EP0880925A1 - Multiposition anatomic pillow - Google Patents

Abstract

The pillow has a block (10) of cellular material with a support pad (14) at the front. This is shaped symmetrically on either side of the median vertical plane of the block and is curved towards the back. A central groove (16) forms a neck rest and is extended forwards (17). The upper surface of the block (12) has a central hollow (13), behind the groove. The sides of the block (20) have flat inclined surfaces (22), extending between the back edge (19) of the block and the support pad, that allow the user to lie face down.

Description

The invention relates to an anatomical pillow functional multiposition, essentially constituted by a unitary block of cellular material symmetrically shaped on either side of a median vertical plane.

The principle of an anatomical pillow already exists for a very long time, and many efforts have been deployed to improve neck and head support for the pillow user.

To illustrate the technological background of the invention, reference may be made to documents US-A-3,829,917, US-A-3,482,571, US-A-2,940,088, US-A-2,835,905, US-A-2.167.622, CH-A-463.947, DE-A-22 58 307, DE-A-22 53 330, GB-A-1.012.920, FR-A-2.609.617, FR-A-2.609.616, FR-A-2.196.771, FR-A-1.120.734, and FR-A-799.868, DE-U-92 00 336 and WO-A-97 09913.

This is how document WO-A-97 09913 illustrates a therapeutic pillow which is only intended for dorsal or lateral decubitus positions. This pillow is made up of a unitary block whose two faces side are vertical (visible in Figures 3 and 4), and which has a central spoiler frontally (Figures 3 to 5). Document DE-U-92 00 336 describes a multi-position pyramid pillow, therefore not having nothing to do with anatomical pillows. In particular, the parallelepipedal variant of Figure 3, intended for use in lateral or ventral decubitus, present laterally additional horsehair or wool cushions that ignore human anatomy.

Document FR-A-2.305.956 by the applicant also relates to a functional pillow that has been marketed for twenty years with a wide success, and FR-A-2,437,824 describes an orthopedic pillow perfecting this functional pillow.

In accordance with the most advanced achievements in the field, which are illustrated in particular by the two documents cited last, it is known to carry out a essentially functional anatomical pillow by a unitary block of cellular material comprising frontally a symmetrically shaped support bead on either side of a vertical median plane with a profile general bending towards the back of the block and a spoiler protruding central connecting to a neck support chute formed in the center of said support bead, and a upper support surface with a central bowl disposed behind said chute, in accordance with preamble of claim 1.

Such a functional anatomical pillow allows use either in supine position, in which case the neck of the patient rests on the central spoiler and goes into the neck rest, and the occiput rests in the bowl central, so that the head is properly held in a favorable position with regard to the vertebrae cervical, either in lateral decubitus, in which case the neck of the user rests on one side or the other of the bead support, while the lateral part of the head rests on the bearing surface on either side of the central bowl.

Finally, we come to the observation that all these years of effort have focused on improving the conformation of a functional anatomical pillow for these only two decubitus positions. We know that statistically about 25% of people sleep in prone position. For these people, existing functional anatomical pillows are not suitable not, because the patient's head is no longer supported when the nose protrudes from either side pillow verticals. This is particularly evident from Document US-A-38 29917 cited above, in which the use of a prone pillow is certainly envisaged (illustrated in Figure 4), but the head of the user resting on the thinned lateral part of the upper face horizontal of the pillow. Therefore, if the user still try to fall asleep in such a prone position, the slightest movement of the head while sleeping inevitably has the effect of drop the head out of the pillow or bring it to plunge the nose into the mass of it, which has for effect of instantly waking him up due to discomfort that he supports.

The invention aims precisely to solve this problem, and to offer a functional anatomical pillow suitable multiposition, in addition to traditional positions supine and lateral decubitus, a prone position.

The object of the invention is therefore to produce a multi-position functional anatomical pillow, including the block unitary is shaped to provide the support function anatomical of the user's neck and head in all the decubitus positions, and in particular in a prone position.

This problem is solved in accordance with the invention, thanks to a multi-position functional anatomical pillow, essentially constituted by a unitary block of cellular material having a bead frontally symmetrically shaped support on either side of a vertical median plane with (in top view) a profile general bending towards the back of the block and a spoiler protruding central connecting to a neck support chute formed in the center of said support bead, and a upper support surface with a central bowl disposed behind said chute, said unit block having at least one side face which is shaped to provide lateral support for the neck and head of a user in prone position, with clearance necessary for breathing in this position.

