JP7504657B2 - Body pillow with massage body - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a body pillow that has a massage body inside.

In the body pillow of the present invention, a massage body (airbag) is placed inside the pillow, and placing an airbag inside the pillow is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The body pillow of Patent Document 1 includes a rod-shaped body pillow body, a cylindrical airbag placed inside, a cotton-like fiber body filled inside the airbag, an air pump that draws and exhausts air into and out of the airbag, and a control unit that controls the operating state of the air pump. The body pillow body is made of a cushioning material such as low-resilience urethane, and covers the entire outer surface of the airbag. The cotton-like fiber body is made of macaroni-shaped resin cotton, and is filled with the airbag in order to prevent the airbag from shrinking and deflation even when the air inside the airbag is exhausted. The air pump is controlled to repeatedly supply air (for 4 seconds) and exhaust air (for 6 seconds) to the airbag. In this way, by repeatedly expanding and contracting the airbag at intervals slower than the breathing interval of a typical adult (3.3 to 4 seconds), the user can obtain a sense of security and relaxation as if he or she were sleeping with a close relative.

Utility Model Registration No. 3194451

According to the body pillow of Patent Document 1, by sleeping with the body pillow, the user can obtain a sense of security and relaxation, as if they were sleeping with a close relative. However, the airbag merely inflates and deflates repeatedly at slow intervals, imitating human breathing, and the entire airbag only inflates and deflates at fixed intervals, so the stimulation to the user is monotonous and a sufficient massage stimulation cannot be provided. In addition, it is difficult for the user to accurately stimulate the acupressure points (acupuncture points) to which the massage stimulation is desired, and for example, it is not possible to locally stimulate the soles of the feet or shoulders.

The object of the present invention is to provide a body pillow equipped with a massage body that can provide the user with a sense of relaxation and massage stimulation in an appropriate manner.

The body pillow of the present invention comprises a pillow body 1, an airbag 2 disposed inside the pillow body 1, an air pump 3 which generates pressurized air and supplies it to the airbag 2, and a control means 6 which controls the operating state of the air pump 3. The pillow body 1 is characterized in that it comprises a mass-shaped core body 9 and a surface body 11 which covers the periphery of the core body 9, and the airbag 2 is disposed between the core body 9 and the surface body 11.

The air tube 5a that connects the air pump 3 and the air bag 2 is housed in a tube passage 15 provided inside the core body 9.

A bag recess 16 is formed on the surface of the core body 9. The airbag 2 is housed in the bag recess 16 and held in position.

Airbags 2 and air pumps 3 are arranged at multiple locations on the periphery of the core body 9 and are connected to a distributor 4 via multiple air tubes 5a-5f. The tube passage 15 is composed of a collective passage 15a that houses a tube group 5 consisting of multiple air tubes 5a-5f, and a branch passage 15b that houses the air tubes 5a-5f that branch off from the collective passage 15a and are connected to the individual airbags 2.

The core body 9 is constructed by joining multiple divided core bodies 9a and 9b that are divided along the central axis. The tube passage 15 is formed at the joint between the multiple divided core bodies 9a and 9b.

The thickness dimension D1 of the core body 9 between the peripheral wall of the collecting passage 15a and the bottom wall of the bag recess 16 is set to be larger than the recess depth D2 of the bag recess 16.

The core body 9 is covered with an intermediate soft body 10, and the intermediate soft body 10 is covered with a surface body 11.

The core body 9 and the intermediate soft body 10 are each formed from an elastic foam material. The core body 9 is formed from an elastic foam material that is harder than the intermediate soft body 10.

A bag-shaped bag holder 23 is fixed inside the surface body 11, and the airbag 2 is housed inside the bag holder 23.

The bag holder 23 is formed in a polygonal bag shape with multiple sides, and one side is fixed to the surface body 11.

The front body 11 has a front fabric 11a on the outside and a back fabric 11b on the inside. The bag holder 23 is formed in the shape of a pocket by sewing the back fabric 11b to the front fabric 11a.

The bag holder 23 is positioned on the inside of the surface body 11 facing the bag recess 16.

The core body 9 is covered with an intermediate soft body 10, and the intermediate soft body 10 is covered with a surface body 11 that has excellent stain-resistant properties.

The core body 9 is formed in a columnar shape, and airbags 2 are arranged at multiple locations along the length of the core body 9.

The core body 9 comprises a main core body 12 formed in a columnar shape and a sub-core body 13 that is bent continuously from one end of the main core body 12. The airbag 2 is disposed on the inner corner side of the main core body 12 and the sub-core body 13.

The core body 9 comprises a columnar main core body 12 and two sub-core bodies 13 that are bent in opposite directions from both ends of the main core body 12. Airbags 2 are disposed on the inner corners of the main core body 12 and both sub-core bodies 13, 13.

An air pump 3 is placed inside one of the two sub-cores 13, 13 provided at both ends of the main core 12.

