Abstract:
A support pillow for supporting infants, for example during feeding, is provided. The support pillow takes a shape selected from the group consisting of V-shapes and L-shapes. the support pillow comprises first and second arms extending from a main pillow body. The support pillow can be inflatable and made of a rubber or plastic material. Alternatively, the support pillow can be made of a hypo-allergenic material.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention generally relates to support pillows, for example, pillows for supporting infants in a person&#39;s lap.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Supporting an infant&#39;s weight in one&#39;s arm becomes tiring after a prolonged period of time. For this reason, and the importance of supporting an infant&#39;s head and neck, support pillows are widely used to support an infant in a person&#39;s lap, for example during feeding or nursing. These support pillows generally support the infant&#39;s head and neck, enabling the infant to more easily access a feeding device.  
         [0003]     Support pillows typically have soft surfaces on which the infants rest, and are generally stuffed with a filler, making the pillow sufficiently firm to support the infant. However, the fabric used for the soft surface of the pillow and the filler used to impart firmness can cause allergic reactions, and the absorbent nature of these materials makes them very difficult to clean. As a result, these pillows attract germs and allergens that may be harmful to the infant resting on the pillow or to the person using the pillow to support the infant.  
         [0004]     Also, existing pillows tend to lose their stiffness over time, particularly if the pillow has been washed. Washing a pillow that has a fabric surface and a filler causes the pillow to flatten, often reducing stiffness by as much as 30% after a single washing, and eventually the pillow must be replaced.  
         [0005]     In addition, support pillows are generally U-shaped, often fitting very snugly around an adult&#39;s waist. However, these U-shaped pillows are typically not well-suited for overweight adults because the pillows tend to fit too tightly around the person&#39;s waist, making it very uncomfortable to support an infant in the person&#39;s lap. Accordingly, a need exists for an infant support pillow that can be hypo-allergenic, easy to clean and suitable for use by overweight adults.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention is directed to support pillows which can be used to support infants in a person&#39;s lap, for example during feeding. In one embodiment, the pillow is generally L- or V-shaped and has first and second arms extending from a main pillow body. The first and second arms of the pillow may be the same length or may have different lengths.  
         [0007]     In one embodiment, the support pillow is inflatable and is constructed of a material that is substantially impermeable to air and/or fluid. The pillow according to this embodiment is inflated through a valve, and can be inflated to any desired pressure and stiffness. Also, the pillow may be re-inflated if it loses pressure or stiffness, eliminating the need to replace a flattened pillow.  
         [0008]     In another embodiment, the support pillow is made of a hypo-allergenic material. The hypo-allergenic material may be an inflatable material, and may have a smooth surface to enable easy cleaning of the pillow. In yet another embodiment, the pillow may further comprise a cover, which may be made of a hypo-allergenic material. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1A  is a top view of a support pillow according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 1B  is a bottom view of the support pillow of  FIG. 1B ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 1C  is a top view of a support pillow according to another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 1D  is a top view of a support pillow according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2A  is an elevated side view of a support pillow according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2B  is an elevated side view of the opposite side of the support pillow of  FIG. 2A ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3A  is a schematic illustrating a method of manufacturing a support pillow according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3B  is a schematic illustrating a method of manufacturing a support pillow according to another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 3C  is a schematic illustrating a method of manufacturing a support pillow according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is a top view of a support pillow according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is a top view of a support pillow according to another alternative embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 5   a  is a top view of a support pillow according to yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 6  is a schematic depicting one use of a support pillow according to one embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0023]      FIG. 7  is a schematic depicting an alternative use of a support pillow according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0024]     In one embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 1A, 1B ,  2 A and  2 B, a support pillow  9  comprises a first arm  12  and a second arm  14  connected by a main pillow body. In accordance with the invention, one arm is adapted to rest on a person&#39;s lap while the other arm extends along one side of the person&#39;s waist, leaving the other side of the person&#39;s waist and the person&#39;s back generally free of contact from the pillow. As such, the pillow of the present invention is comfortable and suitable for use by a person regardless of his or her size. In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the first and second arms  12  and  14  protrude from the main pillow body to form a generally V-shaped pillow. Also in this embodiment, the first and second arms  12  and  14  have substantially the same length.  
         [0025]     The pillow  9  may be made of any suitable material. In one embodiment, the pillow  9  is inflatable with either air or fluid and is made of a high gauge rubber that is substantially impermeable to air and/or fluid. A nonlimiting example of such a rubber is butyl rubber, which is commonly used for inner tubes and air cushions. The pillow may also be made of an inflatable plastic. A nonlimiting examples of such a plastic is vinyl, such as 16 gauge vinyl, which is commonly used for wading pools. These inflatable pillows are also easily deflated to conserve storage space. In addition to being inflatable, pillows made of this rubber are easily cleaned, for example, with a damp cloth. Also, pillows made of this rubber will not accumulate germs and/or allergens from the surrounding environment as readily as a cloth or fabric pillow.  
