Patent Application
20250185826
The present invention, in general, relates to a weighted pillow or “WILLOWS”. Specifically, the present invention discloses a weighted pillow system comprising an insert that has fillers and at least one flattened weighted pouch that is attached to the internal bottom portion of the insert by industrial strength fasteners. The weighted pouch grounds (i.e., weights down) a pillow so that it is not blown away. The insert is preferably encased in spun, bonded outdoor fabric. The weighted pillow or WILLOWS comprises a case or cover comprising such encased insert.
Pillows are of different types and differ in the manner of construction based on purpose of the pillow. For instance, pillows may be used for aesthetics, comfort, or a combination thereof. They can be used indoors or outdoors. Regardless of the purpose, it is important that the pillow is durable, functional, and has aesthetic appeal.
Outdoor pillows must be designed to withstand exposure to environmental elements including but not limited to exposure to sun, rain, and wind. Currently, emphasis is placed on the pillow material to be stain resistant, fade resistant, water resistant, and mildew resistant. This does not solve the problem of pillows being light and easily blown away by the wind. Moreover, esthetically, weighted pillows may be more easily positionable and arrangeable where additional weight allows a consumer the ability to confidently place a pillow, or configure a set of pillows, with the confidence that the pillow(s) remain in a static or semi-static placement.
Hence, there is a need for a pillow that is not only durable and has aesthetic appeal but is has sufficient weight to not be blown away by wind gusts. The present invention satisfies this need in the art.
While the inventor has set forth the best mode or modes contemplated in carrying out the present invention known to the inventor, such as to enable a person skilled in the art to make and practice the present invention, the preferred embodiments are, however, not intended to be limiting, but are, on the contrary, included in a non-limiting sense apt to amendments, alterations, alternatives and modifications, based primarily on the pillow size and added weight, in light of specification and appended claims forming the current disclosure.
A weighted system for pillow (outdoor or indoor) comprising an insert that has weighted fillers and at least one flattened weighted pouch. This weighted pouch comprises preferably extra heavy polypropylene (poly) pellets which are encased in a poly tubing. The weighted pouch is further encased in a pouch made of waterproof or water resistive material. This weighted pouch is attached to entire, half, a third, center, or edges of bottom portion of the insert or a combination thereof, such that the weight distribution is concentrated on the bottom of the insert. The weighted pouch is attached to the insert by industry strength fastener, such as hook-and-loop fastener, hook-and-pile fastener, touch fastener, or similar such fasteners. In addition to the weighted pouch, the insert also comprises synthetic down filled feather and a synthetic poly fill to give the pillow a designer “chop” appearance. The insert is made of fabric such as spun bonded outdoor fabric. The insert is further encased in a case or cover that has interlocking mechanism, a flap, hook-and-loop fasteners, hook-and-pile fasteners, or touch fasteners, zipper, or similar such mechanisms. This allows the case to be placed, replaced, removed and/or changed or washed.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a weighting system for a pillow, comprising an insert, where the insert comprises filler and at least one flattened weighted pouch. In one embodiment of the preferred weighting system, the weighted pouch comprises weighted extra heavy poly pellets encased in a poly tubing. In another embodiment of the preferred weighting system, the encased weighted pouch is further encased in a pouch made of waterproof or water resistive material. In yet another embodiment of the preferred weighting system, the waterproof or water resistive material is synthetic, natural or a combination thereof. In yet another embodiment of the preferred weighting system, the synthetic material is plastic, a natural material that is rubber or a combination of synthetic and natural materials.
In another embodiment of the preferred weighting system, the weighted pellets are coated, non-coated, enveloped, or a combination thereof. In yet another embodiment of the preferred weighting system, the weighted pellets are uniformly sized or non-uniformly sized or a combination thereof.
In another embodiment of the preferred weighting system, the weighted pouch is attached to the entire insert, half, a third, center, or edges of bottom portion of the insert or a combination thereof, such that the weight distribution is concentrated on the bottom of the insert and thus the pillow. In yet another embodiment of the preferred weighting system, the weighted pouch is attached to the insert by industry strength fastener that includes but is not limited to hook-and-loop fastener, hook-and-pile fastener, touch fastener, or a combination thereof.
