PILLOW

Abstract

An approach is provided for a pillow. The pillow comprises a lower pad and an upper pad. The lower pad has a first cavity and a pair of second cavity. The first cavity is mounted on a center of the lower pad, and the two second cavities are communicated with the first cavity. The upper pad is mounted on the lower pad and comprises a main hole and at least one air-flowed hole. The main hole is mounted on a center of the upper pad and is communicating with the first cavity of the lower pad. The at least one air-flowed hole is mounted adjacent to the main hole and vertically corresponded to the second cavities of the lower pad.

Description

This application claims priority benefit under 35 USC 119 of Taiwan patent application Ser. Nr. 100208028 filed on 5 May, 2011.

Embodiments relate to a pillow, especially relates to a pillow that keeps a person breathing smoothly in a face down position.

BACKGROUND

Sleep and life quality have close relevance to each other. Huge tension and high pressure in life or job might strongly lower the sleeping quality. Many people would like to improve sleeping quality by selecting a comfortable bedclothes or bedding product. A material of a bedding sheet and a shape of a pillow are the main and important characteristics to improve the sleeping quality as well as to influent the purchase willing of a consumer.

A memory pillow published and marketed recent years emphasizes a shape of the pillow is fitting with a curve from the head and the neck to the shoulder and therefore has a benefit to improve the poor sleeping quality due to a bad manner of sleeping position. However, the memory pillow might only conformity with the requirement of a person with a face up position or with a fixed position instead of with a face down position.

The face down position is easy to cause sleep disordered breathing due to the mouth or the nose is closely pressed against to the pillow. Also, organs inside the chest might be pressed and injured.

Increasing the height of the pillow or adding an auxiliary pad above the pillow might be capable to improve the above-mentioned problems but forms an unsupported space between the chin or the chest and the bed. The space will lead the cervical vertebra and the skeleton and muscle of the back deformed and damaged. Therefore, developing an ergonomic pillow that is conformity with the requirements of a people with a face down position is very important, imperative, and needed.

SOME EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

These and other needs are addressed by the invention, wherein an approach is provided for providing an air pathway that is able for a person breathing smoothly in any kinds of lie down position, and especially for a face down position.

According to one aspect of an embodiment of the invention, a pillow comprises a lower pad and an upper pad. The lower pad has a first cavity and a pair of second cavity. The first cavity is mounted on a center of the lower pad, and the two second cavities are communicated with the first cavity. The upper pad is mounted on the lower pad and comprises a main hole and at least one air-flowed hole. The main hole is mounted on a center of the upper pad and is communicating with the first cavity of the lower pad. The at least one air-flowed hole is mounted adjacent to the main hole and vertically corresponded to the second cavities of the lower pad.

Still other aspects, features and advantages of the invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description, simply by illustrating a number of particular embodiments and implementations, including the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention. The invention is also capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details can be modified in various obvious respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative, and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The exemplary embodiments are illustrated as examples, and not as a way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pillow, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the pillow of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectioned view of the pillow crosses alone the line A-A of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a pillow, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a pillow, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectioned view of the pillow of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a pillow, in accordance with still yet another embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Pillows are disclosed. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiment of the invention. It is apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details or with an equivalent arrangement.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a pillow in accordance with the present invention. FIGS. 2 and 3 are exploded view and a cross-sectioned view of FIG. 1 respectively.

The pillow in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention comprises a main body 1 and a cover 2. The main body 1 comprises a lower pad 11 and an upper pad 12.

The lower pad 11, as shown in FIG. 2, is made of a flexible or an elastic material, and comprises a first cavity 111 and a pair of second cavities 112. The first cavity 111 is mounted on the center of the lower pad 11 and may be a longitudinal ellipse, a water-drop or a shield shape. The two second cavities 112 are oppositely connected to and communicated with the first cavity 111. In this embodiment, each second cavity 112 is latitudinal protruded from the corresponding first cavity 111, and may further comprise multiple optional supporting pillars 113 mounted inside the second cavity 112.

