Patent Description:
People sleep every night, and sleep has many functions in maintaining life and health, such as bodily regeneration, biological recovery, strengthening immunity, and recharging. In this way, sleep has a very large effect on health, and improving the quality of sleep rather than simply increasing the amount of sleep is an important issue that is directly connected to a healthy life.

Pillows are products that support the user's head and cervical spine during sleep to help him take a comfortable posture. In order to sleep in an ideal sleep environment, sleeping posture is one of the important factors that determines the quality of sleep. The role of a pillow is very important to take a proper sleeping posture.

A normal structure of the human cervical spine is to have a C-shaped arrangement of a state of being bent forward. Since typical pillows are configured to support only the user's head, the user's cervical spine may form a linear shape or an inverted C-shape to impart a stress on the user's cervical spine. Therefore, in order to reduce the stress on the user's cervical spine so that the user's cervical spine forms a C-shape, cervical spine support pillows having various structures for supporting the user's cervical spine have been proposed.

However, a U-shaped base adopted in the cervical spine support pillow may impede lateral movement when the head and cervical spine move while rolling to the side. This may prevent and limit changes in posture during sleep, and sustained pressure in one area may lead to tissue damage and bedsores. <CIT> discloses a pillow of the prior art.

In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a functional pillow that allows free lateral movement of the user's head and cervical spine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a functional pillow that can support the user's head when it moves laterally.

A functional pillow according to one aspect of the present invention is as defined in claim <NUM> and includes a support part having a center formed in a concave shape to support user's head and cervical spine; and two side parts respectively connected to both edges of the support part, being formed to be parallel to a ground, and being higher than the support part, wherein the support part includes a concave first groove extending in a first direction parallel to the user's cervical spine, and a concave second groove connected to an edge of the first groove and extending along the first direction or another direction, and the first groove has a lowest point that is higher than a lowest point of the second groove.

The first groove includes a first region corresponding to a central region in the first direction, and two second regions adjacent to the first region and corresponding to both ends of the first groove in the first direction, and the first region is formed in a convex shape along the first direction.

The second groove includes a third region that is disposed adjacent to the first region and corresponds to the central region in the first direction, and two fourth regions which are adjacent to the third region and corresponds to both ends of the second groove in the first direction, and the third region is formed in a convex shape along the first direction.

According to an embodiment, the first groove has a width greater than a width of the second groove.

According to an embodiment, the first region corresponds to a back surface shape of the user's cervical spine, and each second region is formed to correspond to a back surface shape of the user's head.

According to an embodiment, each fourth region is formed to correspond to a side surface shape of the user's head.

According to an embodiment, the first region is configured to accommodate the back surface of the user's cervical spine, and the second region is configured to accommodate the back surface of a user's head.

According to an embodiment, each fourth region is configured to accommodate a side surface of the user's head.

According to an embodiment, the width of each second region is wider than the width of the first region.

According to an embodiment, the width of eacg fourth region is wider than the width of the third region.

According to an embodiment, a boundary line between the first groove and the second groove is formed alongside with or oblique to the first direction.

According to an embodiment, the second groove is formed to bend upward or downward toward an outer side surface in a direction perpendicular to the first direction on a plane.

As described above, the functional pillow according to an aspect of the present invention allows the user's head and cervical spine to move freely laterally, and can support the user's head when moves laterally.

The terms used in the present invention are merely used to describe particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present invention, it should be understood that terms such as "comprising" or "having" are intended to specify the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof described herein, but do not exclude in advance the presence or the possibility of addition of one or more other features numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

It should be noted here that identical components in the accompanying drawings are designated with the same reference numerals.

Hereinafter, a functional pillow <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

<FIG> is a perspective view of a functional pillow <NUM> according to a first embodiment of the present invention, <FIG> is a cross-sectional view of the functional pillow <NUM> of <FIG> cut along II-II', <FIG> is a diagram of the functional pillow <NUM> of <FIG> cut along III-III', <FIG> is a diagram showing distances L1 and L2 between a central axis and back and side surfaces of the head, <FIG> is a plan view showing a support part <NUM>, two side parts <NUM>, and a boundary <NUM> of the functional pillow <NUM> of <FIG>, and <FIG> is a plan view showing a region of the functional pillow <NUM> of <FIG>.

Referring to <FIG>, the functional pillow <NUM> according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a support part <NUM>, two side parts <NUM>, a pillow body <NUM>, and a boundary <NUM>. Anyone who has common knowledge in the technical field related to this embodiment can understand that other general-purpose components can be further included in the functional pillow <NUM>, in addition to the components shown in <FIG>.

The support part <NUM> has a concave shape at the center and can support the user's head and cervical spine. The support part <NUM> can be formed into a curved shape that corresponds to the shape of the user's head and cervical spine when the user lies down. The concave portion of the support part <NUM> can be determined in consideration of the radius of movement of the user's head, which is movable according to the width of the user's head and the sleeping posture.

The support part <NUM> can provide stable support for the user's head by increasing the contact area with the user's head. The support part <NUM> can be made of a material for absorbing shock, for example, such as cotton, latex, sponge, and memory foam. However, the shape and material of the support part <NUM> are not necessarily limited to these, and can be changed within the range that can be adopted by those skilled in the art.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the support part <NUM> includes a first groove <NUM> and a second groove <NUM>.

The first groove <NUM> supports the user's head and cervical spine in a concave shape that extends in one direction along with the user's cervical spine. The first groove <NUM> is cut concavely in one direction along with the user's cervical spine, and is formed to have a convex center to correspond to the C-shaped curve of the user's cervical spine (see <FIG>). A length of the first groove <NUM> in a direction parallel to the user's cervical spine is longer than a width in the direction perpendicular to the user's cervical spine.

The width of the first groove <NUM> is formed sufficient to accommodate the back surface of the user' s head. The first groove <NUM> has a width greater than the width of a second groove <NUM>, which will be described below. This is because the first groove <NUM> accommodates the wide back surface of the user's head, whereas the second groove <NUM>, which will be described below, accommodates the side surface of the user's head having a relatively narrow width.

The first groove <NUM> has a lowest point higher than a lowest point of the second groove <NUM>, which will be described below. That is, a first lowest point height H1, which is a height from the bottom to the lowest point of the first groove <NUM>, is higher than a second lowest point height H2, which is a height from the bottom to the lowest point of the second groove <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, when the user turns only his neck with his back against the bottom, the cervical spine can pivot while maintaining a C-shaped curve. At this time, since the central axis in the case of the axial rotation is located close to the floor on the cross section of the body when lying down with his back on the floor, when axial rotation is performed, the distance L2 between the axis and the side surface of the head becomes longer than the distance L1 between the axis and the back surface of the head.

Therefore, when the user's head is lying forward, the back surface of the user's head can be supported by the pillow at a position spaced apart from the central axis by the length L1. When the user laterally rotates his or her neck, the side surface of the user's head can be supported by the pillow at a position spaced apart from the central axis by the length L2. At this time, since the length of L2 is longer than the length of L1, the side surface of the head when lying on the side can be positioned to be closer to the floor than the back surface of the head when lying on the front. Therefore, when the second groove <NUM> described below is cut deep to correspond to the distance L2 between the axis and the side surface of the head, that is, the first groove <NUM> has the lowest point higher than the lowest point of the second groove <NUM> described below, it can rotate more stably.

Referring to <FIG>, the first groove <NUM> includes a first region <NUM> and two second regions <NUM>.

The first region <NUM> corresponds to the central region of the first groove <NUM>, is formed in a convex shape along a direction parallel to the user's cervical spine, and can support the back surface of the user's cervical spine. The first region <NUM> may correspond to the back shape of the user's cervical spine. The first region <NUM> can accommodate the back of the user's cervical spine, depending on the sleeping posture. The curvature of the convex portion of the first region <NUM> corresponds to the C-shaped curve of the user's cervical spine, and can comfortably support the user's cervical spine when the user lies down facing forward.

Each second region <NUM> is adjacent to the first region <NUM> and can support the back surface of the user's head in correspondence with both end regions of the first groove <NUM>. Each second region <NUM> can correspond to the shape of the back surface of the user' s head. Each second region <NUM> can accommodate the back surface of the user's head, depending on the sleeping posture.

