Cooling pillow

Abstract

A cooling pillow generates a gust of cooled air when compressed. A solid, resilient, compressible foam block forms a core of the cooling pillow. A phase change material layer adhered to a surface of the foam block. Holes can be formed in the foam block to enhance the feel of the pillow and to improve the speed at which air is displaced when the cooling pillow is compressed. A pillow protector encloses of lightweight breathable material encloses the foam block. The pillow protector prevents the foam block and cooling layer from being abraded during insertion and removal from a pillow case. The pillow case encloses the pillow protector, which in tour holds the foam block and cooling layer. The pillow case has a breathable surface. The breathable surface is oriented to overly the cooling layer. A performance material can be used to form the breathable surface. To use the cooling pillow, the cooling pillow is oriented with the cooling layer and the breathable surface facing upward. The user then rests his or her head on the top of the pillow and compresses the cooling pillow with the weight of his or her head. As the pillow compresses, air is displaced and is cooled by the phase change material in the cooling layer. The result is a gust of cooled air against the user's head and neck.

Claims

1. A process for manufacturing bedding, which comprises: providing a solid, resilient, compressible foam block, said block having a surface; applying phase change material to said surface; forming a hole into said block and through said surface; and cracking said block.

2. A process for manufacturing bedding, which comprises: providing a solid, resilient, compressible foam block, said block having a surface; applying phase change material to said surface; forming a hole into said block and through said surface; compressing said block by pressing on said surface before the forming of the hole; and performing the forming of the hole while said block is compressed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1 is a bottom elevational view of a cooling pillow according to the invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a top elevational view of the cooling pillow shown in FIG. 1 with a pillow cover removed.

(3) FIG. 3 is a top elevational view of the cooling pillow shown in FIG. 1 with a pillow case and pillow protector removed.

(4) FIG. 4 is a left elevational view of the cooling pillow shown in FIG. 1 with the pillow protector and the pillow protector opened to expose the foam block.

(5) FIG. 5 is a left, top, front perspective view of the cooing pillow shown in FIG. 4.

(6) FIG. 6 is a left, top, rear perspective view of the cooling pillow shown in FIG. 1 with the pillow case retracted and the pillow protector partially retracted.

(7) FIG. 7 is a first alternate left, top, front perspective view of the cooling pillow shown in FIG. 6 with the outer and inner cover retracted to expose the cooling layer on the foam block.

(8) FIG. 8 is a second left, top, front perspective view of the cooling pillow shown in FIG. 7.

(9) FIG. 9 is a left, top perspective view of the cooling pillow shown in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) Reference numbers are used consistently throughout the figures of the drawing unless otherwise described. While the present invention is described with respect to what is presently considered to be the best mode, the invention as claimed should not be limited to the embodiments that are shown and described. Furthermore, the invention is not limited to the particular methodology, materials, and modifications described in this section. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing exemplary embodiments of the invention.

(11) FIGS. 1-9 show a preferred embodiment of a cooing pillow 100. In FIG. 1, a patterned side 402 of a pillow cover 400 is shown. The patterned side 402 is textured by having material of different thicknesses. The patterned side 402 has evenly spaced thicker regions 406 separated by evenly spaced thinner regions 405. The thicker regions 406 are hexagonal shaped. The thicker regions 406 are four millimeters (4 mm) thick. The thinner regions 405 are two millimeters (2 mm) thick. The pillow cover is made from cotton. The patterned side 402 provides a plush surface. In this preferred embodiment, the patterned side 402 is not optimized to maximize cooling.

(12) The user of the cooling pillow 100 may choose to sleep with either side of the cooling pillow 100 facing upward. In certain climates, the user may prefer to utilize the patterned side 402 of the pillow cover 400 to rest his or her head. The patterned side 402, by having increased and decreased thickness regions equally spaced, creates a soothing sensation for the user. Also, the patterned side 402, by having increased thickness relative to the uniform side 403 (which is shown in FIG. 2) of the pillow cover 400, allows for decreased cooling, which may be preferable to certain users or in certain situations.

(13) FIG. 2 shows the uniform side 403 of the pillow cover 400. The uniform side 403 is made from a performance fabric. The preferred embodiment of performance fabric is an elastane/polyester blend.

