GB2577674A

GB2577674A - Improvements in baby feeding or nursing pillows

Info

Publication number: GB2577674A
Application number: GB1813501.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Louise Dickson Victoria
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-08-20
Filing date: 2018-08-20
Publication date: 2020-04-08
Anticipated expiration: 2038-08-20
Also published as: GB2577674B; GB201813501D0

Abstract

A height adjustable nursing pillow comprises body and a padded section 5 that in use may be raised and lowered by a motor 19 operatively connected to a threaded vertical member 18. A ball joint 17 permits the padded section to tilt or be poised at required angles. A storage area for bottles and other nursing articles is provided in the body. Preferably the body is a u-shaped foam body which the user is able the fit around them as they sit and nurse a baby, infant or child and in use the padded section is raised and lowered to elevate the baby to advantageously adjust and accommodate to the height of differing parents to seat them at the correct position for breast feeding or other actions. The motor may be mains or battery powered.

Description

PATENT APPLICATION OF

VICTORIA LOUISE DICKSON

FOR

IMPROVEMENTS IN BABY FEEDING OR NURSING PILLOWS

Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to the field of feeding or nursing pillows used by mothers when breast feeding or caring for a baby, in particular a pillow with automated means to raise and lower the babies body or head and upper body area to achieve exact positioning for improved use.

Background

Nursing or feeding pillows are often used to support babies in a comfortable position when they are being fed, via breast or other means or being cared for generally. Most pillow designs are not always suitable or adjustable to a precise measure to support the baby in a more finite position to achieve the height and angle that is most suitable for their care or feeding; failing to accommodate different sizes and shapes of baby or to accommodate and support them during use. In addition, pillows lack storage space; requiring the user to either store items near or fasten related or accessory items directly to the pillow or risk losing the item. Thus, it is desirable to provide a nursing pillow with sufficient support to the child that is easily adjusted to enable the parent or carer to concentrate on holding them and also capable of storing items within reach of the user. During the first few months of life, an infant is exclusively fed either breast milk or formula. Formula fed infants are generally fed by placing the infants head in the crook of a care givers arm, and feeding the formula to the infant with a bottle. Breast-fed infants are fed by raising the infants head to the breast. As many who have experienced the art of breast-feeding know, a certain amount of dexterity, coordination, and often disconifort is associated with getting the infants head properly aligned with the breast and keeping it there during the feeding.

During the first few weeks of an infant's life, feedings may be needed twelve or more times a day. Often, the feedings may last in duration anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour. Because of the amount of time that is spent in this task, it is important that it is comfortable for both the infant and the care giver.

However, there are some discomforts associated with feeding. Although the infant is small, the weight of the infant on the care giver's arm may cause increased fatigue in the arm. For breast-fed infants, because the crook of the arm is not always perfectly aligned with the breast, a nursing mother frequently either has to lift the child up to the breast or alternatively bend her upper body down towards the child. Both approaches, repeated frequently during the day, may cause pain and discomfort to the mother.

The present inventions aims to provide a pillow which advantageously enables the parent to adjust the height and angle of the baby as it lays on a comfortable pillow section automatically, using an electrically powered height and angle adjustment method, controlled from a panel on the pillow body. Areas for storage of items are provided on the body of the pillow also, such as the holding of bottles or wipes along with other required improvements.

Summary of the invention

According to the present invention there is provided an improved nursing and feeding support pillow.

The pillow is constructed of a shape that is able to fit around the body or waist area of the parent or carer when in a sitting position and thus has a cut away section which allows for this in the form of a U shape.

The pillow or support is of a firmly padded nature and has internal areas which allow for the instalment of electrical fittings and low power movements therein. The frontal area of the support is a rounded and shape and has a carrying handle ensemble to the front as shown.

To the side areas are pouches or pockets which may be slightly elasticated to enable wipe cloths or similar caring apparel to be held advantageously for easy access during use. These may be located as shown or in similar related locations around the outer areas of the pillow or support body.

A round opening which has a depth of some several centimeters is also provided as a cut in section to the foam surface of the pillow or support body, which is used to house a bottle or similar article. As the body of the pillow or support is of a thermal foam material or composite inside, this advantageously provides a way of also keeping any warmed fluid such as milk warm once placed into the round cut out opening, as shown.

To the frontal area of the pillow or support is a large planar area with a slight curve which forms the main working area of the pillow or support.

