Patent Application
20190239656
The present invention relates to a infant supporting apparatus and more particularly pertains to an infant supporting pillow for receiving and securing an infant in an inclined position during and after bottle feeding.
Baby colic, also known as infantile colic, is defined as episodes of crying for more than three hours a day, for more than three days a week, for three weeks in an otherwise healthy child. While the causes of baby colic could be many, two of the most common causes are infant gas buildup and acid reflux, which are painful experiences that causes a baby to become fussy and irritable.
One of the best ways to reduce both gas buildup and acid reflux is to position the infant at an inclined position during and after feeding. While there are supporting devices that put an infant in an inclined position, current offerings are dissatisfactory for a variety of reasons. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,172,955 to Freese et al., teaches a bouncy seat that comprises a wire frame which is bent to form a support base and angles upwardly from the base to form a loop that supports a fabric seating surface. Another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,008 to Bowman, teaches a wedge-shaped support member for positioning an infant in a reclined position. Yet another example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,181 to Griggs, teaches an incline sleeper for an infant that has a resilient insert with an infant-receiving depression that is adapted to receive and support an infant in a supine and angled position. While these prior art devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, these aforementioned patents do not teach a supporting device that is freestanding, stable, compact, comfortable, simple to manufacture, and conducive to colic-free feeding. Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a need for a new and improved support device for feeding infants that can substantially reduce colic inducing gas buildup and acid reflux in a supportive, secured, and comfortable manner.
The present invention provides an improved infant supporting pillow that is freestanding, stable, compact, comfortable, simple to manufacture, and conducive to colic-free feeding. The infant supporting pillow is made by combining a wedge-shaped pillow portion with a U-shaped pillow portion to form an integrated pillow. The integrated pillow provides a cradle that partially envelops a sitting infant. The top surface of the wedge-shaped pillow portion provides an incline plane on which a sitting infant may recline. The U-shaped pillow portion secures the sitting infant in a comfortable and secured sitting position by providing a raised wall on both sides of the infant supporting pillow as well as a leg rest. The U-shaped pillow portion also provides a stable footing.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate several aspects of the present disclosure and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. Like numbers represent the same elements throughout the figures.
The present invention can be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description, examples, drawings, and photographs. However, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the specific devices, systems, and/or methods disclosed unless otherwise specified. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting.
The following description of the invention is provided as an enabling teaching of the invention in its best, currently know embodiment. To this end, those skilled in the relevant art will recognized and appreciate that many changes can be made to the various aspects of the invention described herein, while still obtaining the beneficial results of the present invention. It will also be apparent that some of the desired benefits of the present invention can be obtained by selecting some of the features of the present invention without utilizing other features. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications and adaptations to the present invention are possible and can even be desirable in certain circumstances and are a part of the invention. Thus, the following description is provided as illustrative of the principles of the present invention and not in limitation thereof.
As used throughout, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges can be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value, and/or to “about” another particular value. When such range is expressed, another aspect includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another aspect. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint.
As used herein, the terms “optional” and “optionally” mean that the subsequently described event or circumstance can or cannot occur, and that the description includes instances where the event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not.
In one broad aspect, the present disclosure comprises a freestanding infant supporting pillow that situates the infant at an inclined position for an optimal feeding posture that minimizes colic inducing conditions such as infant gas buildup and acid reflux. More particularly, one aspect the present disclosure comprises an infant supporting pillow having a body comprising a wedge-shaped pillow portion that is at least partially enveloped by an U-shaped pillow portion. In a further aspect, the wedge-shaped pillow portion is configured to support the head of an infant, who is reclined on the top, inclined surface of wedge-shaped pillow while being further supported and secured in place by the U-shaped pillow portion. In another further aspect, the wedge-shaped pillow portion is configured to support at least a portion of the infant's body. In light of the present disclosure, one skilled in the art will appreciate the infant supporting pillow described herein will situate the infant in a comfortable inclined position that is conducive to colic-free feeding.
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In one aspect and referring to
In one aspect as illustrated in
In one aspect, the resilient fill material may comprise at least one of cotton, polyester fiber, feathers, foam, wool, viscoelastic material, beads, and beans. In further aspects, the foam can comprise, for example and without limitation, at least one of an open cell foam, a closed cell foam, a memory foam, a natural latex rubber foam, viscoelastic foam and the like. In further aspects, beads can comprise, for example and without limitation, polystyrene beads and the like.
It is contemplated that in one aspect, the front to back length of the support pillow is about 16 inches to about 22 inches, and, more preferably, about 20 inches. In another aspect, the width of the support pillow at the widest section, from one outer sidewall 103 to the opposite outer sidewall 103 in the back of the supporting pillow, is about 12 inches to 18 inches, and, more preferably, about 14 inches. In yet another aspect, the width of the support pillow 100 tapers down from the widest section in the back to a narrower section in the front, near the leg rest 108. In one aspect, the width of leg rest 108 between the two inner sidewalls 104 is about 3 inches to about 7 inches, and, more preferably, about 4 inches.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. Other aspects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62579248 | Oct 2017 | US |
