Pillow cover
The pillowcase with a detachable heater and controller facilitates temperature adjustment and protects against water damage, addressing the limitations of existing heat retention pillowcases.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/JP2024/018648
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-21
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-27
AI Technical Summary
Existing pillowcases with heat retention materials lack the ability to easily adjust temperature, and their integration with controllers can lead to water damage during washing.
A pillowcase with a detachable heater and controller, allowing for temperature adjustment through a cord and cap design that prevents water exposure and loss, and a flexible cover body for positioning adjustment.
Enables easy temperature regulation, prevents controller damage during washing, and allows use with preferred pillows by separating the heater from the cover body.
Smart Images
Figure JP2024018648_27112025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
pillowcase
[0001] The present invention relates to a pillowcase.
[0002] The pillow cover described in Patent Document 1 includes a heat retention improving material. When the pillow is used with the pillow cover attached to the pillow, the heat retention improving material warms, for example, the user's head.
[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-144287
[0004] In the above pillowcase, the heat retention improving material exerts its function to keep the user warm due to the influence of the user's body temperature, the temperature of the atmosphere around the pillow, etc. For this reason, it may be difficult to adjust the temperature by raising or lowering the temperature maintained by the heat retention improving material with the above pillowcase.
[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a pillow cover that allows easy temperature regulation.
[0006] A pillow cover according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized by comprising a cover body for covering a pillow, and a heater provided on the cover body that generates heat when electricity is applied.
[0007] According to the above aspect, when the heater is energized, the heater generates heat, and when the heater is deenergized, the heater stops generating heat. Therefore, the pillowcase can easily adjust the temperature at which the heater generates heat.
[0008] The pillowcase according to one aspect of the present invention may include a cord, one end of which is connected to the heater, and the other end of which is provided with a terminal to which a controller that controls the heater can be attached or detached. In this case, the user can detach the controller from the terminal and wash the pillowcase. Therefore, the pillowcase can prevent the controller from getting wet when washed.
[0009] The pillow cover according to one aspect of the present invention may include a cap that is attached to the terminal when the controller is detached from the terminal, in which case the pillow cover can prevent the terminal from getting wet when washed.
[0010] In the pillow cover according to one aspect of the present invention, the cap may be provided with a connecting member that connects the cap to the cord, in which case the pillow cover can prevent the cap from being lost.
[0011] In the pillow cover according to one aspect of the present invention, the heater may be detachable from the cover body. In this case, the user can wash the cover body with the heater removed from the cover body. Therefore, the pillow cover can prevent the heater from getting wet when washed.
[0012] In the pillow cover according to one aspect of the present invention, the heater may be disposed in a portion of the cover body that covers the upper part of the pillow and that comes into contact with the user's neck. In this case, the pillow cover can warm the user's neck with the heater.
[0013] In the pillow cover according to one aspect of the present invention, the heater may be disposed in a portion of the cover body that covers the front of the pillow and that comes into contact with the user's shoulders. In this case, the pillow cover can warm the user's shoulders with the heater.
[0014] In the pillow cover according to one aspect of the present invention, the heater may be disposed in a portion of the cover body that covers the upper part of the pillow and that comes into contact with the user's ears. In this case, the pillow cover can warm the user's ears with the heater.
[0015] In the pillow cover according to one aspect of the present invention, the heater may be disposed on a surface facing the inside of the cover body and facing the outer circumferential surface of the pillow. In this case, the pillow cover can prevent the heater from causing a deterioration in the feel of the pillow against the user's skin.
[0016] In one aspect of the pillow cover of the present invention, the cover body may have a cylindrical shape that opens in both directions when attached to the pillow, in which case the user can rotate the cover body relative to the pillow to adjust the position of the heater so that it contacts the user's preferred body part.
[0017] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the pillow cover 1 not attached to the pillow 10. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of area W1 shown in FIG. 1 , showing a state in which terminal 8A has been detached from terminal 44. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the pillow cover 1 attached to the pillow 10. FIG. 4 is a view from the right showing a state in which a user 7 is using the pillow 10 with the pillow cover 1 attached. FIG. 5 is a view from above showing a state in which a user 7 is using the pillow 10 with the pillow cover 1 attached. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the pillow cover 1A with the attachment sheet 30 attached to the cover main body 20A. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the pillow cover 1A with the attachment sheet 30 detached from the cover main body 20A. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the pillow cover 1B.
