pillow

Abstract

In this pillow, a main support section applies pressure in a planar manner and supports at least the area from the left end of the part at which the trapezius muscle is attached to the occipital bone to the part at which the left sternocleidomastoid muscle is attached to the occipital bone and the area from the right end of the part at which the trapezius muscle is attached to the occipital bone to the part at which the right sternocleidomastoid muscle is attached to the occipital bone in the area between the superior and inferior nuchal lines of the occipital bone in a person lying face upward. An auxiliary support section having a lower support height than the main support section applies pressure to and supports the part of the head on the parietal side from the superior nuchal line in a person lying face upward. The pillow does not comprise a member that applies pressure and supports below the temporal muscle of the person lying face upward.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to pillows, and more particularly to the pillow's ability to facilitate breathing for the user. [Background technology]

[0002] Being able to breathe easily even in a sleeping position is essential for the quality of sleep. Therefore, pillows are required to have the function of making breathing easier for the user. To make breathing easier, especially when lying on one's back, it is necessary to maintain an appropriate head angle. If the head is tilted too far forward (i.e., if the chin is lowered too much), the airway is compressed, which can make breathing difficult. Conversely, if the head is tilted too far back (i.e., if the chin is raised too much), the base of the tongue sinks into the throat, which can lead to apnea. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pillow that supports the neck to the back of the head, reducing the support force at the back of the head to prevent the chin from dropping. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-081248 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with a pillow like that in Patent Document 1, the pressure distribution of the pillow is spread over a wide area from the back of the head to the neck, making it easy for the head to shift. In particular, if the head shifts in the vertical direction of the pillow (in the direction of height), the center of pressure distribution is likely to shift significantly above or below the center of gravity of the head in the vertical direction of the pillow 10. The resulting torque causes the head to tilt significantly, hindering breathing.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, and to provide a pillow that focuses on the stage at which the head begins to slip vertically on the pillow, and by improving this stage, effectively suppresses slippage and keeps the head stable so that it does not tilt too much, and moreover does not have a negative effect on breathing, but rather makes breathing easier. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The pillow according to the present invention comprises: a main support part which is an upwardly protruding elastic member and which applies pressure to at least the area between the upper and lower nuchal lines of the occipital bone of a person lying on their back, from the left end of the part where the trapezius muscle attaches to the occipital bone to the part where the left sternocleidomastoid muscle attaches to the occipital bone, and from the right end of the part where the trapezius muscle attaches to the occipital bone to the part where the right sternocleidomastoid muscle attaches to the occipital bone, thereby providing planar support; a secondary support part that has elasticity, is set to a support height lower than that of the main support part, and applies pressure to the head of the person on the parietal side of the upper nape to support the head, The pillow is characterized in that there is no member that applies pressure to support the person's temporalis muscle below the person's temporalis muscle. The above-mentioned "area between the superior and inferior nuchal lines of the occipital bone of a person lying on their back, from the left end of the part where the trapezius muscle attaches to the occipital bone to the part where the left sternocleidomastoid muscle attaches to the occipital bone" will be referred to as the "left specified area" hereinafter. In addition, the above-mentioned "area between the superior and inferior nuchal lines of the occipital bone of a person lying on their back, from the right end of the part where the trapezius muscle attaches to the occipital bone to the part where the right sternocleidomastoid muscle attaches to the occipital bone" will be referred to as the "right specified area" hereinafter. Furthermore, pillows are usually provided with pillowcases, but the pillow of the present invention is meant to include pillows that do not have pillowcases.

[0007] In the present invention, the term "occipital bone" refers to the dish-shaped bone SA that forms the back and bottom of the skull (see Figures 1A and 1B). The term "external occipital protuberance" refers to the convex portion SA1 located in the center of the outer surface of the occipital bone SA. The term "superior nuchal line" refers to the line SA4 drawn in an arching manner in the lateral direction from just below the external occipital protuberance SA1 to the base of the mastoid process SC1, as shown in Figure 1B. The term "inferior nuchal line" refers to the line SA5 drawn in an arching manner in the lateral direction from below the superior nuchal line to the tip (lower end) of the mastoid process SC1, as shown in the same figure. The term "parietal bones" refers to the pair of rectangular bones SB that form the top and upper left and right sides of the skull. The term "temporal bones" refers to the pair of trapezoid bones SC that form the lower left and right sides of the skull. As shown in Figure 1A, the attachment MB1 of the sternocleidomastoid muscle MB extends from the superior nuchal line SA4 on the occipital bone SA to the superior nuchal line SA4 on the temporal bone SC and further to the mastoid process SC1 on the temporal bone SC.

[0008] Furthermore, in the present invention, with regard to the support height of the auxiliary support part, the phrase "the support height of the auxiliary support part is set lower than that of the main support part" means that when the corresponding part of the head of a person lying on their back is placed on the main support part and the auxiliary support part and the support heights of the main support part and the auxiliary support part are compared after the person sinks down, the support height of the auxiliary support part is set lower than the support height of the main support part.

