pillow

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pillow and comprises: a main support portion (10) which is elastic, protrudes upward and supports the neck of a person lying supine; a secondary support portion (20) which is elastic, protrudes upward to a lower height than the main support portion (10) and supports the middle part of the back of the head of the person lying supine; and an upper recess (30) of the external occipital protuberance located between the main support portion (10) and the secondary support portion (20) and recessed lower than the top of the secondary support portion (20). The upper recess (30) of the external occipital protuberance has elastically deformable rising portions (31, 32) on both the left and right sides and is provided with first auxiliary support portions (50, 60) which support both sides of the back of the head of the person lying supine with respect to the central axis in the height direction. The main support portion (10), the secondary support portion (20), the upper recess (30) of the external occipital protuberance and the first auxiliary support portions (50, 60) are made of urethane foam.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pillow, and particularly to a function of a pillow that facilitates the breathing of a user.

Background Art

[0002] It is essential for the quality of sleep that breathing is comfortable even in a sleeping position. Therefore, a pillow is required to have a function of facilitating the breathing of a user. In particular, in order to facilitate breathing in the supine position, it is necessary to maintain the head angle at an appropriate value. If the head is overly flexed (i.e., if the chin drops too much), the airway may be compressed, making it difficult to breathe. Conversely, if the head is overly extended (i.e., if the chin rises too much), the base of the tongue may sink into the throat, potentially causing apnea. Thus, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pillow that supports from the neck to the back of the head and reduces the supporting force of the back of the head to prevent the chin from dropping.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] During sleep, each time the head moves in the left-right direction or moves up and down due to breathing, the weight (body pressure) of the head fluctuates, and the head angle tends to become unstable. As a result of intensive research on this cause, it has been found that the weight (body pressure) on the central axis in the body length direction of the back of the head is the heaviest, the repulsive force of the pillow is also the largest, and the body pressure fluctuation there is very large, so the head angle is likely to fluctuate and is not stable.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a pillow that can prevent an adverse effect on breathing by suppressing the body pressure fluctuation applied to the central axis in the body length direction of the back of the head of a person lying supine during sleep and maintaining the stabilization of the head angle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The pillow of the present invention (Claim 1) is A main support part that is elastic, protrudes upward, and supports the neck of a person lying supine, It has elasticity and is lower than the main support part. Sani A secondary support portion that protrudes upward and supports the middle part of the back of the head of the person lying supine, The system includes an upper recess of the external occipital protuberance, which is recessed between the main support portion and the sub-support portion and is lower than the top of the sub-support portion, On both the left and right sides of the upper recess of the external occipital protuberance, there are elastically deformable rising portions, and auxiliary support portions are provided to support both sides of the occipital protuberance of a person lying supine with respect to the central axis in the height direction. The aforementioned auxiliary support portion is formed horizontally on its upper side, and when the back of the head is placed on it, this horizontal upper side tilts inward due to the weight of the head, and is configured to clamp the back of the head with the elastic repulsive force caused by this tilting deformation. A pillow characterized in that the main support portion, the secondary support portion, the recess on the upper side of the external occipital protuberance, and the auxiliary support portion are made of urethane foam. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The pillow of the present invention has a particularly remarkable effect in that it has elastically deformable rising portions on both the left and right sides of the upper recess of the external occipital protuberance, and auxiliary support portions are provided to support both sides of the central axis in the height direction of the occipital region of a person lying supine. As a result, the main support portion and the sub-support portion, supported by the auxiliary support portion, suppress excessive body pressure fluctuations in the central axis in the height direction of the occipital region of a person lying supine, that is, excessive sinking of the head and excessive lifting of the head due to rebound force are suppressed, the angle of the head can be stabilized, and a pillow can be provided that prevents adverse effects on breathing. Furthermore, since the main support portion, the secondary support portion, the recess on the upper side of the external occipital protuberance, and the auxiliary support portion are made of urethane foam, the auxiliary support portion does not disappear during use and can reliably function. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the back of a person's head. [Figure 2]This is a perspective view showing a pillow according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a plan view showing a pillow according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along line BB. [Figure 6] This is a bottom view showing the state of use of the pillow according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 3, showing the state of use of the pillow according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along line BB showing the state of use of the pillow according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes one embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 shows the back of a human head. In Figure 1, HD is the human head, SA is the saucer-shaped occipital bone that forms the posterior and base of the skull, SA1 is the external occipital protuberance, a convex part located in the center of the outer surface of the occipital bone, SA2 is the region between the superior and inferior nuchal lines of the occipital bone, SA4 is the superior nuchal line drawn in an arc laterally from directly below the external occipital protuberance to the base of the mastoid process, SA5 is the inferior nuchal line drawn in an arc laterally below the superior nuchal line to the tip (lower end) of the mastoid process, SA6 is the lower end line of the occipital bone, SB is a pair of rectangular parietal bones that form the apex and left and right upper lateral parts of the skull, SC is a pair of trapezoidal temporal bones that form the left and right lower lateral parts of the skull, SC1 is the mastoid process, NC is the human neck, and C1 to C7 are the first to seventh cervical vertebrae. The term "occipital region" refers to the back of the head, specifically the area from the top of the neck down to the base of the head. Anatomically, it refers to the area where the "occipital bone" is located.