[0018] A pillow cover 1 according to one embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, the left, right, bottom, and top of Fig. 1 will be referred to as the negative X direction, positive X direction, negative Y direction, and positive Y direction of the pillow cover 1, respectively. The direction including the negative X direction and the positive X direction will be referred to as the X direction, and the direction including the negative Y direction and the positive Y direction will be referred to as the Y direction. The pillow cover 1 shown in Fig. 1 is used with the pillow 10 shown in Fig. 3. The pillow 10 is not limited to a particular shape or size, and it only needs to have a shape and size that allows the cover body 2 shown in Fig. 1 to be attached.
[0019] The structure of the pillow cover 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. As shown in Figure 1, the pillow cover 1 includes a cover body 2, multiple heaters 3, a cord 4, a cap 5, and a controller 8. The cover body 2 has a flexible sheet shape and is made of cloth in this embodiment. The cover body 2 has a rectangular shape when not attached to the pillow 10 (see Figure 1), and has a cylindrical shape when attached to the pillow 10 (see Figure 3), and covers the pillow 10.
[0020] Unless otherwise specified, the pillow cover 1 will be described below based on the state in which the cover body 2 is not attached to the pillow 10 (see FIG. 1). In this embodiment, the length of the cover body 2 in the Y direction is shorter than the length of the cover body 2 in the X direction, and is approximately half the length of the cover body 2 in the X direction.
[0021] The cover body 2 has a front surface 2A (see FIG. 3) and a back surface 2B. The front surface 2A is the surface that faces outward when the cover body 2 is attached to the pillow 10 (see FIG. 3) and is the surface that comes into contact with the body of the user 7. The back surface 2B is the surface opposite the front surface 2A. In other words, the back surface 2B is the surface that faces inward when the cover body 2 is attached to the pillow 10 (see FIG. 3) and is the surface that faces the outer peripheral surface 10A of the pillow 10.
[0022] On the back surface 2B, a plurality of convex buttons 21 are provided at the end of the cover body 2 in the negative X direction. The plurality of convex buttons 21 are aligned in the Y direction. On the front surface 2A shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of concave buttons 22, a plurality of concave buttons 23, and a plurality of concave buttons 24 are provided at the end of the cover body 2 in the positive X direction. The plurality of concave buttons 22 are aligned in the Y direction and are each positioned at the same position as the plurality of convex buttons 21 in the Y direction. The plurality of concave buttons 22 can be engaged with the plurality of convex buttons 21, respectively.
[0023] The multiple recessed buttons 23 are arranged in the negative X direction from the multiple recessed buttons 22 and are lined up in the Y direction. The multiple recessed buttons 23 can be engaged with the multiple raised buttons 21, respectively. The multiple recessed buttons 24 are arranged in the negative X direction from the multiple recessed buttons 23 and are lined up in the Y direction. The multiple raised buttons 21 can be engaged with the multiple recessed buttons 24, respectively. The end of the cover body 2 in the negative X direction and the end in the positive X direction may be engaged with each other by a method other than the engagement between the raised button 21 and the recessed buttons 22, 23, 24, for example, by a hook-and-loop fastener.
[0024] The heater 3 is a heating resistor that generates heat when electricity is applied. The heater 3 has a flexible sheet shape and is fixed to the back surface 2B of the cover body 2. In this embodiment, the heater 3 is adhered to the back surface 2B of the cover body 2 with an adhesive or sewn thereto.
[0025] The heater 3 includes a shoulder heater 31, a neck heater 32, and ear heaters 33 and 34. The shoulder heater 31 is disposed approximately in the center of the cover body 2 in the X direction. The shoulder heater 31 extends in the Y direction, straddling the center of the cover body 2 in the Y direction.
[0026] The length of the shoulder heater 31 in the Y direction is longer than the length of the shoulder heater 31 in the X direction and shorter than the length of the cover body 2 in the Y direction. The shoulder heater 31 is used to warm the area from the right shoulder 72 to the left shoulder 73 of the user 7. For this reason, it is preferable that the length of the shoulder heater 31 in the Y direction be, for example, 30 cm or more. This is because the shoulder width of the user 7 is generally 30 cm or more.
[0027] The neck heater 32 is disposed in the positive X direction from the center of the cover body 2 in the X direction, and is disposed adjacent to the shoulder heater 31 in the positive X direction. The neck heater 32 extends in the Y direction, straddling the center of the cover body 2 in the Y direction.