         [0026]     As shown in  FIG. 1B , the pillow  9  is inflated by forcing air or fluid through a valve  36 . This allows the firmness of the pillow  9  to be adjusted by varying the degree of inflation. The valve enables inflation by any suitable means. For example, a user may inflate the pillow by blowing air from his or her mouth into the pillow through the valve. Alternatively, a bicycle pump or similar device may be used to pump air to the pillow through the air valve. Also, fluid can be inserted into the pillow through the valve either through a funnel or similar device, or by a pump.  
         [0027]     In an alternative embodiment, the pillow  9  is made of a hypo-allergenic material, which can be a cloth or fabric. In this embodiment, the pillow may also be filled with a hypo-allergenic filler.  
         [0028]     Alternatively, the pillow may further comprise a cover, which may be made of any suitable material, including a hypo-allergenic material. In this embodiment, the pillow is easily cleaned by washing the pillow cover. Because only the cover of the pillow is washed, the pillow will not flatten due to washing.  
         [0029]     The main pillow body  10  comprises sides  10   a ,  10   b , and  10   e . The first and second sides  10   a  and  10   b  converge at location A. An angle α between the generally linear first and second sides  10   a  and  10   b  is about 90°, but can be less than 90°. The third side  10   e  is generally arcuate and opposes location A. A distance between the side  10   e  and the location A may range between about 14 to about 25 inches, preferably from about 15 to 22 inches, and more preferably from about 15 to about 19 inches. The first arm  12  of the pillow extends along the first side  10   a , and the second arm  14  extends along the second side  10   b.    
         [0030]     As shown in  FIG. 1A , the location A may be a corner configuration, or as shown in  FIG. 1B , an arcuate configuration so long as the pillow remains generally V-shaped. Similarly, free ends  11  and  13  of the first and second arms  12  and  14 , respectively can take any suitable shape. For example, the free ends  11  and  13  of the first and second arms  12  and  14 , respectively, may be substantially square, as shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , or substantially rounded, as shown in  FIG. 1C .  
         [0031]     The lengths of the first and second arms  12  and  14  are not critical and can vary as desired. In one embodiment, length d 1  of each of the arms ranges from about 15 to about 30 inches. In addition, the arms  12  and  14  can have any widths and circumferences as desired. In addition, the pillow  9  can take any suitable cross-sectional shape, including but not limited to circular, ovular, square and rectangular shapes. In one embodiment, the width d 2  of each of the arms  12  and  14  ranges from about 8 to about 15 inches, and the circumferences of the arms  12  and  14  (when inflated or stuffed to the desired degree) range from about 22 to about 30 inches.  
         [0032]     In another exemplary embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the support pillow  109  comprises a main pillow body  110  and first and second arms  112  and  114 , respectively. The first and second arms  112  and  114  protrude from the main pillow body  110  to form a generally L-shaped pillow. In this embodiment, the first arm  112  is shorter than the second arm  114 .  
         [0033]     Like the pillow  9 , the pillow  109  may be made of any suitable material. In one embodiment, the pillow  109  is inflatable and made of a high gauge rubber that is substantially impermeable to air. A nonlimiting example of such a rubber is butyl rubber, which is commonly used for inner tubes and air cushions. The pillow may also be made of an inflatable plastic. A nonlimiting examples of such a plastic is vinyl, such as 16 gauge vinyl, which is commonly used for wading pools. These inflatable pillows are also easily deflated to conserve storage space. In addition to being inflatable, pillows made of this rubber are easily cleaned, for example, with a damp cloth. Also, pillows made of this rubber will not accumulate germs and/or allergens from the surrounding environment as readily as a cloth or fabric pillow.  
         [0034]     Like the pillow  9 , the pillow  109  is inflated by forcing air through an air valve (not shown). This allows the firmness of the pillow  109  to be adjusted by varying the degree of inflation. The air valve enables inflation by any suitable means. For example, a user may inflate the pillow by blowing air from his or her mouth into the pillow through the air valve. Alternatively, a bicycle pump or similar device may be used to pump air to the pillow through the air valve. The air valve may be placed in any suitable location on the pillow  109 , including on the bottom of the pillow, away from the surface of the pillow on which an infant may rest.  
         [0035]     In an alternative embodiment, the pillow  109  is made of a hypo-allergenic material, which can be a cloth or fabric, such as cotton or polyester. In this embodiment, the pillow may also be filled with a hypo-allergenic filler, such as polyester.  
         [0036]     Like the main pillow body  10 , the main pillow body  110  comprises sides  110   a ,  110   b , and  110   e . The first and second sides  110   a  and  110   b  converge at location B. An angle β between the generally linear first and second sides  110   a  and  110   b  is about 90°, but can be less than 90°. The third side  110   e  is generally arcuate and opposes location B. A distance between the side  110   e  and the location B may range between about 14 to about 25 inches, preferably from about 15 to 22 inches, and more preferably from about 15 to about 19 inches. The first arm  112  of the pillow extends along the first side  110   a , and the second arm  114  extends along the second side  110   b.    
