Multi-Chamber Adjustable Pillow

Abstract

An embodiment of a multi-chambered, adjustable pillow consisting of top and bottom main panels, internal baffles, and a closable access mechanism, assembled together so as to define a multi-chambered, internal space for receiving suitable pillow filling. The pillow may further include at least one gusset panel, wherein the gusset panels are assembled perimetrically between the top and bottom panels. In an embodiment, at least three internal baffles are installed to define four parallel, internal chambers. In another embodiment, at least two baffles are arranged orthogonally to form a combination of edge chambers and side-by-side chambers. In all embodiments a closable access mechanism, such as, but not limited to, a zipper, is provided to allow access to each internal chamber so that a user may selectively adjust the fill density or material to suit the user's support preferences. Other embodiments are described and shown.

Claims

1. A pillow, comprising: top and bottom panels each having a set of opposing longitudinal edges and a set of opposing lateral edges defining a perimeter, and at least three baffles each with a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis, and at least one closable access mechanism, such as a zipper, button, flap, snap, Velcro, clip, magnet, and so on; and wherein said top and bottom panels, and said closable access mechanisms are assembled so as to define an internal space for receiving pillow filling, and wherein said baffles are extending between and secured to said top and bottom panels, and secured with said longitudinal axes substantially parallel to each other, thereby dividing said internal space into at least four substantially independent internal chambers of sufficient dimensions to permit filling of each said chamber with said filling, and wherein said closable access mechanisms provide access to each of said chambers whereby a user may selectively adjust the amount of said filling in said chambers.

2. The pillow of claim 1 wherein at least one of said baffles is substantially rectangular in shape.

3. The pillow of claim 1 wherein at least one of said baffles varies in height across the length of the baffle.

4. The pillow of claim 1 further including: at least one gusset panel having a predetermined length of at least a portion of said perimeter; and wherein said top and bottom panels, and said closable access mechanisms, and said gusset panels are assembled so as to define an internal space for receiving pillow filling, and wherein said gusset panels are assembled between said top and bottom panels along said perimeter.

5. The pillow of claim 4 wherein at least one of said baffles is substantially rectangular in shape.

6. The pillow of claim 5 wherein at least one of said gusset panels is substantially rectangular in shape.

7. The pillow of claim 5 wherein at least one of said gusset panels varies in height across the length of the baffle.

8. The pillow of claim 4 wherein at least one of said baffles varies in height across the length of the baffle.

9. The pillow of claim 8 wherein at least one of said gusset panels is substantially rectangular in shape.

10. The pillow of claim 8 wherein at least one of said gusset panels varies in height across the length of the baffle.

11. A pillow, comprising: top and bottom panels each having a set of opposing longitudinal edges and a set of opposing lateral edges defining a perimeter, and a first set of at least one and not more than two baffles each with a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis, and a second set of at least one baffle each with a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis, and at least one closable access mechanism, such as a zipper, button, flap, snap, Velcro, clip, magnet, and so on; and wherein said top and bottom panels, and said closable access mechanisms are assembled so as to define an internal space for receiving pillow filling, and wherein said first set of baffles are extending between and secured to said top and bottom panels, and secured with said longitudinal axes substantially parallel to each other and to one said set of edges, and extending substantially near opposing other said set of edges, and wherein said second set of baffles are secured substantially orthogonal to said first set of baffles, and extending between and secured to said top and bottom panels, and wherein if said first set of baffles comprises one baffle, said second set of baffles extending from substantially near said first baffle to substantially near an opposing edge, and wherein if said first set of baffles comprises two baffles, said second set of baffles extending between and substantially near opposing said first set of baffles and thereby dividing said internal space into at least three substantially independent internal chambers of sufficient dimensions to permit filling of each said chamber with said filling; and wherein said closable access mechanisms provide access to each of said chambers whereby a user may selectively adjust the amount of said filling in said chambers.

12. The pillow of claim 11 wherein at least one of said baffles is substantially rectangular in shape.

13. The pillow of claim 11 wherein at least one of said baffles varies in height across the length of the baffle.

14. The pillow of claim 11 further including: at least one gusset panel having a predetermined length of at least a portion of said perimeter; and wherein said top and bottom panels, and said closable access mechanisms, and said gussets are assembled so as to define an internal space for receiving pillow filling, and wherein said gusset panels are assembled between said top and bottom panels along said perimeter.

