Pillow to provide direct head, neck, jaw, and chin support, and to relax cervical and shoulder muscles

Abstract

A neck-support pillow comprising a resilient pillow body having a column-shaped medial portion and two cantilever arms, each arm attached proximate to an end of the medial portion, is described herein. In various embodiments, the arms may encircle a vertical axis, the vertical axis being perpendicular to a plane comprising a line formed between attachment locations of the two arms to the medial portion. Also, the arms and medial portion may form a well that is a size of a user's neck. Further, an arm height may be equal to a distance between the user's shoulder and jaw, the arm height being measured in a direction parallel to the vertical axis. Additionally, a medial portion height may be equal to a distance between an upper portion of the user's ear and the user's shoulder, the medial portion height being measured in a direction parallel to the vertical axis.

1 . A neck-support pillow comprising:
 a resilient pillow body having a column-shaped medial portion and two cantilever arms, each arm attached proximate to an end of the medial portion, wherein
 the arms encircle a vertical axis, the vertical axis being perpendicular to a plane comprising a line formed between attachment locations of the two arms to the medial portion, 
 the arms and medial portion form a well, the well being approximately a size of a user's neck, 
 a height of at least one of the arms is approximately equal to a distance between the user's shoulder and jaw, the height of the arms being measured in a direction approximately parallel to the vertical axis, and 
 a height of the medial portion is approximately equal to a distance between an upper portion of the user's ear and the user's shoulder, the height of the medial portion being measured in a direction approximately parallel to the vertical axis. 
   
   
   
       2 . The neck-support pillow of  claim 1 , wherein ends of the arms almost meet, forming a small opening to the well, and a height of those ends is taller than the height of non-end portions the arms, forming engorged arm ends to support the user's chin. 
   
   
       3 . The neck-support pillow of  claim 1 , wherein the medial portion is wider than a width of the user's neck to support the user's head when the head is reclined backward and to a side. 
   
   
       4 . The neck-support pillow of  claim 1 , wherein a middle of the medial portion is narrower than ends of the medial portion, forming a generally hour-glass-shaped medial portion to allow the user's head to recline further backward, and a height of the middle of the medial portion is approximately equal to a distance between a bottom portion of the user's occipital bone and a base of the user's neck, the height of the middle of the medial portion being measured in a direction approximately parallel to the vertical axis. 
   
   
       5 . The neck-support pillow of  claim 1 , wherein the pillow body is comprised of one or more materials selected from the group consisting of polyfill material, foam, feather-down material, cotton, silicone, wool, polyester fiber, silk, polystyrene, nylon, plastic, buckwheat, beans, micro-beans, and composite material. 
   
   
       6 . The neck-support pillow of  claim 1 , further comprising a cover surrounding the pillow body, the cover having been assembled from two horse-shoe-shaped pieces of material and either 1) two tennis-racket-shaped pieces of material or 2) a piece of material shaped as a pair of door-knobs, the horse-shoe-shaped pieces having enlarged medial portions. 
   
   
       7 . The neck-support pillow of  claim 6 , wherein the pieces of material are mated by seems or by glue. 
   
   
       8 . The neck-support pillow of  claim 1 , wherein the neck-support pillow is washable. 
   
   
       9 . The neck-support pillow of  claim 1 , wherein the pillow body is inflatable and an exterior surface of the pillow body includes an air valve for facilitating inflating and deflating the pillow. 
   
   
       10 . The neck-support pillow of  claim 1 , wherein the heights of the arms, arm ends, and medial portion and the size of the well are customized based on measurements of a different user. 
   
   
       11 . The neck-support pillow of  claim 1 , further comprising a handle attached to the pillow body to facilitate the user in carrying the neck-support pillow. 
   
   
       12 . The neck-support pillow of  claim 1 , wherein the upper portion of the user's ear is a top of the user's ear. 
   
