Ergonomic back pillow, leg support and whole-body ergonomic sleep support system

Abstract

The invention relates to an ergonomic back pillow, a leg support and a systemic ergonomic sleep support system. The ergonomic back pillow is composed of a transverse head and upper cervical vertebra supporting pillow for supporting the neutral position of the spine pelvis, a longitudinal lower cervical vertebra and chest supporting pillow and a transverse waist supporting pillow, and the longitudinal central axis of the longitudinal lower cervical vertebra and chest supporting pillow is aligned with the longitudinal central axis of the transverse head and upper cervical vertebra supporting pillow and the longitudinal central axis of the transverse waist supporting pillow. The left side vacancy and the right side vacancy are defined by the longitudinal symmetrical assembly and the longitudinal symmetrical assembly. The ergonomic leg support is composed of a transverse lower part for lifting a leg, a longitudinal left upper wing and a longitudinal right upper wing which are used for fixing the leg when the user lies on the side to sleep, and a gap which is surrounded by the longitudinal left upper wing and the longitudinal right upper wing and is used for placing the hip and the upper part of the thigh. The whole-body ergonomic sleep support system formed by combining the two parts provides equipment which has high practicability and is beneficial to keeping the neutral position calibration or correction of the whole musculoskeletal and promoting related sleep physiological functions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sleep support solution, and more particularly to a sleep solution that supports an ergonomic overall musculoskeletal neutral position for improving sleep health and correcting existing musculoskeletal deformity diseases during sleep. Background Art

[0002] On average, people spend one-third of their lives sleeping. Sleep seems to be a simple way for the body to rest, but it also carries out complex physiological processes to restore and regenerate bones, muscles, nerves, cardiovascular, immune and other biological systems. Scientific sleep support is not only conducive to improving sleep comfort and quality, but also to maintaining the neutral position of musculoskeletal structure, nocturnal physiological function, and overall sleep health.

[0003] Pillows and beds have a significant impact on the bone structure that supports the human body. Most people know that poor posture during the day can lead to spinal problems, causing muscle and nerve pain in the neck, shoulders and lower back, and these spinal problems have become more serious as computers and mobile phones have become more popular in the past two decades. However, few people realize that some of the poor postures we unconsciously develop during sleep can be just as harmful, or even more harmful.

[0004] Many commercial ergonomic products are designed to address some aspect of the musculoskeletal alignment problem, such as neck pillows, back supports, and leg raises. There are intellectual property solutions for fully dynamic sleep solutions that address the overall musculoskeletal alignment of the human body, but in practice, only semi-dynamic solutions have been put into practice, such as inflatable or adjustable pillows and mattresses, and these solutions have had limited commercial success due to many practical challenges, such as high prices, uncomfortable materials of inflatable products, adjustable mattresses that can only adjust in a few large sections for supine positions, and difficulty in effectively adjusting to meet the needs of both supine and side sleepers. Summary of the invention

[0005] The invention provides a whole-body ergonomic sleeping support system, comprising an ergonomic back pillow for keeping the head, neck, trunk and hips in a neutral position of the spine and pelvis, and an ergonomic leg support for elevating the legs and promoting venous return thereof.

[0006] The innovative ergonomic back pillow consists of three parts: a transverse head and upper cervical support pillow, a longitudinal lower cervical and chest support pillow, and a transverse lumbar support pillow. The longitudinal center axis of the longitudinal lower cervical and chest support pillow is aligned with the longitudinal center axes of the transverse head and upper cervical support pillow and the transverse lumbar support pillow to form a longitudinally symmetrical component, and the left and right vacancies surrounded by the three parts are used for placing shoulders and arms and rolling from supine to side-lying position.

[0007] The longitudinal center part of the ergonomic back pillow includes the longitudinal center part of the transverse head and upper cervical support pillow, the entire longitudinal lower cervical and chest support pillow and the longitudinal center part of the transverse lumbar support pillow to form an ergonomic supine sleeping entity. It has an appropriate size and contour, and under body weight compression, provides spinal pelvic neutral position calibration, head position above the heart, mandibular-cervical angle with clear airway and less snoring, stretched shoulders and chest for effective breathing and blood circulation, and uniform contact pressure on all parts of the body, making supine sleeping position more comfortable.

[0008] The left and right parts of the ergonomic back pillow include the left and right parts of the horizontal head and upper cervical support pillow and the left and right parts of the horizontal lumbar support pillow to form an ergonomic side sleeping entity. It has an appropriate size and contour, and under the compression of body weight, it provides the calibration of the spine and pelvis in a neutral position, the position of the head above the heart, the stretched shoulders and chest for effective breathing and blood circulation, and the uniform contact pressure of various parts of the body, making the side sleeping position more comfortable.

[0009] The width of the longitudinal lower cervical and chest support pillow is limited to allow the shoulders and arms to roll from the supine position to the side position in the left and right gaps, and its top and side contours provide back support for a range of sleeping positions from supine to side. The overall contour of the ergonomic back pillow is a gradual and smooth transition from the supine sleeping entity to the side sleeping entity to avoid sudden changes in contact pressure, provide a natural transition, thereby stabilizing a range of sleeping positions from supine to side, reducing the possibility of supine sleeping and snoring, and reducing the possibility of long-term pressure on body parts in a specific sleeping position, thereby reducing excitement and improving sleep comfort.

[0010] The ergonomic back pillow exists in the form of a single unit containing three parts or discrete units containing one or two of the three parts. The single unit or the discrete units can be enclosed in a single fabric pillowcase to form an ergonomic back pillow unit; the discrete units can be connected to each other by fabric fasteners to form an ergonomic back pillow assembly, or attached to a thin pad by fabric fasteners to form an ergonomic back pillow pad assembly. Each unit of the single unit, the discrete unit, can be further divided into a plurality of isolation chambers. The isolation chambers of the single unit or the discrete unit can have one or more layers of filler.

