KR20240096946A - Customized cervical pillow using 3D printing technology and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

A user-customized cervical pillow using a 3D printer and its manufacturing method are disclosed. A personalized cervical pillow using a 3D printer includes an occipital support portion formed in a rectangular shape in which the length in the longitudinal direction (L) is relatively longer than the length in the width direction (W) and connected to a pillow base placed horizontally on the floor; A cervical spine support unit located at the bottom of the occipital support unit and forming a curved surface to support the c-curve of the cervical spine; It includes a pillow base provided on both sides of the support unit and including a heel portion that protrudes higher than the upper surface of the support unit, and is custom-made by modeling the body structure of each individual using a plaster bandage. Additionally, the pillow is injected using a fully porous Kelvin cell structure.

Description

Customized cervical pillow using 3D printing technology and its manufacturing method}

The present invention relates to a user-customized cervical pillow using 3D printing technology and a method of manufacturing the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a user-customized cervical pillow using 3D printing technology and a method of manufacturing the same. More specifically, the occiput and cervical spine of the user are 3D modeled using plaster, and this is placed on an external skeleton adopting a porous honeycomb structure. It relates to a personalized cervical pillow using a 3D printer that is bonded and printed with a 3D printer to provide the optimal height and angle according to the user's body type and exhibits excellent heat circulation, and a method of manufacturing the same.

In general, the uppermost part of the spine, which is made up of seven vertebrae and forms a C shape, is called the cervical vertebrae. The shape of the cervical spine gradually changes depending on lifestyle habits, work environment, muscle development in the cervical region, etc., resulting in cervical disc herniation. Symptoms such as turtle neck syndrome may appear.

In this way, if a deformation of the cervical spine occurs or a general pillow is used that does not take into account the shape of the cervical spine, which varies from person to person, the angle at which the pillow supports the neck during sleep may fall outside the recommended range, which may have a negative effect on the neck muscles and cervical spine. It can also interfere with blood circulation, which can lead to chronic pain, sleep disorders, etc., causing discomfort in daily life.

Therefore, recently, customized pillows of various shapes, so-called 'cervical pillows', have been in the spotlight, and conventional inventions related to such customized pillows include 3D scanning to provide pillows that match the head or cervical spine shapes of different users. Alternatively, X-ray imaging techniques are used, but problems with the effectiveness of the above methods arise, such as the measurement method and equipment availability.

When 3D scanning the human head, due to the nature of the optical scanner that detects bends, etc. by emitting light in the form of a built-in pattern, dark colors are unfavorable conditions for scanning because they absorb light, and no movement is allowed at all, so a person is used as a model. I found it difficult to block small movements.

In addition, conventional cervical pillows use fillings such as cotton, latex, and memory foam to comfortably cover the head and neck, but ventilation and dehumidification are not smooth, and the head, which should be cool, absorbs body heat and becomes hot. There were problems such as not contributing to sleep hygiene and not being easy to wash.

Therefore, it solves problems such as chronic pain and sleep disorders caused by deformation of the cervical spine or use of a general pillow that does not take into account the shape of the cervical spine, and at the same time solves the problems of the above-described conventional inventions, taking into account the shape of the user's cervical spine. There is a need for an invention regarding a manufacturing method that can provide customized pillows.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2016284, “Customized Pillow and Method of Manufacturing the Same,” proposes a customized pillow characterized by including a pad that supports at least one of the user's cervical spine or head. is scanned, entered into a computer, and produced in the form of a pad. With the above structure, there was a risk of the pad being detached from the pillow, and since it was made of latex or synthetic resin, there was a problem in that ventilation and dehumidification were not smooth. In the “2 in 1 Technical Replaceable Ergonomic Pillow” of Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1645927, the cover pillow part has a plurality of specifications with different head seating heights, different upper structures, or different unique functions, and is designed to accommodate the user's needs. An ergonomic pillow is presented, which is characterized in that one of the pillows is used interchangeably while being fitted into the base pillow part depending on the selection. However, the above invention is not formed with three-dimensional curves and surfaces, so when you change your sleeping position or sleep soundly while tossing and turning 20 to 30 times a night, the pillow may move away from the body due to the movement of the head and shoulders, or minor damage may occur. Even if you toss and turn, it does not return to the correct posture and has problems with poor ventilation and dehumidification. In Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2018-0052447, “Personally customized scapula fixation pillow using a 3D printer and method of manufacturing the same,” a personalized scapula fixation pillow using a 3D printer and its manufacturing method are presented, allowing the body size of each user to be different. By forming a neck support portion to correspond to the shape of each user's neck, it not only stably supports the cervical spine and relieves tension in the cervical spine, but also prevents and corrects straight neck or turtle neck. However, this technology has the problem of difficulty in 3D scanning the human body and a decrease in sleep quality due to increased head temperature.

　In the Journal of Sleep Research International Journal of Sleep Research March 2009, among the 'biological/medical research data on the effects of pillows on the human body' and 'literature', the alleviation of snoring and sleep apnea was mentioned. The height and angle are presented in the sleeping posture, but there is a problem in that the height and angle values obtained under the condition that a customized pillow was not provided to the test subject are not clear.

