Abstract
Disclosed is a pillow for supporting a head and neck of a reclining body on a mattress where the pillow has a pillow length, a pillow width and a pillow thickness. The pillow includes a core extending with the thickness along the pillow length and the pillow width with cavities in the core, includes a core cover and includes fastening means extending into and fastening the cover at the cavity locations to form wells for supporting the head and neck with comfortable musculoskeletal position, alignment and pressure.
Claims
1. A pillow for supporting a head and neck of a reclining body where the pillow has a pillow length, a pillow width and a pillow thickness comprising: a core extending along the pillow length and the pillow width, the core having a pillow top and a pillow bottom, one or more cavities extending into the core at cavity locations, a first core cover extending over the core and over the cavities and forming wells at the cavity locations for supporting the head and neck with comfortable musculoskeletal position, alignment and pressure where for at least a first cavity of the one or more cavities the core cover is pulled into the first cavity from the pillow top and is fastened in the first cavity providing a gradual slope of the core cover into the first cavity forming a first ear well.
2. The pillow of claim 1 wherein a head cavity is formed into the core at a head cavity location near the center of the pillow.
3. The pillow of claim 2 wherein the head cavity has a smooth perimeter with gradually sloping walls that extend into the core from the pillow bottom to approximately 60% of the pillow thickness.
4. The pillow of claim 2 wherein the one or more cavities include the first cavity and a second cavity where the first cavity and the second cavity extend through the core from the pillow top to the pillow bottom where the first cavity is at a first cavity location and where the second cavity is at a second cavity location and where the first cavity location and the second cavity location are in close proximity to the head cavity.
5. The pillow of claim 4 wherein the first cavity has a first perimeter, the second cavity has a second perimeter and the head cavity has a head cavity perimeter and wherein the first perimeter and the second perimeter are approximately 1.5 inches from the head cavity perimeter.
6. The pillow of claim 4 wherein the core cover in each cavity is pulled from the pillow top and from the pillow bottom and wherein the core cover from the pillow top is fastened in each cavity to the core cover from the pillow bottom and wherein the core cover in each cavity has a gradual slope from the top surface and from the bottom surface into each cavity to form an ear well from the pillow top and an ear well from the pillow bottom.
7. The pillow of claim 6 wherein the core cover in each cavity from the pillow top is fastened to the core cover from the pillow bottom with a fastener.
8. The pillow of claim 4 wherein the first cavity and the second cavity each measure with dimensions within approximately 2.5 inches by 5 inches.
9. The pillow of claim 4 wherein the first cavity and the second cavity have a cavity center, each cavity center offset from a first pillow edge along a first length side within approximately 5 to 7 inches and each cavity center offset from pillow edges along width sides within approximately 5.5 to 7.5 inches.
10. The pillow of claim 9 wherein the head cavity is within a measurement of approximately 6.5 inches by 10.5 inches.
11. The pillow of claim 10 wherein the head cavity is offset from the first pillow edge along the first length side within approximately 1.75 inches to 3.75 inches whereby a first neck bridge is formed and is offset from a second pillow edge along a second length side within a dimension of approximately 2.75 by 4.75 inches whereby a second neck bridge is formed where the second neck bridge is larger than the first neck bridge.
12. The pillow of claim 1 wherein an outer core cover extends over the first core cover.
13. A pillow for supporting a head and neck of a reclining body where the pillow has a pillow length, a pillow width and a pillow thickness comprising, a core extending along the pillow length and the pillow width with the pillow thickness, the core having a pillow top and a pillow bottom, having a first ear cavity and a second ear cavity, each ear cavity extending through the core from the pillow top to the pillow bottom at a first cavity location and at a second cavity location, respectively, and having a head cavity extending from the pillow bottom partway through the core, an inner core cover and an outer core cover extending around the core where, for the first cavity and for the second cavity, the inner core cover is pulled into the first cavity and into the second cavity from the pillow top at the first cavity location and at the second cavity location, respectively, and is fastened in the first cavity and in the second cavity, respectively, providing a gradual slope of the inner core cover into the first cavity and into the second cavity, respectively, forming a first ear well and forming a second ear well, respectively.
14. The pillow of claim 13 wherein the inner core cover from the top is fastened to the inner core cover from the bottom whereby the first ear well has a gradual slope of the inner core cover into the first cavity from both the pillow top and the pillow bottom.
15. The pillow of claim 13 wherein the outer core cover is pulled into the first cavity with the inner core cover from the pillow top at the first cavity location and is fastened in the first cavity providing a gradual slope of the inner core cover and the outer core cover into the first cavity forming the first ear well.
16. The pillow of claim 15 wherein the core has an Indentation Load Deflection (ILD) value of 19.
17. The pillow of claim 15 wherein the inner cover is a 130 gsm jersey knit organic cotton and the outer cover is a 400 thread count organic cotton knit with a satin finish.
18. A pillow for supporting a head and neck of a reclining body where the pillow has a pillow length, a pillow width and a pillow thickness comprising, a core extending along the pillow length and the pillow width with the pillow thickness, the core having a pillow top and a pillow bottom, having a first ear cavity and a second ear cavity, each ear cavity extending through the core from the pillow top to the pillow bottom at a first cavity location and at a second cavity location, respectively, and having a head cavity extending partway through the core, an inner core cover and an outer core cover extending around the core where, for the first cavity and for the second cavity, the inner core cover is pulled into the first cavity and into the second cavity from the pillow top at the first cavity location and at the second cavity location, respectively, and is fastened in the first cavity and in the second cavity, respectively, providing a gradual slope of the inner core cover into the first cavity and into the second cavity, respectively, forming a first ear well and forming a second ear well, respectively, wherein the first ear well and the second ear well are in close proximity to the head cavity.
19. The pillow of claim 18 wherein the head cavity has a smooth perimeter with gradually sloping walls that extend into the core from the pillow bottom to approximately 60% of the pillow thickness.
