GB2074021A

GB2074021A - Duvet

Info

Publication number: GB2074021A
Application number: GB8110757A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-04-18
Filing date: 1981-04-06
Publication date: 1981-10-28
Also published as: GB2074021B

Abstract

A duvet (1) which is suitable for use in hospitals has a thermally- insulating filling enclosed by an airtight plastics cover (2) with through ventilation holes (5) interconnecting its opposite major surfaces. The cover (2) can be cleaned or sterilised and protects the filling from contamination, but sealable nipples (7) are provided so that the interior can be sterilised, or the air can be expelled for packing, if necessary. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Duvet The present invention relates to a duvet, particularly for use in hospitals.

Bed-making, laundering and sterilising of bedding take up a considerable amount of time and labour in hospitals and much thought has been given to finding ways of quickening these processes and hence reducing the costs involved. One way of simplifying the bed-making problem would be to provide duvets instead of the usual blankets but this has not been possible until now because of the difficulties of sterilising the duvets currently available.

The object of the present invention is to provide a duvet which is suitable for use in hospitals, nursing homes and the like where sterilisation of the bedding is regularly required.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a duvet comprising a thermally-insulating material enclosed in a gas-tight cover of plastics sheet material with through ventilation holes interconnecting opposite major surfaces of the cover. Such a cover can be easily cleaned and thoroughly sterilised by wiping or spraying with an antiseptic liquid and protects the internal filling from contamination, in use.

In a preferred embodiment, the cover is provided with at least one sealable opening for the admission of a sterilising gas or vapour to sterilise the filling, or the expulsion of air to facilitate packing for storage or transit. Preferably two valves are provided at opposite corners of the duvet.

The duvet cover may be made from one sheet of plastics material which is folded over and sealed along the abutting edges, or several strips of plastics material which are sealed together. In preferred embodiments, however, the cover comprises two substantially rectangular sheets which are sealed together at their peripheries and at the peripheries of the ventilation holes.

Without the ventilation holes, the gas-tight plastics cover would be unsuitable for use, since it would retain moisture and be uncomfortable for the user.

The provision of the through holes also restricts movement of the filling material within the cover. If necessary, however, the two sheets of material may be interconnected at further discrete positions to ensure an even distribution of the filling material in the duvet.

The two sheets of the duvet cover may be sealed together, as described above, in any convenient manner, such as glueing or stitching with single or double seams as appropriate, but preferably the sealing is effected by welding the two sheets together.

Any suitable plastics material may be employed for the cover, although polyvinyl chloride is preferred. Similarly, any of the filling materials commonly used for duvets may be used but man-made fibres are preferred.

One embodiment of the invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a top plan view of a duvet according to the invention.

Referring to the drawing, a duvet is shown generally indicated 1, comprising a thermally-insulating filling material, such as polyester fibres, enclosed in a gas-tight cover formed from two rectangular sheets 2 of polyvinyl chloride (P.V.C.). The two sheets 2 are sealed together around their peripheries by two adjacent, parallel, continuous welds 3 to ensure that no contact between the atmosphere and the filling can occur after manufacture.

The two sheets 2 are also welded together by a plurality of non-continuous welds 4 located on a series of equally-spaced lines, parallel to the longer edges of the duvet. These welds 4 restrict the movement of the filling material, in use, to ensure that it remains substantially evenly distributed throughout the duvet, but they are so spaced that they allow circulation of air or gas within the duvet, no one portion being completely sealed from the remaining space within the cover.

Since the use of P.V.C. for the duvet cover means that the duvet 1 would retain perspiration moisture, as well as heat, and would be uncomfortable for the user, a plurality of through ventilation holes 5 are provided which interconnect the major surfaces of the cover. In this embodiment, the holes 5 are located on the same lines as the welds 4 and are evenly distributed over the area of the duvet. They also ensure that the duvet lies flat on the bed, in use, to give maximum warmth to the user.

The periphery of each hole 5 is sealed by welding the two P.V.C. sheets 2 along two concentric, circular welds 6 to ensure an effective seal between the atmosphere and the interior filling of the duvet 1.

The double welding of the duvet seams should be sufficient to prevent contamination of the filling during use, even in a hospital, but as a further precaution two sealable openings, formed by nipples 7, are provided adjacent opposite corners of the duvet for the admission of a sterilising gas or vapour. In some cases, one nipple 7 may be provided with a non-return inlet valve for the sterilising fluid, while the other nipple 7 has a non-return outlet valve for the fluid. The spacing of the internal welds 4 and holes 5 allows the fluid to flow through the entire contents of the duvet 1 when it is required to sterilise it. The external surface of the duvet may, of course, be sterilised simply by wiping with an antiseptic liquid. These sealable nipples 7 also allow the expulsion of air from the interior of the duvet 1,so that it can be easily packed for storage and transit.

The duvet according to the invention is thus suitable for use in hospitals and considerably simplifies and quickens the task of bed-making. In practice the duvet may be enclosed in the usual removable and washable fabric outer cover, although this is not essential, especially if the duvet cover itself is made from a type of P.V.C. which is pleasant to the touch.

