US20070271699A1

US20070271699A1 - Conformable bedding arrangement

Info

Publication number: US20070271699A1
Application number: US11/807,030
Authority: US
Inventors: William Sacchetti
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-05-26
Filing date: 2007-05-25
Publication date: 2007-11-29

Abstract

A bed sheet construction assembly utilized in the “making” of a bed mattress while eliminating unnecessary time and confusion therewith, comprising a lower mattress-fitted sheet having a first and a second side portion and a head and a foot portion thereon. The first and second side portions are longer than the head and foot portions. An upper or top sheet has a first and a second side portion and a head and a head and a foot portion thereon. The first and second side portions are longer than the head and foot portions. A notched-out corner is arranged on each side of the foot end of the top sheet. An attachment means is arranged between the lower fitted sheet and the upper or top sheet along their respective foot ends.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to bedding materials and arrangements as they apply to mattresses and the like, and more particularly to unique sheet construction to simplify the method of bed making, and is based upon Provisional Patent Application No. 60/808,621 filed May 26, 2006, and is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Prior Art
As those of us who make beds know, that is, those who fold and apply bed sheets onto mattresses, all too often make the mistake of putting the sheets on the wrong end of the bed or have a problem aligning the sheets in an easy manner. This is also typical, with fitted sheets when the lengthwise and widthwise dimensions of the mattress may not be readily discerned by a simple examination, but must be tried and retried at least several times before one may be able to get it right. Since this common procedure is done typically, on a weekly basis, it becomes a rather time consuming event.
Such time consumption is all the more problematical from the prospective of making beds in hotels and motels or hospitals or the like, where time is often short and beds are often plentiful.
It is thus an object of the present invention, to provide a solution to the often time consuming process of making a bed.
It is a further object of the present invention, to provide a bedding arrangement which does not need to take into account the topside or bottom side of a particular fitted sheet.
It is still yet a further object of the present invention to provide improvements for the bedding industry over that which is shown in the prior art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved bedding sheet construction assembly to be utilized in the covering over a mattress and in the making of a bed as may be found in a typical home, motel, hotel or hospital. The mattress of a bed typically comes in sizes such as for example, standard, double, queen, or king size mattresses. Thickness of those mattresses may run for example, about 8 inches to about 16 inches or more.
A fitted sheet for a mattress conforms generally to the outer perimeter of the mattress to which it is supposed to be placed upon. The “head” and “foot” ends of the mattress are narrower than either of the “sides” of that mattress. The foot end of a fitted sheet or a regular “flat” sheet is thus narrower than the long side of either side of that particular fitted sheet or regular flat sheet. Beds are “made” with a bottom sheet, which may be either a fitted sheet of a flat sheet, and a top sheet, which is commonly a flat sheet, typically with a larger hem on its “upper” or “head” end. A blanket or bedspread may be placed upon the top sheet for further comfort or appearance.
The present invention contemplates the secure attachment of a top or upper sheet, along its foot edge thereof to the corresponding foot edge of for example, a “fitted” sheet. Fitted sheets are the bottom or lower sheets that are pre-constructed and pre-formed to neatly fit over a mattress, and typically have an elasticized perimeter to snuggle hold that fitted lower sheet to the mattress.
The top or upper sheet of the present invention has a “notched-out” corner at both sides of the bottom or foot end of that lower sheet. The dimensions of “both sides” of the notch are intended to be no less than the thickness or height of the particular mattress to which it is sized and intended to be used upon. The elongated rectangular portion of the top sheet between the notches at the foot end of the top sheet, which preferably has a “length” equal to the width of the mattress to which it is applied, has attachment means on at least one side thereof. Such attachment means may comprise hook and loop members, commonly known as Velcro™, or an elongated series of snaps or the like. The foot end of the fitted sheet will have a corresponding attachment means arranged upon the elongated rectangular portion thereof which faces the foot end elevation of the mattress, and in a further preferred embodiment, on both inner and outer sides thereof. In yet a further preferred embodiment, that attachment means is also on the “head end” of the fitted sheet, to provide attachment of the top sheet thereto in case the fitted sheet is mistakenly has its head end at the foot end of the mattress, so as to save time in the making of that bed.
The attachment means on the foot end of the top sheet, such as the strip of Velcro is intended to readily indicate that it is the foot end of the top sheet, and that it (the Velcro) is also intended to be attached to the elongated attachment means, such as Velcro, which is also located on at least the outer the side wall thereof, at the foot end of the fitted sheet.
The notched-out portions of the foot end of the top sheet permit the sides of that top sheet to be easily folded or “tucked” under the mattress in the proper manner. Those notches therefore also visually indicate to foot end of the top sheet. And the attachment means on the fitted sheet easily visually indicate the foot end of the fitted sheet, so as to be easily mated with the foot end of the mattress.
In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the elongated rectangular portion of the top sheet between the notched-out portions has attachment means on both sides thereof. The attachment means on both sides of the elongated rectangular portion between the notched-out sections will permit a further cover or blanket, which has a corresponding attachment means on its foot end, to be easily visualized and attached to the foot end of the top sheet.