20. The pillow of claim 18 wherein for at least said first ear well, an extended parietal region is formed above the first ear well, an occipital region is formed between the first ear well and the head well, a zygomatic region is formed between the first ear well and the intersection of the closest pillow sides, a mandible region is formed from the first ear well toward the intersection of the closest pillow sides, a soft tissue region extending over the extended parietal region, the occipital region, the zygomatic region and the mandible region for receiving the soft tissue of the face of the reclining body where when an ear of the side-lying body is over the first ear well, the pressure on the soft tissue of the face is reduced.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0047] FIG. 1 depicts a top end perspective view of a pillow in a partially cutaway pillow case showing the pillow.
[0048] FIG. 2 depicts a top end perspective view of the pillow of FIG. 1 without a pillow case.
[0049] FIG. 3 depicts a top end perspective view of the top of the core of the pillow of FIG. 2.
[0050] FIG. 4 depicts a front view of a section of the pillow core of FIG. 3 taken along section line 4-4′ of FIG. 3.
[0051] FIG. 5 depicts a bottom end perspective view of the bottom of the core of the pillow of FIG. 2.
[0052] FIG. 6 depicts a front view of a section of the pillow core of FIG. 5 taken along section line 6-6′ of FIG. 5.
[0053] FIG. 7 depicts a top end perspective view of the pillow of FIG. 2 with cutaway portions of a cover.
[0054] FIG. 8 depicts a front view of a section of the pillow 11 and pillow core 9 of FIG. 7 taken along section line 8-8′ of FIG. 7.
[0055] FIG. 9 depicts a front view of a section of the pillow 11 and pillow core 9 of FIG. 7 taken along section line 9-9′ of FIG. 7.
[0056] FIG. 10 depicts a perspective photograph of the top of a pillow of the FIG. 7 type.
[0057] FIG. 11 depicts a perspective photograph of the bottom of a pillow of the FIG. 7 type.
[0058] FIG. 12 depicts a perspective view of a latex embodiment of the pillow of the FIG. 7 type with an outer cover and an inner cover.
[0059] FIG. 13 depicts a front view of a section of the pillow 11 and pillow core 9 of FIG. 12 taken along section line 13-13′ of FIG. 12.
[0060] FIG. 14 depicts a front view of a section of the pillow 11 and pillow core 9 of FIG. 7 taken along section line 14-14′ of FIG. 12.
[0061] FIG. 15 depicts a front view of a section of the pillow 11 and pillow core 9 of FIG. 14 in an embodiment in which both inner and outer covers are pulled into the ear well.
[0062] FIG. 16 depicts a perspective photograph of the top of a pillow of the FIG. 12 type with the outer cover pulled back.
[0063] FIG. 17 depicts a perspective photograph of the bottom of a pillow of the FIG. 12 type with the outer cover pulled back.
[0064] FIG. 18 depicts a perspective photograph of the bottom of a pillow of the FIG. 12 type.
[0065] FIG. 19 depicts a schematic view of the top of the pillow core of FIG. 3.
[0066] FIG. 20 depicts a schematic view of the bottom of the pillow core of FIG. 5.
[0067] FIG. 21 depicts a schematic view of the top of the pillow of FIG. 2 showing in dashed line the location of the head well on the bottom of the pillow core.
[0068] FIG. 22 depicts a schematic view of the top of the pillow of FIG. 2 showing in dashed line the location of the head well on the bottom of the pillow and showing regions around one ear well.
[0069] FIG. 23 depicts a side view of a human head skeleton showing the bones of the head.
[0070] FIG. 24 depicts a side view of a human head showing the locations of some of the bones of the FIG. 23 skeleton.
[0071] FIG. 25 depicts a schematic top view of the top side of the pillow of FIG. 22 showing the head of FIG. 24 side lying with the ear over the ear well.
[0072] FIG. 26 depicts a schematic top view of the pillow of FIG. 21 with a back lying head on the top side of the pillow over the head well on the back side of the pillow.
[0073] FIG. 27 depicts a male in a back-lying position with the pillow maintaining the head and neck alignment with the head tilted upward at too great an angle.
[0074] FIG. 28 depicts a male in a back-lying position with the pillow maintaining natural head and neck alignment with the head on the top over the bottom-side head well.
[0075] FIG. 29 depicts a male in a back-lying position with the pillow maintaining natural head and neck alignment with the head on the top over the top-side head well.
[0076] FIG. 30 depicts a male in a back-lying position with the pillow with the pillow maintaining a non-natural head and neck alignment with a downward extension.
[0077] FIG. 31 depicts a cross-sectional front view of a pillow with a female in a side-lying position with the pillow maintaining natural head and neck alignment and where a cutaway shows the ear positioned over the ear well of the pillow.
[0078] FIG. 32 depicts a cross-sectional side view of a pillow with a female in a side-lying position and with the pillow maintaining natural head and neck alignment and showing the ear positioned over the ear well of the pillow.
[0079] FIG. 33 depicts a female in a back-lying position with the pillow cooperating with the mattress to maintain natural head and neck alignment.
[0080] FIG. 34 depicts a male in a side-lying position with the pillow cooperating with the mattress to maintain natural head and neck alignment.
[0081] FIG. 35 depicts a schematic view of the top of the pillow of the FIG. 22 type, with an additional ear well 3 and an additional ear well 4.
[0082] FIG. 36 depicts a schematic view of the top of the pillow core of FIG. 35 with one corner folded under the bottom along the fold line of FIG. 35.
[0083] FIG. 37 depicts a schematic view of the top of the pillow of the FIG. 22 type, with two additional ear wells, showing in dashed line the location of the head well on the bottom of the pillow core, showing regions around one ear well and showing a fold line at a second location.
[0084] FIG. 38 depicts a schematic view of the top of the pillow of FIG. 37 with one corner folded under the bottom along the fold line of FIG. 37.
[0085] FIG. 39 depicts a cross-sectional front view of a pillow of the FIG. 35 type with a female in a side-lying position with the pillow maintaining natural head and neck alignment and where a cutaway shows the ear positioned over the ear well of the pillow.
[0086] FIG. 40 depicts a cross-sectional side view of a pillow of the FIG. 36 type with a female in a side-lying position and with the pillow maintaining natural head and neck alignment and showing the ear positioned over the ear well of the pillow.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0087] In FIG. 1, a top end perspective view of the top 11-5 of a pillow 11 is shown in a partially cutaway pillow case 12. Inside the case 12, the pillow 11 has a normal shape and size essentially in the form of a rectangular solid. An ear well 2 is partially shown. The ear well 2 causes creases or other structural softness away from the ear well.