One can provide such a side face of a single side of the multi-position functional anatomical pillow, especially for a person who always sleeps the same side, which allows a prone position of the right side or left side as appropriate. It is however more interesting to provide a versatile form allowing either of these two decubitus positions ventral. In this case, it is provided according to a characteristic particular of the invention that the two side faces of the unit block are shaped for use prone, with an arrangement respecting the symmetry with respect to the median vertical plane of said block.

Preferably, the or each lateral face of the block unit has an inclined main surface extending from the rear edge of said block at least to support bead. In particular, the or each surface main incline will be substantially flat, or slightly concave.

Advantageously also, the or each surface main is tilted at a predetermined angle, preferably between 35 ° and 45 °, relative to the face lower plane of the unit block.

It is also interesting to predict that the where each inclined main surface is connected to the level of the support bead, at a terminal surface laterally extending said bead, this surface terminal, less inclined than the main surface associated, being shaped to provide support for the area carotid of the user in prone position. We then obtains optimal comfort for the user in a prone position on the right or on the left.

It is in this case interesting to foresee that the where each terminal surface makes an average angle varying from 20 ° to 35 ° with the associated main surface, and extends laterally the support bead, forming with said bead a general profile which curves gradually down towards the corresponding side edge of the unit block.

In particular then, the support bead can present below, on either side of the spoiler central, a stepped surface facilitating positioning of the user's shoulder while prone than in lateral decubitus.

Advantageously still, the unitary block fits substantially in a rectangular parallelepiped. This facilitates obtaining a unit block injected with material cell using the most modern techniques in the field.

For questions of comfort understood easily, it will be advantageous if the pillow has in addition to a textile outer cover, preferably padded, completely enveloping the shaped unitary block as shown above. This outdoor cover can possibly have a horizontal opening line opposite the rear edge of the unit block.

- la figure 1 illustre le bloc unitaire d'un oreiller anatomique fonctionnel multiposition conforme à l'invention, présentant ici ses deux faces latérales spécialement conformées pour une utilisation en décubitus ventral d'un côté ou de l'autre de l'oreiller ;

- la figure 2 illustre l'oreiller constitué du bloc unitaire précédent, enveloppé dans une housse extérieure textile dont une partie a été arrachée pour la clarté de la représentation ;

- la figure 3 est une vue de dessus du bloc unitaire précédent ;

- la figure 4 est une vue en élévation frontale du même bloc unitaire selon la flèche 100 de la figure 3 ;

- la figure 5 est une vue latérale gauche du même bloc ;

- les figures 6 et 7 sont des coupes selon VI-VI et VII-VII de la figure 3 ;

- les figures 8A, 8B, 8C, 8D illustrent schématiquement l'utilisation de l'oreiller anatomique fonctionnel multiposition ainsi constitué, avec une position de décubitus dorsal en figure 8A, de décubitus latéral en figure 8B, et de décubitus ventral aux figures 8C et 8D.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly in the light of the description which follows and of the appended drawings, relating to a particular embodiment, with reference to the figures in which:

- Figure 1 illustrates the unit block of a multi-position functional anatomical pillow according to the invention, here having its two lateral faces specially shaped for use in the prone position on one side or the other of the pillow;

- Figure 2 illustrates the pillow consisting of the previous unit block, wrapped in a textile outer cover, part of which has been torn off for clarity of the representation;

- Figure 3 is a top view of the previous unit block;

- Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the same unit block according to arrow 100 in Figure 3;

- Figure 5 is a left side view of the same block;

- Figures 6 and 7 are sections along VI-VI and VII-VII of Figure 3;

FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C, 8D schematically illustrate the use of the multi-position functional anatomical pillow thus constituted, with a position of dorsal decubitus in FIG. 8A, of lateral decubitus in FIG. 8B, and of ventral decubitus in FIGS. 8C and 8D.

