Patent Application
20170202376
Generally, a pillow including or adapted to retain a fluid delivery system having at least one fluid reservoir configured to deliver an amount of fluid from at least one reservoir contained within the pillow to the mouth of a user.
Pillows may be configured as a casing retaining a soft material such as feathers, down, or other soft material. Fluid delivery systems may be configured to include at least one fluid reservoir interconnected by a valved conduit to deliver an amount of fluid from at least one reservoir to the mouth of a user. However, it is believed that no prior attempt has been made to configure a pillow to include or retain a fluid delivery system.
There would be a substantial advantage in a pillow and a fluid delivery system configured as a combination by which a user can deliver a fluid from the fluid delivery system contained in or retained by a pillow to the mouth of a user.
Accordingly, a broad object of particular embodiments of the invention can be to provide a combination of a pillow and fluid delivery system which delivers a fluid from the fluid delivery system contained in or retained by a pillow to the mouth of a user.
Another broad object of particular embodiments of the invention can be a method of making a combination of a pillow and fluid delivery system which delivers a fluid from the fluid delivery system contained in or retained by a pillow to the mouth of a user.
Another broad object of embodiments the invention can be a method of using a combination of a pillow and fluid delivery system which delivers a fluid from the fluid delivery system contained in or retained by a pillow to the mouth of a user.
Naturally, further objects of the invention are disclosed throughout other areas of the specification, drawings, photographs, and claims.
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The pillow body (3) having the pillow pocket (4) which traverses the interior volume (5) can be formed or made from a wide variety of soft or deformable materials suitable for cushioning the body of a user (8), or a part thereof, such as a user's head (9) or a user's neck (10). As to particular embodiments, the pillow body (3) having the pillow pocket (4) can, but need not necessarily, be integrally formed in as a one piece pillow body (11) including the pillow pocket (4) with a foam material, such as either an open-cell or closed-cell foam, memory foam, or the like (as shown in the example of
Other embodiments the pillow body (2) having the pillow pocket (4) can, but need not necessarily, include a flexible covering (12) having a pillow pocket (4) which traverses the interior volume (5) of the flexible covering (12). An amount of fill material (13), such as polyester filling, bamboo fibers, feathers, down, or the like, or combinations thereof, can be disposed within the flexible covering (12) (as shown in the example of
As to other embodiments, the pillow body (3) having the pillow pocket (4) can, but need not necessarily, include a flexible covering (12) having a pillow pocket (4) which traverses the interior volume (5) of the flexible covering (12). The flexible covering (12) can be adapted to releasably retain an amount of gas (14) such as a purified gases or a mixture of gases such as air (as shown in the example of
The external surface (17) of the pillow body (3) can have a numerous and wide variety of configurations depending on the application. The external surface (17) of the pillow body (3) can, but need not necessarily, be configured in the form of a pillow (1) adapted to support the head (9) of a user (8) (as shown in the example of
Embodiments can, but need not necessarily, include an outer case (19) having an outer case opening (20) or through which the pillow body (3) can be removably inserted into an outer case interior volume (21). The outer case (19) can, but need not necessarily, be made using woven or non-woven fabrics, including as illustrative examples: natural fibers such as silk, cotton, wool, jute, or the like or synthetic fibers such as polyvinylchloride, polypropylene, acrylic, nylon, rayon, or the like, or a combination thereof.
The fluid delivery system (2) in combination with the pillow (1) can be useful for delivering an amount of fluid (22) for hydration of a user (8). The fluid delivery system (2) can, but need not necessarily, be configured to be utilized by a user (8) discrete from the pillow (2) to facilitate transport, storage, or a particular use by the user (8). As to those particular embodiments, the fluid delivery system (2) can be removably disposed inside the pillow (1) (as shown in the example of
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Embodiments of the fluid reservoir (23) can be made from a variety of materials, including as illustrative examples: polyvinylchloride, a mixture of polyester and polyvinylchloride, a mixture of polyvinylchloride and thermoplastic urethane, or the like, or combinations thereof, and can further include reinforcement fibers within the flexible material (24) or between layers of the flexible material (24) for additional strength. As to particular embodiments, the fluid reservoir (23) can each be produced from a first layer (25) and a second layer (26) of flexible material (24) joined proximate the fluid reservoir periphery (27) (as shown in the examples of
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The amount of fluid (22) contained in the fluid delivery system (2) can be any fluid useful in hydration of the user (8), including as illustrative examples, one or more of: an amount of an amount of liquid, water, a beverage, a juice, a sports drink, an energy drink, or the like, or combinations thereof. For the purposes of this invention the term “hydration” means maintaining bodily fluid balance of a user (8) by intake of an amount of fluid (22). The term “user” for the purposes of this invention means one or more persons capable of using an embodiment of the fluid delivery system (2) whether discrete from or in combination with configurations of the pillow (1).
As to particular embodiments, the conduit second end (33) can be adapted to be received by the mouth (47) of the user (8). As to other embodiments, a mouthpiece (36) can, but need not necessarily, be connected to the conduit second end (33). The mouthpiece (36) can be adapted to be received by the mouth (47) of the user (8). The user (8) can draw upon the conduit second end (33) or the mouthpiece (36) to generate a flow of the amount of fluid (22) from a corresponding fluid reservoir (23).
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As can be easily understood from the foregoing, the basic concepts of the present invention may be embodied in a variety of ways. The invention involves numerous and varied embodiments of an inventive pillow having a fluid delivery system and methods of using the inventive pillow having a fluid delivery system.
As such, the particular embodiments or elements of the invention disclosed by the description or shown in the figures or tables accompanying this application are not intended to be limiting, but rather exemplary of the numerous and varied embodiments generically encompassed by the invention or equivalents encompassed with respect to any particular element thereof. In addition, the specific description of a single embodiment or element of the invention may not explicitly describe all embodiments or elements possible; many alternatives are implicitly disclosed by the description and figures.
It should be understood that each element of an apparatus or each step of a method may be described by an apparatus term or method term. Such terms can be substituted where desired to make explicit the implicitly broad coverage to which this invention is entitled. As but one example, it should be understood that all steps of a method may be disclosed as an action, a means for taking that action, or as an element which causes that action. Similarly, each element of an apparatus may be disclosed as the physical element or the action which that physical element facilitates. As but one example, the disclosure of “a closure” should be understood to encompass disclosure of the act of “closing”—whether explicitly discussed or not—and, conversely, were there effectively disclosure of the act of “closing”, such a disclosure should be understood to encompass disclosure of “a closure” and even a “means for closing.” Such alternative terms for each element or step are to be understood to be explicitly included in the description.
In addition, as to each term used it should be understood that unless its utilization in this application is inconsistent with such interpretation, common dictionary definitions should be understood to be included in the description for each term as contained in the Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, second edition, each definition hereby incorporated by reference.
Moreover, for the purposes of the present invention, the term “a” or “an” entity refers to one or more of that entity; for example, “a light source” refers to one or more of those light sources. As such, the terms “a” or “an”, “one or more” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein.
All numeric values herein are assumed to be modified by the term “about”, whether or not explicitly indicated. For the purposes of the present invention, ranges may be expressed as from “about” one particular value to “about” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value to the other particular value. The recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints includes all the numeric values subsumed within that range. A numerical range of one to five includes for example the numeric values 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3, 3.80, 4, 5, and so forth. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint. When a value is expressed as an approximation by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment.
Thus, the applicant(s) should be understood to claim at least: i) a pillow having fluid delivery system as herein disclosed and described, ii) the related methods disclosed and described, iii) similar, equivalent, and even implicit variations of each of these devices and methods, iv) those alternative embodiments which accomplish each of the functions shown, disclosed, or described, v) those alternative designs and methods which accomplish each of the functions shown as are implicit to accomplish that which is disclosed and described, vi) each feature, component, and step shown as separate and independent inventions, vii) the applications enhanced by the various systems or components disclosed, viii) the resulting products produced by such systems or components, ix) methods and apparatuses substantially as described hereinbefore and with reference to any of the accompanying examples, x) the various combinations and permutations of each of the previous elements disclosed.
The background section of this patent application provides a statement of the field of endeavor to which the invention pertains. This section may also incorporate or contain paraphrasing of certain United States patents, patent applications, publications, or subject matter of the claimed invention useful in relating information, problems, or concerns about the state of technology to which the invention is drawn toward. It is not intended that any United States patent, patent application, publication, statement or other information cited or incorporated herein be interpreted, construed or deemed to be admitted as prior art with respect to the invention.
The claims set forth in this specification, if any, are hereby incorporated by reference as part of this description of the invention, and the applicant expressly reserves the right to use all of or a portion of such incorporated content of such claims as additional description to support any of or all of the claims or any element or component thereof, and the applicant further expressly reserves the right to move any portion of or all of the incorporated content of such claims or any element or component thereof from the description into the claims or vice-versa as necessary to define the matter for which protection is sought by this application or by any subsequent application or continuation, division, or continuation-in-part application thereof, or to obtain any benefit of, reduction in fees pursuant to, or to comply with the patent laws, rules, or regulations of any country or treaty, and such content incorporated by reference shall survive during the entire pendency of this application including any subsequent continuation, division, or continuation-in-part application thereof or any reissue or extension thereon.
The claims set forth in this specification, if any, are further intended to describe the metes and bounds of a limited number of the preferred embodiments of the invention and are not to be construed as the broadest embodiment of the invention or a complete listing of embodiments of the invention that may be claimed. The applicant does not waive any right to develop further claims based upon the description set forth above as a part of any continuation, division, or continuation-in-part, or similar application.
