Height-Adjustable Pillow with Segmented Pads for Body-Type Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pillows fail to adjust to changes in user body type and weight, leading to neck stiffness, ear discomfort, and poor ventilation, causing issues like cervical disk problems and headaches due to inadequate support and air permeability.
Innovation Solution
A height-adjustable pillow with a cervical pillow, side pillows, and wing parts, featuring elastic pads, slim height-adjusting pads, and cooling pads, designed to maintain cervical alignment, prevent ear and optic nerve pressure, and provide ventilation through acupressure and ventilation holes, ensuring comfortable sleep and blood circulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional pillows simply support the cervical vertebrae in a fixed position, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the pillow cannot adapt to changes in user body type and weight, causing neck stiffness and discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The pillow is divided into multiple functional segments: a cervical pillow for neck support, side pillows with elastic pads for height adjustment, and wing parts for shoulder positioning. Each segment can be independently adjusted or removed, allowing the pillow to adapt to different user body types and weights while maintaining manageable structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The pillow incorporates dynamic adjustment capabilities through removable elastic pads and slim pads in the side pillows, allowing users to adjust the height and firmness according to their body type and weight changes. The friction increasing parts provide dynamic grip to prevent pillow separation during sleep movements
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the pillow structure is simple and slightly supports the cervical vertebrae, then the manufacturing cost is low, but the pillow cannot prevent ear, temporomandibular joint, and optic nerve pressure when users roll over
Solution Approach 1:
The side pillows feature localized functional areas: ear seating parts with specific curvature to cradle the ears, friction increasing parts at strategic positions to prevent unwanted movement, and stacked elastic pads that provide localized pressure distribution. These local quality enhancements protect sensitive areas without requiring complete redesign of the entire pillow structure
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic pads and slim pads act as intermediary elements between the user's head and the pillow structure, distributing pressure evenly and preventing direct contact between sensitive areas (ears, temporomandibular joint, optic nerve) and hard surfaces. The friction increasing parts serve as intermediaries to control pillow movement relative to the user's head
3Temperature
If conventional pillows lack ventilation structures, then the manufacturing process is simple, but users experience poor air permeability and cannot sleep in a cool condition
Solution Approach 1:
The pillow incorporates porous breathable materials in the outer cover and filling layers, allowing air to circulate through the pillow structure. This provides passive cooling through convection and evaporation, reducing heat buildup during sleep without requiring active cooling systems or complex manufacturing processes
Solution Approach 2:
Ventilation holes are extracted as discrete features in the pillow structure, creating channels for air flow through high-density regions. This simple geometric modification significantly improves air permeability and cooling efficiency without adding complex mechanical or thermal systems
4Adaptability or versatility
If the pillow lacks height adjustment mechanisms, then the structure remains simple and stable, but it cannot adjust height between the face and shoulders when users roll over on their side
Solution Approach 1:
The side pillows are pre-configured with stacked elastic pads and slim pads that can be easily added or removed to adjust height before use. The friction increasing parts are pre-applied to the outer surfaces of the slim pads to ensure they remain in position during adjustment and use, simplifying the operation while providing adaptability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The pillow relaxes fasciae, maintains cervical alignment, prevents pressure on ears and optic nerves, ensures comfortable shoulder positioning, and provides cooling through ventilation, allowing for restful sleep and reduced risk of neck pain.
Implementation Method 1
a cervical pillow including an outer shell and contents filled inside the outer shell so as to provide elasticity
Implementation Method 2
provide a repulsive elasticity due to a cushiony action by through holes
Implementation Method 3
which have friction increasing parts provided on the outer surfaces thereof
Data Source
AI summary
A height-adjustable pillow includes: a cervical pillow including an outer shell and contents filled inside the outer shell, and wall parts formed to protrude from both sides of the loading part; side pillows including side-of-face contact parts, which are attached to both sides of the cervical pillow and have a plurality of elastic pads formed in the same shape and stacked therein, and fine height-adjusting parts comprising a plurality of slim pads stacked at the lower portions of the side-of-face contact parts and cover bodies which are finished by respectively encompassing the outer surfaces of the plurality of slim pads and being thermally fused to the edge portions thereof and which have friction increasing parts provided on the outer surfaces thereof; wing parts for connecting the lower portions of the cervical pillow and the side pillows; and an outer cover in which all constituent parts are accommodated and fitted.