To this area is provided a soft padded section onto which the baby is laid. This is of sufficient length and width to accommodate babies of all weights and sizes and is initially presented in a flat or horizontally proportioned manner, as shown in Figure 1.

The baby is laid onto this padded section, being of a rectangular example as shown, but may vary in shape to more rounded or oval variations, for example only, providing these variations do not affect the padded areas ability to provide suitable support to the baby and to prevent it from rolling off, which in the Figure 1 example is provided by the padded section always seating at a slight angle toward the parent or user.

To the underside of the padded section is a simple rise and fall mechanism which may be driven by either electricity or battery cell power and controlled via the control panel.

A threaded narrow vertical member is passed through a powered rotating toothed cog which engages with the thread of the vertical member at all times.

The vertical member is rotated using a basic motor which is seated to its base and rotates the said cog, as shown, the mounted vertical member is wound upwards or downward depending on the direction of the choice made at the control panel. This is caused due to the thread of the vertical member being continual as a spiral in the known way and the fixed nature of the toothed cog ensemble rotating and passing the vertical member though the opening in its centre until the last point of rotation is achieved in upward or downward directions.

Because the toothed cog ensemble is of a fixed static nature the vertical member which passes through it must raise or lower as the threads wind through each other.

To the ultimate end of the vertical narrow member is a coupling which is attached solidly to the underside of the padded section on which the baby is laid.

This attachment is onto a flexible liner which is located inside the padded section and is static. The raising vertical member sits into a housing provided in the end of the coupling and thus the coupling is lifted as the member also lifts.

Thus is turn, as the vertical member is rotated in the opposing direction the coupling is lowered.

As the coupling is attached to the underside of the padded section onto which the baby is laid, the padded section thus raises and lowers along with the threaded vertical member in a controlled way. If the threaded vertical member is rotated to a slight degree, for example a single rotation and then stopped, the padded section with raise in the slightest amount also.

To the upper area of the coupling is a single ball joint, which is the mediator between the coupling and the underside of the padded section. Once the padded section and the baby are at the required height the angle may be adjusted manually or electronically by angling the ball joint by pulling the padded area down into place, if manually adjusting. If electronically adjusting, this would be achieved by the control panel, as shown in the Figures. The flexible liner which is provided to the base on the underside of the padded section has two couplings, one at each end and both can be raised independently by the control panel and adjusted at the angle, with the ball joints either electrically or manually. Should the parent or user wish to advantageously only raise the area of the padded section which is behind the head of the baby, they are able to do so by simply only selecting the corresponding side of the padded section onto which the baby's head is laid.

Thus as the flexible liner will curve and twist due to its construction, the area behind the head is raised only, as the vertical narrow member rotates and raises as instructed by the parent or user via the control panel.

Once raised, the angle and position may be adjusted in the slightest measures by holding and moving the ball joint fitting and thus the padded area into position, either manually or using the automated method.

If the parent wishes to feed two babies at a single time this is possible by laying the babies heads onto the padded section, at each end and the legs extending onto the lengths which pass to either side of the parent, as shown in Figure 7.

A securing belt is included, as shown, in the design which passes around the lower back of the sitting parent or user and tightens, using known methods which may use swift attachment and adjustment such as VELCRO (TRADE MARK).

A further edition to the preferred embodiment would be a covering gaiter which is made of the exacting material of either the padded section onto which the baby is laid or the material of the pillow or support body itself. This gaiter would cover the mechanical movements which rise and fall the padded section and would extend as the section is raised and fold under as it is lowered, this gaiter is shown in the Figures.

Brief description of figures

Figures 1 show a perspective view of the pillow support with the movable padded section in its neutral or down position.

Figures 2 show a perspective view of the pillow support with the movable padded section in a raised position.

Figures 3 show a perspective view of the pillow support with one end of the padded section being raised and angled independently.

Figures 4 show an elevated view of the rise and fall mechanism for the padded section.

Figures 5 show an end elevation view of the rise and fall mechanism for the padded section, including a tilt joint.

Figures 6 show a perspective view of the rotating vertical narrow member and its ball joint fitting to the coupling.

Figures 7 show a baby being laid along the arms of the pillow support and being raised to suitable feeding height.

Detailed description of figures

A typical embodiment of the pillow support is shown in Figure 1 and comprise a body 1 which is a material filled with a foam variant or may be entirely formed of a suitable foam. To this are extending side portions 4 and 8, forming a U-shape as extensions from the frontal rounded area 7 and frontal sides 2.