[0028] The length of the neck heater 32 in the Y direction is longer than the length of the neck heater 32 in the X direction and shorter than the length of the cover main body 2 in the Y direction. The length of the neck heater 32 in the Y direction is shorter than the length of the shoulder heater 31 in the Y direction. The neck heater 32 is used to warm the neck 71 of the user 7. For this reason, it is preferable that the length of the neck heater 32 in the Y direction be 30 cm or less. This is because half the length around the neck of the user 7 is generally 30 cm or less.
[0029] The ear heaters 33, 34 are arranged in the X direction further in the X positive direction than the center of the cover body 2. The ear heater 33 is arranged in the Y positive direction further in the Y positive direction than the center of the cover body 2 in the Y direction, and is arranged in the X positive direction and the Y positive direction of the neck heater 32. The ear heater 33 is arranged in the Y direction between the Y positive end of the shoulder heater 31 and the Y positive end of the neck heater 32.
[0030] The ear heater 34 is disposed in the negative Y direction from the center of the cover body 2 in the Y direction, and is disposed in the positive X and negative Y directions from the neck heater 32. The ear heater 34 is disposed in the Y direction between the negative Y end of the shoulder heater 31 and the negative Y end of the neck heater 32.
[0031] The ear heater 33 is used to warm the right ear 74 of the user 7. The ear heater 34 is used to warm the left ear 75 of the user 7. Therefore, the distance between the ear heaters 33 and 34 in the Y direction is preferably 15 cm or more and 30 cm or less. This is because the distance between the right ear 74 and left ear 75 of the user 7 is generally 15 cm or more and 30 cm or less. In this embodiment, the ear heaters 33 and 34 are connected to each other via a cord 49. The cord 49 is conductive and is formed by covering a conductor with an insulator.
[0032] The cord 4 is conductive and is constructed by covering a conductor with an insulator. The cord 4 includes cords 41, 42, and 43. One end 411 of the cord 41 is connected to the shoulder heater 31. One end 421 of the cord 42 is connected to the neck heater 32. One end 431 of the cord 43 is connected to the ear heater 33. The other end 412 of the cord 41, the other end 422 of the cord 42, and the other end 432 of the cord 43 are joined together to form the connection end 40 of the cord 4. A terminal 44 is provided at the connection end 40. The terminal 44 is an interface for connecting a controller 8, which will be described later, to the heater 3.
[0033] As shown in Fig. 2, the cap 5 is connected to the connecting end 40 of the cord 4 via a connecting member 51. In this embodiment, the connecting member 51 has a string-like shape. One end of the connecting member 51 is fixed to the cap 5. The other end of the connecting member 51 is fixed to the connecting end 40 of the cord 4.
[0034] The cap 5 has a shape that fits onto the terminal 44. By fitting the cap 5 onto the terminal 44, the terminal 44 is covered. For example, the user 7 attaches the cap 5 to the terminal 44 with the terminal 8A (described below) removed from the terminal 44. In this state, the user 7 washes the cover body 2 shown in FIG. 1 . The cap 5 prevents liquid from adhering to the terminal 44 when the cover body 2 is washed, for example. This allows the pillow cover 1 to prevent electrical malfunctions in the heater 3.
[0035] 1 , the controller 8 includes a controller main body 80, a cord 88, and a cord 89. The controller main body 80 is equipped with a microcomputer 87. The microcomputer 87 controls the supply of electricity to the heater 3 in response to the operation of various buttons. The various buttons are provided on the controller main body 80 and include a power button 81, a shoulder temperature adjustment button 82, a neck temperature adjustment button 83, an ear temperature adjustment button 84, and timer setting buttons 85 and 86.
[0036] The power button 81 is operated to turn the power of the pillowcase 1 on and off, i.e., to switch between energizing and de-energizing the heater 3. The shoulder temperature adjustment button 82 is operated to change whether or not to energize the shoulder heater 31 and the magnitude of the voltage applied to the shoulder heater 31, i.e., to switch between heating and de-heating of the shoulder heater 31 and to adjust the heating temperature. In this embodiment, the heating temperature of the shoulder heater 31 is set to one of four levels: 35°C, 40°C, 45°C, and 50°C.
[0037] The neck temperature adjustment button 83 is operated to change whether or not power is supplied to the neck heater 32 and the magnitude of the voltage applied to the neck heater 32, that is, to switch whether or not the neck heater 32 generates heat and to adjust the heat temperature. In this embodiment, the heat temperature of the neck heater 32 is set to one of four levels: 35°C, 40°C, 45°C, and 50°C.