The upper pad 12 is mounted on the lower pad 11 and comprises a main hole 121, a pair of air-flowed holes 122 and at least one optional auxiliary pore 123. The main hole 121 is mounted on the centre of the upper pad 12, vertically corresponds to and communicates with the first cavity 111 of the lower pad 11. The shape of the main hole 121 may be a shielded-, oval-, or face-liked shape.

The two air-flowed holes 122 are mounted adjacent to the main hole 121, vertically corresponded to and communicates with the second cavities 112 of the lower pad 11. The main hole 121 and the air-flowed holes 122 are separately mounted on the upper pad 12 instead of connecting to each other such as the first cavity 111 and the second cavities 112, so that the upper pad 12 has a better supporting capability. Similarly, as above mentioned, the supporting pillars 113 are also used for better supports that withstand between portions of the main hole 121 and the air-flowed hole 122 at a bottom side of the upper pad 12.

The auxiliary pore 123 is located at a place corresponded to the second cavities 112 for communicating the lower pad 11, which allows a person to insert a pipe of an air instrument for inputting air such as oxygen into the first cavity 111 and the second cavities 112 to improve the air-flow efficiency.

The upper pad 12 and the lower pad 11 may be two separate pieces stacked or formed as one-piece.

The cover 2 is a breathable fabric, covers the main body 1 to prevent dusts entering to the main body 1, and comprises a first opening 21 and a second opening 22. The first opening 21 is used for inserting the main body 1 into the cover 2 and might be disposed on a side or a bottom of the cover 2. In the present embodiment, the first opening 21 is disposed on the right side of the cover 2 and can be configured with a sealing assembly such as a zipper (not shown in the figures).

The second opening 22 is disposed on the top of the cover 2 and communicates with the main hole 121 of the upper pad 12. In this manner, as shown in FIG. 3, at least one air pathway is formed from the second opening 22 to the first cavity 111 through the main hole 121. Therefore, a person with the face down position is able to keep smoothly breathing while sleeping. In the present embodiment, the second opening 22 is an inversed T-form shape that has a shorter cut at an upper end and a longer cut at a lower end. The shorter and the longer cut respectively correspond to the bridge of the nose and the mouth. However, the second opening 22 also might be a triangle or 1-form for the nose and mouth passing through to keep breathing.

In addition as shown in FIG. 3, an upper portion of the main hole 121 is larger than a lower portion of the main hole 121. In other words, a caliber of the main hole 121 is gradually (i.e., upper to lower) diminished to provide a better support as a person laid on the main body 1.

Moreover, the cover 22 could be comprised a pair of third openings 23 and a pair of fourth openings 24, which are mounted on the top of the cover 2 that adjacent to the second opening 22. The two third openings 23 are corresponded to the air-flowed hole 122, which enhance the efficiency of the air transaction above mentioned. In one embodiment, each fourth opening 24 is mounted between the second 22 and the third openings 23 and may apply a pipe or an air instrument inside the pillow to generate and increase the air-flow.

While a person sleeping in a face down position, the second opening 22 is slight opened due to the press from the head. The hollowed main hole 121 supports the edge around the face instead of pressing the nose and the mouth to prevent the disruption of breathing. Moreover, because the first cavity 111 is communicates with the second cavities 112, the exhaled gas (i.e., carbon dioxide) will be flowed down from the second opening 22 into the main hole 121 and the first cavity 111, then be introduced to the second cavities 112, and finally be released out from the air-flowed holes 122. Fresh air of the pillow can enter to the pillow in a reverse direction to keep air transaction inside the pillow.

With reference to FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a pillow, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, an additional supporting pad 3 is added, which is disposed adjacent to the pillow shown in FIG. 1. The supporting pad 3 has an inclined surface, a higher side 31 and a lower side 32. The higher side 31 is connected to the main body 1 and has same height as the main body 1. The inclined surface has multiple parallel grooves 311 that are disposed at the higher side 31. Two ends of the grooves 311 respectively have a spherical concave 312. While a person sleeps in the face down position, the shoulders and the chest is able to against to the spherical concave 312 and the grooves respectively. Accordingly, the person is able to lie down on the pillow from the head to the chest in position conformity with the ergonomics.

