Patent Application
20130312192
The present invention relates to a pillow device with one or more eye mask covers for supporting a head of the user so that the pillow device would promote sleep or rest. Although it is a common practice to have a pillow or a neck supporting pillow and an eye mask, each used separately, there has been no device that combined an eye mask with a pillow, and there has been no device that combined an eye mask with a pillow and a neck support. Therefore, especially during an air flight, passenger had to bring his or her own neck support (common “U” shaped pillow) and bring either or both a separate pillow to be comfortable (the pillows airlines provide are often too small and too skimpy to be comfortable) and an eye mask. Although some international flights provided eye masks and pillows, the passengers could not always count on the airlines, especially these days in which the airlines are trying to cut cost, to provide sufficient pillows and eye masks.
Accordingly, a need for a combined pillow device that integrates a pillow, a neck support, and an eye mask into a single device so the passengers can have a comfortable head rest, a comfortable neck support, and a comfortable eye mask to help them sleep and to rest whether in transit (in any vehicle) or in their homes (whether sitting on favorite chairs, sofas, or lying down on their beds). Accordingly, this invention is directed to solve these problems and satisfy a very long-felt need.
The present invention contrives to solve the disadvantages of having each of the three items separately when traveling or resting: a pillow, a neck support, and an eye mask. One thing amazes the inventor is that, for more than one hundred years of air flight and thousands of years of vehicle travel, no one had combined these three items into a single device. Another greater mystery is that no one had combined these three into a single device for medical care, especially for patients who need comfortable pillows and substantial neck support such that they may peacefully sleep or rest better with their eyes covered with a soft eye mask. Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide the most comfortable sleep or rest during air flight or as a person tries to rest or sleep on a chair, a couch, a sofa, or a bed.
According to this invention, a pillow device has a pillow portion with a main head support section for supporting the head, and at least one eye mask portion for covering the eyes of the user. The eye mask portion is attached, or alternately removably attached, to the pillow portion. The length of the eye mask portion may be adjusted when the detachably attaching means is used. The eye mask portion has a section designated to cover one or more eyes so the user may block out the light. A possible added advantage is that because the eye mask portion wraps around the head, when it covers an eye, it also covers an ear to block out some noise without inserting a noise reducing foam into an ear to help the person rest better.
The eye mask portion has two ends: a first end attached to the pillow portion and a second end. Substantially distant from the first end is the eye covering section, such that the eye covering section would comfortably cover one eye. As an alternate design, when the eye mask portion is made extra long, then a larger eye covering section may cover both eyes of the user and the second end (the distal end from the first end) may detachably attach to the pillow portion.
The fastening devices used to detachably attach either the first end or the second end of the eye mask portion may be one of varieties of fastening devices available. One example may be a hook and pile fastening device, snap on tacks, magnets, buttons & eyelets, and even tie straps. The inventor believes a use of hook and pile fastening device works the best, but any available means may be used. These removably attaching devices, the fastening devices, should be located near the second end. However, for convenience of use to fit many different sized heads and also for varying the tightness of the eye mask portion around the head, it is preferable that fastening means, such as hook and pile straps, may run along a substantial length of the eye mask portion.
A pillow cushion inserted in the pillow portion may be of any material. Some people may prefer soft foam (such as memory foam), air inflatable bag, or down fill, but it is foreseeable to use substantially hard materials, such as beans, grains, a roll of bamboo strips, or a soft wooden block, to better suit some users of certain Asian culture.
As a supplemental part to the pillow device, a neck support, substantially formed in a “U” shape to support and comfortably hold the neck of the user within the inner portion of the “U” shape, may be attached to the pillow portion. The pillow portion and the neck support may be detachably joined together or fixedly joined together at about an adjoining pillow side (a side of the pillow portion) and an adjoining neck support side (a side of the neck support).
One version of the pillow device may have both the adjoining pillow side and the adjoining neck support side having sloped surfaces such that when the pillow portion and the neck support are joined together, two attached parts would form an angle. Pending the angle of each slope, these two parts can be joined together to form any varying angles. An example may be that both surfaces having about 50° would make the joined angle to be about 100°, and both surfaces having about 45° would make the joined angle to be about 90° (about perpendicular) or about 180° (about flat or horizontal) when either the pillow portion or the neck support is turned around. The angles may be varied, such that one side may have 30° and the other side may have 60° or 70° to better fit the head and the neck of the user in a most restful position while sitting.
