Patent Application
20240292961
The present invention relates to childcare organizers and, more particularly, a childcare organizer encased in and formed as a decorative pillow.
In homes with babies there is often only one room or space dedicated to changing the baby. Most portable changing stations are functionally designed and so unattractive and thus look out of place when left about in a residence. For instance, leaving a changing station that looks like a purse, backpack or travel item about the house is aesthetically displeasing as well as unhygienic as it has typically spent time on the floor/ground and/or used in restrooms.
As can be seen, there is a need for a childcare organizer formed as a decorative pillow, which is visually pleasing and inconspicuously blending in among many different rooms with a residence, and that is capable of functioning as a pillow. By creating an inconspicuous childcare organizer that resembles a decorative pillow, and can function as such, enables parents and caregivers to store the paraphernalia of baby-rearing (e.g., changing mat, diapers, and wipes, etc.) the present invention allows for a changing station anywhere in the user's residence. Furthermore, the childcare organizer remains soft and pliable for use if needed, with or without childcare items stored therein, as it houses a support pillow.
The present invention embodies a combination organizer and pillow. The organizer unzips to reveal internal soft structures to organize and store items. The soft structures are supported along an internal divider that separates a front compartment from a rear compartment of the childcare organizer. The front compartment is dimensioned and shaped to removably house a support pillow provided therein. The rear compartment provides at least one mesh pocket, a windowed pocket, and a foldable changing mat. The mesh pocket and windowed pocket are supported along the internal divider. Opposing the interior divider, in the rear compartment, a bottom surface provides an attachment point to retain and stabilize the foldable diaper changing mat in the folded and unfolded conditions. The organizer remains soft and usable as a pillow, through encasing the support pillow. As a result, the organizer covertly hides unsightly accoutrement of baby raising in what looks like a decorative and functional pillow, thereby allowing the user to have at least one inconspicuous changing station throughout their residence.
Normal pillows are decorative and useful for only padding for a body part. The pillow embodied in the present invention remains decorative and soft while also storing items needed to change a baby, eliminating the need to leave the room or have loose, unorganized changing items around the house. Moreover, the childcare organizer provides additional storage spaced for other home items (e.g., remote controls) that are inconspicuously stored in a furnishing that can fit one's décor, thereby eliminating unsightly messes, hiding paraphernalia that others may deem out of place, and providing the convenience of keeping items within arm's reach and handy in any location of the residence. Furthermore, keeping one item for storing baby-raising items in the home and hiding it in plain sight means there is less of a need to tote it back and forth between the sole place in the residence dedicated to baby changing.
In one aspect of the present invention, a combination childcare organizer and pillow includes the following: a clamshell body movable between an open condition and a closed condition; the clamshell body including a rear portion, a front portion, and a midportion; an interior divider housed in the midportion so as to separate a front compartment and a rear compartment within the clamshell body; a plurality of storage structures directly connected to the interior divider; and a support pillow removably stored in the front compartment.
In another aspect of the present invention, a combination childcare organizer and pillow further includes the following: wherein the rear and front compartments are each defined by the interior divider and an interior surface of the rear and front portions, respectively, wherein the rear and front portions have a convex shape along an exterior surface of each, wherein the convex shape is urged by an inner liner of each of the front and rear portions, wherein the support pillow has two exterior surfaces comprising a planar surface and a convex surface that abut the interior surface of the front portion, wherein the plurality of storage structures comprising a mesh pocket and, separately, a windowed pocket for retrievably storing a plurality of wipes, wherein individual wipes of the plurality of wipes are removably by way of a window of the windowed pocket, wherein the windowed pocket has a securable flap, wherein the plurality of storage structures occupies the rear compartment, wherein the open condition communicates an external environment to the rear compartment, wherein the midportion is rectangular as it extends along an entire periphery of an external surface of the clamshell body, whereby an appearance of a decorative pillow is enabled; and further including one or more side pockets that do not communicate to the front or the rear compartments; a foldable mat housed within the rear compartment, wherein a surface of the rear compartment provides a first attachment point, and wherein the foldable mat provides a second attachment point for removably connecting to the first attachment point; and a piping along the external surface of the clamshell body, adjacent the midportion so that the appearance of the decorative pillow is further enabled.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.
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.
