EP3397126B1

EP3397126B1 - Contour sheet and method of making thereof

Info

Publication number: EP3397126B1
Application number: EP16828894.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Khushboo MITTAL; Mohan Meiyappan Kandhasamy
Original assignee: Sysco Guest Supply LLC
Current assignee: Sysco Guest Supply LLC
Priority date: 2015-12-31
Filing date: 2016-12-30
Publication date: 2020-05-13
Anticipated expiration: 2036-12-30
Also published as: US20170188727A1; EP3692862A1; CA3009511C; GB201810100D0; US20190104870A1; WO2017117485A1; GB2560285A; EP3397126A1; CA3009511A1; CN209331622U

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to the field of bedding, and particularly to contour sheets or fitted sheets that may be used to cover a mattress.

BACKGROUND

Bedding sets typically include bed skirts, contour sheets or fitted sheets that cover the mattress, top sheets or flat sheets, blankets or duvets and pillow shams among other items. Contour sheets, which are also known as fitted sheets in some countries, not only provide comfort, but also provide the advantage of the contour sheets being washed regularly instead of frequently washing mattresses, thereby providing equivalent effect of cleanliness and hygiene, which in turn increases user convenience and reduces associated costs and resources on a recurring basis, Additionally, these items also provide an appealing bed presentation especially with apt color combinations and designs. However, an important aspect from the point of view of aesthetic appeal, comfort and safety is how well the bedding items are laid and avert accidents due to overhanging portions that may cause tripping, loose contour sheets that come off from frequent use and fail to serve the intended purpose.
Mattresses are generally available in standard sizes such as King, Queen, Twin, Full and the like. A lot of research has been put into modifying mattress quality to meet consumer demand for improved sleep experiences. Accordingly, the market has been flooded with different types of mattresses that have different types of fillers and thicknesses and aim to provide individualized comfort to consumers. It is noteworthy that the size of the mattress continues to be standard but these innovations have resulted in mattresses with varying depths. Likewise, sofas, couches, love seats and tuffets can have standard sized cushions but with varying depth depending on consumer preferences directed at firmness, softness, bounce, and the like. A contour sheet or fitted sheet is a critical and basic item in bedding sets that is laid over the mattress and is intended to snugly fit the mattress. Contour sheets can also find application in seat cushions and tuffets. With varying depths of mattresses and seat cushions available in the market today, there is a need to ensure that contour sheets are standardized for a particular size and are yet able to cater to the varying depths of mattresses or cushions available for each size.
Contour sheets are required to be durable enough to support weight of the person(s) sleeping on the mattress or sitting on the cushion. Sleeping or sitting entails a lot of movement, tossing or turning that tend to ruffle the intended fitted look and feel of contour sheets. Loosening can result in contour sheets coming off the mattress and entangle with the top sheet causing discomfort and hazard. Elasticity provided to secure contour sheets around mattresses and cushions also become un-effective over repeated wash and use.
GB 2 208 597 A discloses a contour sheet with elasticized vertical corner seams joining its side surfaces.

SUMMARY

The present invention in its various embodiments addresses the above and other possible needs relating to the field of contour sheets or fitted sheets.
The invention relates to a contour sheet, which is also known as a fitted sheet in some countries, according to claim 4 and a method of making a contour sheet according to claim 1. Preferred features are set out in the dependent claims. Having at least a portion of the side surfaces resilient ensures that the contour sheet is releasably secured in position on the mattress.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, at least a portion of the side surfaces can be provided with at least one resilient member that is configured to be extendible along the depth of the mattress.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the at least one resilient member is sandwiched between one or more layers of fabric to evade exposure of the resilient members to external factors such as high temperature during laundry cycles and increase durability and effectiveness of the same.
In accordance with another preferred embodiment, at least a portion of the mattress side surfaces is provided with sets of resilient members, each of the sets comprising a plurality of resilient members configured to be extendible in a vertical direction, along the depth of a mattress on which the contour sheet may be spread.
In accordance with the other preferred embodiment, each of the plurality of resilient members constituting the sets of resilient members is further sandwiched between one or more layers of fabric for minimizing exposure to external factors such as high temperature that can be detrimental to the durability and effectiveness of the resilient members.
Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic representation of an exemplary contour sheet provided with a plurality of resilient members disposed along mattress side surfaces.
FIG. 2A illustrates a schematic representation of an exemplary contour sheet with polygonal shaped cutouts forming openings at the corners with at least two edges before sewing.