[0088] In FIG. 2, a top end perspective view of the pillow 11 of FIG. 1 is shown without a pillow case. The pillow 11 has a front edge 11-1 and a back edge 11-2 and side edges 11-3 and 11-4. The pillow 11 is rectangular in shape with the front edge 11-1 and back edge 11-2 longer than the side edge 11-3 and side edge 11-4. The pillow 11 has a top 11-5 and a bottom (not shown). The pillow 11 is sized to fit within a conventional pillowcase 12 of FIG. 1. An ear well 1 is toward the side 11-3 and an ear well 2 is toward the side 11-4. The ear well 2 causes creases or other structural softness away from the ear well. The ear well 1 creases or other structural softness are creases 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 and 1-4 caused by the fastener 14 pulling the cover 8 into the ear well 1. The ear well 2 has creases or other structural softness in the form of creases 2-1, 2-2, 2-3 and 2-4 caused by the fastener 15 pulling the cover 8 into the ear well 2. The core 9 typically measures 26 inches by 15.5 inches by 5 inches thick.
[0089] In FIG. 3, a front perspective view of the core 9 of the pillow 11 of FIG. 2 is shown with the pillow case 12 removed. The pillow core 9 has a front edge 11-1, a back edge 11-2 and side edges 11-3 and 11-4. An ear well cavity 1A is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-3. An ear well cavity 2A is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-4. The ear well cavity 1A and the ear well cavity 2A extend from the top 11-5 through to the bottom 11-6 (not shown) of core 9.
[0090] In FIG. 4, a front view of a section of the pillow core 9 of FIG. 3 is shown. The section of FIG. 4 is taken along the section line 4-4′ of FIG. 3 that passes through the ear well cavity 2A. The ear well cavity 2A extends from the top 11-5 through to the bottom 11-6 of the core 9. The core 9 is typically about 5 inches thick.
[0091] In FIG. 5, a bottom end perspective view of the bottom 11-6 of the core 9 of the pillow of FIG. 2 is shown. The pillow core 9 has a front edge 11-1, a back edge 11-2 and side edges 11-3 and 11-4. An ear well cavity 1A is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-3. An ear well cavity 2A is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-4. The ear well 2 causes creases or other structural softness away from the ear well. The ear well 1 creases or other structural softness are creases 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 and 1-4 caused by the fastener 14 pulling the cover 8 into the ear well 1. The ear well cavity 1A and the ear well cavity 2A extend from the top 11-5 (not shown) through to the bottom 11-6. Head well cavity 16 is located between the ear well cavity 1A and the ear well cavity 2A. The head well cavity 16 is formed into the core from the pillow bottom 11-6 at a head well cavity location near the center of the pillow core 9 and hence near the center of the pillow of FIG. 2. The ear well cavity 1A and the ear well cavity 2A are adjacent to and in close proximity to the head well cavity 16. The close proximity allows a back-lying (supine) head in head well cavity 16 to rotate easily to a side-lying position with the ear over an adjacent ear well cavity, either ear well cavity 1A or ear well cavity 2A. The ear well cavity 1A establishes in a pillow a first ear well perimeter and ear well cavity 2A establishes in a pillow a second ear well perimeter. Similarly, the head cavity establishes in a pillow a head well perimeter. In order for easy rotation of a head from back-lying to side-lying, the first perimeter and the second perimeter are approximately 1.5 inches from the head cavity perimeter. Generally, the close proximity of the ear well and the head well means that the ear well and the head well perimeters are separated by from 1 inch to 3 inches where 1.5 inches is one preferred embodiment. In general, “in close proximity” means that an ear well is spaced from the head well by a distance that allows s supine head to rotate easily from the back-lying position over a head well to a side-lying position with the ear registering over the ear well.
[0092] In FIG. 6, a front view of a section of the pillow core of FIG. 5 is shown. The section of FIG. 6 is taken along the section line 6-6′ of FIG. 5 that passes through the head well cavity 16. The head well cavity 16 extends from the bottom 11-6 of the core 9 but not all the way through to the top of the core 9. The depth of the cavity 16 is typically from 1 to 3 inches. In the embodiment shown, the head well cavity 16 is formed into the core 9 from the pillow bottom 11-6 to approximately 60% of the pillow core 9 thickness and hence approximately 60% of the pillow thickness. The head well cavity has an oval or other smooth perimeter with gradually sloping walls so that support for a back-lying head is smooth particularly when the head is moved such as when the head rotates from a back-lying position to a side-lying position. The head well cavity has a smooth perimeter with gradually sloping walls that extend into the core from the pillow bottom to approximately 60% of the pillow thickness.
[0093] In FIG. 7, a top end perspective view of the top 11-5 of the pillow 11 of FIG. 2 is shown with cutaway portions of a cover 8 revealing the core 9. The pillow 11 has a front edge 11-1, a back edge 11-2 and side edges 11-3 and 11-4. An ear well 1 is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-3. An ear well cavity 2A (without cover 8) is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-4. The ear well 2 causes creases or other structural softness away from the ear well. The ear well 1 creases or other structural softness are creases 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 and 1-4 caused by the fastener 14 pulling the cover 8 into the ear well 1. The ear well cavity 2A, as shown in FIG. 7, is not covered by the cover 8. The pillow cover 8 covers the top and bottom of the ear well 2 and, as shown in FIG. 9, penetrates into the ear well 2 from the top 11-5 and from the bottom 11-6. A fastener 15 is sewn to the pillow cover 8 from the top 11-5 to the pillow cover 8 from the bottom 11-6. The core cover 8 has a gradual slope from the top surface 11-5 and from the bottom surface 11-6.
[0094] In FIG. 8, a front section view of a section of the pillow 11 and pillow core 9 of FIG. 7 is shown taken along section line 8-8′ of FIG. 7. The section line 8-8′ in FIG. 7 passes into ear well cavity 2A from the top 11-5 to the bottom 11-6.
