MINIATURIZED TRAVEL VERSION OF COMBINATION BLANKET AND CUSHION INCORPORATED INTO A DECORATIVE PILLOW INCLUDING PACKAGING ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR DEPLOYING

Abstract

A contoured cushion including a body having a first pair of mounds defining a first valley therebetween and a second pair of mounds smaller than the first pair extending in further directions away from the first pair of mounds according to an angle defined by intersecting axes extending respectively through maximum linear extending depths of each individual one of the first and second pairs of mounds. The second pair of mounds defining a second valley therebetween and so that the cushion is adapted to being supported in either of first or second orientations for providing varying support to a back of a user's head and neck. An associated retail packaging provides for point of sale display of a combination of the cushion, a wearable poncho style blanket, and a storage bag.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to a combination blanket and cushion in which each of the blanket and cushion are, according to one of a number of related variants, optionally configured for storage within a decorative pillow with a zippered perimeter edge, such capable of being provided in a miniaturized size for travel uses and the like. In another variant, a blanket or wearable poncho is provided along with the cushion (such further including a memory foam) which is commonly packaged for sale. In one non-limiting variant, the cushion is constructed of a soft foam type material, such as exhibiting a sloping contour for conforming to the shape of the user's neck in a supporting fashion. The cushion can also be removed from the pillow, with or without the blanket or blanket-style poncho and, in either instance, provides cervical spinal support to the underside of the user's neck. An associated packaging display and assembly is also disclosed.

Background Discussion of the Relevant Art

The prior art discloses variations of convertible cushions, pillows and the like. A first example of this is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,879,775 to Iwata, which discloses a cushion usable as a pillow or a sofa-cushion as well as a bag containing a blanket or the like which can be taken out to cover the user's body and also can be used as a pillow or a sofa-cushion, after the blanket or the like has been taken out. When the blanket or the like is not in use it can easily be kept inside the bag or the cushion to clear up the surroundings, and the cushion with the blanket or the like kept inside is also usable as a cushion as well.

Wilson, U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,641, teaches a collapsible seat and cape incorporated into a luggage style portable container which includes a carrying strap. A pair of identical internal pockets that extend cross the full length and width of the bag and are openable by a zipper or other quick opening closure. A three dimensional rectangular and foam shaped cushion is inserted into one of the pockets, the other containing a cape.

Ong, US 2003/0135926, teaches a combination of a pillowcase and a cover constructed the so that the pillowcase is permanently attached to the central region of the cover and the cover may the folded and stuffed into the pillowcase or alternatively spread out to extend laterally from the pillowcase. The pillowcase is formed of front and rear panels. The front panel is permanently secured to the central region of the cover. The front and rear panels of the pillowcase are permanently secured together along only a portion of a mutually common enclosing perimeter, and are releaseably secured together along the remainder of that perimeter. The orientation of the rear panel is reversible so that it may reside exposed atop the cover with the front panel concealed therebetween when the cover is withdrawn from the pillowcase and spread out laterally therefrom. Alternatively, the rear panel may be reversed in orientation relative to the front panel so that the cover may be folded and stuffed in between the mutually facing reverse surfaces of the front and rear pillowcase panels and encapsulated within the pillowcase by closure of the releaseable fasteners. A zipper may be employed to form the releaseable fasteners on the pillowcase panels.

Smoot, US 2008/0182478, discloses an apparatus for a pillow that converts into a highly-developed, three-dimensional toy figure that, in certain embodiments, has a life-like shape. The apparatus includes a pillow or a hollow body with one or more clasping mechanisms. When engaged, the clasping mechanisms shape the apparatus into the soft, toy figure. When disengaged, the clasping mechanisms allow the apparatus to serve as a pillow with a soft, comfortable, relatively-flat surface for sleeping. Certain embodiments of the apparatus include an internal cavity that houses an extractable blanket to provide additional bedding.

