Abstract:
An arm supporting pillow in sling apparatus, comprising in combination a flexible sling, with a strap to be supported by a user&#39;s shoulder area, an insert pillow received in the sling, to be retrievable from the sling, the sling and pillow dimensioned to receive a user&#39;s forearm alongside the pillow, in the sling.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates generally to human arm supports, and more particularly to comfortably supporting that forearm in an immobile position, spaced from the torso. 
   There is need for such arm supporting device, and particularly after surgery, and when a patient is bedridden. In particular, there is need for a simple, effective, arm support that is easily applied with minimum disturbance to the arm itself. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is a major object of the invention to provide an improved arm support apparatus meeting the above need, and employing an arm supporting pillow. Basically the invention is embodied in a sling apparatus that comprises, in combination: 
   a) a flexible sling, with a strap to be supported by a user&#39;s shoulder area, 
   b) an insert pillow received in the sling, and to be retrievable from the sling, 
   c) the sling and pillow dimensioned to receive a user&#39;s forearm alongside the pillow, in the sling. 
   As will be seen, the pillow typically has a width between 2½ and 5 inches, to support the forearm at that distance from the human torso to which the sling is applied, the pillow extending forwardly, along side the forearm and held in that position by the sling. Also, the pillow preferably consists of foam material, and has a jacket covering the foam material, and may have releasable connection to the sling for positioning. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide a sling having forwardly extending panels which are foldable to be connectable together along upper extent of the sling, to close the sling over the user&#39;s forearm and pillow, and to allow upward opening of the sling to release the user&#39;s forearm and the pillow. 
   Yet another object is to provide a strap that extends above the user&#39;s body and has opposite ends respectively connected to the sling and to the pillow, and having length to extend about the user&#39;s body. 
   A further object is to provide a sling having a releasable drop panel which, when dropped, allows the user&#39;s forearm to dangle downwardly from and below the sling. A user&#39;s hand holder associated with the pillow is manipulable to release the hand and arm, to hang downwardly as described. 
   An added object is to provide a sling having a bottom panel which is adjustable in width to allow sling size adjustment. Such sling size adjustment easily accommodates to different size (width) arms to be retained against the side of the pillow by the sling, so that only one size pillow is needed, but multiple sizes are accommodated. 
   The novel sling and pillow apparatus therefore has many advantages as well as multiple modes of operation, all embodied within a single, effective, easily applied and removed apparatus, particularly as respects bedridden patients. 
   These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following specification and drawings, in which: 

   
     DRAWING DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  are frontal and rearward perspective views of preferred apparatus embodying the invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a view showing sling panels separated away from a pillow retained in the sling; 
       FIG. 4  is a view of a bedridden patient to which the sling apparatus and pillow are easily applied, as for example by pillow insertion into the opened sling; 
       FIG. 5  is a more detailed view, taken in frontal perspective, showing the opened sling, and pillow; 
       FIG. 6  is a plan view taken in section on lines  6 — 6  of  FIG. 5 ; and 
       FIG. 7  is a section taken in elevation on lines  7 — 7  of  FIG. 6 ; and 
       FIG. 8  is a vertical section showing a modification. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   In the drawings, a flexible sling  10  has a strap  11  to be supported by a user&#39;s shoulder area  12   a , so that the strap extends at  11   a  at the front of the user&#39;s body  12 , and at  11   b  at the rear of the body. 
   The sling has spaced apart, forwardly extending panels  10   a  and  10   b , which are foldable to be connected together along upper extent  10   c  of the sling, as for example is shown in  FIG. 7 . Panel  10   a  is an inner panel positioned to rest against the user&#39;s side  14 ; and panel  10   b  is an outer panel positioned to extend as shown, adjacent the user&#39;s arm  12   b  in space  15 . A connection is shown at  16  for interconnecting upper extents of the panels, in a forward and rearward direction  17 . That connection may for example comprise hook and pile elements, as shown, enabling ready release of the connection  16 . 
   An insert pillow  18  is received into the sling, as for example downwardly when connection  16  is opened as seen in  FIG. 5 . The received pillow is located in space  20 , between arm space  15  and panel  10   a , whereby the pillow comfortably holds the user&#39;s arm  12   b  in outwardly spaced relation to the user&#39;s side  14 , the tensioned sling panel  10   b  holding the user&#39;s arm against the pillow side  18   a . The pillow may consist of yieldably compressible pad material  22  such as foam rubber, or foam plastic, and a jacket  23  surrounding the pad, as at  23   a – 23   d , in  FIG. 7 . A finger or hand retention strap  24  extends adjacent the forward end of the pillow at its side facing space  15 . The strap lower end  24   a  has hook and loop connection to the pillow, bottom panel  10   e  as at  70 . 
   The pillow itself preferably has adjustable VELCRO connection to the sling, as at connection  26  to sling panel  10   a , to adjustably position the pillow in the sling, for most comfort to the user&#39;s arm  12   b.    
   Sling strap  11   a  has connection to upper portions  10   a ′ and  10   b ′ of both sling panels  10   a  and  10   b , as seen in  FIG. 7 . See ring  30  connecting adjustable strap  32  to loop  32   a ; and see ring  33  connecting adjustable strap  32   b  to loop  32 . Ring  35  connects loop  32  to sling shoulder strap  11   a , as shown. Hook and loop connections  31   a  and  34   a  allow length adjustment of folded-back straps  31  and  34  whereby rotary positioning (see arrow  50 ) of the pillow in the sling can be achieved; and hook and loop connection  37  allows length adjustment of sling strap  11   b.    
   When strap  31  is disconnected from panel  10   b , outer sling panel  10   b  can be dropped, after release of the connection  16 . This allows alternative downward flexing and positioning of the user&#39;s arm  12   b , as to a hanging condition, as seen in  FIG. 3 , below the level of the sling panel  10   b , as for arm medical or other treatment, without requiring removal of the pillow  18  from the sling. Thereafter, the user&#39;s forearm  12   b  can be flexed up at the elbow and re-positioned adjacent the pillow side as in  FIG. 7 , and the panel  10   b  re-attached at  16  to panel  10   a , and strap  31  re-attached to loop  32 . These steps can be easily accomplished while the user is in lying or reclining position, as in a medical facility as seen in  FIG. 4 , without disturbing the sling straps  10   a  and  10 , or a body retention strap  45 . The latter has attachment to the sling at  46 , as seen in  FIG. 2 , and to the pillow at  47  as seen in  FIG. 5 . These connections assure positioning of the pillow in the sling, during use and adjustment. The user&#39;s hand  12   c  is shown in  FIG. 1 , retained to the pillow by strap  24 . 
     FIG. 8  shows an optional sling bottom panel  10   d  which is adjustable in width between side panels  10   a  and  10   b . See overlapping sections  10   d ′ and  10   d ″ of panel  10   d , VELCRO connected to allow width adjustment of  10   d , below the pillow. 
   The pillow width is typically between 2½ and 6 inches. The pillow may consist of an inflatable container, rather than foam rubber of foam plastic.