A further embodiment in the present invention comprises a “line of attachment” comprised of Velcro or snaps or stitching or the like at corresponding foot ends of a fitted sheet and a top sheet. That line of attachment may also extend at least partially around the corners of that fitted sheets, so as to establish a proper “side to side” placement of that top sheet relative to the fitted sheet on a mattress.
That attachment means of the foot end of a top sheet to the foot periphery of a fitted sheet may be done by stitching, by an adhesive, or by means such as Velcro attachment, or snaps or the like. This present invention comprises a generally shallow “U”-shaped “attachment pattern” of the foot end of a top or upper sheet onto the generally shallow U-shaped foot portion of a fitted sheet. In the use of such a compound sheet assembly, the fitted sheet need not have a preferred upper side or an inner side because the top sheet which is attached to the foot end of the fitted sheet will merely flip over either way inasmuch as it is preferably attached to the very peripheral edge of that elastisized perimeter of the fitted sheet.
A further embodiment is contemplated with the attachment of a blanket which may be snapped onto a series of buttons or tabs on the already adjoined foot end and partial side edges of the lower or fitted sheet and the top sheet and/or the lower flat sheet and the top sheet having a blanket on there as well.
The invention thus comprises a bed sheet construction assembly utilized in the “making” of a bed mattress while eliminating unnecessary time and confusion therewith, comprising: a lower mattress-fitted sheet having a first and a second side portion and a head and a foot portion thereon, the first and the second side portions being longer than the head and foot portions; an upper or top sheet having a first and a second side portion and a head and a foot portion thereon, the first and second side portions being longer than the head and foot portions; a notched-out corner on each side of the foot end of the top sheet; and an attachment means correspondingly arranged between the lower fitted sheet and the upper or top sheet along their respective foot ends. The attachment means preferably comprises a hook and loop arrangement. The notched-out corners may have a first dimension Y at least equal to a height H of its particular appropriate mattress to which the fitted sheet is mated. Each of the notched-out corners preferably has a second dimension X at least equal to a height of its particular mattress to which the appropriate fitted sheet is mated. The dimension X of the notched-out corner is greater to said dimension Y of the notched-out corner, to permit sides of the top sheet to be readily tucked under the sides of the mattress. Each of the notched-out corners may have a dimension X and a dimension Y which is at least equal to a height of its particular mattress to which the fitted sheet is mated. The fitted sheet may has an attachment means arranged along an outwardly facing portion of the head end thereof. The fitted sheet may have an attachment means arranged along an inwardly facing portion of the head end thereof. The fitted sheet may have has an attachment means arranged along both an inwardly and an outwardly facing portion of the head end and the foot end thereof.
The invention also comprises a bed sheet construction assembly utilized in the “making” of a bed mattress comprising: a lower flat sheet having a first and a second side portion and a head and a foot portion thereon, the first and second side portions being longer than the head and foot portions; an upper or top flat sheet having a first and a second side portion and a head and a foot portion thereon, the first and second side portions being longer than the head and foot portions; a notched-out corner on each side of the foot end of the top sheet; and an attachment means arranged between the lower flat sheet and the upper or top sheet along their respective foot ends. The notched-out corner may have unequal side dimensions to permit a longer side of the notched sheet to be tucked under the mattress. The attachment means may preferably be arranged on both the inwardly and outwardly facing portions of the head and foot ends of the fitted sheet. The attachment means may be arranged on both the inwardly and outwardly facing portions of the foot end of the top sheet between the notched out portions thereof.
The invention also comprises a method of “making a bed” by the application of a pair of bed sheets to be applied about a mattress comprising: applying a fitted bottom bed sheet to an appropriately sized mattress; notching out a corner on a foot end of an upper sheet, at each side thereof; applying an attachment means to at least an inwardly facing portion of the foot end of the top sheet between the notched out corners; applying an attachment means to at least an outwardly facing portion of the foot end of the fitted bottom sheet; and attaching a foot end of each of the pair of sheets to one another. One of the pair of sheets may be a fitted or lower sheet, so as to distinguish which sheet is the bottom sheet.
Thus what has been shown is a unique manner of minimizing the often daily or weekly hassle of a bed maker in determining which side or end of the sheets are to go at the foot of a bed. Such a visualizable pre-attachment arrangement also saves storage space and time in selecting the appropriate sheets to be matched or paired with one another when searching for those elusive bedding materials.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent, when viewed in conjunction with the following drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mattress with a bed sheet or fitted sheet arranged thereon showing a top sheet about to be folded thereover;
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the top sheet of the present invention with its corners notched out;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a bottom flat sheet with a flat upper or top sheet attached at their respective foot ends; and
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the flat sheets represented in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown the present invention which comprises an improved bedding sheet construction assembly 10 to be utilized in the covering over a mattress 12 and in the making of a bed as may be found in a typical home, motel, hotel or hospital. The mattress 12 of a bed typically comes in sizes such as for example, standard, double, queen, or king size mattresses. Thickness of such mattresses may run for example, about 8 inches to about 16 inches or more.