15. The pillow of claim 14 wherein at least one of said baffles is substantially rectangular in shape.

16. The pillow of claim 15 wherein at least one of said gusset panels is substantially rectangular in shape.

17. The pillow of claim 15 wherein at least one of said gusset panels varies in height across the length of the baffle.

18. The pillow of claim 14 wherein at least one of said baffles varies in height across the length of the baffle.

19. The pillow of claim 18 wherein at least one of said gusset panels is substantially rectangular in shape.

20. The pillow of claim 18 wherein at least one of said gusset panels varies in height across the length of the baffle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the pillow with four chambers of varying width, baffles of uniform height, and gusset of uniform height.

[0012] FIG. 2 shows a top view of one embodiment of the pillow with four chambers of varying width.

[0013] FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal elevation of one embodiment of the pillow with baffles and gusset of uniform height.

[0014] FIG. 4 shows a lateral elevation of one embodiment of the pillow with four chambers of varying width, baffles of uniform height, and gusset of uniform height.

[0015] FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal elevation of a second embodiment of the pillow with contoured baffles of varying height and contoured longitudinal gusset of varying height.

[0016] FIG. 6 shows a lateral elevation of a third embodiment of the pillow with four chambers of varying width, baffles of varying height, and gusset of uniform height.

[0017] FIG. 7 shows a lateral elevation of a fourth embodiment of the pillow with four chambers of varying width, baffles of varying height, and gusset of varying height.

[0018] FIG. 8 shows a lateral elevation of a fifth embodiment of the pillow with four chambers of varying width, baffles of varying height, and gusset of uniform height.

[0019] FIG. 9 shows a lateral elevation of a sixth embodiment of the pillow with four chambers of varying width, baffles of varying height, gussets of varying height, and no gusset on one longitudinal edge.

[0020] FIG. 10 shows a lateral elevation of a seventh embodiment of the pillow with five chambers of varying width, baffles of uniform height, and gusset of uniform height.

[0021] FIG. 11 shows a lateral elevation of an eighth embodiment of the pillow with four chambers of varying width, baffles of uniform height, and no gusset.

[0022] FIG. 12 shows a longitudinal elevation of an eighth embodiment of the pillow with four chambers of varying width, baffles of uniform height, and no gusset.

[0023] FIG. 13 shows a top view of a ninth embodiment of the pillow with three chambers of differing size and orientation, defined by one longitudinal baffle and one lateral baffle.

[0024] FIG. 14 shows a top view of a tenth embodiment of the pillow with four chambers of differing size and orientation, defined by one longitudinal baffle and two lateral baffles.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0025] It is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention herein described are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Reference herein to details of the illustrated embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the claims to any specific embodiment described or illustrated.

[0026] FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 show one embodiment of the pillow invention, referred to generally at 1, depicted as a four chambered pillow with internal baffles of uniform height, and external gusset of uniform height. The pillow is made with any suitable material for making pillows or combination thereof, such as fabric or fabric mesh made from cotton, polyester, linen, vinyl, etc., and filled with any suitable pillow fill material such as cotton batting, polyester batting, hulls, seeds, shredded foam, air, water, etc. The pillow is configured with top and bottom main panels 26 and 27, that are roughly rectangular and substantially identical in shape, secured on the longitudinal edges 19 and 20 to longitudinal gusset panels 30 and 31, and secured on the lateral edges 21 and 22 to lateral gusset panels 28 and 29, thus defining an internal space for receiving pillow filling. In this embodiment, the corners are depicted at 23 as rounded. In other embodiments the corners may use other configurations such as squared, chamfered, etc. In this embodiment, the gusset is shown as comprised of multiple gusset panels secured together at the corners, however, in other embodiments the gusset may be comprised of one or more gusset panels secured to main panels 26 and 27.

[0027] In this embodiment, the pillow has internal longitudinal baffles 11, 12 and 13 which are secured to top panel 26 at 32, 33, and 34, and secured to bottom panel 27 at 35, 36, and 37 to form four substantially distinct internal chambers 15, 16, 17, and 18 which may be independently filled with any suitable fill material to varying densities or with different fills in each chamber to provide varying levels of support. Varying the density or fill of each chamber may also vary the lateral contour of the pillow to the comfort and support needs of the user. The internal baffles may also be seen in an elevation view in FIG. 3 at 24, extending roughly lengthwise of the pillow to near the vicinity of opposing lateral gusset panels 28 and 29, shown at 25. The baffles are made with any suitable material for making pillow baffles, such as fabric or fabric mesh made from cotton, polyester, linen, vinyl, etc.

[0028] In this embodiment, chambers 15, 16, 17, and 18 may be accessed at lateral edge 22 by means of a closing mechanism shown at 14 as a zipper, however, any suitable closing mechanism may be substituted for the zipper, such as fabric flaps, Velcro, buttons, snaps, clips, etc., so long as access is provided to each chamber. It is noted that in other embodiments, a distinct closing mechanism may be provided to each chamber to allow access individually, or in any combination of chambers, as long as all chambers may be accessed. In other embodiments, the closing mechanism may be located anywhere on the pillow, as long as each chamber is provided access to allow independent adjustment of fill.