Fulton, U.S. Pat. No. 8,321,978, discloses a child's stuffed pillow and a play item concealable within a pocket in the pillow. Two cushioning members, each including a cushioning medium and having a flexible fabric covering thereover, are attached together as by sewing in a side-by-side arrangement around common perimeter edges of inner covering panels of the coverings. A. pocket is formed between the inner covering panels into which a play item is concealable within the pocket. A tether connected between the bottom of the pocket and the neck of the play item to hold the play item in close proximity to the pocket during play wherein the child may grasp the play item like a handle of the pillow.

McQuoid, US 2008/0216243, discloses a pillow system comprises a pillow having a pocket extending inside the pillow that contains one or more articles having a theme which corresponds to the theme of the outer surface of the pillow. The pillow has a top panel and a bottom panel joined at the periphery to define a peripheral edge and cushioning material disposed inside. The outer surface, having a cover theme, substantially covers one or both of the panels. The pocket extends into and is substantially enclosed by the cushioning material. Access to the pocket is through a pocket inlet along a portion of the peripheral edge. A closure mechanism, such as a zipper, at the inlet substantially closes the pocket to enclose the articles inside. The articles have an article theme that corresponds to the cover theme. If desired, the pillow can also have a theme shape that corresponds to the cover and article themes.

Finally, US 2009/0151077 to Heinsius et al., teaches a pillow which comprises a storage compartment which can be accessed by putting one's arm into a pillow mouth opening generally central to the front side of a pillow. In a preferred embodiment, an opening cover is provided which serves to further conceal the pillow mouth. Preferably, a sash which circumscribes the pillow is employed, and a user may put his or her hand under the sash to access the pillow mouth and the storage compartment to which it leads. The compartment may store any objects and is desirable for storage of items that need to be hidden but readily accessible such as contraceptives, self-defense items, or household objects such as controls or keys.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention teaches a portable or miniaturized combination foam cushion and poncho style blanket assembly, such including but not limited to use during travel. The cushion includes a three dimensional and contoured material configured to be arrayed in either of first or second inverted positions in order to provide support to the back of the user's head and neck.

In one version, the assembly includes an outer covering having a zippered edge for receiving the blanket or wearable poncho, such as in a folded configuration, along with also receiving a contoured cushion. The cushion may be constructed of a soft foam or memory foam material, and in use either within the zippered cushion or separately, exhibits multiple three dimensional contoured surfaces for conforming to the shape of the user's neck and for providing cervical spinal support. A related packaging assembly combines the contoured cushion with the blanket/wearable poncho with a cutout aperture defined therein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the attached drawings, when read in combination with the following detailed description, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an environmental perspective view of one embodiment of the combination travel cushion and poncho style blanket in which contoured and valley defining surfaces provide for upper cervical support of the users neck and back of head;

FIG. 2 is a further environmental perspective similar to FIG. 1 and in which the combination device is inverted for providing varied cushioning support;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective similar to that shown in FIG. 1 and in which multi-contoured and support defining surfaces of the cushion are depicted in better detail;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the combination travel assembly and depicting the contoured and foam supporting cushion and folded blanket in combination with the outer secured covering, such expanded to mimic the overall shaping of the cushion with the folded blanket or wearable poncho filling a volume adjoining a backside of the cushion;

FIG. 5 is a plan cutaway of the assembly depicted in FIGS. 1-4 and illustrating an interior arrangement of the form supporting cushion with the form mimicking outer cover, such further including a bottom zippered edge;

FIG. 6 is a rotated underside exterior plan view of the assembly in FIG. 5 depicting the zippered bottom edge;

FIG. 7 is an exploded illustration of a further variant of the travel assembly of the present invention and depicting a packaging configuration combining the form supporting cushion, an unfolded poncho style blanket and a zippered carrying bag; and

FIG. 8 is an assembled packaging view of the assembly in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the following described illustrations, the present invention discloses a combination and miniaturized travel kit including a form-supporting and foam cushion article which can be contained within an optional zippered outer covering in combination with a folded blanket, such further including a poncho style blanket. As will be described below, the pillow may also include a cushion constructed of a foam type material, such exhibiting a plurality of form supporting locations adapted for engaging the user's upper back, neck and adjoining head, such as in order to provide support to the user's upper cervical vertebrae when leaning backwards against an elevated support surface, the cushion conforming to the shape of the user's neck.

