PILLOW SUPPORT STRUCTURE

Abstract

A pillow support structure includes first and second complementary polyhedral sections that each provide a flat, top surface and a sloped surface adjacent to the top surface, and complementary attachment surfaces designed to adjust the spacing between the first and second complementary polyhedral units.

Claims

1. A pillow support structure, comprising: a first section and a second section each having a pair of opposed right trapezoidal sides that are connected together by a top surface and bottom surface disposed perpendicularly to the opposed right trapezoidal sides, the bottom surface having a length exceeding a length of the top surface, the opposed right trapezoidal sides also connected together by a sloped surface extending from an edge of the top surface at an obtuse angle and to an edge of the bottom surface at an acute angle, and also connected together by an end surface opposed to the sloped surface and perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces; and a rectangular sheet of material extending from the bottom surface of the first section beyond the sloped surface; wherein a top surface of the rectangular sheet of material and the bottom surface of the second section have complementary attachment structures for temporary attachment therebetween providing adjustable spacing between the sloped surfaces of the first section and the second section; wherein each side or surface of the first section and second section is provided by an individual panel of fabric, and the individual panels of fabric are attached together to provide a fabric shell; wherein the individual panels of fabric are attached together at seams by stitches; and wherein each individual panel of fabric represents only one side or surface of a section.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. The pillow support structure of claim 1, further comprising a filler material that fills the fabric shell, the filler material chosen from polyurethane memory foam, polystyrene beads, polyester, cotton, feather, and down.

5. The pillow support structure of claim 4, further comprising a zipper disposed in the fabric shell of the first section and second section that provides access to the filler material.

6. The pillow support structure of claim 1, wherein the fabric is chosen from cotton, polyester, denim, suede, corduroy, wool, and microfiber, and blends thereof.

7. The pillow support structure of claim 1, wherein the complementary attachment structures are chosen from hook and loop fasteners, magnets, two-sided tape, and snap fasteners.

8. A method, comprising: assembling first and second fabric casings by stitching or sewing individual panels of fabric together at seams, the individual panels of each fabric casing comprising two opposed right trapezoid-shaped or other quadrilateral-shaped panels and a plurality of rectangular panels connecting the two opposed right trapezoid-shaped or other quadrilateral-shaped panels therebetween comprising a top, bottom, and end rectangular panel and a sloped rectangular panel extending from the top rectangular panel to the bottom rectangular panel; attaching a sheet of material to the bottom rectangular panel of fabric of the first fabric shell that extends beyond the bottom rectangular panel; and attaching complementary attachment structures to a top surface of the sheet of material and to the bottom rectangular panel of the second fabric shell; wherein when each fabric casing is filled, each individual panel of fabric represents only one side of a polyhedral structure formed by the fabric casing.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising attaching a zipper to the first and second fabric shells designed to provide access to an interior of the first and second fabric shells.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising filling the first and second fabric shells with a filler material.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the filler material is chosen from polyurethane memory foam, polystyrene beads, polyester, cotton, feather, and down.

12. A pillow support structure, comprising: first and second complementary polyhedral sections that each provide a plurality of sides and surfaces including a flat, top surface and a sloped surface adjacent to the top surface; and complementary attachment surfaces designed to adjust the spacing between the first and second complementary polyhedral sections; wherein each side or surface of the first section and second section is provided by an individual panel of fabric, and the individual panels of fabric are attached together to provide a fabric shell; and wherein the individual panels of fabric are attached together at seams by stitches; wherein each individual panel of fabric represents only one side or surface of a polyhedral section.

13. The pillow support structure of claim 12, wherein the first and second complementary polyhedral sections are right trapezoidal prisms.

14. The pillow support structure of claim 13, wherein the right trapezoidal prisms comprise an outer fabric shell surrounding a filling material.

15. The pillow support structure of claim 14, wherein the outer fabric shell comprises fabric chosen from cotton, polyester, denim, suede, corduroy, wool, and microfiber, and blends thereof.

16. The pillow support structure of claim 14, wherein the filler material is chosen from polyurethane memory foam, polystyrene beads, polyester, cotton, feather, and down.

17. The pillow support structure of claim 12, wherein a first complementary attachment surface is provided by a sheet of fabric attached to and extending beyond the first complementary polyhedral section, and the second complementary attachment surface is a bottom surface of the second complementary polyhedral section.

