Pillow including gelatinous elastomer cushion having deformable wall members and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10772445-B2
Application number	US-201615333486-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2016
Priority date	Sep 21, 2016
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

A pillow includes a pillow cushion consisting essentially of a gelatinous elastomer that is sized and configured to support a head and neck of a person using the pillow cushion. The pillow cushion has a first major surface, a second major surface, and deformable wall members extending between the first major surface and the second major surface. The deformable wall members are located and configured to define voids therebetween such that the deformable wall members may be displaced into adjacent voids upon deformation of the deformable wall members. The deformable wall members are configured to buckle when a pressure applied to a cushioning surface of the pillow cushion, in a direction perpendicular to the first major surface, exceeds a threshold pressure level. A pillow cover covers the pillow cushion. A method of fabricating a pillow includes enclosing such a cushion in a pillow cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pillow, comprising:
a pillow cushion consisting essentially of a gelatinous elastomer, the pillow cushion sized and configured to support a head and neck of a person using the pillow cushion, the pillow cushion comprising:
a first major surface;
a second major surface;
deformable wall members extending between the first major surface and the second major surface, the deformable wall members located and configured to define voids therebetween such that the deformable wall members may be displaced into adjacent voids upon deformation of the deformable wall members, the deformable wall members configured to buckle when a pressure applied to a cushioning surface of the pillow cushion, in a direction perpendicular to the first major surface, exceeds a threshold pressure level;
a stabilizing layer of the gelatinous elastomer extending horizontally within peripheral region of the pillow cushion and not in a central region of the pillow cushion, between the first major surface and the second major surface in a direction generally parallel to at least one of the first major surface and the second major surface; and

a pillow cover covering the pillow cushion.

2. The pillow of claim 1 , wherein the pillow cushion comprises between six pounds and twelve pounds of the gelatinous elastomer.

3. The pillow of claim 1 , wherein the pillow does not include any additional cushioning material between the pillow cushion and the pillow cover.

4. The pillow of claim 3 , wherein the pillow consists of the pillow cushion and the pillow cover.

5. The pillow of claim 1 , wherein the pillow cushion further comprises:
a first portion; and
a second portion coupled with the first portion, wherein each of the first portion and the second portion comprises:
a first major side;
an opposite second major side; and
a portion of the deformable wall members extending between the first major side and the opposite second major side;
wherein the deformable wall members in the first portion are located and configured such that the voids defined therebetween have a first average size, and wherein the deformable wall members in the second portion are located and configured such that the voids defined therebetween have a second average size, the first average size being smaller than the second average size.

6. The pillow of claim 5 , wherein the deformable wall members of the first portion and the deformable wall members of the second portion are part of a single, unitary body.

7. The pillow of claim 5 , wherein the deformable wall members in the first portion are configured to buckle when a pressure applied to a cushioning surface of the pillow cushion in the direction perpendicular to the first major surface exceeds a first threshold pressure level, and wherein the deformable wall members in the second portion are configured to buckle when a pressure applied to a cushioning surface of the pillow cushion in the direction perpendicular to the first major surface exceeds a second threshold pressure level different than the first threshold pressure level.

8. The pillow of claim 5 , wherein the deformable wall members in the first portion are located and configured to define a first set of triangular voids therebetween, and wherein the deformable wall members in the second portion are located and configured to define a second set of triangular voids therebetween.

9. The pillow of claim 8 , wherein at least some of the first set of triangular voids are misaligned with all the triangular voids of the second set of triangular voids in the direction perpendicular to the first major surface of the cushion.

10. The pillow of claim 5 , wherein the first portion has a first thickness, and the second portion has a second thickness different from the first thickness.

11. The pillow of claim 1 , wherein the deformable wall members are located and configured to define triangular voids therebetween.

12. The pillow of claim 1 , wherein the pillow cushion further comprises a band of the gelatinous elastomer extending entirely around a periphery of the cushion at lateral side surfaces of the cushion.

13. The pillow of claim 1 , further comprising apertures extending through the stabilizing layer of the gelatinous elastomer so as to allow air flow through the stabilizing layer between voids on opposing sides of the stabilizing layer.

14. The pillow of claim 1 , further comprising a fabric fused to the second major surface of the cushion.

15. The pillow of claim 14 , wherein the fabric comprises a non stretchable fabric heat fused to the second major surface of the cushion.

16. The pillow of claim 1 , wherein the pillow cover includes a zipper disposed on one major side of the pillow cover, the zipper entirely located a distance of at least one inch from peripheral edges of the one major side of the pillow cover.

17. The pillow of claim 16 , wherein the zipper of the pillow cover extends proximate and along at least a portion of a first longitudinal peripheral edge of the pillow cover, proximate and along a first lateral peripheral edge of the pillow cover, and proximate and along at least a portion of a second longitudinal peripheral edge of the pillow cover.

18. A method of fabricating a pillow, consisting of:
forming a pillow cushion consisting essentially of a gelatinous elastomer, the pillow cushion sized and configured to support a head and neck of a person using the pillow cushion, the pillow cushion comprising:
a first major surface;
a second major surface; and
deformable wall members extending between the first major surface and the second major surface, the deformable wall members located and configured to define voids therebetween such that the deformable wall members may be displaced into adjacent voids upon deformation of the deformable wall members, the deformable wall members configured to buckle when a pressure applied to a cushioning surface of the pillow cushion, in a direction perpendicular to the first major surface, exceeds a threshold pressure level; and

enclosing the pillow cushion in a pillow cover with no additional cushioning material between the pillow cushion and the pillow cover.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein forming the pillow cushion comprises molding the pillow cushion.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein enclosing the pillow cushion in a pillow cover comprises enclosing the pillow cushion in the pillow cover without including any additional cushioning material between the pillow cushion and the pillow cover.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein forming the pillow cushion further comprises forming the pillow cushion to comprise:
a first portion; and
a second portion coupled with the first portion, wherein each of the first portion and the second portion comprises:
a first major side;
an opposite second major side; and
a portion of the deformable wall members extending between the first major side and the opposite second major side;

wherein the deformable wall members in the first portion are located and configured such that the voids defined therebetween have a first average size, and wherein the deformable wall members in the second portion are located and configured such that the voids defined therebetween have a second average size, the first average size being smaller than the second average size.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein forming the pillow cushion comprises forming the pillow cushion with the deformable wall members of the first portio

Assignees

• Purple Innovation Llc

Inventors

• Pearce Tony M
• Moon Shawn D

Classifications

• A47G2009/008

  using a liquid as filling material · CPC title

• A47G2009/003

  with inflatable members · CPC title

• A47G9/0253 Primary

  Pillow slips · CPC title

• A47G2009/1018

  Foam pillows · CPC title

• A47G9/1027 Primary

  Details of inflatable pillows · CPC title