[0011] The ergonomic back pillow has structural flexibility and is suitable for people of different heights and body shapes, and can meet the correction needs of patients with different degrees and types of musculoskeletal deformity diseases. In fact, the ergonomic back pillow, by taking advantage of the long sleep time, may be a more practical and effective passive correction method for musculoskeletal deformities than active methods such as daytime physical therapy or corrective exercises, because it is the only way for most people to maintain a correct posture for a long time. The ergonomic back pillow is adjustable: the adjustability of the longitudinal length is achieved by controlling the gap length between adjacent discrete units. For example, an ergonomic back pillow unit with three discrete units is enclosed in a single outer cover composed of three corresponding isolation chambers, and each end of the lower cervical and thoracic support pillow has an extendable zipper isolation chamber, and its longitudinal length can be adjusted by unzipping the zipper isolation chamber. For example, the longitudinal length of the ergonomic back pillow pad assembly can be adjusted by controlling the gap length between adjacent discrete units; the adjustability of height and contour is achieved by controlling the gap length between adjacent discrete units in a single unit or discrete units. This is achieved by adding different numbers of filling layers of the same or different thicknesses under the top contour layer of each isolation chamber of the vertical unit. For example, the upper horizontal half and the lower horizontal half of the head and upper cervical support pillow can provide two top contours for people with different preferences to choose from. For example, the head and upper cervical support pillow can be divided into a central supine isolation chamber and two lateral side isolation chambers with upper and lower parts in the longitudinal direction, the lower cervical and chest support pillow can be divided into proximal and distal isolation chambers, and the lumbar support pillow can be divided into a central supine isolation chamber and two lateral side isolation chambers. The height and contour of each compartment can be adjusted according to the above method.

[0012] In one embodiment, the ergonomic back pillow of the present invention is a single unit having the above three parts. The transverse head and upper cervical support pillow is roughly in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, and its top surface is concave along the transverse and longitudinal center lines. Under the compression of body weight, the size and contour of the longitudinal center, left and right respectively support the neutral position of the head and upper cervical curvature in supine, left and right lying, promote blood circulation in the head and reduce snoring. The longitudinal lower cervical and chest support pillow is roughly in the shape of a semi-cylindrical, with an appropriate size and contour. Under the compression of body weight, it matches the contour within the shoulder blade distance of the back of the supine sleeping position, provides back support for a series of sleeping positions from supine to side-lying, promotes the neutral position of the cervical chest curvature, and allows the shoulders and chest to be fully opened to achieve better breathing and blood circulation. The transverse lumbar support pillow is also roughly in the shape of a semi-cylindrical, and its longitudinal width matches the span of the lumbar pelvis. Under the compression of body weight, its longitudinal center, left and right size and contour respectively support the neutral position of the lumbar pelvic curvature in supine, left and right lying. The height and profile can be adjusted by stacking filler layers of equal or different thicknesses beneath the top profile layer of each isolation chamber of a single unit.

[0013] In another embodiment, the ergonomic back pillow of the present invention has the same ergonomic size and contour as in the above embodiment, except that the three parts are in three separate units, respectively enclosed in a single pillowcase consisting of three corresponding isolation chambers, each end of which has an extendable zipper isolation chamber at each end of the lower cervical and thoracic support pillows to form an ergonomic back pillow unit; or enclosed in three separate pillowcases interconnected by surface fabric fasteners to form an ergonomic back pillow assembly; or enclosed in three separate pillowcases, each of which has a Velcro strip on the bottom surface of each pillowcase and a matching Velcro strip on the upper surface of the thin pad to form an ergonomic back pillow pad assembly, and the gap length between adjacent separate units is adjustable. Its height and contour can be adjusted by stacking different numbers of padding layers of the same or different thicknesses under the top contour layer of each isolation chamber of the separate unit.

[0014] Sleep comfort comes from reducing contact pressure and the ability of the filling and pillowcase materials to manage heat, humidity and breathability. The filling material also determines the hardness and conformability of the product. The ergonomic back pillow of the present invention exists in the form of a single unit or discrete units, each of which can be further divided into multiple isolation chambers, each isolation chamber has one or more layers of the same or different filling materials, which can be synthetic materials, such as foam, memory foam, foam fragments, mesh foam, 3D air-woven polymer fiber network, latex, synthetic fibers, and foam infiltrated with cooling microbeads or cooling microgels; plant matrix materials, such as cotton, kapok, flax, ramie, jute, sisal, coconut shell fiber, reed, loofah, rayon, mo Dal, viscose, lyocell, buckwheat husks, millet husks, dried leaves, and straw; animal matrix materials such as wool, silk, down, and feathers; metal-containing materials, such as metal fibers or fabrics, metal-coated or electroplated fibers or fabrics, fibers or fabrics wrapped with metal tapes or metal-coated film tapes, metal-coated or electroplated 3D structures such as loofahs or mesh foams or air-woven polymer fiber networks, metal oxides or metal salts embedded in fibers or fabrics, and metal, metal oxide or metal salt infiltrated foams; and any combination thereof. Synthetic memory foam is a popular choice of filling material because it has the characteristics of easy shaping of ergonomic shapes and a variety of performance options. On synthetic memory foam, pattern designs that further improve its thermal management and breathability can be added, such as vertical through-hole arrays distributed on the memory foam, grooves and / or grids on the surface and / or inside of the memory foam, large vertical through-holes in certain positions, and any combination thereof. Plant and animal materials are used as filling materials due to their excellent thermal and moisture management capabilities and breathability.

[0015] In one example, an ergonomic back pillow is made of open-cell polyurethane memory foam because of its wide range of hardness options, easy ergonomic shaping, high fit and good breathability. The memory foam has a series of vertical small through holes, the upper and lower surfaces of the memory foam have square or honeycomb pattern grooves, and there are three vertical large through holes in the center of the pillow for supine and side sleeping positions.

[0016] In another embodiment, an ergonomic back pillow is made of three layers of filling material, the bottom layer is the above-mentioned patterned open-cell polyurethane memory foam, which provides ergonomic shape and support, the middle layer is a thin pad containing highly breathable materials such as flax fibers or buckwheat husks, and the top layer is a cotton thin pad that is soft and sweat-absorbent.

