EP0582014B1 - Bed cover with different filling materials - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to quilts or similar products. intended to cover the tray of a bed and to fall on the sides and the foot of this bed to ensure the comfort of the sleeper.

As is well known, quilts are made from a pocket which is filled with a filling material. Most often this material consists of acrylic or polyester fibers, wool or down. The whole is then made and stitched, then put in a quilt cover.

In the quilts most often encountered, the material of filling is the same, whether pure or mixed, throughout the range of the comforter. This one, which measures for example 2m20 by 2m40 requires therefore a relatively large amount of filling material or filling, which makes the quilt very expensive when this material is even expensive, like down for example.

To remedy this drawback, it has already been proposed to carry out the part of the duvet corresponding to the bed tray using a first material and the peripheral parts using a second material of filling. Such an arrangement makes it possible to limit the amount of material of expensive padding to the actually useful part of the comforter and to use in the peripheral parts of the packing materials of a cost less Student. Such an embodiment is described in document FR-A-2599610.

An object of the present invention is to provide a quilt further improved compared to those of the prior art mentioned above.

According to the invention, the duvet which has a central part intended to cover the bed tray and a peripheral part intended to fall on the sides and the foot of the bed formed by two pieces of fabric between which is fitted with a lining, is characterized in that the lining of said central part is formed by at least a first layer lower of a first hydrophilic material comprising at least milk and a second top layer of a second material distinct from the first, in that the lining of said peripheral part consists of at least one layer of a material of padding, in that the lower piece of fabric is made of a material which is not impermeable to down, and in that it further comprises means by stitching permanent holding in place of the lining between said pieces of fabric.

• le confort thermique: la couette doit isoler suffisamment le corps du dormeur du milieu extérieur pour que la température du microclimat créé sous la couette devienne suffisante;
• le confort physiologique: la couette, tout en remplissant la première condition, ne doit pas confiner le microclimat. En effet, la vapeur d'eau dégagée sans cesse par le corps augmente l'humidité régnant sous la couette. Il faut donc que celle-ci puisse absorber l'humidité en excès tout en conservant la chaleur; il faut créer une chaleur saine pour un confort thermo-physiologique complet;
• enfin un confort textile: ce confort consiste dans la légèreté, la souplesse, le caractère agréable au toucher, le moelleux qui découlent du choix des matériaux utilisés pour réaliser la couette.

We understand that we can thus obtain all possible combinations of different materials according to their particular quality, cost and comfort they allow to obtain. Indeed, the comfort of the sleeper can be analyzed according to three parameters:

• thermal comfort: the duvet must sufficiently insulate the sleeper's body from the outside environment so that the temperature of the microclimate created under the duvet becomes sufficient;
• physiological comfort: the duvet, while fulfilling the first condition, must not confine the microclimate. Indeed, the water vapor constantly released by the body increases the humidity prevailing under the duvet. It must therefore be able to absorb excess moisture while retaining heat; healthy heat must be created for complete thermo-physiological comfort;
• finally a textile comfort: this comfort consists in the lightness, the flexibility, the pleasant character to the touch, the softness which result from the choice of materials used to make the duvet.

Another problem which the present invention makes it possible to solve lies in the choice of fabrics making up the duvet pocket. Indeed, with certain filling materials, notably down, it is necessary use fabrics with specific properties and the cost of which is relatively expensive. We understand that by using in the central part of the duvet a double layer of materials, one of which does not have these requirements, it will be possible to at least partially use a more cost fabric reduced.

• la figure 1 est une vue de dessus d'une couette selon l'invention ; et
• la figure 2 est une vue en coupe selon la ligne II-II de la figure 1.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of several embodiments of the invention given by way of nonlimiting examples. The description refers to the appended figures in which:

• Figure 1 is a top view of a comforter according to the invention; and
• Figure 2 is a sectional view along line II-II of Figure 1.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the duvet is consisting of two pieces of fabric 10 and 12 constituting a pocket in which the packing material is placed. After the bet in place of the filling material, the two pieces of fabric 10 and 12 are pricked to ensure that the correct distribution is maintained padding when using the duvet. We symbolized by the dotted lines 14 of the bites made after the filling material, as well as a 16 stitching that separates the central area of the quilt 18 from its area peripheral 20. The central zone 18 of the duvet is intended for cover the bed tray while the peripheral zone 20 is intended to fall on the sides and the foot of the bed.

