Support utility cushion for head, neck, and body
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pillows often cause excessive neck bending and misalignment of the spine when used for sleeping, are inflexible and not suitable for various positions, and are not compact enough for travel or use while sitting.
Innovation Solution
A flexible, elongate pillow with a fabric cover forming a closed tube, featuring a baffle and adjustable filling material that allows for customizable support and positioning, enabling the pillow to be bent into various shapes and used in multiple positions, including sleeping, sitting, and traveling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional pillows are designed to elevate the head, then head support is provided, but excessive neck bending and spine misalignment occur
Solution Approach 1:
The pillow incorporates a flexible, bendable design that allows it to be shaped dynamically to match the user's body contours and preferred sleeping position. The fill material and outer shell work together to maintain the customized shape while providing support, resolving the contradiction between head elevation and natural spine alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The pillow allows users to adjust key parameters including firmness (by adding or removing fill material), shape (by bending and molding the flexible pillow), and elevation height. These adjustable parameters enable the pillow to provide head support while maintaining natural spine alignment according to individual needs.
2Ease of operation
If pillows are designed with fixed shapes for specific positions, then positioning support is provided, but flexibility and adaptability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The pillow is designed with dynamic flexibility, allowing it to be bent, folded, and molded into various shapes suitable for different positions (sleeping, sitting, traveling). The flexible construction with adjustable fill material enables the same pillow to adapt to multiple use cases, providing positioning support without sacrificing versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The pillow serves multiple functions across different scenarios: head support while sleeping, lumbar support while sitting, and compact travel cushion. The universal design with adjustable shape and firmness allows a single pillow to replace multiple position-specific supports.
3Ease of operation
If pillows are made large for full body support, then comprehensive support is provided, but portability and compactness are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The pillow can be dynamically compressed and folded into a compact form for travel while maintaining the ability to expand and provide full body support when in use. The flexible construction allows it to be packed efficiently without compromising its support capabilities, resolving the contradiction between size and portability.
Data Source
AI summary
A pillow is described. The pillow includes an elongate outer fabric cover at least partially forming a closed elongate tube with the outer cover. The pillow also includes at least one aperture in the closed elongate tube, the at least one aperture having a selective closure associated therewith. Further, the pillow includes at least one baffle formed within the elongate tube. The at least one baffle is formed of fabric and is coupled to the outer cover at at least three points around the interior of the elongate tube. Further still, the pillow includes a filling material disposed within the elongate tube, the filing material comprises individual pieces of filling material. The filling material is configured with a size that it may bypass the baffle, but not generally freely. The elongate outer fabric and the filling material are configured to be bendable to any of a variety of shapes.