[0009] Furthermore, "supporting by applying pressure" means that when the weight (body pressure) of a person lying on their back is applied to the main support part, a pushing-back elastic pressure (elastic repulsive force) is applied to the relevant part as a reaction, and this pushing-back elastic pressure (elastic repulsive force) is applied to support (support) at the desired height. Therefore, if there is only contact or the elastic repulsive force is negligible, it does not mean that pressure is applied to support (support) at the desired height. Furthermore, "applying pressure to provide planar support" means that the above-mentioned elastic pressure (elastic repulsive force) is applied to support the object at the desired height, thereby providing planar support (support). Therefore, if the object is merely pressed against a surface in a single line, it is not planar support and does not provide stable support, and therefore does not constitute planar support by applying pressure. Conversely, if a large number of protrusions (point-like protrusions) are provided to provide point-like contact and support is provided using these point-like protrusions, although the contact area is significantly smaller than that of a surface itself, it provides stable support similar to that of a surface, and therefore falls within the category of planar support and means planar support.

[0010] Furthermore, "there is no member that applies pressure to provide support" means that the elastic pressure (elastic repulsive force) that pushes back is not actively applied to the relevant area (temporal muscle), and there is no support member that would strongly compress the temporal muscle and make it more likely to cause blood flow disorders. Therefore, if a space is provided in the relevant area or the structure is modified so that pressure is not actively applied to the relevant area, it naturally means that there is no support member. However, the above "there is no member that applies pressure to provide support" is not limited to such cases. In other words, even if a member is present in the relevant area, if that member is very soft and does not have a significant adverse effect on the main support part or does not strongly compress the temporal muscle and make it more likely to cause blood flow disorders, it means that there is no member that applies pressure to provide support. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the pillow of the present invention, the support height of the secondary support portion is set lower than that of the primary support portion. The primary support portion, which has a higher support height, applies pressure to the left and right predetermined regions SA7 (see FIG. 1B) of the occipital bone SA, which faces diagonally upward, to provide planar support. The left and right predetermined regions SA7 that provide planar support are close to the position of the head's center of gravity G (see FIG. 4B). The weight of the head (body pressure) is not distributed at the temporalis muscle MA. This concentration of head weight concentrates on the primary support portion. This prevents the head from easily starting to move vertically on the pillow 10, effectively preventing it from developing into a large shift, and allows the head angle to be more stably maintained. In other words, it effectively prevents the head from easily tilting too far, which has been considered difficult. Furthermore, with the pillow of the present invention, the areas that the primary support portion applies pressure to provide planar support are the left and right predetermined regions SA7 of the occipital bone SA, so there is no compressive stress and no adverse effects on breathing.

[0012] Rather, with the pillow of the present invention, the entire cervical vertebrae C1-C7 can be naturally maintained in a curved shape, just like when standing upright, preventing compression of the airway and neck muscles, particularly the respiratory muscles such as the sternocleidomastoid muscle MB, anterior scalene, middle scalene, and posterior scalene (not shown).

[0013] Furthermore, even when sleeping in a supine position, it does not necessarily mean that the face is always facing upwards; in many cases, the face is turned slightly to the side. Even for people sleeping in this supine position, there is no supportive element that applies pressure to the lower part of the temporalis muscle MA, so there is no blood flow disorder (deterioration of blood flow) due to compression of the temporalis muscle MA. Because this blood flow disorder is prevented, there is no tension in the temporalis muscle MA and the muscles connected to it, such as the neck and shoulders, dizziness, headaches, or autonomic nervous system disorders, and breathing is easier.

[0014] Preferably, the main support portion includes a left sternocleidomastoid muscle support portion 66 (see FIGS. 3 and 4A) that applies pressure from below to the insertion portion MB1 of the sternocleidomastoid muscle MB, which attaches from the superior nuchal line S4 to the mastoid process SC1 of the left temporal bone SC of a supine person, and a right sternocleidomastoid muscle support portion 66 that applies pressure from below to the insertion portion MB1 of the sternocleidomastoid muscle MB, which attaches from the superior nuchal line S4 to the mastoid process SC1 of the right temporal bone SC of the supine person. When the left and right sternocleidomastoid muscle support portions 66 apply pressure from below to support the insertion portion MB1 of the sternocleidomastoid muscle MB, tension is relaxed not only at the insertion portion MB1 but also along the entire longitudinal direction of the sternocleidomastoid muscle MB for a supine person, improving the movement of the sternocleidomastoid muscle MB during breathing, making both inhalation and exhalation smoother and easing breathing.

