Patent Publication Number: US-2013232692-A1

Title: Cervical spine support pillow

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES 
     Applicant claims foreign priority under Paris Convention to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2012-0022770, filed Mar. 6,2012, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, where the entire contents are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       1 . Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a cervical spine support pillow for safely supporting a neck of a user. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cervical spine support pillow in that, when the user takes a rest or a sleep, it can always maintain the cervical curve of the C-shape although the user&#39;s head is moved to right or left side and it can apply continuous stimulus on the neck, thereby providing the straightening and massaging thereof. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Since a neck of a man for connecting a head with a body includes a cervical spine having seven short joints from the seventh cervical spine C7 located just above the first thoracic spine T1 to the first cervical spine C1, and ligaments and muscles surrounding them, they serve to support the heavy head well and protect a lot of nerve fascicles and blood vessels located at a path for connecting the head with the body. 
     It is normal for the cervical spine C1˜C7 to have a C-shaped curvature. However, busy modern people are apt to have a turtle neck owing to bad habits thereof. Also, since he/she does not feel any symptoms on his/her neck, he/she has no regard for the turtle neck. However, at one time, his/her neck is stiff and has an ache in the shoulder. That is, in case of this turtle neck, the tendon for securing his/her neck is suddenly pulled, so that it causes a damage thereof, thereby losing its elasticity. 
     Also, the nerves pass through the cervical spine before the nerves connected to the body parts located at a lower portion of the neck are connected to the brain. Accordingly, where there is something wrong with the cervical spine, it causes a tension in a duramater of sticking to the cervical spine and surrounding the brain, so that it brings about the increasing of the brain pressure, thereby causing a functional disorder of the brain and an obstacle to a controlling ability of the body. 
     Also, where the normal C-shaped curvature is lost in the cervical spine, it causes a pressure of an artery of coming up from the heart to the head, so that it brings about the circulatory disturbances of the blood flow. Also, it causes a pressure of a vein of coming up from the heart to the head, so that it brings about the undercurrent of the brain blood flow and the increasing of the blood pressure. Moreover, since the impact on the spine is just transmitted to the head, the retrogression of the neck can be quickly proceeded. 
     As described above, it is needed to maintain an upright arrangement for physical activity in the cervical spine. Especially, since the arrangement status of the cervical spine is easily influenced by the shape of a pillow when he/she takes a rest or a sleep, many researches on a cervical spine support pillow had been done. 
     For this reason, in order to straighten the wrong cervical spine, when he/she takes a rest or a sleep, a conventional cervical spine support pillow for straightening the arrangement status of the cervical spine C1˜C7 and massaging the muscles around the cervical spine C1˜C7 has been utilized. However, in case of the conventional rectangular cervical spine pillow for straightening the cervical spine C1˜C7, it straightens up his body while lying on bed and the neck is temporarily contacted with the pillow only at a stop status. However, where the neck is moved to right or left side when he/she takes a rest or a sleep, since the contacting point between the cervical spine pillow and the neck is deviated from the neck and is moved in a diagonal direction, it cannot horizontally apply continuous stimulus on the neck. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cervical spine support pillow in that it can safely support the user&#39;s neck when the user takes a rest or a sleep, and although the user&#39;s head is moved to right or left side, and it can apply continuous stimulus on the neck while the neck contacted with a neck support unit and the cervical spine support pillow being maintained side by side. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a cervical spine support pillow in that, although the user&#39;s head is moved to right or left side, it allows the cervical spine of the user to maintain a cervical curve of a C-shape on a neck support unit of an arch shape, so that it can apply continuous stimulus on the cervical spine of the user through the neck support unit, thereby providing the straightening and massaging thereof. 
     Further another object of the present invention is to provide a cervical spine support pillow in that it can maintain an ideal cervical curve of the C-shape, so that the wrong cervical spine owing to the bad habits can be straightened, thereby preventing a herniated cervical disc in advance. 
