Pillow for healthy ergonomic positioning of the neck and spine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pillows fail to maintain proper neck and spinal alignment in both back and side sleeping positions, often causing pressure on the neck and inducing kyphosis, and do not accommodate the different height requirements for healthy posture in these positions.
Innovation Solution
A pillow design featuring a head support and a neck support with varying heights and shapes, including a central cutout for back sleeping and elevated side portions for side sleeping, allowing the head and neck to maintain a healthy ergonomic position, with a tapered rear side surface for shoulder clearance and accommodating fetal positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a conventional pillow raises the head at an incline, then the head is elevated from the bed, but pressure is placed on the neck and kyphosis is induced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the head support material from the central portion of the pillow, creating a cutout that allows the head to rest directly on the bed surface. This extraction eliminates the harmful incline that causes neck pressure and kyphosis while maintaining neck support through the contoured edges of the cutout.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of supporting the head with material (conventional approach), the patent inverts the approach by removing material to create a void space. The head is supported by the surrounding contoured edges rather than by material underneath, reversing the traditional pillow structure.
2Ease of manufacture
If a pillow has consistent height, then manufacturing is simplified, but it cannot accommodate both back and side sleeping positions with proper spinal alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different heights and contours to different regions of the pillow. The central portion has a cutout with specific depth, while the side portions have elevated contours. This local differentiation allows the single pillow to properly support both back sleepers (using the cutout) and side sleepers (using the elevated sides) without requiring multiple pillows of different heights.
3Strength
If the head rests on pillow material, then the head is supported, but the neck and spine cannot maintain healthy ergonomic alignment
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the head support material from the central area, the patent allows the head to rest directly on the bed, eliminating the misalignment caused by material support. The neck support function is maintained through the contoured edges of the cutout that cradle the neck without elevating the head.
Solution Approach 2:
The contoured edges of the cutout serve as an intermediary structure that provides neck support without elevating the head. These edges act as a mediator between the head (resting on the bed) and the neck (requiring support), maintaining proper spinal alignment while still providing necessary neck cushioning.
Data Source
AI summary
A pillow includes a head support, a neck support, and an opening extending entirely through a central portion of the pillow. The head support includes a top surface and a bottom surface, and defines a first height extending between the top and bottom surfaces. The neck support is coupled to the head support and includes a top surface and a bottom surface. The top surface has a central portion and side portions. The central portion defines a second height extending between a base of the central portion and the bottom surface, and each of the side portions defines a third height extending between an apex of the respective side surface and the bottom surface. The third height is greater than the first and second heights.