In additional variants, and as will be further described below, the outer zippered covering contains the cushion and, optionally, the associated folded blanket or poncho. The cushion is inserted within the interior of the zippered article, again in order that the cushion can individually or, in combination with the folded blanket/poncho, provide cervical spinal support to the rear of the user's head and underside of the user's neck. It is further understood that one non-limiting variant of the present invention includes the pray n of a memory foam construction for the cushion material.

The blanket, as will be further described, can include in one non-limiting variant a poncho style blanket with a fourteen inch straight line opening (such not limited to any specified opening at a fold-over midsection location and which can also include any type of circular, elliptical or oval shaped opening). As will be further described, the outer containing (or pillow) case can be configured so that a side edge extending zipper portion can extend along any of a single, dual or other multiple sided fashion, such further envisioning rounded, oval or other shaped pillows not limited to a generally rectangular shape. In this fashion, the zipper is utilized to access the interiorly held blanket (additional variants covering two and three sided unzipping).

Other design features can include the incorporation of a drawstring travel bag (see FIG. 7) such as used with a packaging for initial retail sale. The cushion can. further be configured for particular uses not limited to sofa, dorm, office, camp and sleepover applications, and the selected design can also provide effective head and neck support in either of upright or reclined positions.

Given the above, and referring initially to FIG. 1, an environmental perspective view is shown at 10 of one embodiment of the present combination article and assembly which exhibits contoured and valley defining surfaces provide for upper cervical support of the users upper back, neck and back of head. As will be described in further detail, FIGS. 1-3 depict the combination article in a combined assembly and which, as further shown in FIG. 4, includes a multi component kit having a memory foam contoured cushion 12 and folded (poncho style) blanket 14, these being contained in combination within a zippered or otherwise slit openable outer covering 16. The covering mimics or exhibits a similar configuration as the internally supported memory cushion 12, such enabling the cushion to be used both within the covering (optionally along with the blanket 14), as well as without.

Description of the cushion will be had with reference to FIG. 4, it being noted that the covering 16 shown in FIGS. 1-3 contains the cushion 12 in a form fitting mariner providing the overall article with a consistent three dimensional configuration (covering 16 with inserted cushion 12) as the exploded view of the cushion 12 separated from the covering 16 as described in FIG. 4. For that reason, reference is made to FIG. 4 for an explanation of the contours of the cushion 12 which are consistent with the form fitting depiction of the combined cushion and outer covering 16 in FIGS. 1-3.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the cushion 12 again can include a memory foam construction and exhibits a pair of main and forward and opposite/outward projecting mounds 18 and 20 extending relative to an overall body of the cushion 12. The main projecting mounds 18 and 20 define an arcuate valley profile 22 (this also shown in the underside plan view of FIG. 6 in which the cushion 12 is again contained within the form fitting covering 16) and, as shown in each of the first ands second inverted environmental depictions of FIGS. 1-2 in which the cushion 12 is again inserted within the outer covering 16, provides support to either of the rear of the neck (FIG. 1) or the underside back of the wearer's head (FIG. 2) depending upon the positioning of the cushion.

As further shown in FIG. 4, a further pair of smaller mounds 24 and 26 project from an end surface of the main cushion body 12 (such being generally corresponding to a top surface of the cushion as shown in each of FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 as well as an inverted bottom facing surface in the environmental depiction of FIG. 2. The mounds 24 and 26 are smaller than the forward/outward projecting mounds 18/20 and define therebetween a proportionally smaller cleavage or valley 28.

