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US4210134A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Pillow for manual therapeutics

Assignee: Omco KK
•
Filing: 1978-08-10
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Granted: 1980-07-01
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Expires: 1998-08-10
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Abstract

Abstract A pillow for manual therapeutics has an upper body substantially formed into a saddle-shape, and a plurality of protrusions symmetrically arranged on the surface of said upper body near the central portion thereof, so that the protrusions act as fingers for pressing on the affected parts of human head or body when the head or body is supported by the pillow.

Inventors

  • 👤 Yasukichi Okazaki
  • 👤 Tatsuo Okazaki

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-03 22:32
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61H; A61H39/00; A61H39/06; A61H39/04; A61H2201/00; A61H2201/01; A61H2201/0157; A61H2201/02; A61H2201/0207; A61H2201/0214; A61H2201/0221; A61H2201/0228; A61H2201/0242; A61H2201/025; A61H2201/0257; A61H2201/16; A61H2201/1602; A61H2201/1604; A61H2205/00; A61H2205/02

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim 236 words
A pillow for manual therapeutics comprising: a hollow body (1) including an upper body member (1a) having a surface portion for receiving and supporting at least a part of a human body, and a lower body member (1b) connected to said upper body member (1a); at least one protrusion (2) detachably mounted on said receiving and supporting surface portion of said upper body member (1a); said upper body member comprising at least one aperture, said at least one aperture being equal in number to the number of said at least one detachable protrusion, said at least one detachable protrusion (2) comprising a head portion (2a) and a leg portion (2b) connected to said head portion, said leg portion being introducable into said at least one aperture; and said at least one aperture further comprising a guide slit (3a) and said detachable protrusion (2) further comprising a lock protrusion (2c) extending from said leg portion (2b) of said at least one protrusion (2), said lock protrusion being passable through said guide slit when in alignment therewith, such that said detachable protrusion (2) is detachable from said hollow body (1) only when said lock protrusion (2c) is aligned with said guide slit (3a); whereby when a human head or body part is supported on said hollow body, said at least one protrusion exerts pressure on at least a portion of the supported part of said head or body.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 236 words
A pillow for manual therapeutics comprising: a hollow body (1) including an upper body member (1a) having a surface portion for receiving and supporting at least a part of a human body, and a lower body member (1b) connected to said upper body member (1a); at least one protrusion (2) detachably mounted on said receiving and supporting surface portion of said upper body member (1a); said upper body member comprising at least one aperture, said at least one aperture being equal in number to the number of said at least one detachable protrusion, said at least one detachable protrusion (2) comprising a head portion (2a) and a leg portion (2b) connected to said head portion, said leg portion being introducable into said at least one aperture; and said at least one aperture further comprising a guide slit (3a) and said detachable protrusion (2) further comprising a lock protrusion (2c) extending from said leg portion (2b) of said at least one protrusion (2), said lock protrusion being passable through said guide slit when in alignment therewith, such that said detachable protrusion (2) is detachable from said hollow body (1) only when said lock protrusion (2c) is aligned with said guide slit (3a); whereby when a human head or body part is supported on said hollow body, said at least one protrusion exerts pressure on at least a portion of the supported part of said head or body.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 21 words
The pillow of claim 1 wherein said receiving and supporting surface portion of said upper body member (1a) is substantially saddle-shaped.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 21 words
The pillow of claim 1 comprising heat radiant means (1c) attached to at least one wall of said hollow body (1).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 23 words
The pillow of claim 3 wherein said heat radiant means comprises at least one fin (1c) extending from said at least one wall.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 49 words
The pillow of claim 3 wherein said heat radiant means (1c) is attached to at least one inner wall of said hollow body (1) and said hollow body (1) has openings in at least one of said body members for allowing air circulation over said heat radiant means (1c).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 24 words
The pillow of claim 5 wherein said heat radiant means comprises at least one fin (1c) extending from said at least one inner wall.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 18 words
The pillow of claim 1 comprising a material having a high specific heat within said hollow body (1).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 17 words
The pillow of claim 1 wherein said at least one protrusion (2) comprises a heating element (6).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 26 words
The pillow of claim 8 wherein said heating element (6) is an electrical heating element, and further comprising electrical energizing means coupled to said heating element.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 44 words
The pillow of claim 1 further comprises a tensioning means (5) coupled to said detachable protrusion (2) and adapted to contact said upper body member for biasing said head portion (2a) away from the receiving and supporting surface portion of said upper body member.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 95 words
The pillow of claim 10 wherein said aperture (3) further comprises a step portion (3b) and a tapered portion (3c) integral to the wall of said aperture such that when said detachable protrusion (2) is inserted into said aperture and rotated with respect to said hollow body, said lock protrusion rides along said tapered portion until engaging said step portion where said tensioning means prevents return rotation of said detachable protrusion (2) without application of force overcoming the tensioning means, thereby preventing said detachable protrusion (2) from being unintentionally detached from said hollow body (1).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 18 words
The pillow of claim 1 comprising a plurality of said protrusions on said receiving and supporting surface portion.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 13 words
The pillow of claim 12 wherein said plurality of protrusions are symmetrically arranged.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 13 words
The pillow of claim 12 wherein said plurality of protrusions are randomly arranged.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 49 words
The pillow of claim 12 wherein said plurality of protrusions comprise protrusions having head portions of unequal height, said plurality of protrusions being arranged in substantially parallel rows, high protrusions being arranged in central portions of said rows, and shorter protrusions being arranged at end portions of said rows.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 30 words
The pillow of claim 1 comprising means for fastening said upper body member (1a) to said lower body member (1b) at least in the vicinity of the peripheral edges thereof.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 127 words
The pillow of claim 16 wherein: said upper body member (1a) comprises a bottom member (8) on the underside of said upper body member (1a); and said means for fastening said upper body member (1a) to said lower body member (1b) comprises at least first and second mutually engageable joint members, said first mutually engageable joint member being attached to the underside of said bottom member (8), said second mutually engageable joint member being attached to the inner wall of said lower body member (1b) so that when said upper body member (1a) is aligned upon said lower body member (1b), said first and second mutually engageable joint members are engaged to prevent said upper body member (1a) from becoming detached from said lower body member (1b).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 102 words
The pillow of claim 17 wherein one of said first and second joint members comprises a plurality of spaced apart tapered members (12), and the other of said first and second joint members comprises at least one tapered joint piece (13) arranged such that when said upper body member (1a) is aligned with said lower body member (1b), said at least one tapered joint piece (13) is inserted between opposing spaced apart tapered members (12) and in frictional contact with a plurality of said tapered members (12), whereby the upper body member (1a) and lower body member (1b) are fixedly connected together.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 15 words
The pillow of claim 16 wherein said lower body member comprises a base plate member.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 20 words
The pillow of claim 1 comprising six of said protrusions arranged substantially in a circle on said upper body member.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 31 words
The pillow of claim 20 wherein at least two of said protrusions extend higher than the other protrusions, said protrusions all being symmetrically arranged about a center line of said pillow.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

GB191218840A Cited
US1250392A Cited
US1984520A Cited
US1981379A Cited
FR1349109A Cited
GB1261540A Cited
US4126129A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1983-07-01 1983-12-31 1984-07-01 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1987-07-01 1987-12-31 1988-07-01 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1991-07-01 1991-12-31 1992-07-01 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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