     In order to accomplish this object, there is provided a cervical spine support pillow, comprising: 
     a bottom unit; 
     a front unit extended upward from a front end of the bottom unit; 
     a neck support unit extended to a rear of the front unit in a round shape; and 
     a depression unit depressed downward from an upper center of the front unit in such a manner that all longitudinal sections of the neck support unit form an arch shape around a center of the front unit. 
     Preferably, the depression unit is formed up to a location of the bottom unit. 
     Preferably, a planar shape of the bottom unit is a semicircle. 
     Preferably, reinforcing grooves of an arch shape are formed on both sides of the depression unit and each reinforcing groove is connected to each other at the inner portion thereof. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a cervical spine support pillow according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective view illustrating a cervical spine support pillow according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3A  is a front sectional view illustrating a cervical spine support pillow according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3B  is a planar sectional view illustrating a cervical spine support pillow according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3C  is a bottom sectional view illustrating a cervical spine support pillow according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4A  is a planar view illustrating the cervical spine support pillow according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4B  is a cross-sectional view illustrating lines “AA”, “BB”, and “CC” of  FIG. 4A ; 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view illustrating a status in that the neck support unit of the cervical spine support pillow according to the present invention supports the cervical spine of the user; and 
         FIG. 6  is a planar view illustrating an appearance of rotating left and right in a state that the neck support unit of the cervical spine support pillow according to the present invention supports the cervical spine of the user. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a cervical spine support pillow according to the present invention,  FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective view illustrating a cervical spine support pillow according to the present invention,  FIG. 3A  is a front sectional view illustrating a cervical spine support pillow according to the present invention,  FIG. 3B  is a planar sectional view illustrating a cervical spine support pillow according to the present invention, and  FIG. 3C  is a bottom sectional view illustrating a cervical spine support pillow according to the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the cervical spine support pillow  1  according to the present invention includes a bottom unit  50 , a front unit  10  extended upward from a front end of the bottom unit  50 , a neck support unit  20  extended to a rear of the front unit  10  in a round shape, and a depression unit  30  depressed downward from an upper center of the front unit  10  in such a manner that all longitudinal sections of the neck support unit  20  form an arch shape around a center of the front unit  10 . 
     The bottom unit  50  supports a user when he/she takes a rest or a sleep. 
     The neck support unit  20  is extended to the rear of the front unit  10  in a round shape and the depression unit  30  is depressed downward from the upper center of the front unit  10 . Accordingly, all longitudinal sections of the neck support unit  20  form a semicircle arch shape around a center of the front unit  10 . 
     Here, since the neck support unit  20  is manufactured in the shape of the semicircle arch, the cervical spine of the user is placed along the arch shape of the neck support unit  20  when he/she takes a rest or a sleep, so that it forms an ideal cervical curve of a C-shape. Accordingly, it serves to massage the cervical spine thereof by applying continuous stimulus on the muscles around the cervical spine. 
     The depression unit  30  is depressed downward from the upper center of the front unit  10 , that is, is extended to an inner bottom portion of the neck support unit  20  of the arch shape is manufactured in the shape of the semicircle arch. Accordingly, the first thoracic spine T1 of the user is supported on the bottom portion of the depression unit  30  and the cervical spine of the user is supported along the C-shaped curve extended toward the upper portion of the depression unit  30 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3B , the maximum right and left rotation angle of the user&#39;s neck is 160°. Accordingly, it is preferred that the cervical spine support pillow  1  according to the present invention is manufactured in a semicircle shape so as to cover the maximum right and left rotation angle of the user&#39;s neck. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3C , since the cervical spine support pillow  1  according to the present invention has the depression unit  30  depressed downward from the upper center of the front unit  10 , the front unit  10  has a structure of the symmetrical semicircle shape around the depression unit  30  located at the center thereof. 
     Also, two reinforcing grooves  40  of a semicircle shape are formed at inner portions of each front unit  10  of a semicircle shape, which is formed on both sides of the depression unit  30 . Here, each reinforcing groove  40  is connected to each other at the inner portion thereof. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3C , the reinforcing groove  40  has a structure connected along the inner portion thereof in a shape corresponding to the entire semicircle shape of the cervical spine support pillow  1 . 
