Importance

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Abstract

The use of particulate stuffings such as down or fiberfill in the construction of orthopaedic pillows has previously been limited due to formidable intrinsic difficulties: On a curved wedge of support, with natural turning movement of the sleeper, fiberfill will tend to 'avalanche' downhill, settle and pack down to obliterate any initial toricity or inflected curvature. Hence the sleeper is awakened to refluff or to punch the missing inflection back into place. Though simple internal partitioning can initially delay the scenario, in due course nuisance fiber sequestering and impeded normal hand refluffing are the results. The present invention focuses on structurally overcoming these impediments to the orthopaedic use of particulate fillings. It notably provides a pillow that manifests to the sleeper as downy soft, and comfortingly restful. Yet, internally built-in are the specific elements and mechanisms for `stealth support`: A forward-reaching fiberfill overlay is carefully partitioned and co-proportioned in loft and fibre density with its underlying supporting core, to provide the inflected toric gradient of support for the sleeper. The calibrated loft of the overlay, in combination with the use of minimal stable core thickness, extensive differential slotting and feathering of the core surface, in addition to lateral fiber `muffs`, all work in tandem for the necessary dissimulation of the core, its interfaces, and the very presence of summated orthopaedic support itself. Within the overlay, angled split partitions vaulting a retrusion chamber, force the necessary support inflection into reliable existence. Furthermore, the uniquely substructured split partitions combine stretch and non-stretch fabric portions so that, with natural turning of the sleeper, they descend and recoil to lift and recirculate fibre spheres within pillow chambers. In effect, the pillow unit refluffs `automatically`, as you sleep, to refresh plumpness for undisturbed sleep throughout the night. In manufacture, the supporting core is inflatable to accommodate lower back sufferers, and further serves in Traveler Edition and Sleeping Bag applications.

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First Claim