HELMET PILLOW

OREILLER CASQUE

English Abstract

A helmet-shaped pillow having a chin strap in the front side, a neck opening,
and a face
opening above the chin strap. A cushioning material comprising polystyrene
microbeads,
memory foam, feathers, air, grains, herbs, or polystyrene pellets may be
disposed in one or
more compartments within the pillow. The cushioning material may be a thermal
insulation
material. The pillow may include built-in headphones, massaging devices, and
an opening
for passage of a ponytail. There may be a removable covering for the face
opening and an
eye covering. An anti-microbial agent may be incorporated into the fabric. The
inner layer
and outer layer may be reversible through manual manipulation. There may be an
image or
pattern on one or both outer surfaces of the inner and outer layers.

Claims

Claims
1. A pillow in the shape of a full helmet, having inner and outer layers
connected along
their perimeters, left and right sides, front and back sides, a chin strap in
the front
side, a top side, a neck opening opposite the top side, and a face opening in
the front
side above the chin strap.
2. The pillow of claim 1, wherein each of the inner and outer layers comprises
two or
more panels, each inner panel connected along its perimeter to a corresponding
outer
panel to form two or more closed compartments within the pillow, each pair of
adjacent compartments separated by a seam.
3. The pillow of claim 2, wherein a cushioning material is disposed in one or
more of
the compartments.
4. The pillow of claim 3, wherein the cushioning material is selected from the
group of
cushioning materials comprising polystyrene microbeads, memory foam, feathers,
air,
grains, herbs, and polystyrene pellets.
5. The pillow of claim 4, wherein the cushioning material is a thermal
insulation
material.
6. The pillow of claim 2, wherein the chin strap may comprise left and ride
strap
portions releasably attachable by fastening means to one another.
7. The pillow of claim 6, wherein the fastening means may comprise hook and
loop
fasteners, snaps, or hooks.
8. The pillow of claim 2, further comprising headphones disposed within the
pillow.
9. The pillow of claim 2, further comprising an opening in the back surface
for passage
therethrough of a user's hair.
10. The pillow of claim 2, further comprising one or more ventilation openings
between
the outer and inner layers adjacent one or more seams.
6

11. The pillow of claim 2, further comprising massaging means disposed within
one or
more compartments.
12. The pillow of claim 2, further comprising a removable panel for reversibly
covering
the face opening.
13. The pillow of claim 2, further comprising a removable panel for reversibly
covering
the eyes of a user.
14. The pillow of claim 2, further comprising an anti-microbial agent
incorporated into
the fabric.
15. The pillow of claim 2, wherein the inner layer and outer layer may be
reversed
through manual manipulation.
16. The pillow of claim 2, further comprising an image on the outer surface of
at least
one of the inner and outer layers.
7

Description

CA 02846143 2014-03-10
HELMET PILLOW
Technical Field
The present invention relates to pillows. In particular, the present invention
relates to a
pillow wearable on a user's head.
Background of the Invention
It is known to provide a cushioned pillow to provide comfort to a user's head
and neck
during rest. The pillows most commonly used for sleeping on a bed are
generally too large to
be conveniently used when travelling or resting away from a bed.
Existing prior art pillows have tried to provide a solution to this need, but
with limited
success. It is known to provide a C-shaped cushioned ring for placement around
a user's
neck. Such a neck pillow, however, provides only limited support to the user's
head, and is
likely to be dislodged by movement during sleep, potentially causing
discomfort or injury. It
is also known to provide a head-covering pillow which includes openings for
insertion of
hands. The so-called "ostrich" pillow is a large, unwieldy device which is not
convenient to
carry, and which appears to obstruct a user's vision during use. A "hoodie"
pillow exists
which provides a hood connected to a standard pillow. The hood does not
provide direct
cushioning to a user's head, but merely maintains the pillow in proximity to
the user.
It is desirable to provide a pillow which is small, easy to carry, and able to
provide consistent
cushioning of the head and neck, while not obstructing a user's movement or
vision.
Brief Summary of the Invention
There is provided a pillow in the shape of a full helmet, having inner and
outer layers
connected along their perimeters, left and right sides, front and back sides,
a chin strap in the
front side, a top side, a neck opening opposite the top side, and a face
opening in the front
side above the chin strap. Each the inner and outer layers may comprise two or
more panels,
each inner panel connected along its perimeter to a corresponding outer panel
to form two or
more closed compartments within the pillow, each pair of adjacent compartments
separated
by a seam.
1