The width of each second region <NUM> may be wider than the width of the first region <NUM>. This may be because each second region <NUM> accommodates the back surface of the head, which is wider than the cervical spine accommodated by the first region <NUM>. For example, the first groove <NUM> can have a plane of a form in which the first region <NUM> that accommodates the user's cervical spine has the narrowest width, and which widens toward each second region <NUM>, that is both ends of the first groove <NUM>.

The second groove <NUM> is a concave groove which serves to support the head and cervical spine when the user turns the neck laterally, is connected to the edge of the first groove <NUM>, and extends along one direction along with the user's cervical spine or the other direction. Here, a case where the user turns their head laterally may be an intermediate state between a posture at which the user lies down to see front with their back on the floor and only their neck turned sideways and a posture at which the user turns over completely to the side.

The concave groove of the second groove <NUM> can support the user's head and cervical spine. The second groove <NUM> is cut concavely in one direction along with the user's cervical spine, and is formed to have a convex center to correspond to the C-shaped curve of the user's cervical spine at the same time. The second groove <NUM> has a longer length in the direction parallel to the user's cervical spine than a width in a direction perpendicular to the user's cervical spine.

The width of the second groove <NUM> is formed sufficiently to accommodate the side surface of the user's head. Since the second groove <NUM> accommodates the side surfaces of the user' s head as described above, it is smaller in width than the first groove <NUM> that accommodates the back surface of the user's head.

The second groove <NUM> includes a third region <NUM> and two fourth regions <NUM>.

The third region <NUM> supports the side surface of the user's cervical spine, is disposed adjacent to the first region <NUM>, and can correspond to the central region of the second groove <NUM>. The third region <NUM> is formed in a convex shape along a direction parallel to the user's cervical spine, and can support the side surface of the user's cervical spine. The curvature of the convex portion of the third region <NUM> corresponds to the C-shaped curve of the user's cervical spine, and can support the user's cervical spine when the user puts his back on the floor and turns his head sideways.

Each fourth region <NUM> is adjacent to the third region <NUM> and can support the side surfaces of the user' s head in correspondence with both end regions of the second groove <NUM>. Each fourth region <NUM> can correspond to the side shape of the user's head. Each fourth region <NUM> can accommodate the side surface of the user's head depending on the sleeping posture.

The width of each fourth region <NUM> may be wider than the width of the third region <NUM>. This may be because each fourth region <NUM> accommodates the side surface of the head that is wider than the cervical spine accommodated by the third region <NUM>. For example, the second groove <NUM> may have a plane of a form in which a third region <NUM> that accommodates the user's cervical spine has the narrowest width, and which widens toward the fourth region <NUM> that is both ends of the second groove <NUM>.

Referring again to <FIG> and <FIG>, the side parts <NUM> are connected to both edges of the support part <NUM> and are formed parallel to the ground, and are higher than the support part <NUM>. The side parts <NUM> serves to prevent the user's head from rotating laterally any longer or support the cervical spine and the side parts of the head when lying down so that body is entirely rotated by <NUM> degrees. Since the side part <NUM> is formed higher than the support part <NUM>, it is possible to prevent the user's head from rotating laterally beyond a certain angle. Also, when lying down laterally, it is possible to support the side head part, including the ears.

The pillow body <NUM> may be coupled to the side parts <NUM> and the lower end of the support part <NUM> to support the entire structure of the functional pillow <NUM>. The pillow body <NUM> may have a sufficient thickness so that the lowest points of the first groove <NUM> and the second groove <NUM> are spaced apart from the bottom by a first lowest point height H1 and a second lowest point height H2, respectively.

The pillow body <NUM> may have a hexahedral shape with bent corners. The pillow body <NUM> can be manufactured by a material for absorbing shock, such as cotton, latex, sponge, and memory foam. However, the shape and material of the pillow body <NUM> are not necessarily limited to these, and can be changed within the range that can be adopted by those skilled in the art.

Referring to <FIG>, the boundary <NUM> may mean a portion that changes from the first groove <NUM> to the second groove <NUM> or from the second groove <NUM> to the side part <NUM> in a plan view. The boundary <NUM> may include a first boundary <NUM> and a second boundary <NUM>.

The first boundary <NUM> is a boundary in which the first groove <NUM> and the second groove <NUM> are connected, and is formed in one direction along with the user's cervical spine. The first boundary <NUM> is a portion in which an upwardly inclined region of the first groove <NUM> and an upwardly inclined region of the second groove <NUM> meet.

