pillow

Abstract

To provide a pillow capable of stably holding a head to prevent the angle of the head from being easily tilted to a great extent.SOLUTION: A main support part planarly applies pressure to support an area between a superior nuchal line and an inferior nuchal line of the occipital bone of a person lying on the back, which includes at least an area from the left side of the part where a trapezius muscle is attached to the occipital bone to the part where a left sternocleidomastoid muscle is attached to the occipital bone, and an area from the right side of the part where a trapezius muscle is attached to the occipital bone to the part where a right sternocleidomastoid muscle is attached to the occipital bone. An auxiliary support part, which supports at a lower height than the main support part, applies pressure to support the head part of a person lying on the back, nearer to the head top than the superior nuchal line. A pillow has a neck support part which is positioned at the position of a neck of a person lying on the back and applies pressure to support the rear face of the neck, and a main regulation part to regulate displacement of the head to the upper side in the person's height direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Unobstructed breathing even in a sleeping posture is indispensable for sleep quality. Accordingly, pillows are required to have a function that facilitates the user's breathing. In particular, to facilitate breathing in the supine position, it is necessary to maintain the head angle at an appropriate value. If the head is flexed too far forward (that is, if the chin is lowered too much), the airway will be compressed, which may cause breathing difficulty; conversely, if the head is extended too far backward (that is, if the chin is raised too much), the base of the tongue will sink into the throat, which may cause apnea. Accordingly, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pillow that supports the body from the neck to the occipital region, reduces the supporting force for the occipital region, and prevents the chin from lowering.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the case of a pillow as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the pressure distribution of the pillow covers a wide range from the occipital region to the neck, so the head is prone to shifting movement. In particular, when the shifting movement of the head is in the longitudinal direction (the height direction) of the pillow, the center of the pressure distribution tends to greatly deviate upward or downward in the longitudinal direction of the pillow from the center of gravity of the head. The resulting torque causes the head angle to tilt significantly, which obstructs breathing. In addition, since the head is prone to rolling over, stiff neck is also more likely to occur. The above-mentioned "rolling over of the head" means that only the part from the neck to the head of a supine person turns laterally in the left-right direction.

[0005] The objective of the present invention is to solve the above problems, focusing on the stage at which the head is about to start to slide in the vertical direction (height direction) of the pillow, and by improving this stage, the sliding movement is effectively suppressed, the angle of the head is stably maintained so that it does not tilt significantly, and moreover, it does not adversely affect breathing, but rather makes breathing easier, and the head does not turn over in sleep, so the likelihood of a stiff neck is reduced, and furthermore, even if the head slides upward in the vertical direction (height direction) of the pillow, this movement can be stopped, and moreover, the present invention aims to provide a pillow that does not adversely affect breathing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The pillow according to the present invention has elasticity and provides surface support by applying pressure to at least the area between the superior and inferior nuchal lines of the occipital bone of a person lying supine, specifically the area from the left end of where the trapezius muscle attaches to the occipital bone to where the left sternocleidomastoid muscle attaches to the occipital bone, and the area from the right end of where the trapezius muscle attaches to the occipital bone to where the right sternocleidomastoid muscle attaches to the occipital bone. A secondary support part is elastic, set to a lower support height than the main support part, and applies pressure to support the head on the apex side of the person's neck. It comprises a neck support portion that is elastic, is located at the neck of the person, and applies pressure to support the back surface of the neck, Furthermore, it includes a main restricting part located on the opposite side of the main support part from the sub-support part, and protruding higher than the sub-support part, which restricts the upward movement of the person's head in the direction of their height. The main restricting portion described above is provided with a recess in the area opposite to the center of the top of the person's head to avoid contact with the center of the top of the head. 、 The aforementioned recess is formed in a concave shape extending upward in the direction of the person's height from the main regulating portion opposite the center of the top of the person's head. This pillow has the following characteristics.

[0007] By the way, the above-mentioned "region between the superior and inferior nuchal lines of the occipital bone of a person lying supine, 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 hereafter referred to as the "left designated region." Furthermore, the area described above as "the region between the superior and inferior nuchal lines of the occipital bone of a person lying supine, 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 hereinafter referred to as "the designated area on the right." Furthermore, while pillows are usually covered with pillowcases, the pillow of this invention is a pillow that includes both pillows that are covered with pillowcases and pillows that are not covered with pillowcases.

