Functional pillow

Abstract

The invention relates to a functional cushion consisting of a torso body (1). The torso body (1) has an average torso height (H), an average torso width (B), an average torso depth (T), an average torso volume and an average torso weight. The torso body (1) is filled with a soft filling (3). Two arm bodies (2), each having an average length for the arm body (L) and each having an average circumference for the arm body (U), are arranged on the torso body (1). Each arm body (2) has an average arm volume and an average arm weight, characterized in that the average arm weight of each arm body (2) is greater than the average torso weight by more than a factor of 2.

Description

[0001] Functional pillow

[0002] Description

[0003] The invention relates to a functional cushion consisting of a torso body with an average torso height, an average torso width, and an average torso depth. This torso body has an average torso volume and an average torso weight, wherein the torso body has a soft filling and two arm bodies, each with an average length and average circumference, are arranged on the torso body, each arm body having an average arm volume and an average arm weight, characterized in that the average arm weight of each arm body is greater than a factor of 2 than the average torso weight.

[0004] The fundamental and originally intended primary function of a pillow is to increase sleeping comfort by supporting the head. This increased comfort is achieved primarily because the pillow's support prevents the cervical spine from being bent laterally, instead maintaining it at a physiologically optimal height. This optimum is defined as the entire spine ideally approximating a horizontal line when the body is lying on its side.

[0005] Whether humans in early times used rolled-up animal hides, for example, to take advantage of this positive effect of supporting the head, is not definitively proven.

[0006] The earliest devices designed to elevate and support the head during sleep are known from ancient Egyptian civilizations. However, these early constructions were attachments made of metal, wood, stone, or ivory, which were not particularly comfortable and did not adequately promote a healthy sleeping posture. Therefore, these devices are only comparable to what we understand as a pillow today in terms of their function, not their construction.

[0007] Similar devices are known from China and Japan, and African indigenous peoples also used comparable wooden constructions; however, the primary functional intention here was to prevent insects from entering the nose, ears, mouth and eyes.

[0008] It was the Greeks and Romans who further developed the so-called Egyptian bed and used pillows whose covers were made of leather or fabric and filled with reeds, hay, feathers or wool, and are therefore basically comparable to a modern pillow.

[0009] Down and feathers emerged as the ideal filling material for a soft pillow as early as the late Middle Ages. However, this soft filling was generally reserved for wealthy people at that time; the poorer classes mostly slept on sacks filled with straw.

[0010] This changed at the latest with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Mass production made the so-called down pillow affordable for the general population, and it developed into a standard of sleeping culture.

[0011] Pillows designed to support the head during sleep are currently undergoing continuous technological advancements. The focus is on improvements regarding health and hygiene. To this end, a multitude of ergonomic designs have been developed, supported by the use of a wide variety of pillow fillings; these include, for example, a broad range of synthetic fibers, latex foams or flakes, gels, grains, glass beads, and many others.

[0012] The improvement of a pillow with regard to its primary function of head support and increased sleeping comfort is disclosed in patent US 9,113,718 B1, "BODY PILLOW WITH MULTIPE CONFIGURATIONS." The construction presented here allows the pillow to be individually reconfigured to enable a wide variety of sleeping positions by supporting not only the head position but also the positioning of other body parts as needed.

[0013] Patent US 6,484,336 B1 also aims to improve the primary function of a pillow. The "ORTHOPEDIC SIDE SLEEPER COMFORT PILLOW AND METHOD" is designed to alleviate the often bothersome positioning of the arm resting on the mattress when sleeping on one's side, making this position less uncomfortable. In addition to the primary function of a pillow—to enhance sleeping comfort by supporting the head—pillows have other functions. Historically, these secondary functions of pillows came into focus later and have only recently been recognized through technological advancements. Of particular note are the sensory and psychological effects triggered by the use of pillows.

[0014] For this reason, there are currently invention disclosures that focus on the secondary functions of pillows.

[0015] Patent CN2744251V, "Boyfriend Arm Pillow," describes a pillow with an arm extension, which, according to the inventor, is specifically designed to meet the needs of women. The arm extension and the option of using clothing as a pillowcase are intended to alleviate feelings of loneliness when a loved one is absent.

[0016] Patent US 00 D 368,823, "Body Pillow," discloses a pillow that completely schematically replicates the human body shape. Here, too, the sensory and psychological effects that can result from this specific design are the central aspect of the invention.

[0017] The functional cushion disclosed here is designed in such a way that it also allows for use in accordance with the primary function of cushions described above. However, the central inventive approach aims at generating effects that can be attributed to the secondary functions of cushions.

