Firm support pillow

Abstract

A support pillow includes a pillow body. The pillow body includes a substantially straight medial region. The pillow body further includes a substantially straight first arm from the substantially straight medial region and having a first free end. The pillow body further includes a substantially straight second arm extending from the substantially straight medial region and having a second free end, wherein the substantially straight first arm, the substantially straight medial region, and the substantially straight second arm define an outer periphery and an inner periphery. The inner periphery defines a curved support cavity. The support pillow further includes a fabric shell enclosing an amount of a fill material, the fabric shell including a U-shaped first piece, a U-shaped second piece, and a gusset. The support pillow further includes the fill material in contact with the U-shaped first piece, the U-shaped second piece, and the gusset.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A support pillow comprising:
 a pillow body comprising:
 a substantially straight medial region having a length of 18 to 28 inches; 
 a substantially straight first arm extending 5 to 9 inches from the substantially straight medial region and having a first free end, wherein a width of the substantially straight medial region combined with the length of the substantially straight first arm is 11 to 20 inches; 
 a substantially straight second arm extending 5 to 9 inches from the substantially straight medial region and having a second free end; 
 wherein the substantially straight first arm, the substantially straight medial region, and the substantially straight second arm define an outer periphery and an inner periphery; and 
 wherein the inner periphery defines a curved support cavity; and 
   a fabric shell enclosing an amount of a fill material;   wherein the fabric shell comprises:
 a U-shaped first piece; 
 a U-shaped second piece; 
 a gusset connected to the U-shaped first piece and the U-shaped second piece, the gusset having a first gusset end and a second gusset end, wherein the gusset extends around at least a portion of the inner periphery; and 
 wherein the fill material is in contact with the U-shaped first piece, the U-shaped second piece, and the gusset. 
   
     
     
         3 . The support pillow of  claim 2 , wherein a distance between the first free end and the second free end is at least 8 inches. 
     
     
         4 . The support pillow of  claim 2 , wherein the first gusset end is connected to the first free end and the second gusset end is connected to the second free end. 
     
     
         5 . The support pillow of  claim 2 , wherein the gusset includes a width of between 2 to 3 inches running parallel to the first gusset end and the second gusset end. 
     
     
         6 . The support pillow of  claim 2 , wherein the U-shaped first piece is connected to the U-shaped second piece at a rear end of the pillow body. 
     
     
         7 . The support pillow of  claim 2 , wherein the pillow body defines an opening between the U-shaped first piece and the U-shaped second piece. 
     
     
         8 . The support pillow of  claim 7 , wherein the opening comprises:
 a first opening end; and   a second opening end 4 to 9 inches away from the first opening end.   
     
     
         9 . The support pillow of  claim 8 , wherein the pillow body further comprises a zipper sewn to the first opening end using at least a first three back stitches and sewn to the second opening end using at least a second three back stitches. 
     
     
         10 . The support pillow of  claim 9 , wherein the at least first three backstitches are used to secure the zipper to the opening while the support pillow is filled to a prescribed firmness where a force of at least 10 Newtons is required to displace a 3-inch diameter hemispheric probe one inch into the pillow body. 
     
     
         11 . The support pillow of  claim 2 , wherein the gusset is connected to the U-shaped first piece and the U-shaped second piece using at least a first seam configured to withstand at least  15  pounds of tension force; and
 wherein the U-shaped first piece and the U-shaped second piece are connected using at least a second seam configured to withstand at least  15  pounds of tension force. 
 
     
     
         12 . The support pillow of  claim 2 , wherein the substantially straight first arm extends 5 to 6 inches from the substantially straight medial region. 
     
     
         13 . The support pillow of  claim 2 , wherein the U-shaped first piece has a width of 13 to  18  inches. 
     
     
         14 . A support pillow comprising:
 a pillow body comprising:
 a substantially straight medial region having a length of 18 to 28 inches; 
 a substantially straight first arm extending 5 to 9 inches from the substantially straight medial region and having a first free end, wherein a width of the substantially straight medial region combined with the length of the substantially straight first arm is 11 to 20 inches; 
 a substantially straight second arm extending 5 to 9 inches from the substantially straight medial region and having a second free end; 
 wherein the substantially straight first arm, the substantially straight medial region, and the substantially straight second arm define an outer periphery and an inner periphery; and 
 wherein the inner periphery defines a curved support cavity; and 
   a fabric shell enclosing an amount of a fill material;   wherein the fabric shell comprises:
 a U-shaped first piece; 
 a U-shaped second piece; and 
 wherein the fill material is in contact with the U-shaped first piece and the U-shaped second piece. 
   
     
     
         15 . The support pillow of  claim 14 , wherein a distance between the first free end and the second free end is at least 8 inches. 
     
     
         16 . The support pillow of  claim 14 , wherein the fabric shell further comprises the U-shaped first piece connected to the U-shaped second piece along at least the inner periphery. 
     
     
         17 . The support pillow of  claim 14 , wherein the pillow body defines an opening between the U-shaped first piece and the U-shaped second piece. 
     
     
         18 . The support pillow of  claim 14 , wherein the U-shaped first piece and the U-shaped second piece are connected using at least a seam configured to withstand at least  15  pounds of tension force. 
     
     
         19 . A support pillow comprising:
 a pillow body comprising:
 a substantially straight medial region having a length of 18 to 28 inches; 
 a substantially straight first arm extending 5 to 9 inches from the substantially straight medial region and having a first free end, wherein a width of the substantially straight medial region combined with the length of the substantially straight first arm is 11 to 20 inches; 
 a substantially straight second arm extending 5 to 9 inches from the substantially straight medial region and having a second free end; 
 wherein the substantially straight first arm, the substantially straight medial region, and the substantially straight second arm define an outer periphery and an inner periphery; and 
 wherein the inner periphery defines a curved support cavity; and 
   a fabric shell enclosing an amount of a fill material;   wherein the fabric shell comprises:
 a U-shaped first piece; 
 a U-shaped second piece; 
 a gusset connected to the U-shaped first piece and the U-shaped second piece, the gusset having a first gusset end and a second gusset end, wherein the gusset extends around the inner periphery and at least part of the outer periphery; and 
 wherein the fill material is in contact with the U-shaped first piece, the U-shaped second piece, and the gusset. 
   
     
     
         20 . The support pillow of  claim 19 , wherein the U-shaped first piece is connected to the U-shaped second piece using at least a first seam configured to withstand at least 15 pounds of tension force; and
 wherein the pillow body defines an opening between the U-shaped first piece and the U-shaped second piece, wherein the opening comprises:
 a first opening end; and 
 a second opening end 4 to 9 inches away from the first opening end. 
   
     
     
         21 . The support pillow of  claim 20 , wherein the pillow body further comprises a zipper sewn to the first opening end using at least a first three back stitches and sewn to the second opening end using at least a second three back stitches, wherein the at least first three backstitches and the at least second three backstitches are used to secure the zipper to the opening while the support pillow is filled to a prescribed firmness where a force of at least 10 Newtons is required to displace a  3 - inch  diameter hemispheric probe one inch into the pillow body. 
     
     
         22 . The support pillow of  claim 19 , wherein the U-shaped first piece has a width of 13 to 18 inches; and
 wherein the substantially straight first arm extends 6 to 9 inches from the substantially straight medial region.   
     
     
         23 . The support pillow of  claim 19 , wherein the first gusset end is connected to the first free end and the second gusset end is connected to the second free end; and
 wherein the gusset includes a width of between two to three inches running parallel to the first gusset end and the second gusset end.