[0038] The ear temperature adjustment button 84 is operated to change whether or not the ear heaters 33, 34 are energized and to change the magnitude of the voltage applied to the ear heaters 33, 34, that is, to switch whether or not the ear heaters 33, 34 generate heat and to adjust the heating temperature. In this embodiment, the heating temperature of the ear heaters 33, 34 is set to one of four levels: 35°C, 40°C, 45°C, or 50°C.
[0039] The timer setting button 85 is operated to set the time to stop power supply to the heater 3. The timer setting button 86 is operated to set the time to start power supply to the heater 3 according to the settings specified by the shoulder temperature adjustment button 82, the neck temperature adjustment button 83, or the ear temperature adjustment button 84.
[0040] A cord 88 extends from the controller main body 80. A terminal 8A is provided at the tip of the cord 88. The terminal 8A is an interface for connecting to the terminal 44. A cord 89 extends from the controller main body 80. A terminal 8B is provided at the tip of the cord 89. The terminal 8B is an interface for connecting to an external power source (not shown).
[0041] 3 to 5, a method of using the pillow cover 1 will be described. As shown in Fig. 3, the user 7 places the pillow 10 shown in Fig. 3 on the back surface 2B of the cover body 2, and then wraps the cover body 2 around the pillow 10 with the X direction shown in Fig. 1 as the circumferential direction. The user 7 overlaps the end of the cover body 2 in the positive X direction shown in Fig. 1 with the end of the cover body 2 in the negative X direction.
[0042] 4, the user 7 engages each of the multiple convex buttons 21 with any of the multiple concave buttons 22, the multiple concave buttons 23, and the multiple concave buttons 24 depending on the size of the pillow 10. For example, if the pillow 10 is relatively large, the user 7 engages each of the multiple convex buttons 21 with the multiple concave buttons 22, and if the pillow 10 is relatively small, the user 7 engages each of the multiple convex buttons 21 with the multiple concave buttons 24. FIG. 4 shows an example in which the convex buttons 21 engage with the concave buttons 22.
[0043] As a result of the above, the cover body 2 is attached to the pillow 10 as shown in Figures 3 to 5. In this case, the cover body 2 covers the outer peripheral surface 10A of the pillow 10 and is shaped to fit the outer peripheral surface 10A of the pillow 10 (see Figures 3 and 4). Below, the pillow cover 1 will be described based on the state in which the cover body 2 is attached to the pillow 10. When the cover body 2 is attached to the pillow 10, the lower left, upper right, upper left, lower right, upper, and lower in Figure 3 correspond to the front, rear, right, left, upper, and lower of the pillow cover 1 and pillow 10, respectively.
[0044] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the cover body 2 has a cylindrical shape that opens in both the left and right directions when attached to the pillow 10. As shown in Figure 4, in the pillow cover 1, when the pillow 10 to which the cover body 2 is attached is used by the user 7, the convex button 21 and the concave button 24 are disposed between the pillow 10 and the floor F. In this embodiment, when the cover body 2 is attached to the pillow 10, the height of the cover body 2 in the up-down direction is smaller than the length of the cover body 2 in the front-to-back direction. As shown in Figure 5, the length of the cover body 2 in the left-to-right direction is longer than the length of the cover body 2 in the front-to-back direction.
[0045] 3 to 5, the shoulder heater 31 is arranged in a portion of the cover body 2 that covers the front part 11 of the pillow 10. The neck heater 32 is arranged in a portion of the cover body 2 that covers the front end of the upper part 12 of the pillow 10. The ear heater 33 is arranged in a portion of the cover body 2 that covers approximately the center in the front-to-back direction of the upper part 12 of the pillow 10. The ear heater 34 is arranged in a portion of the cover body 2 that covers approximately the center in the front-to-back direction of the upper part 12 of the pillow 10.
[0046] As shown in Fig. 5, the shoulder heater 31 extends in the left-right direction, straddling the center C of the pillow 10 in the left-right direction. The neck heater 32 extends in the left-right direction, straddling the center C of the pillow 10 in the left-right direction. The ear heater 33 is disposed at a position away to the right from the center C of the pillow 10 in the left-right direction. The ear heater 34 is disposed at a position away to the left from the center C of the pillow 10 in the left-right direction.