[0010] Figures 2 to 5 show a pillow 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, with Figure 2 being a perspective view, Figure 3 a plan view, Figure 4 a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 3, and Figure 5 a cross-sectional view along line BB in Figure 3. Figures 6 to 7 show the state of use of the pillow 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, with Figure 6 a bottom view, Figure 7 a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 3, and Figure 8 a cross-sectional view along line BB in Figure 3. In this specification, directions are based on a person lying supine with their head HD resting on the pillow 1, i.e., the user of the pillow 1.

[0011] [Overall structure] As shown in Figures 2 to 8, the pillow 1 is rectangular in shape, and the head HD of a person lying supine rests on the central part of the pillow 1 (the middle part in the height direction and the middle part in the left-right direction (width direction)), while the neck NC of the person lying supine rests on the lower part of the central part of the pillow 1 in the height direction (neck side). The pillow 1 is constructed with a symmetrical structure with the central axis CL (see Figure 6) of the occipital head of a person lying supine as the axis of symmetry. The pillow 1 is composed of a base 2, a main support component 3, a head alignment component 4, and a head misalignment restricting component 5. All of these components 2 to 5 are made of a rectangular plate-shaped soft foamed resin, such as soft urethane foam, and are elastic. The pillow 1 is constructed by adhesively fixing the other components 3 to 5 to the upper surface of the base 2. The pillow 1 includes a main support portion 10, a secondary support portion 20, an upper recess 30 of the external occipital protuberance, a vertex recess 40, first auxiliary support portions 50 and 60, second auxiliary support portions 70 and 80, a head alignment recess 90, and a head misalignment regulating portion 100.

[0012] [Base] The base 2 is made of a rectangular plate-shaped soft urethane foam that has the same outer shape (rectangular) as the pillow 1 when viewed from above, and is elastic.

[0013] [Main support part structure] [Main support part] The main support part structure 3 is made of a rectangular plate-shaped soft urethane foam that is thicker (higher) than the base body 2 and covers the upper surface side on the lower side (neck side) in the body length direction from the middle part in the body length direction of the base body 2, and has elasticity. The main support part structure 3 is adhesively fixed in a state of being overlapped on the upper surface side on the lower side (neck side) in the body length direction from the middle part in the body length direction of the base body 2. The middle part of the main support part structure 3 in the left-right direction (width direction) is located on the lower side in the body length direction from the central part of the pillow 1, and faces the lower surface of the neck NC from the lower end part of the occipital region of a person lying supine, specifically, the region SA2 between the upper nuchal line SA4 and the lower nuchal line SA5, through the lower end SA6 of the occipital bone SA to the first cervical vertebra C1 to the fifth cervical vertebra C5 of the person lying supine. Further, at the left and right center parts of the main support part structure 3, a convex part 3a having a trapezoidal shape in plan view that protrudes upward and faces the external occipital protuberance SA1 of a person lying supine is provided. Thereby, the main support part structure 3 has elasticity by the middle part in the left-right direction (the part between the two parallel straight lines 3b and 3c shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3) where the convex part 3a is provided, protrudes upward, and constitutes a main support part 10 that supports the neck NC and the external occipital protuberance SA1 of a person lying supine. In the present invention, a configuration including a main support part that supports the neck NC of a person lying supine but does not support the occipital region of the person lying supine is also included in the technical scope. Further, a configuration including a main support part that also supports the lower end part of the occipital region between the neck NC of a person lying supine and the external occipital protuberance SA1 of the occipital region is also included in the technical scope. Further, a configuration including a main support part that does not support a part of the neck NC, for example, from the first cervical vertebra C1 to the second cervical vertebra C2, is also included in the technical scope.

