Attachment for a support pillow and methods for its use

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of therapeutic support pillows, and in particular to support pillows and methods for their use which are intended as improvements to the support pillow and methods described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,134, the complete disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,134 describes a therapeutic support pillow which is provided to support a small child or an infant, and particularly to hold a small child in a manner that prohibits lateral movement. Although the support pillow described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,134 has been generally successful when used to prohibit the lateral movement of a small child, various improvements are desired. For example, it would be desirable if such a support pillow could be used with an adolescent or an adult. For some applications, it would be further desirable if improvements could be made to the overall structure of the support pillow.

Many adults or adolescents participate in activities which make it desirable to support certain objects or body parts. For example, with activities such as reading, typing, breast feeding, and the like, it is often desirable to support the arms or elbows. As another example, when sleeping in an upright position it is often desirable to have the neck and head supported. As a further example, it is often desirable to provide support to the lower back.

Although some support structures have been proposed for supporting objects or body parts, such as the arms of a chair or certain braces, such structures are often uncomfortable and inconvenient to use. Further, some support structures are not easily portable, thereby limiting their use. In a further drawback, most support structures are designed only for a particular application and do not have multiple uses.

For these and other reasons, it would be desirable to provide an improved support pillow and methods which would overcome these and other drawbacks. In particular, it would be desirable if such a support structure and methods were capable of supporting certain small objects or body parts, such as the arms, elbows, lower back, neck or head. Such a support pillow and methods should be comfortable, portable, and easy to use. In one particular aspect, it would be desirable if such a support pillow could be used in a variety of applications to support certain objects or body parts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a support pillow and methods for its use. In one exemplary method, support is provided to a person's lower back. According to this method, a support pillow is provided having a resilient cushion body with a medial region and first and second opposing cantilever arms extending from the medial region. The cantilever arms have respective first and second end portions remote from the medial region. The cantilever arms are curved about a vertical access to define a substantially toroidal configuration for the cushion body and to position the first and second end portions in a confronting relation to one another. The cantilever arms and medial region cooperate to define a generally circular open well. Such a support pillow is placed around the person's torso in the area of the lower back. The first and second end portions of the cantilever arms are positioned in front of the person's torso, and the medial region of the support pillow is positioned adjacent the person's lower back. The cantilever arms are biased around the person's torso to hold the support pillow vertically positioned relative to the person's torso while the medial region is positioned against the person's lower back. In this manner, the support pillow may be employed to support the person's lower back even when the person is in various positions. For example, the support pillow may be used to support the lower back when the person is sitting in an upright position, such as when sitting in a chair. Alternatively, the support pillow may provide support to the person's lower back while the person is lying.

In one particular aspect, the support pillow is removably held within a flexible container having a bottom end, at least one side and an open top. A base member is held within the bottom end of the container. With this configuration, the base member holds the container in a vertical orientation when the bottom end rests upon a surface, thereby providing a convenient way to store the support pillow. To use the support pillow, the user simply removes the support pillow from the container and then places the pillow around the torso. Preferably, the container comprises a clear polymer and the base member is constructed of a paper material. optionally, the top end may be provided with a snapable handle which provides a way to both carry the pillow and to close the top end of the container.

In another exemplary method, such a support pillow may be placed around the person's torso, with the first and second end portions of the cantilever arms being at the back of the person's torso, and with the medial region of the support pillow being adjacent the front of the person's torso. The cantilever arms are biased around the person's torso to hold the support pillow vertically positioned relative to the person's torso. With the support pillow placed around the person's torso in this manner, an object may be rested on the cantilever arms or the medial region while the cantilever arms are biased around the person's torso.

For example, the person may be sitting while resting the object on the cantilever arms. In one exemplary aspect, the object is printed material, such as a book, that is rested on the medial region. Alternatively, other objects such as games, food, video game controls, and the like, may be rested on the medial region. In a further aspect, the person's elbows or forearms are rested on the medial region. Resting of the person's forearms or elbows in this manner is advantageous when performing a variety of activities with the hands, such as typing on a keyboard, breast feeding a baby, and the like.

In yet another exemplary method, such a support pillow is provided to support a person's neck and head. According to the method, the support pillow is placed around the person's neck with the first and second end portions of the cantilever arms being at the front of the person's neck. The medial region of the support pillow is positioned adjacent the back of the person's neck. The cantilever arms extend around the person's neck so that the neck is supported at least in part by the cantilever arms in the medial region.

In one aspect, the support pillow is positioned so that the cantilever arms rest on the person's shoulders. In another aspect, the person's head is tilted so as to rest the person's neck and head against the support pillow in the region of the open well. For example, the support pillow may be employed to support the person's neck and head while sitting in a chair or other location where the person's head may be supported when titled. Alternatively, the support pillow may be employed to support the person's neck while lying down.

The invention provides an exemplary support pillow having a resilient cushion body, a medial region and first and second opposing cantilever arms extending from the medial region. The cantilever arms have respective first and second end portions remote from the medial region. The cantilever arms are curved about a vertical axis to define a substantially toroidal configuration for the cushion body and to position the first and second end portions in a confronting relation to one another. The cantilever arms and medial region cooperate to define a generally circular open well. At least a portion of the cushion body is covered with a material suitable for receiving a marking substance from a writing instrument such as a pen, marker, or the like. Preferably, such a material comprises a fabric having a smooth surface (such as satin, rip-stop nylon, and the like) and covers a bottom portion of the cushion body. In this way, the support pillow may be employed to receive an autograph or other message by simply turning the support pillow on its side or top and writing on the bottom portion.

In a preferable aspect, a head member is further provided and is attached to the cushion body. The head member will preferably be attached to one of the cantilever arms such that the head member extends in a direction generally parallel to the vertical axis. In one particular aspect, the head member is in the shape of a unicorn.

The invention provides one particularly preferable embodiment of a support pillow which may be used in a liquid medium, such as water. The support pillow comprises a resilient cushion body having a medial region and first and second opposing cantilever arms extending from the medial region. The cantilever arms have respective first and second end portions remote from the medial region, with the cantilever arms being curved about a vertical axis to define a substantially toroidal configuration for the cushion body and to position the first and second end portions in a confronting relation to one another. The cantilever arms and medial region cooperate to define a generally circular open well. The cushion body is constructed of a sponge material so that the cushion body may be placed in a liquid medium. In this way, the support pillow may be placed around the torso of a person when bathing, with the support pillow maintaining the person in a generally upright position. Alternatively, the support pillow may be placed on the bottom of the bath tub, with the person's head being supported by the medial region.

The invention still further provides a support pillow which conveniently may be provided in kit form. The pillow comprises a pillow body having a medial region and a pair of opposing arms. Further, a central holder is removably secured to the medial region of the pillow body to provide a convenient way to carry and store the support pillow.

In one particular aspect, the central holder comprises a piece of material, such as a paper product, which encircles the medial region. Preferably, the holder includes at least one aperture which is adapted to receive a hanger to hang the support pillow, thereby providing a convenient way to both store and display the support pillow. Optionally, a protective cover, such as a plastic, may be provided to encompass the support pillow.

The invention further provides an exemplary method for storing a support pillow having two opposing arms and a medial region. According to the method, a central holder is placed around the medial region and a hanger is introduced through the central holder to allow the support pillow to hang from the hanger. In this way, the hanger may be employed to conveniently store and display the support pillow. For example, the support pillow may be display along a store aisle to allow a purchaser to easily visualize the support pillow and then remove the support pillow from hanger for purchase.

In a further exemplary embodiment, a support pillow is provided comprising a resilient cushion body and at least one connector, such as a strap, which is attached to the cushion body. The strap is configured to attach an article, such as a child's toy, to the cushion body.

The connector may either be fixedly or removably attached to the cushion body. When removably attached, the connector is preferably affixed to an attachment member which in turn is removably coupled to the support pillow. In one preferable embodiment, the attachment member comprises a cover which is wrapped about at least a portion of the support pillow. Conveniently, a fastener, such as a hook and loop fastener material, may be disposed at opposing ends of the cover so that when the cover is wrapped about the support pillow, the ends will overlap to engage the fasteners.

In a preferable aspect, the pillow (or attachment member) includes two or more straps so that a variety of toys may be attached to the pillow. Further, the pillow is preferably fashioned to include a medial region and first and second arms extending from the medial region to define a generally circular open well. With this arrangement, the straps are attached to the medial region so that a child may lay on the pillow, with the stomach being over the well, and play with the toys that are attached to the pillow. The straps are therefore advantageous in that they hold the toys close to the pillow so that the child will not push the toys out of reach during play. When the straps are affixed to the cover, the cover is preferably configured to wrap around the medial region.

The straps may be configured in a variety of ways to hold the toys to the pillow. For example, the toys could be tied to the pillow with the straps. Preferably, each strap will include a fastener which allows the strap to be formed into a loop to secure the article. For instance, each strap may be provided with a hook and loop fastener. In this way, the toys will be removably attached to the pillow to allow for convenient removal and replacement of the toys.

In still another embodiment, an alternative attachment member is provided. This attachment member includes a pocket to hold various articles, such as a bottle, toys, a pacifier, and the like. The attachment member is preferably attached to the support pillow by wrapping the attachment member about a portion of the support pillow and fastening together two ends of the attachment member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a support pillow constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the support pillow of FIG. 1 taken along lines 2--2.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional top view of an alternative embodiment of a support pillow according to the present invention.

FIG. 3A is a top view of a further alternative embodiment of a support pillow according to the invention.

FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional side view of the support pillow of FIG. 3A.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate one exemplary use of the support pillow of FIG. 1 when placed around a person while in a sitting position.