In the Figures, similar components and/or features have the same reference sign.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The expression "mattress" referred to in the instant application refers to a fabric case filled with fillers including but not limited to one or more combinations of cotton, hair, feathers, foam, rubber, springs, and the like.
All embodiments claimed and described herein with regards to "mattress" are understood to include "mattress" used as a bed by itself, on a bedstead, water beds, air beds, "seat cushions" used on a sofa, couch, love seat, chair and the like and tuffets.
The expression "contour sheets" refers to sheets configured to fit snugly over mattresses, as defined herein above, of different depths. The expression "contour sheets" may also be interpreted to include "fitted sheets".
Contour sheets may also include one or more layers of fabric, stiffeners, resilient material and the like in at least some portions of the sheets.
The expression "resilient" refers to a property of a material that enables it to return to its original shape after being pulled or stretched.
The expression "resilient member" may include elastomeric materials that are inherently resilient by nature, such as elastic and also materials that can be pulled or tugged and released by means of ropes, cords, drawstrings configured therein to achieve desired tensioning or release effect. The expression "resilient member" may also include fabric configured with resilience by techniques such as but not limited to smocking and shirring. "Resilient member" can take any form including but not limited to bands, tapes, strips, threads, and the like.
The expressions "sew" and "stitch" may be used interchangeably to imply fastening or joining by stitching and may be a manual process or may involve use of machines.
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to contour sheets and methods of making thereof. For ease of explanation, the embodiments shall now be explained with reference to a non-limiting exemplary application to mattresses used in beddings. Contour sheets fit mattresses snugly and facilitate good bed presentation. Contour sheets are subjected to a lot of stress because of it nature of being fitted around the mattress with continuous vertical pressure due to moving weight. Contour sheets must not only support its own weight in stretched condition, but also withstand external force that may be applied by weight of the person(s) lying or sitting on or tossing and turning on the mattress. The present disclosure aims to provide durable and effective contour sheets that can address these requirements and at the same time cater to mattresses of different depths.
FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic representation of exemplary contour sheet 100 having a top surface 102 and a plurality of side surfaces 104. To facilitate flexibility and ensure that contour sheets cater to varying depths of mattresses, at least a portion of the side surfaces 104 is configured to be resilient and extendible in a vertical direction along the depth of the mattress. Resilient mattress side surfaces 104 ensure that contour sheet 100 can be releasably secured in position on the mattress.
In all embodiments, at least a portion of the side surfaces is provided with at least one resilient member configured to be extendible along the depth of the mattress. In a non-limiting example, at least one other resilient member may be attached in a vertical direction along the depth of the mattress at an angle relative to the vertical direction. In accordance with the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1, the side surfaces 104 can be provided with a plurality of other resilient members 106. The resilient members 106 can be any elastomeric or elastic material and can take any form including but not limited to bands, strips, tapes, threads and the like. Alternatively, the resilient member can be fabric configured with resilience using techniques such as but not limited to smocking and shirring.
In accordance with an embodiment, the at least one other resilient member is sandwiched between one or more layers of fabric to prevent direct exposure of the resilient members to heat during laundry cycles and increase longevity thereof. In all embodiments, at least one resilient member encased in a a protective sleeve or channel is configured along corners 108 of side surfaces that conform with corners of the mattress. Additionally, other resilient members 106 can be configured in a spaced apart manner along the side surfaces, as illustrated in Fig. 1, for example.
Repeated use involving removal, washing and replacement of contour sheets cause the resilient members to lose their elastic properties. This can prove detrimental since the contour sheets can be inadvertently removed during use and can get entangled in the bedstead or with the top sheet and cause discomfort to the person(s) using the mattress. In accordance with an embodiment, at least a portion of the side surfaces of the contour sheet can be provided with a set of other resilient members. Each set includes a plurality of resilient members configured to be extendible along the depth of the mattress. Each of the plurality of resilient members can be sandwiched between one or more layers of fabric to ensure minimum exposure to heat during various processes the contour sheets may be subjected to. Providing a plurality of layers of resilient members also ensures that in the event of failure of the outermost resilient member(s) in a set due to excessive wear, at least the innermost resilient member(s) can provide the intended resilience. Also, providing a plurality of layers of resilient members helps in distribution of load which otherwise would have been concentrated on the single resilient members thereby subjecting the same to excessive wear and reducing its longevity.
The sets of resilient members 106 can be configured in a spaced apart manner along the mattress side surfaces.
The resilient members of the set have approximately 9 inches un-extended length and can provide an extended length of at least 16 inches or more depending on the type of resilient member and its application. Accordingly, the exemplary contour sheet can cater to mattresses having depth ranging from 9 inches to 16 inches or more. The resilient members of the set can be configured to provide an elongation ratio of the un-extended to extended length of the side surfaces along the depth of the mattress in the order of about 1:3 or more.
One example embodiment of the method of making a contour sheet according to claim 1 includes the step of coupling at least a portion of at least one of the side surfaces with other resilient members that are configured to be extendible in a vertical direction, along the depth of the mattress in a spaced apart manner along the side surfaces.
In all embodiments, the method of the present invention includes a step of cutting a generally polygonal shaped cutout at one or more corners to form an opening with at least two edges, coupling one resilient member along at least one edge of the opening and sewing adjacent edges of the opening together.
The step of coupling includes the step of sewing a resilient member along at least one edge of the opening. The resilient member is encased in a protective sleeve or channel. In a preferred embodiment, the protective sleeve or channel is a stiffener.
FIG. 2A illustrates a schematic representation of an exemplary contour sheet 200A with openings at the corners before sewing. The illustrated phantom lines serve to indicate corners of contour sheets prior to cutting out of the openings. FIG. 2A illustrates contour sheet 200A having openings with generally L-Shaped edges 202. The exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2A illustrates a resilient member 106 provided on one edge of each of the L-Shaped cut corners and then seams are created overlapping the resilient members 106 necessitating only a single seam at each corner. The contour sheets of the present invention maintain tautness of the sheet and flexibility to cater to varying depths of the mattress and thereby provide simple and inexpensive means to releasably secure contour sheets over the mattress.
Although example embodiments described herein illustrate the top surface 102 of the contour sheet 100 as covering the entire top surface of the mattress, the invention is not limited as such. In a non-limiting example, the top surface 102 may cover only a portion of the top surface of the mattress, and the resilient members 106 may be stretched in such instances to cover the entire side surfaces of the mattress.
Example embodiments disclosed provide contour sheets that make optimum use of resilient members to provide the desired flexibility for catering to varying depths of mattresses. Example embodiments also provide contour sheets that facilitate taut and stretched mattress cover surface for aesthetic bed presentation. Example embodiments also provide simple and cost effective contour sheets that are easy to manufacture, and more durable than the existing sheets.
In addition to the embodiments shown, numerous variants are possible, which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Claims