In FIG. 2, the upper layer has been referenced 21 of lining in the central zone 18, through 22 the layer of lower padding in this same central area and by 24 the lining layer in the peripheral zone 20.

According to a first embodiment, the layer lower lining 22 and the peripheral lining layer 24 are made of wool. The top layer of filling the central area is made of camel hair in cashmere, silk, cashebora, merino wool, alpaca, blade, yak, fibers synthetics and cotton. We thus obtain, in the central part of the comforter, that is to say the one that rests on the body of the sleeper, a high adiathermic power increased by the addition of fine fibers while retaining the lightness of the area peripheral, the whole remaining of a low weight.

In another embodiment, the layer lower 22 of the central zone and the peripheral layer 24 of upholstery are made of wool. The upper layer 21 of the central area is made of down or half down, three-quarter down, feathers. This particular provision presents a additional benefit. Indeed, the down requires the use for the fabric forming the pocket of the duvet of a percale anti-down to prevent it from escaping from the envelope. However, wool can be easily contained in a percale less waterproof or even in a simple jersey. So we understand that, in the embodiment which has just been described, the lower piece of fabric 12 can be made of porous percale or jersey, only the upper piece of fabric 10 to be in special anti-down percale.

With such an arrangement, we save on the fabric used to make the bottom piece of the pocket quilt 12 and for the same adiathermic power we save down not only on the periphery of the duvet but also in the central area 18. In addition, an improvement in the physiological comfort thanks to the use for the piece of tissue 12 facing the sleeper body of a material that breathes more.

Among the other materials which can be used, mention may be made of: synthetic fibers, such as polyester or polyacrylic, or the pen.

It goes without saying that each layer of lining 21, 22, 24 could consist of a mixture of packing materials. In other words, by packing material is meant not only unique materials but also mixtures of materials, each mixture being homogeneous.

In the previous description, the packing material of the peripheral part is identical to that which is used to make one of the lining layers 21 or 22 of the part central. However, it would not go beyond the scope of the invention by lining the peripheral part with a third material. For example for layer 24, we could use a fiber low cost synthetic. Similarly, the central part 18 could have three superimposed layers of filling or one higher number of layers. For example, the two layers extremes would be relatively thin and made of wool so that the intermediate layer would be made of down. Such a solution allows to use an ordinary percale or cloth similar for rooms 10 and 12 while allowing the presence a layer of down.

Claims (10)

1. Bed cover comprising a central part (18) intended to cover the top surface of a bed and a peripheral part (20) intended to fall over the sides and foot of the bed, formed by two pieces of fabric (10, 12) between which is placed a filling, characterised in that the filling of said central part (18) consists of at least one first lower layer (22) of a first hydrophilic material containing at least some wool and a second upper layer (21) of a second material separate from the first, in that the filling of said peripheral part (20) consists of at least one layer (24) of a filling material, in that the lower piece of fabric (12) is made of a material which is not downproof and in that it further comprises stitching (14) for permanently holding the filling in place between said pieces of fabric.
2. Bed cover according to claim 1, characterised in that the lower filling layer is made entirely of wool.
3. Bed cover according to either of claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the upper filling layer is made of down or cashmere.
4. Bed cover according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the filling of the peripheral part is made of wool.
5. Bed cover according to either of claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the lower layer (22) of the central part (18) and the layer (24) of the peripheral part (20) are made of wool and the upper layer (21) is made of an expensive material.
6. Bed cover according to claim 5, characterised in that the upper layer (21) of the central part is made of down.
7. Bed cover according to claim 6, characterised in that the upper layer (21) of the central part (18) is made of natural animal or plant fibres or of synthetic fibres.
8. Bed cover according to claim 7, characterised in that the upper layer (21) of the central part (18) is made of camelhair, silk, cashmere angora, alpaca, llama, merino wool or yak.
9. Bed cover according to either of claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the said central part (18) comprises a third layer of filling.
10. Bed cover according to claim 9, characterised in that the said first and third layers of filling are made of the same material.

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