With reference with FIGS. 5 to 6, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a pillow, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectioned view of the pillow of FIG. 5. In this embodiment, an auxiliary pad 4 is disposed under the lower pad 11. The auxiliary pad 4 can increase a total height of the pillow based on a person's desired. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the second cavity 112′ shapes can be also like a pair of cow horns. Each second cavity 112′ is protruded from the first cavity 111 with a noticeable slant.

With reference with FIG. 7, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a pillow, in accordance with still yet another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a bracing plate 5 is disposed between the lower pad 11 and the upper pad 12 to provide better support of the pillow. The bracing plate 5 may be made from a netty fabric or some other similar net structures.

In order to avoid a difficulty of cleaning when dusts attached to the net structure and a displeasing appearance that a person may be able to glance the net structure from the holes (i.e., the main hole 121 and the air-flowed holes 122) of the upper pad 12. The bracing plate 5 may further comprise multiple openings 51. Each opening can have different size or shapes corresponding to the holes of the upper pad 12. It is noted that since the bracing plate 5 is buried under the upper pad 12, it will not be seen by a person for providing a better appearance of the pillow.

While the invention has been described in connection with a number of embodiments and implementations, the invention is not so limited but covers various obvious modifications and equivalent arrangements, which fall within the purview of the appended claims. Although features of the invention are expressed in certain combinations among the claims, it is contemplated that these features can be arranged in any combination and order.

Claims

1. A pillow comprising: a lower pad comprising a first cavity being mounted on a center of the lower pad; anda pair of second cavity being communicated with the first cavity; andan upper pad being mounted on the lower pad and comprising a main hole being mounted on a centre of the upper pad and being communicating with the first cavity of the lower pad; andat least one air-flowed hole being mounted adjacent to the main hole and being vertically corresponded to the second cavities of the lower pad.

2. The pillow as claimed in claim 1, wherein two second cavities are oppositely connected to the first cavity, and each second cavity is latitudinally protruded from the first cavity.

3. The pillow as claimed in claim 2, wherein the lower pad further comprises multiple supporting pillars mounted in the corresponding second cavities, and the supporting pillars are used for withstand between portions of the main hole and the air-flowed hole at a bottom side of the upper pad.

4. The pillow as claimed in claim 1, wherein a shape of the first cavity is a longitudinal ellipse, a water-drop or a shield shape.

5. The pillow as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower pad and the upper pad is made from two separated pieces that is stacked to form a main body.

6. The pillow as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower pad and the upper pad is made in one-piece.

7. The pillow as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one auxiliary pore located at a place corresponded to the second cavities for communicating the lower pad.

8. The pillow as claimed in claim 1, wherein a caliber of the main hole is gradually diminished from an upper portion to a lower portion of the main hole.

9. The pillow as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a supporting pad disposed adjacent to the lower pad and the upper pad, wherein the supporting pad comprises an inclined surface with multiple paralleled grooves disposed at a higher side of the supporting pad, wherein two ends of the grooves have a spherical concave respectively.

10. The pillow as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary pad disposed under the lower pad.

11. The pillow as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a bracing plate disposed between the lower pad and the upper pad.

12. The pillow as claimed in claim 11, wherein the bracing plate is a netty fabric.

13. The pillow as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a cover comprising a first opening being used for inserting the upper pad and the lower pad; anda second opening being disposed on a top of the cover and communicating with the main hole of the upper pad.

14. The pillow as claimed in claim 13, wherein the cover further comprises two third openings mounted on the top of the cover that adjacent to the second opening.

15. The pillow as claimed in claim 13, wherein the cover further comprises two fourth openings mounted on the top of the cover that adjacent to the second opening.

16. The pillow as claimed in claim 13, wherein the second opening comprises a shorter cut at an upper end and a longer cut at a lower end.

17. The pillow as claimed in claim 16, wherein the second opening is an inversed T-form shape, a triangle or 1-form shape.

18. The pillow as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main hole is a shielded-, oval-, or face-liked shape.

19. The pillow as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second cavity is a protruded from the first cavity with a noticeable slant.

20. A pillow having a main body and cover covered the main body, and the pillow comprising at least one air pathway formed from a second opening to the first cavity through a main hole, wherein the second opening is mounted on a top of the cover, and the first cavity and the main hole are formed at the main body.