Operation switches that control the operating state of the air pump 3 and the distributor 4 are exposed on the end face of the sub-core 13 on the side where the air pump 3 is located. The operation switches here refer to a power switch, an operation mode switch, etc., and include at least a power switch that turns the power on and off.

Heaters 17 are placed in the inner corners between the upper and lower sub-cores 13 and the main core 12, and/or between adjacent airbags 2.

The control means 6 controls the operating state of the air pump 3 and the distributor 4 to randomly change the inflation/deflation pattern of each airbag 2.

In the present invention, the body pillow comprises a pillow body 1, an airbag 2, an air pump 3, and a control means 6. The pillow body 1 also comprises a mass-shaped core body 9 and a surface body 11 that covers the periphery of the core body 9, and the airbag 2 is disposed between the core body 9 and the surface body 11. With this body pillow, the user can inflate and deflate the airbag 2 while holding the pillow body 1, thereby providing a massage stimulus to the body surface that is in close contact with the surface body 11. By changing the holding position of the pillow body 1, the user can provide a massage stimulus to the body surface desired by the user, or by adjusting the strength of the expansion and contraction of the airbag 2 and the expansion and contraction interval with the control means 6, a massage stimulus according to the user's preference can be provided. Therefore, compared to conventional body pillows, a body pillow can be provided that can provide a massage stimulus to the user in addition to a sense of relaxation.

The air tube 5a connecting the air pump 3 and the air bag 2 is accommodated in a tube passage 15 provided inside the core body 9. With this hugging pillow, even if the pillow body 1 is greatly bent or partially pressed by the user, the core body 9 receives the external force acting on the pillow body 1, and the air tube 5a is prevented from being crushed. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the air tube 5a from being crushed and the expansion and contraction action of the air bag 2 being interrupted during a massage. In addition, because the air tube 5a is accommodated in the tube passage 15 inside the core body 9, even if the pillow body 1 is roughly handled and a sharp object accidentally pierces the core body 9, the air tube 5a is prevented from being damaged, and the air bag 2 is effectively prevented from falling into a state where it cannot be expanded or contracted.

When the airbag 2 is housed in the bag recess 16 formed as a depression on the surface of the core body 9, the bag recess 16 prevents the airbag 2 from shifting as it expands and contracts during massage, so that the airbag 2 can be held in a specified position. Even when the body pillow is not in use and placed on the floor or sofa, the airbag 2 is sandwiched between the bag recess 16 and the surface body 11 and can be always held in a fixed position, so that the user can accurately massage the part of the body that he or she desires by holding the pillow body 1 as usual and activating the airbag 2.

The airbags 2 and air pump 3 arranged at multiple locations on the periphery of the core 9 are connected via a distributor 4 and a tube group 5 consisting of multiple air tubes 5a-5f. The tube passage 15 is composed of a collective passage 15a that houses the tube group 5 and a branch passage 15b that branches off from the collective passage 15a and houses each of the air tubes 5a-5f. This allows the airbags 2 and air pump 3 to be connected to their respective dedicated air tubes 5a-5f in the shortest possible distance without waste. In addition, the air tubes 5a-5f can be arranged in an orderly manner to prevent each air tube 5a-5f from being connected to the wrong airbag 2, reducing the effort and time required to assemble the body pillow overall.

When the core body 9 is constructed by joining multiple divided core bodies 9a and 9b that are divided along its central axis, and the tube passage 15 is formed at the joint between the multiple divided core bodies 9a and 9b, for example, the airbag 2, air pump 3, and air tubes 5a to 5f are assembled to one divided core body 9a, and then the remaining divided core body 9b is assembled to the previous divided core body 9a, so that each component can be assembled in the correct posture and position. Therefore, in a body pillow in which the airbag 2, air pump 3, and air tubes 5a to 5f are arranged inside the core body 9, anyone can assemble each component accurately and with less effort, thereby improving productivity during assembly.

When the thickness dimension D1 of the core body 9 between the peripheral wall of the collecting passage 15a and the bottom wall of the bag recess 16 is set to be larger than the recess depth D2 of the bag recess 16, the elastically deformable wall thickness of the core body 9 inside the airbag 2 can be increased, and the cushioning properties of the pillow body 1 can be improved. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the airbag 2 from impairing the comfort of the pillow body 1 when the body pillow is simply used as a hug pillow.

When the core body 9 is covered with the intermediate soft body 10, and the intermediate soft body 10 is covered with the surface body 11, the intermediate soft body 10 can elastically deform, making the pillow body 1 soft and comfortable against the skin when the body is used, compared to when the core body 9 is directly covered with the surface body 11. In addition, the air layers formed between the core body 9 and the intermediate soft body 10, and between the intermediate soft body 10 and the surface body 11, also make the pillow body 1 soft and comfortable against the skin.