18. The pillow support structure of claim 12, wherein the complementary attachment surfaces have complementary attachment structures chosen from hook and loop fasteners, magnets, two-sided tape, and snap fasteners.

19. The pillow support structure of claim 12, wherein the first and second complementary polyhedral sections are trapezoidal prisms having a base that is wider than the flat, top surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The accompanying drawings illustrate certain aspects and principles of the implementations set forth, and should not be construed as limiting.

[0009] FIGS. 1-6 are two-dimensional drawings of a pillow support structure according to one implementation, where FIGS. 1-4 represent side views and FIGS. 5 and 6 represent overhead views where FIG. 5 is an overhead view of FIG. 1 which features the primary or main section of the pillow support structure and FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 6 feature the primary section and its companion section.

[0010] FIGS. 7-16 are projection drawings of a pillow support structure at different perspective views according to one implementation, where FIGS. 7 and 8 feature the primary section of the pillow support structure and its companion section positioned above, with FIG. 8 featuring the bottom surface of the companion section, and where FIGS. 9-14 feature the primary section and its companion section attached together, with FIGS. 9, 11, and 12 showing a narrow gap between sloped surfaces of the sections and FIGS. 10, 13, and 14 featuring a wider gap between sloped surfaces of the sections, and FIGS. 15 and 16 feature just the primary section of the pillow support structure.

[0011] FIGS. 17-20 are textured drawings of a pillow support structure according to one implementation, which feature a primary section and its companion section attached together and covered with panels of fabric joined together to form a fabric casing or cover that encloses a filling material.

[0012] FIGS. 21-26 are images of a pillow support structure according to one implementation where the primary section and its support section are covered with panels of fabric joined together to form a casing or cover, where FIGS. 21-23 show the primary section and its companion section separated and FIGS. 24-26 feature the primary section and its companion section attached together, where FIGS. 21 and 23 feature the bottom panel of the companion section and FIG. 25 features the bottom panels of the primary and companion sections, and FIG. 26 features the primary and companion sections attached together during use as a pillow support structure.

[0013] FIGS. 27 and 28 are projection drawings of a pillow support structure implementation with a narrow top surface, where FIG. 27 shows sections featuring a right trapezoidal prism structure and FIG. 28 shows sections featuring a polyhedral structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Reference will now be made in detail to various illustrative implementations. It is to be understood that the following discussion of the implementations is not intended to be limiting.

[0015] The present disclosure describes a pillow support structure to facilitate sleeping. The pillow support structure includes two complementary polyhedral units, pieces, or sections that each provide a flat, top surface and a sloped surface adjacent to the top surface, the flat, top surface and sloped surface each having different pillow support functions, and also includes complementary attachment surfaces designed to adjust the spacing between the polyhedral units.

[0016] One implementation provides two polyhedral sections each having an asymmetrical, trapezoidal cross-section. The trapezoidal shape of each piece provides a pair of sloped portions that cradle the user's head when back sleeping, while flat portions at the top of each section support the user's head when side sleeping. One piece has an extended piece of fabric with hook or loop features or other attachment structures. The other, companion piece has complementary hook or loop features or attachment structures underneath. The spacing between the two wedge sections is adjustable via the attachment structures that fix the position of one unit relative to the other unit.

[0017] Each section of the pillow support structure can be manufactured by sewing several panels of fabric together to create a shell or casing. The panels of fabric are polygonal and include two identical right trapezoid-shaped panels and four rectangular shaped panels joined together at 12 edges. The casing when filled forms a three-dimensional structure with a trapezoidal cross-section (i.e., a right trapezoidal prism). The panels of fabric can be any durable fabric or blends of fabric such as cotton, polyester, denim, suede, corduroy, wool, or microfiber. Other materials such as plastic or leather are possible alternatives. The panels can be sewn or stitched together at seams at the edges to create a three-dimensional shell which can be stuffed with a suitable filler such as polyurethane memory foam, polystyrene beads, polyester, cotton, feather, or down. A zipper can provide access to the interior of each section for adding or removing filler material. The pillow support structure or one or more components can also be manufactured by other means and materials that produce the same three-dimensional structure with trapezoidal cross-section, such as a monolithic block of memory foam, rubber, silicone, or other yielding material.