To the frontal convex area is located a carrying handle 6, as shown and areas in which to insert, hold or keep caring and feeding apparels 3 and 10. These include the holding and storing of feeding bottles 9.

The baby, as shown, is laid onto a padded section 5, which may be rectangular with sufficient sizing for practical use, or other related shape variants which are also able to hold a baby successfully and without limitation of their shape bearing upon the practical usage aspects of said padded section 5.

The padded section 5 has a fixed slight inward tilt to ensure the baby is unable to roll away. The padded section 5A is able to be raised or lowered using a control panel 12, as shown mounted onto the pillow support body 1A. A support strap 11 is also provided to be passed behind the user when they sit inside the pillow support.

Should only the head of a baby require lifting for feeding or other purposes on the padded section 5B, only one side may be raised using the lifting mechanism beneath 13. The opposing mechanism side 14 is also able to be independently raised.

The rise and fall mechanism is derived of the padded section 5C which has a flexible liner 15 which is a flexible ensemble which may be advantageously latted to enable flexing. To this are attached couplings 16 which extend to a ball joint section 17 to enable poised angling of the babies position on top. The coupling has a rotating vertical member 18 which is threaded and passes through a correspondingly threaded and fixed motor rotation 19.

Power 22 is linked between the motors from an internal or external feed 21. Either electrical input or batteries may drive the motors 19.

A gaiter 20 may also be provided in this embodiment to hide and protect the mechanism arrangement therein. The tilting of the padded section 5D, as shown in Figure 5 is made possible by the ball joint 17D.

The components of the rise, fall and tilt fixtures, 16E, 17E and 18E, are shown in Figure 6. In a second embodiment of the threaded vertical member arrangement, a housing end 23 would be provided into which the rotating threaded vertical member 18E in inserted and continually rotates, pushing into the housing end 23 and lifting it.

The baby may be laid along the sides of the pillow support, as shown in Figure 7, this can therefore also be repeated on the opposing side should different positions be required or two babies at a single time are to be fed.

Claims

Claims 1) A self-rising and lowering baby nursing pillow support comprised of: A pillow support body; A padded section; A threaded vertical member; A threaded motor cog ensemble; A low voltage silent rotating motor; A coupling with ball joint; A planar flexible liner; A Storage area for bottles and other articles.
2. The self-rising and lowering baby nursing pillow support as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said pillow support body and said padded section are connected via the mechanical rise and fall ensemble therein.
3. The self-rising and lowering baby nursing pillow support as claimed in claim 2 wherein, a threaded vertical narrow member has a continuous coil thread which is rotated by a corresponding thread within the motor cog ensemble housed within the pillow support body.
4. The self-rising and lowering baby nursing pillow support as claimed in claim 3 wherein the motor cog ensemble is driven and connected to a low voltage silent rotating motor, supplied via electricity or battery means therein.
5. The self-rising and lowering baby nursing pillow support as claimed in claim 4 wherein, the silent motor rotates the threaded motor cog ensemble which in turn rotates the connected threaded vertical member, the threaded vertical member thus rises due to the motor cog ensemble being fixed, an opening within the cog ensemble is provided to enable the moving threaded vertical member to pass through on upward or downward travel.
6. The self-rising and lowering baby nursing pillow support as claimed in claim 5 wherein, the threaded vertical members upper point seats into a coupling which thus travels in the direction of the threaded vertical member, either upward or downward depending on the chosen function by the user.
7. The self-rising and lowering baby nursing pillow support as claimed in claim 6 wherein, a coupling is raised and lowered along with the moving threaded vertical member, the said coupling having a hinged centre which has a moving ball joint.
8. The self-rising and lowering baby nursing pillow support as claimed in claim 7 wherein, the couplings opposing end is attached via a plate to a flexible planar liner within the padded section therein, thus the padded section also raises and lowers with the coupling and so the threaded vertical member.
9. The self-rising and lowering baby nursing pillow support as claimed in claim 8 wherein, the couplings ball joint enables it and therefore the affixed padded section to be poised at required angles when the desired height has been reached for usage and feeding of a baby which is laid onto the padded section.
10. The self-rising and lowering baby nursing pillow support as claimed in claim 1 wherein storage areas for feeding bottles and other articles such as cloth wipes are provided in the body of the pillow support in desired locations.