[0047] 4 and 5 , the user 7 lies down on the pillow 10 with the back of the head 79 placed on the pillow 10 in a position where the left-right direction (X direction) of the pillowcase 1 is the shoulder width direction of the user 7, i.e., with the right shoulder 72 and left shoulder 73 located on the front part 11 of the pillow 10. In this state, the part of the user 7 from the right shoulder 72 to the left shoulder 73 comes into contact with the shoulder heater 31, the neck 71 of the user 7 comes into contact with the neck heater 32, the right ear 74 of the user 7 comes into contact with the ear heater 33, and the left ear 75 of the user 7 comes into contact with the ear heater 34.
[0048] Note that "a specific part of the user 7 touches a specific heater" does not only mean that the specific part of the user 7 directly touches the specific heater, but also means that the specific part of the user 7 is placed near the specific heater, so that the specific heater can generate heat to warm the specific part of the user 7. Therefore, for example, the ear heater 33 does not need to touch the right ear 74, but may be placed near the right ear 74 to the extent that it can warm the right ear 74 by generating heat.
[0049] For example, depending on the position at which the cover body 2 is attached to the pillow 10, the shoulder heater 31 may not be in contact with the right shoulder 72 and left shoulder 73 of the user 7, the neck heater 32 may not be in contact with the neck 71 of the user 7, or the ear heaters 33, 34 may not be in contact with the right ear 74 and left ear 75 of the user 7. In this case, the user 7 rotates the cover body 2 clockwise or counterclockwise relative to the pillow 10 in a side view, and adjusts it so that the shoulder heater 31 is in contact with the right shoulder 72 and left shoulder 73 of the user 7, the neck heater 32 is in contact with the neck 71 of the user 7, or the ear heaters 33, 34 are in contact with the right ear 74 and left ear 75 of the user 7.
[0050] In this embodiment, no heater is provided in the area where the back of the head 79 is placed, so that the shoulder heater 31, the neck heater 32, and the ear heaters 33 and 34 do not actively contact the back of the head 79.
[0051] With the terminal 8B shown in Fig. 3 connected to an external power source (not shown), the user 7 operates the power button 81 shown in Fig. 3 to turn on the power to the pillowcase 1. This puts the pillowcase 1 into a state in which voltage can be applied to the heater 3.
[0052] With the pillowcase 1 powered on, the user 7 appropriately operates the shoulder temperature adjustment button 82, neck temperature adjustment button 83, ear temperature adjustment button 84, and timer setting buttons 85 and 86 shown in Figure 1. For example, when the shoulder temperature adjustment button 82 is operated, the microcomputer 87 applies a voltage of a magnitude corresponding to the operation to the shoulder heater 31. This causes the shoulder heater 31 to generate heat, warming the area from the right shoulder 72 to the left shoulder 73 of the user 7.
[0053] Similarly, when the neck temperature adjustment button 83 is operated, the microcomputer 87 applies a voltage of a magnitude corresponding to the operation to the neck heater 32. This causes the neck heater 32 to generate heat, warming the neck 71 of the user 7. When the ear temperature adjustment button 84 is operated, the microcomputer 87 applies a voltage of a magnitude corresponding to the operation to each of the ear heaters 33 and 34. This causes the ear heaters 33 and 34 to generate heat, warming the right ear 74 and left ear 75 of the user 7.
[0054] As described above, in the above embodiment, the pillow cover 1 includes the cover body 2 for covering the pillow 10 and the heater 3 that is attached to the cover body 2 and generates heat when powered on. When the heater 3 is powered on, the heater 3 generates heat, and when the heater 3 is powered off, the heater 3 stops generating heat. Therefore, the temperature of the pillow cover 1 can be easily adjusted.
[0055] Furthermore, for example, if a particular pillow is equipped with a heater, it may be difficult for user 7 to use the heater with their favorite pillow 10 unless they prefer that particular pillow. In the above embodiment, the heater 3 is provided in the cover body 2, so by using the pillow cover 1 with the pillow 10 of user 7's preference, user 7 can use the heater 3 with their favorite pillow 10. Furthermore, even if the heater 3 breaks down, user 7 does not need to change the pillow 10; they can continue to use the pillow 10 as is by simply replacing the pillow cover 1.
