Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE: FUNNEL FOR WATERPILLOW
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to waterpillows and
in particular, relates to a convenient system for
allowing water to be added or removed from a waterpillow.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Our waterpillow as disclosed in United States
Patent 4,847,931 has been sold around the world and has
been recognized to improve the quality of sleep,
particularly for patients suffering from recurring
headaches and neck pain.
The waterpillow is customized by the user to
provide a desired degree of comfort and support. This is
achieved by varying the amount of water maintained in a
plastic envelope located at the base of the pillow. It
is preferred to essentially have all the air removed from
the envelope, such that it only contains water.
Typically, the user fills the water retaining envelope
with a specified amount of water and thereafter varies
the amount of water to increase or decrease the firmness
as may be required.
Water is added or removed through a threaded port
which passes through the pillow casing on a bottom
surface. A threaded plug is inserted in the port to seal
the closure. Both the threaded port and the threaded
plug are of a thin profile to reduce any transmission of
the structure through the pillow. The threaded plug
includes an exterior recess having an elongate member
extending across the recess. This provides a finger grip
area for inserting or removing the plug from the port.
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Some users have experienced difficulty in
inserting and/or removing the plug as may be required
from time to time. This may be a particular problem for
people with arthritic hands. In light of the above, it
.is desired to provide a system which reduces this problem
and makes the filling of the water retaining envelope
and/or the removal of water from the water retaining
envelope more convenient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A waterpillow according to the present invention
comprises a pillow casing, a fillable envelope within the
casing for maintaining a liquid and having a removable
closure for allowing liquid to be added to the envelope
or to have liquid removed from the envelope. A
compressible fill material is located,within the casing
and to one side of the envelope. The removable closure
comprises a port sealed to the envelope and having an
interior thread for cooperating with a threaded plug used
to releasably seal the envelope. The closure further
includes a tubular filling member with one end thereof
adapted thereof for receipt in the port for filling or
removing of liquid from the envelope where the liquid
passes through the tubular member and into the envelope.
The tubular filling member further includes a plug
engaging portion positioned to allow the tubular filling
member to act as a handle during insertion or removal of
the plug.
In a preferred aspect of the invention, the
tubular filling member has a funnel shape.
In yet a further aspect of the invention, the
tubular member has a thread connection for receipt and
engagement with the port.
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In yet a further aspect of the invention, the
tubular member at one end thereof includes plug engaging
members located interior to the tubular member. The plug
includes an interior recess in a top surface shaped to
cooperate with the plug engaging members to allow
tightening or removal of the plug from the port.
In yet a further aspect of the invention, the
tubular member at one end thereof includes plug engaging
members located interior to the tubular member and the
plug includes an interior recess on a top surface shaped
to engage with the plug engaging members. The engaging
members are shaped to define the socket portion which
receives a male projection on the plug.
In yet a further aspect of the invention, the
socket portion is a U-shaped slot with the open part of
the "U" being exposed to the exterior of the tubular
portion and extending across the tubular member.
In yet a further aspect of the invention, the
tubular member includes an outwardly extending flange
above the threads on a tubular member which cooperates
with the port for forming a fluid tight connection
therewith.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown
in the drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of the
water base pillow with the normal closure plug and the
funnel used to add or remove water to the water retaining
envelope;
Figure 2 is a partial view of the waterpillow with
the funnel being received in the threaded port;
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Figure 3 is a partial perspective view of the
waterpillow with the funnel engaging the outlet port and
water being added to the pillow;
Figure 4 is a sectional view through the funnel;
Figure 5 is a top view of the funnel;
Figure 6 is a bottom view of the funnel; and
Figure 7 is a partial perspective view showing the
funnel about to be used as a tool for tightening or
loosening of the threaded plug.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The waterpillow 2 shown in Figure 1 has the
tubular funnel member 30 which can be threadably received
in the threaded port 10 for adding or removing water.
The threaded plug 12 is used to releasably close the port
10.
As shown in Figure 3, the funnel serves a number
of purposes in the present design but is particularly
useful in filling of the water envelope within the pillow
without any substantial spillage and/or allows water to
be easily removed from the water retaining envelope. The
end user adds or removes water to adjust the pillow
accordingly to achieve the desired support. Water 5 is
poured from the pitcher 3 and passes through the funnel
into the pillow.
