GB2341089A

GB2341089A - Duvet covers

Info

Publication number: GB2341089A
Application number: GB9818846A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrea Mary Moses
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-09-01
Filing date: 1998-09-01
Publication date: 2000-03-08
Anticipated expiration: 2018-09-01
Also published as: GB2341089B; GB9818846D0

Abstract

A duvet cover adapted for easy fitting of a duvet has an upper panel (11) and a lower panel (10), with press studs (20) along three of its sides. A storage bag (26), e.g. for nightwear, is attached inside the bag by means of the press studs (20). Where the cover is for a double bed, it may have a line of press studs (50) down its middle to divide the cover into two compartments for containing two single duvets of different weights.

Description

1 2341089 DUVET COVERS This invention relates to covers for continental

quilts or duvets.

A duvet cover usually consists of a rectangular envelope of woven textile fabric, having an opening which extends along all or part of one edge. The duvet itself is inserted into the cover through this opening, which is subsequently closed by means of poppers or other fastening means. A disadvantage of this arrangement is that it is often tiresome and difficult to insert the quilt through the opening, especially where the opening only extends along part of one side of I0 the cover. Another disadvantage is that it is difficult to spread the quilt out inside the cover so that the corners of the quilt lie properly in the corners of the cover.

These difficulties may be overcome by extending the opening so that the upper and lower panels of the cover can be separated by an amount sufficient to enable the duvet to be in effect laid on the lower panel, rather than having to be stuffed in to a bag-like cover and then straightened out by a person working blind. Thus for example, the releasable fastening means can be disposed along a sufficient extent of the edges of the cover panels to enable the cover to be laid out flat, the duvet then being laid on the bottom panel in much the same way as the pillow with the lay-flat pillowcase described in United States patent specification No. 5,157,799. The upper panel is then simply folded over the duvet, and the poppers or other fastening means are done up. Another arrangement of this kind is described in the document GB 2 318 051 A, not published at the priority date of the present Application.

2 The document GB 2 198 348A describes a duvet cover comprising a main body of generally conventional form but having storage pockets attached on the outside of the cover. One disadvantage of this would be that the cover is not reversible without a danger of discomfort, or of the contents of the pockets failing out, if the panel carrying the pockets is on the underside. The pockets are also likely to be aesthetically displeasing.

The present invention aims to address these and other problems.

According to the invention, in a duvet cover comprising an upper panel and a lower panel, with releasable main fastening means for joining the panels together to close the cover, the main fastening means being disposed along a sufficient extent of the edges of the panels to enable a duvet to be located on the lower panel with a major part of the total periphery of the duvet visible while the main fastening means are undone, the cover includes means inside the cover for holding in place at least one further object separately from the said duvet.

The main fastening means can take any suitable form, such as tie tapes, poppers (press studs), hook-and-loop fasteners of the kind sold under the Trade Mark VELCRO, and so on.

Numerous different arrangements are possible to satisfy the criterion that the duvet can be located on the lower panel with a major part of the total periphery of the duvet visible while the main fastening means are undone (i.e. while the latter are in an unfastened state).

3 In this connection, a "major parC here signifies that a person can, while fitting the cover and duvet together, see enough of the total periphery of the duvet to be able to locate its edges and corners correctly with substantially no need to work blind. For example, considering a rectangular panel, three sides or even all four may be able to be opened, the former case being the lay-flat version mentioned above. In other versions, only two sides are provided with fasteners to enable them to be opened, these being either two adjacent sides or two opposite longitudinal sides.

The holding means may be in the form of a bag or envelope within the cover, for example for holding nightwear. Such a bag or envelope is preferably removable, and preferably uses part of the main fastening means for attaching it to the panels of the cover. Thus, preferably the bag or envelope has fastening means for engaging the main is fastening means to secure the bag or envelope releasably within the cover.

When two people are sharing a bed, it can happen that one of them feels colder than the other. According to a preferred feature of this invention, a rectangular duvet cover according to the invention for a double bed has additional releasable fastening means for dividing the cover longitudinally into two compartments, to accommodate the said duvet in one compartment and a further duvet (which is therefore a "further objecC as mentioned above) in the other, both duvets being single duvets. This enables two single duvets to be inserted in the same double cover, the fasteners down the middle of the latter being secured so as to hold the two duvets in position. The two duvets can 4 then advantageously be of different weights and/or have different thermal insulating qualities.