When the core body 9 and intermediate soft body 10 are formed from an elastic foam material, and the core body 9 is made of an elastic foam material harder than the intermediate soft body 10, the core body 9 receives the inflating airbag 2, preventing the airbag 2 from expanding inward and transmitting the expansion motion outward. This allows the expansion motion of the airbag 2 to be efficiently utilized to perform an effective massage. Also, part of the expansion and contraction motion of the airbag 2 can be absorbed by the intermediate soft body 10, making the massage stimulation soft and gentle.

When a bag-shaped bag holder 23 is fixed inside the surface body 11 and the airbag 2 is housed inside it, the airbag 2 can be fixed and held in a predetermined position on the surface body 11, so that the inflating and deflating airbag 2 can be reliably prevented from shifting relative to the surface body 11. Furthermore, the airbag 2 can be supported in a correctly positioned state in the pillow body 1 by simply housing the airbag 2 in the bag holder 23 that is fixed to the surface body 11 in advance.

When one side of the bag holder 23 formed in a polygonal bag shape is fixed to the surface body 11, the bag holder 23 can smoothly expand in response to the expansion of the airbag 2, and the expansion and contraction of the airbag 2 can be accurately transmitted to the surface body 11, compared to when multiple sides of the bag holder 23 are fixed to the surface body 11. Therefore, the massage stimulation by the airbag 2 can be effectively imparted. Incidentally, when multiple sides of the bag holder 23 are fixed to the surface body 11, the expansion of the bag holder 23 is restricted by the multiple sides fixed to the surface body 11, so there is a delay in the expansion action when following the expansion of the airbag 2, and the action is likely to be awkward.

In the surface body 11, which has a front fabric 11a and a back fabric 11b, the back fabric 11b is sewn to the front fabric 11a to form a pocket-shaped bag holder 23, and the airbag 2 can be held in the correct position on the pillow body 1 by the simple operation of simply storing the airbag 2 in the pocket-shaped bag holder 23. In addition, the inflation action of the airbag 2 can be directly transmitted to the front fabric 11a, providing an effective massage stimulus.

When the bag holder 23 is disposed on the inside of the surface body 11 facing the bag recess 16, the airbag 2 is not only held in position by the bag holder 23, but also by the bag recess 16. Therefore, when a massage is performed, the bag holder 23 and the bag recess 16 prevent the airbag 2 from shifting as it expands and contracts, and the airbag 2 can be held in a predetermined position. In addition, the bag recess 16 can prevent the expanding and contracting airbag 2 from coming out of the bag holder 23.

When the core body 9 is covered with the intermediate soft body 10, and the intermediate soft body 10 is covered with the surface body 11 with excellent stain resistance, even if dirt adheres to the surface body 11, the dirt can be removed simply by wiping it off, and the pillow body 1 can be kept clean. In addition, since the core body 9 and intermediate soft body 10 are covered with the surface body 11 with excellent stain resistance, the core body 9 and intermediate soft body 10 can be effectively prevented from being soiled by beverages or food residue that adheres to the surface body 11.

When the core body 9 is formed in a columnar shape and the airbags 2 are arranged in multiple locations along the length of the core body 9, multiple locations on the body surface can be massaged simultaneously by holding the pillow body 1 so as to receive the expansion and contraction of the airbags 2 arranged in multiple locations. For example, massage stimulation can be given to the chest and calves at the same time.

When the core body 9 is made up of the main core body 12 and the sub-core body 13 and the airbag 2 is arranged on the inner corner side of the main core body 12 and the sub-core body 13, the airbag 2 arranged on the inner corner side of the sub-core body 13 and the airbag 2 arranged on the main core body 12 can simultaneously massage multiple parts of the body surface, for example, massage stimulation can be simultaneously applied to separate body surfaces such as the shoulders and calves.

The core body 9 is made up of a cylindrical main core body 12 and two sub-core bodies 13 that bend in opposite directions from both ends of the main core body 12. When airbags 2 are placed on the inner corners of the main core body 12 and both sub-core bodies 13, 13, the airbags 2 placed on the inner corners of the sub-core body 13 and the airbags 2 placed on the main core body 12 can simultaneously massage multiple points on the body surface, and massage stimulation can be simultaneously applied to distant body surfaces such as the shoulders, chest, and soles of the feet.

When the air pump 3 is placed inside one of the two sub-cores 13, 13 provided at both ends of the main core 12, the weight of the air pump 3 can be supported by the floor or sofa seat by placing the sub-core 13 on the side where the air pump 3 is placed downward and pressing the body surface against the body pillow, so that the body pillow can always be kept in a stable position. This makes it easy to change the hugging position with respect to the body pillow, and provides a massage stimulus without the weight of the air pump 3 being felt.

