Pillow

Abstract

In a pillow according to the present invention, a main support section applies pressure to in a planar manner and supports, within a region between the superior nuchal line and inferior nuchal line of the occipital bone of a supine person, at least a region from the left end of the portion at which the trapezius muscle is attached to the occipital bone to the portion at which the left sternocleidomastoid muscle is attached to the occipital bone, and a region from the right end of the portion at which the trapezius muscle is attached to the occipital bone to the portion at which the right sternocleidomastoid muscle is attached to the occipital bone. An auxiliary support section having a lower support height than the main support section applies pressure to and supports the head part more on the parietal side than the superior nuchal line of the supine person. This pillow includes a hole dug downward in the vertical direction with respect to the thickness of the auxiliary support section at a position more on the upper side in the body height direction than the auxiliary support section for supporting the head part on the parietal side of the supine person.

Description

pillow

[0001] The present invention relates to pillows, and more particularly to the ability of pillows to facilitate breathing for the user.

[0002] Being able to breathe easily even in a sleeping position is essential for sleep quality. 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. Therefore, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pillow that supports the neck to the back of the head and reduces the support force at the back of the head to prevent the chin from dropping.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-081248

[0004] However, with a pillow like the one 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. The resulting torque causes the head to tilt significantly, hindering breathing.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to solve the above problems by focusing on the stage just before the head begins to shift in the vertical direction of the pillow (in the direction of height), and by improving this stage, to provide a pillow that effectively suppresses the shifting movement and stably maintains the head angle so that it does not tilt too much, and that does not adversely affect breathing and ensures good breathing conditions.

[0006] The pillow according to the present invention comprises a main support part that is elastic and applies pressure to at least the region between the superior nuchal line and inferior nuchal line of the occipital bone of a person lying on their back, between 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 the region between 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; and a secondary support part that is elastic and has a support height set lower than the main support part and applies pressure to support the person's head on the parietal side of the superior nuchal line, and is characterized by having a hole dug vertically downward relative to the thickness of the secondary support part at a position higher in the height direction than the support position of the secondary support part that supports the person's head on the parietal side.

[0007] Incidentally, the above-mentioned "region between the superior and inferior nuchal lines of the occipital bone of a person lying on their back, 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" will be referred to below as the "left specified region." Furthermore, the above-mentioned "region between the superior and inferior nuchal lines of the occipital bone of a person lying on their back, 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" will be referred to below as the "right specified region." Furthermore, pillows are usually covered with pillowcases, but the pillow of the present invention is intended to include both pillows that are covered with pillowcases and pillows that are not covered with pillowcases.

[0008] In the present invention, "occipital bone" refers to the dish-shaped bone SA that forms the back and bottom 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 arched manner from just 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 arched manner from below the superior nuchal line to the tip (lower end) of the mastoid process SC1, as shown in the same figure. "Parietal bones" refers to the pair of rectangular bones SB that form the top and upper left and right sides of the skull. "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.

[0009] 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.

[0010] Furthermore, "supporting by applying pressure" means that when the weight (body pressure) of a person lying on their back at a certain point is applied to the main support part, a counter-reaction elastic pressure (elastic repulsive force) is applied to the certain point, and this counter-repulsive elastic pressure (elastic repulsive force) is applied to support (support) the desired height. Therefore, if there is only contact or the elastic repulsive force is only slight, it does not mean that pressure is applied to support (support) the desired height. Furthermore, "supporting in a planar manner by applying pressure" means that the counter-repulsive elastic pressure (elastic repulsive force) is applied to support (support) the desired height. Therefore, if there is only a linear contact along a single line, it is not planar support and does not provide stable support, so it does not mean that pressure is applied to support (support) the desired height. Conversely, when a large number of protrusions (point-like protrusions) are provided for point-like contact and support is provided by these point-like protrusions, the contact area is significantly smaller than that of the surface itself, but support can be provided that is as stable as a surface, so this falls within the category of surface-like support and is included in the configuration for surface-like support.

[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, and the primary support portion with a higher support height applies pressure to the above-mentioned left and right predetermined areas SA7 (see FIG. 1B) of the occipital bone SA, which faces diagonally downward, to provide planar support, and these left and right predetermined areas SA7 that provide planar support are close to the position of the head's center of gravity G (see FIG. 6), so that the weight of the head is concentrated on the primary 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 displacement movements, and allows the head angle to be maintained more stably. In other words, it effectively prevents the head from easily tilting to a large angle, which was previously considered difficult.