[0015] When the sternocleidomastoid muscle support portion 66 is provided on the main support portion, it is preferable that the height of the main support portion is formed in an inclined, arc-shaped, or stepped shape so that the height on the left and right sternocleidomastoid muscle support portion 66 side is higher than the height on the left and right intermediate side of the main support portion (i.e., so that the height of the left and right outer portions of the main support portion is higher). This makes it possible to effectively compensate for any insufficient elastic resilience of the sternocleidomastoid muscle support portion 66 at the insertion portion MB1 of the sternocleidomastoid muscle MB.

[0016] As mentioned above, the pillow of the present invention can effectively prevent the head from slipping in the vertical direction of the pillow 10, but if the force of slippage upward in the vertical direction of the pillow 10 is large and it is desired to strongly stop this, it is sufficient to further provide a main regulating part that protrudes higher than the sub-support part at a position opposite the main support part with respect to the sub-support part (see reference numeral 90 in Figures 4A, 6 and 8). This main regulating part can be formed separately from or integral with the sub-support part.

[0017] The main support portion may be formed to be inclined or curved so as to approach the shoulders of the person as it moves outward in the lateral direction of the person (see reference numeral 660 in FIG. 5(a)). [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a human skull. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1 is a diagram of the back of a person's head. [Figure 2] 1(a) is a perspective view of a pillow according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1(b) is an exploded view of the pillow shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the base shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4A] FIG. 2 is a top view of the pillow shown. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along the center line CL shown in FIG. 4A. [Figure 5] 1(a) is a perspective view of a base according to a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a pillow according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the center line in the left-right lateral direction of the pillow of the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an exploded view of a pillow according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 10(a) is a perspective view of a base according to another modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a top view of the base shown in (a). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] [First embodiment] FIG. 2(a) is a top view of a pillow 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is an exploded view of the pillow 10. The pillow 10 is a flat rectangular plate and is made up of three layers: a base (bottom layer) 20, an intermediate layer 30, and a surface layer 40. These layers 20-40 are all made of elastic, flat, rectangular plates of soft foamed resin and are bonded together. The lengths of the long sides in the left and right horizontal directions and the short sides in the vertical direction of the pillow 10 are the same for all three layers. Meanwhile, the thickness (height) of the base 20 is the largest, while the thicknesses of the intermediate layer 30 and the surface layer 40 are approximately the same.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the base 20. The top surface 21 of the base 20 is flat, from which only the main support portion 60 and the secondary support portion 80 protrude upward. Both support portions 60 and 80 are made of a soft foam resin that is harder than the three layers 20-40 and are bonded to the top surface 21 of the base 20. The main support portion 60 has an elongated rectangular parallelepiped shape and is located near the long side 22 on one side of the base 20 (the positive side of the X-axis in the figure) and its longitudinal direction is parallel to the long side 22. The secondary support portion 80 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is shorter than the main support portion 60 and is located near the long side 23 on the opposite side of the base 20 (the negative side of the X-axis in the figure) and is spaced apart from the main support portion 60 and its longitudinal direction is parallel to the long side 23. Both the top surface 61 of the main support portion 60 and the top surface 81 of the secondary support portion 80 are rectangular flat surfaces when no load is applied from above and are parallel to the top surface 21 of the base 20.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, a hole 41 is opened in the surface layer 40 above the main support portion 60 and the sub-support portion 80 (in the positive direction of the Z axis in the figure). The hole 41 extends from a long side 42 on one side of the surface layer 40 (in the positive side of the X axis in the figure) to the center, exposing a portion 31 of the intermediate layer 30 that covers the main support portion 60 and the sub-support portion 80 on the inside. A main regulating portion 90 is installed between the hole 41 and a long side 43 on the opposite side of the surface layer 40 (in the negative side of the X axis in the figure), and one sub-regulating portion 95 is installed on each side of the hole 41 in the lateral direction of the pillow 10 (in the Y axis direction in the figure). Both regulating portions 90, 95 are made of a soft foam resin, for example, soft urethane foam, in the shape of an elongated rectangular parallelepiped, and are bonded to the upper surface 44 of the surface layer 40. The main regulating portion 90 extends parallel to the left and right lateral direction of the pillow 10 (Y-axis direction in the figure), and the sub-regulating portion 95 extends parallel to the vertical direction of the pillow 10 (X-axis direction in the figure).

[0022] Fig. 4A is a top view of the pillow 10, and Fig. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along the center line CL shown in Fig. 4A. The head HD of a person lying on their back is accommodated inside the hole 41 in the surface layer 40 and rests on the upper surface 61 of the main support portion 60 and the upper surface 81 of the secondary support portion 80. At this time, the middle layer 30 made of a soft elastic sheet material covers the main support portion 60 and the secondary support portion 80, so that the head HD is less likely to feel any corners between the main support portion 60 and the secondary support portion 80, and the head HD feels softer than if the main support portion 60 and the secondary support portion 80 were in direct contact. Furthermore, the movement of the head HD is restricted by the main restricting portion 90 and the secondary restricting portion 95 if it attempts to exceed the allowable range. That is, protrusion from the hole 41 in the surface layer 40 toward the long side 43 of the surface layer 40 (toward the negative X-axis in the figure) is prevented by the side surface 91 of the main regulating portion 90, and protrusion from the hole 41 toward the short side of the surface layer 40 (toward the Y-axis in the figure) is prevented by the side surface of the secondary regulating portion 95.

