Neck pillow for filling with liquid and / or solid

Abstract

Neck pillow (1) for filling with liquid and / or solid, wherein the neck pillow comprises a container body (2) which is annular or rectangular in shape, wherein the container body is designed with a recess (4) which is adapted to the human neck, characterized in that the container body (2) is softly elastic, wherein the container body is designed on an outer circumferential surface facing away from the recess (4) with a filling opening (5), wherein the filling opening has a diameter greater than or equal to 4 cm in order to fill the container body (2) with liquid and / or solid, and wherein a lid element (3) with a substantially flat outer surface (3a) is provided for closing the filling opening (5).

Description

[0001] The present utility model relates to a neck pillow for filling.

[0002] When traveling, working, or engaging in leisure activities that require maintaining a seated posture for extended periods, people often feel tired because their head and neck lack effective support. For this reason, inflatable pillows or U-shaped pillows filled with soft particles are known from current technology.

[0003] However, conventional neck pillows only provide support for the head and neck and can hardly offer the user any additional functions, such as heat treatment, cold therapy, cooling or warming, etc., which prevents a more comfortable and relaxed user experience and only inadequately relieves the fatigue and pain caused by prolonged sitting.

[0004] The purpose of the present utility model is to provide a neck pillow that enhances the user experience by offering the user additional functions such as heat treatment, cold therapy, cooling or warming, etc., in addition to supporting the head and neck, in order to effectively relieve fatigue and pain caused by prolonged sitting, without sacrificing portability while ensuring a high level of safety in use.

[0005] The present utility model relates to a neck pillow for filling with liquid and / or solid material, wherein the neck pillow comprises a container body which is annular or rectangular in shape; wherein the container body is designed with a recess which is adapted to the human neck, wherein the container body is softly elastic, which is designed with a filling opening on an outer circumferential surface facing away from the recess, wherein the filling opening has a diameter greater than or equal to 4 cm in order to fill the container body with liquid and / or solid material, and wherein a lid element with a substantially flat outer surface is provided for closing the filling opening.

[0006] In the present utility model, the neck pillow comprises a container body, which is ring-shaped or rectangular and features a recess adapted to the human neck. This gives the container body an essentially C-shape or U-shape, allowing it to be used similarly to a traditional U-shaped pillow. When in use, the user can align the recess with the back of the neck and position it around the neck.

[0007] According to the present utility model, a soft-elastic container body is chosen for the neck pillow. This means that the container body has a low modulus of elasticity, i.e., it can undergo a certain degree of deformation under an external force and return to its original shape when the external force is removed. As a result, the container body possesses good flexibility and a degree of dimensional stability. A container body made of such a material can flexibly adapt to the various areas of the head, neck, and shoulders of the human body. Furthermore, such a soft-elastic container body also experiences only limited deformation under pressure and when filled with liquid and / or solids, and can generally retain the basic shape of the neck pillow.

[0008] According to the present utility model, the container body is provided with a filling opening on an outer circumferential surface facing away from the recess. The filling opening has a diameter greater than or equal to 4 cm for filling the container body with liquid and / or solid material, and a cover element with a substantially flat outer surface is provided for the filling opening. Firstly, this means that the filling opening is located at the junction between the two symmetrical sides of the C-shaped or U-shaped container body. In the intended use of the neck pillow, this filling opening will face away from the back of the user's neck.This design ensures that the filling opening and the attached lid element face the backrest of a seat during use, while the soft, elastic body of the cushion surrounds the user's neck, preventing the filling opening and lid element from coming into contact with the neck. Secondly, the outer surface of the lid element—that is, the surface exposed when the filling opening is closed—is essentially flat and therefore does not obstruct the user's movement when leaning against the backrest, especially when leaning against a backrest with a certain angle. In this case, the neck cushion can also adapt to the physiological curvature of the cervical spine in this area, reducing strain on the cervical spine and relieving tension in the associated neck muscles.Furthermore, the diameter of the filling opening is designed to be greater than or equal to 4 cm, which makes filling the container body with liquid and / or solids, such as ice cubes, water (especially hot or cold water), etc., particularly easier. This allows the neck pillow, according to the present utility model, to offer the user additional functions beyond head and neck support, such as heat treatment, cold therapy, cooling, or warming, etc., to effectively relieve fatigue and pain caused by prolonged sitting. The dimensional design of the filling opening significantly facilitates filling for the user, effectively prevents spillage, especially in unstable environments such as airplanes or trains, etc., and ensures safe use.At the same time, the filling opening at the junction between the symmetrical two sides of the C-shaped or U-shaped container body also enables essentially symmetrical filling and effectively prevents safety risks that could be caused by one-sided filling and the associated shift in the center of gravity.

