Multi-use support pillow

Abstract

The present invention provides a single piece, multi-use support pillow with ends of varying heights (28 and 34) and dual inclined support surfaces (22) designed to contour and support differing parts of a human body, which helps to maintain proper body alignment with even distribution of weight throughout muscular / skeletal system of an individual. The support pillow provides support with a contour fit for potentially all of the following areas: head, neck, shoulders, torso, back, thighs, knees, shins, ankles, feet, and toes.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of non-provisional U.S. Ser. No. 10 / 403,586, filed Mar. 31, 2003, which claims benefit of provisional U.S. Ser. No. 60 / 371,082, filed Apr. 9, 2002, now abandoned.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The invention relates to body support pillows. Specifically the invention relates to a multi-use support pillow having an additional, novel utility for lower leg support and body alignment while resting in a substantially horizontal bodily position. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] For many years inventors and laypersons have attempted to find improved ways to achieve a more peaceful and pain-free lateral resting position. They have done so with the hopes of lessening issues of tossing and turning, discomfort, unease, or resultant bodily pain. These issues are associated with each of the three different, main resting positions, that is, either on one's s...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0023] The multi-use support pillow described herein is constructed to provide satisfaction and resolution for an existing unmet need in providing more comfortable resting support and posture for an individual in any substantially horizontal position. The multi-use support pillow is lightweight, non-bulky, easy to use and inexpensive. An inclined support surface in combination with curved and / or partially curved and / or uncurved or planar ends and supportive side edges provides improved support for the toes, ankles, feet, shins, thighs, back, torso, shoulders, neck, and head or combinations thereof for individuals who choose to rest on the side, stomach, back, or throughout the range of different possible resting positions therebetween. Size and comfort versatility is accommodated by having the user simply and easily adjust for different size and comfort levels inside the resting position with a mere shift of the support structure in respect to the body.

[0026] The present invention also is directed to a method of maintaining body alignment and weight distribution within an individual in a substantially prone position to prevent or alleviate stress on the body during a period of rest. The pillow body comprising the support pillow described herein is positioned in supportive juxtaposition to an area of the body of the individual. The area of the body may encompass the shins, ankles and feet or may encompass the head, the head and neck or the head, neck and shoulder or encompass the torso. Alternatively two or three pillow bodies may be positioned in supportive juxtaposition to two or three of the supported areas. The juxtaposition of the inclined upper surface in combination with one or both of the ends or with one or both of the side edges or with one or both of the ends and one or both of the side edges of the pillow body to one or more of the areas of the body maintains body alignment and weight distribution in the substantially prone position thereby preventing or alleviating stress thereon.

Problems solved by technology

Furthermore, within each of these three main resting positions, there are varying degrees of positioning that also lead to the same or similar problems.

For each of these main resting positions, there arise different issues with which to contend, all of which have been associated primarily and more specifically with back, hip, or neck discomfort.

In part, these discomforts are caused by the incongruencies between the flat resting surface and the natural curvatures of the body, combined with the effects of gravity.

For example, while resting on one's side, the leg that is non-adjacent to the resting surface, the“top” leg, will drop to the resting surface resulting in a downward pull on the top of the hip or lower-back, whereby potential discomfort is caused in both areas.

Also, it will always be the case with this resting position that there is an uneven or asymmetrical distribution of weight on the body from the affects of gravity, which can lead to discomfort, unease, or poor muscular and skeletal alignment.

There is no way to totally resolve this situation, unless the affects of gravity on the body are stopped altogether.

Some of the current support means accomplishes this, but many do not provide support for the lower part of the leg.

Thus, the lower leg will still pull down on the area above the knee region, which potentially causes a problem similar to the original one, albeit it possibly with less intensity of resultant discomfort.

There still remains a great potential for resultant discomfort on the knee, thigh and hip region instead of the lower back under such circumstances.

It is also clear that much of the prior art does not allow for versatility in use for other areas of the body, inter alia, head, neck, back, hips, thighs, ankles, feet, and limits maneuverability of the user, while being offered as a single unit design.

