Patent Publication Number: US-6212716-B1

Title: Inflatable pillow

Description:
This application claims benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/065,413 filed Nov. 12, 1997. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an inflatable pillow. More particularly, the present invention relates to an inflatable pillow which has a novel means of inflation. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Airlines, hospital emergency rooms, campers, travelers and many other entities use pillows. If a pillow is an inflatable pillow, the normal way to inflate the pillow is to blow into a closed sac through a tube and then, in some way, constrict or plug the tube in order to keep air within the pillow. This is not a convenient or necessarily rapid way to inflate a pillow. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to an inflatable pillow which utilizes a ZIPLOC® bag having a regulator therein, which regulator is normally flat. When the mouth of the bag is opened and the pillow shaken, the regulator spreads the bag so as to increase its interior volume. Thereafter, when the mouth of the bag is zipped shut a quantity of air is trapped in the bag. When the bag is tilted, the regulator falls flat and a quantity of air remains trapped in the bag so as to provide a pneumatic support. 
     In one aspect of the invention, the regulator is a folded relatively rigid structure disposed within the bag which pushes the sides of the bag apart by bearing on internal surfaces of the bag. In another embodiment of the invention, the bag is pre-stressed so that it opens when a force is taken off the bag by, for example, but not limited to, removing the bag from an envelope or enclosing sleeve, or by simply unfolding the bag or opening the bag. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Various other features and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an uninflated bag with a regulator device inside; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the bag of FIG. 1 oriented vertically in preparation to active a regulator; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a regulator expanding the bag as the mouth of the bag is opened; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the regulator collapsed flat when the bag is laid flat; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a prestressed bag with the mouth open; and 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a prestressed bag with the mouth closed to trap air in the bag so as to form a pillow. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a bag  10 , such as a ZIPLOC® bag, having a mouth  12  which is closed by a seam  14  wherein the seam is a ZIPLOC® type of seam having at least one rib which is received in at least one groove. Received in the bag is a regulator  16  which, in FIG. 1, lies flat within the bag. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the regulator  16  is comprised of an attachment tab  18 , which is hinged by a hinge  20  to a regulator panel  22  that is hinged by a hinge  24  to a support arm  26 . When the mouth  12  of the bag is open by unzipping the ZIPLOC® seam  14  while the bag  10  is held in a vertical orientation as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the regulator  16  expands into a triangular shape because the attachment tab  18  is adhered to the inside surface of the bag  10  and the regulator panel  22  falls until the bottom edge  28  of the support arm slides down an opposite wall  30  of the bag  10  and abuts the bottom of the attachment tab  18 . The bag  10  is therefore held open because the panel  22  forms a strut that holds the two side panels  30  and  31  apart so that regular atmospheric air under atmospheric pressure fills the bag. The ZIPLOC® seam  14  is then closed trapping air inside. When the bag is laid flat, the regulator  16  collapses and an inflated pillow results. This is the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, the bag  10 ′ is prestressed so that when it is unfolded or otherwise relieved of forces that tend to keep the bag flat, the bag will expand when the mouth  12 ′ is open. When the mouth is thereafter closed and sealed, air is trapped within the bag so that an inflatable pillow results. This embodiment is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 which show stress lines or areas  40  embossed or otherwise formed in the two side panels  42  and  44  of the bag, which stress lines or areas bow the bag outwardly when pressure tending to keep the bag flat is released therefrom. While the lines or areas shown extend in the direction of the extent of the mouth, the lines  40  may extend in other directions, the structure being that structure unitary or integral with the bag  10 ′ opens the bag to receive a volume of air. In another embodiment, resilient bowed ribs  40 ′ are integral with the bag  10 ′ and extend in the direction of the lines or areas  40 . Ribs  40 ′ are incorporated into or with the panels  42  an  44  to bow the panels outwardly. When a force holding the unexpanded bag  10 ′ flat is moved from the bag such as, for example, by removing a folded bag from a container or envelope and unfolding the bag. 
     From the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention, and without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modification of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions.