Cover for a Support Cushion

Abstract

Present embodiments relate to a support cushion which allows a user to touch and feel the fill material of the cushion, such as a pillow, wherein the pillow has an opening in a cover wherein the surface of the fill material is accessible for visual inspection and touching.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

Present embodiments relate to a cover for a body support cushion. More specifically present embodiments relate to a cover for body support cushions, for non-limiting example pillows, having at least one cushioning fill material that may be exposable to an end user through the cover.

2. Description of the Related Art

Pillows are usable as support cushions for users and primarily are used to support a user's head or other body portion during sleep or relaxing. Some users desire an ability to see, touch, and/or feel the material which is providing support.

Further, it may be desirable to provide a material which provides a temperature difference, or at least a temporary feeling of such, to the user. For example, and without limitation, some cushions may be formed of foam. One perceived issue with the use of foam however in body support cushions is that foam can “sleep hot.”

Additionally, there is an aesthetic appeal to the use of gel and/or phase change material (PCM). These materials may provide temperature benefits, or sensory benefits, to a user. However many pillows require removal of a pillow from its cover in order to be able to feel the material within.

It would be desirable to address these desires and provide a cover for a support cushion, which allows for the touching or feeling of a surface of the pillow internals.

The information included in this Background section of the specification, including any references cited herein and any description or discussion thereof, is included for technical reference purposes only and is not to be regarded subject matter by which the scope of the invention is to be bound.

SUMMARY

The present application discloses one or more of the features recited in the appended claims and/or the following features which alone or in any combination, may comprise patentable subject matter.

Present embodiments relate to a cover for a support cushion which allows a user to touch and feel an exterior surface of an interior fill material of the support cushion, such as a pillow, wherein the pillow has an opening in the cover and wherein the fill material is accessible for visual inspection and touching.

According to some embodiments, a support cushion may comprise, a fill material, a cover having a plurality of layers each having peripheral edges, and an opening centrally disposed of one of the plurality of layers. The cover may have a flap which is connected along one side of the flap. The flap may be disconnectable along at least one side to reveal the opening. The fill material may be removable from the cover through the opening when the flap is opened. The flap may be opened and the fill material exposed or the flap disposed in a closed position.

Various optional embodiments may also be utilized alone with the support cushion and cover or in combination with other optional embodiments and the support cushion and cover. The fill material may comprise a foam layer and a gel disposed on a surface of the foam layer. The gel may comprise a plurality of protrusions. For example, the gel may be defined by one of bubbles, microbubbles, squares, triangles, or rectangles. The gel may be a sheet. The plurality of protrusions being circular. The cover may further comprise a closure. The closure may comprises at least one of a button, a hook-and-loop, a zipper, snaps, or hook-and-eye. The cover may have a gusset disposed at the peripheral edges of the plurality of layers.

According to some embodiments, a support cushion may comprise a fill material, a cover having a plurality of layers and an opening in one of the plurality of layers. The fill material may be removable from cover through the opening and a surface of the fill material may be exposed through the opening of the cover.

Various optional embodiments may also be utilized alone with the support cushion and cover or in combination with other optional embodiments and the support cushion and cover. In some embodiments, the cover may be an inner cover and in some embodiments, the cover may be an outer cover.

According to some embodiments, a cover for a pillow may comprise a first layer and a second layer, an opening formed in one of the layers wherein the opening may be disposed at a location other than along a seam of the first and second layers and wherein at least a portion of the one of the layers defining a frame for the opening. The opening may be configured to expose a surface of a fill material which may be positioned within the opening.