(14) FIG. 6 shows a pillow protector 300. The pillow protector 300 is a scrim. The scrim is made from a lightweight cotton cloth. The pillow protector 300 encloses the foam block 200. Note: for purposes of showing the foam block 200, FIGS. 4-9 show the pillow protector 300 opened and partially retracted; however, in the actual preferred embodiment, the pillow protector 300 is sewn closed. The pillow protector 300 and the foam block 200 are placed within the pillow cover 400. The pillow protector 300 eases the removal of the pillow protector/foam block from the pillow cover 400 because the cotton fabric of the pillow protector 300 has a lower coefficient of friction than the foam block 200. In addition, the pillow protector protects the foam block 200 and the cooling layer 203 by preventing abrasion on the foam block 200 as the pillow protector/foam block are being pulled from a snug fitting pillow cover 400.

(15) FIG. 3 shows a foam block 200. The foam block 200 is made from solid, resilient, compressible foam. A preferred type of foam is polyurethane foam. Alternate types of foam include viscoelastic foams and gel-infused polyurethane foams. The foam block 200 has a top surface 204. To obtain the best cooling effect, a user places her or his head on the top surface 204 of the cooling pillow 100.

(16) A plurality of holes 202 are formed through the foam block 200. The holes 202 run parallel to each other. The holes 202 transverse the foam block 200; that is, the holes 202 are formed in the top surface 204, through the foam block 200 itself, and in the bottom surface. The bottom surface is not shown in FIG. 3. The holes 202 have a frustoconical shape. Throughout their lengths, the holes 202 have a circular cross section. At the top surface 204, the holes 202 have a diameter of one centimeter (1 cm). At the bottom surface, the holes 202 have a diameter of six tenths of a centimeter (0.6 cm). The holes 202 are formed in a repeating square pattern. The holes 202 are center-spaced twenty-five centimeters (25 cm) apart from each other. As shown in FIG. 4, a seam 201 separates the foam block 200 into the top surface 204 and the bottom surface 205.

(17) A cooling layer 203 is disposed on the top surface 203. The cooling layer 203 includes microencapsulated phase change materials. A preferred embodiment of the microencapsulated phase change materials is sold under the trademark ENFINIT 28 PCM. Phase change materials can be abbreviated by the acronym PCM. The microcapsules of PCM are formed using thin, impermeable acrylic capsule walls. The capsule size range from eight to ten micrometers (8-10 m), with a median particle size of ten micrometers (10 m). The capsules have a core to wall ration of 80-95% core to 5-20% wall. The microencapsulation system sold under the trademark ENCAPSYS is a preferred microencapsulation system. A microencapsulated PCM with a heat capacity of 186 joules/gram, an onset melting temperature of 27 C. and an onset crystallization temperature of 27 C. is preferred. The preferred PCM that is included in the microcapsules is a glycerin-based phase change material. The microencapsulated PCM is mixed with polyurethane and adhered to the top surface 204. When preparing the cooling layer 203, the weight ratio of microencapsulated PCM to polyurethane is 2:3-3:7. After curing, the cooling layer 203 has a thickness of one to two millimeters (1-2 mm). An alternate example of a suitable PCM is described in US patent publication MacKay, US 2012/0193572 A1, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

(18) In another embodiment, which is not shown, holes that do not reach the opposing surface (i.e. bottom surface) may be made in the top surface 203.

(19) Placing the uniform side 403 of the pillow cover 400 over the cooling layer 203 increases the heat transfer between the user's head and the pillow 100 in two ways. First, overlying the cooling layer 203 with the uniform side 403 increases convection. Because the uniform side 403 is thinner than the patterned side 402 and because the uniform side 403 is made from a material that blocks less wind than the patterned side 402, the gust of air that reaches the user's head relative is increased. Second, overlying the cooling layer 203 with the uniform side 403 increases conduction because the uniform side 403 is less insulating than the thicker patterned side 402.

(20) Despite the decreased heat transfer and additional cost of materials, in an alternative embodiment, which is not shown, the cooling layer can adhere to the surfaces of both sides of the pillow.

(21) FIGS. 4-9 show the cooling pillow 100 with its various layers retracted or removed to show their location relative to each other. The cooling pillow 100 is the combination of the foam block 200, the pillow protector 300 (as shown in FIG. 6), and the pillow cover 400. Note, in actual use, the pillow protector 300 is sewn closed and cannot be retracted.