A lower or fitted sheet 14 of the bedding sheet assembly 10 shown mated about a a mattress 12 in FIG. 1 conforms generally to the outer perimeter of the mattress 12 to which it is supposed to be placed upon. The “head” and “foot” ends 16 and 18 of the mattress 12 are narrower than either of the “sides” 20 and 22 of that mattress 12. The narrow or foot end 18 of a fitted sheet 14 or a regular “flat” sheet is thus narrower than the long side of either side of that particular fitted sheet or regular flat sheet. Beds are “made” with a bottom sheet, which may be either a fitted sheet of a flat sheet, and a top sheet, which is commonly a flat sheet, typically with a larger hem on its “upper” or “head” end. A blanket or bedspread may be placed upon the top sheet for further comfort or appearance needs.
The present invention contemplates the secure attachment of the top or upper sheet 24, along its rectilinear foot edge 26 thereof to the corresponding foot edge 28 of for example, the “fitted” sheet 14. Fitted sheets are bottom or lower sheets that are pre-constructed and pre-formed to neatly fit over a mattress, and typically have an elasticized perimeter to snuggle hold that fitted lower sheet to the mattress 12, as is depicted in FIG. 1.
The top or upper sheet 24 of the present invention has a “notched-out” corner 30 and 32 at both sides of the bottom or foot end 26 of that top sheet 24, as represented in FIG. 2. The dimensions X and Y of “both sides” of the notch-out corners 30 and 32, as represented in FIG. 2 are intended to be no less than the thickness or height “H” (as represented in FIG. 1) of the particular mattress 12 to which it is sized and intended to be used upon. The X dimension is preferably larger then the Y dimension because the side portions of the top sheet 24 is that portion thereof which gets “tucked under” the sides 20 and 22 of the mattress 14. The elongated rectangular portion 27 of the top sheet 24 between the corner notches 30 and 32 at the foot end 26 of the top sheet 24 has a length “L”, represented in FIG. 2, which length “L” corresponds to the width of a proper mattress 12 to which the appropriate fitted sheet 14 is to be applied.
That rectilinear portion 27 of the top sheet 24 has an attachment means 40 on at least one outwardly facing side thereof, as represented in FIGS. 1 and 2. Such attachment means 40 may comprise “hook and loop” members, commonly known as Velcro™, or may comprise an elongated series of snaps or the like. The elongated rectilinear portion The foot end of the fitted sheet 14 will have a corresponding attachment means 40A arranged upon the elongated rectangular portion thereof which faces inwardly against the foot end 18 elevation of the mattress 12.
The narrow foot end of the fitted sheet 14 may also, in a further preferred embodiment, have a corresponding attachment means 40I arranged upon the elongated rectangular portion 27 thereof which faces (inside) against the foot end 18 elevation of the mattress 12. The attachment means 40 on the foot end 26 of the top sheet 24, such as the exemplary strip of Velcro, is intended to readily indicate that foot end of the top sheet, and is also intended to be readily attached to the elongated attachment means 40A (or attached to attachment means 40I, if the fitted sheet 14 is put on the mattress 11, inside out), such as Velcro, located on the side wall thereof at the foot end 18 of the fitted sheet 14, as represented in FIG. 1.
The notched-out portions 30 and 32 of the foot end 26 of the top sheet 24 permit the sides 36 and 38 of that top sheet to be easily folded or “tucked” under the sides 20 and 22 of mattress 12 in the proper manner. Those notches 30 and 32 therefore visually indicate the foot end 26 of the top sheet 24. The attachment means 40 and 40H (and 40I) on the fitted sheet 14 easily visually indicate the narrow or foot end 18 of the fitted sheet 14, so as to be easily mated with the narrow or foot end of the mattress 12.
In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the elongated rectangular portion of the top sheet 24 between the notched-out portions 30 and 32 has an attachment means 40 and 40B on both (upper and lower) sides thereof. The attachment means 40 and 40B respectively, on both sides of the elongated rectangular portion between the notched-out sections 30 and 32 will permit either side of the top sheet 24 to be facing upwardly, and also permit a further cover or blanket 50, as represented in FIG. 1, which has a corresponding attachment means on its foot end (not shown for clarity of view), to be easily visualized and attached to the foot end of the top sheet 14. The cover or blanket 50 having its own corresponding attachment means 40T on a narrow end thereof to facilitate such easy construction of the bedding assembly 10 as well.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, if the bottom sheet 300 were a plain flat sheet, and the top or upper sheet 320 was also a plain flat sheet, as is represented in FIGS. 3 and 4, a line of contact 210 or adjacent contact points (such as made by attachment means/stitching/Velcro or the like) between the upper or top sheet 320 and the lower or bottom sheet 300 would comprise a shallow “U-shape” around the “foot perimeter” of each, as well as just part-way up along the side portions 340 thereadjacent. This contact configuration makes a short envelop at the lower end or foot end 360 of each the upper sheet 320 and the lower sheet 300 thus neither requiring one side to be up or one side to be down hence minimizing the time it would otherwise be taken in deciding which end was at the foot of the bed and which end or side should be up and which side should be down.
A further embodiment is contemplated with the attachment of a blanket 400 which may be snapped onto a series of buttons or tabs 420 on the already adjoined foot end 460 and partial side edges of the lower or flat sheet 300 and also in a further embodiment, on the top sheet 320 and/or the lower fitted 200 sheet and the top sheet 140 having a blanket on there as well.
Thus what has been shown is a unique manner of minimizing the often daily or weekly hassle of a bed maker in determining which side or end of the sheets are to go at the foot of a bed. Such attachment arrangements also save storage space and time in selecting the appropriate sheets to be matched or paired with one another when searching for those elusive bedding materials.