[0008] In this invention, "occipital bone" refers to the saucer-shaped bone SA that forms the posterior and base of the skull (see Figures 1A and 1B). "External occipital protuberance" refers to the convex portion SA1 located in the center of the outer surface of the occipital bone SA. "Superior nuchal line" refers to the line SA4 drawn in an arc shape laterally from directly below the external occipital protuberance SA1 to the base of the mastoid process SC1, as shown in Figure 1B. "Inferior nuchal line" refers to the line SA5 drawn in an arc shape laterally from below the superior nuchal line to the tip (lower end) of the mastoid process SC1, as shown in the same figure. "Parietal bone" refers to the pair of rectangular bones SB that form the apex and the left and right upper sides of the skull. "Temporal bone" refers to the pair of trapezoidal bones SC that form the left and right lower sides of the skull. As shown in Figure 1A, the attachment MB1 of the sternocleidomastoid muscle 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.

[0009] Furthermore, in this invention, regarding the support height of the auxiliary support, the statement that "the support height of the auxiliary support is set lower than that of the main support" means that when the corresponding part of a person's head lying supine is placed on the main support and the auxiliary support, and the support heights of the main support and the auxiliary support are compared after sinking, the support height of the auxiliary support is set lower than that of the main support.

[0010] Furthermore, "applying pressure to support" means that when the weight (body pressure) of a person lying supine is applied to the main support, a counter-reaction elastic pressure (elastic rebound force) is applied to that area, and this counter-reaction elastic pressure (elastic rebound force) is applied to support the area at the desired height. Therefore, if there is merely contact or the elastic rebound force is negligible, it does not mean that pressure is being applied to support the area at the desired height. Furthermore, "applying pressure to support in a planar manner" means that when the elastic pressure (elastic rebound force) of the above-mentioned pushback is applied to support the object at the desired height, it means that the object is supported in a planar manner. Therefore, if the object is merely made to be applied linearly along a single line, it does not constitute planar support and does not provide stable support, so it is not considered planar support when pressure is applied. Conversely, if a group of numerous protrusions (a group of point-like protrusions) is provided to make point-like contact and support is provided by this group of point-like protrusions, the contact area is significantly smaller than that of the surface itself, but it provides stable support similar to that of a surface, and therefore falls within the category of planar support, and is included in the definition of a planar support configuration. [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 main support portion, the main support portion, which has a higher support height, applies pressure to the predetermined left and right regions SA7 (see Figure 1B) of the occipital bone SA that are angled downwards, providing planar support, and these predetermined left and right regions SA7 that are supported planarly are close to the position of the head's center of gravity G (see Figure 6), etc., so the weight of the head is concentrated on the main support portion. This concentration prevents the head from easily starting to move in the vertical direction of the pillow, effectively suppressing the development of large shearing movements, and allowing the angle of the head to be maintained more stably. In other words, it is possible to effectively prevent the head angle from easily tilting significantly, which was previously considered difficult.

[0012] Furthermore, in this invention, since the area where pressure is applied and the head is supported in a planar manner by the main support portion is the predetermined left and right region SA7 of the occipital bone SA, there is no compressive stress, it does not adversely affect breathing, and the weight of the head is concentrated on the main support portion, causing it to sink in, which makes it less likely for the head to turn over in sleep and reduces the likelihood of a stiff neck.

[0013] Furthermore, by supporting the cervical spine at three points—a main support, a secondary support, and a neck support—the present invention maintains the entire cervical spine in the same curved shape (arched) as when standing upright, preventing compression of the airway and neck muscles, particularly the respiratory muscles: the sternocleidomastoid (MB), anterior scalene, middle scalene, and posterior scalene muscles (not shown). As a result, the airway can be secured to the same extent when lying supine as when standing upright, and the respiratory muscles can move more smoothly, making breathing easier.