In some optional embodiments, the cover may further comprise a flap connected to the one of the plurality of layers which may reveal or hide the opening. The cover may further comprise at least one closure between the first and second layers. The cover may further comprise a gusset. The cover may further comprise a rope material along a seam between the first and second layers.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. All of the above outlined features are to be understood as exemplary only and many more features and objectives of the various embodiments may be gleaned from the disclosure herein. Therefore, no limiting interpretation of this summary is to be understood without further reading of the entire specification, claims and drawings, included herewith. A more extensive presentation of features, details, utilities, and advantages of the present invention is provided in the following written description of various embodiments of the invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and defined in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the embodiments may be better understood, embodiments of a cover for a support cushion will now be described by way of examples. These embodiments are not to limit the scope of the claims as other embodiments of the cover for a support cushion will become apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art upon reading the instant description. Non-limiting examples of the present embodiments are shown in figures wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a body support cushion such as, for non-limiting example, a pillow;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the body support cushion of FIG. 1, wherein a flap is partially pulled back to reveal an opening in the cover and for non-limiting example, a gel portion of the body support cushion internals;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the body support cushion of FIG. 1, wherein the flap is fully exposing the opening and gel body support cushion;

FIG. 4 is a schematic section view of one embodiment of a body support cushion, such as a pillow;

FIG. 5 is a schematic section view of a second embodiment of a body support cushion; and,

FIG. 6 is a schematic section view of another body support cushion comprising an alternate fill material.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood that a pillow with gel is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The described embodiments are capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” and “mounted,” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings. In addition, the terms “connected” and “coupled” and variations thereof are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.

With reference to FIGS. 1-6, a body support cushion is provided, for non-limiting example a pillow, which provides an exposed area of a cover in which a gel portion of the body support cushion may be seen and felt. Some users desire the ability to see and touch an interior portion of the support cushion, such as a surface of the fill material which is internal to the cover. The present embodiments provide a support cushion, for non-limiting example a pillow, having a cover with an opening formed in a surface of the cover, allowing visual and physical access to the surface of the fill material of the pillow. The opening is formed in the cover, which may be an inner cover or an outer cover. The cushion may comprise a flap for closure of the opening and may further allow for removal of the pillow internals, or fill material, from the cover.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a perspective view of a body support cushion 10. The body support cushion 10 may take various forms and functions but for purpose of clarity and ease of description is shown as a pillow. However, one skilled in the art should realize that the body support cushion 10 is not limited to a pillow as depicted but may also take other forms. Accordingly, it is contemplated that the body support cushion 10 may also be formed as mattresses, seat cushions, seat backs, neck pillows, leg spacer pillows, mattress toppers, overlays, and the like. As such, the phrase “support cushion” is used herein to refer to any and all such objects having any size and shape, and that are capable of or are generally used to support the body of a user or a portion thereof. The support cushion 10 includes a cover 12 which may or may not include surface ornamentation, as generically indicated by the surface lines and ovals. Further, as described herein, the body support cushion 10 may comprise a fill material 40 (FIG. 2) that may take various forms. The fill material 40 may comprise foam(s), fiber(s), feathers, buckwheat, and/or combinations thereof and may further comprise gel(s), phase change material(s) and/or unique textiles or combinations of any of the preceding.

The cushion 10 comprises the cover 12 having a plurality of layers or panels 14, 15 each of which have an inner surface, an outer surface and a peripheral edge 16. The surfaces 14, 15 may each be formed by a panel with each having an inward and an outward facing panel surface. The peripheral edges 16 may be joined along seams, sometimes referred to as side seams where the layers join or are joined by a gusset, in order to connect the layers 14, 15 along the periphery of the cushion 10. For example, the cushion 10 may comprise at least two layers 14, 15 joined along at least one peripheral edge 16 of the cushion 10. According to some embodiments, the edges 16 may also be connected indirectly by a gusset 18. The cover 12 may be formed of various types of material including, but not limited to, a woven or non-woven material, a knitted material, a material comprising cotton, wool, or other natural fiber, polyester, rayon, nylon, foam, or other synthetic material, and a material that is vapor impermeable, liquid impermeable or vapor permeable, or liquid and vapor permeable.

