Heel saver
The present invention is a heel and elbow cushioning device, having a sleeve with a flat top surface and a bottom surface and with the inner cavity of said sleeve being filled with a cushioning material, and the sleeve having a preferred dimension of from about 3 inches to about 12 inches and between about ¼ inch and about 2 inches thick. The sleeve may have a specialized cover to protect from dirt and damage. Such cover would further contain an opening for the sleeve, and would have a closing mechanism for said opening.
This application claims the priority of U.S. Ser. No. 61/095,348 filed on Sep. 9, 2008, the contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe invention relates to the field of cushions, in particular, a cushion used as a foot rest on furniture.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONMany people like to prop their feet on a coffee table when relaxing on a sofa. This presents a two-fold problem; one, the user's heel gets sore from resting on the hard surface of a table. Second, other people in the household may find it objectionable for another to put their feet on a piece of furniture. The present invention solves both these problems.
The present invention discloses a foot coaster having a gel filled sleeve. A gel like filler provides cushioning and support, while keeping the size thickness of the invention to a minimum. Cushions that have been available in the art address medicinal or therapeutic reasons for elevating heels and elbows, while other cushions are used to safeguard limbs from a possible injury. However, the need for thin compact cushions for furniture protection, and leisure and relaxation has not yet been adequately addressed. The present invention addresses this need by providing a thin and small coaster, which would fit on any tabletop or a bench top and can even augment desktop paraphernalia in an office setting.
Known prior art feet cushions include U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,410; U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,979; and a U.S. Patent Application No. 2007/0001503.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,410 discloses a knee pad for providing fall protection of a knee is disclosed. The knee pad is a flexible single piece flat pad made of encased resilient polymeric material and is configured to have a top edge portion having a crown for protecting patella of a knee, a pair of first and second side edge portions, and a bottom edge portion. The first side edge portion has an extended flap for protecting a side of the knee. The knee pad can be reversed, front to back, for selectively protecting either medial aspect or lateral aspect of the knee. Furthermore, the knee pad can be held in position by a body tight garment without additional attachment devices. Also disclosed is a multifunctional body protection pad that can be used interchangeably for providing fall protection of a knee or a hip.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,979 describes an inflatable cushion apparatus for maintaining a person's lower leg, ankle and foot, in an elevated and substantially horizontal position relative to the person's head and upper body. The inflatable cushion apparatus includes an angled front wall for supporting a person's upper leg in an inclined position. A top wall is provided which extends horizontally when the apparatus is inflated. A valve is provided to facilitate filling of the cushion apparatus.
The U.S. Patent Application No. 2007/0001503 discloses a device for protecting a substantially horizontal top of a piece of furniture from damage by either the back of the lower portion of the legs or the bottom of feet of a person sitting near the piece of furniture includes a cushion having two portion separated by a notch. The first portion of the cushion rests on the substantially horizontal top of the piece of furniture and under the back of the lower portion of the legs or the feet of the person sitting near the piece of furniture. The second portion of the cushion engages the edge of the substantially horizontal top of the piece of furniture.
Prior art discloses bulky unattractive devices that are designed to protect a foot from injury, provide therapeutic relief to a patient who is lying down, or protect furniture from scuff marks. All of these devises are bulky and do not aim at relieving stress or providing relaxation. The present invention provides relief and relaxation for both heels and elbows, whereas prior art addressed the needs of only one set of limbs. In addition the present invention satisfies a long felt need for leisure devices for heels and elbows that are easy to use, easy to clean and store, and appropriate to be utilized in any setting without any stigma or embarrassment. The present invention can even serve as a promotional item with a marketing message printed thereon.
One embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be described in more detail herein below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is a cushion suitable for supporting a user's heels or elbows, comprising a sleeve, the sleeve having a top surface and a bottom surface. The sleeve is filled with a cushioning material, and has a dimension from 3 inches to 12 inches in diameter and between ¼ and 2 inches thick.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cushioned support device for heels and elbows.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a feet and leg support device which would be safe to use by being thin, light, tear resistant, stain resistant, non-flammable, and hypoallergenic.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cushioning device with a frictional bottom and/or top surface that would adhere to a smooth surface and thus prevent the device from being easily shifted and moved.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cushion device wherein the cushioning material is a gel.
It is an object of the invention to provide a cushion device wherein the cushioning material is made of cotton padding.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cushion device for heels and elbows, where the cushioning is accomplished with a viscoelastic polymer.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cushion device wherein the top and bottom surfaces are made out of material suitable for disposing decals and printing, and which could also serve as a promotional object, displaying a logo, contact information or a marketing message.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a heel and elbow cushion that has a removable pouch that is made of supple material.
It is an object of the invention to provide a cushion that contains a deformable sleeve encased in a pouch, and the pouch made out of a soft material.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pouch with an opening to admit a cushion, and said opening having a closing mechanism.
The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to
The present invention discloses a cushioning coaster for heels and elbows that can be used on a variety of surfaces including but not limited to tabletops, desktops, office desktops, chairs and car seats. The present invention can provide much needed cushioning in many circumstances. For example, the present invention can serve as a movable cushion on medical examination tables and chairs, which are usually very firm and made from tough durable materials. Extra cushioning for a banged up or tender limbs or head may be necessary or desirable. Another application of the present invention may be in an airplane or bus seating. These areas are only minimally comfortable to save on space and cost. Additionally, pillows and other cushioning materials are provided in very limited quantities, if at all. Therefore, a passenger arriving late to a flight, or deciding to rest well into the flight, may find that all available cushions have been distributed. The compact design of the present invention would easily fit into a small carry-on and provide a harried and often frustrated traveler with soothing softness both on airplane chairs, and in the waiting area. The present invention may additionally be utilized in vehicles, such as trucks cars and busses, to provide additional cushioning on hard surface armrests, firm seats and as knee pads against hard dashboards in compact cars. As will be described later, the present invention may be fitted with Velcro hooks, elastic straps or non-elastic bands to snugly attach unto vertical surfaces, narrow bars or pipes, and smooth, flat, and even slippery surfaces.
The sleeve 10 may have a cover which has a top and bottom and an opening and a closing mechanism, with the dimensions of the cover substantially conforming to the dimensions of the sleeve. The cover may be made from a soft material and may contain frictionally adherent components, such as described in the discussion of
Still referring to
As mentioned above, the top surface 20 and the bottom surface 30 can instead be formed to be one monolithic unit, thus eliminating the side seam 40. In
In an alternative embodiment, the sleeve 10 may include an air pocket (not shown), which may additionally be adjustable. An air pocket would supplement the cushioning ability of a filler substance. An air pocket may have an external air volume adjustment pump, which may be operated manually or with an electronic mechanism. An electronically operated mechanism may additionally contain a receiver from a remote control device that would remotely signal for deflation or inflation of the internal air pocket. The air pocket additionally would provide an ability to easily adjust the surface temperature of the present invention, since the air within the air pocket may be heated or cooled prior to being impelled into the air pocket. The air pocket would be completely encased by the filler material and by sleeve 10.
Various other alternative embodiments of the present invention are also possible. For example the filler may be impregnated with various objects, such as toys, marbles, various promotional objects, which may additionally function as bells and produce jingle noise when shaken. This would increase the fun factor of the invention, may make the present invention more aesthetically appealing the any prior art device.
Still referring to
The pouch 60 may be made from material suitable for printing or adding decals, including but not limited to, textured materials, indicia, pictures, figures, designs, and patterns. Any color or combination of colors may be used for the above, and the pouch itself may be any material or color or combination of materials and colors. The pouch 60 may additionally contain exterior or interior pockets (not shown).
Although shown as the same in the figures, the top and bottom surfaces of the sleeve 10 or of the pouch 60 may be different from each other, in means including but not limited to, surface texture, color, presence and/or type of indicia, pictures, figures, designs, and patterns, or even in size, shape, or material.