         [0037]     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the location B may be a corner configuration, or as shown in  FIG. 5 , an arcuate configuration, so long as the pillow remains generally L-shaped. Similarly, free ends  111  and  113  of the first and second arms  112  and  114 , respectively can take any suitable shape. For example, the free ends  111  and  113  of the first and second arms  112  and  114 , respectively, may be substantially square, as shown in  FIG. 4 , or substantially rounded, as shown in  FIG. 5 .  
         [0038]     The lengths of the first and second arms  112  and  114  are not critical and can vary as desired. However, the first arm  112  is longer than the second arm  114 . In one embodiment, the length d 4  of the first arm ranges from about 15 to about 30 inches. The second arm  114  may have any length sufficient to support the arm  114  against the side of a person&#39;s body. For example, the second arm  114  may have a length d 3  ranging from about 8 inches to about 20 inches. Also, the pillow  109  can take any suitable cross-sectional shape, including, but not limited to, circular, ovular, square and rectangular shapes. In addition, the arms  112  and  114  can have any width and circumference as desired. In one embodiment, the width d 5  of the each of the arms  112  and  114  ranges from about 8 to about 15 inches, and the circumference of each arm  112  and  114  (when inflated or stuffed to the desired degree) ranges from about 22 to about 30 inches.  
         [0039]     As shown in  FIG. 3A , the pillows  9  and  109  may be fabricated according to one embodiment by connecting two generally identically configured pieces of material  56  and  58  with a seam  60  (shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B ). Each piece has the main pillow body and both arms. The seam  60  spans the entire perimeter of the pillows  9  and  109 . Although the pillows  9  and  109  are described as being fabricated by connecting two pieces of material  56  and  58  with a seam  60 , it is understood that any means of fabricating the pillow may be used. For example, as shown in  FIG. 3B , the pillow may be fabricated from one piece of material with two mirroring halves  56   a  and  58   a  that are bridged  59  at a free end of an arm. The two halves are folded over on each other and then connected by the seam  60  extending generally the perimeter around the bridged free end. Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 3C , the main pillow body  10  or  110  and the arms  12  and  14  or  112  and  114  can be fabricated separately and the arms connected to the main pillow body with connecting seams  62  and  64  between the arms and the main pillow body.  
         [0040]     The pillows  9  and  109  may also include handles  30  for carrying, gripping or repositioning the pillows. The handle  30  can be constructed of any suitable material, and can be made of the same material as the pillow or a different material. As shown, the handle  30  is attached to the pillow at the seam  60 . However, it is understood that the handle  30  may be attached in any suitable manner. In inflatable embodiments, the handle  30  should be attached such that the attachment does not substantially affect the impermeability of the pillow to air.  
         [0041]     In addition, the handle  30  may be located anywhere on the pillow. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1A, 1B  and  4  the handle can be connected at one end to a side of the main pillow body and connected at the other end to one of the arms. Alternatively, as shown in  FIGS. 1C, 2B  and  5 , both ends of the handle can be connected to one of the arms. In another alternative, both ends of the handle can be connected to one side of the main pillow body, or one end can be connected to the first side  10   a  or  110   a  and the other end connected to the second side  10   b  or  110   b  of the main pillow body (shown in  FIG. 1D ).  
         [0042]     The pillows  9  and  109  may further comprise at least one pocket  120  positioned on one or both of the arms, as shown in  FIG. 5   a . The pocket  120  may have any suitable shape and size and may be positioned anywhere on the arms. In addition, the pocket  120  may have an open top  121  adapted to receive various items, such as burp cloths or bottles (when the pillow is used to feed an infant). Alternatively, the pocket  120  may have a reversibly closeable top  122 , such as a zipper, Velcro® or the like. The pillows  9  and  109  may have any number of pockets  120  as desired, and a plurality of pockets  120  may be positioned on all sides of the pillow to provide at least one pocket  120  regardless of which side of the pillow is being used.  
         [0043]     In use for supporting an infant, as shown in  FIG. 6 , one of the arms of the pillow spans the lap of a person using the pillow, and the other arm rests against the side of the person&#39;s body. Neither arm wraps around the back of the person&#39;s body. However, it is understood that the pillow can be used for purposes other than infant support, such as back support. When used, for example for back support, one arm of the pillow may span the back of a person&#39;s body, and the other arm rests against the side of the person&#39;s body, as shown in  FIG. 7 . The L- and V-shaped configurations of the inventive pillows makes them considerably more comfortable for overweight persons than existing U-shaped infant support pillows.  
         [0044]     The preceding description has been presented with references to certain exemplary embodiments of the invention. However, workers skilled in the art and technology to which this invention pertains will appreciate that alterations and modifications in the described structure may be practiced without meaningfully departing from the principal, spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description should not be read as pertaining only to the described embodiments, but rather should be read consistent with and as support for the following claims, which are to have their fullest and fairest scope.