[0014] Furthermore, the present invention includes a main restricting section 90 to prevent the head from moving significantly upward in the vertical direction (height direction) of the pillow. When the central part of the crown of the head HD1 comes into contact with the main restricting section 90, not only does the central part of the crown of the head HD1 come into contact with the main restricting section 90 in a planar manner, but the central part of the crown of the head HD1 also receives a strong repulsive force from the main restricting section 90, preventing the central part of the crown of the head HD1 from moving upward in the vertical direction (height direction) of the pillow under strong compression. However, it has been newly discovered that if the central part of the crown of the head HD1 is strongly compressed by the main restricting section 90 for a long period of time, the anterior-posterior movement of the head that operates with the expansion and contraction of the lungs during breathing (that is, the anterior-posterior movement shown by arrow BM in Figure 6, hereinafter referred to as "nodding movement of the head") is restricted for a long period of time, and a problem has been discovered in that breathing in and out cannot be performed sufficiently. In other words, when a person is lying on their back and breathing, their head moves slightly in the in direction (downward) of BM in Figure 6 when they inhale, and slightly in the ex direction (upward) of BM in Figure 6 when they exhale. If this movement is not permitted and is completely restrained, inhalation and exhalation cannot be performed sufficiently, resulting in incomplete breathing and an unhealthy respiratory state. Therefore, in order to ensure a healthy respiratory state, even when the head's movement is blocked by the main restrictor, the aforementioned nodding motion of the head must be permitted so that inhalation and exhalation can be performed sufficiently.

[0015] Regarding the allowance of this head nodding movement, the present invention provides a recess 93 (see Figures 5 and 6 in an example) in the main restricting portion 90 that faces the central part of the person's head HD1 (see Figures 1A and 1B) to avoid contact with the central part of the head HD1. As a result, the central part of the head HD1 is not subjected to strong pressure on the surface by the main restricting portion 90, ensuring the head nodding movement, allowing for sufficient inhalation and exhalation, and resulting in a good breathing state. The restriction of upward sliding movement of the head in the vertical direction (towards height) is performed by the edges on both sides of the recess 93, but since the contact with these edges is narrow, it does not reach a state where the head nodding movement is completely blocked.

[0016] Incidentally, a hole 54 (see Figure 6) may be provided in the vertically downward direction within the recess 93 to expose the thickness surface of the sub-support portion to the outside. This configuration has the advantage that the compression and recovery deformation of the sub-support portion becomes easier, allowing the head to nod more fully.

[0017] Furthermore, in the above invention, the parietal central portion HD1 is not strongly compressed by the main regulating portion 90 due to the recess 93, allowing the nodding motion of the head to enable sufficient inhalation and exhalation. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and as another invention, a low-resilience material 930 having a repulsive force lower than that of the main regulating portion 90 may be provided at the portion of the main regulating portion 90 facing the parietal central portion HD1 (see exemplary FIGS. 7 and 8). Even with this configuration, the parietal central portion HD1 can avoid strong compression from the main regulating portion 90, the nodding motion of the head is ensured, sufficient inhalation and exhalation can be performed, and a favorable breathing state can be achieved. As the low-resilience material 930, strong compression from the main regulating portion 90 can be avoided by using low-resilience urethane foam, sponge, low-resilience chips, cotton, low-resilience gel, or the like, but naturally, other soft low-resilience materials may also be used. As for the method of providing the low-resilience material 930, it can be provided in the recess 93 by adopting appropriate means such as fitting or adhesion. For loose materials such as low-resilience chips and cotton, the materials may be packed in a bag, and the outer surface of the bag may be fitted or adhered to the recess 93. In the case of low-resilience urethane foam, it can also be integrally provided by molding.

[0018] Furthermore, a hole 54 (see FIG. 8) may be provided vertically below the low-resilience material 930 to expose the thickness surface of the auxiliary support portion to the outside. With this configuration, as described above, the compressive deformation and restoring deformation of the auxiliary support portion are facilitated, which has the advantage that the nodding motion of the head can be performed more sufficiently.

[0019] Furthermore, a low-resilience material 930 may also be provided vertically below the low-resilience material 930 so as to face the thickness surface of the auxiliary support portion. Even with this configuration, unlike the repulsive force of the main regulating portion 90, the repulsive force of the low-resilience material 930 is weak, so the compressive deformation and restoring deformation of the auxiliary support portion are facilitated, which has the advantage that the nodding motion of the head can be performed more sufficiently. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1A] It is a perspective view of a human skull. [Figure 1B] It is a diagram of the occipital region of a person's head. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view of a pillow according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a front view of the pillow shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of Figure 3. [Figure 5] It is a rear view showing the correspondence relationship between the pillow shown in Figure 2 and a person's head and neck. [Figure 6] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of Figure 3 in the use state of the pillow shown in Figure 2. [Figure 7] It shows another invention (an invention using a low-resilience material 930), and is a rear view showing the correspondence relationship between the pillow and a person's head and neck. [Figure 8] It shows the above-mentioned another invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the pillow in a use state. [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1A is a perspective view of a human skull, and Figure 1B is a perspective view of the occipital region of a person's head. In Figure 1A and Figure 1B, HD is a person's head, SA is the occipital bone, SA1 is the external occipital protuberance, SA2 is the region between the superior nuchal line and the inferior nuchal line of the occipital bone, SA3 is the region on the parietal side of the occipital bone, SA4 is the superior nuchal line, SA5 is the inferior nuchal line, SA6 is the lower end line of the occipital bone, SA7 is the region from the left end of the trapezius muscle attached to the occipital bone to the portion of the left sternocleidomastoid muscle attached to the occipital bone (left predetermined region) and the region from the right end of the trapezius muscle attached to the occipital bone to the portion of the right sternocleidomastoid muscle attached to the occipital bone (right predetermined region), SB is the parietal bone, SB1 is the region on the occipital side of the parietal bone, SC is the temporal bone, SC1 is the mastoid process, MA is the temporalis muscle, MB is the sternocleidomastoid muscle, MB1 is the attachment of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, MBP is the left and right sternocleidomastoid muscles attached to the occipital bone, TR is the trapezius muscle, TR1 is the left end of the trapezius muscle, TR2 is the right end of the trapezius muscle, NC is a person's neck, and C1 to C7 are the first cervical vertebra to the seventh cervical vertebra.

[0022] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the pillow 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a front view of the pillow 10, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the pillow 10 along the left-right lateral center line CL, i.e., cross-sectional view AA of Figure 3, Figure 5 is a rear view showing the correspondence between the pillow 10 and the human head HD and neck NC, and Figure 6 is cross-sectional view AA of Figure 3 in the state of use of the pillow 10.

[0023] The X, Y, and Z axes shown in Figures 2 to 6 are orthogonal to each other. In this embodiment, the X-axis direction corresponds to the vertical direction of the pillow 10, which is the height direction of a person lying supine, with X1 being the upward direction and X2 being the downward direction. The Y-axis direction corresponds to the horizontal direction of the pillow 10, with Y1 being the left direction and Y2 being the right direction. Furthermore, the Z-axis direction corresponds to the front-to-back thickness (height) direction of the pillow 10, with Z1 being the forward direction and Z2 being the rearward direction.

[0024] As shown in Figures 2 to 6, the pillow 10 is (1A) A main support part 60 made of elastic urethane foam that applies pressure to and provides planar support to at least the region SA2 between the superior nuchal line SA4 and inferior nuchal line SA5 of the occipital bone SA of a person lying supine, specifically the region SA7 (left predetermined region) from the left end TR1 where the trapezius muscle TR attaches to the occipital bone SA to the left sternocleidomastoid muscle MBP attaches to the occipital bone SA, and the region SA7 (right predetermined region) from the right end TR2 where the trapezius muscle TR attaches to the occipital bone SA to the right sternocleidomastoid muscle MBP attaches to the occipital bone SA. (1B) A secondary support part 80 made of elastic urethane foam, set to a lower support height than the main support part 60, and applying pressure to support the head on the apex side of the person's supranucleus SA4, (1C) The system includes a neck support portion 150 made of elastic urethane foam, located at the neck NC of the person, and applying pressure to support the rear surface of the neck NC.

[0025] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 to 6, the pillow 10 is (2A) Lateral restricting portions 95 made of elastic urethane foam are provided on both the left and right lateral sides of the mastoid process SC1 of the temporal bone SC of the person described above, to restrict the turning of the person's head while sleeping.

[0026] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 to 6, the pillow 10 is (3A) The main restricting portion 90 is located on the opposite side of the main support portion 60 from the sub-support portion 80 and protrudes higher than the sub-support portion 80, and is further provided with an elastic urethane foam main restricting portion 90 that restricts the upward movement of the head HD in the direction of the person's height (direction X1 in the figure), (3B) The main restricting portion 90 is provided with a recess 93 in the part facing the center of the top of the person's head, which is provided up to the upper surface of the secondary support portion 80 to avoid contact with the center of the top of the head. (3C) A hole 54 is provided vertically downward within the recess 93 to expose the thickness surface of the sub-support portion 80 (the position of the leader line of the hole 54 shown in Figure 6) to the outside.

[0027] Next, we will further explain the pillow 10 using Figures 2 to 6. As shown in Figures 2 to 6, the pillow 10 is a flat rectangular plate, and is configured so that the head HD of a person lying supine rests on the center of the pillow 10, and the neck NC of the person rests on the lower side of the center of the pillow 10 (in the X2 direction in the figures).

[0028] The pillow 10 comprises a front base 20 and a rear base 50 positioned behind the front base 20 (in the Z2 direction in the figure). Both the front base 20 and the rear base 50 are made of elastic, flat, rectangular plate-shaped elastic urethane foam, and the rear surface of the front base 20 and the front surface of the rear base 50 opposite it are bonded together. Between the front base 20 and the rear base 50, the lengths of the long sides extending in the left-right lateral direction (Y-axis direction in the figure) and the short sides extending in the vertical direction (height direction in the figure) (X-axis direction in the figure) of the pillow 10 are common, and the thickness (height) (dimension in the Z-axis direction in the figure) is also common.

[0029] A hole 21 is provided in the center of the front base 20 on which the head HD of a person lying supine rests. The hole 21 penetrates between the front and rear surfaces of the front base 21, making the thickness of the central part of the pillow 10 thinner than the surrounding thickness, and exposing the central part 51 of the rear base 50. The shape of the hole 21 is formed to match the outer shape of the occipital region on the vertex side of the supine head HD of a person lying supine, relative to the supine line SA4. Specifically, the pillow 10 has straight left and right side edges 211 that extend in the vertical direction (height direction) (X-axis direction in the figure) along the left and right sides of the occipital region on the vertex side of the head from the supranoccrine line SA4, an upper side edge 212 that curves in a convex arc towards the upper vertical side (X1 direction in the figure) of the pillow 10 along the center of the vertex, connecting the upper ends (X1 direction in the figure) of the left and right side edges 211, and a lower side edge 213 that curves in a convex bow towards the upper vertical side (X1 direction in the figure) of the pillow 10 along the supranoccrine line SA4, connecting the lower ends (X2 direction in the figure) of the left and right side edges 211. These four sides form a closed (hole) shape, closing off all four sides of the pillow 10 (X1 and X2 and Y1 and Y2 directions in the figure). The width of hole 21 in the left-right lateral direction (Y-axis direction in the diagram) is slightly wider than the width in the left-right lateral direction (Y-axis direction in the diagram) of the occipital region on the vertex side of the supranoccrine SA4, and the length of hole 21 in the vertical direction (X-axis direction in the diagram) is equivalent to the length in the height direction (X-axis direction in the diagram) of the occipital region on the vertex side of the supranoccrine SA4.

[0030] Furthermore, regarding the portion 22 of the anterior base 20 between the lower side 213 of the hole 21 of the anterior base 20 and the longer side of the lower part of the anterior base 20 (in the X2 direction in the figure), the length of that portion 22 in the vertical direction (in the X-axis direction in the figure) is set to be longer than the length from the superior nuchal line SA4 of the head HD of a supine person to the lower end line SA6 of the occipital bone on the cervical side, that is, the length in the vertical direction (in the X-axis direction in the figure) of the occipital region on the cervical side of the superior nuchal line SA4, and shorter than the length from the superior nuchal line SA4 beyond the lower end line SA6 of the occipital bone on the cervical side to the 7th cervical vertebra C7 of the neck NC (in this embodiment, it is set to be the length from the superior nuchal line SA4 beyond the lower end line SA6 of the occipital bone on the cervical side to the 5th cervical vertebra C5 of the neck NC).

[0031] In the above structure, the head HD of a person lying supine is placed on the center of the pillow 10, and the neck NC of the person is placed on the lower side of the center of the pillow 10 (in the X2 direction in the figure), so that the parietal region SA3 of the occipital bone SA is positioned in the center of the hole 21 of the anterior base 20. As a result, the lower edge 213 of the hole 21 of the anterior base, that is, the upper edge (in the X1 direction in the figure) of part 22 of the anterior base 20 corresponds to the superior nuchal line SA4, the occipital region parietal to the superior nuchal line SA4 fits into the hole 21 of the anterior base 20, and the parietal region SA3 of the occipital bone SA rests on the central part 51 of the posterior base 50 exposed by the hole 21 of the anterior base 20.

[0032] Furthermore, the upper region 23 of the anterior base 20 (in the X1 direction in the figure) of the portion 22 is opposite the occipital region beyond the superior nuchal line SA4, which includes the left and right predetermined regions SA7 and the left and right mastoid processes SC1 of a person lying supine, and the occipital region beyond the superior nuchal line SA4 rests on this region 23.

[0033] Furthermore, the lower region 24 of the anterior base 20 (in the X2 direction in the diagram) faces the first cervical vertebra C1 to the fifth cervical vertebra C5 of the neck NC of a person lying supine, and the first cervical vertebra C1 to the fifth cervical vertebra C5 of the neck NC rest on this region 24.

[0034] Therefore, in the pillow 10, the upper region 23 (in the X1 direction in the figure) of the portion 22 of the anterior base 20 and the portion 52 of the posterior base 50 located behind it (in the Z2 direction in the figure) are elastic and can apply pressure to support at least the region SA7 (a predetermined region on the left) from the left end TR1 of the part where the trapezius muscle TR attaches to the occipital bone SA to the part where the left sternocleidomastoid muscle MBP attaches to the occipital bone SA, and the region SA7 (a predetermined region on the right) from the right end TR2 of the part where the trapezius muscle TR attaches to the occipital bone SA to the part where the right sternocleidomastoid muscle MBP attaches to the occipital bone SA, within the region SA2 between the superior nuchal line SA4 and the inferior nuchal line SA5 of the occipital bone SA of a person lying supine, and can provide planar support to the region SA7, and functions as the main support portion 60, and is provided with the main support portion 60. In the illustrated example, support parts 26 for supporting the mastoid process are integrally formed on the outer sides of both the left and right ends of the main support part 60, with the same height as the main support part 60. However, these support parts 26 for supporting the mastoid process may be formed to be higher than the height of the main support part 60, and furthermore, the support parts 26 for supporting the mastoid process are not limited to being integrally formed with the main support part 60, but may be formed as separate parts. The attachment part MB1 of the sternocleidomastoid muscle MB is supported by these support parts 26 for supporting the mastoid process, and for a person lying supine, tension is released not only from the attachment part MB1 but also from the entire longitudinal direction of the sternocleidomastoid muscle MB, improving the movement of the sternocleidomastoid muscle MB during breathing, making both exhalation and inhalation smoother and breathing easier.

[0035] Furthermore, in the pillow 10, the central portion 51 of the rear base 50 exposed by the hole 21 of the front base 20 is elastic, and the support height is set lower than that of the main support portion 60 which consists of the upper region 23 of the portion 22 of the front base 20 (in the X1 direction in the figure) and the portion 52 of the rear base 50 located behind it (in the Z2 direction in the figure). This allows pressure to be applied to support the head on the apex side of the person's supranohumeral line SA4, and thus functions as the secondary support portion 80, and the pillow 10 is equipped with the secondary support portion 80.

