Stereophonic pillow speaker system

A stereophonic pillow speaker system for a pillow. The system has a rectangular foam base member. A pair of stereophonic loudspeakers are mounted within holes in the base member. An inner cushion wrapping is wrapped around the base member, and an outer cushion wrapping is wrapped around the inner cushion wrapping. An electric wire extends from the loudspeakers out of the pillow through one corner of the pillow. A foam securing member secures the wire to the corner of the pillow. A jack on the end of the wire can be plugged into a sound source, such as a tape player.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates in general to pillows and to stereophonic speaker 
systems. In particular, the invention relates to stereophonic speaker 
systems, designed to be contained within a pillow. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Since the invention of stereophonic sound reproduction, there have been 
many attempts to design a headrest or a pillow containing a stereophonic 
speaker system. U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,112, issued to Heppner et al. on May 
31, 1977, shows one such headrest and speaker system combination. That 
patent shows a foam headrest, which provides a housing and support for a 
pair of speakers. The headrest is covered by an airtight upholstering 
material, except for a perforated area directly in front of each speaker. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,290,450, issued to Majoros on Dec. 6, 1966, shows a 
stereophonic speaker system mounted in a pillow. The system is mounted in 
a foam pillow, which is comprised of two foam sections which are sealed 
along their mating surfaces. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The stereophonic pillow speaker system of the invention is designed for a 
pillow having four corners. The system has a rectangular foam base member, 
with a pair of stereophonic loudspeakers, mounted within holes in the base 
member. 
An inner cushion wrapping is wrapped around the base member and the 
loudspeakers. An outer cushion wrapping is then wrapped around the inner 
cushion wrapping, and fastened together. 
An electric wire extends from the loudspeakers to one corner of the pillow. 
A foam securing member is attached to the foam base member to secure the 
wire to the corner of the pillow. A jack is attached to the end of the 
wire, so that the wire can be plugged into a tape player or other sound 
transmitter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The stereophonic pillow speaker system of the invention has a rectangular, 
foam base member 11, as shown in FIG. 1. The base member 11 is preferably 
a polyurethane foam material. The preferred base member 11 is about 
thirteen inches wide, twenty inches long, and one and one half inches 
thick. 
A pair of stereophonic loudspeakers 13 are mounted in holes in the foam 
base member 11. Both loudspeakers 13 face upward. Each loudspeaker 13 has 
an axis that is parallel with the other. The upper edges of the 
loudspeakers 13 are flush with the upper surface of the base member 11. 
The holes for the loudspeakers 13 are preferably about ten inches apart. 
The loudspeakers 13 are connected by an electric wire 15. The electric wire 
15 then extends from one of the loudspeakers 13 to one corner 17 of the 
base member 11. The electric wire 15 overlies the upper surface of the 
base member 11. 
A foam securing member 19 is attached to the upper surface of the base 
member 11 by an adhesive, to secure the electric wire 15 to the corner 17 
of the base member 11. The foam securing member 19 overlies the electric 
wire 15 near one edge of the base member 11. The foam securing member 19 
is approximately four inches square and one quarter inch thick. 
Preferably, the securing member 19 is made of the same material as the 
base member 11. 
A standard electrical connection, or jack 21, is attached to the outer end 
of the electric wire 15. This jack 21 can be plugged into a standard 
extension 23. The extension 23 also has a jack 24, which can be plugged 
into a tape player 25, radio, television, or other sound source. 
FIG. 2 illustrates the assembled pillow 27. The foam base member 11 and the 
loud speakers 13 are wrapped in an inner cushion wrapping 29. The inner 
cushion wrapping 29 overlies and is in contact with the upper edges of the 
loudspeakers 13. An outer cushion wrapping 31 is wrapped around the inner 
cushion wrapping 29. 
The cushion wrappings 29, 31 are not made of the same material as the foam 
base member 11. They are preferably made of Dacron synthetic fiber, which 
is a synthetic polyester material. This type of material is commonly used 
in conventional pillows. 
The cushion wrappings 29, 31 are considerably lighter in density than the 
material of the base member 11. Also, the cushion wrapping material is 
fibrous, rather than cellular as is the material of the base member 11. 
Although the foam base member 11 is flexible, the cushion wrappings 29, 31 
are softer and more comfortable. The inner and outer cushion wrappings 29, 
31 are of the same thickness, which is less than half the thickness of the 
base member 11. 
The outer cushion wrapping 31 is held together by a fastener 33. The outer 
cushion wrapping 31 does not overlap itself, and its edges abut one 
another at one edge of the pillow. The inner cushion wrapping 29 does 
overlap itself for the extent of the width of the base member 11. The 
edges of the inner cushion wrapping 29 do not abut, and are not secured 
together. The assembled pillow 27 is placed within a conventional pillow 
case 35. 
The operation of the stereophonic pillow speaker system of the invention is 
very simple. The jack 24 on the end of the extension cord 23 is plugged 
into a tape player 25 or some other electrical sound source. When the tape 
player 25 is played, the sound emits from the loudspeakers 13, so that a 
person resting on the pillow 27 can hear the sound. 
The invention has several advantages. Only the person resting on the pillow 
27 can hear the sound coming from the loudspeakers 13. Others in the room 
will not be disturbed. However, unlike earphones, the pillow 27 does not 
prevent the listener from hearing other sounds in the room, such as a 
telephone or a doorbell. The foam base member provides a strong support 
for the loudspeakers, with the cushion wrappings providing comfort. The 
two layers of the cushion wrappings prevent the user from feeling contact 
with the loudspeakers. 
The invention has been shown in only one of its forms. It should be 
apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is 
susceptible to various changes without departing from the scope thereof.