Abstract:
A double pillowcase assembly comprising a pair of fabric envelopes connected together along a central seam line, the envelopes being capable of holding pillows therein and an anchor pad extending outwardly from the double pillowcase and being connected thereto along the central seam line.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a double pillowcase stitched in the middle to connect the two halves of the pillowcase together. More particularly, the present invention includes a lightly cushioned and quilted anchor pad which is attached to the double pillowcase along the middle line of stitching 
     2. The Prior Art 
     Double pillows and double pillowcases are known in the art. Patent No. 1,447,288 to Emmerich shows a double pillowcase in which pillows are received. The pillowcase sections are connected together along a center seam. 
     Ruscitto Patent No. 5,572,753, shows a double pillowcase provided with the envelopes for inserting pillows. However, the Patentee prefers to have one pillowcase empty and to use it as a head cover over the other pillow. 
     Endel et al, Patent No. 4,550,459, shows three pillows connected together along a single seam. In the case of Endel et al, one of the pillows is larger and the other two pillows are smaller and of equal size. 
     Doremus, Patent No. 395,043, shows three pillows connected together along a central seam. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention involves a double pillowcase which includes a pair of fabric envelopes connected together along a central seam line, the envelopes being substantially rectangular in shape and being capable of holding pillows therein. The double pillowcase assembly further includes an anchor pad extending outwardly from the pillowcase and being connected thereto along the central seam line. The double pillowcase can be used in a conventional manner without relying on the anchor pad. However the anchor pad is an essential ingredient of the double pillowcase assembly because it permits, in one form of the invention, a user to sit on the anchor pad with the double pillows positioned behind the head and shoulders of the user. The placement of the body on the anchor pad, in this situation, prevents the pillows from scooting out from under the head of the user. Similarly, if one wishes to use the pillow assembly for elevation of the legs, the position of the body is reversed so that the user places his or her buttocks adjacent to the center seam line with his or her legs draped over the double pillows. A conventional pillow can then be used to support the head of the user. In this case the position of the body of the user on the anchor pad again prevents the pillows from scooting out from beneath the supporting position for the legs. Finally, the anchor pad permits the user to lie crosswise across the anchor pad with the pillows behind the back of the user to provide back support. A conventional pillow can also be used to support the head of the user. In this way the user can recline comfortably with the pillows providing back support or, in the case of a young mother, an infant can be supported in the mother&#39;s arms for breastfeeding as desired. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the double pillowcase with pillows inside and the anchor pad hidden beneath the pillows. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the upper pillow rotated slightly counterclockwise to expose the anchor pad. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a man sitting on one of the pillows and having the other pillow behind his back forming a comfort seat. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a woman with a baby lying on the anchor pad and having the double pillows behind her back and having a separate conventional pillow positioned to receive her head when she is lying down and/or feeding the baby. 
     FIG. 5 is a view of a modified form of the present invention wherein the anchor pad is essentially fill body length and showing a young woman lying with her head on the double pillows and her body on the anchor pad. 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective of a toddler sitting in the center of a pillow arrangement similar to that of FIG. 1 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective of a young woman sitting on the anchor pad and using the double pillows for leg elevation; a separate conventional pillow is positioned beneath the head of the young lady. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 shows two pillow case sections  10  and  12  connected together along a center seam line  14 . Both the pillowcase sections  10  and  12  in FIG. 1 are substantially rectangular in shape and are shown as fabric envelopes being filled with pillows which have been inserted through the openings  16 . 
     The pillowcases can be made from any material which is used to make conventional pillowcases. Preferably, the pillowcases  10  and  12  can be made from a 50% cotton, 50% polyester cloth, but 100% cotton or nylon wipe-able fabric can be used. 
     In FIG. 2 the right hand pillow arrangement  12  is rotated slightly counterclockwise to reveal an anchor pad  18  which is also attached to the two pillowcase sections  10  and  12  along the center seam line  14 . For convenience, the pillowcase sections will also be referred to as “pillows” hereinafter. The anchor pad  18  is cushioned with a polyester batting. 
     In the double pillow case and anchor pad arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pillowcase sections  10  and  12  can be further defined as having long sides  11  and short sides  13 . The center seam  14  is intermediate and parallel with the long sides  11  and the openings  16  for insertion of the pillows (not shown) are adjacent the short sides  13 . In FIG. 3 a young adult male  20  is shown as sitting on one of the pillows  10  while having the other pillow  12  propped against a wall or vertical surface so as to provide a comfort seat. 
     In FIG. 4 an adult female  22  is shown as resting her buttocks on the anchor pad  18  with the pillows  10  and  12  being immediately behind her back so as to provide back support. A conventional pillow  24  is positioned so as to receive the head and shoulders of the woman  22  when she lies down fully. Further, FIG. 4 shows an infant  26  being held in the arms of the woman  22 . Thus, the woman can recline on the pillow  24  for sleeping or for nursing the infant, as the case may be. 
     FIG. 5 shows a modification of the invention where the anchor pad  18   1  is considerably longer than the anchor pad  18  of FIGS. 2 and 4. A young woman  28  is shown as lying on the anchor pad  18   1  so that the majority of her body is on this anchor pad, the pillows  10  and  12  being behind the head and shoulders of this young lady. 
     As indicated previously, the anchor pad  18   1  in FIG. 5 is essentially full body length, which means that the pad extends from the center seam  14  a sufficient distance to accommodate the legs and torso of the woman  28 . Although the anchor pad  18   1  is considerably longer than the anchor pad  18  in FIGS. 2,  4  and  7 , it can be seen from the drawings of FIGS. 2 and 7 that the anchor pad  18  is still longer than the short sides  13  of the pillow  10 . 
     In FIG. 6 a toddler  30  is shown as sitting on the two pillows  10  and  12  substantially at the area of the central seam  14 . 
     FIG. 7 shows a young woman  28  sitting on the pad  18  with the pillows  10  and  12  beneath her knees to provide leg elevation. A separate conventional pillow  24  can be placed behind the head and shoulders of the young woman. The purpose of the lightly anchor pad  18  or  18   1  is to provide an anchor for the pillows  10  and  12  so that when a person is sitting on the anchor pad  18  as shown in FIG. 4 the pillows  10  and  12  will not move with respect to the woman  22  but will provide a support behind her back. In FIG. 5 which employs a longer anchor pad  181  the pillows  10  and  12  are positioned behind the head and shoulders of the young lady  28  and will not move because her body is on the anchor pad  18   1 . Similarly, when the young lady is seated on the pad  18  in FIG. 7 with the pillows  10  and  12  beneath her knees to provide elevation of the legs, the pillows will not move as long as she remains seated on the pad  18 . 
     In FIG. 7, when the young woman  28  positions the anchor pad  18  under her body so that the seam  14  is relatively close to her buttocks, the pillows  10  and  12  under her knees are in a position to “clamshell”. This is true even with large king-size, overstuffed Pillows. The pillows will stay in place due to the user&#39;s body weight keeping them in place. The closer the pad is brought up upon the back, the greater the degree of lower body elevation. Conversely, the further the pad is positioned away from the lower back, the less the leg elevation will be. The user can use extra firm, high loft pillows if needed and they will still lift the lower legs or body portion without scooting or movement of the pillows. The user can remove one of the pillows from the pillowcase  10  and get less elevation if desired. When the user reverses her body position on the pad  18  or  18   1  as shown in FIG. 5 for the purpose of providing upper body elevation, the seam end  14  of pad  18  will be approximately at the location of the waist of the woman  28 . The double pillows  10  and  12  will elevate the head, shoulders, chest and upper body of the woman  28 . The degree of upper body elevation is contingent upon the placement of the pad. The lower down the back that the pad is stationed, the less the upper body is heightened. The user can remove one of the pillows from the pillowcase sections  10  or  12  if less elevation is desired. The function of the anchor pad  18  or  18   1  remains the same. No matter how high or low the upper body elevation is, the pillows will not migrate or scoot out of position due to the anchor pad. 
     The body of the anchor pad is stitched into the center of the adjoining pillow slips. The anchor pad is cushioned with a polyester batting that yields enough or is cushioned so that the user could use this on a hard surface and enjoy a certain degree of padding under the body. 
     If the user sits on the anchor pad so that the buttocks is essentially over the seam line  14  the user is able to sit upright on the pillows like a chair with the two pillows behind the users back. 
     As shown in FIG. 4, the woman  22  is able to lie on her right or left side for back support keeping the pillows  10  and  12  in place behind her back. 
     Heretofore, it has been indicated what type of material might be employed to make the pillowcases. With respect to the pillows (not shown) which are inserted into the pillowcases, these could be one&#39;s existing pillow which, for example, could be made of 100% goose down feathers covered with any conventional cloth material of any acceptable type, or the pillow could be made from foam or polyester. It is even contemplated that the pillow might be inflatable, if desired. 
     The user could fill the cases  10  and  20  with very firm pillows or, alternatively, with very soft pillows, or one of each in the two cases to obtain a combination of support. The fact of the two separate chambers  10  and  20  allows the user to individualize the pillowcase set as desired. With respect to the anchor pad  18 , this is preferably filled with approximately ¼″ polyester batting for cushioning and stability, and ease of movement. This feature gives some rigidity to the anchor pad, allowing this ease of movement while preventing the pad from gathering up (wrinkling) under the user&#39;s body as he moves or shifts position.