The instant embodiment may optimally utilize a flap 26 which is pulled over the layer 14 (FIG. 2) and cover 12. The flap 26 is optional, as will be described further herein. However, it should be understood that the surface 14 may be the outermost surface or the flap 26, if used, may be the outermost surface. The flap 26 may be formed of various material, which may be similar to layers or panels 14, 15, or may be different material. The flap 26 may be defined by a single material or multiple materials in order to define the outer and inner surfaces of the flap 26. Further, the flap 26 may entirely cover the body support cushions described herein or may only partially cover the body support cushion so as to only cover an opening 30 (FIG. 2) or only one of the layers 14, 15.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the body support cushion 10 may also comprise an opening 30 in one of the plurality of layers 14, 15. However, where prior art covers for example have openings formed along or at edges of the cover or within gussets for example, for slidable insertion of the pillow internals, the instant body support cushion 10 includes an opening formed within an upper or lower layer.

The instant embodiment provides the opening 30 is in a layer 14 which is an upper or a lower side of the pillow, rather than an end. In some embodiments, the opening 30 may be defined in the layer 14, for non-limiting example, in the center and beneath an optional flap 26. In other embodiments, the opening 30 may not be covered by flap 26. The opening 30 is formed within a frame 34 defined by, or alternatively, connected to of one of the layers 14, 15. The cover 12 may be free of opening 30 along seams or gussets but instead is formed in the surface of the layer 14 or 15. The fill material 40 is therefore insertable through the layer and through the opening 30, rather than at a seam.

The layer having the opening 30, for example the upper layer 14 as depicted, may comprise the outermost surface or may have additional material placed over. For example, the instant embodiment provides the upper layer 14 with the flap 26 there over. In other embodiments, the upper layer 14 may be the outermost surface, as will be described further herein, and shown in FIG. 6 so that the fill material 40 is always exposed. The upper layer 14 instant embodiment provides a frame 34 having an inward edge 32 to define the opening 30. The upper layer 14 of the cover 12 of this embodiment is not the outermost surface, and as shown in FIG. 2, the flap 26 is partially folded back to reveal the opening 30 in the frame 34, defined by the upper layer 14. The frame 34 may be defined by one or more pieces of fabric or material which connect to the lower layer 15 or to the gusset 18. The fill material 40 (FIG. 2), also referred to as cushion internals may be inserted through the opening 30 which is generally in a portion of the cushion 10 which supports a user.

With reference to FIG. 3, the opening 30 is fully revealed by the flap 26 being partially folded back away from the layer 14. The flap 26 is optional as mentioned previously and may be attached along one or more of the cushion edges in a non-releasable manner. Alternatively, the remaining edges of the flap 26 may be releasably connected by a closure (shown in FIG. 4) in order to allow for the release from the closed position of FIG. 1, to the open position of FIGS. 2 and 3. The closure may be disposed where the flap 26 engages either the top layer 14, for example but without limitation near the frame 34 or at the bottom layer 15. Various types of closures may be utilized including, but not limited to, zipper, hook-and-loop, snaps, buttons, or hook-and-eye fasteners. Others may also be used as this listed is non-exhaustive. Further, the flap 26 may also be removable rather than connected to one edge.

According to some embodiments, the flap 26 may be connected by zipper or other closure about the seam where the first and second layers or panels 14, 15 meet. As shown, the flap may be folded back and under the pillow 10 if desired or may be shut with the closure so that the surface of the inner fill material 40 is not visible.

With reference now to FIG. 4, a section view of one embodiment of the cover 12 and the fill material 40 is depicted. As noted previously, the fill material 40 may comprise various materials and/or combinations. The fill material 40 may comprise a single material or multiple materials. The fill materials 40 may include feathers, fillers, foams, buckwheat, and/or combinations thereof and additionally or optionally, may comprise gels, phase change materials, and/or other unique textiles or combinations of any of the preceding. In one non-limiting embodiment, the pillow fill materials 40 may comprise at least one layer of foam 50 and at least one gel 60. The foam 50 may be defined by at least one layer, but may also be a plurality of layers. The foam 50 may comprise, but is not limited to, latex foam, reticulated or non-reticulated visco-elastic foam (sometimes referred to as memory foam or low-resilience foam), reticulated or non-reticulated non-visco-elastic foam, standard polyurethane foam, polyurethane high-resilience foam, expanded polymer foams (e.g., expanded ethylene vinyl acetate, polypropylene, polystyrene, or polyethylene), and the like. This list is exemplary and non-exhaustive. The foam 50 of the illustrative cushion is generally comprised of a flexible foam capable of suitably distributing pressure from a user's body or portion thereof across the pillow. The viscoelastic foam layer provide, the body-conforming and low-resilience qualities associated with viscoelastic foam, while the non-viscoelastic foam layer enhances and/or provides some degree of resilience or “bounce” to the cushion 10. While the foam 50 is shown in a solid layer, the foam 50 may be formed of multiple pieces to define the layer or alternatively, in foam chunks, not necessarily defining a single layer.