As also shown in FIG. 4, a general axis of travel of a centerline 30 extending through a largest axial extending depth or direction of a first mound 18 with a further axis of travel of a centerline 31 extending through a largest linearly extending section of the second mount 20, both extending at an angle Θ relative to a further centerline 32 extending generally crosswise or perpendicularly through a largest linearly section of the smaller mounds 24/26. Each largest section corresponds to a center location of each mound and the angle Θ can, as shown in FIG. 4, be greater than a 90 degree perpendicular or, as is further envisioned, the cushion 12 can be reconfigured so that the pairs of mound-like and undulating surfaces exhibit a different surface orientation.

A further angle α is defined by the intersection of the extending centerlines 30 and 31 (see FIG. 6) and which can likewise be in a range of about 90° or greater. The combination of the angles Θ and α provides the cushion with an overall contour support surface best suited for providing cushioning and firm support to the user's upper back, neck and back of lower head with the cushion in either of the positions of FIG. 1 or 2.

As previously shown in FIG. 1, the selected environmental depiction shows the smaller pair of mounds 24/26 (again contained within the outer covering 16) supporting the back of the user head (in proximity to the upper most C1-C3 vertebrae and in combination with the larger pair of mounds 18/20 surrounding the sides of the wearers neck), whereas the inverted arrangement (see at 10′) in FIG. 2 shows the smaller mounds 24/26 supporting the user's shoulders with the intermediate cleavage 28 generally overlaying the upper vertebral column and the sloping sides of the main mounds 18/20 surrounding the sides and back of the neck.

The rear surface of the cushion 12 (as best shown at 34 in FIGS. 5-6 but largely hidden from view in FIG. 4) exhibits a slight but less pronounced. slope and, when installed within the outer pillowcase like covering 16, conforms to the outline of the cushion. Although not shown, the covering 16 can be reconfigured somewhat larger than the dimensions of the covering to provide room for inserting the wearable poncho/blanket in either of a folded or rolled blanket in rear abutting fashion against the cushion 12 when inserted within the zippered interior 16 of the outer covering 16. As further shown in FIG. 6, a slit or opening formed in the outer case or covering 16 can include a single or dual pair of pullers 36 and attached sliders 38, these engaging and joining a pair of meshing coils (see collectively at 40) for opening and reclosing a bottom edge of the outer covering 16 to receive therein either or both of the cushion 12 and wearable poncho (see at 14′ in FIG. 7).

The outer covering 6 can exhibit a textured surface which can include without limitation any type of plush, velour or other soft consistency. Likewise, the blanket 14 can include either of a standard shape or, in a further embodiment, a poncho style wearable item (again at 14′) exhibiting a closed inner perimeter edge 42 for facilitating installation over a wearer's head and for supporting the poncho on the wearer's shoulders. In this fashion, and upon inserting the cushion 12 and poncho style blanket 14′ into the zippered interior of the covering 16, the covering adopts a smooth three dimensional surface appearance

FIG. 7 is an exploded illustration f a further variant of the travel assembly of the present invention and depicting a packaging configuration, this including a pair of main panels 44 and 46 connected at inwardly angled and joined upper 48 and lower 50 ends. In a display variant, the packaging combines and supports in an inserted and retail displayed fashion each of the form supporting cushion 12, an unfolded (or rolled or reverse folded) poncho style blanket 42 and a zippered carrying hag, see as further shown at 52 and which can also include a carrying lanyard 54.

Finally, FIG. 8 is an assembled packaging view of the assembly in FIG. 7 and which depicts and displays the combination of cushion 12, blanket 14′ and outer covering/carrying bag 52 in an independently displaying and commercially inviting manner. An aperture (see inner perimeter rim 54) is configured in the upper joined end 48 of the packaging panels 44/46 and adapts the retail package display for suspending from a hook or the like (not shown) such as in a pre-purchased configuration. Upon purchase, the packaging is discarded or recycled, following which the bag 52 is utilized for storing the cushion and poncho/blanket during periods of non-use.