If the operation switch is exposed on the end face of the sub-core body 13 on the side where the air pump 3 is located, when the body pillow is pressed against the body surface to perform a massage, a part of the body may accidentally come into contact with the operation switch, causing the inflation/deflation action of the airbag 2 to stop, or the inflation/deflation action set by the user to switch to a different state. This can be avoided as much as possible.

If the heater 17 is disposed in the inner corners between the upper and lower sub-cores 13 and the main core 12, and/or between adjacent airbags 2, the heater 17 can warm the body while providing a massage stimulus with the airbag 2, improving the comfort and sense of relaxation when using the hug pillow. In addition, when the hug pillow is hugged, the heater 17 disposed in the inner corners of the pillow body 1 is likely to come into close contact with the user's shoulders and lower legs, so the heat of the heater 17 is prevented from being wasted and the user's body can be effectively warmed. Furthermore, since the heater 17 is disposed between adjacent airbags 2, the heater 17 can be operated while expanding and contracting the airbag 2 to move the user's body closer to or farther away from the heater 17, and the body can be warmed in various states, such as by providing alternating hot and cold stimuli.

By controlling the operating state of the air pump 3 and distributor 4 with the control means 6 to randomly change the inflation/deflation pattern of each airbag 2, the airbags 2 provided at multiple locations on the pillow body 1 can be inflated and deflated asynchronously, so that the massage stimulation given to the user is not tiresome, improving the comfort of using the body pillow.

1 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing a main part of a body pillow according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of the body pillow according to the first embodiment. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part B in FIG. 2 . FIG. 2 is a block diagram conceptually showing a control system of the body pillow. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of how to use the body pillow according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a main part of a body pillow according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a main part of a body pillow according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

(Example 1) Example 1 of the body pillow according to the present invention is shown in Figures 1 to 6. In this example, the front, back, left, right, and top and bottom refer to the crossed arrows shown in Figures 2 and 3 and the notations for front, back, left, right, and top and bottom near each arrow.

In FIG. 2, the body pillow is composed of a pillow body 1, six airbags (massage bodies) 2 arranged inside the pillow body 1, an air pump 3 and distributor 4 that generate pressurized air and supply it to the airbags 2, six air tubes 5a-5f that extend from the distributor 4, and a control means 6 that controls the operating state of the air pump 3 and distributor 4. The pillow body 1 comprises a core body 9 formed in a columnar shape, an intermediate soft body 10 that covers the periphery of the core body 9, and a surface body 11 that covers the periphery of the intermediate soft body 10.

The core body 9 is configured in an S-shape with a main core body 12 that is a long cylindrical column and two sub-core bodies 13 that bend in opposite directions from both ends of the main core body 12, and is made of a high-resilience elastic foam (elastic foam material) such as high-density urethane foam as a whole. As shown in FIG. 3, the core body 9 is configured by joining a pair of split core bodies 9a and 9b on the left and right. Between the joining surfaces of the split core bodies 9a and 9b, an equipment recess 14 that accommodates an air pump 3, a distributor 4, etc., and a tube passage 15 for arranging air tubes 5a to 5f are formed, and a bag recess 16 that accommodates an air bag 2 and a heater recess 18 that accommodates a heater 17 are formed on the outer peripheral surface facing the joining surfaces of the split core bodies 9a and 9b. Corner recesses 19 that facilitate elastic deformation of the sub-core bodies 13 are formed at the inner corners of the main core body 12 and each sub-core body 13 (see FIG. 4). The highly resilient foam that makes up the core 9 only needs to have enough elasticity (resilience) to allow the core 9 to sink when the user hugs the pillow weakly.

The device recess 14 is formed inside the sub-core 13 located at the lower side in FIG. 2, and the bag recess 16 is formed in a total of six places: on the upper surface of the inner corner of the lower sub-core 13, two places at the top and bottom of the front surface of the main core 12, two places at the top and bottom of the rear surface of the main core 12, and the lower surface of the inner corner of the upper sub-core 13, to hold the airbag 2 in position. The heater recess 18 is formed in four places facing the bag recess 16 formed in the main core 12, and the heater recess 18 at the upper end and the heater recess 18 at the lower end are formed from the surface of the main core 12 to the adjacent corners of the sub-core 13.

The airbags 2 and the air pump 3 are connected independently via the distributor 4 and the multiple air tubes 5a-5f, so that each airbag 2 can be operated individually as necessary. As shown in FIG. 3, the tube passage 15 is formed along the center of the core body 9 and is composed of a collective passage 15a that houses a tube group 5 consisting of multiple air tubes 5a-5f, and a branch passage 15b that branches off from the collective passage 15a and houses the air tubes 5a-5f that are connected to each airbag 2. The thickness dimension D1 of the core body between the peripheral wall of the collective passage 15a and the bottom wall of the bag recess 16 is set to be larger than the recess depth D2 of the bag recess 16.