While resting on one's back, the primary discomfort is found in the lower back region, with potential discomfort all the way up into the neck.

The primary cause for the lower back discomfort is the shape of the lower spinal curvature juxtaposed with the flat resting surface.

This natural body curvature prevents an even distribution of body weight on the resting, support surface, which subsequently leads to muscular or skeletal discomfort.

Many means of support in the current art provide such support, but lack versatility of use or are very bulky in size, which takes away from the maneuverability of the user.

Furthermore, when not in use, storage of such items is aesthetically unpleasing or inconvenient for the user.

The shin, foot, and ankle areas are incapable of resting flat or evenly along the resting surface.

This happens due to the inability of most persons to fully straighten the ankle in respect to the shin.

This leads to eventual discomfort in the top of the delicate toes, feet, or ankles.

The discomfort is alleviated in the foot area, but new discomforts arise in the hips or lower-back due to asymmetry in body positioning and weight distribution or to the unnatural position when both legs pivot out at close to a 90 degree angle starting at the ankles.

Unfortunately, this only increases the asymmetry of body positioning with greater likelihood of discomfort and potential bodily pains with every inch of leg movement upward, because the amount of asymmetry is increased as the leg moves up and away from the body, along with an increased lack of support with upward torso elevation away from the support surface.

The vicious cycle continues with tossing and turning all night, which takes away from the quality of rest the body needs, all with discomfort and potentially resultant bodily pains within and upon rising from the resting context.

Head or neck discomforts are associated with all of these aforementioned resting positions.

The current field has found numerous ways of supporting the head and neck in differing positions to resolve potential discomfort, but there are drawbacks that pertain to versatility of the head support overall, which essentially locks the user into one or two resting positions alone.

An example of this is U.S. Pat. No. 6,345,401 that discloses a support pillow having two curved sides for a person to rest either on his or her side or back, but lacks the versatility to be used while resting on the stomach.

This support pillow also lacks ‘flippability’ for equal use on either lateral side of the support surface and can only be used on one side.

These prior support articles have limited areas of body coverage and lack the proper intervention point(s) whereby a more peaceful period of rest can be accomplished, while allowing for versatility of use and maneuverability of the user and while simultaneously maintaining desired comfort levels.

Further drawbacks include bulkiness of the support articles, expense of manufacturing, which equals end-user expense, inadequate support, or lack of ease in storing the support object when not in use.

Both inventions provide a limited amount of maneuverability by the users, i.e., a user cannot rest in a diagonal position in respect to the mattress itself.

Other obvious drawbacks to both of these examples of mattresses are the expense, bulkiness of the unit and lack of versatility in use.

With respect to back of the thigh elevation for lower-back support, U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,108 is limited in that the support continues down toward the ankle area thereby losing the leg's potential for side-to-side pivoting, as well as locking the user into one resting position alone.

The size of both units is very large and bulky, and essentially restricts the range of movements of the user.

This limits the user to one body position alone, negating the possibility of lying on the side or stomach.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,797,153 and 5,878,453 both exemplify attempts to solve the lower-back issue through thigh elevation support means, but both are bulky units that limit the user's maneuverability on the resting surface and lack versatility of use, in particular, fully resting on one's stomach.

This adds to complexity of use and makes it more probable that the user will be aroused from an otherwise potentially more restful state.

In respect to resting on the side, this item only supports the thighs and does not allow the user to support the entire leg, which leads to potential discomfort, as described above, in the knee and hip areas.

This support means also lacks the versatility of use while resting on the stomach, and as also mentioned above, teaches away from resting on the stomach.

The support pillow is not designed to support and align parts of the body other than the head and neck.

Specifically, the prior art is deficient in a multi-use support pillow combining an inclined support surface with supportive ends and side edges to provide the proper support and body alignment for those who choose to rest on the side, stomach, back, or throughout the range of different possible resting positions therebetween.

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