The present invention was created to solve the above problems, and was intended to solve the disadvantages of human body scanning by modeling the user's occiput and cervical spine in plaster, and the tetrakaidecahedron's unit cells are regularly arranged in three dimensions. By adopting a Kelvin-open cell structure, thermal circulation has been improved to prevent head temperature from rising, and the information scanned on the user's cervical spine and occiput is printed as a single file bonded to the pillow, preventing the pad from detaching and covering all points. The purpose is to provide a pillow with a uniform structure.

The customized cervical pillow and its manufacturing method using 3D printing technology according to the present invention to achieve the above object are formed in a rectangular shape in which the length in the longitudinal direction (L) is relatively longer than the length in the width direction (W), so that the floor It is arranged horizontally, and the occipital support portion 111 forms a downwardly concave curved surface to support the user's occipital region in the central portion; A cervical spine support unit 112 located at the bottom of the occipital support unit and forming a curved surface to support the c-curve of the cervical spine; It includes a pillow base 110 provided on both sides of the support unit and including a heel portion that protrudes higher than the upper surface 120 of the support unit.

The occipital support portion is characterized in that it is formed so that the angle formed when drawn in a straight line from the floor where the pillow base touches to the most concave point of the occipital region is 5 degrees.

The cervical vertebrae support portion is characterized in that it is formed so that the angle formed when drawn in a straight line from the floor where the pillow base touches to the most convex point of the cervical vertebrae is 14 degrees.

A method of manufacturing a user-customized cervical pillow using 3D printing technology according to an embodiment of the present invention to solve the above-described technical problem includes extracting the user's human body data; Concatenating the extracted data to the base of the Kevin-cell structure; It includes; printing the designed pillow shape.

The step of extracting the human body data includes taking a pattern of the user's cervical spine and occipital region using a plaster bandage; And 3D scanning the finished plaster.

The step of joining the extracted data to the base of the Kelvin-cell structure includes grafting the human body data to the center of the sample made in advance as a rectangular parallelepiped frame and processing the connection area into a smooth curve.

The present invention takes into account the body size of each user and forms a neck support portion to correspond to the shape of each user's neck, so that it not only stably supports the cervical spine and relieves tension in the cervical spine, but also relieves straight neck or turtle neck. It can be prevented and corrected.

Additionally, setting a height that takes into account the angle of the cervical spine and occiput where the human body feels most comfortable can greatly improve the quality of sleep.

In addition, the Kevin cell used as the unit structure of the personalized pillow has excellent breathability due to its open front structure, and at the same time, it can easily dissipate heat and moisture, greatly improving the quality of sleep.

In addition, it promotes user convenience by using plastic materials that have a long washing cycle and are easy to wash compared to existing cotton or memory foam pillows that require frequent washing and are difficult to wash.

Figure 1 is a photo of the overall output of a user-customized pillow using 3D printing technology according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the occipital region and the cervical spine support portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining the unit of Kevin-cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a rectangular parallelepiped structure designed by connecting unit cells of Kevin-cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a front cross-sectional view of the occipital region and the cervical spine support portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a flowchart of a method of manufacturing a customized pillow using 3D printing technology according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a diagram to explain the angle of the pillow that feels most comfortable.
Figure 8 is a diagram for explaining the plaster scanning process.
Figure 9 is a diagram to explain the process of applying fillet to the blue part.

The present invention relates to a method and device for manufacturing a pillow with a curved surface tailored to the user's cervical spine using 3D printing technology. The present invention relates to a method and device for manufacturing a pillow having a curved surface tailored to the user's cervical spine region, using 3D printing technology, which is a key feature of the present invention. It is characterized by including a process of printing the head scanned information into a file bonded to the pillow, a pillow adopting a porous laminated Kelvin cell structure, and a process of applying and hardening the user's cervical spine and head scanning plaster.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[Example 1]

First, the overall configuration of a user-customized pillow according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

A user-customized pillow according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a base 110 and 111 and 112 selectively coupled to the base.

The occipital support unit 111 may be coupled to the center of the base 110 and include a downwardly concave curved surface supporting the back of the user's skull, and the c-curve of the cervical spine may be formed at the bottom of the occipital support unit 111. There is a cervical support portion 112 that forms a curved surface for support.

The structure of the base 110 will be described in more detail.

The base 110 includes an occipital and cervical curved surface 120 that is seated from the back of the user's head to the bottom of the cervical spine, and a heel portion provided on both sides of the seating portion 120 and protruding higher than the seating portion 120. This is the pillow base 110. In addition, it is formed in a rectangular shape in which the length in the longitudinal direction (L) is relatively longer than the length in the width direction (W), is placed horizontally on the floor, and unit-cells 21 are combined to form a rectangular parallelepiped structure 22.

[Example 2]

Next, the part of the pillow that forms the angle between the larynx and the cervical spine will be explained with reference to Figure 7.