The intermediate soft body 10 is formed of an elastic foam material like the core body 9, but is formed with a cylindrical cross section from a low-resilience elastic foam such as low-density urethane foam that is softer than the core body 9. In this way, if the core body 9 is formed of an elastic foam that is harder than the intermediate soft body 10, when pressurized air is supplied to the airbag 2, the core body 9 receives the expanding airbag 2, suppressing the airbag 2 from expanding inward and transmitting the expanding motion outward. Therefore, the expanding motion of the airbag 2 can be efficiently utilized to perform an effective massage. Also, part of the expanding and contracting motion of the airbag 2 can be absorbed by the intermediate soft body 10, making the massage stimulation soft and gentle.

The surface body 11 is made of a fabric with excellent stain resistance and soft touch, such as synthetic leather made of polyurethane or a brushed polyester woven fabric, and is formed into a long bag shape to cover the outer surfaces of the intermediate soft body 10, the airbag 2, the heater 17, and the core body 9.

1 and 3, the airbag 2 is a rectangular sealed bag that can expand and deform inward and outward directions, and is entirely housed in the bag recess 16 and held in position. As explained above, when the airbag 2 expands outward, the intermediate soft body 10 and the surface body 11 expand and deform outward as shown by imaginary lines in FIG. 1, so that a variety of massage effects can be achieved by varying the degree of expansion of the airbag 2, the timing of expansion, or the duration of expansion. When the airbag 2 expands outward, the intermediate soft body 10 and the surface body 11 expand and deform outward, and at the same time, the core body 9 deforms inward, but the amount of deformation is smaller than the amount of deformation of the intermediate soft body 10 and the surface body 11.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control means 6 is disposed adjacent to the air pump 3, and its switch panel 22 is exposed to the outside of the front end surface of the sub-core 13. The switch panel 22 is provided with a power switch (operation switch), an operation mode switch (operation switch) that controls the distribution operation of the distributor 4 to determine the inflation/deflation operation of the airbag 2, a switch (operation switch) that turns the heater 17 on and off, a switch (operation switch) that can change the inflation/deflation strength of the airbag 2 (adjustment of the air supply time), and a switch (operation switch) that adjusts the inflation/deflation interval of the airbag 2. By turning on these switches, the operating state of the air pump 3 and distributor 4 can be controlled to randomly change the inflation/deflation pattern of each airbag 2 while operating the heater 17 as necessary (see FIG. 5).

There are two types of driving mode switches. After turning on the power switch, each time one of the driving mode switches is turned on, the driving state repeats the following sequence: random operation → all airbags 2 inflate and deflate simultaneously in a synchronized state → stop → random operation, etc. Also, each time the other driving mode switch is turned on, the six airbags 2 can be inflated and deflated one by one in sequence. For example, the airbag 2 provided on the lower sub-core body 13 inflates and deflates → the airbag 2 on the lower end side of the main core body 12 inflates and deflates → the second airbag 2 from the bottom of the main core body 12 inflates and deflates... the airbag 2 provided on the upper sub-core body 13 inflates and deflates → the airbag 2 provided on the lower sub-core body 13 inflates and deflates... and so on. You can select the airbag 2 you want to inflate and deflate.

When using the body pillow, as shown in Figures 6(a) and (b), the main core 12 of the pillow body 1 is held against the front of the body, the upper sub-core 13 is placed on the shoulders, and the legs are wrapped around the lower half of the main core 12 and the lower sub-core 13. The airbag 2 is then activated, and the expansion and contraction of the airbag 2 is transmitted to the body surface to provide a massage. At this time, the heater 17 may be activated to warm the body while the massage is being performed.

As described above, in this embodiment 1, the body pillow is provided with the pillow body 1, the airbag 2, the air pump 3, and the control means 6. The pillow body 1 is provided with a mass-shaped core body 9 and a surface body 11 that covers the periphery of the core body 9, and the airbag 2 is disposed between the core body 9 and the surface body 11. With this body pillow, the user can inflate and deflate the airbag 2 while holding the pillow body 1, thereby providing a massage stimulus to the body surface that is in close contact with the surface body 11. By changing the holding position of the pillow body 1, the user can provide a massage stimulus to the body surface desired by the user, or by adjusting the expansion/contraction strength and expansion/contraction interval of the airbag 2 with the control means 6, a massage stimulus according to the user's preference can be provided. Therefore, compared to conventional body pillows, a body pillow can be provided that can provide a massage stimulus to the user in addition to a sense of relaxation.

The air tubes 5a to 5f connecting the air pump 3 and the air bag 2 are housed in the tube passage 15 provided inside the core body 9, so even if the pillow body 1 is greatly bent or partially pressed by the user, the core body 9 receives the external force acting on the pillow body 1 and prevents the air tubes 5a to 5f from being crushed. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the air tubes 5a to 5f from being crushed and the expansion and contraction action of the air bag 2 being interrupted during massage. In addition, because the air tubes 5a to 5f are housed in the tube passage 15 inside the core body 9, even if the pillow body 1 is roughly handled and a sharp object accidentally pierces the core body 9, it is possible to prevent the air tubes 5a to 5f from being damaged and to effectively prevent the air bag 2 from becoming unable to expand and contract.

