Pillow base and pillow using the same

Abstract

To a pillow base for supporting shoulders and a trunk (a back) and securing stable supine and lateral positions, and pillow using the pillow base.SOLUTION: A pillow base 1 includes a pillow-body support area 10 having a pillow-body placing flat surface 10a on an upper side, shoulder support areas 20, and a trunk support area 30. In the pillow base 1, the thickness T1 of polyurethane foam 1a of the pillow-body support area 10 is substantially constant and large. In a central area 1-1 of the width W1 at a front end of the shoulder support areas 20 and the trunk support area 30, the thickness T11 of the polyurethane foam 1a gradually decreases as it moves away from the pillow-body support area 10. In a left area 1-2 and a right area 1-3 of the shoulder support areas 20 and the trunk support area 30, the thickness T12 of the polyurethane foam 1a is substantially constant and small.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pillow base that supports the head, neck, shoulders, and trunk while ensuring stable supine and lateral positions, and a pillow using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a first conventional pillow (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In FIG. 16, pillow 100 comprises head support region 101 for exclusively supporting the head of the subject, neck support region 102 for exclusively supporting the neck of the subject, and shoulder / chest support region 103 for exclusively supporting the shoulders and torso. Head support region 101, neck support region 102, and shoulder / chest support region 103 are formed of flexible materials with different hardnesses, such as urethane foam 101a, 102a, and 103a. For example, urethane foam 102a in neck support region 102 has the highest hardness, urethane foam 101a in head support region 101 has the second highest hardness, and urethane foam 103a in shoulder / chest support region 103 has the lowest hardness. Urethane foam 101a, 102a, and 103a are joined on urethane foam 100a. Shoulder / chest support region 103 is inclined at an angle of 10° to 20° with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0004] In the pillow 100 of Figure 16, the hardness of the urethane foam 101a, 102a, 103a in the head support area 101, neck support area 102, and shoulder / chest support area 103 is changed so that the pillow 100 supports the shoulders and chest in addition to the head and neck of the subject.

[0005] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing a second conventional pillow (see Patent Document 2).

[0006] 17, pillow 200 comprises head support region 201 for exclusively supporting the head of the subject, neck support region 202 for exclusively supporting the neck of the subject, shoulder support region 203 for exclusively supporting the shoulders of the subject, and torso support region 204 for exclusively supporting the torso, i.e., the part below the armpits of the subject. Pillow 200 is formed, for example, from one flexible material, such as urethane foam 200a.

[0007] 17, the thickness of the urethane foam 200a in the head support region 201 and the neck support region 202 is constant and large, the thickness of the urethane foam 200a in the shoulder support region 203 gradually decreases the further away from the head support region 202, and the thickness of the urethane foam 200a in the torso support region 204 continues to gradually decrease and connects to the bed or mattress. This results in a pillow 200 that also supports the shoulders and torso. Furthermore, the urethane foam 200a in the head support region 201 has alternating large and small grooves 201a and 201b that taper in width in the depth direction and are inclined from the neck to the head of the subject. The walls of groove 201a sink significantly into the subject's head, while the walls of groove 201b sink slightly, making it easier for a curved surface to form in the head support region 201 and easier for the pillow to deform under the weight of the subject's head. On the other hand, grooves 203a, which have the same width and depth but are deeper than grooves 201a and 201b, are formed at the same pitch in urethane foam 200a in shoulder support region 203. This makes shoulder support region 203 more easily deformable than head support region 201. In this way, the ease of deformation is controlled by forming the grooves, while no grooves are formed in torso support region 204.

[0008] In the pillow 200 of FIG. 17, grooves 201a, 201b, and 203a make it easier for the urethane foam 200a in the head support region 201 and shoulder support region 203 to deform, and by making the torso support region 204 an inclined surface, it is possible to support not only the head P1 and neck P2 of the subject, but also the shoulders P3 and torso P4, as shown in FIG. 18. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-110966 A [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3231019 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] 16, when the subject is in the supine position, the scapulae of both shoulders that protrude from the subject's kyphotic spine (particularly the upper thoracic vertebrae) cannot fit into the shoulder / chest support region 103, resulting in the spine (particularly the upper thoracic vertebrae) floating up and becoming distorted from the shoulder / chest support region 103. Also, when the subject changes sides from the supine position to the lateral position, the subject's shoulders rest on the shoulder / chest support region 103, creating a gap between the subject's neck and the pillow 100, making the subject's neck unstable and resulting in unstable side sleeping.

