Abstract:
The invention includes a belt that a pregnant woman wears while sleeping to support her abdominal area when she is lying on her side. There are two ribbon strips that wrap around the abdominal area and fasten in the front. Two memory foam pillows are attached to the belt to support either side of the woman&#39;s abdominal area. When lying down, the skinniest park of the pillow will be at the woman&#39;s back and the wider part is under her abdominal area to provide extra support to the baby. There are two extension strips included to ensure that the belt will fit around any size abdominal area.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to sleep aids, and more specifically to sleep aids that provide support for a women during pregnancy. 
         [0003]    2. Background Information 
         [0004]    While a standard pillow is often sufficient to accommodate the sleep comfort of most individuals, sometimes additional devices are used or needed. There are various sleep aid devices on the market. However, there is always room for improvement. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The sleep aid as described in this specification is a device designed to help individuals who need to comfortably accommodate a larger abdominal area, especially when sleeping. The device is especially helpful for pregnant women. The pregnancy sleep aid device needs to be adjustable to fit various sizes of women and should be easily adjustable for different sizes or growth of the abdominal area. In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the device is directed toward a sleep aid that is adjustable to individual needs. Generally, the inventive device includes a strap or straps with hook-and-loop, i.e., Velcro® brand strips, fixed at the ends of a strap that connects to pads or pillows that may easily be removed and/or affixed. 
         [0006]    Applicant appreciates that it is often advisable or preferable for a pregnant mother to avoid laying on her back. In operation, an embodiment of the invention may include sliding a strap through an opening of a foam pad. Once the foam pad is in place a second foam pad may slide onto the strap through an opening of the second foam pad. The two movable foam pads can then be positioned into place to provide support for the abdomen area of the mother while the mother is lying on her side. 
         [0007]    Further, the device and method may take on any configuration that is capable of being retrofitted onto an abdominal area so as to connect the strap or straps with the foam pads in a manner that provides comfort for the pregnant woman while lying on her side. 
         [0008]    An object of the invention is to provide a device that allows for comfortable rest for persons having a large abdomen. 
         [0009]    A further object of the invention is to provide a device that allows for comfortable rest for a pregnant women while lying on her side. 
         [0010]    An object of the invention is to provide a device that is simply and easily fitted onto the abdominal area and simply and easily adjusted to fit the size of the abdominal area. 
         [0011]    A further object of the invention is to provide a device that is comfortable for a user to wear. 
         [0012]    The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment, aspect, or every implementation of the present invention. The figures and detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify these and other embodiments and further aspects of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The invention may be more completely understood in consideration of the following description of various embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the device f  FIG. 1  in a connected mode. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of features of the invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a feature of the invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a reverse perspective view of the feature of  FIG. 4 . 
       
    
    
       [0019]    While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not necessarily to limit the invention of the particular embodiments described. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-5 , the invention is directed to a sleep aid device  20  and methods of using sleep aid device  20 . 
         [0021]    Generally, device  20  comprises a first pad  22  and a second pad  24 . Pad  22  and pad  24  may be identical or may be of different shapes or made of different materials. A first strap  26  connects first pad  22  to second pad  24 . Preferably a second strap  28  is also provided to connect first pad  22  to second pad  24 . Preferably pads  22 ,  24  are of a “memory foam” variety in that they retain their shape after being compressed or stretched. A cover may be placed over pads  22 ,  24 . Different types of materials may be used for pads  22 ,  24 . Preferably pads  22 ,  24  have a curved portion  50  which allows for different comfort orientations to be achieved by a user. Curved portion  50  may have a thickness greater than a narrower opposite end. 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , first pad  22  is positioned a distance D from second pad  24 . In one aspect, first strap  26  slides through a first pad channel  30 . Strap  26  enters first pad opening  23  and extends through channel  30  where it exits second opening  23 ′ (See  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5 ). Strap  26  may slide through and be adjusted along channel  30 . Preferably, first strap  26  also slides through second pad channel  32  such that first pad  22  is positionable a distance D from second pad  24 , creating a middle portion  52 . Strap  26  may also slide through and be adjusted along channel  32 . Preferably device  20  includes second strap  28  which slides through second first pad channel  31  and through second second pad channel  33 , similarly as described with respect to strap  26 . It may be appreciated that various sizes of straps and channels may be used to accommodate differences in preference. Additional straps and/or channels may also be used in conjunction with device  20 . In one aspect strap  26  may be a polyester ribbon that is flexible. Straps  26 ,  28  may be of any or a variety of colors and textures, and it may be of a variety of elasticity. 