[0095] In FIG. 9, a front section view of a section of the pillow 11 and pillow core 9 of FIG. 7 is shown taken along section line 9-9′ of FIG. 7. The section line 9-9′ in FIG. 7 passes through ear well 1. The pillow cover 8 on the top and bottom of the ear well 1 penetrate into the ear well 1 from the top 11-5 and from the bottom 11-6. The penetration into the ear well 1 of the pillow cover 8 is forced by a fastener 14 that engages the first pillow cover 8 from the top 11-5 and from the bottom 11-6. The fastener for ear well 1 is, for example, a button sewn to the pillow cover 8 from the top 11-5 to the bottom 11-6. The ear well 1 formed has sloping walls so that an abrupt transition is not felt by the head and ear of the reclined body when the ear is over the ear well 1. While FIG. 7 has only a single pillow cover, a second cover can be added. For example, a first cover can be made so as not to be removable together with a second cover that has a zipper or is otherwise removable for washing or other reasons. These first and second covers are for the pillow which is further covered by a removable pillow case.
[0096] In FIG. 10, a perspective photograph of the top 11-5 of a pillow 11 of the FIG. 7 type is shown. The cover 8 is shown stretched over and forming the ear well 1 and the ear well 2 on the top 11-5. The fastener 14 forces the cover 8 into the ear well 1 and the fastener 15 forces the cover 8 into the ear well 2. The ear well 1 and the ear well 2 formed have sloping walls so that an abrupt transition is not felt by the head and ear of the reclined body when the ear is over the ear well 1 or the ear well 2. In one embodiment, the cover 8 is 400 thread count cotton knit satin finish fabric. In one embodiment, the fasteners 14 and 15 are buttons made from plastic or other button material.
[0097] In FIG. 11, a perspective photograph of the bottom 11-6 of the pillow 11 of FIG. 10 is shown. The cover 8 is shown stretched over and forming the ear well 1 and the ear well 2 on the bottom 11-6. The fastener 14 (see FIG. 10) forces the cover 8 into the ear well 1 and the fastener 15 (see FIG. 10) forces the cover 8 into the ear well 2 on the bottom 11-6. The ear well 1 and the ear well 2 from the bottom 11-6 are formed having sloping walls so that an abrupt transition is not felt by the head and ear of the reclined body when the ear is over the ear well 1 or the ear well 2 when the pillow 11 is used with the top 11-5 down with the head on the bottom 11-6. A dotted line has been added to the photograph to show the location of the head well 16.
[0098] In FIG. 12, a top end perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the pillow 11 of FIG. 7 is shown with cutaway portions of a first inner cover 7 and a second outer cover 8 revealing the core 9. The pillow 11 has a front edge 11-1, a back edge 11-2 and side edges 11-3 and 11-4. An ear well 1 is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-3. An ear well cavity 2A (without cover 8) is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-4. The ear well cavity 2A, as shown in FIG. 13, is covered by only the first cover 7. The first cover 7, without the second cover 8, penetrates into the ear well cavity (like the cavity 2A in FIG. 4). The ear well 1 has the cover 7 (and not the cover 8) depressed into the pillow 11 by button 14 to form the ear well 1. The cover 7 and the cover 8 allow an ear to penetrate into the ear well 1 and ear well 2. The ear well 1 under the soft and pliable cover 8 has sloping walls so that an abrupt transition is not felt by the head and ear of the reclined body when the ear is over cover 7, cover 8 and the ear well 1. In Latex embodiments, the inner cover 7 functions to cover the latex with a smooth fabric that overcomes the surface drag of the latex. The cover 7 tightly covers the latex of the core 9 and allows the outer cover 8 to slide easily over the cover 7. The easy sliding of cover 8 over cover 7 provides a better feeling to the pillow as a whole and also facilitates removal of the outer cover for washing and for restoration of the outer cover over the inner cover after removal.
[0099] In FIG. 12, the pillow core 9 in one embodiment is made of latex. For green products, the latex is derived from organically grown trees. The core 9 has an Indentation Load Deflection (ILD) value ranging from 14 ILD to 23 ILD with one preferred ILD value of 19 ILD. For latex cores, the core 9 is typically made using a mold where liquid latex is poured into the mold and allowed to cure. The holes 9-1 in the core 9 result from the pins used in the mold to help cure the latex forming the core 9. The core 9 typically measures 26 inches by 15.5 inches. The latex core 9 when coupled with natural fabrics for the cover 7, cover 8 and pillow case 11 forms an all-natural pillow which is highly desired by those encouraging or demanding “green” products.
[0100] In FIG. 13, a front section view of a section of the pillow 11 and pillow core 9 of FIG. 12 is shown taken along section line 13-13′ of FIG. 12. The section line 13-13′ in FIG. 12 passes into ear well 2A. The first pillow cover 7 penetrates into the ear well 2 on the top 11-5 and on the bottom 11-6 as held by button 15.7
[0101] In FIG. 14, a front section view of a section of the pillow 11 and pillow core 9 of FIG. 12 is shown taken along section line 14-14′ of FIG. 12. The section line 14-14′ in FIG. 12 passes through ear well 1. The first pillow cover 7 and (and not cover 8) on the top and bottom of the ear well 1 penetrates into the ear well 1 from the top 11-5 and from the bottom 11-6. The penetration into the ear well 1 of the first pillow cover 7 is forced by the fastener 14 that engages the first pillow cover 7 from the top 11-5 and from the bottom 11-6. The fastener 14 for ear well 1 is, for example, a button sewn to the first pillow cover 7 from the top 11-5 to the bottom 11-6. The ear well 1 is formed has sloping walls so that an abrupt transition is not felt by the head and ear of the reclined body when the ear is over the ear well 1. In one typical embodiment, the inner cover 7 is a single jersey knit organic cotton with 130 gsm (grams per square meter). In one embodiment, the outer cover 8 is 400 thread count organic cotton knit satin finish fabric. While cover 8 is not pulled into the ear well cavity, the fabric is soft and pliable so as to fall into the ear well when pushed by an ear. In one embodiment, the fastener 14 is a button made out of coconut shell.