[0011] On the other hand, even with the second conventional pillow 200 of Fig. 17, when the subject is in the supine position, as shown in Fig. 18, the scapulae P3' of both shoulders, which protrude from the subject's kyphotic spine (particularly the upper thoracic vertebrae), cannot fully fit into the grooves 203a in the shoulder support region 203, resulting in the spine (particularly the upper thoracic vertebrae) floating up from the shoulder support region 203 and becoming distorted. Furthermore, when the subject changes sides from the supine position to the lateral position, as shown in Fig. 19, the subject's shoulders P3 rest on the shoulder support region 203, causing the shoulders P3 to sink into the deep grooves 203a in the shoulder support region 203. However, the amount of sinking is not large, and as a result, a large gap G is still generated between the neck P2 of the subject P and the pillow 200, which makes the subject's neck unstable and results in unstable side sleeping.

[0012] Furthermore, in the first conventional pillow 100 shown in Figure 16 and the second conventional pillow 200 shown in Figure 17, the heights of the urethane foam 101a, 102a in the head support area 101 and the neck support area 102, and the urethane foam 200a in the head support area 201 and the neck support area 202 cannot be changed, and therefore there is also the problem that the height of the subject's head and neck cannot be adjusted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention divides a pillow into a pillow base and a pillow body, and the pillow body is placed on the pillow base to be used as a pillow.

[0014] The pillow base of the present invention has a pillow body support area with a flat surface on the upper side for placing the pillow body, a shoulder support area located on the front side of the pillow body support area, and a torso support area located on the front side of the shoulder support area, wherein the pillow base in the left-right central area of ​​the shoulder support area and the torso support area has a first thickness, and the pillow base in the left and right areas of the left-right central area of ​​the shoulder support area and the torso support area has a second thickness, and the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.

[0015] A pillow according to the present invention comprises the pillow base described above and a pillow body placed on the flat surface for placing the pillow body in the pillow body support area of ​​the pillow base. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, the thickness of the central region of the shoulder support region and the torso support region of the pillow base is large, but the thickness of the left and right regions of the central region is small, resulting in gaps in the left and right regions of the shoulder support region. Therefore, in a pillow in which the pillow base is combined with the pillow body, when the subject is lying on their back, the scapulae of both shoulders protruding from the spine (particularly the upper thoracic vertebrae) fit into the gaps in the left and right regions of the shoulder support region. This allows the spine (particularly the upper thoracic vertebrae) to be in more sufficient contact with the shoulder support region, facilitating the opening of the spine (particularly the upper thoracic vertebrae). Furthermore, the subject's shoulders are positioned above the central region of the shoulder support region of the pillow base, but when the subject is lying on their side, the subject's shoulders fit into the gaps in the left and right regions of the shoulder support region of the pillow base. As a result, there is no gap between the subject's neck and the pillow body, stabilizing the subject's neck and facilitating side-sleeping from the supine position to the lateral position. Furthermore, the height of the subject's head and neck can be adjusted by adjusting the sum of the thickness of the pillow body support region of the pillow base and the thickness of the pillow body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 shows a first embodiment of a pillow base according to the present invention, where (A) is a top perspective view, (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of (A), and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of (A). [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are enlarged views of the pillow base of FIG. 1, where (A) is a top view and (B) is a bottom view. [Figure 3] 2 shows a pillow using the pillow base of FIG. 1, where (A) is a top perspective view, (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of (A), and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of (A). [Figure 4] 4 is an enlarged view of the pillow body of FIG. 3, where (A) is a top view and (B) is a bottom view. [Figure 5] 4 is a diagram for explaining the stitching connection between the pillow body and pillow base in FIG. 3, where (A) is a top view, (B) is a rear perspective view (part 1), and (C) is a rear perspective view (part 2). [Figure 6] 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining the movement of the pillow in FIG. 3, where (A) shows the case where the subject is in a supine position, and (B) shows the case where the subject is in a lateral position. [Figure 7]1A and 1B show a first modified example of the pillow base of FIG. 1, in which (A) is a top perspective view, (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of (A), and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of (A). [Figure 8] 1. FIG. 4 shows a second modification of the pillow base of FIG. 1, where (A) is a top view and (B) is a bottom view. [Figure 9] 5A and 5B are top and bottom views of a modified example of the pillow body of FIG. 4. [Figure 10] 2 shows a second embodiment of the pillow base according to the present invention, where (A) is a top perspective view, (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of (A), and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of (A). [Figure 11] 11 shows a pillow using the pillow base of FIG. 10, where (A) is a top perspective view, (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of (A), and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of (A). [Figure 12] 12A and 12B are diagrams for explaining the movement of the pillow in FIG. 11, where (A) shows the case where the subject is in a supine position, and (B) shows the case where the subject is in a lateral position. [Figure 13] 11A and 11B show a modified example of the pillow base of FIG. 10, in which (A) is a top perspective view, (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of (A), and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of (A). [Figure 14] 1. FIG. 4 shows a further modification of the pillow base of FIG. 1, where (A) is a top perspective view and (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of (A). [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of FIGS. 1B, 7B, 10B, and 13B. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a first conventional pillow. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a second conventional pillow. [Figure 18] 18 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the pillow in FIG. 17. FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining the problem of the second conventional pillow in FIG. 17. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a pillow base according to the present invention, where (A) is a top perspective view, (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in (A), and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in (A). Note that front, back, top, bottom, left, and right in Figure 1 are directions seen from the subject's perspective.