[0023] [Details of the main support and secondary support] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4A, the upper surface 61 of the main support portion 60 and the upper surface 81 of the sub-support portion 80 are both symmetrical in the left-right lateral direction (Y-axis direction in the drawings) with respect to the center line CL.

[0024] The width W1 of the upper surface 61 of the main support part 60 in the left-right horizontal direction of the pillow 10 shown in Fig. 3 (Y-axis direction in the figure) is wider than the width W2 of the upper surface 81 of the sub-support part 80, but as shown in Fig. 4A, it is narrower than the width of the head HD, and more specifically, slightly narrower than the width between the left and right ears. Furthermore, the center of the upper surface 61 of the main support part 60 in the left-right horizontal direction is such that the upper edge is located at the center in the left-right horizontal direction of the upper nape line SA4 of a person lying on their back as shown in Fig. 1B, and the lower edge is located near the lower edge of the occipital bone SA below the center in the left-right horizontal direction of the lower nape line SA5 of the person as shown in Fig. 1B. On both sides of the center of the upper surface 61 of the main support part 60 in the left-right horizontal direction, the upper edges are curved upward in the vertical direction of the pillow 10 (X-axis direction in the figure) to enlarge the area. As a result, for a person lying on his back, the upper surface 61 of the main support part 60 applies planar pressure to support the region SA7 from the left end TR1 of the trapezius muscle TR attached to the occipital bone SA to the portion of the left sternocleidomastoid muscle MBP attached to the occipital bone SA, and the region SA7 from the right end TR2 of the trapezius muscle TR attached to the occipital bone SA to the portion of the right sternocleidomastoid muscle MBP attached to the occipital bone SA. Furthermore, the main support part 60 is provided with sternocleidomastoid muscle support parts 66 integrally at both left and right ends by extending in the left and right lateral directions, and the upper surfaces of the sternocleidomastoid muscle support parts 66 apply pressure from below to support the left and right sternocleidomastoid muscles MB1 attached to the temporal bone SC from the superior nuchal line S4 to the mastoid process SC1 (FIGS. 1B, 3, 4A, and 4B).

[0025] 3, the height H1 of the upper surface 61 of the main support part 60 relative to the upper surface 21 of the base 20 is set higher than the height H2 of the upper surface 81 of the auxiliary support part 80. For example, the height H1 of the upper surface 61 of the main support part 60 is within a range of 3 cm to 9 cm. On the other hand, the height H2 of the upper surface 81 of the auxiliary support part 80 is within a range of 1 cm to 5 cm. What is important about the heights H1 and H2 is the support height of the main support part 60 and the auxiliary support part 80 after sinking when the weight of the head HD is applied, rather than the height when the weight of the head HD is not applied. In this embodiment, too, the support height of the main support part 60 is set higher than the support height of the auxiliary support part 80, as shown in FIG. 4B.

[0026] 4A and 4B, the main support portion 60 is located closer to the head than the first cervical vertebra C1 of a person lying on their back, and no member is provided to support the area from below the first cervical vertebra C1 to the second cervical vertebra C2. Furthermore, no member is provided to support the temporalis muscle MA of the person by applying pressure from below. Therefore, pressure is not applied from below to the area from the first cervical vertebra C1 to the second cervical vertebra C2 of the person and to the temporalis muscle MA.

[0027] [Modification of the first embodiment] (A) The above-described shapes, sizes, and hardnesses of the base 20, intermediate layer 30, and surface layer 40 are merely examples, and may be varied in various ways. In particular, the thicknesses of the intermediate layer 30 and the surface layer 40 may differ significantly, and the hardnesses of the three layers 20, 30, and 40 may differ significantly.

[0028] (B) The top surface 61 of the main support part 60 and the top surface 81 of the auxiliary support part 80 are not limited to being planes parallel to the top surface 21 of the base 20. The top surface 61 of the main support part 60 may be formed in an inclined, arcuate, or stepped shape so that the height of the top surface 61 of the main support part 60 is higher on the sternocleidomastoid muscle support part 66 side at both ends than on the left and right intermediate sides. Furthermore, although there are corners on the periphery of both the top surface 61 of the main support part 60 and the top surface 81 of the auxiliary support part 80, these are not essential to the present invention and may be removed by chamfering or rounding.