A method of making a contour sheet having a top surface and a plurality of side surfaces, said method comprising:
coupling at least a portion of one of the side surfaces with at least one resilient member configured to be extendible along a depth of a mattress, the method further comprising:
(i) cutting a generally polygon shaped cutout at one or more corners of the sheet to form an opening with at least two edges;

(ii) coupling one resilient member along at least one edge of said opening, said one resilient member configured to be extendible along the depth of the mattress, wherein the step of coupling comprises the step of sewing said one resilient member along at least one edge of said opening, said one resilient member being encased in a protective sleeve or channel; and

(iii) sewing adjacent edges of said opening together.
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of coupling comprises the step of sewing other ones of said at least one resilient member in a spaced apart manner along at least one of the side surfaces.
The method of claim 1, wherein said at least two edges have a generally L-shape or a generally V-shape.
A contour sheet comprising a mattress cover surface and a plurality of side surfaces, wherein at least a portion of the side surfaces is configured to be resilient and extendible along a depth of a mattress such that said contour sheet is releasably secured to the mattress, wherein one resilient member is sewn along at least one edge of an opening with at least two edges of a generally polygon shaped cutout at one or more corners of the sheet, said one resilient member configured to be extendible along the depth of the mattress, said one resilient member being encased in a protective sleeve or channel, and adjacent edges of said opening are sewn together.
The contour sheet of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the side surfaces is provided with at least one resilient member configured to be extendible along the depth of the mattress.
The contour sheet of claim 5, wherein said at least one resilient member is further configured to be sandwiched between one or more layers of a fabric.
The contour sheet of claim 5, wherein resilient members of said at least on resilient member are provided in a spaced apart manner along the side surfaces.
The contour sheet of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the side surfaces is provided with sets of resilient members, each of said sets of resilient members comprising a plurality of resilient members configured to be extendible along the depth of the mattress.
The contour sheet of claim 8, wherein each of said plurality of resilient members constituting said sets of resilient members is further configured to be sandwiched between one or more layers of fabric.
The contour sheet of claim 8, wherein said sets of resilient members are provided in a spaced apart manner along the side surfaces.
The contour sheet of claim 8, wherein said sets of resilient members are configured to provide an elongation ratio of about 1:3 or more of the un-extended to extended length of the side surfaces along the depth of the mattress.
The contour sheet of claim 5, wherein the at least one resilient member is attached in a vertical direction along the depth of the mattress at an angle relative to the vertical direction.
The contour sheet of claim 4, wherein the at least two edges of said opening have an L-shape or a V-shape.
The contour sheet of claim 13, wherein the at least one resilient member is attached to one or both edges of the L-shaped or V-shaped edges.