Pillow including gelatinous elastomer cushioning materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11812880-B2
Application number	US-202017123007-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2020
Priority date	Sep 21, 2016
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

A pillow includes a first 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 and a second pillow cushion coupled thereto. The pillow cushion has 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 are configured to buckle when a pressure applied to a cushioning surface of the first pillow cushion, in a direction perpendicular to a first major surface, exceeds a threshold pressure level. A pillow cover covers the first pillow cushion and the second pillow cushion. A method of fabricating a pillow includes enclosing such first and second pillow cushions in a pillow cover.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A pillow, comprising:
a pillow cushion comprising a gelatinous elastomer and including:
an interface;
first deformable wall members extending from a first side of the interface, including first ends defining a first major surface of the pillow cushion, and defining first voids over the first side of the interface, and capable of being displaced into adjacent first voids upon deformation of the first deformable wall members, base ends of the first voids being coextensive with the interface, outer ends of the first voids opening to the first major surface, each first void having a first dimension; and
second deformable wall members extending from a second side of the interface, including second ends defining a second major surface of the pillow cushion opposite from the first major surface of the pillow cushion, defining second voids over the second side of the interface, and capable of being displaced into adjacent second voids upon deformation of the second deformable wall members, base ends of the second voids being coextensive with the interface, outer ends of the second voids opening to the second major surface, each second void having a second dimension corresponding to the first dimension and being larger than the first dimension.

2. The pillow of claim 1 , wherein the first dimension is taken transverse to a length of the first void and the second dimension is taken transverse to a length of the second void.

3. The pillow of claim 2 , wherein the first dimension is a maximum distance across a center of the first void and the second dimension is a maximum distance across a center of the second void.

4. The pillow of claim 1 , wherein the first void and the second void are at least partially superimposed, the first dimension is a length of the first void, and the second dimension is a length of the second void.

5. The pillow of claim 1 , wherein the first deformable wall members buckle when a pressure applied to the first major surface of the pillow cushion in a direction perpendicular to the first major surface exceeds a first threshold pressure level and the second deformable wall members buckle when a pressure applied to the second major surface in a direction perpendicular to the second major surface exceeds a second threshold pressure level different than the first threshold pressure level.

6. The pillow of claim 1 , wherein the first voids comprise first triangular voids and the second voids comprise second triangular voids.

7. The pillow of claim 6 , wherein at least some of the first triangular voids are misaligned with at least some of the second triangular voids.

8. The pillow of claim 1 , wherein the first deformable wall members of a first portion of the pillow cushion have a first height imparting the first portion with a first thickness and the second deformable wall members of a second portion of the pillow cushion have a second height, imparting the second portion with a second thickness different from the first thickness.

9. The pillow of claim 1 , further comprising:
a stabilizing layer extending across the interface and including apertures aligned with centers of the first voids and/or the second voids.

10. A pillow, comprising:
a pillow cushion comprising a gelatinous elastomer and including:
an interface;
first deformable wall members extending from a first side of the interface, including first ends defining a first major surface of the pillow cushion, and defining first voids over the first side of the interface, and capable of being displaced into adjacent first voids upon deformation of the first deformable wall members, base ends of the first voids being coextensive with the interface, outer ends of the first voids opening to the first major surface, each first void having a first dimension taken transverse to a length of the first void; and
second deformable wall members extending from a second side of the interface, including second ends defining a second major surface of the pillow cushion opposite from the first major surface of the pillow cushion, defining second voids over the second side of the interface, and capable of being displaced into adjacent second voids upon deformation of the second deformable wall members, base ends of the second voids being coextensive with the interface, outer ends of the second voids opening to the second major surface, each second void having a second dimension taken transverse to a length of the second void, corresponding to the first dimension, and being larger than the first dimension.

11. The pillow of claim 10 , wherein the first dimension is a maximum distance across a center of the first void and the second dimension is a maximum distance across a center of the second void.

12. The pillow of claim 10 , wherein the first deformable wall members buckle when a pressure applied to the first major surface of the pillow cushion in a direction perpendicular to the first major surface exceeds a first threshold pressure level and the second deformable wall members buckle when a pressure applied to the second major surface in a direction perpendicular to the second major surface exceeds a second threshold pressure level different than the first threshold pressure level.

13. The pillow of claim 10 , wherein the first voids comprise first triangular voids and the second voids comprise second triangular voids.

14. The pillow of claim 13 , wherein at least some of the first triangular voids are misaligned with at least some of the second triangular voids.

15. The pillow of claim 10 , wherein first deformable wall members of a first portion of the pillow cushion have a first height imparting the first portion with a first thickness and second deformable wall members of a second portion of the pillow cushion have a second height, imparting the second portion with a second thickness different from the first thickness.

16. The pillow of claim 10 , further comprising:
a stabilizing layer extending across the interface and including apertures aligned with centers of the first voids and/or the second voids.

17. A method of fabricating a pillow, comprising:
forming a pillow cushion from a gelatinous elastomer, including:
defining an interface including a first side and a second side opposite from the first side;
forming first deformable wall members extending from the first side of the interface, including outer ends defining a first major surface of the pillow cushion, defining first voids over the first side of the interface, the first voids opening to the first major surface; and
forming second deformable wall members extending from the second side of the interface, including outer ends defining a second major surface of the pillow cushion, and defining second voids over the second side of the interface, the second voids opening to the second major surface,
wherein forming the first deformable wall members comprises defining each of the first voids to have a first dimension and defining each of the second voids to have a second dimension, the first dimension and the second dimension comprising corresponding dimensions, the second dimension exceeding the first dimension.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein forming the first deformable wall members comprises defining each of the first voids to have a first maximum dimension across the first void and through a center of the first void and defining each of the second voids to have a second maximum dimension across the second void and through a center of the second void, the second maximum dimension exceeding the first maximum d

Assignees

• Purple Innovation Llc

Inventors

• Pearce Tony M
• Moon Shawn D
• Abel John Nathan

Classifications

• A47G9/10 Primary

  Pillows (pillow holders A47C21/00, {A47C21/026}; specially adapted for preventing snoring A61F5/56) · CPC title

• A47G9/1081 Primary

  comprising a neck support, e.g. a neck roll · CPC title

• B68G1/00

  Loose filling materials for upholstery · CPC title

• B68G7/05

  Covering or enveloping cores of pads {(in plastics material using a matching die B29C63/025)} · CPC title

• B68G7/06

  Filling of cushions, mattresses, or the like · CPC title