[0102] In FIG. 15, a front view of a section of the pillow 11 and pillow core 9 of FIG. 14 is shown in an embodiment in which both inner cover 7 and outer cover 8 are pulled into the ear well 1. In non-Latex embodiments, the inner cover 7, when two covers are used, functions to cover a core 9 with a fabric that maintains the structural integrity of the pillow. The inner cover fabric is typically a non-stretch fabric such as cotton. An outer cover in some embodiments is provided over the inner cover. The outer cover 8 over an inner cover 7 provides a better feeling to the pillow as a whole. Usually the outer cover is removable for washing and the inner cover is not.
[0103] In FIG. 16, a perspective photograph of the top 11-5 of a pillow 11 of the FIG. 12 type is shown with the top cover 8 rolled back. The inner cover 7 is shown stretched over and forming the ear well 2. The fastener 15 forces the cover 7 into the ear well 2. The ear well 2 formed has sloping walls so that an abrupt transition is not felt by the head and ear of the reclined body when the ear is over the ear well 2. In one typical embodiment, the inner cover 7 is a single jersey knit organic cotton with 130 gsm (grams per square meter). In one embodiment, the outer cover 8 is 400 thread count organic cotton knit satin finish fabric. In one embodiment, the fastener 15 is a button made out of coconut shell.
[0104] In FIG. 17, a perspective photograph of the bottom 11-6 of the pillow 11 of FIG. 16 is shown with the top cover 8 rolled back. With the inner cover 7 a single jersey knit organic cotton of 130 gsm, the holes 9-1 in the latex core are observable together with the ear well 2 and the head well 16. The ear well 2 formed has sloping walls as shown in FIG. 14 so that an abrupt transition is not felt by the head and ear of the reclined body when the ear is over the ear well 2. Similarly, the head well 16 has sloping walls that cradle the head when the head is positioned over the head well 16.
[0105] In FIG. 18, a perspective photograph of the bottom 11-6 of a pillow 11 of the FIG. 12 type is shown with the top cover 8 in place. Dotted lines have been added to the photograph to show the location of the ear wells 1 and 2 and the head well 16.
[0106] In FIG. 19, a schematic view of the top 11-5 of the pillow core 9 of FIG. 3 is shown. The pillow core 9 has a front edge 11-1, a back edge 11-2 and side edges 11-3 and 11-4. An ear well cavity 1A is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-3. An ear well cavity 2A is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-4. In a typical embodiment, the ear well cavity 1A and ear well cavity 2A are generally oval or rounded rectangle in shape with major diameters of 4.5 inches and minor diameters of 3 inches. The core 9 typically measures 26 inches by 15.5 inches. Typically, the center of the ear well cavity 2A is located 6 inches from the front edge 11-1 and 6.5 inches from the side edge 11-4. Similarly and typically, the center of the ear well cavity 1A is located 6 inches from the front edge 11-1 and 6.5 inches from the side edge 11-3. While the dimensions described above reflect one preferred embodiment, variations of 10% to 20% or more are included. For example, the first cavity 1A and the second cavity 2A have a cavity center, each cavity center offset from a first pillow edge 11-1 along a first length side within approximately 5 to 7 inches and each cavity center offset from pillow edges along width sides 11-3 and 11-4 within approximately 5.5 to 7.5 inches.
[0107] In FIG. 20, a schematic view of the bottom 11-6 of the pillow core 9 of FIG. 3 is shown. The pillow core 9 has a front edge 11-1, a back edge 11-2 and side edges 11-3 and 11-4. An ear well cavity 1A is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-3. An ear well cavity 2A is located toward the front edge 11-1 and toward the side edge 11-4. In a typical embodiment, the ear well cavity 1A and ear well cavity 2A are generally oval or rounded rectangle in shape with major diameters of 4.5 inches and minor diameters of 3 inches. The core 9 typically measures 26 inches by 15.5 inches. Typically, the center of the ear well cavity 2A is located 6 inches from the front edge 11-1 and 6.5 inches from the side edge 11-4. Similarly and typically, the center of the ear well cavity 1A is located 6 inches from the front edge 11-1 and 6.5 inches from the side edge 11-3. In FIG. 20, the head well cavity 16 is centered between the side edges 11-3 and 11-4 and is typically 2.75 inches from the front edge 11-1 and 3.75 inches from a back edge 11-2. The perimeter in one embodiment is an oval, or other smooth shape, with a minor diameter of 7 inches and a major diameter of 9 inches. In general, the perimeter of the head well cavity 16 has major and minor dimensions within measurements of approximately 6.5 inches by 10.5 inches. While the dimensions described above reflect preferred embodiments, variations of 10% to 20% or more are included. For example, the ear cavities in one preferred embodiment are rounded rectangles with major and minor dimensions measuring 3 inches by 4.5 inches. In general, the ear well cavities have major and minor dimensions within measurements of approximately 2.5 inches by 5 inches. Similarly, other dimensions described vary from of 10% to 20% or more.
[0108] In FIG. 21, a schematic top view of the top side 11-5 of the pillow 11 of FIG. 2 is shown. The pillow 11 has a front edge 11-1 and a back edge 11-2 and side edges 11-3 and 11-4.
[0109] The pillow 11 is rectangular in shape with the front edge 11-1 and back edge 11-2 longer than the side edge 11-3 and side edge 11-4. The pillow 11 has a top 11-5. An ear well 1 is toward the side 11-3 and an ear well 2 is toward the side 11-4. The ear well 1 has the cover 8 depressed into the pillow by the fastener 14 to form ear well 1. The depression of ear well 1 into the pillow causes a crease 1-3 or other structural softness from the ear well 1 to the edge 11-3 and causes a crease 1-4 or other structural softness from the ear well 1 to the edge 1. The ear well 1 additionally has a crease 1-1 or other structural softness extending toward ear well 16 and a crease 1-2 or other structural softness extending toward the side 11-2. The ear well 2 has the cover 8 depressed into the pillow by the fastener 15 to form an ear well. The depression of ear well 2 into the pillow causes a crease 2-3 or other structural softness from the ear well 2 to the edge 11-4 and causes a crease 2-4 or other structural softness from the ear well 2 to the edge 1. The top 11-5 of pillow 11 does not appear to have a head well. For purpose of explanation, the location of the head well 16 as it exists extending into the pillow core from the bottom is shown by a dashed line.
