GB2176998A

GB2176998A - Double bedding sheet

Info

Publication number: GB2176998A
Application number: GB08614848A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Pamela Robin Cummins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-06-18
Filing date: 1986-06-18
Publication date: 1987-01-14
Also published as: GB8614848D0

Abstract

A double bedding sheet which enables at least a portion of the sheet covering each occupant to be separately removed has a peripheral edge and at least one slit means extending inwardly for a selected length from the peripheral edge at the head of the sheet towards the peripheral edge at the foot of the sheet. The slit means may be a single slit or two single slits which may have associated closure means, e.g. a slide fastener, buttons and button holes, hooks and eyes, studs and stud holes, laces and holes or eyes, popper type snap-in fasteners, cords and touch and close fasteners. The term "sheet" includes quilt, eiderdown, blanket, sheet, continental blanket and bedspread. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Covering This invention relates to double bedding sheets.

In particular, this invention relates to double beeding sheets, in which, that portion of the sheet covering each occupant, is separately removable.

The term double bedding sheet is used in the specification and claims in a broad sense and includes quilts, eiderdowns, Doonas (Trade Mark), blankets, linen sheets, cotton sheets, silk sheets, sheets of synthetic fibre, continental blankets, down blankets, woollen blankets, woollen-synthetic fibre blankets, sheets and blankets of synthetic/natural fibre biend, sheets and blankets of blended natural fibre, bedspreads and like coverings.

Individuals have different requirements as to the nature and number of bed coverings.

As far as the prior art is known, double bedding sheets in general use such as blankets, quilts, linen sheets, bedspreads and the like, do not incorporate a feature or features which ameliorates removal of a sheet portion from one of the occupants whilst leaving the remaining sheets portion intact on the other occupant. When such removal is required, there is a risk of disturbing the other occupant in the process.

Hence there is a need for a double bedding sheet which facilitates separate removal of the portion of the sheet or part thereof, covering each occupant.

Australian Patent Specifications 28302/84 and 275138 relate to coverings for babies and small children.

The completely removable outer cover described in 28302/84 addresses shortcomings of an earlier baby carrier by providing full access to the interior of the body of the carrier and also by increasing air circulation around the baby. This outer cover does not include separately removable portions.

The length of the medial access opening provided in one of the embodiments of the safety coverlet in 275138 is selected to afford convenient placement and removal of a baby or small child rather than to provide separately removable sheet portions. The securing of this coverlet to convenient parts of the bed or cot is also described. Securing the top half of the coverlet would impede the removal of sheet portions on either side of the access opening.

Further, this safety coverlet is intended and thus suitable for a single occupant rather than two occupants as is shown by the provision of a Vshaped head peripheral edge in which the nadir of the V coincides with the apex of the medial zip in an illustrated preferred embodiment.

Australian Patent Specifications 454897 and 57327/80 pertain to the art of sleeping bags.

The sides of the openable cover of the preferred embodiment of 454897 are attached to a mattress by a suitable adhesive so that, portions of the covering cannot be separately removed.

For 57327/80 the wrap-around configuration of the single sized sleeping bag is as far as the prior art is known not used for bed sheets. Such configured sheets would require additional material and access would be limited to the opening provided via an opened closure means.

This invention pertains to double bedding sheets which enable at least a portion of the sheet covering each occupant, to be separately removed.

This invention provides a double bedding sheet having a peripheral edge and at least one slit means extending inwardly from a selected length from the peripheral edge at the head of the sheet towards the peripheral edge at the foot of the sheet.

Preferably each edge of the slit means is stitched, embroidered, crocheted, cauterised, stapled or bound by other suitable means. Advantageously the double bedding sheet further comprises closure means for closing the slit means. Preferably, the closure means is a slide fastener, buttons and button holes, hopks and eyes, studs and stud holes, laces and holes or eyes, popper type snap-in fasteners, cords, touch and close fasteners such as Velcro (Trade Mark) or other suitable fastening means.

Flap means are preferably included to at least partly cover the closure means. The flap means can comprise a single flap to cover the fastening means which is disposed adjacent a mattress when the sheet is placed on a bed.