[0018] This focus on the secondary functions of a pillow becomes particularly clear when the desired effect of the functional pillow is less pronounced when the user assumes a sleeping position. The sensory and psychological effects are significantly stronger when the user is standing or sitting.

[0019] As the examples given show, the use of functional cushions is intended to trigger certain sensory and psychological effects in the user.

[0020] The functional pillow revealed here is primarily intended to trigger the sensory and psychological effects in the user as they are experienced by a person being hugged by another person.

[0021] Numerous scientific studies, conducted particularly in the wake of COVID-19 measures such as lockdowns and social distancing, have shown, among other things, that hugs can reduce the risk of illness by conveying trust, security, affection, and comfort. This strengthened mental well-being can subsequently also strengthen the human immune system. This connection between good mental health and a well-functioning immune system becomes especially clear when considering the reverse situation. It is known that people with chronic depression are subsequently more likely than average to develop autoimmune diseases.

[0022] The feeling of being hugged, as scientists describe it, is caused by the release of neurotransmitters, primarily oxytocin, in the brain. This neurotransmitter, also known as the "happiness hormone," helps to alleviate distressing emotions, such as those caused by loneliness or depression, making them more bearable. Furthermore, these positive effects, especially in children, can help overcome common anxieties. For children suffering from the currently widespread attention deficit disorders and for children with autism, the functional pillow presented here can be used therapeutically to reduce stress and promote calmness.The use of the functional pillow revealed here can be beneficial for the people affected in a wide variety of care facilities and in psychotherapy.

[0023] The object of the invention, to provide a functional pillow that can trigger the sensory and psychological effects described above, is achieved by a functional pillow with the features of claim 1. Preferred features and variants thereof can be found in the dependent claims, the description and the drawings.

[0024] It has been shown that for the most authentic creation of a hugging sensation, it is of utmost importance to precisely coordinate the geometric proportions of the functional cushion and the weight distribution of its individual components. The determined and disclosed ratios of the specific dimensions to one another, as well as to the specific volumes and the specific and absolute weights, are particularly well-suited to generating the most authentic hugging sensation and thereby triggering the associated positive sensory and psychological effects. Naturally, the absolute dimensions, volumes, and weights must be adjusted to the user's body size. This is taken into account by linearly adjusting the specific dimensions when manufacturing according to clothing sizes XS, S, M, L, and XL. In the descriptive section, the reference size is always clothing size M.Furthermore, the firmness of the torso filling can also be specified in the grades soft, medium, and hard. This results primarily in a slightly increased torso weight with only a marginal increase in torso volume.

[0025] However, the absolute relationships in which the proportions, volumes and weights are related to each other according to the invention are not changed in any way.

[0026] The torso is preferably designed in the basic geometric shape of an isosceles trapezoid. The shorter side of the two parallel sides of the trapezoid can be straight or have an outward or inward curved shape.

[0027] The two arm bodies of the functional cushion are attached to the shorter side of the two parallel sides of the trapezoidal torso body. The fact that the average weight of each arm body is more than twice as high as the average weight of the torso is primarily due to the high specific gravity of the material used for the cushion filling, relative to the soft filling.

[0028] A hug from the functional cushion is perceived as particularly pleasant and least intrusive when the volume of the torso is in a specific ratio to the volume of the arms. In this regard, it has been shown that the average torso volume must be four to eight times greater than the average volume of the arms.

[0029] A volume of approximately five to six times that of the torso is preferred in relation to the volume of the arm body.

[0030] In a garment manufactured in size M, the torso volume is approximately 18 to 22 liters, while the volume of the arm body is between 3.5 and 3.9 liters.

[0031] Similarly, the length ratio of the arm bodies, which are each of the same length, in relation to the average torso height is of particular importance for how far the arm bodies can be wrapped around the user's neck to ensure sufficient support and prevent slippage. An average arm length that exceeds the average torso height by more than a factor of 1.5 and less than a factor of 2 has proven suitable for guaranteeing a secure hold on the shoulders.

[0032] A preferred average arm length exceeds the average torso height by a factor of 1.7. For a garment in size M, this results in an average arm length between approximately 73 and 1 1 / 2 centimeters.

[0033] Besides the length of the arm bodies, the circumference of the arm bodies is also crucial for a secure fit on the user's shoulders and for comfortable wear. It has been found that the average circumference of each arm body must be 0.4 to 0.8 times smaller than the average torso height.