[0009] It should also be noted that the lid element allows gas to be trapped inside the container, enabling the neck pillow to be used similarly to a traditional inflatable neck pillow. At the same time, the soft, elastic material of the neck pillow, when the container is empty, allows for a seal through the lid element, thus facilitating easy portability with its low weight and volume.

[0010] In summary, according to the present utility model, the neck pillow can offer the user additional functions besides supporting the head and neck, such as heat treatment, cold therapy, cooling or warming, etc., to effectively relieve fatigue and pain caused by prolonged sitting, without sacrificing portability while ensuring safe use.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present utility model, the lid element and the filling opening can be screwed or snapped together. A tight seal between the lid element and the filling opening is achieved by means of a screw or snap connection. In particular, the lid element can be designed with a sealing ring. The sealing ring ensures good gas and liquid tightness of the container body.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present utility model, a rigid connecting element can be embedded in the filling opening. Here, the rigid connecting element is used to reinforce the tight connection between the lid element and the filling opening, thus preventing leakage of the container body under pressure. Simultaneously, the rigid connecting element also serves as a handle during filling, preventing deformation of the filling opening under pressure. In particular, the connecting element can be made of polyamide (PA, commonly known as nylon). Here, the connecting element has the form of a hollow cylinder. Depending on the type of connection used for the lid element, the annular inner surface of the connecting element can be smooth or provided with an internal thread.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present utility model, the connecting element may not project into the cavity of the container body or may project only partially into the cavity of the container body. Such an embodiment increases the user's comfort when leaning against the backrest without having to lean against the relatively hard connecting element.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present utility model, a raised rim can be formed on the outer circumference of the filling opening, wherein the rim can be flush with the lid element or can project beyond the lid element. The raised rim can be understood as an annular edge that projects away from the body of the neck pillow and beyond the plane of the filling opening. When filling the neck pillow, the raised rim can prevent spillage of solid or liquid, particularly hot water, onto the hand holding the container body, thus further ensuring safe use.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present utility model, a gap can be maintained between the rim and the filling opening, and an annular plane or truncated conical surface can be formed between the rim and the filling opening. In this way, the annular plane or truncated conical surface can interact with the raised rim to better accommodate the solid and / or liquid to be filled.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present utility model, the distance from the filling opening to the free end at the recess in the container body is between 20 and 25 cm. This distance can be understood as the entire longitudinal length of the neck pillow. Such a dimensional design can be particularly advantageously adapted to the construction of hot water heaters for aircraft, so that when filling the container body with hot water from the water heater's tap, the free end at the recess in the container body can rest, as it were, on the base of the water heater, further facilitating filling by the user.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present utility model, the liquid can be hot water or ice water, and / or the solid can be ice cubes, fruit pits, or ceramic particles. The container body can be filled not only with hot water, ceramic particles, or fruit pits, particularly cherry pits, for heat treatment, but also with ice water or ice cubes for cold therapy. It is also conceivable to cool or heat the filled container body, e.g., in a microwave oven.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present utility model, the container body can be made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), silicone or fiber composite material, and / or the lid element can be made of polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer (also called ABS plastic) or polyphenylene sulfide (PPS).

