Neck support pillow

Abstract

A support pillow providing head and neck support to a user laying upon it. The pillow employs a support insert surrounded by a pillow casing having planar top and bottom surfaces and a sidewall extending between them. An insert engaged in the casing provides substantially planar support surfaces with a centrally located void providing a relief for positioning one's head on the pillow. Proper support and spine alignment is provided by a shoulder portion of the pillow for the neck which may be formed of different material than the pillow.

1 . A pillow apparatus for spine alignment and neck support comprising:
 an insert adapted for engagement within an interior cavity of a pillow casing;   said insert having a body formed of resilient material and having substantially planar first surface opposite a substantially planar parallel second surface;   a sidewall communicating between said first and second surfaces, said sidwall defining a perimeter of said insert;   a void defined by a perimeter edge, said void communicating between apertures in said first and second surface at a central portion of said first surface and said second surface;   shoulder portions of said insert defined by an area of said insert body between said perimeter of said insert and said perimeter edge of said void;   said shoulder portions providing means for support of the neck or a user having their head positioned in an as-used position, upon a support surface area comprised of an upward facing one of said first or second surface;   said void forming a relief for a projecting therein, of portions of said user's head positioned upon said support surface area;   said void forming a heat sink for heat from said user's head in said as-used position; and   whereby a user positioning their head upon said support surface area in said as used position, is provided head support solely by said support surface area, and neck support by a said shoulder portion.   
     
     
         2 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 1  additionally comprising:
 said insert engaged within said pillow casing; 
 said pillow casing having an first fabric wall connected to a second fabric wall by a fabric sidewall; 
 said insert positioned to an engaged posit on, within an interior cavity of said pillow casing defined by the area between said first fabric wall, said second fabric wall, and said fabric sidewall; 
 said fabric sidewall being substantially vertical in disposition with said insert in said engaged position; 
 said first wall and said second wall both being substantially planar with said insert in said engaged position; and 
 a portion of said first wall and said second wall covering said apertures communicating with said void. 
 
     
     
         3 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 2  additionally comprising:
 said pillow casing with said insert in said engaged position appears from an overhead or perspective view as a conventional rectangular pillow; and 
 said pillow casing with said insert in said engaged position dimensioned for an engagement within an interior cavity of a conventional pillow case employed in bed linens. 
 
     
     
         4 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 1  additionally comprising:
 said resilient material forming said body of said insert, and said shoulder portions, being visco elastic memory foam. 
 
     
     
         5 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 2  additionally comprising:
 said resilient material forming said body of said insert, and said shoulder portions, being visco elastic memory foam. 
 
     
     
         6 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 3  additionally comprising:
 said resilient material forming said body of said insert, and said shoulder portions, being visco elastic memory foam. 
 
     
     
         7 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 2  additionally comprising:
 said resilient material forming said body of said insert being visco elastic memory foam between 2 to 6 pounds in density; 
 said shoulder portion formed of a central portion formed of visco elastic gel sandwiched between layers of visco elastic memory foam; and 
 a compressive resistant force of said gel providing means to maintain said user's neck in line with their spine when said user's head is in said as-used position. 
 
     
     
         8 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 3  additionally comprising:
 said resilient material forming said body of said insert being visco elastic memory foam between 2 to 6 pounds in density; 
 said shoulder portion formed of a central portion formed of visco elastic gel sandwiched between layers of visco elastic memory foam; and 
 a compressive resistant force of said gel providing means to maintain said user's neck in line with their spine when said user's head is in said as-used position. 
 
     
     
         9 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 2  additionally comprising:
 said resilient material forming said body of said insert being visco elastic memory foam between 2 to 6 pounds in density; 
 said shoulder portion formed of a solid solution of visco elastic foam and visco elastic gel beads disbursed therein; and 
 a compressive resistant force of said gel beads providing means to maintain said user's neck in line with their spine when said user's head is in said as-used position. 
 
     
     
         10 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 3  additionally comprising:
 said resilient material forming said body of said insert being visco elastic memory foam between 2 to 6 pounds in density; 
 said shoulder portion formed of a solid solution of visco elastic foam and visco elastic gel beads disbursed therein; and 
 a compressive resistant force of said gel beads providing means to maintain said user's neck in line with their spine when said user's head is in said as-used position. 
 
     
     
         11 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 2  additionally comprising:
 said resilient material forming said body of said insert configured of a two outer layers engageable with a central layer sandwiched therebetween; 
 said outer layers formed of visco elastic memory foam material; and 
 said central layer formed of visco elastic gel material. 
 
     
     
         12 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 3  additionally comprising:
 said resilient material forming said body of said insert configured of a two outer layers engageable with a central layer sandwiched therebetween; 
 said outer layers formed of visco elastic memory foam material; and 
 said central layer formed of visco elastic gel material. 
 
     
     
         13 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 11  additionally comprising:
 said central layer being a member of a plurality of available central layers; 
 said plurality of central layers being comprised of foam material of differing densities; and 
 whereby a different central layer from said plurality is engageable with said outer layers to change a resistive support of said body thereby providing said user means to adjust a stiffness of said head support by changing said central layer. 
 
     
     
         14 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 12  additionally comprising:
 said central layer being a member of a plurality of available central layers; 
 said plurality of central layers being comprised of foam material of differing densities; and 
 whereby a different central layer from said plurality is engageable with said outer layers to change a resistive support of said body thereby providing said user means to adjust a stiffness of said head support by changing said central layer.