[0034] A factor of 0.55 is preferred.

[0035] For a size M garment, the average arm circumference is between approximately 23 and 27 centimeters. However, it should be noted that to create an authentic hugging sensation, the arm body needs to be tapered. At the arm seam, where the arm body connects to the torso, the circumference is between 29 and 31 centimeters, while at the hand seam it is between 19 and 21 centimeters. These circumference measurements correspond to the following diameters: approximately 9.5 centimeters at the arm seam, approximately 6.5 centimeters at the hand seam, and approximately 8.0 centimeters as the average diameter of the arm body.

[0036] It is still necessary to define the ratio of average torso height to average torso width to ensure that the torso body is suitable for comfortably covering the user's chest area. It has been shown that an optimal torso body design is achieved when the average torso height is 1.0 to 1.3 times greater than the average torso width. A factor of 1.1 is preferred.

[0037] For a garment manufactured in size M, the average torso height is between 43 and 47 centimeters. The average torso width is between 38 and 42 centimeters.

[0038] It should be noted, however, that the torso is shaped like an isosceles trapezoid. Therefore, the measurement for average torso width is only meaningful if the ratios of the lengths of the parallel sides of the trapezoid are also defined. An anatomically favorable torso shape results when the longer side of the parallel sides of an isosceles trapezoid is 1.1 times longer and 1.5 times shorter than the shorter side of the isosceles trapezoid.

[0039] A factor of 1.3 is preferred.

[0040] The shorter side of the trapezoidal shape, which runs parallel to each other, measures between approximately 33 and 37 centimeters in length for a size M garment, and the longer side measures between approximately 43 and 47 centimeters. On the one hand, the torso support must be sufficiently thick to allow the functional cushion to also be used as head support. On the other hand, the torso support must not be too bulky so that it is not perceived as bothersome. The optimal ratio between the average torso width and average torso depth has been found to be one in which the average depth of the torso support is 0.3 times greater and 0.6 times less than the average torso width.

[0041] A factor of 0.4 is preferred.

[0042] Based on clothing size M, the average torso depth is between approximately 13 and 17 centimeters.

[0043] A key aspect of the functional cushion revealed here is that the specific gravity of the pouch filling in the arm sections exceeds the specific gravity of the soft filling in the torso section by at least a factor of 30, but by less than a factor of 80. This weight ratio ensures that the torso section is not pulled downwards by its own weight from the shoulders due to gravity, thus preventing it from slipping off the shoulders. This aspect is important because, as described above, the use of the functional cushion is primarily intended for the user to be in a seated or standing position.

[0044] The required weight ratios can be achieved by using materials with correspondingly different specific gravities.

[0045] The preferred materials for the soft filling are synthetic fibers or wool. When slightly compressed, this results in a specific gravity of approximately 0.025 to 0.05 grams / cm³. 3 .

[0046] The preferred material for producing the specific gravity filling is glass beads with a diameter between 0.1 and 0.3 millimeters. The specific gravity is approximately 1.5 grams / cm³. 3 .

[0047] Factors in the range of 55 to 65 are preferred.

[0048] To achieve the necessary weight distribution between the torso and arm bodies, a pouch must be integrated along the central axis of the arm body. This pouch encloses the specifically heavy filling.

[0049] The pouch extends from just before the lower end of the arm body, ascending to at least 50%, but no more than 70%, of the arm body's total length. This longitudinal extension of the pouch within the arm body allows the area above the pouch, which is filled with a soft material, to remain highly flexible. This enables the arm body to follow the tight curves created when it is placed around the neck, as in a hug. This necessary flexibility would be significantly restricted by a pouch extending the entire length of the arm body, making the hugging sensation less authentic. A pouch length of approximately 60% of the arm body's length is preferred.

[0050] For a size M garment, the bag is 45 centimeters long.

[0051] Since the pouch is centrally located in the arm body along the longitudinal axis and is completely encased in a soft filling, the circumference of a pouch must be 0.6 times larger and 0.8 times smaller than the average circumference of the arm body.

[0052] The preferred factor is 0.7.

[0053] Based on clothing size M, a bag has a circumference of 17.5 cm, which corresponds to an average diameter of approximately 5.5 cm. With a given bag length of approximately 45.0 cm, this results in an average bag volume of approximately 1100 cm³. 3 This results in the following when filled with the preferred filling material, which has a specific gravity of approximately 1.5 grams / cm³. 3The bag has an average weight of approximately 1650 grams. Since the functional cushion has two arm sections, this means that approximately 3300 grams rest primarily on the user's shoulders. The user perceives this pressure as feeling almost exactly like having a person's arms resting on their shoulders. Both the support provided by the arm sections on the shoulders and the sensory experience of a natural hug are further enhanced by the trapezoidal shape of the lower end of the arm sections. This shape is anatomically adapted to the proportions of a human hand.