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present utility model, the container body is manufactured from two injection-molded half-shells by ultrasonic welding. Compared to blow molding, injection molding ensures a more uniform wall thickness of the container body and avoids breakage due to uneven thickness. The separate injection molding of the container body half-shells also facilitates demolding. It is also conceivable to mold the aforementioned hard connecting element in one piece within the filling opening using multi-component injection molding.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present utility model, one or more reinforcing structures, in particular reinforcing grooves or reinforcing ribs, can be provided on the container body. These reinforcing structures enhance the dimensional stability of the container body during use and filling.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present utility model, the neck pillow can include a textile cover that can be slipped over the container body. To provide a more comfortable feel against the skin and to prevent burns or frostbite during heat or cold applications, it is preferred to add a textile cover to the neck pillow. The textile cover is advantageously slippable over the neck pillow, leaving only the filling opening exposed.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present utility model, the textile cover can be provided with a drawstring, hook-and-loop fastener, or snap fastener at the recess in the container body. This prevents it from slipping off the user's neck during use. Alternatively or additionally, the textile cover can accommodate at least one of the following elements: a temperature measuring element, a temperature control element, a massage element, and a power supply element. Adding these elements further enhances the functionality of the neck pillow.

[0023] Further features of the present utility model can be seen from the drawings and the specific embodiment. All features and combinations of features mentioned above in the description, as well as those mentioned below in the embodiment and / or shown individually in the drawings, can be used not only in the combinations specified, but also in other combinations or in individual states. Fig. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a neck pillow according to an embodiment of the present utility model; and Fig. Figure 2 shows an exploded view of a neck pillow according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0024] The present utility model is described below with reference to the drawings, which show one embodiment of the present utility model. It should be understood, however, that the present utility model can be implemented in many different ways and is not limited to the embodiment described below; that the embodiment described below is intended to complete the present utility model and to fully demonstrate to the person skilled in the art the scope of protection of the present utility model. It should also be understood that the embodiment disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide further additional embodiments.

[0025] It should be understood that the terms used in this document serve only to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the present utility model. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used in this document (including technical and scientific terms) have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art. For the sake of brevity and / or clarity, generally known functions or structures cannot be explained in detail.

[0026] In this document, the term “A or B” includes “A and B” as well as “A or B” and not exclusively “A” or only “B”, unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0027] It should also be understood that the term "include / contains," when used in this document, indicates the presence of the specified features, units, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, units, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) in this document are used in their general meaning within the field to which the examples belong.

[0028] Fig. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a neck pillow according to an embodiment of the present utility model. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the neck pillow 1 for filling with liquid and / or solid material comprises a container body 2, which is annular or rectangular and has a recess 4 adapted to the human neck. According to the present utility model, the container body 2 is provided to be softly elastic and has a surface on its outer circumference facing away from the recess 4 that is shaped in Fig. 1 is designed as a filling opening (not shown), wherein the filling opening has a diameter greater than or equal to 4 cm in order to fill the container body 2 with liquid and / or solid, and wherein a lid element 3 with a substantially flat outer surface 3a is provided for closing the filling opening.

[0029] The neck pillow 1 according to the present utility model can offer the user additional functions besides supporting the head and neck, such as heat treatment, cold therapy, cooling or warming, etc., to effectively relieve fatigue and pain caused by prolonged sitting, without sacrificing portability while ensuring safety.

[0030] In Fig. In Figure 1, the container body 2 of the neck pillow 1 is, for example, ring-shaped with a recess 4, so that the container body 2 has an overall C-shape. Not limited to this, a container body 2 with a rectangular recess 4 can also be considered, in which case the container body 2 would have an overall U-shape.

[0031] Here, the C-shaped container body 2 can be divided into three sections: a first section 2a, a second section 2b, and a connecting section 2c between the first section 2a and the second section 2b. These three sections surround and touch the user's neck during use, with the first section 2a and the second section 2b each resting on the user's shoulders, while the connecting section 2c can be placed behind the neck. If necessary, the connecting section 2c can also be placed in front of the neck, for example, to warm or cool the neck.

