Patent Application
20230389733
The present invention generally relates to the field of travel pillows, and more particularly to the field of travel pillows being movable from a storage configuration to a use configuration.
Millions of people travel via airplanes, trains, and passenger automobile each day. These passengers often rest and/or sleep on these trips. Typically the passenger is in a seated position, in anatomical terms called the Fowler's position. However, the Fowler's position in an upright chair is not ideal for sleeping. A traveler's head can slide to one side or the other, or the traveler's neck can bend due to the weight of the traveler's head. This can provide an uncomfortable position and can cause discomfort in the traveler's neck even after the trip has ended.
The purpose of the following summary is to enable the public, and especially the scientists, engineers, and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection, the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The summary is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
What is disclosed is an improved travel pillow. The travel pillow has a pillow body. The pillow body extending a length between a first body end and a second body end. The pillow body has a support face and a wing face. The pillow body is flexible so as to be configured to be bent or flexed from a flat storage orientation to a travel orientation. In the travel orientation the pillow body is bent or flexed such that said support face cups the occipital region and neck of a person. This cup provides support to a user's head when the user is in a seated position, such as in an airplane, bus, or train seat. Preferably the pillow body has one or more depressions or contours to match the occipital region of a user's head and neck. For example, in a preferred embodiment the pillow provides an hour glass shape.
Two opposing wings are attached to the wing face of the pillow body. The opposing wings are denoted a first wing and a second wing. Each of the opposing wings has a wing body extending between a fixed wing end and a free wing end. Each of the opposing wings is attached to the pillow body at the fixed wing end. Each wing body extends inward such that the free wing end is positioned interior to the fixed wing end. Preferably the wing body is planar or flat, and each of the opposing wings is planar or flat. This allows for an overall flat appearance with the wings positioned on or stacked on the pillow body. The pillow body can be made of several layered components, such as layers of foam, or alternatively a uniform configuration can be utilized. The opposing wings and pillow body can be constructed of foam or other bendable material, such as an inflatable plastic material.
In the storage position each of the opposing wings extends along said pillow body toward the opposing wing and the center of the pillow body. Each wing body is positioned against the pillow body from the fixed wing end to the free wing end. Preferably the wings have a flat inner face that is against the pillow body in the storage position and an outer face that faces away from the pillow body. The free wing ends are positioned proximate to a center of the pillow body. Each of the opposing wings is configured such that the free end of said each of said opposing wings is movable away from said pillow body causing the pillow body to bend inward into a U-shape, providing the travel configuration. The opposing wings support the pillow body in the U-shape when a force from a user's head is positioned in said U-shape. In a preferred embodiment the wings are rotated outward such that the inner face of each wing proximate to the free end of each wing has rotated approximately 180 degrees to be positioned flat against a seat back or other substrate to provide support to the cupped pillow body.
Still other features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description describing preferred embodiments of the invention, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated by carrying out my invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modification in various obvious respects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description of the preferred embodiments are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive in nature.
While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof have been shown in the drawings and will be described below in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but, on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.
While there is shown and described the present preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that this invention is not limited thereto, but may be variously embodied to practice within the scope of the following claims. From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