[0054] The average total weight of the two arm bodies is also dimensioned in this way to ensure that the average torso weight of 450 to 550 grams is insufficient to pull the functional cushion off the user's shoulders. The average torso weight is derived from the average torso volume, which is approximately 20 liters, and the specific gravity of the soft filling, which, for example, is approximately 0.025 grams / cm³ when sheep's wool is used. 3 lies.

[0055] Because the bag is filled with a heavier material, it does not provide the same tactile feel as the soft filling of the torso body. Therefore, to approximate the feel of the arm bodies to that of the torso body, it is necessary to completely encase the bag in the soft filling.

[0056] Based on clothing size M, a bag has an average circumference of 17.5 centimeters, which corresponds to an average diameter of approximately 5.5 centimeters. The hollow cylinder of soft filling that completely surrounds the bag therefore has a wall thickness of approximately 1.25 cm.

[0057] Since the particularly heavy filling tends to shift unintentionally across the entire length of the bag and, following the force of gravity, accumulates in the distal regions, it is necessary to divide the bag into segments. This is achieved by the arrangement of transverse septa.

[0058] Segments with a length between 5 and 10 centimeters are preferably separated by transverse septa.

[0059] Since the entire bag itself can shift within the arm body, it is necessary to connect the bag to the lining fabric using struts.

[0060] Preferably, the struts are arranged one behind the other at intervals of approximately 10 to 20 centimeters, offset from each other at an angle of approximately 120 degrees.

[0061] Since children especially like to grab a cloth to soothe themselves, there is a section at the end of each arm of the pillow that is less heavily filled with soft stuffing. This so-called thumb-tip is designed to meet this need, as the rest of the pillow's filled body is less suitable for this purpose.

[0062] To ensure that the two different levels of filling in the thumb tip and arm body can be kept permanently separate, a thumb tip suture is required.

[0063] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings and from the drawings themselves.

[0064] This shows:

[0065] Fig. 1 schematically shows a suggested three-dimensional representation of the functional cushion.

[0066] Fig. 2 schematically shows a pattern-like representation of the functional cushion in a frontal top view.

[0067] Fig. 3 schematically shows a pattern-like representation of the functional cushion in a side view.

[0068] Fig. 4 schematically shows an insight into the internal structure of the functional cushion.

[0069] Fig. 5 shows a cross-section through an arm body. List of designations.

[0070] 1 Torso body

[0071] 2 arm bodies

[0072] 3 soft filling

[0073] 4 bags

[0074] 5 bag filling

[0075] 6 transverse septum

[0076] 7 segment

[0077] 8 Inlet fabric

[0078] 9 Bridge

[0079] 10 Hand sewing

[0080] 11 Shoulder seam

[0081] 12 thumb tips

[0082] 13 Central suture

[0083] 14 Thumbpoint seam

[0084] B average torso width

[0085] H average torso height

[0086] T average torso depth

[0087] L average length of the arm body

[0088] U average circumference of the arm body

[0089] Figure 1 schematically shows a suggested three-dimensional representation of the functional cushion. The basic terms are assigned and the spatial planes are defined. The proportions of the parts to each other are clearly shown. In this representation, the basically trapezoidal torso body 1 is depicted with a boundary that curves outwards along the shorter side of the trapezoid. Alternatively, this design can be varied in the cut so that the boundary runs parallel to the longer side of the trapezoid as a straight line, or also curved, but with an inward-curving boundary. The latter variant may have the advantage that the functional cushion can be positioned more tightly around the neck below the chin.

[0090] The angulation of the left arm body 2 makes it clear that the arm body 2 has increased flexibility in its proximal section, since the pouch 4 does not occupy the entire length of the arm body 2.

[0091] The outer cover of the functional pillow is shown, for which a standard, down-proof cotton ticking fabric is preferably used. The final cover fabric, which can be varied in many ways to suit the user's needs, is not shown. A wide selection of cover fabrics is available, made from a variety of different materials and each with its own specific feel.