[0032] When in use, the lid element 3 can enclose liquid, solid, and / or gas within the container body 2 to support the user's head and neck. The larger opening allows for easy filling of the container body 2 with liquid and / or solid, providing the user with additional benefits such as heat treatment, cold therapy, cooling, or warming, effectively relieving fatigue and pain from prolonged sitting. The liquid can be hot or ice water, and / or the solid can be ice cubes, fruit pits, or ceramic particles.

[0033] The container body 2 is provided with a filling opening on the outer circumferential surface facing away from the recess 4, meaning that the filling opening is located on the outer circumferential surface of the connecting section 2c of the container body 2. Particularly advantageously, the container body 2 can be designed as a mirror-symmetrical structure, with the filling opening located in its plane of symmetry. This enables essentially symmetrical filling and effectively prevents safety risks that could be caused by one-sided filling and the associated shift in the center of gravity.

[0034] The outer surface 3a of the lid element 3, which serves to close the filling opening, is also essentially flat, which means that the outer surface 3a of the lid element 3 has no significant protrusions and therefore does not hinder the user when leaning against the backrest, especially a backrest with a certain angle of inclination.

[0035] To tolerate the wide temperature ranges encountered in heating or cooling applications, it is advantageous to use materials such as polyvinyl chloride, silicone, or fiber-reinforced composites for the container body. Alternatively or additionally, materials such as polycarbonate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer, or polyphenylene sulfide can be used for the lid element.

[0036] The container body 2 can be advantageously manufactured from two injection-molded half-shells by ultrasonic welding. Here, half-shells can be understood as the halves obtained by longitudinal sectioning of the container body 2, each half comprising a portion of the first section 2a, a portion of the second section 2b, and a portion of the connecting section 2c. This method of manufacturing the container body 2 allows for good demolding and a uniform thickness. Ultrasonic welding effectively ensures the strength of the connection between the two half-shells.

[0037] Fig. Figure 2 shows an exploded view of a neck pillow according to an embodiment of the present utility model. Fig. Figure 2 shows an additional contour line to better illustrate the outer contour of the neck pillow.

[0038] In the Fig. In the two neck pillows shown, the container body 2 and the lid element 3 are separated from each other. This allows the Fig. 1. The filling opening 5, closed by the lid element 3, is visible. According to the present utility model, the filling opening 5 has a diameter greater than or equal to 4 cm to allow easy insertion of solids and / or liquids and to ensure safe use. The radial dimension of the filling opening 5 accordingly requires that the thickness of the neck pillow 1 be comparable to or greater than this radial dimension. Fig. Figure 2 shows that the filling opening 5 faces away from the recess 4 of the container body 2. In order to create a typically planar filling opening 5, an annular neck is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the container body 2 facing away from the recess 4, and this neck projects beyond this outer circumferential surface.

[0039] In the present embodiment, the container body 2 and the lid element 3 can be screwed together. For this purpose, an external thread 3c is provided on the lid element 3. To facilitate tightening for the user, several, here three, rotating wings 3b are provided on the outer circumference of the outer surface 3a of the lid element 3. Accordingly, an internal thread matching the external thread 3c is provided on the filling opening 5 of the container body 2. This allows the user to easily close the filling opening 5 by screwing the lid element 3 into the filling opening 5. To prevent the escape of liquid or gas, a sealing ring (not shown) is preferably provided on the lid element 3.

[0040] In addition to the screw-type embodiment, a snap-fit ​​connection between the container body 2 and the lid element 3 can also be considered. For this purpose, one or more movable locking lugs, in particular sliding locking lugs, can be provided on the lid element or the filling opening. The container body 2 and the lid element 3 can be detachably snapped together by means of the movable locking lugs.

[0041] It is particularly advantageous to have a hard connecting element 6 embedded in the filling opening 5. The connecting element 6 is in Fig. 2. The connecting element 6 is shown in an annular shape around the filling opening 5. The connecting element 6 can have the form of a hollow cylinder. Corresponding to the external thread 3c of the lid element 3, the annular inner surface of the connecting element 6 can be provided with an internal thread. The connecting element 6 can serve to reinforce the tight connection between the lid element 3 and the filling opening 5 and is also suitable as a handle during filling to prevent deformation of the filling opening 5 under pressure. In particular, the connecting element 6 can be made of polyamide. Furthermore, it is preferred to mold the aforementioned rigid connecting element 6 in one piece within the filling opening 5 using multi-component injection molding.

