US20140024273A1

US20140024273A1 - Dual pillow floatation device

Info

Publication number: US20140024273A1
Application number: US13/551,692
Authority: US
Inventors: Jeffrey Marcantonio
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-07-18
Filing date: 2012-07-18
Publication date: 2014-01-23

Abstract

A floatation device having a body portion, a first pillow portion attached to a first end of the body portion, and a second pillow portion attached to a second end of the body portion is provided. In this way, when a user laying on the floatation device desires to change positions, for example, change from laying on the back to laying on the stomach (or vice versa), yet desires to continue to have the user's head elevated by a pillow portion, the user can change position without dismounting the floatation device.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to a dual pillow floatation device.

BACKGROUND

Existing floatation devices, such as the floatation device described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,068, include only one or no pillow portion for users to elevate their head. These devices are not designed to allow a user to easily change positions, for example, change from laying on the back to laying on the stomach (or vice versa), yet continue to have the head elevated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C illustrate an example of an existing floatation device.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example floatation device according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various implementations of this disclosure provide a floatation device having a body portion, a first pillow portion attached to a first end of the body portion, and a second pillow portion attached to a second end of the body portion. In this way, when a user laying on the floatation device desires to change positions, for example, change from laying on the back to laying on the stomach (or vice versa), yet desires to continue to have the user's head elevated by a pillow portion, the user can change position without dismounting the floatation device.
FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C illustrate an example of an existing floatation device 10. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,068, floatation device 10 is formed from at least two layers 12 a, 12 b of flexible thermoplastic sheet material bonded together by heat seals. The flotation mattress 10 includes an inflatable pillow portion 14 formed by a heat seal 16 around the perimeter of the pillow portion between the two layers of thermoplastic, with an inflation valve 18 for inflating and deflating the pillow portion. The floatation mattress 10 also includes a mat portion 22 formed by a heat seal 24 around the perimeter of the mat portion between the two layers of thermoplastic, with an inflation valve 26 for inflating and deflating the mat portion. The mat portion 22 includes alternating rows 40 of generally sinusoidal heat seals formed between the two layers of plastic sheet material that extend transversely across the mat portion. As shown in FIG. 1C, while inflated, the mat portion 22 is bendable longitudinally, transversely and diagonally so that the mat portion 22 can be rolled or folded either on itself or around the pillow portion. The mat portion 22 also can cradle the portions of the body of a person reclining on the inflatable mattress 10 in water.
However, the floatation device 10 is not designed to allow a user to easily change positions, for example, change from laying on the back to laying on the stomach (or vice versa), yet continue to have the head elevated by pillow portion 14.
FIG. 2 illustrates an example floatation device 200 according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, the floatation device includes a first pillow portion 210 a and a second pillow portion 210 b configured to support a user's head and a body portion 215 configured to support a user.
In some implementations, the floatation device 200 is rectangular. In some implementation, the floatation device 200 is about 7.5 feet long and about 3 feet wide.
In some implementations, the floatation device 200 is configured to be folded while inflated.
In some implementations, one or more of the pillow portions is detachable.
In some implementations, one or more of the pillow portions is inverted (i.e., concaved to form a depression).
The body portion 215 is constructed to support a user when a user is in a sitting position and further constructed to support a user as the user shifts the user's body to move from resting the user's head on the first pillow portion 210 a to resting the user's head on the second pillow portion 210 b (or vice versa).
For example, assuming the user is laying on the user's back with the user's heard resting on the first pillow portion 210 a, the user may shift the user's body to move from resting the user's head on the first pillow portion 210 a to resting the user's head on the second pillow portion 210 b by first sitting up and straddling the body portion 215 of the floatation device 200, leaning forward, and swinging the user's legs behind and up onto the body portion 215 near the first pillow portion 210 a. This movement will position the user's head at or near the second pillow portion 210 b of the floatation device 200 while lying on the user's stomach. The body portion 215 is constructed to support such movement.
As another example, assuming the user is laying on the user's stomach with the user's head resting on the first pillow portion 210 a, the user may shift the user's body to move from resting the user's head on the first pillow portion 210 a to resting the user's head on the second pillow portion 210 b by sitting up and straddling the body portion 215 of the floatation device 200, leaning backward, and swinging the user's legs forward and up onto the body portion 215 near the first pillow portion 210 a. This movement will position the user's head at or near the second pillow portion 210 b of the floatation device 200 while laying on the user's back. The body portion 215 is constructed to support such movement.
This disclosure is not limited to any particular movement of the user's body to shift the user's body to move from resting the user's head on the first pillow portion 210 a to resting the user's head on the second pillow portion 210 b (or vice versa).
This disclosure is not limited to any particular material for the floatation device 200. This floatation device 200 can be constructed using any suitable material including, but not limited to, canvas, vinyl, rubber, plastic, foam, or any other material or combination.
This disclosure is not limited to any particular dimensions for the floatation device.
Furthermore, this disclosure is not limited to any particular construction of the body portion 215.
One of ordinary skill in the art, after the benefit of reading this disclosure, would know how to make a floatation device in accordance with this disclosure.
Reference throughout this specification to “an embodiment” or “implementation” or words of similar import means that a particular described feature, structure, or characteristic is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the phrase “in an embodiment” or a phrase of similar import in various places throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings.
The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the above description, numerous specific details are provided for a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that embodiments of the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations may not be shown or described in detail.

Claims

1. A floatation device comprising:

a body portion;

a first pillow portion attached to a first end of the body portion; and

a second pillow portion attached to a second end of the body portion.

2. The floatation device of claim 1 wherein the body portion is configured to support a user as the user shifts the user's body to move from resting the user's head on the first pillow portion to resting the user's head on the second pillow portion,

3. The floatation device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first pillow portion and the second pillow portion is convex.

4. The floatation device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first pillow portion and the second pillow portion is concave.

5. The floatation device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first pillow portion and the second pillow portion is detachable.

6. The floatation device of claim 1 wherein the body portion is rectangular.

7. The floatation device of claim 1 wherein the body portion is configured to be folded while inflated.

8. A method of changing positions on a floating device, the method comprising:

shifting body on body portion of floatation device to move from resting head on a first pillow portion of a floatation device to rest head on a second pillow portion of the floatation device wherein the first pillow portion is attached to a first end of the body portion and the second pillow portion attached to a second end of the body portion.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein shifting body on body portion of floatation device to move from resting head on a first pillow portion of a floatation device to rest head on a second pillow portion of the floatation device comprises while laying on back and resting head on first pillow portion shifting body on body portion of floatation device to move from resting head on a first pillow portion of a floatation device to resting head on the second pillow portion while laying on stomach.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein shifting body on body portion of floatation device to move from resting head on a first pillow portion of a floatation device to rest head on a second pillow portion of the floatation device comprises while laying on stomach and resting held on first pillow portion shifting body on body portion of floatation device to move from resting head on a first pillow portion of a floatation device to resting head on the second pillow portion while laying on back.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein shifting body on body portion of floatation device to move from resting head on a first pillow portion of a floatation device to rest head on a second pillow portion of the floatation device comprises, while laying on back and resting held on first pillow portion, sitting up and straddling the body portion of the floatation device, leaning forward, and swinging legs behind and up onto the body portion near the first pillow portion.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein shifting body on body portion of floatation device to move from resting head on a first pillow portion of a floatation device to rest head on a second pillow portion of the floatation device comprises, while laying on stomach and resting head on first pillow portion, sitting up and straddling the body portion of the floatation device, leaning backward, and swinging legs forward and up onto the body portion near the first pillow portion.