One advantage of the pillow portion and the neck support detachably attached or joined together lengthwise on an adjoining edge is that the neck support may be detached from the pillow portion and its upper portion may be laid flat against the head resting portion of the pillow portion to be packaged compactly against the neck support. A preferred method of joining together the pillow portion and the neck support is using a lengthwise zipper or a plurality of magnets or buttons. In this configuration, because the eye mask portions can actually wrap around both the pillow portion and the neck support, the pieces will be held securely together. On the opposite side of the adjoining edge may have a securing strap attached to either the pillow portion or the neck support to help secure the respective position of the pillow portion and the neck support substantially at either about 90 degree or about 180 degree position when the pieces are joined together.
Because the pillow device has a large head rest area and the neck support is shaped in a substantially “U” shape, a various doll designs may be formed when the neck support is attached to the pillow portion. Therefore, in order to make the pillow device simulate a doll better, the neck support may further comprise of a skirt that may be rolled up or rolled down to simulate arms, a tail, or a dress. The skirt may be secured or removably attached on the neck support, and either or both the inside and the outside of the skirt may have various designs and patterns on them to depict various images.
Also, the pillow device may have an additional strap that can be inserted into the pillow portion or into the neck support and taken out to be a handle for easy carry or to be a tie-down belt around a back of the chair. In addition, a musical device may be inserted into the pillow device to enhance the sleep or the rest the user seeks. This musical device may be a music box (for example, a toy with a pull handle that makes a recorded sound when pulled). MP3 player, a phone, or a speaker that can be plugged into an outside source (such as an airplane's seat speaker output plug).
For better accommodating the cold ambient temperature in many airplanes, the pillow device may have an internal (or external) heater or cooler attached to one or more of the pillow portion, eye mask portion, or neck support. Also, a projector may be inserted in one or more of the neck support ends to project video onto a ceiling or onto a screen. Moreover, an aroma source may be inserted in the pillow device to help the person to relax.
Although the present invention is briefly summarized, the fuller understanding of the invention can be obtained by the following drawings, detailed description and appended claims.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring to the figs,
On top of the pillow portion 15 is a head support 40 where the head of user would comfortably rest. With two eye mask portions 25 wrapping around the head, the user is comfortably embraced by the pillow device, with the eye mask potions 25 covering the eyes to block out the light and to comfort around the eyes and the head comfortably resting upon the head support 40 simulating the user's favorite pillow. Because the fastening devices 45 are attached on the eye mask portions 25, the eye mask portions 25 can actually not only securely hold the second ends 35 of the eye mask portions 25 together, but also apply adjustable pressure on and around the eyes. The fastening devices 45 may be a hook and pile fastening device, magnets, plurality of spaced apart snap on tacks, plurality of spaced apart buttons & eyelets, and even tie straps. The inventor recommends that the selection of the fastening devices should be done with care to prevent accidental choking during the sleep.
Although
The neck support 55 is generally in a “U” shape, so it has two neck support ends 75 away from the adjoining edge 60, and an inner portion 80 of the “U” shape in between two neck support ends 75. With the neck support 55, the user can sit on a chair (as in an airliner) and have the head resting upon the head support 40, the eyes covered with eye mask portions 25, and the neck embraced in a secure and comfortable position in the inner portion 80 of the “U” shape to optimize the comfort for resting.
The inside 118 of the skirt 110 may have various figures 115 (such as arms, a tail, a flag, a toy gun, etc. . . . ) flexibly attached to the inside 118 of the skirt 110, so that when the skirt 110 is rolled down to display the inside decoration, the figures 115 would either open up or pop up to greet the user.
Therefore, as an example, the pillow device 10 can simulate a child or an angel or an animal with a face (on the pillow portion 15; for example, a print of a face of an angel wearing a tiara), the skirt 110 rolled down to reveal two arms and hands with a wand, and two neck support ends 75 depicting the legs. A novelty can be easily seen when the skirt rolls down, the arms hidden in the skirt 110 can pop out as two open arms, instantly greeting the user. If an angel is depicted, various design and decorations may be printed on the pillow portion 15 to simulate the angel's face, rolled down skirt may reveal two open arms with a wand in one hand and a pair of wings on the back side, and the two distal ends of the neck support end 75 simulate two legs capped with two shoes (not shown).
Also as shown in the
While the invention has been shown and described with reference to different embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations in form, detail, compositions and operation may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims.