[0014] [Head alignment body] The head alignment body 4 is made of a soft urethane foam in the shape of a rectangular plate that covers the upper surface side of the base body 2 located on the upper side (the top of the head side) in the body length direction from the main support part forming body 3, and has the same thickness (height) as the base body 2, and has elasticity. The head alignment body 4 is adhesively fixed in a state of being overlapped on the upper surface side of the base body 2 located on the upper side (the top of the head side) in the body length direction from the main support part forming body 3. In the head alignment body 4, a notch 4a in an inverted U shape in plan view that opens downward in the body length direction (the neck side) is provided, which cuts away a part facing the back of the head from the supraoccipital line SA4 to the top of the head of a person lying supine to expose the central part of the base body 2 (the intermediate part in the body length direction and the intermediate part in the left - right direction (width direction)). Thereby, the head alignment body 4 is located at the central part on the upper surface side of the pillow 1, and the back of the head of a person lying supine from the supraoccipital line SA4 to the top of the head (excluding the external occipital protuberance SA1) can be accommodated (fitted in), and a head alignment concave part 90 for aligning each part 10 to 100 of the pillow 1 with the target part of the head of a person lying supine is constituted.

[0015] [Head displacement regulating body] The head displacement regulating body 5 is made of a soft urethane foam in the shape of a rectangular plate that covers the upper side (the top of the head side) in the body length direction of the head alignment body 4, and has the same thickness (height) as the head alignment body 4, and has elasticity. The head displacement regulating body 5 is adhesively fixed in a state of being overlapped on the upper surface side on the upper side (the top of the head side) in the body length direction of the head alignment body 4 (adhesively fixed to the upper surface side of the base body 2 via the head alignment body 4). The upper surface of the head displacement regulating body 5 is located higher than the upper surface of the main support part 10. In the head displacement regulating body 5, a notch 5a in an inverted U shape in plan view that opens downward in the body length direction (the neck side) is provided, which cuts away a part covering the notch 4a of the head alignment body 4. Thereby, the head displacement regulating body 5 is located on the upper side (the top of the head side) in the body length direction from the central part of the pillow 1 by the rising surface of the trace of the notch 5a, and when the back of the head of a person lying supine is displaced upward in the body length direction (the top of the head side) from the head alignment concave part 90, it constitutes a head displacement regulating part 100 which is a stopper for abutting against the top of the head of a person lying supine to regulate the displacement.

[0016] [Sub - support part] The secondary support portion 20 is located above the main support portion 10 in the direction of height (towards the top of the head) and consists of the central part of the base 2 (the part enclosed by the rectangular frame 2a shown by the dashed line in Figure 3) where the middle part of the occipital region above the external occipital protuberance SA1 of a person lying supine faces. More specifically, the secondary support portion 20 is located above the main support portion 10 in the direction of height (towards the top of the head) and is exposed on the upper surface side of the pillow 1 by the notch 4a of the head alignment body 4 and the notch 5a of the head misalignment regulating body 5. The central part of the base 2 (the part enclosed by the rectangular frame 2a shown by the dashed line in Figure 3) that corresponds to the middle part of the occipital region above the external occipital protuberance SA1 of a person lying supine has elasticity, protrudes lower and upward from the main support portion 10, and supports the middle part of the occipital region above the external occipital protuberance SA1 of a person lying supine. The top (upper surface) of the auxiliary support portion 20 and the top (upper surface) of the base 2 exposed on the upper side of the pillow 1 around it are flush (at the same height). However, the top (upper surface) of the auxiliary support portion 20 may be positioned higher than the top (upper surface) of the base 2 exposed on the upper side of the pillow 1 around it. As a particularly preferred size for the auxiliary support portion 20 to stabilize the angle of the head, the length of the auxiliary support portion 20 in the height direction is set to 2 cm or more and 10 cm or less, and the width of the auxiliary support portion 20 in the left-right direction is set to 3 cm or more and 18 cm or less. In the present invention, the technical scope also includes a configuration in which the auxiliary support portion supports the middle part of the occipital region above the external occipital protuberance SA1 in the height direction of the occipital region of a person lying supine, and the lower end of the occipital region below the middle part of the occipital region in the height direction. Furthermore, the technical scope also includes configurations that include auxiliary support parts that support the middle part of the occipital region above the external occipital protuberance SA1 in the direction of height, and the vertex part of the occipital region above the middle part of the occipital region in the direction of height, when a person is lying supine.

