(19)
(11)EP 2 394 537 B1

(12)EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION

(45)Mention of the grant of the patent:
01.05.2013 Bulletin 2013/18

(21)Application number: 10165905.0

(22)Date of filing:  14.06.2010
(51)International Patent Classification (IPC): 
A47G 9/10(2006.01)

(54)

Pillow structure

Kissenstruktur

Structure d'oreiller


(84)Designated Contracting States:
AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK SM TR

(43)Date of publication of application:
14.12.2011 Bulletin 2011/50

(73)Proprietor: Chern Shing Top Co., Ltd.
Chiayi County, 604 (TW)

(72)Inventor:
  • Hsiao, Hsueh-Sheng
    604, Chiayi County (TW)

(74)Representative: Lang, Christian et al
LangPatent Anwaltskanzlei Rosenheimer Strasse 139
81671 München
81671 München (DE)


(56)References cited: : 
WO-A1-2009/118144
CN-Y- 2 606 558
WO-A2-2009/091185
US-A1- 2006 040 803
  
      
    Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention).


    Description

    BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION


    1. Field of the Invention



    [0001] The present invention relates to a pillow structure, which has a resilient pad pulled by an adjuster mounted in interior to push a buffering layer to provide a support to a user's neck.

    2. Description of Related Art



    [0002] People take one-third work and rest time for sleeping, sleeping quality is one great matter for health issue. Except selecting a nice bed, selecting a pillow designed in accordance with body engineering is more important.

    [0003] Conventional pillows are composed of a buffering layer coated with a pillow cover. Differences of the conventional pillow are only about the different materials of the buffering layer (such as form, silicon rubber, latex rubber) and the shape variations (shape designed in accordance with body engineering). Although the conventional pillows can provide different comfort by being made of different materials for the buffering layers, the conventional pillows are made by mass production for general demands. Therefore, the conventional pillows cannot provide personal adjustments for different body shapes or features to different users.

    [0004] Therefore, after using the conventional pillows for a long term, the user's neck usually cannot be most-well supported or protected and thus incurs neck sore or ache problems so that the user cannot have sufficient rest and will have neck illnesses.

    [0005] WO 2009/118144 A1 describes a dynamic neck tension relief pillow having a moving mechanism comprising a unified spring formed by a bottom board and a lattice elastically connected to each other and being provided with a cord at their free ends to adjust an angle between the lattice and the bottom board. An ordinary pillow is disposed on the lattice.

    [0006] US 2006/040803 A1 and WO 2009/091185 A2 describe pillows which include a base plate, an adjusting mechanism and a cover including a buffering layer. The adjusting mechanism can be a spring or a rotational body adjustable by an adjustor.

    [0007] However, conventional pillows have the disadvantage that only the height or an inclination angle of the surface can be adjusted. However, it is not possible to adjust the surface of the pillow to different users.

    SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION



    [0008] A main objective of the present invention is to provide a pillow structure that provides adjusting efficiency to different users.

    [0009] The above-mentioned object is solved by the pillow structure according to claim 1. Advantageous improvements of the pillow structure are subject matter of dependent claims.

    [0010] Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

    BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS



    [0011] 

    Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pillow structure in accordance with the present invention;

    Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the pillow structure attached with a buffering layer;

    Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the pillow structure in accordance with the present invention;

    Fig. 4 is an operationally cross-sectional side view of the pillow structure in Fig. 3;

    Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the pillow structure in accordance with the present invention;

    Fig. 6 is an operationally cross-sectional front view of the pillow structure;

    Fig. 7 is a perspective view of still another embodiment of the pillow structure in accordance with the present invention; and

    Fig. 8 is a perspective view of still another embodiment of the pillow structure in accordance with the present invention.


    DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT



    [0012] A pillow structure in accordance with the present invention substantially has a bottom board mounted at a bottom inside a pillow body and at least one arced resilient pad controlled by an adjuster mounted on the bottom board. By having the arced resilient pad to support a buffering layer for neck leaning, curved degrees of the pillow are adjusted corresponding to different users.

    [0013] A pillow structure in the present invention is substantially has a bottom board 1 mounted at an interior bottom of a pillow body 10 (as shown in Figs. 1 and 2) and has an arced resilient pad 2 controlled by an adjuster 4 so that curved degrees of the pillow body 10 is adjusted corresponding to different users by changing the curved degrees of the arced resilient pad 2 to support to a buffering layer 3 of the pillow body 10 for neck leaning.

    [0014] By having the structure described above, one arced resilient pad 2 is mounted at a center of the bottom board 1 to correspond to the direction of a user's lying direction (as shown in Fig. 3). Two ends of the arced resilient pad 2 are connected to a guiding wire and controlled by the adjuster 4 (one end of the arced resilient pad 2 is immovably secured to the bottom board 1 served as an fixed end, another end of the arced resilient pad 2 is a movable end so that when a length of the guiding wire between the two ends of the arced resilient pad 2 is changed, the bulged curved degree of the arced resilient pad 2 is correspondingly changed). Therefore, when the user's neck leans on the pillow body 10, the adjuster 4 operates to make the arced resilient pad 2 to support and push the buffering layer 3 and thus the bulged height of the buffering layers 3 is suitable for personal usage needs (as shown in Fig. 4) to prevent the user's neck suspended or over-pressed situation and to improve the pillow's comfort.

    [0015] Moreover, one embodiment of the pillow structure in accordance with the present invention has two arced resilient pads 2 oppositely mounted at two sides of a bottom board 1 and controlled by an adjuster 4 (as shown in Fig. 5) and located at two sides of a user's neck leaning thereon. By having the two arced resilient pads 2 at the two sides of the user's neck to bulge the buffering layer 3, the pillow body keeps the user's neck straight not to be lopsided easily to achieve protection of the user's neck.

    [0016] Moreover, another embodiment of the pillow structure in accordance with the present invention has one arced resilient pad 2 mounted at a center of the bottom board 1 and more two arced resilient pads 2 oppositely mounted at two sides of the bottom board 1 and all three arced resilient pads 3 are controlled by an adjuster 4 (the adjuster 4 is performed in different one-axle, one guiding wire; one-axle, two guiding wires; or dual-axle, three guiding-wires corresponding to different numbers of the arced resilient pads 2). By having the arced resilient pad 2 at the center to push the buffering layer 3 and fully support the user's neck and the two arced resilient pads 2 at the two sides to keep the user's neck straight (as shown in Figs. 6 and 7), the pillow structure achieves the complete adjustment functions of body engineering design and has health benefit and improves pillow's comfort.

    [0017] According to the above description of the structure, to users having different sizes (such as the different sizes of adults or kids), the arced resilient pad 2 mounted at the center of the bottom board 1 is arranged in form of multiple units corresponding to user's lying direction (as shown in Fig. 8) to provide large-surface and large supporting force to protect the user's neck.


    Claims

    1. A pillow structure comprising
    a bottom board (1) covered with a buffering layer (3); and
    at least one arced resilient pad (2) having two ends connected to a guiding wire, wherein one end of the arced resilient pad is immovably secured to the bottom board (1) and the other end is a movable end, and controlled by an adjuster (4) to change curved degrees of the at least one arced resilient pad (2) and to support to the buffering layer (3) by changing a length of the guiding wire between the two ends of the arced resilient pad (2) correspondingly.
     
    2. The pillow structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein one arced resilient pad (2) is mounted at a center of the bottom board (1) corresponding to a user's lying direction.
     
    3. The pillow structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein two arced resilient pads (2) are oppositely mounted at two sides of the bottom board (1), controlled by the adjuster (4), and adapted to locate at two sides of a user's neck.
     
    4. The pillow structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein one arced resilient pad (2) is mounted at a center of the bottom board (1) corresponding to a user's lying direction and two arced resilient pads (2) are oppositely respectively mounted at two sides of the bottom board (1), wherein all three arced resilient pads (2) are controlled by the adjuster (4).
     
    5. The pillow structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein one arced resilient pad (2) mounted at a center of the bottom board (1) corresponding to a user's lying direction is performed in multiple units and two arced resilient pads (2) are oppositely respectively mounted at two sides of the bottom board (1), wherein all three arced resilient pads (2) are controlled by the adjuster (4).
     