[0012] Furthermore, in the present invention, the main support section applies pressure to the left and right predetermined areas SA7 of the occipital bone SA, so there is no compressive stress and no adverse effect on breathing. Also, because the weight of the head is concentrated on the main support section, it becomes concave, making it less likely for the head to roll over and causing stiff necks.

[0013] Furthermore, by supporting the back of the head with the main support part and the secondary support part, which is lower in support height than the main support part, the entire cervical spine can be maintained in a curved (arched) shape, and the airway and neck muscles, particularly the respiratory muscles, such as the sternocleidomastoid muscle MB, anterior scalene, middle scalene, and posterior scalene (not shown), are not compressed. As a result, the airway can be maintained at the same level when lying on one's back as when standing upright, and the respiratory muscles can move smoothly, making breathing easier.

[0014] When a person is lying on their back and breathing, their head moves slightly in the in direction (downward) of the BM in FIG. 6 when they inhale, and slightly in the ex direction (upward) of the BM in FIG. 6 when they exhale. This slight movement is called a head nodding movement. It is extremely important to ensure sufficient head nodding movement. It has been newly discovered that if this movement is not fully or barely ensured, the person will not be able to inhale and exhale properly, resulting in incomplete breathing and poor respiratory health. To solve this problem, the present invention provides a hole 54 (see FIG. 6 ) dug vertically downward relative to the thickness of the auxiliary support section, located at a position above the support position of the auxiliary support section that supports the head of the person lying on their back on the parietal side. This facilitates compressive deformation and return deformation at the head support position of the auxiliary support section, allowing the head to nod sufficiently and ensuring good respiratory health.

[0015] In addition, the pillow of the present invention can also be provided with a main regulating part 90 (see Figure 6 for an example) that regulates upward movement of the head, located at a position higher in the height direction than the support position of the secondary support part.

[0016] Furthermore, the pillow of the present invention may be configured so that the holes 54 and the recesses 93 are provided with a low-resilience material 930 having a lower resilience than the secondary support portion (see Figures 7 and 8 for an example). The low-resilience material 930 can be made of low-resilience urethane foam, sponge, low-resilience chips, cotton, low-resilience gel, or the like, to avoid strong pressure from the primary restricting portion 90, but of course other soft low-resilience materials may also be used. The low-resilience material 930 can be provided by any suitable means, such as fitting or gluing, into the holes 54 and the recesses 93. However, for materials that fall apart, such as low-resilience chips or cotton, the material can be packed in a bag and the outer surface of the bag fitted or glued into the holes 54 and the recesses 93. In the case of low-resilience urethane foam, it can also be provided as an integral part by molding.

[0017] 1 is a perspective view of a human skull; 2 is a view of the back of a human head; 3 is a perspective view of a pillow according to an embodiment of the present invention; 4 is a front view of the pillow shown in FIG. 2; 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 3; 6 is a rear view showing the correspondence between the pillow shown in FIG. 2 and a person's head and neck; 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 3 when the pillow shown in FIG. 2 is in use; 8 is a rear view showing another invention (an invention using low-resilience material 930) and showing the correspondence between the pillow and a person's head and neck; 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the other invention and showing the pillow in use.

[0018] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1A is a perspective view of a human skull, and Fig. 1B is a perspective view of the occipital region. In Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B, HD denotes a human head, SA denotes the occipital bone, SA1 denotes the external occipital protuberance, SA2 denotes the region between the superior and inferior nuchal lines of the occipital bone, SA3 denotes the parietal region of the occipital bone, SA4 denotes the superior nuchal line, SA5 denotes the inferior nuchal line, SA6 denotes the inferior line of the occipital bone, SA7 denotes the region between the left end of the trapezius muscle attached to the occipital bone and the left sternocleidomastoid muscle attached to the occipital bone (a predetermined left region), and SA8 denotes the region between the right end of the trapezius muscle attached to the occipital bone and the occipital bone. the area between the right sternocleidomastoid muscle and the area of ​​the right sternocleidomastoid muscle where it attaches (a specified area on the right), SB is the parietal bone, SB1 is the occipital area 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 are the left and right sternocleidomastoid muscles where they attach 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 human neck, and C1 to C7 are the first to seventh cervical vertebrae.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a pillow 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a front view (front view) of the pillow 10, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along the center line CL in the left-right lateral direction of the pillow 10, that is, the A-A cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a rear view (back view) showing the correspondence between the pillow 10 and a person's head HD and neck NC, and FIG. 6 is the A-A cross-sectional view of FIG. 3 when the pillow 10 is in use.

[0020] The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis shown in Figures 2 to 6 are perpendicular to one another. In this embodiment, the X-axis direction is the vertical direction of the pillow 10, which corresponds to the height direction of a person lying on their back, the X1 direction is the upward direction, and the X2 direction is the downward direction. The Y-axis direction is the horizontal direction of the pillow 10, the Y1 direction is the leftward direction, and the Y2 direction is the rightward direction. The Z-axis direction is the front-to-back thickness (height) direction of the pillow 10, the Z1 direction is the forward direction, and the Z2 direction is the backward direction.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the pillow 10 comprises: (1A) a main support part 60 made of elastic urethane foam, which applies pressure to and provides planar support to at least a region (left predetermined region) SA7 between the left end TR1 of the portion where the trapezius muscle TR attaches to the occipital bone SA and the left sternocleidomastoid muscle MBP attaches to the occipital bone SA, and a region (right predetermined region) SA7 between the right end TR2 of the portion where the trapezius muscle TR attaches to the occipital bone SA and the right sternocleidomastoid muscle MBP attaches to the occipital bone SA, in the region SA2 between the superior nape line SA4 and the inferior nape line SA5 of the occipital bone SA of a person lying on their back; (1B) a sub-support part 80 made of elastic urethane foam, which has a support height set lower than that of the main support part 60, which applies pressure to and provides support to the person's head on the parietal side of the superior nape line SA4; and (1C) The device is provided with a neck support part 150 made of elastic urethane foam, positioned at the location of the person's neck NC, and supporting the neck NC by applying pressure to the rear surface of the neck NC.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2 to 6, (2A) the pillow 10 is provided with lateral restraint portions 95 made of elastic urethane foam on both the left and right outer sides of the mastoid process SC1 of the person's temporal bone SC, which restrain the person's head from turning over in bed.

[0023] 2 to 6, the pillow 10 further includes: (3A) a main regulating part 90 made of elastic urethane foam that protrudes higher than the sub-support part 80 at a position higher in the height direction than the head supporting position of the sub-support part 80 and regulates the shifting movement of the head HD upward in the height direction of the person (in the X1 direction in the figures); (3B) a recess 93 is provided in the main regulating part 90 at a position facing the center of the top of the person's head, up to the position of the upper surface of the sub-support part 80, to avoid contact with the center of the top of the head; and (3C) a hole 54 is provided vertically downward within the recess 93, dug vertically downward relative to the thickness of the sub-support part 80.

[0024] Next, the pillow 10 will be further described with reference to 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 on their back rests on the center of the pillow 10, and the neck NC of the person rests on the underside of the center of the pillow 10 (in the X2 direction in the figures).

[0025] The pillow 10 comprises a front base 20 and a rear base 50 disposed 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 urethane foam in the shape of a flat rectangular plate having elasticity, and the rear surface of the front base 20 is bonded to the front surface of the rear base 50 facing it. The front base 20 and the rear base 50 have the same lengths of the long sides extending in the left-right lateral direction of the pillow 10 (in the Y-axis direction in the figure) and the short sides extending in the vertical direction (height direction) of the pillow 10 (in the X-axis direction in the figure), and also have the same thickness (height) (dimension in the Z-axis direction in the figure).

[0026] A hole 21 is provided in the center of the front base 20 on which the head HD of a person lying on their back is placed. The hole 21 penetrates between the front and rear surfaces of the front base 21, making the thickness of the center part of the pillow 10 thinner than the thickness around it, and exposing the center part 51 of the rear base 50. The shape of the hole 21 is formed to match the outer shape of the occipital part of the head HD of a person lying on their back, which is on the parietal side of the superior nuchal line SA4. Specifically, the pillow 10 has straight left and right side edges 211 extending in the vertical direction (the direction of height) of the pillow 10 (the X-axis direction in the figure) along the left and right side surfaces of the occipital region closer to the parietal region than the nape line SA4, an upper edge 212 curved in a convex arc toward the upper vertical direction of the pillow 10 (the X1 direction in the figure) along the center of the parietal region, and connecting the upper ends of the left and right side edges 211 (the X1 direction in the figure), and a lower edge 213 curved in a convex arc toward the upper vertical direction of the pillow 10 (the X1 direction in the figure) along the nape line SA4, and connecting the lower ends of the left and right side edges 211 (the X2 direction in the figure), and these four edges form a closed (hole) shape that closes the four sides of the pillow 10 (the X1 and X2, Y1 and Y2 directions in the figure). The width of hole 21 in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction in the figure) is slightly wider than the width of the back of the head on the parietal side of the upper nape SA4 in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction in the figure), and the length of hole 21 in the vertical direction (X-axis direction in the figure) is equal to the length of the back of the head on the parietal side of the upper nape SA4 in the height direction (X-axis direction in the figure).