It is further understood that the blanket may comes in many different fabric patterns, plain or colorful, designed material hanging off the ends for extra style. Without limitation, the blanket can be constructed of cotton, wool, polyester, and other fabrics.

Depending upon the variant disclosed, the blanket/wearable poncho easily folds and fits into the zipper entry of the pillow case. As again further illustrated the blanket in a poncho variant exhibits a hole or other shaped incision (such as a straight cut) in the top quarter section in the middle, making the blanket cover the almost the entire front of the person's body, while the back only to upper back shoulders is covered. It is also envisioned that different sized blankets can be used with different sized and configured pillows.

The memory cushion 12 (as again best depicted in the cutaway of FIG. 5) is again understood to be made of a soft or memory foam type material for conforming to the shape of one's neck, with the contour or lump designed to fit perfectly underneath ones neck, such as to define a lumped roll. The travel combination disclosed is further understood to come in multiple sizes, including a smallest such as in use with an airplane blanket contained in the pillow. Additional features can include a small fabric handle in the seam of one end of the pillow for easy carry-ability. Other features of the pillow again include the zipper extending along any number of interconnecting sides of the seam, typically from one to three sides.

Without limitation, the pillow can exhibit a first decorative side (the side where the blanket lays inside), as well as a flip side which exhibits the lump cushion adapted to fit easily under the neck. As further previously described, a decorative side of the pillow can be additionally designed to sit on a sofa for design.

Having described my invention, other and additional preferred embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains, and without deviating from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A contoured cushion, comprising: a body having a first pair of mounds defining a first valley therebetween, said body having a second pair of mounds smaller than said first pair extending in further directions away from said first pair of mounds according to an angle defined by intersecting axes extending respectively through maximum linear extending depths of each individual one of said first and second pairs of mounds, said second pair of mounds defining a second valley therebetween; andsaid cushion adapted to being supported in either of first or second orientations for providing varying support to a back of a user's head and neck.

2. The cushion as described in claim 1, said angle established between individual pairings of selected first and second mounds further comprising an angle Θ.

3. The cushion as described in claim 1, further comprising a second angle α defined between a pair of said intersecting axes extending through said first pair of mounds.

4. The cushion as described in claim 2, said angle Θ being greater than ninety degrees.

5. The cushion as described in claim 3, said angle α being at least ninety degrees.

6. The cushion of claim 1, further comprising said cushion being constructed of a foam type material to conform to the shape of the user's neck.

7. The cushion of claim 1, further comprising an outer covering configured for encasing said cushion.

8. The cushion of claim 7, said outer covering further comprising a zippered edge.

9. The cushion as described in claim 1, further comprising a wearable poncho with a cutout aperture defined therein.

10. The cushion of claim 1, further comprising a packaging display including front and rear panels separated by joined ends for supporting each of said cushion, a poncho and a covering in independently displayed fashion.

11. A combination packaging display, comprising; a cushion having a first pair of mounds defining a first valley therebetween, a second pair of mounds smaller than said first pair extending in further directions away from said first pair of mounds according to an angle defined by intersecting axes extending respectively through maximum linear extending depths of each individual one of said first and second pairs of mounds, said second pair of mounds defining a second valley therebetween;a blanket or wearable poncho with an interior aperture formed therein and adapted to receive a wearer's head in order to be worn upon the wearer's shoulders;a carrying bag including a reclosable strap; anda packaging including a pair of main panels connected at inwardly angled and joined upper and lower ends;said packaging containing each of said cushion, poncho and carrying bag in a first retail displayed configuration and further including an aperture at said joined upper end for suspending from a display hook;upon purchase, said packaging being discarded and said carrying back employed for storing said cushion and blanket/poncho.