CA 02846143 2014-03-10
A cushioning material may be disposed in one or more of the compartments. The
cushioning
material may be selected from the group of cushioning materials comprising
polystyrene
microbeads, memory foam, feathers, air, grains, herbs, and polystyrene
pellets, and it may be
a thermal insulation material.
The chin strap may comprise left and ride strap portions releasably attachable
by fastening
means to one another. The fastening means may comprise hook and loop
fasteners, snaps, or
hooks.
The pillow may further comprise headphones disposed within the pillow. There
may be an
opening in the back surface for passage therethrough of a user's hair.
The pillow may have one or more ventilation openings between the outer and
inner layers
adjacent one or more seams. There may be massaging means disposed within one
or more
compartments of the pillow.
There may be a removable panel for reversibly covering the face opening. An
anti-microbial
agent may be incorporated into the fabric.
The inner layer and outer layer may be reversible through manual manipulation.
There may
be an image or pattern on one or both outer surfaces of the inner and outer
layers.
Brief Description of the Drawings
A detailed description of the preferred embodiments is provided by way of
example only and
with reference to the following drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention,
having a
fastenable chin strap in a closed position;
Fig. 2 is a front plan view of one embodiment of the present invention, having
a
fastenable chin strap in an open position;
Fig. 3 is a left side view of one embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 4 is a right side view of one embodiment of the present invention;
2

CA 02846143 2014-03-10
Fig. 5 is a front view of one embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 6 is a rear view of one embodiment of the invention; and
Fig. 7 is a rear view of another embodiment of the present invention, having
an
opening for passage of a ponytail.
In the drawings, several embodiment of the invention are illustrated by way of
example. It is
to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the
purpose of
illustration and as an aid to understanding, and are not intended as a
definition of the limits of
the invention.
Detailed Description of the Invention
According to one embodiment of the present invention, as depicted in the
drawings, there is
provided a pillow shaped to fit over a user's head. Preferably, the pillow
comprises a
plurality of panels forming inner and outer layers. In the preferred
embodiment, each of the
inner 2 and outer 4 layers is comprised of opposing left 6 and right 8 panels
separated by a
central panel 10. Each of the left and right panels further comprises a first
chin strap portion
12 extending medially from the lower front portion to connect with a second
chin strap
portion 14 extending from the opposing right or left panel. In an alternate
embodiment, the
chin strap may be a fixed strap extending between the lower ends of the left
and right sides of
the pillow.
The pillow includes a lower neck opening 16 for insertion of a user's head,
and a face
opening 18 in its front side.
The layers are connected along their perimeters 20 to form at least one closed
compartment.
Each of the panels may also be connected along its perimeter to the
corresponding panel in
the opposing layer to form three compartments 22, 24, 26. Additional
compartments may
also be formed by adding one or more seams between the opposing layers of the
pillow. It is
also possible to use layers comprised of more than three panels.
Each of the compartments is filled with a cushioning material. Preferably, the
cushioning
material comprises polystyrene microbeads, but other cushioning materials are
possible and
3

CA 02846143 2014-03-10
are considered to be within the scope of the invention, including memory foam,
feathers,
pressurized air, grains, herbs, and polystyrene pellets which may be heated or
cooled.
The panels preferably are comprised of an elastic material which is
lightweight, durable, and
easily cleaned. In a preferred embodiment, the material used is polyester
lycra fabric. Other
materials are also possible, including waterproof materials.
In the embodiment shown in Figs 1 and 2, the helmet pillow includes a chin
strap which may
be reversibly fastened around a user's chin. The opposing sides of the chin
strap may be
fastened together with VelcroTM type fasteners, snaps, hooks, or other
fastening means.
For air circulation, there may be ventilation openings along the seams or
elsewhere in the
helmet pillow (not shown). The helmet pillow may also include vibrating or
massaging
mechanisms built into the pillow to relax the user (not shown).
The helmet pillow may contain any thermally insulating material known in the
prior art
which retains heat when heated, and retains cold when chilled. This permits
use of the
helmet pillow as a device for application of heat or cold for comfort or
therapeutic reasons.
The helmet pillow may be manufactured in a variety of sizes to fit users of
different ages and
head sizes. The material used for the panels may be dyed a desired colour, or
may include
patterns, textures, images, or other desired esthetic features. Anti-microbial
agents may be
incorporated into the fabric.
One or more openings 28 may be provided in the rear portion of the pillow to
allow passage
therethrough of a ponytail, as depicted in Fig. 7.
In an alternate embodiment, a pair of headphones may be provided within the
pillow adjacent
the user's ears, preferably connected by Bluetooth or other wireless
technology to an audio
device. In yet a further embodiment, the pillow may further comprise eye
covering means,
for example a moveable flap over the top of the face opening. There may be a
flap for
covering the entire face opening.
4

CA 02846143 2014-03-10
The helmet pillow of the present invention, according to one embodiment, also
may be used
in an inverted position, allowing a user to display two different patterns or
images on the
outside of the pillow.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other variations of
the preferred
embodiment may also be practised without departing from the scope of the
invention.
5

Representative Drawing