(22) In the preferred embodiment, the foam block 200 is formed of aerated gel foam. When formed, the foam block 200 has holes 202, and a seam 201. The holes 202 extend from one side of the foam block 200 to the other, with the seam 201 separating the sides. The foam block 200 is releasably held within the pillow cover 400 by a zipper opening 404. The user of the cooling pillow 100 may remove the foam block 200 from within the pillow cover 400 in order to switch the side of the pillow cover 400 that the cooling layer 203 is exposed to, or to wash the pillow cover 400.

(23) FIG. 5 shows the cooling pillow 100 inside of the pillow cover 400, with the zipper opening 404 in an open position. The seam 201 of the foam block 200 aligns with the seam 401 of the pillow cover 400. The cooling pillow 100 is shown in an upward position that, in the preferred embodiment, would be the position in which the user would sleep on the pillow 100. The uniform side 403 of the pillow cover 400 is directed towards the top of the cooling pillow 100, and the patterned side 402 of the pillow cover 400 is directed toward the bottom of the cooling pillow 100. In the preferred embodiment, the cooling layer 203 (as shown in FIG. 3) is exposed to the uniform side 403 of the outer cover 400 of the cooling pillow 100. The user places his or her head on the uniform side 403 of the cooling pillow 100 while sleeping. In other embodiments, not shown, the user may reverse the side that the cooling layer 203 is exposed to. In the other embodiments, not shown, the cooling layer 203 may be exposed to the patterned side 402 of the pillow cover 400.

(24) FIG. 6 shows the various components of the cooling pillow 100. The foam block 200 is the most interior of the components, with the pillow protector 300 enclosing the foam block 200. The pillow cover 400 encloses the pillow protector 300. In the preferred embodiment, the pillow cover 400 has differing thicknesses on either side (as shown in FIG. 5).

(25) The foam block 200 that is shown in FIG. 3 can be used or sold without a pillow protector 300 or pillow case.

(26) In an alternate embodiment that is not shown, the pillow protector 300 is not included. In this alternate embodiment, the foam block 200 is enclosed directly within the pillow case 400.

(27) In an alternate embodiment that is not shown, the pillow case 400 is not included. In this alternate embodiment, the foam block 200 is enclosed within the pillow protector 300.

(28) FIG. 7 shows the left end of the cooling pillow 100 with the opening 302 of the pillow protector 300 in an open position, exposing the foam block 200 beneath. The pillow cover 400 is shown enclosing the pillow protector 300. The cooling layer 203 located on the surface of the foam block 200 is shown facing outward. In the preferred embodiment, the holes 202 in the surface of the foam block 200 extend through the cooling layer 203. In the embodiment shown, the cooling layer 203 is rectangular in shape. In the embodiment shown, the cooling layer 203 is located on one surface of the foam block 200. The cooling layer 203 in the preferred embodiment is outward facing, toward the uniform side 403 of the pillow cover 400.

(29) In alternate embodiments that are not illustrated, the shape of the cooling layer 203 may vary without departing from the invention. In other embodiments, the cooling pillow 100 may incorporate multiple cooling layers 203, for instance, a further cooling layer may match the cooling layer that is depicted in the preferred embodiment and be exposed toward the patterned side 402 of the outer cover 400.

(30) FIG. 8 shows the preferred embodiment of the cooling pillow 100. The pillow cover 400 is pulled down below the pillow protector 300, and the pillow protector 300 is pulled down through the opening 302 of the pillow protector 300, exposing the foam block 200. The seam 301 of the pillow protector 300 aligns with the seam 201 of the foam block 200. The side of the foam block 200 shown is the absent the cooling layer 203. The cooling layer, in the embodiment shown, is exposed to the back side of the foam block 200, causing it not be able to be seen. When in use, the pillow protector 300 is pulled upward toward the exposed end of the foam block 200, and the pillow cover 400 is pulled upward in a similar fashion to encompass the pillow protector 300. The cooling pillow 100, when in use does not expose the holes 202 outside of the pillow protector 300 or the pillow cover 400. Instead, when compressed, the holes 202 release air in an outward direction, toward the user through both the pillow protector 300 and the pillow cover 400. This release of air, in combination with the cooling layer 203, creates increased comfortability to for the user.