[0036] Furthermore, in the pillow 10, the lower region 24 (in the X2 direction in the figure) of the portion 22 of the front base 20 and the portion 53 of the rear base 50 located behind it (in the Z2 direction in the figure) are elastic and are located behind the first cervical vertebra C1 to the fifth cervical vertebra C5 of the neck NC of a person lying supine. They can apply pressure and support to the posterior surface of the first cervical vertebra C1 to the fifth cervical vertebra C5 of the person's neck NC, and thus function as the neck support portion 150, and the pillow 10 is equipped with the neck support portion 150.

[0037] Furthermore, in the pillow 10, the portions 25 at both ends in the left and right lateral direction (Y-axis direction in the figure) of the region 23 above portion 22 of the front base 20 (X1 direction in the figure) are positioned on the left and right lateral sides of the mastoid process SC1 of the temporal bone SC of a person lying supine, and the portion 26 immediately inside the portions 25 at both ends is positioned to face the mastoid process SC1 of the temporal bone SC of a person lying supine. Rectangular block bodies 30 made of soft foamed resin are provided at the portions 25 at both ends, and the rear surface of the block body 30 and the front surface of the portions 25 at both ends that face it are bonded together.

[0038] In the above structure, the head HD of a person lying supine is placed on the center of the pillow 10 such that the parietal region SA3 of the occipital bone SA is positioned in the center of the hole 21 of the anterior base 20, and the neck NC of the person is placed on the lower side of the center of the pillow 10 (in the X2 direction in the figure). As a result, the block body 30 restricts the turning of the person's head HD on both the left and right lateral sides (in the Y-axis direction in the figure) of the mastoid process SC1 of the temporal bone SC, thereby preventing the person from turning over. In other words, it prevents the person's neck NC and head HD from rotating laterally (in the Y-axis direction in the figure).

[0039] Therefore, in the pillow 10, the block body 30 functions as a lateral restricting portion 95 that restricts the turning of the person's head HD on both the left and right lateral sides of the mastoid process SC1 of the person's temporal bone SC, and the lateral restricting portion 95 is provided.

[0040] Furthermore, stoppers 96 made of flat, rectangular, plate-shaped elastic urethane foam are provided on both the left and right outer sides of portion 22 of the front base 20. The rear surface of the stopper 96 and the front surface of the front base 20 opposite it are bonded together. The stopper 96 has its inner side surface in contact with the outer side surface of the lateral restricting portion 95, preventing the lateral restricting portion 95 from being easily pushed outwards to the left or right by the pressure of the person's head turning over in their sleep. The lateral restricting portion 95 and the stopper 96 are provided as separate parts, but they may also be formed as a single unit.

[0041] Furthermore, the main restricting portion 90 of the pillow 10 is made of a flat rectangular plate-shaped elastic urethane foam positioned in front of the front base 20 (in the Z1 direction in the figure) between the long side of the upper side (in the X1 direction in the figure) of the front base 20 and a straight line (not shown) parallel to this long side that passes through the upper ends (in the X1 direction in the figure) of the left and right side edges 211 in the hole 21 of the front base 20, and the rear surface of the main restricting portion 90 is bonded to the front surface of the front base 20 opposite to it. The thickness (height) of the main restricting portion 90 is equal to or greater than the thickness (height) of the front base 20 and the rear base 50. The main restricting portion 90 is provided with a notch 91 that cuts off the portion that overlaps with the hole 21 of the front base 20 when viewed from the front, and a main restricting wall 92 is formed that curves in a convex arc shape toward the upper vertical side (in the X1 direction in the figure) of the pillow 10 along the upper side 212 of the hole 21 of the base 20 and rises up to the front surface of the front base 20.

[0042] The main restricting portion 90 is provided with a recess 93 extending to the upper surface of the sub-support portion 80, in the portion facing the central part of the crown HD1, to avoid contact with the central part of the crown HD1. In other words, the recess 93 is recessed in the portion of the main restricting wall 92 facing the central part of the crown HD1 of a person lying supine, so as to prevent the main restricting portion 90 from making surface contact with the central part of the crown HD1 and applying strong pressure (in the figure, it is recessed in the X1 direction).

[0043] Furthermore, a hole 54 is provided vertically downward within the recess 93, extending to the lower surface of the rear base 50, which exposes the thickness surface of the sub-support portion 80 to the outside. In other words, the hole 54 exposes the thickness surface of the sub-support portion 80 by making the vertically downward portion of the recess 93 in the main restricting portion 90 lower than the upper surface of the sub-support portion 80.