[0029] (C) In the pillow 10, the base 20, intermediate layer 30, and surface layer 40 are bonded to one another. However, the pillow according to the present invention is not limited to this laminated structure and may be integrally molded. Furthermore, the intermediate layer 30 and the surface layer 40 are not essential to the present invention and may be omitted. In particular, instead of covering the entire upper surface 21 of the base 20 with the intermediate layer 30, only the main support portion 60 and the secondary support portion 80 may be covered with a film or sheet that is softer than either of them. Furthermore, the gap between the base 20 and intermediate layer 30 or the gap between the intermediate layer 30 and the neck shown in FIG. 4B may be filled with a material, such as cotton, that is soft enough that the resilience due to elasticity is negligible or considered to be negligible. If the intermediate layer 30 itself has such flexibility, the intermediate layer 30 may be thick enough to prevent gaps from forming between the intermediate layer 30 and the base 20 or the neck.

[0030] (D) As shown in Fig. 2, the main regulating part 90 is installed on the upper surface 44 of the surface layer 40. On the other hand, in cases where the surface layer 40 is omitted, etc., the main regulating part may be installed on the upper surface 21 of the base 20. In this case, the main regulating part is located on the opposite side of the main support part 60 from the auxiliary support part 80 (the negative side of the X-axis in Fig. 3), and it is sufficient that the main regulating part protrudes higher than the auxiliary support part 80. The main regulating part is on the side facing the auxiliary support part 80, and can strongly prevent the head HD in the position shown in Fig. 4A from moving upward in the vertical direction of the pillow 10 beyond the allowable range.

[0031] (E) As shown in Figures 2 and 4A, the side surface 91 of the main restriction part 90 facing the auxiliary support part 80 is as wide as the hole 41 of the surface layer 40 in the left-right lateral direction of the pillow 10 (the Y-axis direction in the figure). Alternatively, the side surface of the main restriction part may be narrowed so as to be positioned more inside than the attachment part MB1 of the sternocleidomastoid muscle MB in the left-right lateral direction of the head HD (the Y-axis direction in the figure), similar to the upper surface 81 of the auxiliary support part 80 shown in Figure 4A.

[0032] (F) As shown in Figures 3 and 4A, the side surface 63 of the main support part 60 is curved. The side surface 82 of the sub-support part 80 facing the main support part 60 may also be curved so as to approach the main support part 60 as it moves away from the center line CL in the left-right lateral direction of the pillow 10 (the Y-axis direction in the figure).

[0033] (G) As shown in Figures 3 and 4B, the side surface 63 of the main support 60 facing the secondary support 80 is inclined, and the side surface 82 of the secondary support 80 facing the main support 60 is inclined. However, neither inclination is essential to the present invention, and both the side surfaces 63 and 82 may be perpendicular to the upper surface 21 of the base 20.

[0034] 4B (H), the side surface 62 of the main support part 60 that does not face the secondary support part 80 is perpendicular to the upper surface 21 of the base 20. However, if the main support part 60 is positioned in a state in which it does not apply pressure to the first cervical vertebra C1, the side surface 62 may be inclined toward the thoracic vertebrae (the positive side of the X-axis in the drawing) as it approaches the upper surface 21 of the base 20 from the upper surface 61 of the main support part 60. In this case, the inclination angle or shape of the side surface 62 may be designed so that the side surface 62 does not apply pressure to the first cervical vertebra C1.

[0035] (I) As shown in Fig. 4A, the side surface 62 of the main support portion 60 that does not face the sub-support portion 80 is parallel to the left-right lateral direction (the Y-axis direction in the figure) of the pillow 10. Alternatively, the side surface of the main support portion that does not face the sub-support portion may be bent or curved as described below.

[0036] 5(a) is a perspective view of a base 200 according to a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a top view of the base 200. The base 200 differs from the base 20 shown in Fig. 3 only in the following respect: the side surface 620 of the main support part 60 that does not face the secondary support part 80 is curved so as to approach the shoulder SH as it moves outward from the same location as the cervical vertebrae C1-C7 in the lateral direction (Y-axis direction in the figure) of a person lying on their back.

[0037] The side surface 620 of the main support part 60 is located closer to the parietal side of the first cervical vertebra C1 (on the negative side of the X-axis in the figure) than the first cervical vertebra C1 in the lateral direction (the Y-axis direction in the figure) of a supine person. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5(b), at least the area from the first cervical vertebra C1 to the second cervical vertebra C2 does not exert weight on the intermediate layer 30 and base 20 directly below, and no component applies pressure to that area. Therefore, the entire cervical vertebrae C1-C7 naturally maintain a curved shape similar to that observed when standing upright. Furthermore, even if the first cervical vertebra C1 is displaced toward the parietal side (on the negative side of the X-axis in the figure) due to an involuntary change in the posture of a supine person, the first cervical vertebra C1 is unlikely to reach above the central part 67 of the main support part 60 shown in FIG. 5, making it unlikely that the pressure from the main support part 60 will compress the airway. Conversely, even if the first cervical vertebra C1 is displaced toward the thoracic vertebrae (the positive side of the X-axis in the figure), the portion 660 of the main support part 60 that is separated from the lower portion of the cervical vertebrae C1-C7 extends long toward the cervical vertebrae side of the occipital bone SA (the positive side of the X-axis in the figure), and therefore the pressure of this portion 660 can fully support the portion MB1 of the sternocleidomastoid muscle MB that is attached to the mastoid process SC1 all the way down in the height direction.

