Female cushion support

• US 6,185,768 B1
• Filed: 05/25/1999
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Amanda Parks Schlechter
• Original Assignee: Amanda Parks Schlechter
• Inventors: Schlechter, Amanda Parks
• Primary Examiner(s): Melius, Terry Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hewitt, James M
• Application Number:
  US09/318,459
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 563/2, 573/5, 563/0, 593/0, D 6/601, D 6/596
• US Class Current: 5/632
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 20/026 Supports for lying in a prone position A47C20/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 5/93 for pregnant user

Abstract

A cushion support to be placed on a bed or other horizontal support surface which allows a woman to lie or sleep in a face-down position without exerting pressure on the breasts. The cushion support includes an elongated block of foam material, the front section of which is horizontally oriented and supports the upper rib cage and the sternum of the user, and a wedge-shaped lower section which supports the torso of the user. Vertically oriented arcuate recesses are provided to accommodate the breasts. When lying in a face-down position, the breasts of the user depend downwardly into the recesses without contacting the underlying support surface or the cushion support. The device is particularly designed to be used after surgical procedures to the breasts, such as breast implantations or breast reductions. A second preferred embodiment includes a substantially wedge-shaped elongate portion of foam rubber material having a planar lower face to be placed on a horizontal surface, a vertically oriented front face, two vertically oriented side faces, and a planar top face inclined at a angle of approximately 45°. Contoured recesses are provided in the front face to support the breasts.

Claims

1. A cushion support to be used by a female person lying in a prone position on a support surface, comprising:

an elongated block of foam material, said block of foam material having a planar lower face to be placed on the support surface, an upper face adapted to receive and support the torso of a female person lying in a prone position, side faces between the upper and lower faces, a rear end surface, and a front end surface;

said support having a width defined by the distance between the side faces and a length defined by the distance between the end surfaces;

said front end surface having a pair of oppositely disposed contoured recesses adapted to receive the breasts of a female person lying in a prone position, wherein said contoured recesses have a central protrusion therebetween, said central protrusion having a width less than the width of the support and a length less than the length of the support, and said central protrusion adapted to support the sternum of a female person and cooperates with said contoured recesses to reduce contact between the breasts and at least one of said cushion support and the support surface while a female person is lying in a prone position.

2. The cushion support of claim 1, wherein said upper face is defined by a surface having a planar front section parallel to said lower face and a rear section downwardly inclined from said front section.

3. The cushion support of claim 1, wherein said contoured recesses are vertically oriented.

4. The cushion support of claim 1, wherein said width and length of said block of foam material are sufficient in size to support a human torso.

5. The cushion support of claim 1, wherein said front end surface has a height, and said height is sufficient to prevent the breasts from substantially impacting against the support surface.

6. The cushion support of claim 1, wherein the cushion support has a closely conforming fabric cover.

7. A cushion support to enable a female person to lie in a prone position on a support surface without constraining or constricting the breasts, comprising:

an elongated block of foam material;

said block of foam material having a planar lower face to be placed on a horizontal support surface, an upper face having a horizontally oriented front section adapted to receive and support the upper torso of a female person lying in a prone position, side faces between the upper and lower faces, a rear end surface, and a front end surface;

said support having a width defined by the distance between the side faces and a length defined by the distance between the end surfaces;

said front end surface having contoured recesses adapted to receive the breasts of a female person lying in a prone position, wherein said contoured recesses have a central protrusion therebetween adapted to support the sternum of a female person lying in a prone position, said central protrusion having a width less than the width of the support and a length less than the length of the support; and

said front end surface having a height sufficient to allow the breasts of a female person to depend into the recesses without contacting said support surface,

whereby the breasts of a female person lying in a prone position may be freely suspended into said recesses without contacting said support surface or said cushion support.

8. A cushion support to enable a female person to lie in a prone position without constraining or constricting the breasts, comprising:

an elongated block of foam material of a length and width sufficient to support a human torso;

said block of foam material comprising an upper surface having a horizontally oriented upper rib cage support section, a horizontally oriented sternum support section, and a downwardly inclined lower torso support section;

said block of foam material further comprising a lower surface, side surfaces defined between the upper and lower surfaces, a rear end surface and a front end surface having contoured recesses adapted to receive the breasts of a female person lying in a prone position;

the length of the block of foam material defined by the distance between the end surfaces and the width of the block of foam material defined by the distance between the side surfaces; and

wherein the upper rib cage support section is located between the recesses, said upper rib cage support section having a width less than the width of the block and a length less than the length of the block,

whereby when a female person is lying in a prone position the lower torso is supported by the lower torso support section, the upper rib cage is supported by the upper rib cage support section, and the sternum is supported by the sternum support section, thereby allowing the breasts of a female person to be freely suspended without pressure being exerted on the breasts by the support surface or the cushion support.

9. A cushion support for the breasts of a woman lying in a prone position, comprising:

foam material having a planar bottom surface to be placed on a support surface, a top surface, side surfaces between the top and bottom surfaces, a front surface and a rear surface;

wherein the cushion support has a width defined by the distance between the side surfaces and a length defined by the distance between the front and rear surfaces;

wherein said top surface is inclined with respect to said bottom surface, said top surface including a lower portion adapted to support the lower rib cage of a woman lying in a prone position, an upper portion adapted to support the sternum of a woman lying in a prone position, and a horizontal upper rib cage support section;

wherein said front surface includes a central front face and oppositely disposed arcuate breast support surfaces adjacent to said central front face, said central front face being substantially perpendicular to said bottom surface, said arcuate breast support surfaces adapted to receive the breasts of a woman lying in a prone position; and

wherein said upper rib cage support section is located between the arcuate breast support surfaces, said upper rib cage support section having a width less than the width of said block and a length less than the length of said block.

10. The cushion support of claim 9, wherein said top surface is inclined at an angle of approximately 45°

with respect to said bottom surface.

11. The cushion support of claim 9, wherein said front surface has a height, said height being sufficient to prevent the breasts from substantially impacting against the support surface.

12. The cushion support of claim 9, further comprising a closely conforming fabric cover.