In still yet another embodiment of the preferred weighting system, the fillers in the insert include but are not limited to synthetic down filled feather and a synthetic poly fill. The fillers and the weighted pouch are enclosed in spun bonded outdoor fabric. In yet another embodiment of the preferred weighting system, the insert with the fillers and the weighted pouch is encased in a case or cover or sleeve that has an interlocking mechanism, a flap, hook-and-loop fasteners, hook-and-pile fasteners, or touch fasteners, a zipper or a combination thereof. In still yet another embodiment of the preferred weighting system, the case or cover or sleeve is made of materials comprising synthetic, natural or a combination thereof.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention is a method of using a weighting system for a pillow that comprises placing an insert in a case, said insert comprising fillers and at least one flattened weighted pouch comprising weighted extra heavy poly pellets encased in a poly tubing. In one embodiment of the preferred method, the encased weighted pouch is further encased in a pouch made of waterproof or water resistive material, said material is synthetic, natural or a combination thereof. In another embodiment of the preferred method, the synthetic material is plastic, said natural material is rubber or a combination of synthetic and natural materials. In yet another embodiment of the preferred method, the weighted pellets are uniformly sized, non-uniformly sized, coated, non-coated, enveloped or a combination thereof.
In another embodiment of the preferred method, the weighted pouch is attached to the entire insert, half, a third, center or edges of bottom portion of the insert or a combination thereof such that the weight distribution is all on the bottom of the insert and thus the pillow. In yet another embodiment of the preferred method, the weighted pouch is attached to the insert by industry strength fastener. Example of the fastener includes but is not limited to hook-and-loop fastener, hook-and-pile fastener, touch fastener, or a combination thereof.
In still yet another embodiment of the preferred method, the fillers in the insert include but are not limited to synthetic down filled feather and a synthetic poly fill. The fillers and the weighted pouch are enclosed in spun bonded outdoor fabric. In yet another embodiment of the preferred method, the case or cover has an interlocking mechanism, a flap, hook-and-loop fasteners, hook-and-pile fasteners, or touch fasteners, a zipper or a combination thereof for placement, removal, repair, replacement or washing of the insert. In still yet another embodiment of the preferred method, the case or cover or sleeve is made of materials comprising synthetic, natural or a combination thereof. Additionally, the pillow itself may be sealed on all sides or may have one to a plurality of access points for the addition and placement of a weighted pouch and/or various fillers which may consist of a zipper, or zippers, buttons, hooks, latches, hook and loops, a combination thereof, or any other mechanism for opening and closure.
So that the manner in which the present invention can be better understood, certain illustrations, charts and/or flow charts are appended hereto. It is to be noted, however, that the drawings illustrate only selected embodiments of the inventions and are therefore not to be considered limiting of scope, for the inventions can admit to other equally effective embodiments and applications.
Moreover, advantages and other aspects of the invention will be readily appreciated by those persons having skill in the art and may be better understood with further reference to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate like or similar elements throughout the several figures of the drawings and wherein:
However, it should be understood that the above-described figures are not intended to be limited to only the invention illustrated and to the particular embodiments disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is intended to disclose all modifications, alternatives and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined within the claim's broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the specification. To wit, variations in height, length, width made be accomplished as to accommodate variances in sizes of pillows as may be necessary or required.
A detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention is disclosed and described below. Yet, each and every possible feature, within the limits of the specification, are not disclosed as various iterations are postulated to be in the purview and contemplation of those having skill in the art. It is therefore possible for those that have requisite skill in the art to make and practice the disclosed invention while observing that certain features and spatial arrangements are relative and capable of being scaled, adapted, arranged at various points about the present invention (by inventor, manufacturer or both) that nonetheless accomplishes the remediation of one or more of the infirmities as outlined and discussed above in the field of pillow design and use. As well, individual components of the present invention may be sized (i.e. enlarged or shrunken), and or given increased or decreased weight, so long as the proportions are maintained that allow for maintaining of esthetic appearance and/or proper functioning of the present invention that may be sized and shaped according to the size of the pillow.
Equally, it should be observed that the present invention can be understood, in terms of structure, function, or both, from the present disclosure as well as those appended claims taken in context with the associated drawings. And whereas the present invention and method of use are capable of several different embodiments and permutations, which can be modified into several different configurations, each exhibiting accompanying interchangeable functionalities, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application as shown and described.
As detailed in
As shown in
The dimensions of pouch 20 will differ based on the size of insert 30. In other words, pouch 20 may be small or large in size and may be of different geometric shapes. Pouch 20 may be filled with different amounts of weighted pellets 22 shown in
As shown in
Although only a select few example embodiments have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the example embodiments without materially departing from this disclosure of the invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63609195 | Dec 2023 | US |