Some embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figures 1 and 2 show two versions of a simple lay-flat duvet cover; Figure 3 is a composite view showing another lay-flat duvet cover which incorporates various features of the invention; Figures 4 and 5 show two versions of a nightwear bag; and Figures 6 and 7 show two alternative ways of attaching such a bag.

In Figure 1, the duvet cover, of woven cotton or other suitable textile fabric, comprises a rectangular upper panel 11 and a rectangular lower panel 10, joined together along one side 12. Each panel has a strip of hook-and-loop fastener, 14, applied on its inside along three edges, for closing the cover once a duvet has been laid in position on the bottom panel 10 as discussed above.

In Figure 2, the cover is generally the same as in Figure 1, but hookandloop fasteners are replaced by press studs 20, those on one of the panels being male studs and those on the other panel female studs. Figure 2 shows press studs along all four edges, to illustrate an embodiment in which the two panels are separate pieces. In general, it is however preferred that the panels be permanently joined along the edge intended to be nearest to the faces of the occupants of the bed.

Reference is now made to Figure 3, in which the lay-flat duvet again consists of a lower panel 10 and an upper panel 11, these being joined along the top edge 12. The cover has releasable main fastening means 20, shown as poppers purely by way of example and disposed along the whole of the side edges 22 of the panels and the bottom edges 24. The cover includes a holding means in the form of a bag 26 inside the cover, for holding in place items such as nightwear ready for use. The bag is shown in Figure 4, in a version in which it is open towards the side of the duvet cover and has a flap 32 extending beyond the mouth 30 of the bag. In use the bag 26 lies generally flat on the duvet contained in the cover, and is attached to the cover either removably or non-removably. Figure 7 shows an example of the former case, in which the flap 32 has male press studs and female press studs arranged back-to-back as indicated at 34 in Figure 7, for engagement with corresponding main press studs 20 at the edge of the cover.

In Figure 6, the bag 26 is non-removably attached to the top panel 11, by female press studs 20 of the main fastening means being attached through the flap 32. This ensures that the mouth of the bag will always be immediately accessible on undoing the appropriate press studs.

It will however be understood that such a bag or envelope can be arranged in the duvet cover in any desired way. For example, Figure 5 shows another arrangement in which the mouth 38 of a removable bag 36 faces inwards. The opposite end of the bag 36 has a panel 40 carrying press studs arranged in the same way as the press studs 6 34 in Figure 7. The duvet covers as described thus far and as shown in Figures 1 to 3 may be single or double.

A duvet cover according to the invention need not have a bag or envelope (such as the bag 26 or 36). It may, alternatively or in S addition, have holding means inside the cover in another form for holding in place at least one further object.

Figure 3 shows one such other form of holding means, which may be present when the duvet cover of Figure 3 is a cover for a double duvet, i.e. one for a double bed. In this connection the lay-flat cover includes a line of additional press studs 50, extending along the centre line of the panels 10 and 11. Two single duvets (i.e. duvets of single rather than double width), indicated diagrammatically in phantom lines at 52, are laid on the bottom panel 10, and the fasteners 50 are done up at the same time as the main press studs 20, as the top panel 10 is folded down over the bottom panel. The two duvets, which will typically be of different weights, are then held properly in place. It will be understood that when the cover contains a double duvet, the studs 50 are left undone.

The fasteners 20 and/or 50 may be of any suitable form, not necessarily press studs. They may for example be pairs of ties, usually of woven tape stitched to the cover panels. In that case, the flap 32 or 40 of a removable bag or envelope may simply have holes, preferably with eyelets, for passing corresponding ties through to hold the bag in place.

1 7

Claims

1. A duvet cover comprising an upper panel and a lower panel, with releasable main fastening means for joining the panels together to close the cover, the main fastening means being disposed along a sufficient extent of the edges of the panels to enable a duvet to be located on the lower panel with a major part of the total periphery of the duvet visible while the main fastening means are undom, wherein the cover includes means inside the cover for holding in place at least one further object separately from the said duvet.

2. A cover according to Claim 1, wherein the holding means is a bag or envelope within the cover.

3. A cover according to Claim 2, whereifi the bag or envelope has fastening means for engaging the main fastening means to secure the bag or envelope releasably within the cover.

4. A rectangular duvet cover according to any one of the preceding Claims for a double bed, having additional releasable fastening means for dividing the cover longitudinally into two compartments, to accommodate the said duvet in one compartment and a further duvet in the other, both duvets being single duvets.

5. A duvet cover substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings, and/or with reference to Figure 1 or Figure 2 in combination with any one or more of Figures 3 to 7.