Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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I NFLATABLE PI LLOW
BACKGROU~I) OF TE~E I NVENTI ON
This invention relates to new and useful
improvements in inflatable pillows and although designed
specifically for the purpo~;e of relaxing while sunbath-
ing, nevertheless it will be appreciated that it can be
~sed for many other purposes particularly when a person
is required to lie in a prone position. As an example,
it may be necessary to lie in a prone position due to
injury, experimental testing, certain types of mechanical
work and the like.
Conventionally when lying prone, and particu-
larly in conjunction with a pillow or head rest of some
type, difficulty is experienced in breathing and it is
therefore conventional for the head to be rotated through
approximately 90 so that the nose is free of the pillow
or other material.
This in turn placed considerable strain upon
the neck muscles and spinal vertebrae and causes severe
stress therefore detracting from any relaxation which may
be expected from this position.
The present invention overcomes these disadvan-
tages by providing an inf-latable pillow designed specifi-
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cally for use when lying prone whether it be for sunbath-
ing, or whether for other purposes.
It relieves the tension and aching muscles as
it eliminates having to lie with one's head sideways or
using one's arms to elevate the head in order to maintain
even breathing.
It ensures comfort and ease for the head, neck
and arm muscles particularly in a prone position but also
lying supine and inasmuch as each section of the pillow
is provided with an individual air inflation and defla
tion valve, the pillow can be adjusted to the correct
inflation for the head and chin as will hereinafter
become apparent.
One aspect of the invention is therefore to
provide an inflatable pillow for sunbathing, resting or
the like comprising in combination a pair of mutually
adjacent, separated and individually inflatable air cells
joined to one another along a common transverse centre
line, an air channel formed along the underside of said
centre line when qaid cells are inflated, and a substan-
tially centrally located nose engaging aperture formed
through and surrounding said portion of said junction
line sub~tantially at the centre thereof and communicat-
ing with said air channel.
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Another advantage of the inflatable pillow is
to provide the necessary adjustment of the individual air
cells to suit the particular circumstances and to æuit
the requirements of the perlson using the pillow inasmuch
as there is a minimum contact with the face yet free
breathing and support i8 provided.
A further advantage of the pillow is to provide
a relatively light weight inflatable item that can be
easily carried and transported in a deflated condition
and yet can be inflated readily when required.
A still further advantage of the invention is
to provide a device of the character herewithin described
which is simple in construction, economical in manufac-
ture and which is otherwise well suited to the purpose
for which it is designed.
With the foregoing in view, and other advan-
tages as will become apparent to those sXilled in the art
to which this invention relates as this specification
proceeds, the invention is herein described by reference
to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which
includes a description of the best mode known to the
applicant and of the preferred typical embodiment of the
principles of the present invention, in which: ~
~s~
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the pillow in
the inflated condition.
Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but
showing the flexibility of position obtainable with the
pillow.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of Figure 1.
In the drawings like characters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
_
Proceeding therefore to describe the invention
in detail, the pillow consists of a pair of sheets or
panels of flexible air impervious material such as light
weight plastic, and identified by reference characters 10
and 11, 10 being designated the upper sheet and 11 the
lower sheet.
Although in the present drawings these sheets
are substantially rectangular when viewed in plan, never-
theless it will be appreciated that they may b oval or
circular or any other desired configuration.
These two sheet are heated sealed or otherwise
secured together around the perimeters and such heat
sealing is indicated by reference character 12. Further-
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more a transverse centre line 13A is also formed by heatsealing a line across the panels thus forming two air
cells, 13 and 14, one upon each side of the transverse
centre line 13.
A semi-cixcular oval cutou~ 15 is also formed
through the two sheets along the centre line and substan-
`~ tially centrally thereof which, when the centre line 13A
is heat sealed, form an oval configuration which is also
heat sealed around the edges thereof as at 16 thus defin-
ing a substantially oval, nose-engaging aperture, the
purpose of which will hereinafter be de~cribed.
This central transverse heat sealed junction
line 13A also defines an air channel 17 extending from
each side 18 o~ the pillow along the centre line and on
the underside of the pillow when inflated, which communi-
cates with the aperture 15 as clearly ~hown in Figures 1
and ~.
A conventional inflating and deflating air
valve 19 is provided for each cell 13 and 14 and in the
upper sheet thereof with the air valve in cell 13 being
adjacent one corner 20 thereof and the air valve l9A in
ce~ll 14 being adjacent the centre line 13A and adjacent
one end thereof clearly shown in Figure 2.
The advantage of having individual air valves
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for the two cells is to enable the inflation of each to
be varied according to circumstances and the desire of
the person using the pillow. As an example, in Figure 1
air cell 14 is inflated to a Islightly lower pressure than
air cell 13 so that it is slightly smaller and softer.
In use, the person may line prone with the
nose-engaging aperture 15 thus ensuring easy breathing
through the channel 17 from either side 18 when the
pillow is inflated as illustrated.
Although the pillow is designed primarily for
use with sunbathing, nevertheless it will be appreciated
that it can be used under other circu~stances such as
when lying supine or in a lounge chair so that the head
may be rested while reading, writing and the like.
When used in the prone position for ~unbathing,
it enables the arms o the user to be placed parallel to
the body so that the sun can reach the under part of the
arms for an even tanning to take place.
The device is particularly useful for invalids
which require resting in a prone position and adjustment
of the pressure of either cell i6 easily attained either
by squeezing the valves 19 or l9A to expell air or to
inflate either of the cells by blowing gently into the
respective valves.
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When deflated, the pillow folds to a small
relatively flat pacXage that is easily transported ready
for use at any time.
Since various modifications can be made in my
invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently
widely different embodimentls of same made within the
spirit and scope of the claims without departing from
such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter
contained in the accompanying specification shall be
interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting
sense.