The present invention would be used at home, in office settings, or other settings, as a cushion for heels and elbows. Typically, a person wishing to relax, to daydream, to read or to think about a difficult issue would desire to lean back and place his or her feet on a desk, a bench, or a different item of furniture in front of them. Alternatively, a person wishing to speak on the phone, read, or to take a brief snooze may lean his or her elbows on adjacent furniture. The hard surface or most furnishings causes discomfort and may lead to sore spots on feet and arms reclining on such surfaces. The present invention would solve this problem. It would typically be placed on top of furniture and used as a cushion under feet or arms to avoid discomfort and to promote muscular relaxation. The softness of the cushion would shield reclining limbs from the hardness of the surfaces underneath.
Although designed for heels and elbows, the present invention may be used with any part of the body, for instance, to rest ankles on a wheelchair. It also protects furniture and can be used in other ways, including but not limited to, the following: to rest feet on bleachers; as an arm rest in car, theater, etc.; to protect heels at the beach when sitting in a chair with heels on the foot coaster in the sand; as an elbow pad for studying at a desk; in place of a pillow for cheek rest when resting one's face against a glass window of a car, on a plane, etc. The cover, pouch, and sleeve can be of different textures, colors, have pictures, be decorated, and heated or frozen.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A cushion suitable supporting a users heels or elbows, comprising:
- a sleeve, the sleeve having a top surface and a bottom surface;
- the sleeve being filled with a cushioning material; and
- the sleeve having a dimension from 3 inches to 12 inches in diameter and between ¼ inch and 2 inches thick.
2. The cushion of claim 1, wherein the top surface and bottom surface is made out of tear resistant material.
3. The cushion of claim 1, wherein the bottom surface frictionally adheres to a smooth surface.
4. The cushion of claim 1, wherein the top and bottom surfaces are made out of material suitable for disposing decals or printing.
5. The cushion of claim 1, wherein the cushioning material is a gel.
6. The cushion of claim 1, wherein the cushioning material is viscoelastic polymer.
7. The cushion of claim 1, wherein the cushioning material is made of cotton padding.
8. The cushion of claim 1, wherein the sleeve is substantially round.
9. The cushion of claim 1, wherein the sleeve is substantially flat.
10. The cushion of claim 1, further comprising a cover for the sleeve;
- the cover having a top and a bottom and an opening;
- the opening having a closing mechanism; and
- the dimensions of the cover substantially conform to the dimensions of the sleeve.
11. The cushion of claim 10, wherein the cover is made out of soft fabric.
12. The cushion of claim 10, wherein the bottom cover frictionally adheres to a surface.
13. The cushion of claim 10, wherein the closing mechanism contains hook and loop fasteners.
14. The cushion of claim 10, wherein the closing mechanism contains zip fasteners.
15. The cushion of claim 10, wherein the top and bottom surfaces are made out of material suitable for disposing decals or printing.
16. The cushion of claim 10, wherein the top and bottom surfaces are made out of stain resistant material.
17. A foot rest, comprising:
- a pouch with at least one opening;
- the opening containing a closing mechanism;
- the opening permitting an insertion of a deformable sleeve;
- a sleeve that is filled with a cushioning material;
- the sleeve having a dimension from 3 inches to 12 inches in diameter and between ¼ inch and 2 inches thick; and
- the pouch conforming to the shape of the sleeve.
18. A method of supporting a human limb while in a substantially elevated position comprising the steps of:
- disposing a cushion onto a table or ottoman, wherein the cushion comprises: a substantially flat sleeve; and a cushioning material disposed within the sleeve.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising a pouch for the sleeve.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 8, 2009
Publication Date: Mar 11, 2010
Inventor: Michael Rieber (LIVINGSTON, NJ)
Application Number: 12/584,525
International Classification: A47C 20/02 (20060101);