[0019] In Figure 1, the pillow base 1 has a length L, for example, 80 cm and a width W, for example, 70 cm. It comprises a pillow body support area 10 having a length L1, for example, 40 cm, on the upper side thereof, a flat surface 10a for placing the pillow body, and used exclusively to support the pillow body 2 (see Figure 3), a shoulder support area 20 having a length L2, for example, 10 cm, located in front of the pillow body support area 10, and used exclusively to support the shoulders of the subject, and a torso support area 30 having a length L3, for example, 30 cm, located in front of the shoulder support area 20, and used exclusively to support the torso (back) of the subject.

[0020] 2, the pillow base 1 is sewn together with a cover (not shown), and the filling material is, for example, urethane foam 1a made of flexible (elastic) resin. In this case, it may be a one-piece flexible (elastic) resin structure, or multiple flexible (elastic) resin structures may be stacked together. Note that although the filling material is a flexible material such as urethane foam 1a, other filling materials may also be used, such as a three-dimensional net-like structure formed by randomly entangling multiple filamentous molten resins and partially heat-welding them, or beads, cotton, etc. may be sewn together with the cover.

[0021] In the pillow base 1, the urethane foam 1a in the pillow body support region 10 is flat; that is, its thickness T1 is substantially constant and large, e.g., 8 cm. In the central region 1-1 of the front end of the shoulder support region 20 and the torso support region 30, which has a width W1 of, e.g., 18 cm, the thickness T11 of the urethane foam 1a gradually decreases the further away from the pillow body support region 10. That is, the thickness T11 gradually decreases from T1, e.g., 8 cm, to T110, e.g., 2 cm. This stabilizes the posture of the subject P in a supine position. On the other hand, in the left region 1-2 and right region 1-3 of the shoulder support region 20 and the torso support region 30, the urethane foam 1a is flat; that is, its thickness T12 (thickness T13 of the right region 1-3 is not shown) is substantially constant and small, e.g., 2 cm. However, T12 and T13 may be different. As a result, as will be described later, when the pillow body 2 is placed on the pillow, the spine (especially the upper thoracic vertebrae) of the subject is stabilized when the subject is in a supine position, and the posture of the subject P when the subject is in a lateral position is stabilized. Furthermore, in order to stabilize the posture of the subject P when the pillow is in a supine position, the width W1 in the left-right direction of the central region 1-1 of the pillow base 1 gradually decreases the further away from the pillow body support region 10 it is, and is approximately constant in the torso support region 30. However, it may also gradually decrease in the torso support region 30. Conversely, the widths in the left-right direction of the left region 1-2 and right region 1-3 of the pillow base 1 gradually decrease the further away from the pillow body support region 10 it is, and is approximately constant in the torso support region 30. However, it may also gradually decrease in the torso support region 30. In this case, the boundaries between the central region 1-1 and the left region 1-2 and right region 1-3 are curved toward the central region 1-1. Furthermore, the boundaries between the central region 1-1 and the left and right regions 1-2 and 1-3 may be linear in the front-to-rear direction of the pillow base 1.