[0027] Furthermore, with regard to the portion 22 of the front base 20 between the lower edge 213 of the hole 21 in the front base 20 and the long side of the lower side (X2 direction in the figure) of the front base 20, the length of that portion 22 in the vertical direction (X-axis direction in the figure) is set to be longer than the length from the upper nuchal line SA4 of the head HD of a person lying on their back to the lower edge line SA6 of the occipital bone on the neck side, i.e., the length in the vertical direction (X-axis direction in the figure) of the occipital region on the neck side from the upper nuchal line SA4, but shorter than the length from the upper nuchal line SA4 over the lower edge line SA6 of the occipital bone on the neck side to the seventh cervical vertebra C7 of the neck NC (in this embodiment, it is set to be the length from the upper nuchal line SA4 over the lower edge line SA6 of the occipital bone on the neck side to the fifth cervical vertebra C5 of the neck NC).

[0028] In the above structure, when a person is lying on their back, their head HD is placed on the center of the pillow 10 so that the parietal area SA3 of the occipital bone SA is positioned in the center of the hole 21 in the front base 20, and their neck NC is placed on the lower side of the center of the pillow 10 (in the X2 direction in the figure), the lower edge 213 of the hole 21 in the front base, i.e., the upper edge (in the X1 direction in the figure) of part 22 of the front base 20, corresponds to the superior nuchal line SA4, the occipital part of the head on the parietal side of the superior nuchal line SA4 fits into the hole 21 in the front base 20, and the parietal area SA3 of the occipital bone SA is placed on the center 51 of the rear base 50 exposed by the hole 21 in the front base 20.

[0029] Furthermore, the upper region 23 (X1 direction in the figure) of the part 22 of the front base 20 faces the back of the head of a person lying on their back on the neck side of the superior nape line SA4, which includes the left and right specified regions SA7 and the left and right mastoid processes SC1, and the back of the head of a person lying on their back on the neck side of the superior nape line SA4 rests on this region 23.

[0030] In addition, the lower region 24 (X2 direction in the figure) of the part 22 of the front base 20 faces the first cervical vertebra C1 to the fifth cervical vertebra C5 of the neck NC of a person lying on their back, and the first cervical vertebra C1 to the fifth cervical vertebra C5 of the neck NC rest on this region 24.

[0031] Therefore, in the pillow 10, the region 23 on the upper side (X1 direction in the figure) of the part 22 of the front base 20 and the region 52 of the rear base 50 located behind it (Z2 direction in the figure) have elasticity, and can apply pressure to at least a region (left specified region) SA7 between the left end TR1 of the part where the trapezius muscle TR is attached to the occipital bone SA to the part where the left sternocleidomastoid muscle MBP is attached to the occipital bone SA and a region (right specified region) SA7 between the right end TR2 of the part where the trapezius muscle TR is attached to the occipital bone SA to the part where the right sternocleidomastoid muscle MBP is attached to the occipital bone SA, to provide planar support, and function as the main support part 60, and are provided with the main support part 60. In the illustrated example, support portions 26 for supporting the mastoid process are integrally formed on the outer side of both left and right ends of the main support portion 60, and are at the same height as the main support portion 60, but these support portions 26 for supporting the mastoid process may be formed to be higher than the height of the main support portion 60, and furthermore, the support portion 26 for supporting the mastoid process does not need to be formed integrally with the main support portion 60, but may be formed separately. The support portion 26 for supporting the mastoid process supports the attachment portion MB1 of the sternocleidomastoid muscle MB, and in a supine person, tension is relieved not only at the attachment portion MB1 but also along the entire longitudinal direction of the sternocleidomastoid muscle MB, improving the movement of the sternocleidomastoid muscle MB during breathing, making both inhalation and exhalation smoother and easing breathing.

