Pillow adjusting device and method of use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pillows fail to provide adequate ergonomic support for both back and side sleeping positions, leading to neck strain due to inconsistent height, and existing ergonomic solutions are often expensive and inconvenient to use.
Innovation Solution
A pillow adjusting device with three sections, where two sections have pads that adjust the height of a conventional pillow, providing optimal support by creating two levels of height adjustment, allowing the user to maintain their existing pillow and enhance its ergonomic qualities without the need for a new pillow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional pillow is used, then it is simple and inexpensive, but it cannot provide adequate ergonomic support for both back and side sleeping positions
Solution Approach 1:
The pillow adjusting device is divided into three distinct sections along its length: a first section with a first pad, a second section with a second pad, and a third section without a pad. This segmentation allows each section to provide different height adjustments, enabling the device to accommodate both back and side sleeping positions effectively while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The pillow adjusting device acts as an intermediary component placed between the mattress and the conventional pillow. It modifies the pillow's height profile without requiring replacement of the entire pillow, thus providing ergonomic benefits while maintaining simplicity and compatibility with existing pillows.
2Reliability
If ergonomic pillows are purchased, then they provide proper support for different positions, but they are expensive and require replacing the existing pillow
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring the user to purchase and replace their entire pillow with an expensive ergonomic model, this invention extracts only the essential height-adjustment function and implements it through a separate, inexpensive adjusting device. The user's existing pillow is retained and simply modified by adding the adjusting device underneath it.
Solution Approach 2:
The pillow adjusting device is designed as a low-cost alternative to expensive ergonomic pillows. By using simple pads of varying heights in a three-section configuration, it achieves reliable neck strain prevention at a fraction of the cost of replacing an entire pillow, making ergonomic support accessible and convenient.
3Ease of operation
If a single-height pillow is used, then it is simple in structure, but it causes neck strain when switching between back and side sleeping positions
Solution Approach 1:
The pillow adjusting device applies local quality by providing different pad heights in specific sections: the first and second sections have pads of greater height for side sleeping support, while the third section has no pad for back sleeping comfort. This localized variation in height allows the device to adapt to different sleeping positions without requiring the entire pillow structure to be complex or replaceable.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of promoting comfort when sleeping or resting by placing a pillow adjusting device (D) underneath a subjects conventional pillow (3). The device (D) creates multi-level head support to assist rest or sleep and reduce next strain when sleeping or resting. The device (D) preferably comprises two pads (1) at a higher level, connected by a central section (2) of a lower level. The user's pillow (3) is placed on top of the device, thus raising the sides of the pillow (3) to a higher level which is more suitable to the user when the user is lying on their side. The central portion (2) is at a more suitable height for when the user is lying on their back. The central portion (2) may contain an additional section (4) to provide neck support when lying on ones back.