FIG. 6 illustrates a further exemplary method for using the support pillow of FIG. 1 to support an object in front of a person's torso according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates yet another use of the support pillow of FIG. 1 for supporting a person's neck and head according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates still yet another use of the support pillow of FIG. 1 for supporting a person's lower back according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a support pillow having a head member attached to one of the cantilever arms according to the present invention.

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate exemplary uses of the support pillow of FIG. 9.

FIG. 12 illustrates a bottom portion of the support pillow of FIG. 9 which is constructed of a material suitable for receiving a marking substance from a writing instrument according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a front view of a support pillow having a central holder to allow the support pillow to be conveniently hung and displayed according to the invention.

FIG. 14 is a side view of the support pillow of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a front perspective view of a support pillow which is stored within a container according to the invention.

FIG. 16 is a top perspective view of a support pillow having a plurality of straps for attaching articles to the pillow according to the invention.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an exemplary cover having a plurality of straps for attaching articles to a support pillow according to the invention.

FIG. 18 illustrates the cover of FIG. 17 when coupled to a support pillow and showing toys coupled to the straps according to the invention.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an attachment member having a pocket for holding various articles according to the invention.

FIG. 20 illustrates the attachment member of FIG. 19 when coupled to a support pillow and when holding an article according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of a support pillow 10 will be described. The support pillow 10 may be constructed essentially identically to the support pillow described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,134, previously incorporated herein by reference. The support pillow 10 includes a curved outer surface 12 which is rounded in both a longitudinal and a lateral direction. The support pillow 10 further includes a curved central inner surface 14 which defines a rounded, generally circular or elliptical well region 16. While the body of the support pillow 10 is substantially continuous and uniform, with curved surfaces 12 and 14 also being continuous, it is convenient to consider the pillow body as consisting of a medial region 15, and two opposed cantilever arms 18 and 20. The arms 18, 20 extend in opposite directions away from the medial region 15, but are curved towards one another to give the pillow 10 its toroidal configuration. While the continuous structure does not provide a precise or exact division between the medial region 15 and each arm, considering the body of the pillow in view of these components facilitates a description of the structure and function of the pillow 10.

Cantilever arms 18, 20 include respective blunt ends 20 and 24, positioned remotely of the remedial region. The support pillow 10 is proportioned so that ends 22, 24 normally, i.e., when not under external stress, touch one another. However, the ends 22, 24 do not exert substantial pressure against each other. The toroidal shape defined by the outer and inner curved surfaces 12, 14 is proportioned such that at a central vertical plane, represented by line 2--2 in FIG. 1, bisects the pillow 10 at the medial region 15. Pillow 10 thus has bilateral symmetry with respect to the central plane. The central plane further contains a vertical, central axis about which the toroidal pillow body is formed. Profiles of the pillow 10 taken radially of the central axis, i.e., sections of the pillow 10 in planes that also contain the central axis, are elliptical in shape throughout the medial region, and likewise are elliptical throughout the length of each cantilever arm 18, 20 with the exception of blunt ends 22, 24.

Well region 16 has a width W in the direction perpendicular to the central plane. The width W will preferably be in the range from about four to about twelve inches, and more preferably from about four to about eight inches, with a particularly preferred width being about six inches. Such a width will enable the support pillow to fit "snug" around the torso or waist of most users. The pillow preferably has a circumference of about 15 to 30 inches, and more preferably about 21 inches. As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the pillow 10 is constructed so that the arms 18, 20 may be moved away from each other to vary the width W so that the pillow 10 may be used in a variety of applications.

Referring to FIG. 2, the pillow 10 includes a central core 30 which is constructed of a resilient, compression resistant, hypoallergenic material, such as a polyester filling. The central core 30 is encased in a lining 32, such as cotton or other pliant conforming fabric. The polyester is firmly and tightly packed into lining 32, such that the core 30 and lining 32 together provide a self-supporting pillow body, i.e., the support pillow 10 retains its shape without any sagging or drooping of the cantilever arms 18, 20 when held at the medial region 15. The tightly packed polyester core 30 also provides the pillow with firmness in the sense that it will undergo only slight elastic deformation (as compared to a conventional pillow) when an object (such as a persons' arms or elbows) is rested on the arms 18,20 or medial region. Covering the lining 32 is a conforming, removable exterior covering 34, also preferably constructed of cotton. The elliptical profile i.e., the profile in the central plane, preferably has a vertical height of about four to eight inches, and preferably at about six inches. Line A--A in FIG. 2 represents a horizontal mid-plane, with the top and bottom halves of pillow 10 being symmetrical about the mid-plane.

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a support pillow 40. Support pillow 40 is constructed of a sponge material or other porous material (such as a foamed rubber). The sponge material will preferably provide substantially the same type of support as described in connection with the support pillow of FIG. 1. Constructing the pillow 40 of a sponge material allows the support pillow to be placed in liquids, such as water. For example, the support pillow may be placed around the waist or torso of a person (particularly an infant or a small child) when bathing. The support pillow holds the person upright to prevent the person from falling or slipping while within the bathtub. This is particularly advantageous when att