Patent Application
20240108157
The field of the invention is inflatable pillows for non-pharmaceutical treatments.
The background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided in this application is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
In the field of sports medicine, many therapies are non-pharmaceutical. Physical therapy is one discipline that implements such non-pharmaceutical techniques to encourage healing, address injury, and even prevent injury. For example, physical therapists offer massages, vibration therapy, targeted stretching, and so on. To help with these therapies, physical therapists have access to many different tools. For example, foam rollers, myofascial rollers, vibration guns, stretching cages, and the like can also be used.
As physical therapists gain access to new tools, demand from home consumers increases for the same or similar tools that can be used in the home. Tools like foam rollers and myofascial rollers can easily be bought for home use, and more recently vibration guns have reached consumer markets. Consumer markets for such products has continued to grow over time.
In addition to active tools (e.g., those that need some kind of active manipulation like a foam roller), passive tools make up a large portion of the consumer market. For example, warming and cooling pads can be used to promote healing in sore, strained, or injured muscles. Specially designed pillows can be used to promote healing in the neck and shoulders. Despite existing products, there still exists room for innovation especially related to specialty pillows, even more so when specially made pillows are combined with warming and cooling elements.
Thus, there is still a need in the art for therapeutic pillows that are lightweight, portable, inflatable, and can incorporate warming and cooling pads.
The present invention provides apparatuses, systems, and methods directed to inflatable pillows for non-pharmaceutical treatments. In one aspect of the inventive subject matter, an inflatable pillow comprises: a pillow body comprising a fabric; a bottom surface of the pillow body comprising a bottom hexagonal outer edge; a top surface of the pillow body comprising a top hexagonal outer edge, wherein the top surface is concave; the top surface comprising a pocket, where the pocket is accessible along a portion of the top hexagonal outer edge; and an air hub comprising a valve.
In some embodiments, the pocket is configured to accommodate a warming/cooling pad beneath at least a portion of the top surface. The air hub can include a second valve that is separated from the valve by a base plate, where both the valve and the second value are fixedly coupled with the base plate. The valve and the second valve can include a valve stem and a second valve stem, respectively, and the valve stem and the second valve stem can each have threading to which a threaded nut and a second threaded nut can tighten to create an airtight seal between the base plate and the pillow fabric.
In some embodiments, the pillow also includes a warming/cooling pad that is configured to fit within the pocket. The top surface can also have a second pocket and a third pocket, where each of the pocket, the second pocket, and the third pocket occupy equal portions of the top surface.
Some pillows can include a stiff pillow base, where the pillow base comprises at least one strap to store the pillow body upon deflation. The bottom surface of the pillow body can include a strap to store a pillow base while the pillow body is inflated.
In another aspect of the inventive subject matter, an inflatable pillow comprises: a pillow body comprising a fabric; a bottom surface of the pillow body comprising a bottom edge; a top surface of the pillow body comprising a top edge; the top surface comprising a pocket, where the pocket is accessible along a portion of the top edge; and an air hub comprising a valve.
In some embodiments, the pocket is configured to accommodate a warming/cooling pad beneath at least a portion of the top surface. The air hub can include a second valve that is separated from the valve by a base plate, where both the valve and the second value are fixedly coupled with the base plate.
The valve and the second valve can include a valve stem and a second valve stem, respectively, where the valve stem and the second valve stem each have threading to which a threaded nut and a second threaded nut can tighten to create an airtight seal between the base plate and the pillow fabric. The pillow can also include a warming/cooling pad that is configured to fit within the pocket. The top surface of the pillow can also include a second pocket and a third pocket, where each of the pocket, the second pocket, and the third pocket occupy equal portions of the top surface.
In some embodiments, the pillow also include a stiff pillow base, wherein the pillow base comprises at least one strap to store the pillow body upon deflation. The bottom surface of the pillow body can also include a strap to store a pillow base while the pillow body is inflated.
Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.
The following discussion provides example embodiments of the inventive subject matter. Although each embodiment represents a single combination of inventive elements, the inventive subject matter is considered to include all possible combinations of the disclosed elements. Thus, if one embodiment comprises elements A, B, and C, and a second embodiment comprises elements B and D, then the inventive subject matter is also considered to include other remaining combinations of A, B, C, or D, even if not explicitly disclosed.
As used in the description in this application and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description in this application, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Also, as used in this application, and unless the context dictates otherwise, the term “coupled to” is intended to include both direct coupling (in which two elements that are coupled to each other contact each other) and indirect coupling (in which at least one additional element is located between the two elements). Therefore, the terms “coupled to” and “coupled with” are used synonymously.
In some embodiments, the numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, properties such as concentration, reaction conditions, and so forth, used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the invention are to be understood as being modified in some instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written description and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as practicable. The numerical values presented in some embodiments of the invention may contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements. Moreover, and unless the context dictates the contrary, all ranges set forth in this application should be interpreted as being inclusive of their endpoints and open-ended ranges should be interpreted to include only commercially practical values. Similarly, all lists of values should be considered as inclusive of intermediate values unless the context indicates the contrary.
Pillows of the inventive subject matter are inflatable, shaped as hexagons, and features pockets that allow for the insertion of, e.g., warming or cooling pads.
In some embodiments, valve stem 116 can be compatible with different inflating devices than valve stem 118. For example, valve stem 116 can include a Schrader valve, a Presta valve, a Woods valve (e.g., types of valve compatible with bike pumps), and so on. Valve stem 118 can be used to inflate by mouth or deflate quickly. Other types of air valves can be implemented without deviating from the inventive subject matter. On the interior part (e.g., the part that is disposed in the interior of pillow 100) of valve stem 116, one-way air valve 142 can be included to minimize inadvertent deflation during the inflation process. One-way air valve 142 can be configured as, e.g., a reed valve. Thus, valves 116 & 118 extend through fabric of pillow 100 such that pillow 100 can be inflated (or, in some cases, deflated) via one or both of the valves.
Pillows of the inventive subject matter can additionally include accompanying air pumps. Air pumps can be manually operated and can be used to inflate pillow 100.
Thus, specific systems and methods directed to inflatable pillows are disclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts in this application. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the disclosure. Moreover, in interpreting the disclosure all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to the elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps can be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced.