[0110] In FIG. 22, a schematic top view of the top side 11-5 of the pillow 11 of FIG. 2 is shown the same as in FIG. 12. The pillow 11 has regions around the ear well 1. The ear well region 31 protrudes deeply into the pillow so as to provide very little support. The upper region 32 is generally above the ear well region 31 and between the head well area 16 and edge 11-3. The region 32 provides full support and is not interrupted by additional ear wells or other irregularities. The back region 33 is between the head well 16 and the ear well region 31. While region 33 provides support, the support is lessened by reduced support over the head well region 16 and the ear well region 31. The front region 34 provides support between the ear well region 31 and the edge 11-3. The region 34 is lower than region 32 because it lies over the crease 1-3. The lower region 30 is between the ear well region 31 and the edge 11-3 and edge 11-1, between crease 1-3 and 1-4. The regions 31, 32, 33, 34, and 30 are designed to provide support for a side lying head with the ear positioned over the ear well 1 and the face toward the edge 11-3. The support provided to a head provides the head in a position that provides comfort and proper alignment. In FIG. 13, the regions 31, 32, 33, 34, and 30 are about ear well 1 for a side lying head facing edge 11-3. In a similar manner, regions like the regions 31, 32, 33, 34, and 30 are also around the ear well 2 for supporting a side lying head facing the edge 11-4.
[0111] In FIG. 23, a side view of a skeleton of a human head 36 is shown identifying the bones of the head. A human skull 40 contains 22 bones with 8 bones in the cranium 40-1 and 14 bones in the face 40-2 in the lower front of the skull 40. The two parietal bones 41, only one shown in FIG. 14, form the largest part of the top and sides of the cranium 40-1. Each one of the parietal bones 41 is shaped roughly like a curved rectangle. The single occipital bone 42 forms the back of the skull 40 and the base of the cranium 40-1. The occipital bone 42 is pierced by a large oval hole (the foramen magnum) through which runs the spinal cord. The two temporal bones 43, only one shown in FIG. 23, in the cranium 40-1 each supports part of the face known as the temple. The temporal bones 43 are crucial in the anatomy of the ears. The single mandible bone 44 (jawbone) is the lower part of the face 40-2. The frontal bone 45 is one of the major bones of the cranium 40-1 and comprises the forehead (squama frontalis) and the upper orbits of the eyes (pars orbitalis). The zygomatic bones (cheek bones) 46, only one shown in FIG. 23, are offset from the temporal bones 43 by the sphenoid bone 47.
[0112] In FIG. 24, a side view of a human head 36 is shown showing the locations of the bones of the FIG. 23 skeleton around an ear 51 and an ear well 1. The parietal bone 41, the occipital bone 42, the temporal bone 43, the mandible bone 44 (jawbone), the frontal bone 45, the zygomatic bone (cheek bone) 46, and the sphenoid bone 47 are shown. In addition to the bones, FIG. 24 depicts the soft tissue region 446 that extends from the region 45 above the eye socket to the bottom of the jawbone 44. The soft tissue region 446 is susceptible to wrinkling caused by pressure from a pillow
[0113] In FIG. 25, a schematic top view of the top side 11-5 of the pillow 11 of the FIG. 22 type is shown depicting the head 36 of FIG. 24 side lying with the ear 51 over the ear well region 31. Similarly, the parietal bone 41 and the frontal bone 45 are over the upper region 32. The region 32 provides full support and is not interrupted by additional ear wells or other irregularities. The occipital bone 42 is over the back region 33 between the head well 16 and the ear well region 32. Because the head 36 extends slightly over the edge of the head well region 16, the support at the back of the head 36 is slightly less than the support in the upper region 32. The side lying portion of the frontal bone 45 is supported by the upper region 32. The temporal bone 43 is over the upper region 32, the ear well region 31 and the front region 34 so that head is well supported around the front of the ear well region 31. Similarly, the sphenoid bone 47 is over the upper region 32 and the front region 34 so that head is well supported in front of the ear well region 31. The zygomatic bone (cheek bone) 46 is over the front region 34. The zygomatic bone 46 is prominent and tends to protrude from a side lying face. The front region 34 however tends to be recessed due to the crease 1-3, or other structural softness between the ear well and the pillow side, and hence reduces the local pressure on the protruding zygomatic bone (cheek bone) 46. The mandible bone 44 (jawbone) is supported by the lower region 30 between the ear well region 31 and the edge 11-3 and edge 11-1 and between crease 1-3 and 1-4. Because the mandible bone 44 for a side lying person is lower than the other bones, the head 36 tends to rotate slightly downward about the ear well region 31 to allow the mandible bone 44 to engage the region 30.
[0114] In FIG. 25, the regions 31, 32, 33, 34, and 30 cooperate to provide support for the side lying head 36 with the ear positioned over the ear well 1 and facing the edge 11-3. The head 36 is supported in a position that provides good sleep comfort, good musculoskeletal position and good alignment.
[0115] In FIG. 25, a head in a side lying position facing the edge 11-4 has regions like the regions 31, 32, 33, 34, and 30 for ear well 1 so that a side lying head facing the edge 11-4 is supported in a position that provides good sleep comfort, good musculoskeletal position and good alignment.
[0116] The manner in which pillow 11 achieves good comfort, position and alignment is evident in FIG. 25. The head 36 has the bones, as identified in FIG. 23, supported by the regions identified in FIG. 22. The eye sockets are formed by the frontal bones 45 and zygomatic 46. The parietal bone 41, the sphenoid bone 47 and the temporal bone 43 are supported by the extended parietal region 32 (for generally bones 41, 43 and 47) and the zygomatic region 34. The top of the zygomatic region 34 is lower than, or less supportive than the extended parietal region 32 because of the creases 1-3 or other structural softness between the ear well 1 and the pillow edge 11-3. Therefore, the support for the cheek bone 46 by the zygomatic region 34 tends to allow the cheek bone 46 to have a slight dip with reduced pressure against the soft tissues of the face. The extended parietal region 32 and the occipital region 33 are large regions supporting the back and side portions of the head 36 including the parietal bone 41 and occipital bone 42. The mandible bone 44 (jawbone) is supported by the mandible region 30 between the ear well region 31 and the edge 11-3 and edge 11-1 and between crease 1-3 and 1-4. The mandible region 30 is formed from the ear well 1 toward the intersection of the closest pillow sides 11-1 and 11-3. Because the mandible bone 44 for a side lying person is lower than the other bones, the head 36 tends to rotate slightly downward about the ear well region 31 to allow the mandible bone 44 to engage the mandible region 30. When the head 36 is positioned as shown in FIG. 25 with the ear 51 over the ear well 1, the structural support of the regions of FIG. 22 interact to support the head 36 so that pressure against the soft facial tissues in the soft tissue region 446 (see FIG. 24) is reduced. The soft facial tissues in the soft tissue region 446 with an ordinary pillow tend to be compressed with pressure over time causing wrinkles. The distribution of the structural supports in pillow 11 reduces compression and pressure on the soft tissue region 446 thereby reducing wrinkles and compression spots and thereby providing a “beauty pillow”.