[0056] In the above embodiment, the pillowcase 1 includes a cord 4. The heater 3 is connected to one end 411, 421, 431 of the cord 4. A terminal 44 is provided at the connection end 40 of the cord 4 to which a controller 8 that controls the heater 3 can be attached and detached. This allows the user 7 to remove the controller 8 from the terminal 44 and wash the pillowcase 1. This prevents the controller 8 from getting wet when the pillowcase 1 is washed.
[0057] In the above embodiment, the pillow cover 1 includes the cap 5 that is attached to the terminal 44 when the controller 8 is not connected to the terminal 44. Therefore, the pillow cover 1 can prevent the terminal 44 from getting wet when washed.
[0058] In the above embodiment, the cap 5 is provided with a connecting member 51 that connects the cap 5 to the cord 4. Therefore, the pillowcase 1 can prevent the cap 5 from being lost.
[0059] In the above embodiment, the neck heater 32 is located in the portion of the cover body 2 that covers the upper part of the pillow 10 and that comes into contact with the neck 71 of the user 7. Therefore, the pillow cover 1 can warm the neck 71 of the user 7 with the neck heater 32.
[0060] In the above embodiment, the shoulder heater 31 is disposed in the portion of the cover body 2 that covers the front portion 11 of the pillow 10 and that comes into contact with the right shoulder 72 and left shoulder 73 of the user 7. Therefore, the pillow cover 1 can warm the right shoulder 72 and left shoulder 73 of the user 7 with the shoulder heater 31.
[0061] In the above embodiment, the ear heaters 33, 34 are respectively arranged in the portions of the cover body 2 that cover the upper portion 12 of the pillow 10 and that come into contact with the right ear 74 and left ear 75 of the user 7. Therefore, the pillow cover 1 can warm the right ear 74 and left ear 75 of the user 7 with the ear heaters 33, 34.
[0062] If the heater 3 were placed on the front surface 2A, the user's 7 skin would come into direct contact with the heater 3, which could cause the pillow to feel uncomfortable against the skin. In the above embodiment, the heater 3 is placed on the back surface 2B facing the inside of the cover body 2 and opposite the outer peripheral surface 10A of the pillow 10. Therefore, the pillow cover 1 can prevent the heater 3 from causing discomfort to the user's 7.
[0063] In the above embodiment, the cover body 2 has a cylindrical shape that opens in both directions when attached to the pillow 10. Therefore, the user 7 can rotate the cover body 2 relative to the pillow 10 and adjust the position of the heater 3 so that the heater 3 contacts the part of the user 7's body that they prefer.
[0064] In the above embodiment, the pillow 10 corresponds to the "pillow" of the present invention. The cover body 2 corresponds to the "cover body" of the present invention. The heater 3 corresponds to the "heater" of the present invention. The pillow cover 1 corresponds to the "pillow cover" of the present invention. The cord 4 corresponds to the "cord" of the present invention. The controller 8 corresponds to the "controller" of the present invention. The terminal 44 corresponds to the "terminal" of the present invention. The cap 5 corresponds to the "cap" of the present invention. The connecting member 51 corresponds to the "connecting member" of the present invention.
[0065] The present invention may be modified in various ways from the above-described embodiment. A pillow cover 1A will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. The pillow cover 1A is a modified version of the pillow cover 1. The following mainly describes the differences between the pillow cover 1A and the pillow cover 1. The same or corresponding reference numerals as those in the pillow cover 1 will be used to designate the same components of the pillow cover 1A, and a description thereof will be omitted.
[0066] The pillow cover 1A differs from the pillow cover 1 in that it includes a cover body 20A instead of the cover body 2. The shape of the cover body 20A is the same as that of the cover body 2. Therefore, the state in which the cover body 20A is attached to the pillow 10 is the same as the state in which the cover body 2 is attached to the pillow 10. For this reason, a description of the state in which the cover body 20A is attached to the pillow 10 will be omitted.
[0067] In the pillow cover 1, the heater 3 cannot be attached or detached to the cover body 2, whereas in the pillow cover 1A, the heater 3 can be attached or detached to the cover body 20A. Specifically, the pillow cover 1A has the following configuration. Fastener strips 28A and 29A are fixed to the cover body 20A. Fastener strip 28A is located at the end of the cover body 20A in the negative Y direction and extends in the X direction. Fastener strip 29A is located at the end of the cover body 20A in the positive Y direction and extends in the X direction.