[0042] To increase ease of use, the connecting element 6 is located entirely or mostly within the annular neck of the container body 2. This means that the connecting element 6 does not protrude into the cavity of the container body 2 or only partially protrudes into the cavity of the container body 2.

[0043] To increase safety during filling, it is advantageous to have a raised rim 7 on the outer circumference of the filling opening 5, wherein the rim 7 is flush with the lid element 3 that closes the filling opening 5 or the rim 7 projects beyond the lid element 3. In this way, the raised rim 7 can prevent spillage of solid or liquid, especially hot water, when filling the neck pillow 1.

[0044] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, a distance can be maintained between the rim 7 and the filling opening 5, and an annular plane or truncated cone surface can be formed between the rim 7 and the filling opening 5. The annular plane or truncated cone surface can interact with the raised rim 7 to better accommodate the solid and / or liquid to be filled.

[0045] The distance from the filling opening 5 to the free end 2d, 2e at the recess 4 of the container body 2, i.e., the entire longitudinal length of the neck pillow 1, can be advantageously designed to be between 20 and 25 cm. Such a dimensional design can be particularly advantageously adapted to the construction of hot water heaters for aircraft, so that when the container body 2 is filled with hot water from the hot water heater tap, the free ends 2d, 2e at the recess 4 of the container body 2 can rest, as it were, on the base of the hot water heater, which further facilitates filling by the user.

[0046] To increase the dimensional stability of the container body 2 during filling and use, one or more reinforcing structures, in this case reinforcing grooves, can be provided on the container body 2. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, a first reinforcing groove 8a and a second reinforcing groove 8b are provided on the first section 2a and the second section 2b, respectively. The first reinforcing groove 8a and the second reinforcing groove 8b each extend over the majority of the first section 2a and the second section 2b and have an arc-shaped form. As an alternative to reinforcing grooves recessed into the surface of the container body 2, the use of reinforcing ribs projecting from the surface of the container body 2 can also be considered.

[0047] The neck pillow 1 is particularly preferred and can still be used in a variety of ways. Fig.The two (not shown) textile covers can be slipped over the container body 2. The textile cover provides the user with a more comfortable feel against the skin and prevents burns or frostbite during heat or cold applications. To facilitate filling, the textile cover does not cover the filling opening 5. For example, the textile cover can enclose only the first section 2a, the second section 2b, and the connecting section 2c of the container body, and in the connecting section 2c, it can be designed as an elastic band surrounding the annular neck. In the current embodiment, this leaves the filling opening 5 of the container body 2, the raised rim 7, and the intervening annular plane or truncated conical surface exposed outside the textile cover, thus making it easier for the user to fill the container body 2 with solid and / or liquid.

[0048] Advantageously, the textile cover may also be fitted with a drawstring, hook-and-loop fastener, or snap fastener at the recess in the container body to prevent the neck pillow 1 from slipping off the user's neck during use. Alternatively or additionally, the textile cover may accommodate at least one of the following elements: a temperature measuring element, a temperature control element, a massage element, and a power supply element.For example, the temperature measuring element can display the temperature of the container body 2 to the user and could be, for example, a thermocouple or a temperature indicator card; the temperature control element can heat or cool the container body 2 and could be, for example, a heating wire, a heating film, a semiconductor cooling element, or a phase change material (PCM); the massage element can massage the neck and / or shoulders to relax muscles, refresh the mind, relieve fatigue, etc., and could be, for example, a vibration motor, a rotary motor, or an electrode; the power element can supply the aforementioned elements with power and could be, for example, a battery or an accumulator. To accommodate these elements, consideration could be given to providing appropriate insert pockets in the textile cover.