[0017] [Superior recess of the external occipital protuberance] [First auxiliary support area] The upper recess 30 of the external occipital protuberance is a recess configured to be lower than the top (upper surface) of the sub-support 20, between the main support 10 and the sub-support 20. More specifically, it is a rectangular recess in plan view, and has elastically deformable rising portions 31 and 32 on both the left and right sides of the upper recess 30 of the external occipital protuberance, providing first auxiliary support portions 50 and 60 that support both sides of the occipital protuberance of a supine person with respect to the central axis CL in the height direction. The first auxiliary support portions 50 and 60 are configured to support both sides of the occipital protuberance of a supine person with respect to the central axis CL in the height direction at the left and right corners of the upper opening of the upper recess 30 of the external occipital protuberance. In order to stabilize the angle of the head and to ensure that the first auxiliary support portions 50 and 60 grip the occipital protuberance of the head against the central axis CL in the height direction, the width of the upper recess 30 of the external occipital protuberance in the left and right direction is set to 2 cm or more and 10 cm or less. The depth of the upper recess 30 of the external occipital protuberance is set to at least half the thickness of the base 2. The upper recess 30 of the external occipital protuberance may be a bottomed type as shown in the figure, or it may be a bottomless type that penetrates to the lower surface of the base 2. In the present invention, a configuration including an upper recess of the external occipital protuberance in which a part of the auxiliary support is recessed lower than the top of the surrounding auxiliary support is also included in the technical scope.

[0018] [Vertical recess] [Second auxiliary support] The vertex recess 40 is a recess configured to be lower than the top (upper surface) of the sub-support 20 on the upper side in the height direction of the sub-support 20, more specifically a rectangular recess in plan view, and has elastically deformable rising portions 41 and 42 on both the left and right outer sides of the vertex recess 40, and is configured to provide second auxiliary support portions 70 and 80 that support both sides of the occipital axis CL in the height direction of a person lying supine. The second auxiliary support portions 70 and 80 are configured to support both sides of the occipital axis CL in the height direction of a person lying supine at the left and right corners of the upper opening of the vertex recess 40. In addition, in order to ensure that the second auxiliary support portions 70 and 80 grip the occipital axis CL in the height direction to stabilize the angle of the head, the width d2 of the vertex recess 40 in the left-right direction is set to 0.5 cm or more and 8 cm or less. The crown-side recess 40 may be a bottomed type as shown in the figure, or it may be a bottomless type that penetrates to the lower surface of the base 2. In the present invention, a configuration without the crown-side recess 40 on which the second auxiliary support parts 70 and 80 are provided is also included in the technical scope.

[0019] [Effects and Effects] Next, the effects and benefits of pillow 1 will be explained using Figures 6 to 8.

[0020] As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the pillow 1 is used with the head HD of a person lying supine resting on the upper central part of the pillow 1, such that the occipital region from the superior nuchal line SA4 of the occipital bone SA to the crown of the head fits into the head-positioning recess 90 provided in the upper central part of the pillow 1. In this state of use, the pillow 1 has an elastic, upwardly projecting main support portion 10 that supports the neck NC of the person lying supine, the lower end of the occipital region between the neck NC and the external occipital protuberance SA1, and the external occipital protuberance SA1, while an elastic, lower and upwardly projecting secondary support portion 20 supports the middle part of the occipital region above the external occipital protuberance SA1 in the height direction of the person lying supine. As a result, the head of the person lying supine is supported with its crown lowered, making it easier for the person lying supine to breathe.

[0021] Furthermore, in this pillow 1, elastically deformable rising portions 31 and 32 are provided on both the left and right sides of the upper recess 30 of the external occipital protuberance, and first auxiliary support portions 50 and 60 are provided that support both sides of the central axis CL in the height direction of the occipital region of a person lying supine. As a result, the main support portion 10 and the sub-support portion 20, supported by the first auxiliary support portions 50 and 60, suppress excessive body pressure fluctuations along the central axis CL in the height direction of the occipital region of a person lying supine. In other words, excessive sinking of the head HD and excessive lifting of the head HD due to rebound force are suppressed, the angle of the head HD can be stabilized, and adverse effects on breathing can be prevented.