[0017] In another example, the head and lower cervical support pillow of an ergonomic back pillow is made of a multi-layer filling material that can reduce the temperature of the head. The bottom layer is the above-mentioned open-cell polyurethane memory foam with a pattern design, the middle layer is a thin pad containing highly breathable materials such as flax fibers or buckwheat husks, and the top layer is a thin pad containing copper fiber fabric to achieve better thermal management.

[0018] Fabric pillowcases for ergonomic back pillows and thin pads are in direct contact with the human body, and the choice of materials and weave patterns have a profound impact on heat and moisture management, breathability, and sleep comfort. Fabric pillowcases exist in the form of single units or discrete units, each of which can be further divided into multiple isolation chambers, which can be one or more layers, composed of the same or different materials, such as plant fibers, animal fibers, synthetic fibers, fibers containing or embedded with metal, and any combination of the above materials. The fiber microstructure and weaving pattern have different sweat absorption capacity and porosity, thereby providing different heat and moisture management and breathability. Fabric pillowcases have the function of being opened and cleaned, and fabric fasteners that can be connected to other components.

[0019] In one example, the top layer of an ergonomic back pillowcase is woven cotton with good sweat wicking ability and sleeping comfort, and the bottom layer is woven jute with high porosity to improve heat and moisture management and breathability.

[0020] In another example, the top layer of the ergonomic back pillow cover is a blended fabric made of cotton and silver-plated or gold-plated threads, which provides good sweat wicking ability and improved heat dissipation, and the bottom layer is a blended fabric made of copper-containing or copper-embedded fibers and polyester fibers, which can improve thermal management.

[0021] The elevation of the feet is usually achieved by raising pads, pillows or multi-zone mattresses with higher hardness of the lower limbs. In the present invention, the ergonomic leg support is a cost-effective way to raise the lower limbs, and together with the ergonomic back pillow, provides neutral skeletal support for the entire body. It includes a lateral lower part that raises the legs when lying upright in the supine and side sleeping positions, a longitudinal upper left wing and a longitudinal upper right wing above it for raising the legs and lateral support, respectively, to facilitate the lateral bending and fixing of the legs when sleeping sideways, and a vacancy surrounded by the lateral lower part and the two wings for placing the buttocks and upper thighs. Compared with the straight side sleeping position of the body, one leg is bent with different curvatures and the body is straddled on the triangular plane, which can provide more stable support and is more conducive to dispersing weight and heat. Without the ergonomic leg support, sleeping sideways astride may cause distortion of the spine and pelvis, and over time, scoliosis and pelvic tilt may form.

[0022] The ergonomic leg support of the present invention can be a lifting pad in the form of an independent unit, composed of one or more layers of filling, each layer of filling can have the same or different thicknesses; the independent unit lifting pad can also be included in or merged into the top or bottom of a mattress to form an ergonomic leg lifting mattress; it can also be formed by the bottom support layer, the middle transition layer and the top ergonomic leg lifting mattress together to form an ergonomic leg lifting mattress assembly.

[0023] The ergonomic leg support of the present invention is flexible and can accommodate people of different heights and body shapes. The height of the ergonomic leg support can be adjusted by stacking one or more layers of filling material of equal or different thicknesses; the position of the ergonomic leg support can be adjusted by moving the independent unit along the longitudinal direction of the mattress of the ergonomic leg lift mattress, or by extending it by adding filling pads in the longitudinal direction of the two side wings; the size and height of the vacancy can be adjusted by adding filling pads in the longitudinal direction.

[0024] Each component of the ergonomic leg support and the padding may contain the same or different padding materials, including inner springs; synthetic materials such as foam, memory foam, foam flakes, reticulated foam, 3D air-woven polymer fiber networks, latex, synthetic fibers, and foams infiltrated with cooling microbeads or cooling microgels; plant-based materials such as cotton, kapok, flax, ramie, jute, sisal, coconut shell fiber, reed, and loofah; animal-based materials such as wool and hair; metal-containing materials such as metal-coated or metal-plated 3D structures such as loofah or reticulated foam or air-woven polymer fiber networks, and foams infiltrated with metals, metal oxides, or metal salts; and any combination thereof. Designs are added to the top foam to further improve its thermal management and breathability, including vertical through-hole arrays, grooves and / or grids on the surface and / or interior, and any combination thereof.

[0025] The filling material of the ergonomic leg support is encapsulated in a fabric shell: can be a single piece, or exist in the form of a single piece that is adjustable and contains multiple isolation chambers, the isolation chambers are used for the lateral lower part, the longitudinal left upper wing, the longitudinal right upper wing and the filling pad extension; can be composed of the same or different plant matrix fibers, animal matrix fibers, synthetic fibers, metal fibers, metal-containing fibers, metal-embedded fibers, and any combination thereof; and has the function of being openable and cleanable.

[0026] In one embodiment, the ergonomic leg support independent unit is made of open-cell polyurethane memory foam, having a cuboid lateral lower portion, a cuboid longitudinal upper left wing and a cuboid longitudinal upper right wing, and a cuboid vacancy surrounded by the lower portion and the two wings. The ergonomic leg support independent unit is placed on the upper surface of the lower half of the open-cell polyurethane memory foam mattress to form an ergonomic leg lift mattress. The ergonomic leg support independent unit has the same width as the mattress, a flat top surface, and an upper periphery that slowly descends to the mattress, and its height allows the legs to be raised to the level of the heart to achieve a zero blood pressure difference position. The upper surface of the ergonomic leg lift mattress is evenly distributed with a vertical through-hole and groove pattern to improve thermal management and breathability. The ergonomic leg support independent unit and the ergonomic leg lift mattress are respectively enclosed in a one-piece fabric cover and a two-layer one-piece fabric cover, and the upper surface of which is made of a blended fabric of cotton and silver-plated or gold-plated fibers.