     Here, since the reinforcing grooves  40  is formed at the inner portions of each front unit  10  and connected to each other at the inner portion thereof, an inner space of a semicircle arch shape is formed at a bottom portion of the cervical spine support pillow  1 . Accordingly, where a vertical load is applied to the neck support unit  20  during the support of the user&#39;s cervical spine, since the vertical load is converted into a horizontal load and is dispersed from side to side, it can decrease the vertical load, thereby increasing the durability of the product itself and reducing the weight thereof. 
     Considering the description of the manufacturing process of the cervical spine support pillow  1  according to the present invention, firstly, the depression unit  30  is formed along the circumference of a hemisphere in such a manner that it is slanted downward from the outside thereof to the upper center thereof. Thereafter, the reinforcing groove  40  of a semicircle cross-sectional shape is formed at the bottom portion of the hemisphere along the circumference thereof, which is separated from the center thereof, and then, it is divided into two equal parts around the center of the hemisphere to manufacture the cervical spine support pillow  1 . 
       FIG. 4  is an explaining view in that all longitudinal sections of the neck support unit have the same cross-section around the depression unit of the cervical spine support pillow according to the present invention, that is,  FIG. 4A  is a planar view illustrating the cervical spine support pillow according to the present invention and  FIG. 4B  is a cross-sectional view illustrating lines “AA”, “BB”, and “CC” of  FIG. 4A . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B , in the cervical spine support pillow  1  according to the present invention, all longitudinal sections of the neck support unit  20  form a semicircle arch shape having the reinforcing groove  40  of a semicircle shape at the bottom portion thereof around the depression unit  30 . 
     Here, when it cuts any area of the cervical spine support pillow  1  according to the present invention, that is, the cross-sections of the lines “AA”, “BB”, and “CC”, all longitudinal sections of the neck support unit  20  form the semicircle arch shape having the reinforcing groove  40  of the semicircle shape at the bottom portion thereof. 
       FIG. 5  is a sectional view illustrating a status in that the neck support unit of the cervical spine support pillow according to the present invention supports the cervical spine of the user and  FIG. 6  is a planar view illustrating an appearance of rotating left and right in a state that the neck support unit of the cervical spine support pillow according to the present invention supports the cervical spine of the user. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , in the cervical spine support pillow  1  according to the present invention, the first thoracic spine T1 of the user is supported on the depression unit  30  formed at the inner portion of the neck support unit  20  of the arch shape, the fourth cervical spine C4 of the user is supported on the top  21  of the arch portion of the neck support unit  20  of the arch shape, and the first cervical spine C1 of the user is supported on the outer bottom end portion of the neck support unit  20  of the arch shape. 
     Accordingly, since the cervical spine of the user is supported along the inside and outside of the neck support unit  20  of the arch shape around the fourth cervical spine C4 of the user, which is supported on the top  21  of the arch portion of the neck support unit  20  of the arch shape, it allows the cervical spine of the user to maintain the ideal cervical curve of the C-shape, thereby maintaining proper posture of the user&#39;s cervical spine. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , when the user lies down right, the cervical spine of the user is supported along the curve of the neck support unit  20  of the arch shape. At this time, where the neck of the user is moved right and left, based on the first thoracic spine T1 of the user supported on the depression unit  30  formed at the inner lower end of the neck support unit  20  of the arch shape, the cervical spine of the user having a rotation axis of the line T1 (the first thoracic spine)-C1(the first cervical spine), which are supported along the curve of the neck support unit  20  of the arch shape, is moved right and left along the semicircle shape of the cervical spine support pillow  1 . 
     Accordingly, although the user&#39;s head is moved to right or left side, it allows the cervical spine of the user to maintain the cervical curve of the C-shape on the neck support unit  20  of the arch shape, so that it can apply continuous stimulus on the cervical spine of the user through the neck support unit  20 , thereby providing the straightening and massaging thereof. Also, it can maintain the ideal cervical curve of the C-shape, so that the wrong cervical spine owing to the bad habits can be straightened, thereby preventing a herniated cervical disc in advance. 
     Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.