Neck support pillow

Abstract

A support pillow providing head and neck support to a user laying upon it. The device employs a support pillow insert surrounded by a pillow casing having planar top and bottom surfaces and a sidewall extending between them. An insert engage able in the casing provides substantially planar support surfaces with a centrally located passage 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, or varied in with or compressive force using inserts.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pillow apparatus for spine alignment and neck support comprising:
 an pillow adapted for engagement within an interior cavity of a pillow casing;   said pillow 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 sidewall defining a perimeter of said pillow;   a passage defined by a cicumfrential edge, said passage communicating between apertures in said first and second surface at a central portion of said first surface and said second surface;   opposing shoulder portions of said pillow defined by an area of said pillow body between said perimeter of said pillow and said cicumfrential edge defining said passage;   said shoulder portions forming a support for a neck of a user having their head positioned in an as-used position, partially aligned with said passage when said pillow is positioned upon a support surface;   said passage forming a relief for a communicating portion of said user's head positioned within said cicumfrential edge;   said passage defining a heat sink for heat from said user's head positioned in said as-used position; and   whereby a user positioning their head upon said support surface area in said as used position, is provided a neck support by a said shoulder portion concurrent with said heat sink by said passage.   
     
     
         2 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 1  additionally comprising:
 said pillow engaged within said pillow casing; 
 said pillow casing having an first fabric wall connected to a second fabric wall by a fabric sidewall; 
 said pillow positioned to an engaged position within said interior cavity of said pillow casing; 
 said pillow casing having a first fabric wall, a second fabric wall, and a fabric sidewall; 
 said fabric sidewall being substantially vertical in disposition to said support surface, with said pillow in said engaged position upon said support surface; 
 said first wall and said second wall both being substantially planar with said pillow in said engaged position; and 
 a portion of said first wall and said second wall forming a covering of said apertures communicating with said passage; 
 said covering providing a support surface for a pillow case sidewall, when positioned thereover. 
 
     
     
         3 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 2  additionally comprising:
 said pillow case sidewall with said pillow in said engaged position having a substantially planar appearance thereby providing a concealment of said passage. 
 
     
     
         4 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 1  additionally comprising:
 said resilient material forming said body of said pillow, 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 pillow, 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 pillow, 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 pillow being visco elastic memory foam between 2 to 8 pounds per square foot 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 against a weight of said user's neck employing said shoulder as said neck support, providing means for maintaining 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 pillow being visco elastic memory foam between 2 to 8 pounds per square foot 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 against a weight of said user's neck employing said shoulder as said neck support, providing means for maintaining 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 pillow being visco elastic memory foam between 2 to 8 pounds per square foot 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 against a weight of said user's neck employing said shoulder as said neck support, providing means for maintaining 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 pillow being visco elastic memory foam between 2 to 8 pounds per square foot 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 and foam against a weight of said user's neck employing said shoulder as said neck support, providing means for maintaining 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 pillow 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 pillow 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 for adjusting 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 for adjusting a stiffness of said head support by changing said central layer. 
 
     
     
         15 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 1  additionally comprising:
 said resilient material forming said body of said pillow being visco elastic memory foam between 2 to 8 pounds per square foot in density; 
 said shoulder portion formed with a pocket therein; 
 an insert configured for cooperative engagement within said pocket; 
 said insert being one of a plurality of inserts in a kit of said inserts; 
 said kit including individual inserts formed of foam material of varying weight between a range of 2 to 8 pounds per square foot; 
 said individual inserts thereby varying in hardness; and 
 whereby said user may choose a said individual insert of a said hardness which when engaged within said pocket, compresses while providing said neck support, to thereby communicate to said user, a comfortable positioning of said user's neck relative to said head and their shoulders. 
 
     
     
         16 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 2  additionally comprising:
 said resilient material forming said body of said pillow being visco elastic memory foam between 2 to 8 pounds per square foot in density; 
 said shoulder portion formed with a pocket therein; 
 an insert configured for cooperative engagement within said pocket; 
 said insert being one of a plurality of inserts in a kit of said inserts; 
 said kit including individual inserts formed of foam material of varying weight between a range of 2 to 8 pounds per square foot; 
 said individual inserts thereby varying in hardness; and 
 whereby said user may choose a said individual insert of a said hardness which when engaged within said pocket, compresses while providing said neck support, to thereby communicate to said user, a comfortable positioning of said user's neck relative to said head and their shoulders. 
 
     
     
         17 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 3  additionally comprising:
 said resilient material forming said body of said pillow being visco elastic memory foam between 2 to 8 pounds per square foot in density; 
 said shoulder portion formed with a pocket therein; 
 an insert configured for cooperative engagement within said pocket; 
 said insert being one of a plurality of inserts in a kit of said inserts; 
 said kit including individual inserts formed of foam material of varying weight between a range of 2 to 8 pounds per square foot; 
 said individual inserts thereby varying in hardness; and 
 whereby said user may choose a said individual insert of a said hardness which when engaged within said pocket, compresses while providing said neck support, to thereby communicate to said user, a comfortable positioning of said user's neck relative to said head and their shoulders. 
 
     
     
         18 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 7  additionally comprising:
 said shoulder portion formed with a pocket therein; 
 an insert configured for cooperative engagement within said pocket; 
 said insert being one of a plurality of inserts in a kit of said inserts; 
 said kit including individual inserts formed of foam material of varying weight between a range of 2 to 8 pounds per square foot; 
 said individual inserts thereby varying in hardness; and 
 whereby said user may choose a said individual insert of a said hardness which when engaged within said pocket, compresses while providing said neck support, to thereby communicate to said user, a comfortable positioning of said user's neck relative to said head and their shoulders. 
 
     
     
         19 . The pillow apparatus of  claim 8  additionally comprising:
 said shoulder portion formed with a pocket therein; 
 an insert configured for cooperative engagement within said pocket; 
 said insert being one of a plurality of inserts in a kit of said inserts; 
 said kit including individual inserts formed of foam material of varying weight between a range of 2 to 8 pounds per square foot; 
 said individual inserts thereby varying in hardness; and 
 whereby said user may choose a said individual insert of a said hardness which when engaged within said pocket, compresses while providing said neck support, to thereby communicate to said user, a comfortable positioning of said user's neck relative to said head and their shoulders.