[0038] (J) The main support part may be cut out at the same location as the cervical vertebrae of a supine person in the left-right lateral direction. For example, a portion including the side surface 620 of the central part 67 of the main support part 60 shown in Figure 5 may be removed, or the entire central part 67 may be removed. In this case, even if the first cervical vertebra C1 is displaced toward the parietal side, it will not be positioned above the main support part 60, and therefore the airway will not be compressed by the pressure of the main support part 60.

[0039] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 6 is an exploded view of a pillow 100 of the second embodiment, and Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the center line of the pillow in the left-right lateral direction. It is a perspective view of the base portion. In the following, the same or corresponding members as those of the first embodiment are given the same names and symbols, and their explanations will be omitted.

[0040] The pillow 100 of the second embodiment has a base layer 50 below the base 20. The materials of the base 20 and base layer 50 are substantially the same as the materials of the layers 20-40 in the first embodiment, and both can be made from a flat rectangular plate of soft foam resin, for example, soft urethane foam with a 25% hardness of less than 60N. The base 20 and base layer 50 are bonded to each other.

[0041] Main support portions 60, 60 are provided on the upper surface 21 of the base 20, protruding upward. In this embodiment, the main support portions 60, 60 are notched at their lateral central portions to accommodate the external occipital protuberance SA1. They are spaced apart symmetrically, forming a space 70 between them. The main support portions 60, 60 are identical except for their lateral symmetry. The space 70 is positioned on an extension of the cervical vertebrae of a person lying on their back, and its lateral width is set to be greater than the lateral width of the external occipital protuberance SA1 of a person lying on their back. In this embodiment, the base end of the main support portion 60 corresponds to the upper surface 21 of the base 20, and its upper end corresponds to the upper surface 61 of the main support portion 60. The edge of the upper surface 61 of the main support portion 60 on the negative side of the X-axis (i.e., on the side of the auxiliary support portion 80, as described below) is provided with an inclined portion 64 that slopes downward as if it were chamfered. On the other hand, the side surface 62 of the main support part 60 on the positive side of the X-axis (the side surface 62 of the main support part 60 that does not face the secondary support part 80) is inclined so as to approach the shoulder SH as it moves outward from the same location as the cervical vertebrae C1-C7 in the left and right lateral direction of a person lying on their back (the Y-axis direction in the figure).

[0042] The auxiliary support section 80 in the second embodiment is configured as a part of the flat base 20. Specifically, the base 20 in the second embodiment has through-holes 110 formed symmetrically on the left and right sides at positions below the temporalis muscle MA of a person lying on their back, and the occipital region (in this embodiment, the region SA3 on the parietal side of the occipital bone SA) on the parietal side of the superior nape SA4 is placed on a connecting section 120 between the left and right through-holes 110. The portion of the connecting section 120 on which the head is placed corresponds to the auxiliary support section 80 in this embodiment. In this case, the base end of the auxiliary support section 80 corresponds to the base end of the connecting section 120 in the thickness direction at that portion, i.e., the lower surface (rear surface) of the base 20 at that portion, and the upper end of the auxiliary support section 80 corresponds to the upper end of the connecting section 120 in the thickness direction at that portion, i.e., the upper surface 21 of the base 20 at that portion.

[0043] As shown in Figure 6, the width of this connecting portion 120 in the left and right lateral direction (Y-axis direction in the figure) is set to be narrower than the distance between the insertion points MB1 of the left and right sternocleidomastoid muscles MB of a person lying on their back.

[0044] The top surface 21 of the base 20 is also provided with a parietal-side restricting portion 130 and a lateral restricting portion 95. The parietal-side restricting portion 130 is provided so as to protrude upward from the top surface 21 of the base 20, and a protruding portion 90 that further protrudes in the positive direction of the X axis is formed on its side surface on the positive side of the X axis (therefore, the side facing the parietal of a person lying on their back). The width in the left-right direction of the side surface 91 of this protruding portion 90 closest to the parietal (therefore, the convex end surface 91 that protrudes most in the positive direction of the X axis) is narrower than the width in the left-right direction of the connecting portion 120. This protruding portion 90 restricts positional deviation of the head HD in the negative direction of the X axis. In the second embodiment, this protruding portion 90 corresponds to the "main restricting portion."

[0045] The lateral restriction portions 95 are provided further outward from the left and right main support portions 60, 60, and are configured to protrude upward from the upper surface 21 of the base 20. The left and right lateral restriction portions 95, 95 have the same configuration, and their protruding height (height in the positive direction of the Z axis measured from the upper surface of the base) is set to be greater than the protruding height of the main support portion 60. These left and right lateral restriction portions 95, 95 restrict positional deviation of the head HD in the left and right lateral directions (Y-axis direction in the figure) that exceeds the allowable range. In the second embodiment, these lateral restriction portions 95, 95 correspond to the "sub-restrictions."