[0029] In this embodiment, the height and contour of the pillow is controlled by the uniform height and uniform contour of the gusset panels, the uniform height and uniform contour of the internal baffles, the varied spacing between baffles, and the density of fill in each chamber. FIGS. 3 and 4 show this embodiment has a roughly uniform height across both the lateral and longitudinal directions. In other embodiments, the height, contour and spacing of the internal baffles, the height and contour of the gusset panels, and the density and type of fill in each chamber may be varied to control the height and contour of the pillow to allow the pillow to fit a diversity of users, so long as each chamber formed is of sufficient dimensions to permit filling of the chamber.

[0030] FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal elevation of a second embodiment of the invention, referred to generally at 2, depicted as a multi-chambered pillow with contoured internal baffles shown at 39 and a contoured longitudinal gusset shown at 38. By varying the contour of the baffles or gussets or both, additional support zones may be created within the pillow, thus providing the user with multiple support options to meet the user's support needs in different sleeping positions.

[0031] FIG. 6 shows a lateral elevation of a third embodiment of the invention, referred to generally at 3, depicted as a pillow with four chambers of varying width, baffles at 40, 41, and 42 of varying height, and gusset of uniform height. By varying the height and spacing of the baffles, the contour of the pillow may be varied to meet the support needs of different users and the different support needs of individual users. This embodiment shows the pillow in a roughly wedged shape contour.

[0032] FIG. 7 shows a lateral elevation of a fourth embodiment of the invention, referred to generally at 4, depicted as a pillow with four chambers of varying width, baffles at 38, 39, and 40 of varying height, lateral gussets at 46 of varying height, and longitudinal gussets at 47 and 48 of different heights. By varying the height and spacing of the baffles, and the height and contour of the gusset panels, the contour of the pillow may be further varied to meet the support needs of different users and the different support needs of individual users. This embodiment shows the pillow in a roughly wedged shape contour, but which is more distinct than the embodiment shown in FIG. 6.

[0033] FIG. 8 shows a lateral elevation of a fifth embodiment of the invention, referred to generally at 5, depicted as a pillow with four chambers of varying width, baffles at 49, 50, and 51 of varying height, and gusset of uniform height. This embodiment shows the pillow in a roughly hourglass shape contour.

[0034] FIG. 9 shows a lateral elevation of a sixth embodiment of the invention, referred to generally at 6, depicted as a pillow with four chambers of varying width, baffles at 52, 53, and 54 of varying height, a lateral gusset of varying height at 55, a longitudinal gusset of uniform height at 56, and no gusset along one longitudinal edge at 57. This embodiment shows the pillow in a roughly wedged shape contour, but which is more distinct than the embodiment shown in both FIG. 6 and in FIG. 7.

[0035] FIG. 10 shows a lateral elevation of a seventh embodiment of the invention, referred to generally at 7, depicted as a pillow with five chambers of varying width, baffles at 58, 59, 60, and 61 of uniform height, and gusset of uniform height. This embodiment has a roughly uniform height across both the lateral and longitudinal directions of the pillow, similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, however, the additional chamber provides the user with more adjustability than the previous embodiments. In other embodiments, the pillow may be configured with additional baffles to form more than five chambers, so long as each chamber is of sufficient dimensions to permit filling of the chamber.

[0036] FIGS. 11 and 12 respectively show a lateral elevation and longitudinal elevation of an eighth embodiment of the invention, referred to generally at 8, depicted as a pillow with four chambers of varying width, baffles at 62, 63, and 64 of uniform height, no gusset panels, and a zipper at 65. Top panel 66 and bottom panel 67 are directly connected along their lateral and longitudinal edges as shown at 68 and 69. The internal baffles may also be seen in the longitudinal elevation view at 70, extending roughly lengthwise of the pillow to near the vicinity of opposing lateral edges shown at 71. Without gusset panels, this embodiment results in a different profile along the edges than the embodiment shown at 1 which leads to a different support feel that some users may prefer.

