PILLOW FOR LYING ON ONE'S STOMACH

Abstract

A support pillow is formed of two pillows connected by a concave-shaped pillow case. The support pillow may be used by persons lying on their stomach. The two-pillow configuration has a space therebetween to allow a person's breasts to fall into, thereby preventing them from being crushed by the user's own body weight. Pain and discomfort caused by crushing one's breasts can be alleviated by the support pillow.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/227,173, filed Jul. 21, 2009, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a pillow and, more particularly, to a pillow that may allow a woman to lie comfortably on her stomach.

When lying on one's stomach, a woman may feel discomfort associated with the compression of her breasts against a hard, flat surface caused by her own body weight. This discomfort may be pronounced if the woman has received a breast implant.

As can be seen, there is a need for a device that allows person to comfortably lie on their stomach.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a pillow comprises a first pillow member; a second pillow member; a pillow case covering the first pillow member and the second pillow member with a connecting material therebetween.

In another aspect of the present invention, a pillow comprises a pillow case having a first pillow receiving opening on a first end thereof and a second pillow receiving opening on a second end thereof, the pillow case further comprising a concave-shaped connecting material connecting the first pillow receiving opening with the second pillow receiving opening; a first pillow member adapted to fit in the first pillow receiving opening; a second pillow member adapted to fit in the second pillow receiving opening; and a closing mechanism adapted to close the first pillow receiving opening and the second pillow receiving opening.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pillow according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a foam cylinder used to make the pillow of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of fiber wrap used to encompass the foam cylinder of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cylindrical cover used to encase the fiber wrapped foam cylinder of FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a pictorial flow chart showing the assembly of a pillow member, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the pillow of FIG. 1 in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a support pillow formed of two pillows connected by a concave-shaped pillow case. The support pillow may be used by persons lying on their stomach. The two-pillow configuration has a space therebetween to allow a person's breasts to fall into, thereby preventing them from being crushed by the user's own body weight. Pain and discomfort caused by crushing one's breasts can be alleviated by the support pillow.

Referring to FIG. 1, the support pillow 10 may include a first pillow 12 and a second pillow 14 encased and connected together with a pillow case 16. The pillow case 16 may be formed of a natural material, such as cotton, or terry cloth, a synthetic material, such as polyester, or a combination thereof. The pillow case 16 may include a connecting material 36 that may be attached to a first material end 18 and a second material end 20. Each end 18, 20 may have an opening 22 to contain a pillow member 24 (see FIG. 4). The openings 22 may be closable by means known in the art. For example, the openings 22 may be closable by a drawstring, by a hook and loop fastener, such as Velcro®, elastic or the like.

The length of the connecting material 36, that is, the distance between the first pillow 12 and the second pillow 14, may be from about 10 to about 20 inches, typically about 15 inches. This spacing may allow a user to adjust the position of each pillow 12, 14 for comfort. Excess connecting material 36 may be rolled up around one or both of the pillows 12, 14. The width of the connecting material 36 may begin as the same width as the pillow member 24 and may reduce, in a concave shape, to about 40-60% of its maximum width (for example, from a width of 19 inches where the connecting material 36 meets the end material 18, 20, to about 8 inches in a central portion of the connecting material 36).

Referring to FIGS. 2 through 5, each pillow member 24 may be made from a piece of foam 26 (see FIG. 2), wrapped in a fiber wrap 28 (see FIG. 3) that is placed inside a sleeve 30. The foam 26 may be a foam cylinder, although other shapes may be within the scope of the present invention. The foam cylinder 26 may be from about 3 to about 8 inches in diameter, typically from about 4 to about 5 inches in diameter. In one embodiment, the foam cylinder 26 has a diameter of 4.7 inches. The fiber wrap 28 may be a polyethylene terephthalate fibrous material, such as Dacron®. The fiber wrap may be about 1 inch thick. The fiber wrap 28 may help with the installation of the foam cylinder 26 into the sleeve 30. The sleeve 30 may be a liquid impervious cover, for example, a vinyl cover. The sleeve 30 may allow the pillow member 24 to be easily cleaned and/or sterilized, while the pillow case 16 may be washed, for example, in a washing machine.

The sleeve 30 may include an opening 32 to allow installation and/or removal of the fiber wrapped 28 foam cylinder 26. The opening 32 may be closed by conventional means, such as with a zipper. Ends 34 of the sleeve 30 may include a piping material (not shown) sewn therein to create an aesthetically pleasing appearance when the pillow members 24 are inserted into the openings 22 of the pillow case 16 and the openings 22 are closed.

Each pillow member 24 may be from about 17 to about 24 inches in length, typically from about 19 to about 22 inches in length. In one embodiment, each pillow member 24 is the same length. In alternate embodiments, each pillow member 24 (forming the first pillow 12 and the second pillow 14) may be different lengths.

Referring to FIG. 4, to use the pillow 10, a user may position one pillow, such as the first pillow 12, above the breasts, and a second pillow, such as the second pillow 14, below the breasts, with the breasts positioned therebetween. When the user lies on her stomach, the user's weight may be supported by the pillow 10, thus relieving pain and discomfort for the user. The pillow 10 may be used in any environment where the user may wish to lie on her stomach. For example, the pillow 10 may be used when lounging, for example, at the beach or poolside, when receiving a massage, for sleep, and the like.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A pillow comprising:

a first pillow member;

a second pillow member;

a pillow case covering the first pillow member and the second pillow member with a connecting material therebetween.

2. The pillow of claim 1, wherein the first pillow member and the second pillow member are formed from a foam cylinder wrapped with a fiber material and encased in a sleeve.

3. The pillow of claim 1, wherein the connecting material has a concave shape.

4. The pillow of claim 1, wherein the pillow case has an opening on each end thereof, each opening adapted to receive one of the first pillow member and the second pillow member.

5. The pillow of claim 4, wherein each opening has a closing mechanism formed therein.

6. The pillow of claim 5, wherein the closing mechanism is a drawstring.

7. The pillow of claim 1, wherein the first pillow member and the second pillow member, independently, have a length from about 19 to about 22 inches.

8. The pillow of claim 1, wherein the first pillow member and the second pillow member, independently, have a diameter from about 4 to about 6 inches.

9. A pillow comprising:

a pillow case having a first pillow receiving opening on a first end thereof and a second pillow receiving opening on a second end thereof, the pillow case further comprising a concave-shaped connecting material connecting the first pillow receiving opening with the second pillow receiving opening;

a first pillow member adapted to fit in the first pillow receiving opening;

a second pillow member adapted to fit in the second pillow receiving opening; and

a closing mechanism adapted to close the first pillow receiving opening and the second pillow receiving opening.

10. The pillow of claim 9, wherein:

the first pillow member and the second pillow member are formed from a foam cylinder wrapped with a fiber material and encased in a vinyl sleeve;

the first pillow member and the second pillow member, independently, have a length from about 19 to about 22 inches; and

the first pillow member and the second pillow member, independently, have a diameter from about 4 to about 6 inches.