    Ansprüche

    1. Kissenstruktur, die umfasst:

    eine Bodenplatte (1), die mit einer Polsterungsschicht (3) bedeckt ist, und

    mindestens eine gebogene elastische Platte (2), die zwei Enden umfasst, die mit einem Führungsdraht verbunden sind, wobei ein Ende der gebogenen elastischen Platte unbeweglich an der Bodenplatte (1) befestigt ist, wobei das andere Ende ein bewegliches Ende ist und durch einen Regler (4) gesteuert wird, um durch Ändern einer Länge des Führungsdrahtes zwischen den zwei Enden der gebogenen elastischen Platte (2) den Biegegrad der mindestens einen gebogenen elastischen Platte (2) entsprechend zu ändern und die Polsterungsschicht (3) entsprechend zu stützen.


     
    2. Kissenstruktur nach Anspruch 1, wobei eine gebogene elastische Platte (2) in der Mitte der Bodenplatte (1) entsprechend der Liegerichtung eines Benutzers montiert ist.
     
    3. Kissenstruktur nach Anspruch 1, wobei zwei gebogene elastische Platten (2) gegenüberliegend an zwei Seiten der Bodenplatte (1) montiert sind, durch den Regler (4) gesteuert sind und darauf ausgelegt sind, an zwei Seiten des Halses eines Benutzers platziert zu sein.
     
    4. Kissenstruktur nach Anspruch 1, wobei eine gebogene elastische Platte (2) in der Mitte der Bodenplatte (1) entsprechend der Liegerichtung eines Benutzers montiert ist und wobei zwei gebogene elastische Platten (2) gegenüberliegend an zwei Seiten der Bodenplatte (1) montiert sind, wobei alle drei gebogene elastische Platten (2) durch den Regler (4) gesteuert werden.
     
    5. Kissenstruktur nach Anspruch 1, wobei eine gebogene elastische Platte (2), die in der Mitte der Bodenplatte (1) entsprechend der Liegerichtung eines Benutzers montiert ist, in Form mehrerer Einheiten ausgeführt ist und wobei zwei gebogene elastische Platten (2) gegenüberliegend an zwei Seiten der Bodenplatte (1) montiert sind, wobei alle drei gebogene elastische Platten (2) durch den Regler (4) gesteuert werden.
     


    Revendications

    1. Structure d'oreiller comprenant
    un fond (1) couvert avec une couche d'amortissement (3) et
    au moins un rembourrage élastique arqué (2) ayant deux extrémités reliées à un fil de guidage, une extrémité du rembourrage élastique arqué étant fixé de manière immobile au fond (1) et l'autre extrémité étant une extrémité mobile, et commandé par un élément d'ajustage (4) pour changer des degrés de courbure du rembourrage élastique arqué qui existe au moins (2) et pour avoir un support à la couche d'amortissement (3) en changeant une longueur du fil de guidage entre les deux extrémités du rembourrage élastique arqué (2) de manière correspondante.
     
    2. Structure d'oreiller selon la revendication 1, un rembourrage élastique arqué (2) étant monté à un centre du fond (1) correspondant à une direction de couchage d'un utilisateur.
     
    3. Structure d'oreiller selon la revendication 1, deux rembourrages élastiques arqués (2) étant montés en sens opposé sur deux côtés du fond (1), commandés par l'élément d'ajustage (4) et adaptés pour se situer sur deux côtés du cou d'un utilisateur.
     
    4. Structure d'oreiller selon la revendication 1, un rembourrage élastique arqué (2) étant monté sur un centre du fond (1) correspondant à une direction de couchage d'un utilisateur et deux rembourrages élastiques arqués (2) étant montés respectivement opposés sur deux côtés du fond (1), tous les trois rembourrages élastiques arqués (2) étant commandés par l'élément d'ajustage (4).
     
    5. Structure d'oreiller selon la revendication 1, un rembourrage élastique arqué (2) monté sur un centre du fond (1) correspondant à une direction de couchage d'un utilisateur étant réalisé dans des unités multiples et deux rembourrages élastiques arqués (2) étant montés opposés respectivement sur deux côtés du fond (1), tous les trois rembourrages arqués (2) étant commandés par l'élément d'ajustage (4).
     




    Drawing





























    Cited references

    REFERENCES CITED IN THE DESCRIPTION



    This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.

    Patent documents cited in the description