[0037] FIG. 13 shows a top view of a ninth embodiment of the invention, referred to generally at 9, depicted as a pillow with three chambers of differing size and orientation. A longitudinal chamber 79 is formed using baffle 78, extending roughly lengthwise of the pillow and parallel to longitudinal edge 72 to near the vicinity of opposing lateral edges 74 and 75. A lateral baffle 80 extends from near the vicinity of, and roughly perpendicular to, baffle 78 to near the vicinity of the longitudinal edge 73, forming chambers 81, and 82. In this embodiment, chamber 79 may be accessed at lateral edge 74 by means of a closing mechanism shown at 76 as a zipper, and chambers 81, and 82 may be accessed at longitudinal edge 73 by means of a closing mechanism shown at 71 as a zipper. In other embodiments, the closing mechanism may be located anywhere on the pillow, as long as each chamber is provided access to allow independent adjustment of fill. In this embodiment, chamber 79 provides adjustable neck support, while chambers 81, and 82 provide adjustable head support for the user. For example, chamber 81 may be adjusted to provide appropriate support for the user when side or stomach sleeping, while chamber 82 may be adjusted to provide appropriate support for back sleeping. Baffles 78, and 80 may be of uniform height, of different heights, or may be contoured. Similarly, the gusset panels on edges 72, 73, 74, and 75 may be of uniform height, of different heights, or may be contoured. In other embodiments, the pillow may be configured with one longitudinal baffle combined with one or more lateral baffles to provide an increased level of support options. In other embodiments, the pillow may be configured with two longitudinal baffles, to form a neck support chamber along each longitudinal edge, combined with one or more lateral baffles between the longitudinal baffles to provide an increased level of support options.

[0038] FIG. 14 shows a top view of a tenth embodiment of the invention, referred to generally at 10, depicted as a pillow with four chambers of differing size and orientation. A longitudinal chamber 79 is formed using baffle 78, similar to the embodiment shown at 9, however, in this embodiment two lateral baffles 83 and 84 are used forming chambers 85, 86, and 87. In this embodiment, chamber 79 provides adjustable neck support, while chambers 85, 86, and 87 provide adjustable head support for the user. For example, chambers 85 and 87 may be adjusted to provide appropriate support for the user when side or stomach sleeping, while chamber 86 may be adjusted to provide appropriate support for back sleeping.

[0039] While the above descriptions contain many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations of the scope, but rather as exemplification of several embodiments thereof. Many other variations are possible. For example, another possible embodiment may include cover panels on the top and bottom of the pillow, substantially similar in shape to top and bottom main panels 26 and 27 (FIGS. 3 and 4) and perimetrically secured. With this configuration, the chambers between the top cover panel and the top main panel, and the bottom cover panel and bottom main panel may or may not be filled with suitable pillow fill material. These top and bottom cover chambers may further include an appropriate closable access mechanism, such as a zipper, to allow the user access to the chambers to adjust the fill, or they may be provided without a closable access mechanism.

[0040] While the baffles in the embodiments described above and shown in the figures extend to near the vicinity of the gusset panels at the pillow edges, in other embodiments the baffles may alternatively be secured or attached at the edges, or the baffles may alternatively be held back a small distance from the edges. Further, while the baffles are shown in the figures as taller than the gusset panels, in another embodiment the baffles and gusset panels may be the same height, the baffles may be shorter than the gusset, or the baffles and gussets may be made with any combination of heights.

[0041] While the baffles in the embodiments described above and shown in the figures are shown substantially orthogonal to the top and bottom main panels to form a chamber of uniform width on both the top and bottom main panels, in other embodiments the baffles may be secured in a non-orthogonal manner to form a chamber with a different width on the top and bottom main panels to offer the user a larger variety of support options to choose from. For example, longitudinal baffle 11 in FIGS. 2 and 4 may be installed substantially parallel to longitudinal edge 19 (FIG. 2), but at a non-perpendicular angle to top and bottom panels 26 and 27, such that the dimension between the top of gusset 30 (FIG. 4) and the top of the baffle at 34 is larger than the dimension between the bottom of gusset 30 and the bottom of baffle at 37.

[0042] Other embodiments of the pillow may be made with or without a gusset on any edge. For example, in an embodiment, a gusset may be included on the longitudinal edges, but not the lateral edges. In another embodiment, a gusset may be included on one longitudinal edge and one lateral edge, but not the others. In another embodiment, a gusset may be included on only part of the length of any edge.

[0043] Accordingly, the scope should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

CITATION LIST

[0044] The following is a tabulation of some prior art that presently appears relevant:

[0045] U.S. Patent Documents

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[0046] Foreign Patents

TABLE-US-00002 AU1993033175 Oct. 26, 1995 Parnham A47G 9/10 AU2012203863 Jul. 19, 2012 Parnham A47G 9/10

[0047] From the foregoing, it should also be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently disclosed embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.

[0048] Although an example embodiment of the invention has been disclosed here for the purposes of illustration, it should be understood that various changes, modifications and substitutions may be incorporated in the embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention, which is defined by the following claims.