Positionable pillow
AssigneeThe First Years Inc.
InventorsJames J. Britto, Richard M. Foley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A nursing pillow has a flexible, positionable spine that allows the pillow to be deformed into a number of stable shapes. The spine is enclosed within a resilient body forming a medial region and first and second cantilever arms extending from opposite ends of the medial region to define a central opening between the arms in an unloaded, nominal shape. The spine is of sufficient stiffness to keep the pillow from returning from an adjusted shape to its nominal shape when unloaded. The spine may be formed of articulating links, or a malleable rod.
Claims32
A pillow having a medial region and first and second cantilever arms extending from opposite ends of the medial region to define a central opening between the arms in an unloaded, nominal shape, the pillow comprising
- a resilient body with a covering extending about the medial region and arms, the body being sufficiently flexible to allow the arms to be manually moved to adjust the pillow shape;
- and
- a flexible spine extending across the medial region and into both arms, the spine of sufficient stiffness to keep the pillow from returning from an adjusted shape to its nominal shape when unloaded.
A method of nursing a child, the method comprising
- placing a nursing pillow about an abdomen of an adult, the pillow having a medial region and first and second cantilever arms extending from opposite ends of the medial region to define a central opening between the arms in an unloaded, nominal shape, the pillow comprising
- a resilient body with a covering extending about the medial region and arms, the body being sufficiently flexible to allow the arms to be manually moved to adjust the pillow shape;
- and
- a flexible spine extending across the medial region and into both arms, the spine of sufficient stiffness to keep the pillow from returning from an adjusted shape to its nominal shape when unloaded;
- adjusting the pillow to a desired, stable shape other than the nominal shape;
- placing an infant upon the medial portion of the pillow;
- and
- nursing the infant with the infant supported on the pillow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.