The fill material 40 may be sized of one or more pieces to define the cushion 10 and may be formed of various sizes depending on the size of the cushion 10. In the instant embodiments, the fill material 40 is oversized relative to the opening 30 so that the fill material 40 needs to be squeezed or deformed temporarily to fit through the opening 30. Otherwise stated, the fill material 40 is sized to expand to a normal configuration which is larger than the opening 30 and therefore is retained in the opening 30.

In some embodiments, the viscoelastic foam layer may have a hardness of at least about 10 N and no greater than about 80 N for desirable softness and body-conforming qualities. In other embodiments, the viscoelastic foam layer may have a hardness of at least about 30 N and no greater than about 70 N. In still other embodiments, the viscoelastic foam layer may have a hardness of at least about 40 N and no greater than about 60 N. Unless otherwise specified, the hardness of any foam material referred to herein is measured by exerting pressure from a plate against a sample of the material to a compression of 40% of an original thickness of the material at approximately room temperature (e.g., 21-23 Degrees Celsius), wherein the 40% compression is held for a set period of time, following the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 2439 hardness measuring standard. The foam may also be defined under American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards.

The viscoelastic foam layer may include a density providing a relatively high degree of material durability. The density of the viscoelastic foam layer can also impact other characteristics of the foam, such as the manner in which the viscoelastic foam layer responds to pressure, and the feel of the foam. In some embodiments, the viscoelastic foam layer has a density of no less than about 30 kg/m³ and no greater than about 150 kg/m³. In other embodiments, the viscoelastic foam layer may have a density of at least about 40 kg/m³ and no greater than about 135 kg/m³. In still other embodiments, the viscoelastic foam layer may have a density of at least about 50 kg/m³ and no greater than about 120 kg/m³.

Further, the viscoelastic foam layer may include a cellular structure in which the walls of the individual cells are substantially intact (i.e. non-reticulated viscoelastic foam). In other embodiments, the viscoelastic foam layer may be reticulated. Reticulated viscoelastic foam has characteristics that are well suited for use in the cushion, including an enhanced ability (i.e., when compared to non-reticulated viscoelastic foam) to permit the movement of air therethrough, thereby providing enhanced air and/or heat movement within, through, and away from the viscoelastic foam layer. Reticulated foam is a cellular foam structure in which the cells of the foam are essentially skeletal. In other words, the cells of the reticulated foam are each defined by a plurality of apertured windows surrounded by cell struts. The cell windows of reticulated foam can be entirely gone (leaving only the cell struts) or substantially gone. In some embodiments, the foam is considered “reticulated” if at least 50% of the windows of the cells are missing (i.e., windows having apertures therethrough, or windows that are completely missing and therefore leaving only the cell struts). Such structures can be created by destruction or other removal of cell window material, or preventing the complete formation of cell windows during the manufacturing process of the foam.

According to the section view of FIG. 5, an alternate embodiment is provided wherein the fill material 40 may comprise two layers of foam 50, 150. For example, a non-viscoelastic foam layer 150 includes a top surface and a bottom surface. The top surface is positioned adjacent the bottom surface of the viscoelastic foam layer 50, such that the non-viscoelastic foam layer 150 supports the viscoelastic foam layer 50. In some embodiments, the viscoelastic foam layer 50 can rest upon the non-viscoelastic foam layer 150 without being secured thereto. However, in other embodiments, the layers 50, 150 may be secured to one another by adhesive or cohesive bonding material, and/or by being bonded together during formation of the layers 50, 150. Tape, a hook and loop fastener material, conventional fasteners, stitches extending at least partially through the layers 50, 150, or any of a number of different structures or processes may be utilized to secure the layers 50, 150 to each other. For example, thin adhesive strips (not shown) may be positioned between the layers 50, 150. Such adhesives may extend across the entire width and length of the layers 50, 150, or in some embodiments may instead extend only across discrete portions of the width and/or length of the layers 50, 150. Such adhesive strips are flexible enough to form a softer structure than other, more conventional adhesive glues. It should be understood that other foams and configurations may be used and this is merely illustrative.