(31) FIG. 9 shows the reversed side of the cooling pillow 100 that was depicted in FIG. 8. The pillow cover 400 is pulled down below the inner pillow cover, and the pillow protector 300 is both lifted upward away from the pillow, and pulled down toward the end of the foam block 200 opposite of the end of the opening 302, exposing the foam block 200 beneath. The cooling layer 203 is shown in a rectangular shape on the surface of the foam block 200. The holes 202 in the foam block 200 are shown extending through the foam block 200 and the cooling layer 203. The seam 201 of the foam block 200 aligns with the seam 301 of the inner cover 300 to allow the inner cover 300 to be straight in relation to the foam block 200 when pulled up. The opening 302 of the inner cover 300 allows for the foam block 200 to be removed. The foam block 200 may need to be removed from the pillow protector 300 and the pillow cover 400 to allow for either the pillow protector 300 or the pillow cover 400 to be washed.

(32) A preferred embodiment of a process for making a cooling pillow includes the following steps. A conventional mixture of materials for forming a solid, resilient, compressible polyurethane foam is prepared. Before pouring the mixture into the mold, a mold releasing agent is sprayed on the surface of the mold. Next, the mixture is poured into a mold. The mold has the shape of the desired pillow. A preferred size pillow is 41 cm by 61 cm by 14 cm. Next, the mold is heated to 51.7 C. The temperature of the mold is held at 51.7 C. for at least ten minutes and no more than twelve minutes. After the time expires, a block of solid, resilient, compressible polyurethane that is shaped like the mold is removed from the mold.

(33) The foam block is cracked twice to improve the feel of the pillow. To crack the pillow, the pillow is run between a set of rollers.

(34) Holes are formed in the foam block according to the following steps. First the foam block is compressed by pressing the top surface of the foam block toward the bottom surface. Next, an array of punches are pressed against the top surface of the compressed pillow to form holes that transverse the foam block from the top surface to the bottom surface. The resulting holes will have a frustoconical shape. The holes have a diameter of one centimeter at the top surface. The holes have a diameter of 0.6 cm at the bottom surface. The holes are formed in a repeating rectangular pattern in which the holes are center spaced 2.5 cm apart from each other.

(35) The phase change material is purchased in a microencapsulated state. The preferred phase change material is sold under the trademark ENFINIT 28 PCM. The PCM is mixed with a batch of the above-described polyurethane material. The weight ratio of microencapsulated PCM to polyurethane is 2:3-3:7. The PCM-polyurethane mixture is applied in two coats to the top surface of the foam block. Each coat is cured by reheating the painted foam block to 51.6 C. for ten to twelve minutes. The resulting cooling layer is between one and two millimeters (1-2 mm) thick.

(36) To complete the cooling pillow, the foam block with cooling layer is placed within a pillow protector. The pillow protector is stitched close. The pillow protector, which houses the foam block with cooling layer, is inserted into the pillow case. When the pillow protector is inserted, the top surface of the foam block, on which the cooling layer is applied, is oriented to underlie the uniform side of the pillow cover.

(37) The process for making the cooling pillow is conducted under standard laboratory conditions unless otherwise specified.

(38) A preferred embodiment of a process for using the cooling pillow includes the following steps. To begin, the pillow protector 300, which holds the foam block 200 with cooling layer 203, is inserted within a pillow case 400 so that the cooling layer 203 is oriented beneath the uniform side 403 of the pillow cover 400. Next, the cooling pillow 100 is placed on a surface (for example, a bed top) with the uniform side 403 of the pillow case and the cooling layer 203 facing upward. A user then compresses the cooling pillow 100 by applying pressure against the uniform side 403. Typically, the pressure is applied by resting the user's head on the uniform side 403. As the cooling pillow 100 compresses, a rush of air that is cooled by the cooling layer 203 passes through the pillow protector 300, through the uniform side 403, and onto the head and neck of the user. The user continues to rest his or her head on the compressed pillow while sleeping.

(39) If the user wants an additional gust of cooled air, the user lifts his or her head from the uniform side 403 and allows the foam block 200 to expand to its original shape. After the foam bock 200 is expanded, the user places his or head against the uniform side 403 to compress the foam block 200 and create another gust of air.