Figures 1 to 7 illustrate an anatomical pillow functional multiposition, essentially constituted by a unitary block denoted 10 of cellular material, of preferably injected polyurethane foam. Like this is visible in the middle section of Figure 2, the block unit 10 is completely wrapped in a cover textile exterior 50, which is preferably padded, the whole constituting a pillow noted 1. There are thus a 50.1 thick fleece or wadding lining synthetic, coated with an outer shell 50.2 which is for example cotton or anti-allergenic jersey. This outer envelope here has a horizontal line opening 50.3 to remove the block unit 10 for cleaning or replacing the outer cover 50. This horizontal opening line 50.3, visible in Figure 2, is arranged opposite the rear edge 19 of unit block 10, which avoids all risk of discomfort or injury for the user the pillow.

We will now describe in more detail the particular conformation of the unitary block 10 of material cell, which is of course the centerpiece of the functional multi-position anatomical pillow according to the invention, with reference to Figures 3 to 7.

The unitary block 10 has a lower face 11 essentially flat and an upper support face 12 which can either be substantially planar or as it is illustrated here with a slightly convex profile (in a plane parallel to the median plane) at the center of a central bowl 13 associated with the support of the support of the head in supine position. In a transverse plane in the median plane, the profile of the upper face support 12 is in principle rectilinear. The rear edge of the unit block 10 is noted 19, and this edge is substantially straight.

On the frontal side, there is a bead support noted 14 which has a top view of a profile general bending backwards from unit block 10, and a protruding central spoiler 17 which is connected to a neck rest chute 16 in the center of the bead support 14.

The arrangement of the bearing surface 12 with its central bowl 13, and the support bead 14 with its neck rest chute 16 and its central spoiler 17 in protrusion, respects symmetry with regard to a vertical plane median noted P.

The foregoing features are intended to allow the use of the functional anatomical pillow in a supine position (position illustrated in Figure 8A) or lateral decubitus (position illustrated in Figure 8B). The central bowl 13 is arranged directly behind the neck support chute 16, so as to ensure optimal anatomical support for the neck and the user's head in the supine position dorsal. The upper bearing surface 12 and the surface outside of the support bead 14 are shaped to provide optimal neck support and of the user's head in the supine position lateral, on one side or the other depending on the chosen position for sleep.

The two lateral edges of the block have been noted 21 unit 10, and 30 (in FIG. 3) the front edge virtual of this block, which corresponds to a frontal plane tangent to the two end edges of the unit block and to the free edge of the central spoiler 17. The unitary block 10 thus fits substantially into a parallelepiped rectangle, which facilitates the automated organization of its foam injection manufacturing process cellular, in particular of polyurethane.

In accordance with an essential characteristic of the invention, the unitary block 10 also has at least a side face 20 which is shaped to ensure the lateral support of the neck and head of a user prone, with the necessary clearance for breathing in this position. We have illustrated schematically in FIGS. 8C and 8D, a user in the position of ventral decubitus on the left side of the anatomical pillow functional multi-position thus produced.

As indicated above, it is advantageous to provide, as illustrated here, that the two lateral faces 20 of the unitary block 10 are shaped for use in the prone position, with a arrangement respecting symmetry with respect to the plane vertical median P. The functional anatomical pillow multiposition 1 can then be used on the left side or on the right side, for a prone position, and this with optimal support, and comfort never before met for users who sleep in this position.

We will now describe in more detail the particular conformation of these lateral faces 20, being understood that the invention covers a pillow as well the unitary block 10 has a single side face as well consistent, that a pillow whose unit block has its two side faces which are thus shaped for a use on both sides in the prone position.

Each side face 20 of the unit block 10 has an inclined main surface 22 which extends from the rear edge 19 of said block at least to support bead 14. This inclined main face 22 may be substantially planar, or, as illustrated here, be slightly concave. At the level of its line of connection with the upper support face 12, each lateral face 20 has an apex 24 slightly in back of the center of the bowl 13, and another top 25 at its connection line with the bead 14. General inclination of each surface main 22 is precisely determined, using calculations performed for adaptation to most anatomical conformations of the users. This tilt general is marked on the section of figure 6 by a angle A which is preferably between 35 ° and 45 ° by relative to the flat underside 11 of the unit block 10.

On the rear side, the main inclined surface 22 is connected by a slightly concave portion to the edge vertical rear of unit block 10.