[0027] In another embodiment, an ergonomic leg support independent unit is the same as the above embodiment, except that it is inserted below the lower half of the open cell polyurethane memory foam mattress to form an ergonomic leg lift mattress. In the absence of leg pressure, the mattress dominates the overall top contour, and its upper surface contour changes very little compared to the upper surface contour of a conventional mattress, except for a shallow concave shape at the vacancy of the ergonomic leg support independent unit and a gradual decline at the upper periphery. Under leg pressure, the ergonomic leg lift mattress forms a soft support contour around the legs without any sharp transitions. The ergonomic leg lift mattress is enclosed in a two-layer one-piece fabric cover, the top layer is used to hold the mattress, and the bottom layer has different isolation chambers for the lateral lower portion, the longitudinal upper left and right wings, and the padding extension of the ergonomic leg support independent unit, which are adjustable in height, position, size of the wings and size of the vacancy.

[0028] In another example, the ergonomic leg support independent unit is part of a multi-layer ergonomic leg lift mattress assembly, wherein the bottom layer is a firm support layer with inner springs, the lower middle layer is a medium-hard open-cell polyurethane memory foam, the upper middle layer is the ergonomic leg lift mattress in the above example, and the upper layer is a mattress made of a highly breathable fabric material. The multi-layer ergonomic leg lift mattress assembly is enclosed in a multi-layer fabric cover, each layer having a zipper.

[0029] The whole body ergonomic sleep support system of the present invention is composed of an ergonomic back pillow and an ergonomic leg support, which provides ergonomic support for a range of sleeping positions from supine to side-lying and between supine and side-lying, and its top contour transitions between different sleeping positions are gradual, and has built-in design flexibility for people of different heights and body shapes. It supports neutral whole body musculoskeletal alignment, stretches the shoulders and chest, promotes the most effective respiratory and cardiovascular function, reduces the chance of severe snoring, increases contact area to reduce average pressure and pressure changes, promotes venous return to the lower extremities and head, and uses materials and design patterns that improve skin health, thereby improving overall body comfort and improving sleep quality. In addition, the whole body ergonomic sleep support system of the present invention can also be used as a more practical device for correcting existing musculoskeletal deformity diseases by effectively utilizing the characteristics of long sleep time.

[0030] Although multiple examples are disclosed, other examples of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. It is conceivable that the examples can be modified in various aspects without departing from the spirit and scope of the examples. Therefore, the drawings and detailed description should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive in nature. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The invention is further described in detail with reference to the following drawings. These drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the invention but to illustrate certain attributes of the invention.

[0032] Figure 1A and 1B They are the side view and back view of the human spine in neutral position.

[0033] Figure 2A and 2B The side views of the human body in supine and side sleeping positions with the spine in neutral position, respectively. F1 to F6 and f1 to f6 are vectors represented by the length of arrows, representing the relative forces experienced by the corresponding body parts of the human body in supine and side sleeping positions, respectively, on a uniform flat mattress.

[0034] Figure 3A and 3Bis a side view of the human body in supine and side sleeping positions with neutral spine after adding support for the neck, waist and under the knees. F'1 to F'9 and f'1 to f'9 are vectors represented by the length of the arrows, representing the relative forces experienced by the corresponding body parts of the human body in supine and side sleeping positions on a uniform flat mattress.

[0035] Figure 4 is a front perspective view of an example of an ergonomic back pillow.

[0036] Figure 5 is a side perspective view of an example of an ergonomic back pillow.

[0037] Figure 6 is a side view of an example of an ergonomic back pillow.

[0038] Figure 7 It is a rear view of an example of an ergonomic back pillow assembly, which is composed of three separate parts, each part having a Velcro strip on the bottom of the pillow cover to connect with a corresponding Velcro strip on the upper surface of the thin cushion cover.

[0039] Figure 8 is a front perspective view of a thin pad in an example of an ergonomic back pillow assembly, with corresponding Velcro strips on the upper surface of its cover.

[0040] Fig.9A , 9B 9C are top views of three representative ventilation patterns on the lateral head and upper cervical support pillows in an ergonomic back pillow example of the present invention, including a square groove pattern with vertical through holes on a memory foam pillow, a honeycomb groove pattern with vertical through holes, and a pattern with three large vertical through holes.

[0041] Fig.10 is a side perspective view of an example of a multi-layer ergonomic leg lift mattress assembly with ergonomic leg supports on its upper surface.

[0042] Fig.11 is a side perspective view of another example of a multi-layer ergonomic leg raise mattress assembly in which an ergonomic leg support is inserted beneath the top layer.

[0043] Fig. 12A and 12B Side views of a person lying supine and sideways on a full body ergonomic sleep support system with the spine in neutral alignment.

[0044] Fig.13 It is a top view of a person sleeping sideways astride a full body ergonomic sleep support system with the spine in a neutral alignment state, wherein the legs are bent up and secured to the upper left wing of the full body ergonomic sleep support system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The examples described below refer to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this patent and illustrate specific examples that can be implemented. It should be understood that other examples can be used and structural changes can be made without departing from the scope of the disclosed examples.

[0046] The intervertebral disc (IVD) is the largest avascular structure in the human body. Nutritional supply and waste removal in the IVD are carried out by diffusion and convection to the nearby peripheral blood vessels, and this process follows a diurnal cycle. During the day, the IVD is under compressive load, and a large amount of disc fluid is squeezed out. This reduces the height of the IVD and increases the permeability, thereby accelerating the transport efficiency of nutrients into the center of the disc and waste removal from the center of the disc. During rest at night, the IVD is decompressed and all the squeezed disc fluid is reabsorbed. Poor sleeping posture other than the neutral position of the spine will interfere with the reabsorption of disc fluid, the supply of nutrients and the removal of metabolic waste, leading to the death of IVD cells and various spinal degeneration and deformation. The same mechanism applies to the health of other joints. Over time, this can also lead to lordosis, kyphosis, scoliosis and pelvic tilt. The human skeleton problems caused by poor posture in turn affect the connected tissues and internal organs, causing muscle and nerve pain and biological function disorders. Therefore, the first goal of pillows and beds should be to provide ergonomic support to ensure a neutral musculoskeletal structure.