The angle at which a person feels most comfortable when lying down is within the range of 4 to 6 degrees between the bottom of the pillow and the back of the head, and 12 to 16 degrees between the bottom and the back of the neck. Accordingly, the occipital support portion 111 is formed so that the angle formed when drawn in a straight line from the floor where the pillow base 110 touches to the most concave point of the occipital region is 5 degrees, and the cervical support portion 112 has a pillow base. It is characterized by being formed so that the angle formed when drawn in a straight line from the bottom of the contact to the most convex point of the cervical spine is 14 degrees.

[Example 3]

Hereinafter, using FIGS. 3 and 4, we will explain the structure and material selected in the pillow to support the human body and obtain various benefits.

The Kelvin cell structure has a structure in which the unit cells of tetrakaidecahedron are arranged in a regular three-dimensional manner (22). This model, which is a combination of 8 regular hexagons and 6 squares, consists of 14 faces, 36 edges, and 24 vertices connecting the faces, and has the unit open cell model (21) as the representative unit element. .

Pillows need to maintain a low temperature for a comfortable sleep. The temperature rise time under the pillow depends on the contact surface area between the pillow and the head, the heat conduction of the pillow filler, and the breathability of the pillow. Considering this, the pillow is open-cell, which not only distributes the heat of the pillow evenly but also helps promote air circulation.

In addition, the structure is repeated in a shape that fills space with minimal surface area, and has excellent elasticity, causing elastic deformation that quickly restores the original shape even after force is applied.

Additionally, the material is TPU (Thermoplastic PolyUrethane). TPU is a thermoplastic polyurethane and has the elasticity of rubber. The benefits of the above material for 3D pillow injection are as follows. First of all, since it is a non-toxic material without harmful substances such as environmental hormones and TVOC, it is safe to be close to human skin;

It is elastic and flexible, so it is soft when it touches the skin. Due to the appropriate elasticity, it can maintain the curve of the cervical spine and have a soft feeling when used;

Due to its high abrasion resistance and high strength, excellent tear propagation resistance, excellent damping properties, and excellent low-temperature flexibility, it can maintain its original shape even after multiple washings and uses. Due to the nature of pillows, they are used every day and need to be washed periodically, so they must be durable. In particular, it is highly resistant to sweat and oil that may occur when in direct contact with the human body.

[Example 4]

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing a customized pillow according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described using FIGS. 6 and 8.

The manufacturing method of a user-customized pillow according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of the user making an impression of the user's cervical spine and occiput using a plaster bandage, the step of 3D scanning the plaster (FIG. 8), and the extracted Applying the scanning data to a pillow base 110 having a pre-designed Kelvin cell structure;

The step of applying scanning data to the pillow base 110 of the Kelvin cell structure includes;

By combining the plaster scan data and the adopted structure, the kelvin cell structure, reverse engineering was performed to fit the pillow size, modeling was performed, and the size of the fillet, which is a fillet, was set and applied to smoothly connect the curved and flat parts. It includes steps to:

Afterwards, the design information can be transferred to a 3D printer that injects TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), and the 3D printer can print the pillow.

Accordingly, the user can receive a pillow that accurately matches the shape of the user's cervical spine and head within a short period of time.

In other words, the present invention has the excellent effect of increasing product satisfaction on the user's side and easily solving inventory problems that may occur due to mass production of small items on the producer's side.

110: pillow base
111: Occipital support
112: Cervical support unit
113: Flow chart
120: Occipital and cervical curved surfaces
20: Curved side cross-sectional view
21: unit cell

Claims (7)

Regarding the physical differences according to each individual's various body types, the occipital and cervical support parts have a three-dimensional space structure to maintain a constant height and angle suitable for the user's body type, and the open-cell structure is fully open to ensure breathability and A customized pillow that improves thermal circulation and washability. According to paragraph 1,
Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) has the characteristics of high elasticity, high elasticity, and high strength. Due to its high elasticity, the printed product easily returns to its original state and is easy to wash. This is a customized pillow. According to paragraph 1,
A customized pillow featuring thermoplastic polyurethane filament (TPU) extracted and stacked layer by layer using FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) printing. According to paragraph 1,
The structure is repeated in a shape that fills the space with minimal surface area, and is stacked with a Kevin-cell structure that has excellent elasticity and quickly returns to its original shape even after force is applied. It is strong against external shocks and has a side surface that can support the load of the head. Customized pillow featuring . According to paragraph 1,
A pillow base formed in a rectangular shape where the length in the longitudinal direction (L) is relatively longer than the length in the width direction (W) and arranged horizontally on the floor; and
An occipital support portion forming a downwardly concave curved surface in the central portion; and
A cervical spine support portion located at the bottom of the occipital support portion and forming a curved surface; and
A customized pillow comprising a pillow base including a heel portion that protrudes higher than the upper surface of the support portion. According to paragraph 1,
A customized pillow with a Kevin-cell structure that is porous and highly breathable, lowering head temperature and improving sleep quality. In the method of manufacturing a customized pillow,
Wrapping the user's cervical spine and occiput using a plaster bandage, applying plaster to harden it, and then 3D scanning it;
Concatenating the extracted data to the base of the Kelvin-cell structure;
Transfer design information to printer; and
A customized pillow comprising: printing the designed pillow.