On the front side, we have provided here that each inclined surface 22 is connected, at the level of the bead support 14, to a small terminal surface, denoted 23, which laterally extends said bead, this terminal surface 23 being less inclined with respect to the horizontal as the associated main surface 22, and being shaped to provide support for the carotid region of the user in the prone position. The surface terminal 23 at the same time provides clearance for the back of the user's lower jaw. The general inclination of this terminal surface 23 has been marked by an angle B on the section of Figure 7. In the practical, each end face 23 will make an average angle varying from 20 ° to 35 ° with the associated main surface 22. Thus, when we choose for example an angle A of 35 ° for example, the angle B will vary from 0 to 15 ° with the associated main surface 22. We also note that each terminal surface 23 laterally extends the support bead 14, forming with said bead a general profile (better visible in elevation views of FIGS. 4 and 5) from the front edge of the unit block 10, which gradually curves down towards the lateral edge 21 of said block.

In practice, care will be taken to provide that the inclined main surface 22 and its possible surface terminal 23 of extension, constitute a face which is either completely flat or concave, then having a extremely even curvature over the entire length of this and according to any cutting plane.

The view (from the rear side 19) of FIG. 8C and the view (from above) of figure 8D illustrate the use a functional multi-position anatomical pillow such as previously described, in the prone position, here on the left side of the pillow.

We also see in Figures 3 and 4 that the support bead 14 has below, of on either side of the central spoiler 17, a stepped surface rated 18 facilitating the positioning of the shoulder of the user in the prone position. The top view of the Figure 8D provides a good understanding of the passage of the shoulder (here the right shoulder) of the user in this position ventral decubitus, here on the left side of the pillow 1. These stepped surfaces 18 are naturally provided for two sides of the central spoiler 17, in order to maintain the double position possible to use in supine position ventral. It should be noted that these stepped surfaces allowing also to accommodate the shoulder when used in lateral decubitus, on one side or the other of the spoiler central 17 according to the side chosen by the user.

So we managed to make a pillow anatomical functional multiposition, which allows a use with optimal support of the cervical vertebrae and the skull in all the positions of decubitus chosen by the user, and in particular in the right or left prone position.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment which has just been described, but on the contrary includes any variant using, with equivalent means, the essential characteristics stated above.

Claims (13)

Multifunctional functional anatomical pillow, essentially constituted by a unitary block (10) of cellular material having a bead frontally support (14) symmetrically shaped on both sides of a vertical median plane with a general curving profile towards the rear of the block and a central spoiler (17) in projection connecting to a neck support trough (16) formed in the center of said support bead, and one face upper support (12) having a central bowl (13) disposed behind said chute, characterized in that the unit block (10) has at least one face side (20) which is shaped to provide support lateral of the neck and head of a supine user ventral, with the necessary breathing space in this position. Pillow according to claim 1, characterized in that the two lateral faces (20) of the unitary block (10) are shaped for use in the supine position ventral, with an arrangement respecting symmetry by relative to the median vertical plane. Pillow according to claim 1 or the claim 2, characterized in that the or each face side (20) of the unit block has a surface main inclined (22) extending from the rear edge (19) from said block at least to the support bead (14). Pillow according to claim 3, characterized in that the or each inclined main surface (22) is substantially flat. Pillow according to claim 3, characterized in that the or each inclined main surface (22) is slightly concave. Pillow according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the or each main surface (22) is inclined by a predetermined angle, preferably understood between 35 ° and 45 °, relative to the flat underside (11) of the unit block (10). Pillow according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the or each main surface inclined (22) is connected, at the level of the support bead (14), to a terminal surface (23) extending laterally said bead, this terminal surface (23), less inclined than the associated main surface (22), being shaped to provide support for the carotid region of the user in a prone position. Pillow according to claim 7, characterized in that the or each end surface (23) makes an angle medium varying from 20 ° to 35 ° with the main surface associated (22). Pillow according to claim 7 or the claim 8, characterized in that the or each surface end (23) laterally extends the support bead (14), by forming with said bead a general profile which gradually curves down towards the edge side (21) corresponding to the unit block (10). Pillow according to claim 9, characterized in that the support bead (14) has below, on either side of the central spoiler (17), a stepped surface (18) facilitating the positioning of the user's shoulder both in the prone position and in lateral decubitus. Pillow according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the unitary block (10) fits substantially in a rectangular parallelepiped. Pillow according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it includes an outer cover textile (50), preferably fleece, enveloping in the entire shaped unitary block (10). Pillow according to claim 12, characterized in that the outer cover (50) has a line horizontal opening (50.3) opposite the rear edge (19) of the unit block (10).

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