1. A duvet comprising a thermally-insulating

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Duvet The present invention relates to a duvet, particularly for use in hospitals. Bed-making, laundering and sterilising of bedding take up a considerable amount of time and labour in hospitals and much thought has been given to finding ways of quickening these processes and hence reducing the costs involved. One way of simplifying the bed-making problem would be to provide duvets instead of the usual blankets but this has not been possible until now because of the difficulties of sterilising the duvets currently available. The object of the present invention is to provide a duvet which is suitable for use in hospitals, nursing homes and the like where sterilisation of the bedding is regularly required. Accordingly, the present invention provides a duvet comprising a thermally-insulating material enclosed in a gas-tight cover of plastics sheet material with through ventilation holes interconnecting opposite major surfaces of the cover. Such a cover can be easily cleaned and thoroughly sterilised by wiping or spraying with an antiseptic liquid and protects the internal filling from contamination, in use. In a preferred embodiment, the cover is provided with at least one sealable opening for the admission of a sterilising gas or vapour to sterilise the filling, or the expulsion of air to facilitate packing for storage or transit. Preferably two valves are provided at opposite corners of the duvet. The duvet cover may be made from one sheet of plastics material which is folded over and sealed along the abutting edges, or several strips of plastics material which are sealed together. In preferred embodiments, however, the cover comprises two substantially rectangular sheets which are sealed together at their peripheries and at the peripheries of the ventilation holes. Without the ventilation holes, the gas-tight plastics cover would be unsuitable for use, since it would retain moisture and be uncomfortable for the user. The provision of the through holes also restricts movement of the filling material within the cover. If necessary, however, the two sheets of material may be interconnected at further discrete positions to ensure an even distribution of the filling material in the duvet. The two sheets of the duvet cover may be sealed together, as described above, in any convenient manner, such as glueing or stitching with single or double seams as appropriate, but preferably the sealing is effected by welding the two sheets together. Any suitable plastics material may be employed for the cover, although polyvinyl chloride is preferred. Similarly, any of the filling materials commonly used for duvets may be used but man-made fibres are preferred. One embodiment of the invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a top plan view of a duvet according to the invention. Referring to the drawing, a duvet is shown generally indicated 1, comprising a thermally-insulating filling material, such as polyester fibres, enclosed in a gas-tight cover formed from two rectangular sheets 2 of polyvinyl chloride (P.V.C.). The two sheets 2 are sealed together around their peripheries by two adjacent, parallel, continuous welds 3 to ensure that no contact between the atmosphere and the filling can occur after manufacture. The two sheets 2 are also welded together by a plurality of non-continuous welds 4 located on a series of equally-spaced lines, parallel to the longer edges of the duvet. These welds 4 restrict the movement of the filling material, in use, to ensure that it remains substantially evenly distributed throughout the duvet, but they are so spaced that they allow circulation of air or gas within the duvet, no one portion being completely sealed from the remaining space within the cover. Since the use of P.V.C. for the duvet cover means that the duvet 1 would retain perspiration moisture, as well as heat, and would be uncomfortable for the user, a plurality of through ventilation holes 5 are provided which interconnect the major surfaces of the cover. In this embodiment, the holes 5 are located on the same lines as the welds 4 and are evenly distributed over the area of the duvet. They also ensure that the duvet lies flat on the bed, in use, to give maximum warmth to the user. The periphery of each hole 5 is sealed by welding the two P.V.C. sheets 2 along two concentric, circular welds 6 to ensure an effective seal between the atmosphere and the interior filling of the duvet 1. The double welding of the duvet seams should be sufficient to prevent contamination of the filling during use, even in a hospital, but as a further precaution two sealable openings, formed by nipples 7, are provided adjacent opposite corners of the duvet for the admission of a sterilising gas or vapour. In some cases, one nipple 7 may be provided with a non-return inlet valve for the sterilising fluid, while the other nipple 7 has a non-return outlet valve for the fluid. The spacing of the internal welds 4 and holes 5 allows the fluid to flow through the entire contents of the duvet 1 when it is required to sterilise it. The external surface of the duvet may, of course, be sterilised simply by wiping with an antiseptic liquid.These sealable nipples 7 also allow the expulsion of air from the interior of the duvet 1,so that it can be easily packed for storage and transit. The duvet according to the invention is thus suitable for use in hospitals and considerably simplifies and quickens the task of bed-making. In practice the duvet may be enclosed in the usual removable and washable fabric outer cover, although this is not essential, especially if the duvet cover itself is made from a type of P.V.C. which is pleasant to the touch. CLAIMS

1. A duvet comprising a thermally-insulating material enclosed in a gas-tight cover of plastics sheet material with through ventilation holes interconnecting opposite major surfaces of the cover.

2. A duvet according to Claim 1, wherein the cover is provided with at least one sealable opening for communication with the interior.

3. A duvet according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the duvet comprises two substantially rectangular sheets which are sealed together at their peripheries and at the peripheries of the ventilation holes.

4. A duvet according to Claim 3, wherein the two sheets are sealed together by welds.

5. A duvet according to Claim 4, wherein the welds at the peripheries of the sheets and the ventilation holes are continuous double welds.

6. A duvet according to Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein the two sheets are interconnected at a plurality of discrete positions to ensure an even distribution of the filling material in the duvet.

7. A duvet according to Claim 6, wherein the two sheets are interconnected at discrete positions by a plurality of discontinuous welds located on an equally-spaced series of lines parallel to the longer edges of the duvet.

8. A duvet according to Claim 7, wherein the ventilation holes lie on the same lines as the discontinuous welds.

9. A duvet according to any preceding claim, wherein the sheet material of the cover is made from polyvinyl chloride.

10. A duvet substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawing.