Pillow with insulative beverage holder and method of making same

• US 20040155047A1
• Filed: 02/06/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jody L. Debartolo, Terrence L. Debartolo
• Original Assignee: Jody L. Debartolo, Terrence L. Debartolo
• Inventors: DeBartolo, Jody L., DeBartolo, Terrence L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,941,601 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/737
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 23/0216 for one glass or cup
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 9/1045 shaped as, combined with, or convertible into other articles, e.g. dolls, sound equipments, bags or the like

Abstract

This invention concerns a pillow in combination with a hot/cold insulative drink holder, the combination comprising a center mounted insulative drink holder projecting into one side of the pillow, and stitching for securing the insulative drink holder in integral assembly with the pillow. The insulative drink holder thus defines beverage vessel-receiving socket structure with an inside surface of the socket being insulated to preserve preexisting temperature of fluid in a beverage vessel when the same is lodged in the beverage receiving socket structure.

Claims

1. A pillow for holding an beverage container in a substantially upright position over pillow supporting surfaces, the pillow comprising:

a base sheet with a defined outer base sheet periphery having an outer base sheet surface and an inner base sheet surface;

a top sheet with a defined outer top sheet periphery having an outer top sheet surface and an inner top sheet surface positioned in approximately centerline alignment with the base sheet;

means of attaching the base sheet outer periphery to the top sheet outer periphery with the inner base sheet surface facing the inner top sheet surface;

a top sheet opening, adapted for insertion of a beverage container through the top sheet;

a socket structure defining a socket adapted for holding a beverage container, positioned in approximately centerline alignment with the top sheet opening with an outer socket surface and an inner socket surface;

means for attaching the socket structure to the top sheet opening; and

a filling material sized, shaped and positioned to exert a force against the inner base sheet surface, the inner top sheet surface, and the inner socket surface.

2. The pillow of claim 1, wherein the means of attaching the base sheet outer periphery to the top sheet outer periphery comprises fabric stitching.

3. The pillow of claim 1, wherein the means for attaching the socket structure to the top sheet opening comprises fabric stitching.

4. The pillow of claim 1, wherein the socket structure further comprises padding adapted to provide a flexible grabbing action upon a beverage container when the beverage container is placed into the socket.

5. The socket structure of claim 1, wherein the outer socket surface comprises waterproof material.

6. The pillow of claim 1 wherein the socket structure comprises:

a socket base;

a socket sidewall extending from the socket base; and

a socket opening defined by the socket sidewall.

7. The socket structure of claim 6 wherein the socket structure sidewall comprises:

a first sheet with a defined first sheet outer periphery, an inner first sheet surface, and an outer first sheet surface;

a second sheet with a defined second sheet outer periphery, an inner second sheet surface, and an outer second sheet surface positioned parallel with the first socket structure sheet surface; and

means of attaching the first sheet outer periphery to the second sheet outer periphery with the inner first sheet surface facing the inner second sheet surface.

8. The socket structure sidewall of claim 3 further comprising padding located between the first sheet and second sheet to provide flexibility.

9. A combination pillow and hot/cold insulative drink holder, the combination comprising:

at least one insulative drink holder projecting into one side of the pillow and having at least one outer drink holder opening for receiving a beverage vessel;

means securing the insulative drink holder in integral assembly with the pillow; and

the insulative drink holder defining a beverage vessel-receiving socket structure, the inwardly opening beverage vessel-receiving socket structure comprising hot/cold preserving insulation to preserve preexisting temperature of fluid in a beverage vessel when lodged in the inwardly opening beverage-receiving socket structure.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein the hot/cold preserving insulation comprises:

a series of pads each filled with hot/cold preserving pads; and

means securing the pads in assembled relation to define the beverage vessel-receiving socket structure.

11. The combination of claim 10 wherein the pads devise an inside diameter smaller than the outer drink holder opening thus providing a grabbing means for securely supporting the beverage vessel in the drink holder.

12. The combination of claim 10 wherein the pillow comprises:

fabric pieces on opposite sides of the pillow with cushioning material in between the fabric pieces;

the fabric pieces being sewn together with the cushioning material being located between the fabric pieces in assembled relation;

the beverage vessel-receiving socket structure being peripherally bounded by the hot/cold preserving insulation defining the socket; and

means of physically attaching the insulated drink holder to at least one side of the fabric pieces.

13. A combination pillow and ho)/cold insulative drink holder, the combination comprising:

a top sheet and a base sheet on opposite sides with cushioning material in between the top sheet and the base sheet;

means securing the top sheet and the base sheet together with a cushioning material being located between the top sheet and the base sheet in assembled relation;

a center mounted insulative drink holder projecting into the top sheet; and

means securing the insulative drink holder in integral assembly with the top sheet.

14. The combination of claim 13, wherein the insulative drink holder is in an internal pillow position defining a beverage vessel-receiving socket with an inside surface of the socket structure being insulative to preserve preexisting temperature of fluid in a beverage vessel when lodged in the beverage vessel-receiving socket structure.

15. The combination of claim 13, wherein the insulative drink holder is in an external pillow position defining an inverted beverage vessel-receiving socket structure to provide for cleaning the surface.

16. The combination of claim 13, wherein the means securing the top sheet and the base sheet together comprises fabric stitching.

17. The combination of claim 13, wherein the means securing the insulative drink holder in integral assembly with the top sheet opening comprises fabric stitching.

18. The combination of claim 13, wherein the insulative drink-holder comprises:

a hot/cold padding peripherally bounding the beverage vessel-receiving socket structure with a superior end and a inferior end; and

a support base with a peripheral edge attached at the inferior end of the hot/cold padding.

19. The combination of claim 18, wherein the hot/cold padding comprises:

a first sheet and a second sheet on opposite sides with hot/cold insulation material in between the first sheet and the second sheet.

20. The combination of claim 19, wherein the first sheet comprises a waterproof material, the hot/cold padding comprises a series of pads, and seams join the pads together.

21. The combination of claim 20, wherein the pads have a series of wing flaps, and means for maintaining the pads in upright position being connected to the wing flaps.

22. The combination of claim 20, wherein the series of pads are five in number connected together by the seams.

23. The combination of claim 20, wherein the pads are connected together in one piece with seams of reduced thickness, the pads being folded along the seams.

24. The combination of claim 23, wherein the pads are five in number including four side wall pads and a bottom pad, the seams joining the side wall pads to the bottom pad with the side wall pads being folded along the seams in upright relation to the bottom pad.

25. A method of forming a cushion rest with an integrated beverage holder, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a pillow;

forming an opening in the pillow at a position inwardly of an outer margin of the pillow, the opening being spatially located at about the center of a face of the pillow;

forming an insulative drink holder to be placed into the opening in the pillow;

placing the insulated drink holder within the opening of the pillow such that a superior end of the insulative drink holder is substantially flush with the opening of the pillow; and

securing the insulative drink-holder to the pillow such that the insulative drink holder is in integral assembly with the pillow and the insulative drink holder defines a beverage vessel-receiving socket structure.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein forming the insulative drink holder comprises the steps of:

forming a first dual sidewall and base insulation piece;

forming a second dual sidewall and base insulation piece to be attached to the first dual sidewall and base insulation piece; and

securing a base section of the first dual sidewall and base insulation piece upon a base section of the second dual sidewall and base insulation piece such that the centerline of the first dual sidewall and base insulation piece is approximately perpendicular to the centerline of the second dual sidewall and base insulation piece.

27. The method of claim 25 further including the step of mounting a series of upright pad-like members inside of the drink holder with the upright pad-like members being sized and shaped with an inside diameter smaller than an upper open end of the drink holder.

28. The method of claim 27 further including the step of forming seams between the upright pad-like members thereby forming the pad-like member in unitary relation.

29. A method of converting an existing pillow into a pillow having an insulative beverage container-holding socket structure, the method comprising the steps of:

making incisions in a superior face, the superior face being of an existing pillow, the incisions being made in a region of the pillow for inserting a socket structure;

repositioning pillow fill material from areas directly inferior to the incisions to areas in inferior adjacency to the incisions so as to provide a socket structure receiving orifice;

providing a slip cover, the slip cover being sized and shaped to snugly encase the pillow, the slip cover comprising a socket structure for insertion in socket structure-receiving orifice and an open end for receiving the pillow, the open end comprising means for selectively closing the open end;

inserting the pillow into the slip cover, the socket structure being inserted into the socket structure-receiving orifice; and

closing the open end of the slip cover, thus converting an existing pillow into a pillow having an insulative beverage container-holding socket structure.

30. A kit for converting an existing pillow into a pillow having an insulative beverage container-holding socket structure, the kit comprising:

a socket structure assembly;

at least one piece of material for fixed attachment to an existing pillow;

and

means for fixedly attaching the socket structure assembly to the piece of material.

31. The kit of claim 30, wherein the socket structure assembly comprises a plurality of insulative pads, the insulative pads being sized and shaped to receive a beverage container.

32. The kit of claim 31, wherein the kit further comprises means for attaching at least one piece of material to an existing pillow.