Adjustable Support Pillow Structure for Reconfigurable Body Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional support pillows have a fixed shape, limiting their adaptability for different bodily positions and uses, such as during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or as a rest for a baby, as they cannot easily change shape to accommodate various support needs.
Innovation Solution
A support pillow with a flexible outer sleeve and a deformable inner cushion, where the outer sleeve is longer than the inner cushion and features free end portions that can be adjusted and connected to change the pillow's shape, allowing users to convert it into different forms like an annular or U-shape, using gripping devices for easy manipulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the outer sleeve is closed around the inner cushion to define a fixed shape, then the pillow maintains structural stability, but the adaptability for different bodily positions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The outer sleeve is designed to be longer than the inner cushion, creating free end portions that allow the pillow to be dynamically reconfigured into different shapes (straight, U-shaped, annular) depending on user needs, while the inner cushion remains contained to maintain basic structural stability
Solution Approach 2:
The outer sleeve is segmented into functional zones: a contained section holding the inner cushion for stability, and free end portions extending beyond the cushion that can be manipulated independently to create various shapes, allowing simultaneous stability and adaptability
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple pillows are stacked at different angles and orientations to support different bodily positions, then the adaptability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single support pillow is designed to perform multiple functions by configuring the free end portions in different ways - it can be used as a straight pillow, U-shaped pillow, or annular pillow, replacing the need for multiple specialized pillows
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines the functions of multiple pillows into one versatile pillow by integrating a deformable inner cushion within an extendable outer sleeve, allowing the user to achieve various supporting configurations from a single device
3Ease of manufacture
If the outer sleeve is made exactly the same length as the inner cushion, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the ease of operation for shape adjustment is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The outer sleeve is pre-designed to extend beyond the inner cushion by a specific amount, providing ready-to-use free end portions that facilitate easy shape adjustment without requiring additional manufacturing steps or user modifications
Data Source
AI summary
A support pillow includes a flexible outer sleeve and a deformable inner cushion positioned wholly inside the outer sleeve. Both the outer sleeve and inner cushion are elongate. The outer sleeve is longer than the inner cushion and defines a pair of free end portions extending beyond the inner cushion. The inner cushion is moveable inside the outer sleeve such that the length of each of the free end portions is adjustable. A gripping device can be moved along each end portion to close the outer sleeve around the inner cushion and fix the length of the free end portion extending beyond the inner cushion. The free end portions extend far enough to enable a user to connect the end portions together to fix the support pillow in a desired shape.