Hooded neck pillow with adjustable face covering

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The present invention relates generally to sleeping aids, and, more particularly, relates to pillows with head covers, and, in greater particularity, relates to devices for blocking the entrance of light for aiding in sleeping or resting in environments where light control is impossible.

People desire to sleep and/or rest in a darkened area, but in the past, many areas could not be darkened like that in an airplane or in other public places.

For example, in an airplane, people can be reading next to you, or looking at their smart devices, or talking to people around them, or children may be uncontrollable to the point where resting is almost impossible. The surrounding overhead lights may be annoying and even open windows allow light to enter that one cannot control. One can attempt to block the light by wearing sun glasses or even putting a blanket over one's head, but this may not be sufficient.

One patented invention is noted in U.S. Pat. No. 7,657,954 where an extended hood,, is attached to a neck pillow that can be pulled down over the face as shown in. The prior art identified is incorporated by reference.

Accordingly, a device is needed to allow a person to darken or block light for the purpose of resting.

The present invention provides a means to block light while resting, in particular, in a public environment such as on airplanes. A U-shaped neck pillow has a detachable hood. Attached to the inside of the hood near the face opening is a deployable face cover. The face cover is air permeable and has an interior pouch thereon for removable placement of filters.

An object of the present invention is to provide a means for blocking light while resting in a public environment.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a means for blocking light that further functions as a filter to remove germs and other particles during use.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a means for blocking light that is transportable and easily stored.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a means for blocking light, but also reduces sounds.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a means for blocking light and that reduces sound that is child friendly having pictures or other symbols thereon.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the attached drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which follow.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

The present invention provides a means to block light while resting, in particular, in a public environments such as on airplanes.

In general, a U-shaped neck pillow has a detachable hood. Attached to the inside of the hood near the face opening is a deployable face covering. The face covering isshown in FIG. 12 as a single contiguous line, the face covering 26 is an ambient light blocking material that isair permeable like a screen and may have an interior pouch thereon for the removable placement of filters.

Referring to, a frontal perspective view of a devicefor reducing exterior conditions such as light, noise, smells, dust, etc., comprises a neck pillowbeing U-shaped with an openingin a front side. The pillowmay also be inflatable for storage. The pillowmay have a pillow cover or casethereon to insure that it may be cleaned by washing and reattached. When referring to the pillow, the cover or caseis included. A removable hoodis removably attached by a zipperor other conventional means such as hook and loop,, to the neck pillowor to the pillow coveron the outer edge. As seen in, the removable hoodpartially covers a headof a user. A deployable face coveringis attached to the inside of the removable hood. As seen in, the face coveringis rolled up on the inside edge of the hoodfor storage in a pouch-like devicerunning around the inside edge of the hood. Further, the hoodmay be stored in the pillow coverhaving essentially the same shape as the pillow, but used as storage of the hood. Seeof the Bunkers patent cited above and incorporated herein showing the pillow cover called a housing. Further, to prevent unrolling when not in use, a hook and loop meansmay be attached between the face coveringand the hood. The neck pillowmay comprise a U-shaped pillow insert, not shown, but of conventional materials and is Placed inside of the U-shaped pillow cover. Further the pillow insert may be an inflatable bladder,, and may be removed through a closable opening,. A pull cordmay be used to reduce the exposed area about the faceand is of conventional design traveling through a channel in the hood. Further, all of the materials shown are fabric or fabric-like materials like plastics unless otherwise stated.

is a frontal perspective view likewith the deployable face coveringpulled down. The neck pillow insert may be made of conventional pillow material, not shown, or be a bladder Further, the pillow insert may be an inflatable bladderhaving essentially the same shape as the pillow coverbut smaller, partially shown in, with an inflation hosebeing of conventional design. The bladdermay be inserted into the pillow coverthrough the openingand then inflated. This feature would allow the deviceto be carried in a purse, a bag, a brief case, a backpack, etc., until it is needed.by side view shows the neck pillow, and hoodzippered onto the pillow.shows the face coveringpulled down.shows the neck pillowseparated from the hood.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 6 a spring latch hook is shown attached to an outer mid rear portion of the neck pillow.

Although the face coveringis air permeable, vent holes,,locatedin the top of the hoodwill further allow hot air to escape.

For children, the exterior surface of the face coveringor the hoodmay be covered with one or more picturesof animals, symbols, flowers, etc.,. Further the devicemay come in a variety of sizes for both adults and children as well as a variety of colors.

The devicemay further includebut not requirea pouch,and, on an inside surfaceof the deployable face coveringcovering a substantial area thereof. The outer surfaceof the pouchmay be of very light material, screening, or netting, as shown by “X”ing in.

shows the pouchhaving a filter,therein and is further shown inin cross section.FIG. 12 shows a partial cross sectional view through a pouch 60 with a filter 62 therein. In FIG. 12, face covering 26 is shown as a single contiguous line that extends above and below outer surface 66 of the pouch 60 with the filter 62 separately spaced between the face cover 26 and the outer surface 66 of the pouch 60. As previously referenced, the outer surface 66 of the pouch 60 may be of very light material, screening, or netting, as shown by “X” ing in FIG. 8.The userwhen breathing draws air through the filterwhich may include a charcoal material to catch germs and particles. The filtermay be carried in an additional pouch,, on the neck pillowand when removed is inserted through an openingin a pouchinformed on the inside surface 64 ofthe face coveringby screen/netting 66 (further shown in FIG. 12).shows the filterfully inserted into the pouch.

The additional pouch 68 in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 is on a front facing surface of one leg of the neck pillow 12. The additional pouch 68 has an upper horizontal opening into the additional pouch 68. The horizontal opening being substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis along the one leg of the neck pillow 12.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, a latch hook can be attached to a portion of the neck pillow 12.

A method of blocking ambient light during resting uses the devicewherein the neck pillow with a hood and a deployable face covering thereon is attached about a neck of a user; the hood is deployed over the head of the user; and then the face covering is pulled down. The face covering may include a filter screen in a pouch on the deployable face covering before deploying.

Since many modifications, variations, and changes in detail can be made to the described embodiments of the invention, it is intended that all matter's in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.