         [0023]    A channel  30 ,  31 ,  32 ,  33  may be sized to accommodate a variety of different styles of straps  26 ,  28 . A channel may also be present as a sleeve positioned upon pad  22 ,  24 , such as created in a space between a cover and the pad  22 . Preferably, however, channel  30  runs through the body of a pad  22 . 
         [0024]    The first strap  26  and second strap  28  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  have an unstressed width of about 1 inch and an unstressed length of about 50 inches. A hook-and-loop fastener component  42  is fixed at the ends of the extension strip  54 . The hook-and-loop fastener component  42  may have multiple components  42   a  and  42   b . In one aspect, first component  42   a  may comprise the hook component, preferrably located at first end portion  38 . Second component  42   b  may comprise the loop component, preferrably located second end portion  40 . First end portion  38  may connect to second end portion  40 . Thus the first strap  26  and second strap  28  can be positioned to encircle the abdominal area of a women with the top surface  44  of pad  22  oriented toward the abdominal area, and the bottom surface  46  of pad  22  oriented towards the outside or away from the wearer as seen in  FIG. 2 . It may be appreciated that pad  22  may be positioned a first distance D from second pad  24 . It may also be appreciated that first strap  26  may slide through first pad such that first pad  22  is positionable a second distance from second pad  24 . Second distance may be of a length that is greater or less that first distance D. In this way pad  22 ,  24  may be adjusted to accommodate the comfort of each individual user, who may also reposition pads  22 ,  24  as desired. Pads  22 ,  24  are independently moveable along strap  26 ,  28 . It may be appreciated that channels  30 ,  31  may be parallel or may have some other orientation. 
         [0025]    First pad  22  shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  is preferably made out of a generally curved pad having a curved portion  50 . First pad  22  may comprise of first pad opening  23  for receiving first strap  26  with a second opening  23 ′ for receiving second strap  28 . Preferably first pad opening  23  is positioned at a perimeter edge  48  of pad  22 . First pad opening defines a first end  34  of first pad channel that extends through the first pad  22 . Second pad opening  25  defines a first end  36  of second pad channel that extends through second pad  24 . 
         [0026]    A pad  22 ,  24  may be of many sizes. In one aspect pad  22  may have a width of about 10 inches (running from a left perimeter edge to a right perimeter edge) and a length running from a front perimeter edge  48  to a rear curved portion of about 8 to 9 inches (preferably about 9 inches, and preferably about 8 inches as measured from the thickest portion of pad  22  to front perimeter edge  48 ). A thickness of pad  22  at curved portion may be about 4-5 inches (preferably about 4¾ inches, and a narrower thickness at an opposite end of about 3 inches). The particular dimensions of pads  22 ,  24  may vary as desired. 
         [0027]    A third pad may also be used. Third pad may be positioned at middle portion  52 . Third pad may be a pad or pillow that is similar to pads  22 ,  24 . Third pad may be used to assure the wearer does not continue to lie on her back; instead the wearer will be coaxed to lay on her side. Pads  22 ,  24  are preferably positioned and configured to support the belly area of the person. In the case of a pregnant mother, pads  22 ,  24  assist in support of the baby. 
         [0028]    An extension strip  54  shown in  FIG. 3  has an unstressed width of about 1 inch and an unstressed length of about 24 inches. Strip  54  may be of any desired length, and preferably is about two feet in length. A hook-and-loop fastener component  42  is fixed at the ends of the extension strip  54 . The hook-and-loop fastener component  42  may have multiple components  42   a  and  42   b . First component  42   a  may comprise the hook component, preferrably located at opposite end of  42   b . Second component  42   b  may comprise the loop component, preferrably located at opposite end of  42   a . Extension strip  54  may be used to increase the length of a strap  26 ,  28  to accommodate women having different sizes of abdomens. 
         [0029]    One aspect of the invention includes a method of using the device  20  by affixing the device  20  to the abdomen of a person. The pads  22 ,  24  help the wearer obtain a comfortable sleeping position. 
         [0030]    The terms and descriptions used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims, and their equivalents, in which all terms are to be understood in their broadest possible sense unless otherwise specifically indicated. While the particular SLEEP AID AND METHOD as herein shown and described in detail is fully capable of attaining the above-described aspects of the invention, it is to be understood that it is the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention and thus, is representative of the subject matter which is broadly contemplated by the present invention, that the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments which may become obvious to those skilled in the art, and that the scope of the present invention is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” Moreover, it is not necessary for a device or method to address each and every problem sought to be solved by the present invention, for it to be encompassed by the present claims. Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. section 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.”