The second boundary <NUM> is a boundary in which the second groove <NUM> and the side part <NUM> are connected, and is formed in one direction along with the user's cervical spine. The second boundary <NUM> is a portion in which the upwardly inclined portion of the second groove <NUM> and the flat portion of the side part <NUM> meet.

<FIG> is a plan view showing a user lying forward on the functional pillow <NUM> of <FIG>, and <FIG> is a plan view showing a user lying laterally on the functional pillow <NUM> of <FIG>.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the functional pillow <NUM> according to an embodiment of the present invention can subdivide a user's sleeping posture to appropriately support the user's head and cervical spine. Further, the positions of the user's head and cervical spine according to the user's sleeping posture can be checked.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, it is possible to know that when the user lies forward with his or her back facing forward, the cervical spine is seated in the first region <NUM> and the back surface of the head is seated in one of the second regions <NUM>. Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, when the user turns their neck laterally with their back facing the floor, a part of the side surface of the cervical spine is seated on the third region <NUM>, and the side surface of the head is seated on the fourth region <NUM>.

Hereinafter, a functional pillow <NUM> according to a second embodiment of the present invention and a modified example thereof will be described.

<FIG> is a plan view of the functional pillow <NUM> according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and <FIG> is a modified example of the functional pillow <NUM> according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Explaining with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, since the functional pillow <NUM> according to the second embodiment has the same structure as the functional pillow <NUM> according to the first embodiment except for the first boundary <NUM>, redundant explanation of the same configuration will be omitted.

According to the present embodiment, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the first boundary <NUM> is formed in a direction parallel to or oblique to the cervical spine of the user. The first boundary <NUM> is formed obliquely so that the width of the first groove <NUM> increases or decreases upward on a plane. However, although <FIG> and <FIG> only show the case where the first boundary <NUM> is bilaterally symmetrical with respect to the center of the functional pillow <NUM>, it does not necessarily need to be bilaterally symmetrical, and the left first boundary <NUM> and the right first boundary <NUM> can be changed independently.

In this way, the functional pillow <NUM> according to the second embodiment of the present invention can be manufactured by changing the first boundary <NUM> according to the shape and angle of the user's head and cervical spine.

Hereinafter, a functional pillow <NUM> according to a third embodiment of the present invention and a modified example thereof will be described.

<FIG> is a plan view of the functional pillow <NUM> according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and <FIG> is a modified example of the functional pillow <NUM> according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

Explaining with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, since the functional pillow <NUM> according to the third embodiment is similar to the functional pillow <NUM> according to the first embodiment except for the extension direction of the second groove <NUM> and the side part <NUM>, redundant explanation of the same structure will be omitted.

According to this embodiment, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the second groove <NUM> is formed to bend upward or downward toward the outer side surface in a direction perpendicular to the cervical spine of the user on a plane.

Claim 1:
A functional pillow comprising:
a support part (<NUM>) having a center formed in a concave shape to support a user's head and cervical spine; and
two side parts (<NUM>) respectively connected to both edges of the support part (<NUM>), being formed to be parallel to a ground, and being higher than the support part (<NUM>),
wherein the support part (<NUM>) includes a concave first groove (<NUM>) extending in a first direction parallel to the user's cervical spine, and
a concave second groove (<NUM>) connected to an edge of the first groove (<NUM>) and extending along the first direction or another direction,
wherein the first groove (<NUM>) has a lowest point that is higher than a lowest point of the second groove (<NUM>),
the first groove (<NUM>) including a first region (<NUM>) corresponding to a central region in the first direction, and two second regions (<NUM>) adjacent to the first region (<NUM>) and corresponding to both ends of the first groove (<NUM>) in the first direction, the first region (<NUM>) being formed in a convex shape along the first direction, and
the second groove (<NUM>) including a third region (<NUM>) that is disposed adjacent to the first region (<NUM>) and corresponds to the central region in the first direction, and two fourth regions (<NUM>) which are adjacent to the third region (<NUM>) and corresponds to both ends of the second groove (<NUM>) in the first direction, the third region (<NUM>) being formed in a convex shape along the first direction.