In the illustrated embodiment of the body support cushion 10 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, both foam layers 50, 150 are substantially planar. In other embodiments, at least one of the surfaces may be non-planar, including without limitation surfaces having ribs, bumps, waves, and other protrusions of any shape and size, surfaces having grooves, and other apertures that extend partially or fully through one or both of the foam layers 50, 150, and the like.

In some embodiments of the cushion 10, the non-viscoelastic foam layer 150 includes latex foam having a hardness of at least about 30 N and no greater than about 130 N for a desirable overall cushion firmness and “bounce” when used in conjunction with the viscoelastic foam layer 50 described above. In other embodiments, the non-viscoelastic foam layer 150 includes high-resilience polyurethane foam having a hardness of at least about 80 N and no greater than about 200 N. In still other embodiments, the non-viscoelastic foam layer 150 has hardness of at least about 40 N and no greater than about 120 N for this purpose. In other embodiments, the non-viscoelastic foam layer 150 may have a hardness of at least about 50 N and no greater than about 110 N. Again, however, this is illustrative and other foams and/or other configurations may be used.

Additionally, the instant embodiments may provide feather materials disposed around the foams 50 or 150. Any of the fill materials previously listed, or others, may be utilized.

In some embodiments, the non-viscoelastic foam layer 150 includes latex foam having a density of no less than about 40 kg/m³ and no greater than about 100 kg/m³. In other embodiments, the non-viscoelastic foam layer 150 includes high-resilience polyurethane foam having a density of no less than about 10 kg/m³ and no greater than about 80 kg/m³. In still other embodiments, the non-viscoelastic foam layer 150 may have a density of at least about 50 kg/m³ and no greater than about 100 kg/m³. In other embodiments, the non-viscoelastic foam layer 150 may have a density of at least about 60 kg/m³ and no greater than about 100 kg/m³.

With reference to FIGS. 1-4, the gel 60 may be defined in various forms. The gel 60 may be a panel comprising a cured gel layer that is disposed on the foam layer 50. As used herein, the term “gel” refers to a gel elastomer—a highly viscoelastic polymer gel that is flowable prior to setting, and that assumes a deformable and elastic shape when set. In some embodiments, the gel 60 is generally comprised of a substantially uniform layer of elastomeric gelatinous material. In some embodiments, the gel 60 may be capable of providing a cooling effect by acting as a thermal dump or heat sink into which heat from a user's body, or portion thereof positioned on the cushion 10, can dissipate. For example, in some embodiments, a polyurethane-based gel may be made by combining Hyperlast® LU 1046 Polyol, Hyperlast® LP 5613 isocyanate, and a thermoplastic polyurethane film, which are each manufactured and sold by Dow Chemical Company Corp. (Midland, Mich.). It is also contemplated, however, that numerous other types of gels or other materials capable of absorbing an amount of heat and providing a cooling effect can be used in accordance with the present invention, and can be produced to have desired thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and volumetric specific heat without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. The gel 60 may comprise one or more gel materials such as a polyether gel that is cured and bonded to the foam layer 50. The gel 60 may be in the form of a panel which is a flat layer or may have a plurality of protrusions 62 along at least one surface. As shown in the depicted embodiments, the protrusions 62 may take various forms such as bubble shape, microbubble shape, squares, rectangles, triangles, cylinders, semi-cylindrical, ribs, waves, or others. One skilled in the art will recognize that various shapes may be utilized. With additional reference to FIG. 5, a gel 160 is shown having an alternate shape and various shapes may be used. It may be that curved surfaces or limited edges be provided, for example, for user comfort. The gel 60, 160 may be formed in one or more pieces which is sized to be the same or similar to the foam in total, or may differ. The gel 60, 160 is also sized to be larger than the opening 30 so that the gel may be inserted and retained within the opening 30 by the frame 34. Further, one skilled in the art will realize that various shapes on the gel 60, 160 may be utilized.