[0068] The linear fastener pieces 28A, 29A are each glued or sewn to the back surface 2B of the cover body 20A. Note that there are portions between the linear fastener pieces 28A, 29A and the cover body 20A that are not glued or sewn to the cover body 20A because the cord 4 passes through between them. For example, only the ends of the linear fastener piece 28A in the positive X direction and the ends of the linear fastener piece 29A in the negative X direction are glued or sewn to the cover body 20A. Only the ends of the linear fastener piece 29A in the positive X direction and the ends of the linear fastener piece 29A in the negative X direction are glued or sewn to the cover body 20A.
[0069] The heater 3 is fixed to one surface 30A of the mounting sheet 30. The heater 3 may be glued or sewn to the mounting sheet 30. The relative positions of the shoulder heater 31, neck heater 32, and ear heaters 33, 34 are the same as those of the pillowcase 1. The mounting sheet 30 has a rectangular shape. The mounting sheet 30 has a flexible sheet shape and is made of cloth in this embodiment.
[0070] Hereinafter, one side of the mounting sheet 30 will be referred to as the "first side 301," and the side of the mounting sheet 30 opposite the first side 301 in the Y direction will be referred to as the "second side 302." The first side 301 and the second side 302 each extend in the X direction. The direction in which the first side 301 and the second side 302 extend (X direction) intersects with the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the shoulder heater 31, intersects with the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the neck heater 32, and intersects with the direction in which the ear heaters 33 and 34 move away from each other (Y direction).
[0071] Line fastener piece 28B and line fastener piece 29B are fixed to attachment sheet 30. Line fastener piece 28B extends along first side 301 and is engageable with line fastener piece 28A. Line fastener piece 28B is adhered or sewn to first side 301. Line fastener piece 29B extends along second side 302 and is engageable with line fastener piece 29A. Line fastener piece 29B is adhered or sewn to second side 302.
[0072] 6, fastener strips 28A, 28B engage with each other, and fastener strips 29A, 29B engage with each other, thereby attaching heater 3 to cover body 20A together with mounting sheet 30. In this case, one surface 30A of mounting sheet 30, i.e., the surface to which heater 3 is fixed, faces back surface 2B of cover body 20A.
[0073] As shown in FIG. 7, the heater 3 is removed from the cover body 20A together with the mounting sheet 30 by removing the fastener strip 28B from the fastener strip 28A and the fastener strip 29B from the fastener strip 29A.
[0074] As described above, the heater 3 is detachable from the cover body 20A. Therefore, the user 7 can wash the cover body 20A with the heater 3 removed from the cover body 20A. Therefore, the pillowcase 1 can prevent the heater 3 from getting wet when washed.
[0075] In the pillow cover 1A, the mounting sheet 30 may be detachably attached to the cover body 20A via hook-and-loop fasteners, buttons, etc. The heater 3 may be detachably attached to the cover body 20A via wire fasteners, hook-and-loop fasteners, buttons, etc., without using the mounting sheet 30. The heater 3 may be fixed to the surface of the mounting sheet 30 that faces the outer peripheral surface 10A of the pillow 10 when the cover body 20A is attached to the pillow 10.
[0076] In the pillow cover 1A, instead of or in addition to the first edge 301 and the second edge 302, a fastener, a button, a hook-and-loop fastener, etc. may be provided on an edge of the attachment sheet 30 other than the first edge 301 and the second edge 302.
[0077] The pillow cover 1B will be described with reference to Figure 8. The pillow cover 1B is a modified version of the pillow cover 1. Below, differences between the pillow cover 1B and the pillow cover 1 will be mainly described. The same or corresponding reference numerals as those in the pillow cover 1 will be used for the components of the pillow cover 1B that are equivalent to those in the pillow cover 1, and the description will be omitted. The pillow 10 is not shown in Figure 8.
[0078] The pillow cover 1B differs from the pillow cover 1 in that it includes a cover body 20B instead of the cover body 2. The cover body 20B has a different shape from the cover body 2. Specifically, the cover body 20B is bag-shaped and includes a lower sheet 21B, an upper sheet 22B, and a folded-over sheet 23B. The lower sheet 21B is rectangular and extends in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. The left-to-right length of the lower sheet 21B is longer than the front-to-back length of the lower sheet 21B.