[0092] Figure 2 schematically shows a pattern-like representation of the functional cushion in a frontal top view. As in Figure 1, the focus of this representation is on the allocation of labels and the definition of the spatial planes; here, too, the proportions of the parts to one another are clearly illustrated. These proportions are maintained when manufacturing the cushion in sizes XS, S, M, L, and XL with soft, medium, and firm fillings. In a preferred embodiment, the mean torso height H is approximately 35–40 cm for size XS, 40–45 cm for size S, 45–50 cm for size M, 50–55 cm for size L, and 55–60 cm for size XL. All other dimensions result from the defined proportions.

[0093] Figure 3 schematically shows a pattern-like representation of the functional cushion in a side view. It is evident that the torso depth (T) is slightly greater in the area of ​​the longer side of the isosceles trapezoid due to the distribution of the soft filling 3 compared to the shorter side. Furthermore, it can be seen that the arm body 2 tapers conically from the shoulder seam 11 to the hand seam 10. From the hand seam 10 onward, the arm body 2 widens in a trapezoidal shape. The thumb tip 12 is separated from the arm body by a thumb tip seam 14. The arm body 2 is closed with an arc-shaped seam.

[0094] Figure 4 schematically shows an insight into the internal structure of the functional cushion. The positions of the different fillings, in particular the positioning of the bag 4 in the arm body 2, its anchoring in the arm body 2 via struts 9, and the subdivision into segments 7 by transverse septa 6, are clearly illustrated.

[0095] In an alternative embodiment, a readable chip can be integrated inside the functional cushion. Furthermore, an externally accessible inner pocket can be incorporated. This inner pocket can house functional elements that provide additional sensory qualities, such as heat-generating devices, sound sources, or vibrations.

[0096] Figure 5 schematically shows a cross-section through an arm body 2. It is clearly visible that the bag 4 is held in the central longitudinal axis of the arm body 2 by the struts 9, which are offset by 120 degrees. The complete encasing of the bag 4 with soft filling 3 is also shown.

Claims

1. Claims 1. Functional cushion with a torso body (1) having an average torso height (H), average torso width (B), and average torso depth (T), having an average torso volume and average torso weight, wherein the torso body (1) has a soft filling (3), wherein two arm bodies (2) are arranged on the torso body (1), each with an average arm body length (L) and each with an average arm body circumference (U), wherein each arm body (2) has an average arm volume and an average arm weight, characterized in that the average arm weight of each arm body (2) is greater than the average torso weight by a factor of more than 2, wherein the average torso volume is average arm volume of an arm body more than a factor of 4.

2. Functional cushion according to claim 1, characterized in that the average torso volume is the average arm volume of an arm body (2) by m l less than a factor of 8.

3. Functional cushion according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the ratio of the average length of the arm body (L) to the average torso height (H) is more than a factor of 1.5 and less than a factor of 2.

4. Functional cushion according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the ratio of the average circumference of the arm body (U) must be smaller than the average torso height (H) by more than a factor of 0.4 and less than a factor of 0.

8.

5. Functional cushion according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the average torso height (H) exceeds the average torso width (B) by more than a factor of 1.0 and by less than a factor of 1.

3.

6. Functional pillow according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the longer side of the two parallel sides of the isosceles trapezoid, as the basic shape of the torso body (1), is longer by a factor of 1.1 and shorter by a factor of 1.5 than the shorter side of the isosceles trapezoid.

7. Functional cushion according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the average torso depth (T) is greater than a factor of 0.3 and less than a factor of 0.6 than the average torso width (B).

8. Functional pillow according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that each arm has at least one pouch (4) with a pouch filling (5), wherein the ratio of the specific weight of the pouch filling (5) to the specific weight of the soft filling (3) of the torso body (1) is more than a factor of 30 and less than a factor of 80.

9. Functional pillow according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the bag (4) extends from the lower end of the arm body (2) over a length of at least 50% to a maximum of 70% of the total length of the arm body (2).

10. Functional pillow according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the bag (4) is stored centrally in the arm body (2) and its average circumference is at least 0.6 times larger and 0.8 times smaller than the average circumference of the arm body (U).

11. Functional pillow according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that each arm body (2) has a soft filling (3) which completely surrounds the bag (4) in the form of a hollow cylinder.

12. Functional pillow according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that each bag (4) is subdivided into segments (7) by transverse septa (6).

13. Functional pillow according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the bag (4) is connected to the inlay fabric (8) by means of bridges (9).

14. Functional cushion according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that a thumb tip (12) is arranged at the distal end of the arm body (2) pointing towards the torso body (1), which is slightly equipped with a soft filling (3) and is delimited by a thumb tip seam (14).

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