[0047] In addition to providing skeletal support, pillows and beds have intricate effects on many physiological functions, most directly on respiratory and cardiovascular function. When the upper airway is narrowed by surrounding nasal and throat tissues, it causes turbulent airflow that vibrates surrounding tissues and creates noise, causing snoring. Snoring is more likely to occur because muscle tension is released during sleep, and it is also more likely to occur when sleeping on your back than when sleeping on your side because gravity pulls some tissue toward the airway. Severe snoring can lead to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which can lead to serious health conditions over time. Studies have shown that when the mandibular-cervical angle of the seventh cervical vertebra is greater than 55°, it can increase the flat surface area of ​​the pharynx in the supine position, avoid airway collapse and completely eliminate snoring. Therefore, the correct design of the angle of the head to the cervical spine when sleeping on your back and methods to promote side sleeping during unconsciousness at night are important design factors in ergonomic support systems to reduce and eliminate snoring. Compared with sleeping on your back, sleeping on your side has also been shown to promote the clearance function of the glymphatic system of the central nervous system (CNS) of the brain, which has a profound impact on brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and brain tumors. In addition, our weight is concentrated in the middle, so the traditional mattress with uniform hardness will be more concave in the middle under the action of weight, thereby compressing the shoulders and chest, increasing the burden on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Back support with design features that can open the shoulders and chest is beneficial to breathing and blood circulation. In addition, since blood pressure during sleep is significantly lower than blood pressure during wakefulness, and blood venous circulation during sleep is mainly driven by gravity, raising the head and legs to the level of the heart to achieve the so-called zero blood pressure difference position can promote venous return to the heart, prevent edema of the head and legs, and improve sleep quality. Obviously, a full-body ergonomic sleep support system is beneficial to normal physiological function and long-term health.

[0048] To achieve a good night's sleep, pillows and beds also need to provide comfort, which means adequate sleep time and a healthy balance of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The human skin is a sensor organ full of pressure receptors and heat receptors that respond to external stimuli and send signals to the brain. Prolonged stimulation above a certain threshold can be uncomfortable and cause arousal, leading to shorter NREM time, more fragmented sleep, or even full wakefulness.

[0049] When lying on a conventional mattress with a flat surface and uniform firmness in both the supine and side sleeping positions, the local pressure in the shoulder and hip areas is much higher than the pressure in other parts of the body. If a part of the body is under high contact pressure, the blood supply to that area is impeded, causing irritation. For patients who are bedridden for a long time, this will eventually lead to acne. The typical solution is to add support to other areas of the body to minimize the amount and intensity of irritation and redistribute the pressure evenly throughout the body.

[0050] Our body's core temperature naturally drops during sleep, and a cool but not cold head temperature is ideal for a good night's sleep. Raising the temperature may cause the body to feel hot and sweat during the night. In addition, breathability is essential for the health of the skin, because the oxygen required by our outer skin cells is almost entirely provided by the atmosphere. Thermophysiological comfort during sleep is related to the temperature, humidity and air circulation of the environment, as well as the ability of the materials in the sleep support system to manage heat, humidity and breathability. Therefore, the selection and design of the filling and outer shell materials in the sleep support system are also important.

[0051] Common sleeping positions include supine, side and prone. Among them, supine and side are the two most commonly used sleeping positions. People change their sleeping positions several times a night on average. The side of the spine in the neutral position of supine and side corresponds to the curvature of the spine in the sagittal and coronal planes. The curvatures of the two are different, and the human body contour and weight distribution are essentially different when supine and side. Therefore, in different sleeping positions, different ergonomic support contours are required to maintain the neutral spinal pelvic curvature.

[0052] A practical and cost-effective sleep support solution is needed to meet the ergonomic requirements of common supine and side sleeping positions. An innovative and cost-effective ergonomic full body sleep support solution that can provide neutral musculoskeletal alignment for both supine and side sleeping positions, promote related physiological functions, and provide necessary comfort is very desirable and beneficial to overall health.

[0053] The present invention provides a full body ergonomic sleep support system, including an ergonomic back pillow that keeps the head, neck, trunk and hips in a neutral spinal pelvic position and an ergonomic leg support that elevates the legs and promotes venous return. The full body ergonomic sleep support system provides a practical solution to support full body musculoskeletal alignment in a neutral position, improve physiological function, have adjustability for people of different heights and body shapes, increase body comfort to improve sleep quality, and serve as a more practical device for correcting existing musculoskeletal deformity diseases.

[0054] Figure 1A and 1BThe side view 1 and the rear view 2 of the human spine in the neutral position in the sagittal plane and the coronal plane are shown respectively.

[0055] Figure 2A A side view of a human body 3 in a supine sleeping position with a neutral spine alignment 3' is shown, wherein the dashed line 3' corresponds to Figure 1A 1 is shown in side view. Figure 2B A side view of a human body 4 in a side-lying sleeping position with a neutral spine alignment 4' is shown, wherein the dashed line 4' corresponds to Figure 1B 2 in the rear view shown. F1 to F6 and f1 to f6 are vectors represented by the length of the arrows, representing the relative forces experienced by the corresponding body parts of the human body when sleeping on the back and side, respectively, on a uniform flat mattress. In both sleeping positions, the pressure on the shoulders and hips is higher than the pressure on other parts of the body. Therefore, support needs to be added strategically to even out the pressure distribution and reduce the need to constantly change sleeping positions, thereby improving sleeping comfort.

[0056] Figure 3A and 3B Figure 3 is a side view of a person 3 and a person 4 with spine neutral alignment 3' and spine neutral alignment 4' shown in dashed lines after adding support F'7-F'9 and f'7-f'9 at the neck, waist and under the knees in the supine and side sleeping positions, respectively. F'1 to F'9 and f'1 to f'9 are vectors represented by the length of the arrows, representing the relative forces experienced by the corresponding body parts of the person in the supine and side sleeping positions on a uniform flat mattress, respectively. In both cases, the relative forces are greater than Figure 2A and Figure 2B The relative force distribution in the model is more uniform.