[0044] As described above, even though the pillow 10 is equipped with a main restricting portion 90 to prevent the head HD from shifting significantly upward in the vertical direction (height direction), the central part of the top of the head HD1 is not subjected to strong planar pressure from the main restricting portion 90. Therefore, the nodding movement of the head during breathing (i.e., the slight forward and backward movement shown by arrow BM in Figure 6) is not restricted, allowing for sufficient inhalation and exhalation, and ensuring a good breathing state. Note that the hole 54 is not limited to the through hole shown in the figure, but may also be a closed-end hole.

[0045] In the pillow 10 described above, a recess 93 is provided in the main restricting portion 90 that faces the central part HD1 of the head of a person lying supine, to avoid contact with the central part HD1 of the head. However, the pillow is not limited to this configuration. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, a low-rebound material 930 (for example, low-rebound urethane foam, sponge, low-rebound chips, cotton, low-rebound gel, etc.) with a lower rebound force than the material of the main restricting portion 90 may be provided from the recess 93 to the vertical hole 54 by fitting or bonding, using appropriate means. In this case, loose materials such as low-rebound chips or cotton can be packed into a bag (not shown) and the outer surface of the bag can be fitted or bonded to the recess 93 and hole 54.

[0046] Even with this configuration, the low-rebound material 930 prevents the central part of the crown HD1 from being subjected to strong pressure in a planar manner by the main restricting part 90. As a result, the nodding motion of the head during breathing is not restricted, allowing for sufficient inhalation and exhalation, thus ensuring a good breathing state.

[0047] Furthermore, the low-rebound material 930 provided in the recess 93 may be limited to the recess 93 and not extended to the hole 54 (space) vertically below it, or the hole 54 (space) vertically below it may be omitted altogether.

[0048] The pillow 10 described above 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 the front base 20, rear base 50, main support part 60, sub-support part 80, neck support part 150, main restricting part 90, lateral restricting part 95, etc., can be varied in many ways.

[0049] Furthermore, although the pillow 10 is constructed by assembling multiple parts, it is certainly possible to integrate these multiple parts into a single molded piece as much as possible.

[0050] Furthermore, in the pillow 10 described above, the main support portion 60 and the neck support portion 150 are configured as a single, integrated unit, but they may also be configured as separate parts. In this case, a space can be provided between the main support portion 60 and the neck support portion 150, allowing the neck support portion 150 to support any cervical vertebra from the first cervical vertebra C1 to the seventh cervical vertebra C7 of the neck NC.

[0051] Furthermore, in the pillow 10 described above, the height of the neck support portion 150 is the same as the height of the main support portion 60, but it may be set lower or higher than the front surface of the main support portion 60. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0052] 54 holes 60 Main support part 80 Sub-support part 90 Main Regulatory Department 93 recess 95 Side restriction section 150 Neck support 930 Low-rebound material

Claims

[Claim 1] The main support portion is elastic and applies pressure in a planar manner to the area between the superior and inferior nuchal lines of the occipital bone of a person lying supine, specifically the area from the left end of where the trapezius muscle attaches to the occipital bone to where the left sternocleidomastoid muscle attaches to the occipital bone, and the area from the right end of where the trapezius muscle attaches to the occipital bone to where the right sternocleidomastoid muscle attaches to the occipital bone. A secondary support part is elastic, set to a lower support height than the main support part, and applies pressure to support the head on the apex side of the person's neck. It comprises a neck support portion that is elastic, is located at the neck of the person, and applies pressure to support the back of the person's neck, Furthermore, it includes a main restricting part located on the opposite side of the main support part from the sub-support part, and protruding higher than the sub-support part, which restricts the upward movement of the person's head in the direction of their height. The main restricting portion described above is provided with a recess in the area opposite to the center of the top of the person's head to avoid contact with the center of the top of the head. The pillow is characterized in that the recess is formed in a concave shape extending upward in the direction of the person's height from the main regulating portion opposite the center of the top of the person's head.

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