   
       13 . A neck-support pillow comprising:
 a resilient pillow body having a column-shaped medial portion and two cantilever arms, each arm attached proximate to an end of the medial portion, wherein
 the arms encircle a vertical axis, the vertical axis being perpendicular to a plane comprising a line formed between attachment locations of the two arms to the medial portion, 
 the arms and medial portion form a well, the well being approximately a size of a user's neck, 
 a height of at least one of the arms is approximately equal to a distance between the user's shoulder and jaw, the height of the arms being measured in a direction approximately parallel to the vertical axis, 
 a height of the medial portion is approximately equal to a distance between an upper portion of the user's ear and the user's shoulder, the height of the medial portion being measured in a direction approximately parallel to the vertical axis, and 
 the heights of the arms, arm ends, and medial portion and the size of the well are customized based on measurements of a different user. 
   
   
   
       14 . The neck-support pillow of  claim 13 , wherein ends of the arms almost meet, forming a small opening to the well, and a height of those ends is taller than the height of non-end portions the arms, forming engorged arm ends to support the user's chin. 
   
   
       15 . The neck-support pillow of  claim 13 , wherein the medial portion is wider than a width of the user's neck to support the user's head when the head is reclined backward and to a side. 
   
   
       16 . The neck-support pillow of  claim 13 , wherein a middle of the medial portion is narrower than ends of the medial portion, forming a generally hour-glass-shaped medial portion to allow the user's head to recline further backward, and a height of the middle of the medial portion is approximately equal to a distance between a bottom portion of the user's occipital bone and a base of the user's neck, the height of the middle of the medial portion being measured in a direction approximately parallel to the vertical axis. 
   
   
       17 . The neck-support pillow of  claim 13 , wherein the pillow body is comprised of one or more materials selected from the group consisting of polyfill material, foam, feather-down material, cotton, silicone, wool, polyester fiber, silk, polystyrene, nylon, plastic, buckwheat, beans, micro-beans, and composite material. 
   
   
       18 . The neck-support pillow of  claim 1 , further comprising a cover surrounding the pillow body, the cover having been assembled from two horse-shoe-shaped pieces of material and either 1) two tennis-racket-shaped pieces of material or 2) a piece of material shaped as a pair of door-knobs, the horse-shoe-shaped pieces having enlarged medial portions. 
   
   
       19 . A neck-support pillow comprising:
 a resilient pillow body having a column-shaped medial portion and two cantilever arms, each arm attached proximate to an end of the medial portion, wherein
 the arms encircle a vertical axis, the vertical axis being perpendicular to a plane comprising a line formed between attachment locations of the two arms to the medial portion, 
 the arms and medial portion form a well, the well being approximately a size of a user's neck, 
 a height of at least one of the arms is approximately equal to a distance between the user's shoulder and jaw, the height of the arms being measured in a direction approximately parallel to the vertical axis, 
 a height of the medial portion is approximately equal to a distance between an upper portion of the user's ear and the user's shoulder, the height of the medial portion being measured in a direction approximately parallel to the vertical axis, 
 the heights of the arms, arm ends, and medial portion and the size of the well are customized based on measurements of a different user, 
 ends of the arms almost meet, forming a small opening to the well, and a height of those ends is taller than the height of non-end portions the arms, forming engorged arm ends to support the user's chin, 
 the medial portion is wider than a width of the user's neck to support the user's head when the head is reclined backward and to a side, and 
 a middle of the medial portion is narrower than ends of the medial portion, forming a generally hour-glass-shaped medial portion to allow the user's head to recline further backward, and a height of the middle of the medial portion is approximately equal to a distance between a bottom portion of the user's occipital bone and a base of the user's neck, the height of the middle of the medial portion being measured in a direction approximately parallel to the vertical axis. 
   
   
   
       20 . The neck-support pillow of  claim 19 , wherein the pillow body is comprised of one or more materials selected from the group consisting of polyfill material, foam, feather-down material, cotton, silicone, wool, polyester fiber, silk, polystyrene, nylon, plastic, buckwheat, beans, micro-beans, and composite material.