[0018] Turning now to the Drawings, FIGS. 1-26 depict implementations of the pillow support structure at various perspective views. The pillow support structure includes a primary or first section 1A and a companion or second section 1B. The primary section includes a three-dimensional, asymmetrical polyhedral structure having a plurality of rectangular faces including a top surface 2A and bottom surface 4A or base which is longer than the top surface and thus has greater surface area. The rectangular faces include a first end surface 6A of the structure which connects the top surface 2A and bottom surface 4A perpendicularly, and an opposed surface which provides a sloped surface 10A extending from an end of the top surface 2A to an end of the bottom surface 4A and forming an obtuse angle with the top surface 2A and an acute angle the bottom surface 4A. A right trapezoid represents a side surface 8A disposed perpendicularly to the top surface 2A and bottom surface 4A. Another right trapezoid forms the opposite side of section 1A (not shown). As can be seen in the projection Drawings such as FIGS. 7-16, the polygonal faces or surfaces form a right trapezoidal prism. Extending from a junction of the bottom surface 4A and the sloped surface 10A of the right trapezoidal prism is a sheet of material providing an extended surface 12A that includes hook or loop fastener features 14A facing upward. The sheet of material 12A can of be the same material as the remainder of the pillow support structure, or can be of a different material. The sheet of material 12A can also be a portion of the bottom surface 4A that simply extends beyond the junction of bottom surface 4A with sloped surface 10A, or can be an entirely separate sheet of material joined to the right trapezoidal prism.

[0019] A companion section 1B, shown in FIGS. 2-4, 6-14, and 17-26, replicates the structure of the primary or first section 1A with respect to the right trapezoidal prism. The companion section 1B includes a top surface 2B corresponding in dimension to top portion 2A of section 1A, a bottom surface 4B corresponding in dimension to bottom surface 4A, an end surface 6B corresponding in dimension to end surface 6A, a sloped surface 10B corresponding in dimension to sloped surface 10A, and a side surface 8B corresponding in dimension to side surface 8A. Shown in FIGS. 8, 20, and 23 are hook or loop portions 14B attached to bottom surface 4B of companion section 1B. It should be understood that 14A and 14B represent complementary hook or loop features for attachment of extended surface 12A of section 1A and bottom surface 4B of section 1B together, such as when 14A represents hook features, 14B represents loop features, and vice versa. Figures such as FIGS. 9, 10, 17, 19, and 24 show that the hook or loop features 14A provide for adjustable spacing between section 1A and section 1B by providing temporary attachment between the two pieces. Such adjustable spacing between sections is called out at reference number 15 in FIGS. 9-14. Such spacing or gap 15 between sections can be a few inches to several inches (e.g., a foot or greater) in length and can be adjusted according to such factors as the thickness of the pillow (e.g., thicker pillows requiring greater spacing) or the size of the user (e.g., larger users requiring greater spacing). The disclosure also contemplates other attachment means that can be substituted for hook or loop features of 14A and 14B, such as magnets, two-sided tape, snap fasteners, or other temporary attachment structures. Such attachment structures provide for temporary attachment between bottom portion 4B of section 1B and extended surface 12A of section 1A that remains attached during use but that can still be separated and adjusted in position with manual force.

[0020] FIGS. 17-26 represent an implementation where section 1A and section 1B are fabricated such that each polygonal surface (top 2A, bottom 4A, end 6A, side 8A, slope 10A, extension 12A for section 1A, and top 2B, bottom 4B, end 6B, side 8B, slope 10B for section 1B) is a piece of fabric and the pieces of fabric are sewn together at seams joining adjacent pieces to form a cover. FIG. 21 shows the pair of sections 1A and 1B with filler in place (top) and pair of sections 1A1 and 1B1 with filler removed (bottom). FIG. 25 show sections 1A and 1B each have a zipper 16A and 16B for access to the interiors of the sections to facilitate placement or removal of filler material. The polygonal sheets of fabric of the sections can be cut at precise dimensions using fabric die cutting machines or manually and stitched or sewn together. FIG. 26 shows the pillow support structure during use where the center of a pillow 20 is cradled between sections 1A and 1B underneath. FIG. 26 shows that the sections are dimensioned so that when fitted together to form a pillow support structure, the structure is slightly smaller than the length and width of a standard sized pillow. However, other implementations can be larger in size to accommodate oversize pillows. The pillow support structure can have a height between top and bottom surfaces of one to several inches.