The airbag 2 is housed in the bag recess 16 formed as a depression on the surface of the core body 9, so that the bag recess 16 prevents the airbag 2 from shifting as it expands and contracts during massage, and the airbag 2 can be held in a specified position. Even when the body pillow is not in use and placed on the floor or sofa, the airbag 2 is sandwiched between the bag recess 16 and the surface body 11 and can always be held in a fixed position, so that the user can accurately massage the part of the body they want by holding the pillow body 1 as usual and activating the airbag 2.

The tube passage 15 is composed of a collective passage 15a that houses the tube group 5, and branch passages 15b that branch off from the collective passage 15a and house the individual air tubes 5a-5f. This allows the airbag 2 and the air pump 3 to be connected to their own dedicated air tubes 5a-5f in the shortest possible distance without waste, and by arranging each air tube 5a-5f in an orderly manner, it is possible to prevent each air tube 5a-5f from being connected to the wrong airbag 2, reducing the effort and time required to assemble the body pillow overall.

The core body 9 is constructed by joining multiple divided core bodies 9a and 9b that are divided along its central axis, and the tube passage 15 is formed at the joint between the multiple divided core bodies 9a and 9b. For example, after assembling the airbag 2, air pump 3, and air tubes 5a to 5f to one divided core body 9a, the remaining divided core body 9b can be assembled to the previous divided core body 9a, so that each component can be assembled in the correct posture and position. Therefore, in a body pillow in which the airbag 2, air pump 3, and air tubes 5a to 5f are arranged inside the core body 9, anyone can assemble each component accurately and with less effort, thereby improving productivity during assembly.

The thickness dimension D1 of the core body 9 between the peripheral wall of the collecting passage 15a and the bottom wall of the bag recess 16 is set to be larger than the recess depth D2 of the bag recess 16, so that the elastically deformable wall thickness of the core body 9 inside the airbag 2 can be increased, improving the cushioning properties of the pillow body 1. This makes it possible to minimize the loss of comfort of the pillow body 1 when the body pillow is simply used as a hug pillow due to the airbag 2.

The core body 9 is covered with the intermediate soft body 10, and the intermediate soft body 10 is covered with the surface body 11. Compared to when the core body 9 is directly covered with the surface body 11, the intermediate soft body 10 elastically deforms, making the pillow body 1 soft and comfortable against the skin when the body is used. The air layers formed between the core body 9 and the intermediate soft body 10, and between the intermediate soft body 10 and the surface body 11 also make the pillow body 1 soft and comfortable against the skin.

The core body 9 is covered with the intermediate soft body 10, and the intermediate soft body 10 is covered with the surface body 11, which has excellent stain resistance, so that even if dirt adheres to the surface body 11, the dirt can be removed simply by wiping it off, keeping the pillow body 1 clean. In addition, because the core body 9 and intermediate soft body 10 are covered with the surface body 11, which has excellent stain resistance, the core body 9 and intermediate soft body 10 can be effectively prevented from becoming soiled by beverages or food residue that adheres to the surface body 11.

The core body 9 is formed in a columnar shape, and the airbags 2 are arranged in multiple locations along the length of the core body 9. By holding the pillow body 1 so as to receive the expansion and contraction of the airbags 2 arranged in multiple locations, multiple locations on the body surface can be massaged simultaneously, for example, the chest and calves can be massaged at the same time.

The core body 9 is formed into a hook shape by the main core body 12 and the sub-core body 13, and the airbag 2 is arranged on the inner corner side of the main core body 12 and the sub-core body 13. Therefore, the airbag 2 arranged on the inner corner side of the sub-core body 13 and the airbag 2 arranged on the main core body 12 can massage multiple parts of the body surface simultaneously, and massage stimulation can be simultaneously applied to separate body surfaces such as the shoulders and calves. Note that being able to simultaneously apply massage stimulation means that different parts of the body surface can be massaged simultaneously, and does not mean that multiple airbags 2 are controlled to inflate and deflate in a synchronous state. In other words, cases where multiple airbags 2 are inflated and deflated randomly, or multiple airbags 2 are inflated and deflated sequentially, are also included in the case where massage stimulation can be applied simultaneously.

The core body 9 is made up of a cylindrical main core body 12 and two sub-core bodies 13 that bend in opposite directions from both ends of the main core body 12, and airbags 2 are arranged on the inner corners of the main core body 12 and both sub-core bodies 13, 13. Therefore, the multiple airbags 2 arranged on the inner corners of the sub-core body 13 and the airbag 2 arranged on the main core body 12 can massage multiple points on the body surface simultaneously, and massage stimulation can be simultaneously applied to distant body surfaces such as the shoulders, chest, and soles of the feet. Note that being able to simultaneously apply massage stimulation has the same meaning as explained in paragraph 0067.