[0046] [Third embodiment] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 8 is an exploded view of a pillow 300 of the third embodiment. In the following, the same or corresponding members as those of the first and second embodiments are given the same names and symbols, and their description will be omitted.

[0047] The pillow 300 of the third embodiment differs from the pillow 100 of the second embodiment only in that a through-hole 140 is provided in the connecting portion 120 of the pillow 100 of the second embodiment at a position closer to the main support portion 60. This through-hole 140 is formed as an elongated hole extending in the X-axis direction, extending from the space 70 between the left and right main support portions 60 to just before the area corresponding to the sub-support portion 80. Furthermore, when a person lies supine with the area SA2 between the superior nuchal line SA4 and the inferior nuchal line SA5 of the occipital bone SA placed on the main support portions 60, 60, this through-hole 140 is located below the external occipital protuberance SA1, and its width in the left-right direction is set to be larger than the width of the external occipital protuberance SA1 in the left-right direction. As a result, the external occipital protuberance SA1 of a person lying on their back is positioned within the through-hole 140 when viewed from above.

[0048] The pillow 300 of the third embodiment configured as described above achieves substantially the same effects as the pillow 100 of the second embodiment. In addition, since the through-hole 140 is provided below the external occipital protuberance SA1 of a person lying on their back and is large enough to fit the external occipital protuberance SA1, no pressure is applied to the external occipital protuberance SA1 when lying on their back. Furthermore, since the through-hole 140 is formed as an elongated hole extending in the X-axis direction, no pressure is applied to the external occipital protuberance SA1 even if the head HD is displaced in the X-axis direction.

[0049] [Modifications of the second and third embodiments] (K) The through-hole 110 in the second and third embodiments does not necessarily have to be completely through, and may be configured as a bottomed hole. Both bottomed and bottomless holes may be configured as "recesses." This also applies to the through-hole 140 in the third embodiment, and may be configured as a "recess" regardless of whether it has a bottom or not. Furthermore, the interior of such a recess does not have to be completely hollow, and may be filled with, for example, a material that is much more flexible than the surrounding material and has little or no repulsive force even when weight is applied.

[0050] (L) In the third embodiment, the through hole 140 is configured as an elongated hole, but it does not necessarily have to be an elongated hole (oval when viewed from above), and may be a circular hole that is a perfect circle when viewed from above or a recess of other shapes.

[0051] [Modifications of the first, second and third embodiments] (M) In the first, second, and third embodiments, the range of support by applying pressure is not limited to the vicinity of the inferior nape line SA5, but may be such that pressure is applied beyond the inferior nape line SA5 to the lower edge SA6 of the occipital bone SA (see FIG. 1B). Note that the main support part 60 shown in FIG. 5 of the first embodiment, the main support part 60 shown in FIG. 6 of the second embodiment, and the main support part 60 shown in FIG. 8 of the third embodiment are all configured to protrude downward in the vertical direction (height direction) of the pillow toward the outer sides in the left and right lateral directions of the pillow, so that the range of support by applying pressure can be such that support is provided beyond the inferior nape line SA5 to the lower edge SA6 of the occipital bone SA (see FIG. 1B), and the sternocleidomastoid muscle support part 66 can apply pressure to provide support up to the lower end in the height direction of the sternocleidomastoid muscle MB attached to the mastoid process SC1.

[0052] (N) Furthermore, in the first, second and third embodiments, support is provided by applying pressure on the surface of the main support portion 60. However, even if the support portion takes the form of a large number of small protrusions when no head weight is applied, and the large number of small protrusions are crushed to form a surface when the head weight is applied, this does not affect the planar concept of the present invention and is included in the concept of planar support of the present invention.

[0053] (O) Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the surface of the main regulating section 90 facing the sub-support section 80 is a straight surface, and in the second and third embodiments, the sub-support section 80 side of the main regulating section is formed as a convex protrusion 90 that is narrower than the width of the connecting section 120 in the left-right direction. However, this is not limited to this, and the sub-support section side of the main regulating section may be formed as a concave recess that is narrower than the width of the parietal bone in the left-right direction of a person lying on their back, for example, opposite to the protrusion 90.

[0054] 9(a) is a perspective view of a base 2000 according to another modification of the first embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a top view of the base 2000. In the first, second, and third embodiments of the present invention, when a person lies on their back with the region SA2 between the superior nuchal line SA4 and the inferior nuchal line SA5 of the occipital bone SA placed on the main support part 60, not only the range from the first cervical vertebra C1 to the second cervical vertebra C2 of the person lying on their back, but also the range from the third cervical vertebra C3 to the seventh cervical vertebra C7 are not provided with any member that applies pressure from below to support them. However, this is not limited to this, and it is also possible not to provide any member that applies pressure from below to at least the range from the first cervical vertebra C1 to the second cervical vertebra C2 of the person lying on their back, or at least the first cervical vertebra C1 of the person lying on their back.