Claims

1. A bed sheet construction assembly utilized in the “making” of a bed mattress while eliminating unnecessary time and confusion therewith, comprising:

a lower mattress-fitted sheet having a first and a second side portion and a head and a foot portion thereon, said first and second side portions being longer than said head and foot portions;

an upper or top sheet having a first and a second side portion and a head and a foot portion thereon, said first and second side portions being longer than said head and foot portions;

a notched-out corner on each side of said foot end of said top sheet; and

an attachment means correspondingly arranged between said lower fitted sheet and said upper or top sheet along their respective foot ends.

2. The bed sheet construction assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said attachment means comprises a hook and loop arrangement.

3. The bed sheet construction assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said notched-out corners has a dimension Y at least equal to a height H of its particular appropriate mattress to which said fitted sheet is mated.

4. The bed sheet construction assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said notched-out corners has a dimension X at least equal to a height of its particular mattress to which said fitted sheet is mated.

5. The bed sheet construction assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein said dimension X of said notched-out corner is greater to said dimension Y of said notched-out corner, to permit sides of said top sheet to be readily tucked under said sides of said mattress.

6. The bed sheet construction assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said notched-out corners has a dimension X and a dimension Y which is at least equal to a height of its particular mattress to which said fitted sheet is mated.

7. The bed sheet construction assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said fitted sheet has an attachment means arranged along an outwardly facing portion of said head end thereof.

8. The bed sheet construction assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein said fitted sheet has an attachment means arranged along an inwardly facing portion of said head end thereof.

9. The bed sheet construction assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said fitted sheet has an attachment means arranged along both an inwardly and an outwardly facing portion of said head end and said foot end thereof.

10. A bed sheet construction assembly utilized in the “making” of a bed mattress comprising:

a lower flat sheet having a first and a second side portion and a head and a foot portion thereon, said first and second side portions being longer than said head and foot portions;

an upper or top flat sheet having a first and a second side portion and a head and a foot portion thereon, said first and second side portions being longer than said head and foot portions;

a notched-out corner on each side of said foot end of said top sheet; and

an attachment means arranged between said lower flat sheet and said upper or top sheet along their respective foot ends.

11. The bed sheet construction assembly as recited in claim 10, wherein said notched-out corner has unequal dimensions to permit a longer side of said notched sheet to be tucked under said mattress.

12. The bed sheet construction assembly as recited in claim 10, wherein said attachment means is arranged on both the inwardly and outwardly facing portions of said head and foot ends of said upper sheet.

13. The bed sheet construction assembly as recited in claim 12, wherein said attachment means is arranged on both the inwardly and outwardly facing portions of said foot end of said top sheet between said notched out portions thereof.

14. A method of “making a bed” by the application of a pair of bed sheets to be applied about a mattress comprising:

applying a fitted bottom bed sheet to an appropriately sized mattress;

notching out a corner on a foot end of an upper sheet, at each side thereof;

applying an attachment means to at least an inwardly facing portion of said foot end of said top sheet between said notched out corners;

applying an attachment means to at least an outwardly facing portion of said foot end of said fitted bottom sheet; and

attaching a foot end of each of said pair of sheets to one another.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein one of said pair of sheets is a fitted or lower sheet, so as to distinguish which sheet is the bottom sheet.