Multiply adjustable orthopedic pillow

Abstract

The invention provides an inexpensive orthopedic pillow comprising multiple cushion elements surrounding or associated with an inner air chamber in a composite pillow that is easily adjusted, reconfigured, broken-down, and customized such that the pillow can be conformed to suit the needs of any person in any environment wherever a pillow is necessary or desirable, whether for sitting, reclining, sleeping, or any other purpose. A covering sheath may or may not be included and an inflation control valve may regulate the volume and pressure of the inner air chamber. Each of the internal components may be adjusted and swapped for other components at any time according to user preferences or physician specifications.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A multiply-adjustable pillow comprising:
 a removable air chamber situated inside of a cushion shell,   said cushion shell comprising at least one cushion element,   wherein said cushion element comprises an upper surface, a lower surface, and an interior portion between said upper and lower surfaces,   wherein said interior portion comprises at least one cushion material,   and wherein said cushion shell is fashioned such that it surrounds and is reversibly wrapped around said air chamber, such that said pillow can be rapidly assembled and disassembled by wrapping and unwrapping, respectively, said cushion shell around said air chamber,   and wherein said cushion shell is further divided into a top half and a bottom half, such that said top half is adapted to support a part of a person's body and said bottom half is adapted for placement adjacent to a seat,   wherein said adaptation for supporting the part of the person's body comprises a selection of a particular material composition for the top half of the cushion shell to conform it to a shape of said part of the person's body,   and wherein said adaptation for placement adjacent to the seat comprises a selection of a particular material composition for the bottom half of the cushion shell to conform it to a shape of said seat,   and wherein said cushion shell further comprises at least one fastening means for reversibly fastening the at least one cushion elements in a closed position, where said closed position is a position in which said cushion shell is reversibly wrapped around said air chamber,   and wherein said lower surface of the at least one cushion element faces towards the air chamber when the cushion shell is in said closed position.   
     
     
         2 . The multiply-adjustable pillow of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one valve means for regulating a volume of air inside said air chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The multiply-adjustable pillow of  claim 1 , wherein said cushion material comprises memory foam. 
     
     
         4 . The multiply-adjustable pillow of  claim 1 , wherein said cushion material comprises a loose fill material. 
     
     
         5 . The multiply-adjustable pillow of  claim 1 , further comprising a sheath for surrounding and retaining both the cushion elements and the air chamber in a desired configuration,
 wherein said sheath comprises at least two sections, an upper section and a lower section, wherein said sections are joined at at least one seam, wherein said seams impart a three-dimensional shape to said sheath, such that said sheath inherently tends to conform to a certain geometry,   and wherein said sheath further comprises at least one fastening means for opening and closing the sheath, wherein each of said fastening means has an open position and a closed position,   wherein at least one of said fastening means in an open position provides access to the cushion elements and the air chamber sufficient for their emplacement in and removal from the pillow,   and such that each of said fastening means regulates the geometry of the pillow by alternatively transforming each of the at least two sections from an open conformation to a closed conformation.   
     
     
         6 . The multiply-adjustable pillow of  claim 5 , wherein said upper section comprises a first material composition and said lower section comprises a second material composition. 
     
     
         7 . The multiply-adjustable pillow of  claim 1 , further comprising a first configuration and at least one alternative configurations,
 wherein said first configuration comprises a first set of physical specifications for both the inner air chamber and the cushion shell such that said first set of physical specifications corresponds to a set of specifications appropriate for a first orthopedic use of the pillow in a first environmental condition,   and further comprising at least one alternative cushion element for swapping in place of said at least one cushion element,   such that said pillow can be converted to adopt the at least one alternative configurations,   wherein said at least one alternative configurations comprises an alternative set of physical specifications for either or both of the inner air chamber or the cushion shell, such that said alternative set of physical specifications corresponds to a set of specifications appropriate for an alternative orthopedic use of the pillow in an alternative environmental condition,   
     
     
         8 . The multiply-adjustable pillow of  claim 7 , further comprising an alternative air chamber for swapping in place of the air chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The multiply-adjustable pillow of  claim 5 , further comprising a first configuration and at least one alternative configurations,
 wherein said first configuration comprises a first set of physical specifications for both the inner air chamber and the cushion shell such that said first set of physical specifications corresponds to a set of specifications appropriate for a first orthopedic use of the pillow in a first environmental condition,   and further comprising at least one alternative cushion element for swapping in place of said at least one cushion element,   such that said pillow can be converted to adopt the at least one alternative configurations,   wherein said at least one alternative configurations comprises an alternative set of physical specifications for either or both of the inner air chamber or the cushion shell, such that said alternative set of physical specifications corresponds to a set of specifications appropriate for an alternative orthopedic use of the pillow in an alternative environmental condition.   
     
     
         10 . The multiply-adjustable pillow of  claim 9 , further comprising an alternative air chamber for swapping in place of the air chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The multiply-adjustable pillow of  claim 9 , further comprising an alternative outer sheath. 
     
     
         12 . A method for providing orthopedic therapy to a person while seated, reclined, or otherwise positioned, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing the multiply adjustable pillow of  claim 9 ,   opening the fastening means to provide access to the cushion elements and the air chamber,   removing either or both of the air chamber and the at least one of the cushion elements,   inserting one or more alternative pieces of said either or both of the air chamber and the at least one of the cushion elements,   closing the fastening means,   depositing said pillow upon a surface upon which said person is to be seated, reclined, or otherwise positioned, such that said bottom half of the cushion shell substantially conforms to a shape of said surface, and such that said top half of the cushion shell substantially conforms to the shape of the part of the person's body,   thereby providing orthopedic therapy to the person while seated, reclined, or otherwise positioned on the surface.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising the step of:
 alternatively opening and closing one or more of said fastening means for regulating the geometry of the pillow. 
 
     
     
         14 . The multiply-adjustable pillow of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more of a substantially rigid cushion element that imparts lateral stabilization to the part of the body of the person when the person uses the pillow. 
     
     
         15 . The multiply-adjustable pillow of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more of a contoured cushion element that substantially conforms said cushion shell to a shape of the part of the body of the person. 
     
     
         16 . The multiply-adjustable pillow of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more of a substantially rigid cushion element that imparts enhanced structural integrity to the pillow such that it maintains a desired conformation. 
     
     
         17 . The multiply-adjustable pillow of  claim 5 , further comprising one or more of a substantially rigid cushion element that imparts lateral stabilization to the part of the body of the person when the person uses the pillow. 
     
     
         18 . The multiply-adjustable pillow of  claim 5 , further comprising one or more of a contoured cushion element that substantially conforms said cushion shell to a shape of the part of the body of the person. 
     
     
         19 . The multiply-adjustable pillow of  claim 5 , further comprising one or more of a substantially rigid cushion element that imparts enhanced structural integrity to the pillow such that it maintains a desired conformation.