[0057] Figures 4 to 6 The figures show a front perspective view, a side perspective view and a side view of an ergonomic back pillow example 5. The ergonomic back pillow 5 is composed of three parts: a transverse head and upper cervical support pillow 6, a longitudinal lower cervical and chest support pillow 7, and a transverse lumbar support pillow 8, wherein the longitudinal center axis of the longitudinal lower cervical and chest support pillow 7 is aligned with the longitudinal center axes of the transverse head and upper cervical support pillow 6 and the transverse lumbar support pillow 8 to form a symmetrical component, and a left side vacancy 18 and a right side vacancy 19 surrounded by the three parts for placing shoulders and arms and rolling from a supine position to a side-lying position.

[0058] A transverse head and upper cervical support pillow example 6 is a rectangular parallelepiped shape with typical pillow size, and its top surface is concave along the transverse and longitudinal center lines. The transverse middle portion 10 and the transverse lower portion 9 of the transverse head and upper cervical support pillow 6 are used to support the head and upper cervical spine respectively. The transverse upper portion 11 of the transverse head and upper cervical support pillow 6 provides an alternative to the transverse lower portion 9 in height and profile, and can be used in another example Figure 7 The lateral head and upper cervical support pillow 21 of the ergonomic back pillow assembly 20 with three separate units is shown. The longitudinal center portion 13, the left side portion 12 and the right side portion 14 of the lateral head and upper cervical support pillow 6 are used to support the head and upper cervical spine when lying on the back, lying on the left side and lying on the right side, respectively.

[0059] A longitudinal lower cervical and chest support pillow example 7 is roughly semi-cylindrical, with its longitudinal length matching the span of the lower cervical spine and chest, and its top contour matching the back contour within the shoulder blade distance, providing calibration of the neutral position of the neck and chest when sleeping in a supine position under body weight compression. Its top and side contours gradually transition smoothly, providing sleeping comfort and different degrees of back support for a range of sleeping positions from supine to side. For people with snoring problems, this will significantly reduce the possibility of supine sleep, thereby minimizing the chance of severe snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. At the same time, this is also conducive to reducing the incidence of brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.

[0060] A lateral lumbar support pillow example 8 is also roughly semi-cylindrical, with a lateral length equal to or slightly longer than the lateral length of the head and upper cervical support pillow 6, and its longitudinal center, left and right top contours 16, 15 and 17 respectively match the contours of the lumbar pelvic bone span when lying on the back and side, and under body weight compression, it supports the calibration of the lumbar pelvic bone in the neutral position of lying on the back, left side and right side respectively.

[0061] The longitudinal center portion of the ergonomic back pillow 5 includes the longitudinal center portion 13 of the transverse head and upper cervical support pillow 6, the entire longitudinal lower cervical and chest support pillow 7, and the longitudinal center portion 16 of the transverse lumbar support pillow 8 to form an ergonomic supine sleeping entity when sleeping on your back. The height and contour of the ergonomic supine sleeping entity make the head higher than the heart, and at the same time have a mandibular cervical angle with open airway and less snoring, which is conducive to stretching shoulders and chest, thereby improving respiratory and cardiovascular functions.

[0062] The left and right parts of the ergonomic back pillow 5, including the left and right parts 12 and 14 of the lateral head and upper cervical support pillow 6, and the left and right parts 15 and 17 of the lateral lumbar support pillow 8, constitute an ergonomic side-lying sleeping entity when sleeping on the side. The height and contour of the ergonomic side-lying sleeping entity make the head higher than the heart to facilitate blood circulation, and reduce the pressure of the shoulders and hips to an average pressure.

[0063] Figure 7 A rear view of an example of an ergonomic back pillow assembly 20 consisting of three separate parts is shown, which includes a transverse head and upper cervical support pillow 21, a longitudinal lower cervical and chest support pillow 22, and a transverse lumbar support pillow 23, wherein the bottom surface of the pillowcase of each part has a Velcro strap 24, which is attached to the back of the pillowcase. Figure 8The thin pad 25 shown in the front perspective view is connected to each other by the matching Velcro strips 26 on the upper surface of the pillowcase. The ergonomic back pillow assembly 20 and the thin pad 25 together form an ergonomic back pillow cushion assembly, the longitudinal length of which can be adjusted by controlling the gap length between adjacent discrete units, and the height and contour of which can be adjusted by stacking different numbers of filling layers of the same or different thicknesses under the top contour layer of each isolation chamber of the discrete unit, thereby providing better adaptability and greater flexibility to suit people of different heights and body shapes, as well as the correction needs of patients with different degrees and types of musculoskeletal deformity diseases.

[0064] Figures 9A to 9C The top view of three ventilation pattern examples 27, 31 and 35 on the memory foam transverse head and upper cervical support pillow in an ergonomic back pillow example of the present invention is shown, which are square pattern grooves with vertical through holes, honeycomb pattern grooves with vertical through holes, and patterns with three vertical large through holes. Ventilation pattern 27 has square pattern grooves 28, vertical through holes 29 at the center of each square foam, and vertical through holes 30 at the intersection of the grooves. Ventilation pattern 31 has honeycomb pattern grooves 32, vertical through holes 33 at the center of each foam honeycomb, and vertical through holes 34 at the intersection of the grooves. The cross-sections of the grooves and vertical through holes can be a variety of geometric shapes. Ventilation pattern 35 has three vertical large through holes 37, 36 and 38, which are located in the center of the supine, left side and right side sleeping positions, respectively. The vertical large through holes 36 and 38 also create space for the ears to be placed when sleeping on the side. The ventilation pattern can be a different geometric shape other than the above, or a combination of them.