It is preferred that the selected length is between 1/3 and 9/10, more preferably between 2/3 and 9/10, even more preferably between 3/4 and up to 9/10 of the length of the double bedding sheet. The selected length most preferably extends to the foot of a double, queen or king-sized mattress. When the selected length extends to the foot of the mattress a sheet portion can be advantageously foided and placed at the foot of a matress or can be hung over the end of a bed.

In a preferred embodiment the slit means is a single slit which provides two single sheet sections, each section having a width adapted to cover a single person. Preferably the single slit is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the double bedding sheet. Advantageously the single slit is a medial slit which provides two single sheet sections of substantially equal width and equal length. In another preferred embodiment the single slit is disposed on one side of the medial longitudinal axis whereby one of the sheet sections is narrower than the other and wherein the narrower section has a flap extending from the side of the slit distal the medial axis towards the medial longitudinal axis and preferably extends at least up to the longitudinal axis.

In another preferred embodiment the slit means consists of two single slits having closure means.

Preferably the two single slits are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the double bedding sheet and are substantially equal in length.

Advantageously the two single slits are disposed on opposite sides of the medial longitudinal axis of the double bedding sheet and are disposed and are substantially parallel to and equidistant from the medial longitudinal axis of the sheet.

In another preferment the two single slits are symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of the medial longitudinal axis of the double bedding sheet and extend inwardly and sideways from the peripheral edgeatthe head towards the medial longitudinal axis to define a U-shape or V-shape.

In one preferred form the peripheral edge at the head of the double bedding sheet is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the double bedding sheet.

In another preferred form, the shape of the peripheral edge at the head of the double bedding sheet comprises two inwardly extending curved, Ushaped or V-shaped sections each shaped section extending from the head of one of the sides of the double bedding sheet to that portion of the peripheral edge at the head, lying along the medial longitudinal axis of the double bedding sheet.

Advantageously that portion of the peripheral edge at the head located along the medial longitudinal axis of the double bedding sheet extends up to the transverse axis between the heads of the sides of the sheet.

For the preferment which includes two single slits having closure means, the widths of sheet extending between the medial longitudinal axis and the two closure means offer an advantage.

Specifically, where one of the occupants undoes the nearest closure means and separately removes that sheet portion extending between the medial longitudinal axis and the opened closure means is additional to the width of sheet extending between the opposite side and the medial axis over the covered occupant and thereby provides an overall wider sheet covering portion.

This invention will now be further described by way of examples by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. is a top plan view of a double blanket with a single slit and a zip; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan of the blanket of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top plan of a double blanket having a single slit closed by a zip, whose head peripheral edge consists of two inwardly extending curved sections.

Fig. 4 is a top plan of a double blanket having two single slits substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blanket and having zips to close the slits; Fig. 5 is a top plan of the blanket of Fig. 4 except the head of the peripheral edge of the double blanket consists of two inwardly extending curved shaped sections; Fig. 6 is a top plan of a double blanket having two slits on opposite sides of the medial longitudinal axis of the blanket each slit being closed by a zip and extending inwardly from the peripheral edge at the head of the blanket and towards the medial longitudinal axisto form a V-shape; and Fig. 7 is the blanket of Fig. 6 except the peripheral edge of the head of the blanket comprises two inwardly extending curved shaped sections.

Referring to Fig. 1 the double bedding sheet is a blanket 10 having a peripheral edge 11 and a single slit whose edges are stitched and closed by zip 12.

Zip 12 extends inwardly from the peripheral edge at head 13 towards foot 14 of blanket 10 for a length which extends up to the foot of a mattress which blanket 10 is adapted to fit which can be double, queen or king sized. Peripheral edge at head 13 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of blanket 10.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 a single flap 15 is located on bottom 16 of blanket 10 to cover the bottom of zip 12.

In a second preferred embodiment, blanket 20 in Fig. 3 has the same features as blanket 10 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 except the peripheral edge at the head of blanket 20 includes two inwardly extending curved shaped sections 21 and 22 extending from heads 23, 24 of sides of blanket 20 to the top of the peripheral edge at head 25 located in the piane of the medial longitudinal axis and extending up to the transverse axis between heads 23, 24.

Athird preferred embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4 includes two single zippers 31 and 22 which are substantially parallel and disposed on opposite sides of the medial longitudinal axis of blanket 30.

The widths between zippers 31 and 32 and the medial longitudinal axis of blanket 30 are substantially the same. The peripheral edge at head 33 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of blanket 30.