[0055] The base 2000 shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) differs from the base 20 shown in FIG. 3 in the following points indicated by the two-dot chain lines in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b). That is, the base 2000 extends vertically downward (positive side of the X-axis in the figure) of the pillow 10 beyond the range from the first cervical vertebra C1 to the second cervical vertebra C2 (upper cervical vertebrae) to the lower side (negative direction of the Z-axis in the figure) of the range from the third cervical vertebra C3 to the seventh cervical vertebra C7 (lower cervical vertebrae), and on the upper surface 2001 of the base 2000 protruding on the opposite side of the auxiliary support part 80 (positive side of the X-axis in the figure) with respect to the main support part 60, there is provided a neck support part 150 which is a member that applies pressure from below to support part or all of the range from the third cervical vertebra C3 to the seventh cervical vertebra C7 of the first cervical vertebra C1 to the seventh cervical vertebra C7 of a person lying on their back, excluding the range from the first cervical vertebra C1 to the second cervical vertebra C2.

[0056] Specifically, the neck support part 150 shown in Figures 9(a) and (b) is a member that applies pressure from below to the range from the third cervical vertebra C3 to the fourth cervical vertebra C4 of the range from the third cervical vertebra C3 to the seventh cervical vertebra C7 (lower cervical vertebrae) of a person lying on their back to provide support. This neck support part 150 is made of the same soft foam resin as the main support part 60 and the sub-support part 80, and is formed in a rectangular plate shape (cuboid shape). The longitudinal direction of the rectangular flat upper surface 151 of the neck support part 150 coincides with the left-right lateral direction of the pillow 10 (the Y-axis direction in the figure), and the upper surface 151 of the neck support part 150 has a left-right symmetrical shape with the center line CL in the left-right lateral direction of the pillow 10 (the Y-axis direction in the figure) as the axis of symmetry. The neck support part 150 is placed on the upper surface 2001 of the base 2000 so that the upper surface 151 of the neck support part 150 crosses the underside of the range from the third cervical vertebra C3 to the fourth cervical vertebra C4 of a person lying on their back, and the bottom surface of the neck support part 150 is adhered to the upper surface 2001 of the base 2000.

[0057] By appropriately setting the length, installation position, and shape of the neck support part 150 in the vertical direction of the pillow 10 (X-axis direction in the figure), it is possible to apply pressure to any range of cervical vertebrae from the first cervical vertebra C1 to the seventh cervical vertebra C7 of a person lying on their back, or to support any range of cervical vertebrae from C2-C7, C2-C3, C2-C4, C3-C4, C3-C5, C4-C5, C3-C6, C3-C7, etc. Furthermore, by arranging multiple neck support parts 150 side by side in the vertical direction of the pillow 10 (X-axis direction in the figure), it is also possible to apply pressure to any cervical vertebrae of a person lying on their back from below. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 60 Main support part 66 Sternocleidomastoid muscle support 80 Sub-support part 90 Main Control Department

Claims

1. a main support part which is an upwardly protruding elastic member and which applies pressure to at least the area between the upper and lower nuchal lines of the occipital bone of a person lying on their back, from the left end of the part where the trapezius muscle attaches to the occipital bone to the part where the left sternocleidomastoid muscle attaches to the occipital bone, and from the right end of the part where the trapezius muscle attaches to the occipital bone to the part where the right sternocleidomastoid muscle attaches to the occipital bone, thereby providing planar support; a secondary support part that has elasticity, is set to a support height lower than that of the main support part, and applies pressure to the head of the person on the parietal side of the upper nape to support the head, A pillow characterized in that there is no member that applies pressure and supports below the person's temporalis muscle.

2. The main support portion has a left sternocleidomastoid muscle support portion that applies pressure from below to the sternocleidomastoid muscle that is attached to the person's left temporal bone from the superior nuchal line to the mastoid process, and a right sternocleidomastoid muscle support portion that applies pressure from below to the sternocleidomastoid muscle that is attached to the person's right temporal bone from the superior nuchal line to the mastoid process.

2. The pillow according to claim 1, characterized in that:

3. The main support portion is formed so that the support height is higher on the left and right sternocleidomastoid muscle support portion sides than on the left and right intermediate portion sides.

3. The pillow according to claim 2, characterized in that

4. a main restricting portion that is a member located on the opposite side of the main support portion with respect to the auxiliary support portion and protruding higher than the auxiliary support portion, and that prevents the head of the person from shifting upward in the height direction; A pillow according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The main support portion is inclined or curved so as to approach the shoulders of the person as it moves outward in the left and right lateral direction of the person. A pillow according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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