[0065] Fig.10A side perspective view of a multi-layer ergonomic leg raising mattress assembly example 39 having an ergonomic leg supporting independent unit 43 on the upper surface is shown. The ergonomic leg raising mattress assembly 39, from bottom to top, is respectively composed of a firm support bottom layer 40 containing inner springs, a middle layer 41 containing medium-hard memory foam, a top layer 42 made of soft memory foam, and an ergonomic leg supporting independent unit 43. The top layer 42 and the ergonomic leg supporting independent unit 43 form an ergonomic leg raising mattress 47. In the ergonomic leg supporting independent unit 43, its lateral lower part 44 is used to raise the legs when lying upright in supine and side sleeping positions for better venous return, its longitudinal upper left wing and longitudinal upper right wing 45, 46 are respectively used to raise the legs and support the sides when sleeping in left and right side straddling positions for lateral bending and fixing of the legs, and its upper center vacancy 48 is used to place the buttocks and upper thighs. The size of the ergonomic leg support independent unit 43 is adapted to the mattress standard, and its height can be adjusted by stacking one or more layers of ergonomic leg support independent units 43 of the same or different thicknesses, and its position can be adjusted by moving the ergonomic leg support independent unit 43 longitudinally along the top layer 42 or by extending the longitudinal upper left wing 45 and the longitudinal upper right wing 46 by filling the pad, and the size and height of the gap 48 can be adjusted by filling the gap 48 with one or more layers of filling pads of the same or different thicknesses longitudinally.

[0066] Fig.11 A side perspective view of another multi-layer ergonomic leg raising mattress assembly example 49 is shown, which includes an ergonomic leg support independent unit 53, which is indicated by a dotted line and inserted under the lower half of the top layer 52. The ergonomic leg raising mattress assembly 49, from bottom to top, is composed of a firm support bottom layer 50 containing inner springs, a middle layer 51 containing medium-hard memory foam, and an ergonomic leg support independent unit 53 insert made of soft memory foam and a top layer 52. The top layer 52 and the ergonomic leg support independent unit 53 insert form an ergonomic leg raising mattress 57. In the ergonomic leg support independent unit 53, its lateral lower portion 54 is used to raise the legs when lying upright in supine and side sleeping positions for better venous return, its longitudinal upper left wing and longitudinal upper right wing 55, 56 are respectively used to raise the legs and provide lateral support when sleeping in a left or right side straddle position for lateral bending and fixation of the legs, and its upper center vacancy 58 is used to place the buttocks and upper thighs. Compared to 39, the ergonomic leg raising mattress assembly 49 has the following advantages: its upper surface contour changes minimally compared to the conventional mattress contour, its support contour changes naturally and gradually under leg compression, and its structural stability is better. The size, height and position of the ergonomic leg support independent unit 53, the size and height of the longitudinal upper left wing 55 and the longitudinal upper right wing 56, and the size and height of the gap 58 can be adjusted in the same manner as described above.

[0067] Fig. 12A and 12B Side views of human bodies 3 and 4 are shown, respectively, lying on their backs and sides on a full-body ergonomic sleep support system 59, with the spine indicated by dotted lines in a neutral alignment state 3' and 4'. The sleep support system 59 consists of an ergonomic back pillow 5 and an ergonomic leg-lifting mattress assembly 49, wherein the mattress assembly 49, from bottom to top, consists of a firm support bottom layer 50 containing built-in springs, a middle layer 51 containing medium-hard memory foam, and an ergonomic leg support independent unit 53 insert and a top layer 52, both of which are made of soft memory foam.

[0068] Fig.13 The top view of a side-lying straddle sleeping person 60 with the spine in a neutral alignment state is shown, with the legs bent up and fixed on the left upper wing 55 for raising the legs in the whole body ergonomic sleep support system 59, wherein 59 is composed of an ergonomic back pillow 5 and an ergonomic leg raising mattress assembly 49 containing an ergonomic leg support independent unit 53 insert, wherein the lateral lower part 54 of the insert 53 is used to raise the legs when lying upright in the supine and side sleeping positions for better venous return, and the longitudinal upper left wing and longitudinal upper right wing 55, 56 are used to raise the legs and provide lateral support when sleeping in the left and right side straddle positions for the convenience of lateral bending and fixing of the legs, and the upper center vacancy 58 is used to place the buttocks and upper thighs. Compared with the straight side-lying sleeping position of the body, one leg is bent with different curvatures and the body is straddled on the triangular plane, which can provide more stable support and is more conducive to dispersing weight and heat in a series of sleeping positions between the side-lying and supine and side-lying positions.

[0069] The above description provides an illustration of a specific embodiment of the present invention, but does not mean that the specific implementation is limited thereto. The claims of this application, including all equivalent technical solutions thereof, are intended to clarify the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. Ergonomic back pillow, characterized in that: The ergonomic back pillow is used to support the neutral alignment of the spine and pelvis of the head, neck, trunk and hips, wherein: The ergonomic back pillow comprises three parts, namely, a transverse head and upper cervical support pillow, a longitudinal lower cervical and chest support pillow, and a transverse lumbar support pillow, wherein the longitudinal center axis of the longitudinal lower cervical and chest support pillow is aligned with the longitudinal center axes of the transverse head and upper cervical support pillow and the transverse lumbar support pillow to form a longitudinally symmetrical component; and The left side opening and the right side opening surrounded by the three parts are used to place the user's shoulders and arms and allow the user to roll from a supine position to a side-lying position; and wherein the longitudinal center portion of the transverse head and upper cervical support pillow, the entire longitudinal lower cervical and chest support pillow, and the longitudinal center portion of the transverse lumbar support pillow constitute an ergonomic supine sleeping entity having a size and contour that provides a neutral alignment of the spine and pelvis, a head position above the heart, a mandibular-cervical angle with an unobstructed airway and less snoring, a relaxed shoulder and chest, and uniform contact pressure on various parts of the body in a supine sleeping position under body weight compression; and wherein the left and right parts of the transverse head and upper cervical support pillow and the left and right parts of the transverse lumbar support pillow constitute an ergonomic side-lying sleeping entity having a size and contour that provides the calibration of the spine and pelvis in a neutral position, the position of the head above the heart, the stretched shoulders and chest, and uniform contact pressure of various parts of the body under body weight compression in a side-lying sleeping position; and The overall top and side contours of the ergonomic back pillow are smoothly, gradually and naturally transitioned from the supine sleeping entity to the side sleeping entity, providing neutral support for a series of sleeping positions from supine to side.