[0022] In this way, in the pillow base 1 of FIG. 1, the thickness T11 of the urethane foam 1a in the central region 1-1 of the shoulder support region 20 and the torso support region 30 is set as follows: T12(T13) <T11≦T1 (1) Let's say.

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a pillow using the pillow base 1 of FIG. 1, where (A) is a top perspective view, (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of (A), and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of (A).

[0024] 3, the pillow is constructed by placing a pillow body 2 on a pillow body support region 10 of a pillow base 1. In this case, the pillow body 2 acts as a head and neck support region 10' for the subject.

[0025] Referring to Figure 4, the pillow body 2, having a thickness T2 of, for example, 6 cm, is sewn together with a cover (not shown), but this is not limiting. The filling member may be a flexible resin structure such as urethane foam or a movable material such as beads or cotton, or another filling member such as a three-dimensional net-like structure formed by randomly entangling multiple filamentous molten resin threads and partially heat-welding them. Furthermore, the shape of the pillow body 2 is not limited to that shown in Figure 4, as long as it can be placed on the flat pillow body placement surface 10a of the pillow body support area 10. For example, it may be present across the entire flat pillow body placement surface 10a of the pillow body support area 10.

[0026] The pillow body 2 and pillow base 1 are sewn together as shown in Figure 5. That is, as shown in Figures 5(A) and (B), the pillow body support area 10 of the pillow base 1 and the pillow body 2 are joined by an open fastener 3, making them removable. Next, as shown in Figure 5(C), the pillow body 2 and pillow base 1 joined by the open fastener 3 are covered with a pillow cover 4 and closed with a fastener (not shown). This fastener can be opened and closed.

[0027] Although the pillow body 2 and the pillow base 1 are sewn together as shown in FIG. 5, the pillow body 2 may be simply placed on the pillow base 1 without being sewn together.

[0028] Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining the movement of the pillow in Figure 3, where (A) shows the subject P lying supine in the central region 1-1, and (B) shows the subject P lying on his side in the left region 1-2 (right region 1-3).

[0029] As shown in Figure 6 (A), when subject P is in a supine position in the central region 1-1, the scapula P3' of both shoulders of subject P's shoulders P3 enters the gaps in the left region 1-2 and the right region 1-3, so that subject P's shoulders P3 (in this case, the spine of the back (particularly the upper thoracic vertebrae)) come into contact with the shoulder support region 20 of the pillow base 1 and are stably supported. On the other hand, the curved shapes of subject P's head P1 and neck P2 are supported by the deformation of the filling member 2a of the pillow body 2 and also by the shape of the pillow body 2 itself.

[0030] As shown in Figure 6 (B), when the subject P is lying down in the left and right regions 1-2 (1-3), the upper limb girdle portion of the shoulder P3 of the subject P enters the gap in the left region 1-2 or the gap in the right region 1-3 of the pillow base 1. Therefore, the shoulder support region 20 of the pillow base 1 comes into contact with the shoulder P3 of the subject P, and as a result, the gap G' between the neck P2 of the subject P and the pillow body 2 is almost eliminated, and the neck P2 of the subject P is in close contact with the pillow body 2 and is stable.

[0031] In this way, in a pillow having a pillow base 1 and a pillow body 2, when the subject P is in a supine position, the scapulae P3' of both shoulders fit into the gaps in the left region 1-2 and the right region 1-3, so that the spine (especially the upper thoracic vertebrae) is sufficiently and stably supported by the central region 1-1; on the other hand, when the subject P moves from a supine position to a lateral position, the upper limb girdle portion of the shoulder P3 fits into the gaps in the left region 1-2 or the right region 1-3 of the pillow base 1, so that the neck P2 of the subject P is in close contact with the pillow body 2 and is stable, stabilizing side sleeping.

[0032] FIG. 7 shows a first modified example of the pillow base of FIG. 1, where (A) is a top perspective view, (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in (A), and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in (A).