[0032] Furthermore, in the pillow 10, the central portion 51 of the rear base 50 exposed by the hole 21 of the front base 20 has elasticity, and is set to have a lower support height than the main support portion 60 consisting of the upper region 23 (in the X1 direction in the figure) of the portion 22 of the front base 20 and the portion 52 of the rear base 50 located behind it (in the Z2 direction in the figure), and can apply pressure to support the person's head on the parietal side of the upper nape SA4, and functions as the auxiliary support portion 80, and is provided with the auxiliary support portion 80.

[0033] In addition, in the pillow 10, the region 24 on the lower side (X2 direction in the figure) of the part 22 of the front base 20 and the part 53 of the rear base 50 located behind it (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 on their back, and can apply pressure to and support the posterior surface of at least the third cervical vertebra C3 to the fifth cervical vertebra C5 of the person's neck NC, function as the neck support part 150, and are provided with the neck support part 150.

[0034] Furthermore, in the pillow 10, both end portions 25 in the left and right lateral direction (Y-axis direction in the figure) in an area 23 above the portion 22 of the front base 20 (X1 direction in the figure) are positioned on the left and right outer sides of the mastoid process SC1 of the temporal bone SC of a person lying on their back, and the portions 26 immediately inside the end portions 25 are opposed to the mastoid process SC1 of the temporal bone SC of a person lying on their back. Then, rectangular parallelepiped block bodies 30 made of soft foam resin are provided on the end portions 25, and the rear surface of the block body 30 is bonded to the front surfaces of the end portions 25 facing it.

[0035] In the above structure, when a person is lying on their back and their head HD is placed on the center of the pillow 10 so that the parietal region SA3 of the occipital bone SA is positioned in the center of the hole 21 in the front base 20, and their neck NC is placed below the center of the pillow 10 (in the X2 direction in the figure), the block body 30 restricts the turning of the person's head HD on both the left and right outer sides of the mastoid process SC1 of the person's temporal bone SC (outside the Y-axis direction in the figure), preventing the person from turning over in their sleep. In other words, the person's neck NC to head HD alone is prevented from rotating laterally to the left and right (in the Y-axis direction in the figure).

[0036] Therefore, in the pillow 10, the block body 30 functions as a lateral restriction part 95 that restricts the turning over of the person's head HD on both the left and right outer sides of the mastoid process SC1 of the person's temporal bone SC, and the lateral restriction part 95 is provided.

[0037] Furthermore, stoppers 96 made of flat rectangular plates of elastic urethane foam are provided on both the left and right outer sides of portion 22 of front base 20. The rear surface of the stoppers 96 is adhered to the opposing front surface of front base 20. The inner side of the stoppers 96 abuts against the outer side of the side restriction portions 95, preventing the side restriction portions 95 from being easily pushed outward to the left or right by the pressure of the person's head when turning over in bed. Although the side restriction portions 95 and the stoppers 96 are provided separately, they may also be formed as an integrated unit.

[0038] The main regulating portion 90 of the pillow 10 is made of a flat rectangular plate of elastic urethane foam arranged 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 and passing through the upper ends (in the X1 direction in the figure) of the left and right side edges 211 of the hole 21 of the front base 20, and the rear surface of the main regulating portion 90 is bonded to the front surface of the front base 20 facing it. The thickness (height) of the main regulating portion 90 is equal to or greater than the thickness (height) of the front base 20 and the rear base 50. The main regulating portion 90 is provided with a notch 91 that removes a portion that overlaps with the hole 21 of the front base 20 in a front view, and a main regulating wall 92 is formed that curves in a convex arc along the upper side 212 of the hole 21 of the base 20 toward the vertically upper side of the pillow 10 (in the X1 direction in the figure) and rises from the front surface of the front base 20.

[0039] The main regulator 90 has a recess 93 formed in a portion thereof facing the central parietal region HD1, which extends up to the upper surface of the sub-support portion 80 to avoid contact with the central parietal region HD1. In other words, the recess 93 recesses the portion of the main regulator wall 92 facing the central parietal region HD1 of a person lying on their back upward in the height direction (recessed in the X1 direction in the drawing) so as to prevent the main regulator 90 from coming into planar contact with the central parietal region HD1 of the person lying on their back and applying strong pressure thereto.

