Patent Publication Number: US-2011061167-A1

Title: Pillows with large diameter cleaving for enhanced lateral softness

Description:
This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/241,887, filed on Sep. 12, 2009, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a device for supporting portions of the body, and more specifically a pillow-like device including at least one surface defining a plurality of holes through the pillow to provide a higher level of softness, suppleness, elongation, and elastic performance in the lateral (horizontal) direction. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Typically, “shaped” or contoured pillows are used to produce head and cervical neck support in the vertical direction. The contouring required in these types of pillows is necessarily time consuming to manufacture and, thus costly to produce. 
     The vertical support from these pillows is primarily provided by a shape cut into the support surface where the raw material of the pillow is not expected to deform or elongate significantly in the horizontal direction. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides a pillow presenting increased softness, suppleness, elongatability, and elastic performance in the lateral (horizontal) plane (hereinafter, the “lateral performance parameters”). The weight of the user&#39;s head or other body portion when applied to the pillow causes the pillow&#39;s surface to conform to the user&#39;s head and neck not only due to vertical softness, but also due to the lateral performance parameters. The lateral performance parameters are related to a cleaved configuration. The supportive materials tend to move through deformation to a greater extent in the lateral direction and away from the areas of the greatest load bearing. 
     In one aspect, a pillow is provided and includes a main body having a top support surface, a bottom support surface and rounded ends joining the top and bottom support surfaces about a rounded profile. The rounded profile of the pillow has no recessed areas where a thickness of the main body decreases progressively towards an edge of the main body. The main body is made of a cellular material. The pillow also includes a plurality of holes defined to extend through the main body and include openings on the top and bottom support surfaces. The holes have a constant circular cross section having a diameter of ⅝ inch or greater. 
     In another aspect, a pillow is provided including a pad having a thickness, a top support surface, a bottom support surface and rounded ends joining the top and bottom support surfaces about a rounded profile. The pad has no recessed areas where a thickness of the main body decreases progressively towards a single edge of the pad. The pad is made of a cellular material. The pillow also includes a plurality of holes, where each hole has an axial extension transverse to the top and bottom support surfaces and extends through the thickness to define an opening on the top and bottom support surfaces. The plurality of holes have a constant circular cross section and a diameter of ⅝ inch or greater. 
     In yet another aspect, a method of forming a pillow is provided including providing a pad having a thickness, a top support surface, a bottom support surface and rounded ends joining the top and bottom support surfaces about a constant rounded profile that extends the length and width of the pad, the pad being made of a cellular material; and cleaving a plurality of holes with each hole having an axial extension transverse to the top and bottom support surfaces and extending through the thickness to define an opening on the top and bottom support surfaces, the plurality of holes including a constant circular cross section having a diameter of ⅝ inch or greater. 
     A more complete understanding of the disclosure can be obtained by reference to the following detailed description of the embodiments thereof in connection with the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a pillow in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the pillow of  FIG. 1  in accordance with an embodiment; and 
         FIG. 3  is a simplified cross-sectional view of a pillow under compression in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is an illustration of a pillow  100  in accordance with an embodiment. The pillow  100  includes a main body or pad  102  having a top support surface  104 , a bottom support surface  106  and rounded ends  108  joining the top and bottom support surfaces of the pillow  100  particularly about a rounded profile. The top surface  104  and bottom surface  106  provide two flat, opposed support surfaces on the pad  102 . The pad  102  may be made of a cellular material, such as polyurethane foam. The pad may have a thickness as desired, for example, the thickness may be between about 2 inches to about 10 inches. 
     The size of the pillow  100  may vary. It should be understood that the dimensions of pillow  100  may vary, but should be large enough to support the inclusion of large diameter holes as described below. It should also be understood that the pillow  100  has a constant rounded profile that extends the length and width of the pad  102 . The rounded ends of the pillow joining the top and bottom support surfaces has no recessed areas where a thickness of the pad decreases progressively towards a single edge of the pad. This means that each edge of the pad has consistently the same rounded profile. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the pillow  100  includes a plurality of holes or channels  110  defined to extend vertically through the pad  102  between the top surface  104  and the bottom surface  106 . Each hole  110  of the plurality of holes, has an axial extension transverse to the top and bottom support surfaces  106  and  108  and extends through the thickness of the pad to define an opening  206  on the top and bottom support surfaces. 
     In fabricating the pillow  100 , the holes  110  are cleaved or cut into the pad  102 . The cloven holes  110  are made completely through the entire thickness of the pad  102 . As shown  FIG. 2 , the removal of material from the pad  102  to create the holes  110 , exposes sidewalls  202  of the holes  110 . The sidewalls  202  define a void or space  204  having an opening on each surface  104  and  106  of the pad. A method of forming the pillow  100  includes providing a pad having a thickness, a top support surface, a bottom support surface and rounded ends joining the top and bottom support surfaces. The plurality of holes are cleaved or cut with each hole having an axial extension transverse to the top and bottom support surfaces and extending through the thickness to define an opening on the top and bottom support surfaces. 
     It is important that the holes  110  be of a relatively large diameter and are formed completely through the foam pillow  100  to provide the desired higher level of suppleness in the lateral and horizontal directions. In one embodiment, the holes  110  may have a diameter that ranges from between about 0.25 in. to about 1 inch. For example, it has been found that holes  110  with diameters of ⅝ in. or larger, produce a disproportionate softness or suppleness laterally, compared to the vertical softness of the pillow  100 . Thus, in one embodiment, the plurality of holes each have a constant circular cross section having a diameter of ⅝ inch or greater. Although the diameters of the holes are at least ⅝ inch, the diameters may be made to vary from each of the other holes. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , in one embodiment, the holes  110  may be evenly and symmetrically distributed on the pad  102 . In alternative embodiments, the holes  110  may be distributed in alternative layouts. For example, the pillow  100  may be made with large holes distributed toward a central area of the pillow, and larger diameter holes toward a peripheral area of the pillow. By varying the diameter of holes  110  and/or their density of distribution, the pillow  100  may be made a more flexible pillow. The variableness of the size and distribution of the holes  110  provides for the mechanical characteristics of the pillow  100  to be maximized for both the vertical softness and horizontal suppleness. In one embodiment, the holes  110  may be distributed from between about 1 inch to about 4 inches on center. 
     Because there is increased horizontal suppleness created by the large diameter through holes  110 , the pillow  110  can provide support to a person sleeping on his stomach, back or side, without a change in the profile of the pillow  100 . There is no need to create a recessed or tapered area on the pad, since the pad is capable of supporting the head and neck of a person while being compressed enough on other areas of the pillow to support the shoulders of a person lying on his side, for example. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , when placed under a compressive load C, the side walls  202  of the holes  110  collapse laterally into the space or void  204  created by the holes. The increased diameter holes allows more of the material of the pad  102  to move laterally into the hole space  204  to a degree that not only affects the vertical softness of the pillow, but that enhances the horizontal softness as well. 
     This inclination toward lateral compression results due to the combined effects of:
         (1) Removal of a predetermined amount of material from within the holes  110  (for example, the volume of a cylinder ⅝″ diameter or greater); and   (2) The lateral collapse of the holes  110  into the hole space.       

     Pillows that function in this manor are a departure from shaped pillows used to produce cervical neck support in the vertical direction that are so common. In the more common pillows, the density of the pillow itself is varied in a discrete manner vertically along the thickness thereof. 
     The pillow  100  with the larger diameter holes  110  that pass entirely though the pillow, allows for healthy individuals to pull the pillow, for example, laterally into the space between the shoulder and head. 
     While the present invention has been shown and described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.