[0033] In the pillow base 1 of Fig. 7, in the central region 1-1' having a width W1 of, for example, 18 cm at the front ends of the shoulder support region 20 and the torso support region 30, the urethane foam 1a is flat and its thickness T11 is the same as the thickness T1 of the urethane foam 1a in the pillow body support region 10. In other words, the thickness T11 is 8 cm. Even in this case, with a pillow using the pillow base 1 of Fig. 7, when the subject P is in the supine position, the scapula P3' of both shoulders enters the gap in the left region 1-2 and the gap in the right region 1-3, so the spine (especially the upper thoracic vertebrae) is sufficiently and stably supported by the central region 1-1'. On the other hand, when the subject P is in the lateral position, the upper limb girdle portion of the shoulder P3 enters the gap in the left region 1-2 or the gap in the right region 1-3, so the neck P2 of the subject P fits tightly against the pillow body 2 and is stable, stabilizing side sleeping.

[0034] In this way, in the pillow base 1 of FIG. 7, the thickness T11 of the urethane foam 1a in the central region 1-1' of the shoulder support region 20 and the torso support region 30 is set as follows: T12(T13) <T11=T1 (2) Let's say.

[0035] Figure 8 shows a second modification of the pillow base of Figure 1, where (A) is a top view and (B) is a bottom view. As shown in Figure 8, the pillow base 1 can be rectangular, or can have other shapes.

[0036] Figure 9 shows a modified example of the pillow body of Figure 4, where (A) is a top view and (B) is a bottom view. As shown in Figure 9, the pillow body 2 can also be rectangular, or can be other shapes.

[0037] Figure 10 shows a second embodiment of the pillow base according to the present invention, where (A) is a top perspective view, (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in (A), and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in (A). Note that the front, back, top, bottom, left, and right in Figure 10 are directions seen from the subject's perspective.

[0038] 1 does not have the torso support area 30, and only has the pillow body support area 10 having the flat surface 10a for placing the pillow body and the shoulder support area 20. Therefore, the pillow base 1' in FIG. 10 is smaller than the pillow base 1 in FIG.

[0039] In the pillow base 1', in the central region 1'-1 of the shoulder support region 20, which has a width W1' of, for example, 19 cm at the front end, the thickness T11' of the urethane foam 1a gradually decreases with increasing distance from the pillow body support region 10. That is, the thickness T11' gradually decreases from T1, for example, 8 cm, to T110', for example, 4.2 cm. On the other hand, in the left region 1'-2 and the right region 1'-3 of the shoulder support region 20, the urethane foam 1a is flat, meaning that its thickness T12 (and the thickness T13 are also the same) is substantially constant and small, for example, 2 cm. However, T12 and T13 may be different. This stabilizes the spine (especially the upper thoracic vertebrae) when the subject is in a supine position, as will be described later, and also stabilizes the posture of the subject P when in a lateral position. Furthermore, to stabilize the posture of the subject P when lying on his / her back, the left-right width W1' of the central region 1'-1 of the pillow base 1' gradually decreases the further away from the pillow body support region 10, and conversely, the left-right widths of the left region 1'-2 and right region 1'-3 of the pillow base 1' gradually increase the further away from the pillow body support region 10. In this case, the boundaries between the central region 1'-1 and the left region 1'-2 and right region 1'-3 are curved toward the central region 1'-1. Furthermore, the boundaries between the central region 1'-1 and the left region 1'-2 and right region 1'-3 may be linear along the front-to-back direction of the pillow base 1'.

[0040] In this way, in the pillow base 1' of FIG. 11, the thickness T11' of the urethane foam 1a in the central region 1'-1 of the shoulder support region 20 is set as follows: T12(T13) <T11’≦T1 (3) Let's say.

[0041] FIG. 11 shows a pillow using the pillow base 1' of FIG. 10, where (A) is a top perspective view, (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of (A), and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of (A).

[0042] 11, the pillow is constructed by placing a pillow body 2 on a pillow body support region 10 of a pillow base 1. In this case, the pillow body 2 acts as a head and neck support region 10' for the subject.

