge defined by fabric turning back to overlap itself by a distance. At the end of that distance, the end of the pillowcase is sewn to the pillowcase to form a seam 24. It is at this seam where the proximal end 44 of the open pocket 30 may be sewn to connect with the pillowcase 10 as well so that the open pocket 30 extends from such a seam to the common end margin of the pillowcase. The distal end 46 of the open pocket 30 may be sewn at or neighboring the common end margin 20 of the pillowcase.

(13) An alternative might be to make the neck support cushion separate from the pillow. That way, the consumer can keep their choice of pillow. However, people do move around when they sleep so there is little assurance that a separate neck support cushion will retain its position relative to the pillow while the sleeping person moves in their sleep. Indeed, such a sleeping person might even adjust the pillow to change their sleep position and inadvertently leave behind the separate neck support cushion, thereby creating the possibility that the neck support cushion is no longer situated in a comfortable position under the person's neck relative to the change in pillow position. Thus, the sleeping person might wake up to make an adjustment or push aside the neck support cushion altogether, thereby eliminating the comfort the neck support cushion might otherwise provide had it been retained in its appropriate relative position to the pillow. For that reason, it is preferable that the pillowcase 10 have two compartments: one for accommodating the pillow and one for accommodating the neck support cushion (or loaf).

(14) The pillow (not shown) may be any conventional pillow that gets fitted into any conventional pillowcase, such as any of the conventional pillows shown in FIGS. 4-8 of U.S. Pat. No. 7,089,617 B1. Another example of a conventional pillow is shown in U.S. Patent No. U.S. D899,813 S, whose contents are incorporated herein by reference.

(15) Turning to FIG. 5, the same conventional pillowcase 10 and pocket panel 32 is used as in FIGS. 1-3 except without the lengthwise slit 42 in the pocket panel 32. Instead, an access opening 43 is formed between a top edge of the pocket panel 32 and the side panel 12 of the conventional pillowcase. The bottom side edge 34 of the pocket panel 32 and the two end edges 38, 40 are stitched to the side panel 12 of the conventional pillowcase 10 and thus forms the open pocket 30. In effect, the pocket panel 32 has a peripheral edge region that includes a portion connected to the side panel 12 and a further portion that is not so connected to give rise to the access opening 43 through which may pass the neck cushion 60 of FIG. 4 into and out of the confines of the open pocket 30.

(16) FIGS. 1 and 2 may be considered to depict a non-inside out position of the pillowcase. Access to the access opening 43 is within a cavity of the pillowcase via the opening 22 at an end of the pillowcase. FIG. 5 may be considered to depict an inside out position of the pillowcase after the pillowcase is so folded out of the non-inside out position of FIGS. 1 and 2. As such, access to the access opening 43 is from outside the pillowcase since the cavity of FIGS. 1 and 2 is gone. Of course, folding the pillowcase back to the non-inside out position depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 would restore the cavity inside the pillowcase.

(17) The access opening 43 of the open pocket 30 may be closed by a releasable fastener, which in effect replaces the need for stitching of FIGS. 1-3 to keep the top edge of the pocket panel 32 fastened closed. Such a releasable fastener may be in the form of the tied pairs of fabric straps 50, which would need to be untied to allow access. After insertion of the neck support cushion 60 into the open pocket 30, the pairs of fabric straps 50 are tied again. Each pair of fabric straps 50 includes an end of one of the fabric straps 50 sewn to a portion of the pocket panel 32 close to the access opening 43 and includes a further end of a further one of the fabric straps 50 sewn to the one of the fabric panels 12 of the pillowcase close to the access opening 43.

(18) As an alternative to fabric straps 50 that need to be tied, any conventional, releasable, fasteners may be used, such magnets, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, snap fasteners, buttons, a knotted string inserted through alternating loops, and tied fabric strips. An example as to how such conventional, releasable, fasteners may be used to close a fabric opening is depicted in FIGS. 7 and 12-14 of U.S. Pat. No. 10,499,755, whose contents are incorporated herein by reference with respect to its FIGS. 7 and 12-14 and accompanying discussion.

(19) A further alternative to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3 is to remove the opening or lengthwise slit 42 entirely and instead keep an end open between the pocket panel 32 and the side panel 12 of the conventional pillowcase. The end could be closed by an end panel using any of the techniques mentioned previously for a releasable fastener.

(20) The releasable fastener as mentioned previously need not be situated to close the opening or lengthwise slit 42 or the access opening 43. Instead, the releasable fastener may be situated on the neck support cushion 60 itself and on an inside surface of the open pocket (such as on the inside surface of the pocket panel 32 or on the inside surface of the side panel 12 of the conventional pillowcase) or just on one or the other. That way, the lengthwise slit 42 or access opening 42 of the open pocket 30 needs to be closed to enable retention of the neck support cushion 60 within the open pocket 30.

(21) If desired, the neck support cushion 60 may be permanently kept within the pocket by eliminating the slit 42 or opening 43 entirely. If so, then the neck support cushion 60 should be made of a material that resists mold and mildew growth and preferable resists retention of water. Polyester is a suitable stuffing material for the neck support cushion 60.

(22) The method of manufacture could be to lay out the pillowcase fabric side panel 12 on a surface and place the neck support cushion 60 on top. Next, the pocket panel 32 is placed over the neck support cushion 60 and then the pocket panel 32 is stitched to the pillowcase fabric side panel 12. The other pillowcase fabric side panel 14 is then placed over and stitched to the pillowcase fabric side panel 12.

(23) Another approach for manufacture would be to fold the pillowcase inside out and then place the neck cushion support 60 on the inside out pillowcase fabric side panel 12. Next, the pocket panel 32 is placed over the neck support cushion 60 and stitched to the pillowcase fabric side panel 12 underneath, without stitching also to the underlying remaining pillowcase fabric side panel 14. Finally, the pillowcase is folded inside back in.

(24) While the foregoing description and drawings represent the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.