[0117] In FIG. 26, a schematic top view of the top side 11-5 of the pillow 11 of FIG. 21 is shown depicting the head 36 of FIG. 24 back lying with the back of the head 36 over the head well region 16. While the head in the embodiment shown in FIG. 26 is on the top 11-5 of the pillow 11, the head well cavity 16 on the back side of pillow 11 allows the head 36 to sink downward into the pillow to support the head to provide good sleep comfort, good musculoskeletal position and good alignment. As shown in FIG. 26, the head well 16 is 2.75 inches from the edge 11-1 and 3.75 inches from the edge 11-2. For a back-lying body from the 11-1 side has a shorter 2.75 inches support while the back-lying body from the 11-2 side has a longer 3.75 inches support. Similarly, a head lying on the back 11-6 feels different support from a head lying on the top 11-5. These different dimensions allow a user to select pillow orientations most comfortable to the user.
[0118] While the embodiments described in connection with FIG. 25 and FIG. 26 position the head 36 on the top 11-5 of the pillow 11, the pillow 11 can be turned over so that the head 36 is positioned on the upward facing bottom 11-6 of pillow 11. With such reversal with the bottom 11-6 facing upward, the regions 31, 32, 33, 34, and 30 for ear well 1 and similar regions for ear well 2 are essentially the same. However, the region 16 for a back lying head differs so that different comfort levels are provided for back lying positions. By rotating and/or flipping the pillow, there are 4 different positions and support levels for the neck bridge that are available for subjects in supine sleeping.
[0119] In FIG. 27, a male 35 in a back-lying position with the pillow 11′ maintaining the head and neck alignment with the head tilted upward and out of natural alignment at an angle A27, approximately 28°, so that a comfortable musculoskeletal position, alignment and pressure is not achieved.
[0120] In FIG. 28, a male 35 in a back-lying position is shown with the pillow 11 maintaining natural head and neck alignment with the head 35 on the top 11-5 of pillow 11 over head well 16. The head well 16 is present in the bottom 11-6 of pillow 11. The head of male 35 is at an angle A28, approximately 19°.
[0121] In FIG. 29, a male 35 in a back-lying position is shown with the pillow 11 maintaining natural head and neck alignment with the head 35 over head well 16. Although the head well 16 is present in the bottom 11-6 of pillow 11, the pillow 11 has been turned over so that the bottom 11-6 is on the top for receiving the head 35. The head of male 35 is at an angle A29, approximately 10° . The angle A29 is less than the angle A28. FIG. 28 and FIG. 29 demonstrate that different supporting angles are achieved by reversing the side of the pillow which is up and in contact with the head.
[0122] In FIG. 30, a male 35 in a back-lying position is shown with a too-soft pillow 11″ causing a downward extension of the head of male body 35 at an angle A30, approximately −10°, so that comfortable musculoskeletal position, alignment and pressure is not achieved.
[0123] In FIG. 31, a partially cutaway end view of a pillow 11 with pillow case 12 is shown with a female body 36 in a side-lying position. The pillow 11 maintains natural head and neck alignment. The pillow 11 is within a pillowcase 12 where the cutaway section of the pillow case shows body 36 positioned such that the ear will be over the ear cavity 2 (internal to the pillow and shown dashed line for representation). The face of the body 36 faces toward the side edge 11-4, between edges 11-1 and 11-2, of the pillow 11 at an angle A31 typically 20°. The weight of the head 36 located around the ear cavity 2 is supported by the skull above the eyes and around, in front of and behind the ear as described in connection with FIG. 25. In this manner, pressure on the soft tissues of the face is reduced. When these tissues of the face are not subjected to undue compression, metabolic activity is properly achieved so that comfortable musculoskeletal position and alignment are achieved.
[0124] In FIG. 32, an edge 11-2 view of a pillow 11 with pillow case 12 is shown with a female body 36 in a side-lying position. The pillowcase 12 is cutaway to show body 36 positioned such that the ear 36-1 is over the ear well 2 (internal to the pillow and shown with a dashed line). The face of the body 36 faces toward the top edge 11-4. The soft facial tissue 36-2 of the body 36 tends not to be pushed or pushed with reduced force against the pillow 11.
[0125] The weight of the head 36 over and about the ear well 2 is supported primarily by the skull above the eyes, around, in front of and behind the ear and less than by the soft tissues 36-2 of the face. The head 36 has a slope angle A32 which is, for example, approximately 6° to 8°.Gravity acts to draw the head 36 forward in the direction of side edge 11-4 thereby gently drawing the side facial tissues 36-2 toward the back of the skull 36-3, opening the nasal vestibule, and thereby increasing air flow. As a result, face tissues 36-2 are not subjected to compression or have reduced compression so that metabolic activity is properly supported and comfortable musculoskeletal position, alignment and pressure are achieved.
[0126] In FIG. 33, a female body 36 is shown in a back-lying position with the pillow 11 cooperating with the mattress 57 to maintain natural head and neck alignment. The head of body 36 is placed on the top 11-5 over the head well 16 which extends into the pillow from the bottom 11-6. The head is at a slight upward angle A33 to achieve comfortable musculoskeletal position, alignment and pressure. The angle A33 is typically 21°.