Also shown in FIGS. 4-5 are fabric ropes 70. The fabric ropes 70 may be used to hide seams where layers 14, 15 are joined or to provide a decorative finish.

With reference to FIG. 6, a further alternate embodiment of a body support cushion 210 is depicted wherein the cushion 210 comprises a fill material formed at least in part formed of feathers. The feathers are depicted schematically. The fill material 240 may be surrounded and retained by a retaining fabric 244 which may comprise various materials or combinations of materials. In some embodiments, the fabric 244 may be formed at least in part of a downproof material to inhibit escape of the feathers from the fabric 244.

In this embodiment, the body support cushion 210 comprises an upper layer 14 and a lower layer 15, one of which includes an opening 230. As in previous embodiments, an opening 230 may be provided in one of the layers 14, 15. The body support cushion 210 may also comprise an exposed surface of the fill material 240, which is defined by the retaining fabric 244. In some embodiments, the fill material 240 may comprise a phase change material disposed on the retaining fabric 244. Alternatively, there may be a gel (not shown), as in previous embodiments, disposed along the top surface of the retaining fabric 244. Further, while the fill material 240 is shown solely of the feathers 242, an additional layer or layers of foam may be utilized in combination for this embodiment. Additionally, as with any of the embodiments, the instant embodiment may or may not include a gusset between the upper and lower layers.

While several inventive embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the function and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the invent of embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the inventive teachings is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific inventive embodiments described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventive embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure.

All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms. The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.” The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases.

Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.

It should also be understood that, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, in any methods claimed herein that include more than one step or act, the order of the steps or acts of the method is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps or acts of the method are recited.

In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures.

The foregoing description of methods and embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise steps and/or forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention and all equivalents be defined by the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. A support cushion, comprising: a fill material;a cover having a plurality of layers each having peripheral edges, and an opening centrally disposed in one of said plurality of layers;said cover having a flap which is connected along one side of said flap, said flap being disconnectable along at least one side to reveal said opening;said fill material being removable from said cover through said opening when said flap is opened;wherein said flap may be opened and said fill material exposed or said flap disposed in a closed position.

2. The support cushion of claim 1 further wherein said fill material comprises a foam layer and a gel disposed on a surface of said foam layer.

3. The support cushion of claim 2, said gel being a plurality of protrusions.

4. The support cushion of claim 3, said gel being defined by one of bubbles, microbubbles, squares, triangles, or rectangles.

5. The support cushion of claim 3, wherein the gel is a sheet.

6. The support cushion of claim 3, said plurality of protrusions being circular.

7. The support cushion of claim 1 further comprising a closure.

8. The support cushion of claim 7 wherein said closure comprises at least one of a button, a hook-and-loop, a zipper, snaps, or hook-and-eye.

9. The support cushion of claim 1, said cover having a gusset disposed at said peripheral edges of said plurality of layers.

10. A support cushion, comprising: a fill material;a cover having a plurality of layers and an opening in one of said plurality of layers;said fill material being removable from cover through said opening;a surface of said fill material being exposed through said opening of said cover.

11. The support cushion of claim 11 wherein said cover is an inner cover.

12. The support cushion of claim 11 wherein said cover is an outer cover.

13. A cover for a pillow, comprising: a first layer and a second layer;an opening formed in one of said layers;said opening disposed at a location other than along a seam of said first and second layers and wherein at least a portion of said one of said layers defining a frame for said opening;wherein said opening is configured to expose a surface of a fill material which may be positioned within said opening.

14. The cover of claim 13 further comprising a flap connected to one of said plurality of layers which may reveal or hide said opening.

15. The cover of claim 13, further comprising at least one closure between said first and second layers.

16. The cover of claim 13 further comprising a gusset.

17. The cover of claim 13 further comprising a rope material along a seam between said first and second layers.