[0021] FIGS. 27 and 28 show additional implementations of a pillow support structure where the top surfaces 2A and 2B of sections 1A and 1B are much narrower than that of the structure shown in FIGS. 1-26. The top surfaces 2A and 2B form a narrow ridge that extend across the width of the sections 1A and 1B and can be anywhere from a quarter of an inch wide to several inches wide. The bottom surfaces (not shown) are also narrower than that of the implementations shown in FIGS. 1-26 (although several times wider than said top surfaces), so that the sections 1A and 1B of FIGS. 27 and 28 as a whole are much smaller in dimension providing more compact pillow support structures. The FIG. 27 shows such implementation as sections 1A and 1B forming right trapezoidal prisms where end surfaces such as 6A (and complementary end surface of section 1B, not shown) form a right angle with extended surface 12A, while FIG. 28 depicts a polyhedral structure where end surface such as 7A (and complementary end surface of section 1B, not shown) form an acute angle with extended surface 12A. The polyhedral structures of FIG. 28 can be trapezoidal prisms having a base that is wider than the much narrower flat, top surface of the polyhedral structures, or can take on other polyhedral forms having a flat, top portion which is much narrower than the base portion and having a quadrilateral cross-section. Such implementations can be used for supporting sleeping positions such as back sleeping by cradling the center portion of the pillow.

[0022] Another implementation provides a method which includes assembling first and second fabric casings by stitching or sewing panels of fabric together. The panels of each fabric casing include two opposed right trapezoid-shaped or other quadrilateral-shaped panels and a plurality of rectangular panels. The fabric casings can be assembled by connecting the two opposed right trapezoid-shaped or other quadrilateral-shaped panels together with the rectangular panels therebetween including a top, bottom, and end rectangular panel and a sloped rectangular panel extending from the top rectangular panel to the bottom rectangular panel. The method further includes attaching a sheet of material to the bottom rectangular panel of fabric of the first fabric shell that extends beyond the bottom rectangular panel, and attaching complementary attachment structures to a top surface of the sheet of material and the bottom rectangular panel of the second fabric shell. The method can further include attaching a zipper to the first and second fabric shells designed to provide access to an interior of the first and second fabric shells, filling the first and second fabric shells with a filler material, the filler material chosen from polyurethane memory foam, polystyrene beads, polyester, cotton, feather, and down.

[0023] The featured pillow support structure can be used as follows. The bottom surface of the second section of the pillow support structure is attached to a top surface of the rectangular sheet of material by way of the complementary attachment structures to provide a gap between sloped surfaces of the first section and the second section. A pillow is placed over the first section and the second section such that a center of the pillow is cradled by the sloping surfaces of the first section and the second section. Such configuration facilitates sleeping positions such as back sleeping by the cradled center portion of the pillow or alternatively side sleeping by the top surfaces of the first and second sections.

[0024] It should be understood that other implementations apparent to those skilled in the art, such as monolithic sections composed of foam, rubber, silicone, or other yielding material are also contemplated. The materials can be chosen according to a Shore hardness that indicates a degree of softness and less resistance to indentation to provide comfort while retaining enough firmness to provide support. The monolithic sections can be applied to bedding directly using temporary attachment structures described herein to achieve the same purpose of a pillow support function. Further, the sections can be implemented in other shapes that provide a sloped surface, such as those having a cross-section representing other trapezoidal or other polygonal shapes such as isosceles, scalene, acute, or obtuse trapezoids, and/or including curvilinear shapes or surfaces such as a curved concave or convex sloped surface.

[0025] It should be noted at this point that orientational terms such as top, bottom, end, and side refer to the subject drawing as viewed by an observer. The drawing figures depict their subject matter in orientations of normal use, which could obviously change with changes in posture and position. Therefore, orientational terms must be understood to provide semantic basis for purposes of description, and do not limit the invention or its component parts in any particular way.

[0026] The present disclosure has described particular implementations having various features. In light of the disclosure provided above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. One skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosed features may be used singularly, in any combination, or omitted based on the requirements and specifications of a given application or design. When an implementation refers to comprising certain features, it is to be understood that the implementations can alternatively consist of or consist essentially of any one or more of the features. Other implementations will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure.

[0027] It is noted in particular that where a range of values is provided in this specification, each value between the upper and lower limits of that range is also specifically disclosed. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently be included or excluded in the range as well. The singular forms a, an, and the include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary in nature and that variations that do not depart from the essence of the disclosure fall within the scope of the disclosure. Further, all of the references cited in this disclosure including patents, published applications, and non-patent literature are each individually incorporated by reference herein in their entireties and as such are intended to provide an efficient way of supplementing the enabling disclosure as well as provide background detailing the level of ordinary skill in the art.