[0049] The present invention thus discloses a neck pillow (1) for filling with liquid and / or solid, wherein the neck pillow comprises a container body (2) which is ring-shaped or rectangular, wherein the container body is designed with a recess (4) which is adapted to the human neck.In order to offer the user additional functions such as heat treatment, cold therapy, cooling or warming, in addition to head and neck support, and to ensure safe use, the present invention provides that the container body 2 is softly elastic, wherein the container body is designed with a filling opening 5 on an outer circumferential surface facing away from the recess 4, wherein the filling opening has a diameter greater than or equal to 4 cm in order to fill the container body 2 with liquid and / or solid, and wherein a lid element 3 with a substantially flat outer surface 3a is provided for closing the filling opening 5.

[0050] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown, but encompasses or extends to all technical equivalents that may fall within the scope of the appended claims. The positional terms used in the description, such as top, bottom, left, right, etc., refer to the immediate description and the accompanying drawing and are to be applied analogously to any changes in position.

[0051] Features disclosed in this application can be important and implemented not only individually, but also in any combination, for the realization of the embodiments in various embodiment variants.

[0052] Although the present utility model has been disclosed above by means of preferred embodiments, this does not serve to limit the present utility model. Any person skilled in the art in this field may, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present utility model, use the disclosed solutions and technical content of this application to make possible changes and modifications to the technical solution of the present utility model. Therefore, all simple modifications, equivalent variants, and alterations based on the technical essence of the present utility model and made to the embodiments mentioned above fall within the scope of protection of the technical solution of the present utility model.

Claims

[1] Neck pillow (1) for filling with liquid and / or solid, wherein the neck pillow comprises a container body (2) which is annular or rectangular in shape, wherein the container body is designed with a recess (4) which is adapted to the human neck, characterized by , that the container body (2) is softly elastic, wherein the container body is provided with a filling opening (5) on an outer circumferential surface facing away from the recess (4), wherein the filling opening has a diameter greater than or equal to 4 cm in order to fill the container body (2) with liquid and / or solid, and wherein a lid element (3) with a substantially flat outer surface (3a) is provided for closing the filling opening (5). [2] Neck pillow according to claim 1, characterized by , that the lid element (3) and the filling opening (5) are screwed or snapped together, in particular that the lid element (3) is designed with a sealing ring. [3] Neck pillow according to claim 2, characterized by , that a hard connecting element (6) is embedded in the filling opening (5), in particular that the connecting element (6) is made of polyamide. [4] Neck pillow according to claim 3, characterized by , that the connecting element (6) does not protrude into the cavity of the container body (2) or only partially protrudes into the cavity of the container body. [5] Neck pillow according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by , that a raised rim (7) is formed on the outer circumference of the filling opening (5), wherein the rim (7) is flush with the lid element (3) or the rim (7) extends beyond the lid element (3). [6] Neck pillow according to claim 5, characterized by , that a distance is spaced between the edge (7) and the filling opening (5), and that an annular plane or truncated cone surface is formed between the edge (7) and the filling opening (5). [7] Neck pillow according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by , that the distance from the filling opening (5) to the free end (2d, 2e) at the recess (4) of the container body (2) is between 20 and 25 cm. [8] Neck pillow according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by that the liquid is hot water or ice water; and / or the solid is ice cubes, fruit kernels or ceramic particles. [9] Neck pillow according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by , that the container body (2) is made of polyvinyl chloride, silicone or fiber composite material, and / or the lid element (3) is made of polycarbonate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer or polyphenylene sulfide. [10] Neck pillow according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by , that the container body (2) is manufactured from two injection-molded half-shells by ultrasonic welding. [11] Neck pillow according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized by, that one or more reinforcing structures, in particular reinforcing grooves or reinforcing ribs, are provided on the container body (2). [12] Neck pillow according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized by , that the neck pillow (1) comprises a textile cover that can be placed over the container body (2). [13] Neck pillow according to claim 12, characterized by , that the textile cover is provided at the recess (4) of the container body (2) with a drawstring, hook and loop fastener or snap fastener; and / or the textile cover can accommodate at least one of the following elements: a temperature measuring element, a temperature control element, a massage element and a power supply element.

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