The air pump 3 is placed inside one of the two sub-cores 13, 13 provided at both ends of the main core 12. By placing the sub-core 13 on the side where the air pump 3 is placed facing down and placing the body surface in close contact with the body pillow, the weight of the air pump 3 is supported by the floor or sofa seat, and the body pillow can always be kept in a stable position. This makes it easy to change the hugging position with respect to the body pillow, and provides a massage stimulus without the weight of the air pump 3 being felt.

The operation switch is exposed on the end surface of the sub-core 13 on the side where the air pump 3 is arranged, so that when the body pillow is pressed against the body surface to perform a massage, a part of the body may accidentally come into contact with the operation switch, causing the inflation/deflation operation of the airbag 2 to stop, or the inflation/deflation operation set by the user to switch to a different state, and the operation switch may be switched by mistake. The switch panel 22 may be provided with a power switch and an operation mode switch for controlling the operation state of the air pump 3, but it is sufficient to provide at least a power switch. In that case, it is sufficient to switch the operation state of the air pump 3 and the distributor 4 each time the power switch is pushed. For example, the operation state can be switched from "off" to "on" random inflation/deflation to synchronous inflation/deflation of all airbags 2 to "off". The switch panel 22 may also be arranged inside the surface body 11, with only the operation switch exposed from the surface body 11.

The heaters 17 are arranged in the inner corners between the upper and lower sub-cores 13 and the main core 12, and/or between adjacent airbags 2, so that the heaters 17 can warm the body while providing a massage stimulus with the airbags 2, improving the comfort and sense of relaxation when using the body pillow. In addition, when the body pillow is hugged, the heaters 17 arranged in the inner corners of the pillow body 1 are in close contact with the user's shoulders, lower legs, etc., so that the heat of the heaters 17 is prevented from being wasted and the user's body can be effectively warmed. Furthermore, by hugging the body pillow in a different position than before, the heaters 17 arranged between adjacent airbags 2 can be brought into close contact with the body or separated from it, allowing the body to be warmed in a variety of states.

The control means 6 controls the operating state of the air pump 3 and distributor 4 to randomly change the inflation/deflation pattern of each airbag 2, so that the airbags 2 provided at multiple locations on the pillow body 1 can be inflated and deflated asynchronously, making the massage stimulation given to the user not tiring and improving the comfort of using the body pillow.

(Example 2) Figure 7 shows Example 2 of the body pillow according to the present invention. In the body pillow of Figure 7, the airbag 2 is housed inside a bag-shaped bag holder 23, and the bag holder 23 is fixed to the inner surface of the surface body 11 facing the bag recess 16. The bag holder 23 is a rectangular bag that is slightly larger than the airbag 2 and can expand and contract, and the side part on the bag opening side is sewn and fixed to the surface body 11. This sewn part is indicated by the reference number 24. In the body pillow of Example 2, as in the body pillow of Example 1, operation switches such as a power switch, an operation mode switch, and a switch for the heater are exposed on the end face of the sub-core body 13 on the side where the air pump 3 is located. Since the rest is the same as the body pillow of Example 1, the same members are given the same reference numbers and their explanation is omitted. The same applies to the following examples.

As described above, the airbag 2 is housed inside the bag holder 23 sewn to the inner surface of the surface body 11, so that the airbag 2 is fixed and held in a predetermined position on the surface body 11, and the inflating and deflating airbag 2 is reliably prevented from shifting relative to the surface body 11. Furthermore, the airbag 2 can be held in the correct position on the pillow body 1 by the simple operation of simply housing the airbag 2 in the bag holder 23 that is fixed to the surface body 11 in advance.

Furthermore, since the side (one side) of the bag mouth side of the bag holder 23 formed in a rectangular bag shape is sewn and fixed to the surface body 11, the movement of the bag holder 23 expanding in response to the expansion of the airbag 2 is smoother than when multiple sides of the bag holder 23 are fixed to the surface body 11, and the expansion and contraction of the airbag 2 can be accurately transmitted to the surface body 11. Therefore, the massage stimulus by the airbag 2 can be effectively imparted. Incidentally, when multiple sides of the bag holder 23 are fixed to the surface body 11, the expansion of the bag holder 23 is restricted by the multiple sides fixed to the surface body 11, so that the expansion action when following the expansion of the airbag 2 is delayed and tends to be awkward. In addition to being formed into a rectangular shape, the airbag 2 can be formed into polygonal shapes such as triangles, pentagons, and hexagons, and the bag holder 23 can be formed into a polygonal bag shape such as a triangle, pentagon, or hexagon to correspond to the external shape of the airbag 2. Even in these polygonal bag-shaped bag holders 23, it is preferable to sew one side to the surface body 11.