[0022] In other words, the first auxiliary support parts 50 and 60 deform under the weight of the head HD, tilting downwards to the right and downwards to the left, respectively. From these deformed first auxiliary support parts 50 and 60, elastic repulsive forces (force vectors a and b, shown as solid arrows in Figure 8) are generated that try to return them to their original state. These repulsive forces are generated in a direction perpendicular to the deformed surface (top surface), that is, diagonally upwards to the right from the left first auxiliary support part 50 and diagonally upwards to the left from the right first auxiliary support part 50. These diagonally acting repulsive forces can be divided into a "vertical component (upward direction)" (z component, shown as a dashed arrow in Figure 8) and a "horizontal component (lateral direction)" (y1 and y2 components, shown as dashed arrows in Figure 8). Here, the horizontal component is important. The repulsive force from the left first auxiliary support part 50 (force vector a, shown by the solid arrow in Figure 8) includes a horizontal component directed to the right (y1 component, shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 8), and the repulsive force from the right first auxiliary support part 60 (force vector b, shown by the solid arrow in Figure 8) includes a horizontal component directed to the left (y2 component, shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 8). These horizontal components act to "sandwich" the back of the head from both sides towards the central axis CL in the direction of height. As a result, the presence of this "clamping" force reduces the "upward lifting vertical component (rebound force of pillow 1)" generated by the main support part 10 and the sub-support part 20 with respect to the central axis CL in the height direction of the occipital head of a person lying on their back. This suppresses excessive body pressure fluctuations along the central axis CL in the height direction of the occipital head of a person lying on their back, that is, it suppresses excessive sinking of the head HD and excessive lifting of the head HD due to rebound force, stabilizing the angle of the head HD and preventing adverse effects on breathing. Furthermore, since the main support portion 10, the secondary support portion 20, the recess 30 on the upper side of the external occipital protuberance, and the first auxiliary support portions 50 and 60 are made of urethane foam, the first auxiliary support portions 50 and 60 do not disappear during use and can reliably function.

[0023] Furthermore, in this pillow 1, the second auxiliary support parts 70 and 80 of the vertex recess 40 also have a "clamping" force, similar to the first auxiliary support parts 50 and 60 of the upper recess 30 of the external occipital protuberance. Therefore, the "clamping" force from the first auxiliary support parts 50 and 60 of the upper recess 30 and the second auxiliary support parts 70 and 80 of the vertex recess 40 is added to further stabilize the angle of the head HD. Furthermore, since the crown-side recess 40 and the second auxiliary support parts 70 and 80 are also made of urethane foam, the second auxiliary support parts 70 and 80 do not disappear during use and can reliably function.

[0024] [Differentiation] The pillow 1 of this embodiment is merely one example of the present invention, and the present invention can be implemented by appropriately modifying its structure without departing from the scope of the claims. For example, the shape, size, and hardness of each part 10 to 100 of the auxiliary support part of pillow 1 can be varied in various ways. Also, although pillow 1 is constructed by assembling a plurality of members 2 to 5, of course, these plurality of members may be integrally molded as much as possible. Furthermore, the main support part 10 of pillow 1 is provided with a corresponding length in the anterior-posterior direction that supports the lower surface from the external occipital protuberance SA1 to the 5th cervical vertebra C5 of the neck NC of a person lying supine, but of course, it may be provided with a shorter or longer corresponding length. Furthermore, the auxiliary support part 20 of pillow 1 is configured to protrude upward at a lower height than the main support part 10. However, The protruding portion may be integrally molded with the base body 2, or it may be formed by bonding and fixing a separate component made of the same urethane foam to the base body 2. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0025] 1 pillow 10 Main support part 20 Sub-support part 30 Superior recess of the external occipital protuberance 31, 32 Rising section 50, 60 1st auxiliary support part (auxiliary support part)

Claims

1. A main support part that is elastic, protrudes upward, and supports the neck of a person lying supine, A secondary support portion is elastic, protrudes upward to a lower height than the main support portion, and supports the middle part of the back of the head of a person lying supine, The system includes an upper recess of the external occipital protuberance, which is recessed between the main support portion and the sub-support portion and is lower than the top of the sub-support portion, On both the left and right sides of the upper recess of the external occipital protuberance, there are elastically deformable rising portions, and auxiliary support portions are provided to support both sides of the occipital protuberance of a supine person with respect to the central axis in the height direction. The aforementioned auxiliary support portion is formed horizontally on its upper side, and when the back of the head is placed on it, this horizontal upper side tilts inward due to the weight of the head, and is configured to clamp the back of the head with the elastic repulsive force caused by this tilting deformation. A pillow characterized in that the main support portion, the secondary support portion, the recess on the upper side of the external occipital protuberance, and the auxiliary support portion are made of urethane foam.

2. The pillow according to claim 1, which supports both the left and right sides of the back of the head of a person lying on their back with the left and right corners of the upper recess of the external occipital protuberance.

3. The pillow according to claim 1, wherein the recess on the upper side of the external occipital protuberance is set to have a width of 2 cm or more and 10 cm or less in the left-right direction.

4. The pillow according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary support portion is set to have a length in the height direction of 2 cm or more and a width in the left-right direction of 3 cm or more and a width of 18 cm or less.

Images