[0043] The stitching connection between the pillow base 1' and the pillow body 2 in Figure 11 is performed in the same manner as the stitching connection between the pillow base 1 and the pillow body 2 in Figure 3, as shown in Figure 5. However, the pillow body 2 may be simply placed on the pillow base 1' without being stitched.

[0044] Figure 12 is a diagram for explaining the movement of the pillow in Figure 11, where (A) shows the subject P lying on his back in the central region 1'-1, and (B) shows the subject P lying on his side in the left and right regions 1'-2 (1'-3).

[0045] 12(A), when subject P is in the supine position in the central region 1'-1, the scapula P3' of both shoulders of subject P's shoulder P3 enters the gaps in the left region 1'-2 and the right region 1'-3, so that subject P's shoulder P3 (in this case, the spine of the back (particularly the upper thoracic vertebrae)) comes into contact with the shoulder support region 20 of the pillow base 1' and is supported sufficiently and stably. On the other hand, the curved shapes of subject P's head P1 and neck P2 are supported by the deformation of the filling member 2a of the pillow body 2 and the shape of the pillow body 2 itself.

[0046] 12(B), when the subject P is lying down in the left region 1'-2 or the right region 1'-3, the upper limb girdle portion of the shoulder P3 of the subject P enters the gap in the left region 1'-2 or the gap in the right region 1'-3 of the pillow base 1'. Therefore, the shoulder support region 20 of the pillow base 1' comes into contact with the shoulder P3 of the subject P, and as a result, the gap G' between the neck P2 of the subject P and the pillow body 2 disappears, and the neck P2 of the subject P is in close contact with the pillow body 2 and is stable.

[0047] In this way, even with a pillow having a pillow base 1' and pillow body 2, when subject P is in the supine position, the scapulae P3' of both shoulders fit into the gaps in the left region 1'-2 and the right region 1'-3, so the spine (especially the upper thoracic vertebrae) is stably supported by the central region 1'-1, and on the other hand, when subject P moves from the supine position to the side-lying position, the upper limb girdle portion of shoulder P3 fits into the gaps in the left region 1'-2 or the right region 1'-3 of the pillow base 1', so the subject's neck P2 is in close contact with the pillow body 2 and is stable, stabilizing side-sleeping.

[0048] FIG. 13 shows a modification of the pillow base of FIG. 10, where (A) is a top perspective view, (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in (A), and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in (A).

[0049] In the pillow base 1' of Figure 13, in the central region 1'-1' having a width W1' at the front end of the shoulder support region 20, for example, 18 cm, the urethane foam 1a is flat and its thickness T11' is the same as the thickness T1 of the urethane foam 1a in the pillow body support region 10. In other words, the thickness T11 is 8 cm. Even in this case, with a pillow using the pillow base 1' of Figure 13, when the subject P is in the supine position, the scapulae P3' of both shoulders enter the gaps in the left region 1'-2 and the right region 1'-3, so the spine (especially the upper thoracic vertebrae) is sufficiently and stably supported by the central region 1'-1'. On the other hand, when the subject P is in the lateral position, the upper limb girdle portions of the shoulders P3 enter the gaps in the left region 1'-2 or the right region 1'-3, so the neck P2 of the subject P is in close contact with the pillow body 2 and is stable, allowing for stable side sleeping.

[0050] In this way, in the pillow base 1' of FIG. 13, the thickness T11' of the urethane foam 1a in the shoulder support area 20 is set as follows: T12(T13) <T11’=T1 (4) Let's say.

[0051] In the above-described embodiment, when the subject P is in the supine position, the scapulae P3' of both shoulders of the subject P fit into the gaps in the left region 1-2 (1'-2) and the right region 1-3 (1'-3), thereby providing sufficient and stable support for the subject P's spine, particularly the upper thoracic vertebrae, in the central region 1-1 (1-1') or 1'-1 (1'-1'). To provide even more stable support, a tactile member 5 harder than the filling member of the pillow base is provided in the central region 1-1 (1-1') or 1'-1 (1'-1') at a location corresponding to the spine, particularly the upper thoracic vertebrae. For this purpose, as shown in Figure 14, which is a modified example of Figure 1, the tactile member 5 is a long rod-shaped member, such as one or more plastic pipes, inclined along the front-to-back direction of the central region 1-1 of the shoulder support region 20 and the torso support region 30, and inserted into the urethane foam 1a. In this case, the rod-shaped member does not need to be provided over the entire torso support region 30, but only in a partial region corresponding to the upper thoracic vertebrae. Although not shown, the same applies to the case of Fig. 7, in which case the rod-shaped member serving as the tactile member 5 is horizontal in the front-to-back direction of the pillow base 1. In the cases of Figs. 10 and 13, the tactile member 5 is inserted into the urethane foam 1a in the shoulder support region 20, and in the case of Fig. 10, the tactile member 5 is inclined. In this case, the tactile member 5 is a hard member that is harder than the filling member of the pillow base, but a softer hard member is easier for the subject to feel.

