Pillow system

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

0001This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/534,155, filed Jan. 3, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

0002The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawings will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.

0003<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 1-8</figref> show examples of embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

0004The invention will now be described with respect to various embodiments. The following description provides specific details for a thorough understanding of, and enabling description for, these embodiments of the invention. However, one skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without these details. In other instances, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments of the invention.

0005The terminology used in the description presented below is intended to be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific embodiments of the invention. Certain terms may even be emphasized below; however, any terminology intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner will be overtly and specifically defined as such in this Description section.

0006<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 1-8</figref> illustrate various embodiments of pillow systems in accordance with the invention. For example, <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 5 and 6</figref> illustrate a pillow system including a head/neck pillow <b>110</b> and a bag <b>150</b> for carrying the pillow <b>110</b>. Although the illustrated pillow <b>110</b> has a horseshoe-shaped or “C” shaped configuration, in other embodiments, the pillow may have other suitable configurations. The illustrated pillow <b>110</b> includes a fastener <b>120</b>, such as a snap, to releasably secure the pillow <b>110</b> to the bag <b>150</b>. When the pillow <b>110</b> is removed from the bag <b>150</b>, the fastener <b>120</b> on the pillow <b>110</b> is engaged with a corresponding fastener on the bag <b>150</b> so that the pillow <b>110</b> remains securely attached to the bag <b>150</b> (with the bag <b>150</b> turned inside out). The bag <b>150</b> may then be stored within a pocket <b>130</b> in the pillow <b>110</b> by opening a zipper <b>132</b> along a medial seam of the pillow <b>110</b>, inserting the bag <b>150</b> into the pocket <b>130</b>, and then closing the zipper <b>132</b>. Alternatively, the bag can be separate from and not attached to the pillow, and still be configured to receive and carry the pillow.

0007The bag <b>150</b> also includes a drawstring <b>160</b> to close the mouth of the bag <b>150</b> and a spring lock device to keep the bag closed to retain the pillow <b>110</b> within the bag <b>150</b>. The drawstring <b>160</b> may be made of an elastic string or other suitable material. The elastic string extends to a bottom corner of the bag and is coupled to a hook <b>170</b> and ring attachment. Thus, the string may be released from the hook <b>170</b> if necessary. Alternatively, the bag may be closed with means other than the elastic string. The drawstring <b>160</b> forms a carrying strap for use in carrying the pillow system.

0008As shown best in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 5 and 7</figref>, in several embodiments of the invention, the pillow <b>110</b> may include a short piece of webbing <b>115</b> projecting from the pillow <b>110</b> and having the fastener <b>120</b>. The bag <b>150</b> may also include a fastener to releasably engage the fastener <b>120</b> of the pillow <b>110</b>. As such, the bag <b>150</b> can be attached to the pillow <b>110</b> after the bag <b>150</b> has been removed from the pocket in the pillow <b>110</b> to prevent misplacement or loss of the bag <b>150</b>. While a snap clasp is shown, other attachment mechanisms may be employed, such as hook and loop (such as Velcro), hook and ring (similar to the hook and ring used with the cords of the bag), and so forth. Further, alternative embodiments may omit this and simply permanently secure the bag to the pillow.

0009A depiction of an embodiment of the invention may be found in co-pending U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/196,741, filed Jan. 3, 2004, entitled, “Bag for a Head/Neck Pillow,” and assigned to the assignee of this application.

0010The pillow may be filled with buckwheat hulls. However, various filling materials may be employed. The user may change the amount of fill material in the pillow by accessing an interior of the pillow by way of the zipper. Fill materials and pillow configurations may be found in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/513,077, filed Oct. 20, 2003, entitled “Dual Filling Supporting Member, such as Pillow with Dual Density Filling.”

0011In one embodiment, the pillow is approximately twelve inches across and eleven inches down, while the bag is eleven inches across at the mouth and twelve inches deep. Of course, while the pillow system is shown as employing a horseshoe-shaped pillow and bag having a roughly square or circular configuration, alternate sizes and shapes may be employed.

0012In an alternative embodiment, the pillow does not employ a bag. Instead, it includes a loop having a manually releasable clasp, such as the snap clasp described above. Various other types of clasps may be employed, as described herein. As shown in the Drawings, the loop allows the pillow to be releasably secured to an object. Of course, the size of the loop may be increased or decreased from that shown. In this embodiment, the pillow is approximately ten inches across and seven inches down. Further, the pillow of this embodiment is particularly stretchy or resilient, and thus may be stretchy or conformed to a user's needs. Any material that provides sufficient stretchability may be employed.

0013An alternative embodiment of such a loop clasp and associated pillow may be found in co-pending U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/196,740, filed Jan. 3, 2004, entitled “Head/Neck Pillow,” and assigned to the assignee of this application.

0014Overall, while the bag and pillow (outer portion) are described as being fabricated typically made of fabric, any flexible sheet material may be used. While the zippers are shown in certain locations, the zippers may in fact be placed at any location on the pillow. Additionally, or alternatively, rather than zippers, Velcro closures, buttons, or other known, like closure features may be employed. Further, the pillow may be sewn closed, with no adjustment possible.

0015Words in the above Description using the singular or plural number may also include the plural or singular number, respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. When the claims use the word “or” in reference to a list of two or more items, that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list.

0016The above detailed descriptions of embodiments of the invention are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed above. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. For example, although roughly “C” shaped pillows are shown, various other shapes are possible.

0017The teachings of the invention provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the system described herein. These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of the detailed description. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments.

0018Any above patents and applications and other references, including any that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporated herein by reference. Aspects of the invention can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the various references described above to provide yet further embodiments of the invention.

0019These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of the above detailed description. While the above description details certain embodiments of the invention and describes the best mode contemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, the invention can be practiced in many ways. Details of the pillow system may vary considerably in its implementation details, while still being encompassed by the invention disclosed herein. As noted above, particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being re-defined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated.