Support device for infants

A support for a baby's head including a fabric covered foam member adapted to receive the baby's neck in a generally U-shaped inset. The fabric covering extends beyond the covered member and terminates in a pair of flaps which are adapted for positioning behind the baby so as to assist in positioning the support. When the baby nods, its head contacts the covered member in a supporting fashion.

The "CUDDLE CUSHION" is a cushion device to be used in caring for babies 
aged newborn through the toddler stage. 
It is designed to provide additional support and comfort for the baby's 
head and neck, at times when the baby is likely to fall asleep in a 
semi-sitting or reclining position. For example: when the baby is in an 
infant swing, car seat, newborn carrier type seat, etc. 
The "CUDDLE CUSHION" is made of a soft, pliable yet self-supporting foam 
about one-inch in thickness and an overall planar configuration. The foam 
includes a generally U-shaped cut or inset extending into the planar foam 
body from the rear edge thereof and adapted to receive the baby's neck, 
that is, the baby's neck projects into the U-shaped opening, and the foam 
body extends forwardly and to the sides of the baby's head in a shelf-like 
configuration such that when the baby downwardly nods its head forwardly 
or to either side as when drowsy or falling asleep the shelf formed by the 
foam body contacts the baby's head and softly but comfortably supports it. 
In other words the device of the present invention provides cushioning and 
some support, should the baby's head fall either to the front, or to 
either side, while sleeping in a semi-sitting or reclining position. The 
"CUDDLE CUSHION" is covered in a soft, washable material with flaps that 
extend down the baby's back, to be tucked behind the baby, so that it is 
held in place solely by the baby's own weight. There is a slit in the 
material covering the cushion, at the center of the "U", so that the cover 
can easily be removed and laundered. The foam can also be washed, if 
necessary, water squeezed out, and set out to dry. 
The "CUDDLE CUSHION" is intended to be used with adult supervision, as in 
any aspect of caring for a baby. It is designed as a comfort/support 
device only, and is not intended for use as a safety device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings, the device 10 of the present invention includes 
a self-supporting generally planar foam body or insert 12. Such body 12 is 
adapted for insertion into a cover 14 of a soft washable fabric having an 
upper surface 16 and a lower surface 18. The main forwardly disposed 
portion 20 of the cover 14 includes a slit 22 in the lower surface 18 
through which the insert 12 may be positioned into a pocket 24 formed by 
the opposed surfaces 16, 18. The portion 20 as well as the insert 12 
include respective forward and rear edges 27, 28. 
A generally U-shaped cut 26 extends into the body insert 12 from the rear 
edge 28 thereof. Such cut-out 26 as well as the similarly shaped cover 14 
are adapted to receive the baby's neck as best shown in FIG. 5. The cover 
14 further includes a pair of positioning flaps 30 which extend rearwardly 
from the forward cover portion 20. Also since there is no foam or other 
supporting insert in the flaps 30, they are free to fall downwardly and 
assume a position behind the baby's back so as to assist in positioning 
the device 10 upon the baby in the desired position as shown in FIG. 5. It 
would, of course, be possible to tie the flaps behind the baby's neck or 
to dimension the U-shaped cut-out to snugly fit the baby's neck, but both 
such positioning techniques are believed less desirable than the 
relatively long, relatively wide flaps 30 which are easily positionable 
behind the body, its bedding, the car seat interstices, etc. for support 
of the forward cover portion 20. Such cover portion 20, in effect, forms a 
self-supporting shelf partially surrounding the baby's head (generally 
about 270 degrees) and in spaced proximity below the baby's head such that 
the shelf is readily available to support the head when the baby nods 
forwardly or to the sides but does not interfere with the baby's vision or 
its ability to rest its head on whatever support is positioned to the rear 
(car seat, baby carriage, etc.). 
While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure 
embodying this invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art 
that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made 
without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive 
concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein 
shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the 
appended claims.