Referring now to
The clamshell body 10 may include a midportion 14 interconnecting the rear portion 16 with a front portion 18. The midportion 14 may be generally rectangular as it traverses along the periphery of the childcare organizer 100. The midportion 14 may be defined by four rectangular walls along the top, bottom and two sides of the childcare organizer 100. The midportion 14 may have inner liner 15 to provide structural integrity to maintain this rectangular form during use. The front and rear boundaries of the midportion 14 along the exterior of the clamshell body 10 may be defined by decorative piping 20 to further the external appearance that the childcare organizer 100 is merely a decorative pillow. The rear and front portions 16 and 18 may provide an interior liner 15 to maintain a convex shape during use, be the each respective compartment house items or not, also maintain the decorative pillow appearance.
Within the clamshell body 10, within the midportion 14, is an interior divider 30, wherein the divider 30 is coextensive with a cross-sectional surface area of the midportion 14 (as defined by the above-mentioned four rectangular walls). The divider 30 may be made of material providing a sturdy barrier between the rear and front compartments (said compartments defined by the rear and front portions, respectively). In the front compartment, defined by the interior divider 30 and the front portion 18 of the clamshell body 10, a support pillow 40 may be removably housed by way of an opening 48 in the front portion 18. The support pillow 40 may have a convex side 42 and a flat side 44. When the support pillow 40 is removed from the front compartment, it can be laid on its flat side 44 along a supporting surface to aid in propping up or supporting a child, infant, or toddler.
In the rear compartment, defined by the rear portion 16 of the clamshell body 10, a boxy windowed pocket 50 and a mesh pocket 60 may be provided. The windowed pocket may be dimensioned and adapted to house a packet of wipes 66, whereby individual wipes 68 may be withdrawn through the window 62 of the windowed pocket 60. The meshed pocket 50 has an opening 52 for retrievably receiving childcare items 54 such as diapers. The windowed pocket 60 may have a flap 64 with an attachment structure 65.
A bottom surface 70, provided by the rear portion 16 may provide a first attachment point 72 within the rear compartment. Also in the rear compartment, a foldable mat 80 may be housed. The foldable mat 80 may be a plurality of panels 84 foldably separated by fold lines 88. Each panel 84 may be approximately 12.5 inches (‘A’) by 8.75 inches (‘C’) for an overall length of approximately 26 to 27 inches. Though it is understood that other dimensions and proportions are possible, as long as the present invention functions as disclosed herein. The foldable mat 80 provides a second attachment point 82 which can removably attached to the first attachment point 72 along the bottom surface 70 so that in the folded condition or the unfolded condition, the mat 80 can be secured during storage or use, respectively.
Along one of the sidewalls of the childcare organizer 100, one or more side pockets 90 may be located for removably storing childcare items 92, such as tissue paper or the like.
As used in this application, the term “about” or “approximately” refers to a range of values within plus or minus 10% of the specified number. And the term “substantially” refers to up to 80% or more of an entirety. Recitation of ranges of values herein are not intended to be limiting, referring instead individually to any and all values falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated, and each separate value within such a range is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein.
For purposes of this disclosure, the term “aligned” means parallel, substantially parallel, or forming an angle of less than 35.0 degrees. For purposes of this disclosure, the term “transverse” means perpendicular, substantially perpendicular, or forming an angle between 55.0 and 125.0 degrees. Also, for purposes of this disclosure, the term “length” means the longest dimension of an object. Also, for purposes of this disclosure, the term “width” means the dimension of an object from side to side. For the purposes of this disclosure, the term “above” generally means superjacent, substantially superjacent, or higher than another object although not directly overlying the object. Further, for purposes of this disclosure, the term “mechanical communication” generally refers to components being in direct physical contact with each other or being in indirect physical contact with each other where movement of one component affect the position of the other.
The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (“e.g.,” “such as,” or the like) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the embodiments and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the embodiments or the claims. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any unclaimed element as essential to the practice of the disclosed embodiments.
In the following description, it is understood that terms such as “first,” “second,” “top,” “bottom,” “up,” “down,” and the like, are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms unless specifically stated to the contrary.
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.
This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 63/488,270, U.S. provisional application number filed Mar. 3, 2023, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63488270 | Mar 2023 | US |