[0052] In the above-described embodiment, the filling material of the pillow bases 1, 1' is a flexible material such as urethane foam 1a, but other filling materials such as a mesh structure formed by randomly entangling multiple filaments of molten resin and partially heat-welding them may also be used, or beads, cotton, or the like may be sewn into a cover. The filling material 2a of the pillow main body 2 is beads, but other filling materials such as flexible materials such as urethane foam or cotton may also be used, or a three-dimensional mesh structure formed by randomly entangling multiple filaments of molten resin and partially heat-welding them. Furthermore, in the present invention, it has been found that the head P1, neck P2, and shoulders P3 of the subject P can be supported in the pillow main body 2 without providing the urethane foams 101a, 102a, and 103a of different hardness shown in FIG. 16 and the grooves 201a, 201b, and 203a shown in FIG. 17.

[0053] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the urethane foam 1a in the pillow body support region 10 and the urethane foam 1a in the central regions 1-1 and 1-1' of the shoulder support region 20 and the trunk support region 30 are flat and their thicknesses T11 and T12 (T13) are substantially constant. However, they do not necessarily have to be flat, nor do they have to be constant.

[0054] Furthermore, in the above formulas (1), (2), (3), and (4), the thickness T1 is greater than or equal to T11 (T11'). However, it is not necessarily required that the thickness T1 be greater than or equal to T11 (T11'). That is, as shown in FIG. 15, which is a modified example of FIG. 1(B), FIG. 7(B), FIG. 10(B), and FIG. 13(B), even if the thickness of the urethane foam 1a in the pillow body support region 10 is as small as T1' (<T1), the decrease ΔT in this thickness can be substantially compensated by the thickness of the pillow body 2. For example, the pillow body support region 10 may be made very thin with only a cover without a filling member. Finally, since the sum of the thickness T2 of the pillow body 2 and the thickness T1 (T1') of the pillow bases 1 and 1' of the head and neck support region is adjusted according to the height state of the head P1 of the subject P, the smaller thickness of the urethane foam 1a (T1' < T1) increases the versatility.

[0055] Furthermore, in FIGS. 15(A), (B), (C), and (D), by providing a U-shaped frame 10b with a height, for example, ΔT so as to surround the flat surface 10a for placing the pillow body in the pillow body support region 10 of the pillow bases 1 and 1', the flat surface 10a for placing the pillow body is surrounded by a wall with a height of ΔT. However, the U-shaped frame 10b does not necessarily have to be U-shaped and does not have to be formed at both ends. This makes it easier for the pillow body 2 to be placed and prevents it from slipping. Note that the frame 10b is composed of the urethane foam 1a of the pillow bases 1 and 1'.

[0056] Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to any modification within the obvious scope of the above-described embodiment.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0057] 1, 1': Pillow base 1-1, 1-1', 1'-1, 1'-1': Central region 1-2, 1'-2: left area 1-3, 1'-3: Right area 1a: urethane foam 2: Pillow body 2a: Filler 3: Open zipper 4: Pillowcase 5: Sensitive material 10: Pillow body support area 10a: Flat surface for placing the pillow body 10b: Frame 10': Head and neck support area 20: Shoulder support area 30: Torso support area 100: Pillow base 100a: urethane foam 101: Head support area 101a: urethane foam 102: Cervical support area 102a: urethane foam 103: Shoulder / Chest Support Area 103a: urethane foam 200: Pillow base 200a: urethane foam 201: Head support area 201a, 201b: Groove 202: Cervical support area 203: Shoulder support area 203a: Groove 204: Torso support area P: Subject P1:Head P2: Cervical P3: Shoulder P3': Scapula

Claims

1. A pillow base having a pillow body support area having a flat surface for placing the pillow body on the upper side, a shoulder support area located on the front side of the pillow body support area, and a torso support area located on the front side of the shoulder support area, The pillow base in the left-right central region of the shoulder support region and the torso support region has a first thickness (T11), The pillow base in the left and right regions of the central region in the left-right direction of the shoulder support region and the torso support region has a second thickness (T12, T13), A pillow base in which the first thickness (T11) is greater than the second thickness (T12, T13).