Afourth preferred embodiment, blanket 40 (Fig. 5) has the same features as blanket 30 illustrated in Fig. 4 except that the peripheral edge at the head of blanket 40 includes two inwardly extending curved sections 41 and 42 each section extending from the head of a side 43 or 44 to the top of the peripheral edge at head 45 located in the plane of the medial longitudinal axis and extending up to the transverse axis between the heads of sides 43 and 44.

Afifth preferred embodiment blanket 50 (Fig. 6) includes two single zips 51 and 52 disposed on opposite sides of the medial longitudinal axis of the blanket and which extend inwardly and sidewardly from the peripheral edge of the head and towards the medial longitudinal axis of the blanket to form a V-shape. The peripheral edge at head 53 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of blanket 50.

A sixth embodiment blanket 60 (Fig. 7) has the same features of blanket 50 illustrated in Fig. 6 except the peripheral edge at the head comprises two inwardly and sidewardly extending curved sections 61 and 62 each curved section extending from the head of sides 63, 64 to the top of the peripheral edge at the head 65 located along the medial longitudinal axis and extending up to the transverse axis between heads 63 and 64.

Claims

1. A double bedding sheet having a peripheral edge and at least one slit means extending inwardly for a selected length from the peripheral edge at the head of said sheet towards the peripheral edge at the foot of said sheet.

2. The sheet as claimed in claim 1 wherein said slit means is a single slit disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said sheet to provide two single sheet sections, wherein the width of each of said sections is adapted to cover a single person.

3. The sheet as defined in claim 2 wherein said single slit is a medial slit whereby said two single sheet sections are of substantially equal width and equal length.

4. The sheet as defined in claim 2 wherein said single slit is disposed on one side of the medial longitudinal axis of said sheet whereby one of said sections is narrower than the other, and wherein said narrower section further includes a flap extending towards said medial longitudinal axis.

5. The sheet as defined in claim 4 wherein said flap extends at least up to said medial longitudinal axis.

6. The sheet as defined in claim 3 wherein said sheet includes closure means associated with said single slit.

7. The sheet as defined in claim 4 wherein said sheet includes closure means associated with said single slit.

8. The sheet as defined in claim 5 wherein said sheet includes closure means associated with said single slit.

9. The sheet as defined in claim 1 wherein said slit means are two single slits having associated closure means.

10. The sheet as defined in claim 9 wherein said two single slits are disposed on opposite sides of, substantially parallel to and equidistant from the medial longitudinal axis of said sheet.

11. The sheet as defined in claim 9 wherein said two single slits are symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of the medial longitudinal axis of said sheet and extend inwardly and sideways from the peripheral edge at the head towards said medial longitudinal axis to define a U-shape or V-shape.

12. The sheet as defined in claim 10 wherein the shape of the peripheral edge at the head of said sheet comprises two inwardly extending curved, Ushaped or V-shaped sections each shaped section extending between the head of one of the sides of said sheet to the peripheral edge at the head of said sheet lying along said medial longitudinal axis.

13. The sheet as defined in claim 12 wherein said peripheral edge at the head of said sheet extends up to the transverse axis between the heads of the sides of the sheet.

14. The sheet as defined in any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein said selected length is between one third and nine tenths of the length of said sheet.

15. The sheet as defined in any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein said selected length is between two thirds and nine tenths of the length of said sheet.

16. The sheet as defined in any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein said selected length is between three quarters and nine tenths of the length of said sheet.

17. The sheet as defined in any one of claims 1 to 16 wherein said sheet is selected from the group consisting of a quilt, eiderdown, Doona (Trade Mark), blanket, linen sheet, cotton sheet, silk sheet, sheet of synthetic fibre, continental blanket, down blanket, woollen blanket, woollen-synthetic fibre blanket sheet and blanket of synthetic/natural fibre blend, sheet and blanket of blended natural fibre and bedspread.

18. The sheet as defined in any one of claims 6 to 9 wherein said closure means is selected from the group consisting of a slide fastener, buttons and button holes, hooks and eyes, studs and stud holes, laces and holes or eyes, popper type snap-in fasteners, cords and touch and close fasteners including Velcro (Trade Mark).

19. A double bedding sheet substantially as herein described with reference to any one of Figures 1 to 7.