Adjustable Knee Pillow with Removable Support Pieces for Custom Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional knee pillows are not adjustable, forcing users to purchase new pillows if their resting position preferences change, and existing adjustable pillows do not provide concave-shaped inserts tailored to the knees or legs.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable knee pillow design featuring removable support pieces made from different materials with varying firmness and shape, allowing users to customize the height, width, and length through a zipper-accessible aperture, ensuring optimal conformation to individual knee shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional knee pillows are made with sealed covers, then the pillow structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the pillow cannot be adjusted and users must purchase new pillows if their preferences change
Solution Approach 1:
The pillow is divided into a cover and multiple separate support pieces (first support piece, second support piece, third support piece) that can be independently inserted and removed. This segmentation allows the pillow to be adjusted by adding or removing support pieces without replacing the entire pillow, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support pieces are designed to be nested within the cover, with each support piece fitting inside the cover's interior space. The first support piece, second support piece, and third support piece can be arranged in a nested configuration, allowing easy insertion and removal while maintaining a simple overall structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional pillows use uniform filling material, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the pillow cannot provide differentiated support for different body parts
Solution Approach 1:
Different support pieces are made from different materials with different properties: the first support piece uses a first material, the second support piece uses a second material, and the third support piece uses a third material. This allows each support piece to provide localized support tailored to specific needs, while the modular design keeps manufacturing relatively simple by allowing standard production of individual pieces.
Solution Approach 2:
The pillow employs composite construction by combining multiple support pieces made from different materials within a single cover. This composite approach enables differentiated support characteristics (softness, firmness, density) for different body parts while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized production of individual components.
3Manufacturing precision
If adjustable pillows use multiple inserts of different materials, then the pillow can conform optimally to user's knees, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support pieces are designed with concave surfaces that conform to the curved shape of the knees. The first support piece has a first concave surface, the second support piece has a second concave surface, and the third support piece has a third concave surface. This curvature design enables precise conformation to knee anatomy while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing through standard molding techniques.
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable pillow intended to support a user's knees or legs is provided. The pillow may include a cover sized to fit around a plurality of support pieces, including a front support piece, a back support piece, and one or more middle support pieces. The cover includes an aperture adapted to allow at least a middle support piece to be inserted or removed. The aperture is securable by a zipper or other fastening means. The support pieces may be made of a soft material, such as foam. The middle support pieces may comprise a material that is of greater density and of lower firmness than the front and back support pieces.