2. The pillow base according to claim 1, wherein the pillow base in the pillow body support region has a third thickness (T1), the third thickness (T1) being equal to or greater than the first thickness (T11).

3. The pillow base according to claim 1, wherein the second thickness (T12, T13) is constant in the left and right regions of the central region in the left-right direction of the shoulder support region and the torso support region.

4. The pillow base according to claim 1, wherein the first thickness (T11) gradually decreases as it moves away from the pillow body support region.

5. The pillow base according to claim 1, wherein the first thickness (T11) is substantially constant.

6. The pillow base according to claim 4, wherein the third thickness (T1') of the pillow base in the pillow body support region is the maximum value of the first thickness (T11) or is smaller than the maximum value.

7. The pillow base according to claim 5, wherein the third thickness (T1') of the pillow base in the pillow body support region is smaller than the first thickness (T11) or the first thickness (T11).

8. The pillow base according to claim 1, wherein a tactile member is provided in the central region in the left-right direction of the shoulder support region and the torso support region.

9. The pillow base according to claim 8, wherein the tactile member is a rod-shaped member that is long in the front-rear direction of the pillow base.

10. A pillow base having a pillow body support area on the upper side having a flat surface for placing the pillow body and a shoulder support area located on the front side of the pillow body support area, The pillow base in the left-right central region of the shoulder support region has a first thickness (T11'), The pillow base in the left and right regions of the central region in the left-right direction of the shoulder support region has a second thickness (T12, T13), The first thickness (T11') is greater than the second thickness (T12, T13).

11. The pillow base of claim 10, wherein the pillow base in the pillow body support region has a third thickness (T1), and the third thickness (T1) is greater than or equal to the first thickness (T11').

12. The pillow base according to claim 10, wherein the second thickness (T12, T13) is constant in the left and right regions of the central region in the left-right direction of the shoulder support region.

13. The pillow base according to claim 10, wherein the first thickness (T11') gradually decreases as it moves away from the pillow body support region.

14. The pillow base according to claim 10, wherein the first thickness (T11') is substantially constant.

15. The pillow base according to claim 13, wherein the third thickness (T1') of the pillow base in the pillow body support region is the maximum value of the first thickness (T11') or is smaller than the maximum value.

16. The pillow base according to claim 14, wherein the third thickness (T1') of the pillow base in the pillow body support region is smaller than the first thickness (T11') or the first thickness (T11').

17. The pillow base according to claim 10, wherein a tactile member is provided in the central region in the left-right direction of the shoulder support region.

18. The pillow base according to claim 17, wherein the tactile member is a rod-shaped member that is long in the front-rear direction of the pillow base.

19. The width of the central region gradually decreases as it moves away from the pillow body support region, The pillow base according to claim 1 or 10, wherein the widths of the left and right regions gradually increase as they move away from the pillow body support region.

20. A pillow base as described in claim 1 or 10, wherein the boundaries between the central region of the shoulder support region and the torso support region in the left-right direction and the left and right regions are linear along the front-to-back direction of the pillow base.

21. The pillow base according to claim 1 or 10; a pillow body provided on the flat surface for placing the pillow body in the pillow body support area.

22. The pillow according to claim 21, wherein the sum of the thickness of the pillow body and the first value is adjusted according to the height of the subject's head.

23. The pillow according to claim 21, wherein the pillow base and the pillow body are joined by stitching.

24. 22. The pillow according to claim 21, wherein the pillow body is placed on the pillow base without stitching.

25. 22. The pillow according to claim 21, wherein the filling material of the pillow base and the pillow body is a three-dimensional mesh structure made of urethane foam, beads, cotton, or a plurality of thread-like molten resins randomly entangled and partially heat-welded.

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