The waterpillow 2 has an outer fabric casing 4 and
30 a water retaining envelope (not shown) positioned with
the casing 4 and located at a bottom surface of the
pillow. A compressible fill material is supported above
the water retaining envelope. A closure system 8, on the
bottom of the pillow, allows water to be added or removed
from the envelope and comprises a threaded port 10 sealed
to the envelope and open to the exterior of the pillow.
A threaded plug 12 is releasably received in the port 10.
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Details of the pillow construction are shown in U.S.
Patent 4,847,931.
A purchaser of the pillow will add the desired
amount of water to the envelope. The amount of water
varies the firmness of the pillow and some trial and
error is required. Basically, the user refers to a
firmness chart and selects the desired firmness having a
specified volume of water to be added to the pillow. The
amount of water is then measured using a measuring cup or
other measuring device and added to the envelope through
the port 10. The port 10 is of a thin profile as is the
threaded plug 12. Water can be carefully added directly
through the port 10, however, some skill and dexterity is
required.
To overcome this problem as shown in Figure 2, the
tubular funnel 30 is threaded into the open port 10 and
preferably forms a watertight connection with the port.
The user can then pour the water through the tubular body
member 34 and the water will pass into the envelope. The
tubular body 34 also allows the user to grasp the funnel
and hold the funnel and the connected port in a~desired
position for water to be added. The funnel is preferably
several inches tall and thus provides a convenient
grasping surface. Similarly the open mouth 31 of the
tubular member is preferably at least one and one half
inches to ease the addition of water to the envelope
through the substantially smaller outlet port. Once
water has been added to the envelope, the pillow can be
supported on a flat surface and the user can push down on
the pillow and/or funnel to allow air to be bled from the
envelope. It is desired to remove as much air as
possible and the funnel provides a simple means to allow
adjustment in the envelope and bleeding of the air
without spillage of the water about the port 10.
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Once the desired amount of water has been added,
the funnel may be released from the pillow by a
counterclockwise rotation. Once the funnel has been
removed, the threaded plug l2 is threaded into the port
10 to seal the envelope. In many cases, there is no
further need to adjust the water in the pillow. In other
cases, the degree of firmness requires adjustment and the
user can vary the firmness by adding or removing water.
The tubular funnel 30 can act as a tool for
assisting in removal of the threaded plug 12 which in
some cases is difficult to remove. The funnel on its
lower surface includes a narrow end 40 which is
receivable within the recessed cavity 16 of the plug 12
(See Figure 7). This narrow end includes a downwardly
opening channel 42 which straddles the grip bar 14 of the
plug. Once the funnel has been inserted in the cavity 16
of the plug, with the channel 42 either side of the grip
bar 14, the funnel can be rotated counterclockwise to
remove the plug 12 from the threaded port 10. Once the
plug has been removed, the funnel can then be threaded
into the port 10 and water can be added to the envelope
as previously described.
In some cases, it may be desirable to remove a
certain amount of water from the envelope and in this
case, the tubular funnel 30 can act as a spout to allow
some of the water to be removed. In this way, the outer
casing 4 of the pillow remains out of contact with the
water and the user has a convenient way to add or remove
water from the pillow.
After the above step, the funnel can then be
removed from the port by counterclockwise rotation of the
tubular member and the plug 12 reinserted. Some users
may wish to use the funnel to again engage the plug and
allow tightening of the plug by rotation of the funnel in
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a clockwise rotation. The plug has an O-ring seal to
avoid leakage and some compression thereof is required.
With this, arrangement, problems associated with
filling and/or removing water from the envelope are
overcome. Any users who previously experience difficulty
in engaging the threaded plug 16 merely use the funnel as
a tool to engage the plug and act as a handle or
extension of the plug for tightening or removal of the
plug.
The funnel 30, as shown in Figure 4,has a reduced
end 40 located below the exterior threads 32 and below
the outwardly extending flange 36. The narrow end 40
serves to separate the two sides of the envelope which
have a tendency to collapse on one another. Furthermore,
the user tends to lift up on the funnel separating the
two sides of the envelope and allowing water to easily
fill the envelope. The flange 36 acts as a stop surface
limiting the degree the funnel is threaded into the port
12. The bottom surface of the funnel is divided into two
outlets 38 by the downwardly opening channel 42.
Although various preferred embodiments of the
present invention have been described herein in detail,
it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that
variations may be made thereto without departing from the
spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended
claims.