(Example 3) Figure 8 shows Example 3 of the body pillow according to the present invention. The surface body 11 in the body pillow in Figure 8 is composed of a front fabric 11a on the outside and a back fabric 11b on the inside. The back fabric 11b is sewn to the front fabric 11a to form a bag holder 23 in a pocket shape, and the airbag 2 is housed inside. The sewn part is indicated by the reference symbol 24. With this body pillow, the airbag 2 can be supported in a state in which it is correctly arranged in the appropriate position of the pillow body 1 by a simple operation of simply storing the airbag 2 in the pocket-shaped bag holder 23. In addition, the inflation action of the airbag 2 can be directly transmitted to the front fabric 11a, and a massage stimulus can be effectively given. In the body pillow of Example 3, as in the body pillow of Example 1, operation switches such as a power switch, an operation mode switch, and a switch for the heater are exposed on the end face of the sub-core body 13 on the side where the air pump 3 is located.

In addition to the above embodiments, the core 9 can be composed of a divided core divided into three or more parts. The pillow body 1 can be formed into a cylindrical shape, an elliptical cylindrical shape, a spherical shape, etc., and if necessary, it can be formed into a stuffed animal shape imitating an animal or a vehicle. The air pump 3, distributor 4, and control means 6 can be arranged together in a controller unit provided outside the pillow body 1, in which case the tube group 5 and power supply cord led out from the controller unit are introduced inside the pillow body 1. Also, the control means 6 and switch panel 22 can be incorporated into a remote controller, and a signal receiver for the remote controller can be provided in the pillow body 1, so that the air pump 3, distributor 4, and heater 17 can be operated by the remote controller.

1 Pillow body 2 Airbag (massage body)
Reference Signs List 3: Air pump 4: Distributor 5: Tube group 5a to 5f: Air tube 6: Control means 9: Core body 9a, 9b: Divided core body 10: Intermediate soft body 11: Surface body 12: Main core body 13: Sub-core body 15: Tube passage 15a: Collecting passage 15b: Branch passage 16: Bag recess 17: Heater 23: Bag holder

Claims (8)

The pillow comprises a pillow body (1), a plurality of airbags (2) arranged inside the pillow body (1), an air pump (3) which generates pressurized air and supplies it to the airbags (2), a plurality of air tubes (5a to 5f) which connect the air pump (3) and the airbags (2), and a control means (6) which controls the operating state of the air pump (3);
The pillow body (1) comprises a columnar core body (9) and a surface body (11) that covers the periphery of the core body (9),
The airbag (2) is disposed between the core body (9) and the surface body (11);
The core body (9) is provided with a tube passage (15) in the center of the core body (9) in which the air tubes (5a to 5f) are housed, a main core body (12) formed in a columnar shape, and a sub-core body (13) bent continuously from one end of the main core body (12) ,
The airbag (2) is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the core body (9) in the longitudinal direction,
The hug pillow is provided with a massage body, characterized in that at least one air bag (2) is arranged on the inner corner side of the main core body (12) and the sub-core body (13) .
A bag recess (16) is formed on the surface of the core body (9),
2. The body pillow having the massage body according to claim 1 , wherein the airbag (2) is accommodated in the bag recess (16) and held in position. The air bags (2) arranged at a plurality of locations on the circumferential surface of the core body (9) and the air pump (3) are connected to a distributor (4) via a plurality of air tubes (5a to 5f),
3. A body pillow equipped with a massage body according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tube passage (15) is composed of a collective passage (15a) that houses a tube group (5) consisting of a plurality of air tubes (5a to 5f), and branch passages (15b) that house air tubes (5a to 5f) that branch off from the collective passage (15a) and are connected to individual airbags (2). The core body (9) is configured by joining a plurality of divided core bodies (9a, 9b) divided along its central axis,
4. A hugging pillow comprising a massage body according to claim 1 , wherein a tube passage (15) is formed at a joint between a plurality of divided core bodies (9a, 9b) . A body pillow equipped with a massage body according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the thickness dimension (D1) of the core body (9) between the peripheral wall of the collecting passage (15a) and the bottom wall of the bag recess (16) is set to be larger than the recess depth (D2) of the bag recess (16) . 6. A hugging pillow comprising a massage body according to claim 1 , wherein the periphery of the core body (9) is covered with an intermediate soft body (10), and the periphery of the intermediate soft body (10) is covered with a surface body (11) . A body pillow having a massage body according to claim 6, wherein the core body (9) and the intermediate soft body (10) are each formed of an elastic foam material, and the core body (9) is formed of an elastic foam material harder than the intermediate soft body (10) . 8. A hugging pillow equipped with a massage body according to claim 6 or 7 , wherein a bag-shaped bag holder (23) is fixed inside the surface body (11), and an airbag (2) is housed inside the bag holder (23) .

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