[0079] The upper sheet 22B is placed on the lower sheet 21B. The shape of the upper sheet 22B is the same as the shape of the lower sheet 21B. The front end 221B of the upper sheet 22B is connected to the front end 211B of the lower sheet 21B. The rear end 222B of the upper sheet 22B is connected to the rear end 212B of the lower sheet 21B. The left end 223B of the upper sheet 22B is connected to the right end 213B of the lower sheet 21B. Note that the sheets being connected may mean that the sheets are sewn together or that the sheets are continuous.
[0080] The left end 214B of the lower sheet 21B and the left end 224B of the upper sheet 22B are not connected to each other. Therefore, the left ends of the lower sheet 21B and the upper sheet 22B define the insertion opening 20. The insertion opening 20 is an opening through which the pillow 10 shown in FIG. 3 is inserted into the cover main body 20B.
[0081] The folded-back sheet 23B is folded upward and leftward from the left end 214B of the lower sheet 21B. The length of the folded-back sheet 23B in the left-right direction is shorter than the length of the folded-back sheet 23B in the front-to-back direction. The folded-back sheet 23B covers the pillow 10 from the right side when the cover main body 20B is attached to the pillow 10. In this way, the folded-back sheet 23B prevents the cover main body 20B from coming off the pillow 10 through the insertion opening 20.
[0082] In the pillow cover 1B, when the pillow 10 with the cover body 20B attached is used by the user 7, the lower sheet 21B is placed between the pillow 10 and the floor F (see FIG. 4). The shoulder heater 31 is placed at the front end 221B of the upper sheet 22B. The neck heater 32 is placed forward of the center in the front-to-back direction of the upper sheet 22B. The ear heaters 33, 34 are placed in the center in the front-to-back direction of the upper sheet 22B. The relative positions of the shoulder heater 31, neck heater 32, and ear heaters 33, 34 are the same as those of the pillow cover 1.
[0083] Other modifications will now be described. In the above embodiment, the pillowcase 1 may omit some of the shoulder heater 31, neck heater 32, and ear heaters 33, 34 (for example, the ear heaters 33, 34). The pillowcase 1 may include another heater instead of or in addition to the shoulder heater 31, neck heater 32, and ear heaters 33, 34. The other heater may warm the back of the head 79 of the user 7, for example.
[0084] The shape of the cover body 2 may be changed from that of the above embodiment. For example, the cover body 2 may not cover the entire pillow 10 when attached to the pillow 10, but may cover only the upper portion 12 of the pillow 10. In other words, the cover body 2 may not have a cylindrical shape when attached to the pillow 10, but may have a flat shape.
[0085] In the above embodiment, the pillowcase 1 may omit the terminal 44. In this case, the controller 8 may be permanently connected to the heater 3 by the cord 4. The controller main body 80 may not be provided with buttons. For example, the controller main body 80 may communicate with an external device such as a smart phone (not shown) and control the heater 3 by commands from the external device.
[0086] In the above embodiment, the pillow cover 1 may omit the cap 5. The pillow cover 1 may omit the connecting member 51. In the above embodiment, the heater 3 may be disposed on the front surface 2A of the cover body 2.
[0087] The above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined in various ways within the scope of the present invention. For example, the attachment sheet 30 may be applied to the cover body 20B.
Claims
1. A pillow cover comprising: a cover body for covering a pillow; and a heater attached to the cover body that generates heat when electricity is applied.
2. The pillow cover according to claim 1, further comprising a cord, one end of which is connected to the heater, and the other end of which is provided with a terminal to which a controller for controlling the heater can be detachably attached.
3. The pillow cover according to claim 2, further comprising a cap that is attached to the terminal when the controller is detached from the terminal.
4. The pillow cover according to claim 3, wherein the cap is provided with a connecting member that connects the cap to the cord.
5. The pillow cover according to claim 1, wherein the heater is detachable from the cover body.
6. The pillow cover according to claim 1, wherein the heater is located in the part of the cover body that covers the top of the pillow and where the user's neck rests.
7. The pillow cover according to claim 1, wherein the heater is located in the part of the cover body that covers the front of the pillow and where the user's shoulders come into contact.
8. The pillow cover according to claim 1, wherein the heater is located in the part of the cover body that covers the top of the pillow and that comes into contact with the user's ears.
9. A pillow cover as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the heater is arranged on a surface facing the inside of the cover body and opposite the outer periphery of the pillow.
10. A pillow cover as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the cover body has a tubular shape that opens in both directions when attached to the pillow.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
JP1989087701U
health sheets
JP1993078250U
electric carpet
JP1994028512U
Warmer for sleeping
JP2006122102A