[0127] In FIG. 34, a male 35 is shown in a side-lying position with the pillow 11 cooperating with the mattress 57 to maintain natural head and neck alignment. The head of body 35 is placed such that the ear is over the ear cavity 2 (internal to the pillow and shown dashed line for representation). The face of the body 35 faces toward the side edge 11-4, between edges 11-1 and 11-2, of the pillow 11 at an angle A34, typically 20°. The weight of the head 35 located around the ear cavity 2 is supported by the skull above the eyes and around, in front of and behind the ear as described in connection with FIG. 25. In this manner, pressure on the soft tissues of the face is reduced. When these tissues of the face are not subjected to undue compression, metabolic activity is properly supported and comfortable musculoskeletal position and alignment are achieved.
[0128] In FIG. 35, a schematic view of the top 11-5 of the pillow of the FIG. 22 type, is shown with an additional ear well 3 and an additional ear well 4. A dashed line shows the location of the head well 16 on the bottom of the pillow 11. The pillow 11 has regions around the ear well 1. The ear well region 31 protrudes deeply into the pillow so as to provide very little support. The upper region 32 is generally above the ear well region 31 and between the head well area 16 and edge 11-3. The region 32 provides support but is interrupted by the additional ear well 4. The back region 33 is between the head well 16 and the ear well region 31. While region 33 provides support, the support is lessened by reduced support over the head well region 16 and the ear well region 31. The front region 34 provides support between the ear well region 31 and the edge 11-3. The region 34 is lower than region 32 because it lies over the crease 1-3. The lower region 30 is between the ear well region 31 and the edge 11-3 and edge 11-1, between crease 1-3 and 1-4. The regions 31, 32, 33, 34, and 30 are designed to provide support for a side lying head with the ear positioned over the ear well 1 and the face toward the edge 11-3. The support provided to a head provides the head in a position that provides comfort and proper alignment. In FIG. 35, the regions 31, 32, 33, 34, and 30 are about ear well 1 for a side lying head facing edge 11-3. In a similar manner, regions like the regions 31, 32, 33, 34, and 30 are also around the ear well 2 for supporting a side lying head facing the edge 11-4. The ear well 4 can reduce somewhat the support of the region 32. An imaginary line 101-5 transcends the pillow 11 from side 11-2 to side 11-3 and through the center of ear well 4. The line 101-5 is a fold line along which the pillow 11 can be folded to increase the support of the pillow generally under the region 32. In one embodiment, a stitch 201-5 or other fold marker is made in edge 11-2 and a stitch 301-5 or other fold marker in edge 11-3 act as marker to indicate convenient places to mark the fold.
[0129] In FIG. 36, a schematic view of the top 11-5 of the pillow of FIG. 35 is shown with the side 11-2 and side 11-3 corner 101-6 folded under the bottom of pillow 11 along the fold line 101-5 of FIG. 35. When folded, the pillow provides more support generally under the region 32.
[0130] In FIG. 37, a schematic view of the top of the pillow 11 of the FIG. 35 type is shown. FIG. 37 differs from FIG. 35 in that the fold line 101-7 in FIG. 37 is offset from the center of the ear well 4, as indicated by button 14-1, while line 101-5 in FIG. 35 runs approximately through the center.
[0131] In FIG. 38, a schematic view of the top 11-5 of the pillow of FIG. 37 is shown with the side 11-2 and side 11-3 corner 101-8 folded under the bottom of pillow 11 along the fold line 101-7 of FIG. 37. When folded, the pillow 11 of FIG. 38 provides support generally under the region 32, but the support of FIG. 38 is somewhat less than the support under the folded pillow of FIG. 36.
[0132] In FIG. 39, a partially cutaway end view of a pillow 11 of FIG. 37 with pillow case 12 is shown with a female body 36 in a side-lying position. The pillow 11 maintains natural head and neck alignment. The pillow 11 is within a pillowcase 12 where the cutaway section of the pillow case shows body 36 positioned such that the ear will be over the ear cavity 2 (internal to the pillow and shown dashed line for representation). The face of the body 36 faces toward the side edge 11-4, between edges 11-1 and 11-2, of the pillow 11. The weight of the head 36 located around the ear cavity 2 is supported by the skull above the eyes and around, in front of and behind the ear. In this manner, pressure on the soft tissues of the face is reduced. When these tissues of the face are not subjected to undue compression, metabolic activity is properly achieved so that comfortable musculoskeletal position and alignment are achieved. With the pillow 11 of FIG. 37 not folded, the support causes head 36 to be inclined at an angle A39, typically about 20°.
[0133] In FIG. 40, a view of the pillow 11 of FIG. 39 is shown with the pillow corner folded under along line 101-7 (see FIG. 38). With the pillow 11 of FIG. 37 folded, the support causes head 36 to be inclined at an angle A40, typically about 30°.
[0134] In accordance with the present invention for supine lying, the neck is supported to cause the head to be positioned like the head is positioned when standing so as reduce wrinkles across the chin and neck. With this positioning, the chin is up relative to conventional pillows and tends to open the airway for greater blood-oxygen saturation and tends to reduce the likelihood of snoring.
[0135] In accordance with the present invention for side lying, the head and neck are positioned to distribute support of the head on the bone prominences of the skull and therefore to reduce pressure on the soft tissue areas of the face. The pressure is reduced across the upper lip and the behind the eye sockets reducing the formation of “crow's feet”. Additionally, the ear wells reduce pressure, pain and discomfort on and around the pinna of the ear. There is a reduction of pressure below the ischemic pressure so that there is a reduction in discomfort, pain, wrinkles and expansion or enlargement of the pinna.
[0136] In connection with embodiments of the present invention and particularly in connection with FIG. 27 through FIG. 34, FIG. 31, FIG. 32, FIG. 39 and FIG. 40 various angles have been identified. While these angles are typical, the angles may vary from the identified values by 10% to 20% or more depending on the particular body, body position, head shape, head size and orientation of the pillow. Also, during side sleeping, the degree of softness of the mattress under the shoulder has an effect on the angle achieved by the pillow features, especially as to the angle of the head and cervical spine. A soft mattress will allow the thoracic spine to curve less and the neck to curve more. A hard mattress will allow the thoracic spine to curve much more and the cervical spine to curve very little from an extension of the thoracic spine.
[0137] While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention.