2. The ergonomic back pillow according to claim 1, characterized in that: a single unit comprising the three parts; or A discrete unit comprising one or two of the three parts; and wherein the single unit or the discrete units are encapsulated in a single fabric pillowcase to form an ergonomic back pillow unit; and wherein the discrete units are connected to each other by fabric fasteners to form an ergonomic back pillow assembly, or are attached to a thin pad by fabric fasteners to form an ergonomic back pillow pad assembly; and wherein each of the single unit and the discrete unit is further divided into a plurality of isolation chambers; and Wherein, the isolation chamber of the single unit or the discrete unit has one or more filler layers.

3. The ergonomic back pillow according to claim 2, characterized in that The ergonomic back pillow is adjustable, wherein: The adjustability of the longitudinal length of the ergonomic back pillow is achieved by controlling the length of the gap between adjacent discrete units; and The height and contour adjustability of the ergonomic back pillow is achieved by adding different numbers of padding layers of the same or different thicknesses under the top contour layer of the isolation chamber of the single unit or the discrete units; and The upper and lower transverse halves of the transverse head and upper cervical support pillow are different, providing two top contour layer options for the head and upper cervical spine for users with different preferences.

4. The ergonomic back pillow according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each layer of the isolation chamber and the thin pad contain the same or different filling materials, and the filling materials include chemical synthetic materials, plant-based materials, animal-based materials, metal-containing materials or any combination thereof.

5. The ergonomic back pillow according to claim 4, characterized in that: The filling material is enclosed in a fabric pillowcase: The fabric pillowcase is present in the form of the single unit or the discrete units containing the isolation chamber; and The fabric pillowcase is composed of the same or different plant-based fibers, animal-based fibers, chemically synthesized fibers, metal fibers, metal-containing fibers, metal-embedded fibers, or any combination thereof; and The fabric pillowcase has the function of being able to be opened and cleaned.

6. The ergonomic back pillow according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: The chemical synthetic materials include: foam, foam fragments, 3D air-woven polymer fiber networks, latex and synthetic fibers; The plant matrix materials include: cotton, kapok, flax, ramie, jute, sisal, coconut shell fiber, reed, loofah, rayon, modal, viscose fiber, lyocell fiber, buckwheat husk, millet husk, dry leaves, and straw; The animal-based materials include: wool, silk, down and feathers; and The metal-containing materials include: metal fibers or fabrics, metal-coated or electroplated fibers or fabrics, fibers or fabrics wrapped with metal tapes or metal-coated film tapes, metal-coated or electroplated 3D structures, fibers or fabrics embedded with metal oxides or metal salts, and foams infiltrated with metals, metal oxides or metal salts. The foam is provided with a pattern design to further improve heat and moisture management and breathability, including a vertical through-hole array, grooves and / or grids on the surface and / or inside of the foam, vertical large through-holes, or any combination thereof.

7. Ergonomic leg support, characterized in that, The ergonomic leg support is designed to elevate the legs and promote venous return, including: a lateral lower portion for elevating the legs when lying upright in supine and side sleeping positions; and A longitudinal upper left wing and a longitudinal upper right wing above the lower transverse portion are used to elevate and laterally support the legs, so as to facilitate lateral bending and fixing of the legs in a side-lying straddle sleeping position; and A gap surrounded by the transverse lower part, the longitudinal left upper wing and the longitudinal right upper wing is used to place the buttocks and upper thighs.

8. The ergonomic leg support according to claim 7, characterized in that: The ergonomic leg support comprises one or more independent units, each of which is composed of one or more layers of filling material having the same or different thicknesses; or The ergonomic leg support is provided as part of an ergonomic leg raising mattress, the separate unit being contained within or incorporated into the top or bottom of a mattress; or The ergonomic leg support as part of an ergonomic leg raising mattress assembly includes at least a bottom support layer and the ergonomic leg raising mattress.

9. The ergonomic leg support according to claim 8, characterized in that The ergonomic leg support is adjustable, wherein: The height of the ergonomic leg support is adjusted by stacking one or more layers of the padding material with the same or different thicknesses; and The position of the ergonomic leg support is adjusted by moving the independent unit in the longitudinal direction of the mattress in the ergonomic leg lift mattress or in such a way that the filling pad extends the longitudinal left upper wing and the longitudinal right upper wing; and The size and height of the gap are adjusted by adding filling pads in the longitudinal direction.

10. The ergonomic leg support according to claim 9, characterized in that Each layer of the independent unit, the mattress of the ergonomic leg lift mattress, the bottom support layer of the ergonomic leg lift mattress assembly and the filling pad contain the same or different filling materials, including inner springs, chemical synthetic materials, plant-based materials, animal-based materials, metal-containing materials or any combination thereof.

11. The ergonomic leg support according to claim 10, characterized in that: The filling material is enclosed in a fabric outer shell: The fabric cover is in the form of a single, easily adjustable piece containing a plurality of isolation chambers for the lateral lower portion, the longitudinal upper left wing, the longitudinal upper right wing, and the pad extension; and The fabric jacket is composed of the same or different plant-based fibers, animal-based fibers, chemically synthesized fibers, metal fibers, metal-containing fibers, metal-embedded fibers, or any combination thereof; and The fabric cover has the function of being able to be opened and cleaned.

12. The ergonomic leg support according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: The chemical synthetic materials include: foam, foam fragments, 3D air-woven polymer fiber networks, latex and synthetic fibers; The plant matrix materials include: cotton, kapok, flax, ramie, jute, sisal, coconut shell fiber, reed, loofah, rayon, modal, viscose fiber, lyocell fiber; The animal matrix material comprises: animal hair; and The metal-containing materials include: metal-coated or electroplated 3D structures, and foams infiltrated with metals, metal oxides or metal salts. The foam may be provided with a pattern design to further improve heat and moisture management and breathability, including an array of vertical through holes, grooves and / or grids on the surface and / or inside the foam, or any combination thereof.

13. Full body ergonomic sleep support system, characterized in that: The whole-body ergonomic sleeping support system is used for the neutral position calibration of the whole body musculoskeletal system, and comprises an ergonomic back pillow according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and an ergonomic leg support according to any one of claims 7 to 12.

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