[0040] Furthermore, a hole 54 is provided vertically downward within the recess 93 , extending through the thickness of the auxiliary support portion 80 down to the position of the lower surface of the rear base 50 .

[0041] With the above structure, as explained in paragraphs

[0014] and

[0015] , even if the pillow is provided with the main restricting part 90 for preventing the head HD from significantly shifting upward in the vertical direction (height direction) of the pillow 10, the central part HD1 of the top of the head is not subjected to strong planar pressure from the main restricting part 90, so the head nodding movement during breathing (i.e., the slight movement in the forward and backward directions indicated by the arrow BM in Fig. 6) is not restricted, allowing sufficient inhalation and exhalation, and ensuring good breathing conditions. Note that the hole 54 is not limited to the through hole shown in the figure, and may be a non-through hole.

[0042] In the pillow 10 described above, a recess 93 is provided in the portion of the main restricting portion 90 facing the central portion HD1 of the head of a person lying on their back, in order to avoid contact with the central portion HD1 of the head, but this is not limiting, and as shown in Figures 7 and 8, a low-resilience material 930 (for example, a low-resilience material such as low-resilience urethane foam, sponge, low-resilience chips, batting, or low-resilience gel) having a lower resilience than that of the material of the auxiliary support portion 80 may be provided by appropriate means such as fitting or gluing from the recess 93 to the hole 54 in the vertical direction thereof. In this case, loose materials such as low-resilience chips or batting may be packed in a bag (not shown), and the outer surface of the bag may be fitted or glued into the recess 93 and hole 54.

[0043] Even with this configuration, the central part of the top of the head HD1 is not subjected to strong planar pressure from the main restricting part 90 due to the low resilience material 930, so the head nodding movement during breathing is not restricted, and sufficient inhalation and exhalation can be achieved, ensuring good breathing conditions.

[0044] The low-resilience material 930 provided in the recess 93 may extend up to the recess 93 and not extend to the hole 54 (space) below it in the vertical direction.

[0045] The pillow 10 described above is merely one example of the present invention, and the present invention can be implemented by appropriately modifying the structure within the scope of the claims. For example, the pillow may not be provided with the main restricting portion 90.

[0046] Furthermore, the shape, size, and hardness of the example front base 20, rear base 50, main support portion 60, secondary support portion 80, neck support portion 150, main regulation portion 90, lateral regulation portion 95, etc. described above may be modified in various ways.

[0047] Furthermore, although the pillow 10 in the example described above is constructed by assembling a plurality of parts, it goes without saying that these multiple parts may be molded as a single unit as much as possible.

[0048] In addition, in the pillow 10 of the example described above, the main support part 60 and the neck support part 150 are configured as a single unit connected in series, but they may be configured as separate parts. In this case, a space may be provided between the main support part 60 and the neck support part 150, and the neck support part 150 can support any of the first cervical vertebra C1 to the seventh cervical vertebra C7 of the neck NC.

[0049] In addition, in the example pillow 10 described above, the height of the neck support portion 150 is equal to 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.

[0050] 54 Hole 60 Main support portion 80 Sub-support portion 90 Main restriction portion 93 Recess 95 Side restriction portion 150 Neck support portion 930 Low-resilience material

Claims

1. A pillow comprising: a main support part that is elastic and applies pressure to and provides planar support to at least the area between the superior and inferior nuchal lines of the occipital bone of a person lying on their back, from the left end of where the trapezius muscle attaches to the occipital bone to the area where the left sternocleidomastoid muscle attaches to the occipital bone, and the area between the right end of where the trapezius muscle attaches to the occipital bone to the area where the right sternocleidomastoid muscle attaches to the occipital bone; and a secondary support part that is elastic and has a support height set lower than the main support part, and applies pressure to and supports the person's head on the parietal side of the superior nuchal line, and is provided with a hole dug vertically downward relative to the thickness of the secondary support part, at a position higher in the height direction than the support position of the secondary support part that supports the person's parietal side of the head.

2. The pillow according to claim 1, wherein the holes are provided with a low-resilience material having a resilience lower than that of the secondary support portion.

3. A pillow as described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it is provided with a main regulating part that regulates the upward movement of the person's head in the height direction, at a position higher in the height direction than the support position of the secondary support part that supports the person's head on the top side of the head.

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