GB2348368A

GB2348368A - Bedding set

Info

Publication number: GB2348368A
Application number: GB0007052A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Dennis Kemp; Roberta Ann Kemp
Original assignee: SMITH JUSTINE MICHELLE
Current assignee: SMITH JUSTINE MICHELLE
Priority date: 1999-03-26
Filing date: 2000-03-24
Publication date: 2000-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 2020-03-24
Also published as: GB0007052D0; GB2348368B

Abstract

A bedding set comprises a bottom sheet 1, a reception location ABCD associated with the bottom sheet 1 to receive a pillow in use, and a top sheet 2 which is partially attached to overlie the bottom sheet 1 and provide a fold back flap, wherein the partial attachment of the top sheet 2 to the bottom sheet 1 is by way of connecting portions EF and GH. The sides of the bedding set are of such a width that in use they overhang the sides of the mattress from the foot end to the head end thereof.

Description

Title: Beddine Set The present invention relates to a one-piece bedding set.

The bedding set of the invention may be used either with a continental quilt system or more traditional bedding systems utilising blankets.

At present the traditional way of dressing a bed utilises a bottom sheet placed over the mattress on which a person lies, a pillow case to accommodate a pillow, and either a top sheet which overlies the bottom sheet to cover the user, or in the case of a continental quilt system a duvet cover receiving a duvet and which overlies the user. In the traditional system there may be additional sheets or blankets placed on top of the top sheet, and in both systems additional elements may be placed beneath the bottom sheet.

In either case three items of bedding are in direct contact with the user, namely the bottom sheet, the top sheet or duvet cover, and the pillowcase, and as a consequence will become soiled and require laundering.

In commercial applications such as hotels, hostels and the like, there is ever increasing pressure to keep costs down and attention has been directed to minimising the cost of servicing a room including the cost associated with the time of making up a bed and the cost of laundering items of bedding. At present sheets come in various standard sizes to suit single, double or king-sized beds. The bottom sheet is traditionally passed around the sides and ends of a mattress and usually tucked underneath. This is labour t intensive and may involve moving a bed where access is not available to both sides. The same procedure may be followed with a top sheet and any blankets for a traditionally dressed bed. In the case of a continental system the duvet would need to be removed from the cover and replaced in a fresh one which is also time consuming.

Laundry costs are normally charged on the basis of the number of items processed.

The costing takes account of individual washing and ironing procedures. If the number of items of bedding which were required to be laundered could be reduced then the cost would be reduced.

One avenue which has been explored is utilising a sheet which is more than twice as long as a conventional sheet. The sheet is laid over the mattress with one end projecting beyond the head end of the bed to allow that end to be folded back over a pillow and then tucked under the pillow, and for the other end to be folded back over the sheet to be disposed at the head end. The side of the sheet is tucked around and underneath the mattress sides in a conventional manner which makes it quite labour intensive to install and furthermore the length of the sheet creates difficulties with the laundering process, in particular with the automatic ironing machines.

The present invention aims to provide a solution which avoids the need for three separate pieces of bedding.

Accordingly, a first aspect of the invention provides a bedding set for making up a bed, the bedding set comprising a bottom sheet, a reception location associated with the bottom sheet to receive a pillow in use, and a top sheet which is partially attached to the bottom sheet in a position to overlie the bottom sheet and providing a fold back flap.

More specifically, the partial attachment of the top sheet to the bottom sheet is by way of connecting portions which comprise first and second connection portions extending part way along opposite sides of the sheet from the foot end thereof (or in the vacinity thereof) and terminating before the pillow reception location to provide said flap.

The sides of the bedding set are of such a width that, in use, they overhang the sides of the mattress from the foot end to the head end thereof.

The present invention is not to be confused with a sleeping bag liner which is in the nature of a bag open at one end and dimensioned to fit within the sleeping bag.

The bedding set may be made from one piece of material or, more conveniently, two or more separate pieces. It is preferred that the reception location for the pillow comprises a passage extending from one side of the sheet to the other and having an opening to permit insertion of the pillow. It is particularly convenient if the opening is at the side. It is preferred to have two openings one at each side so that the pillow can be inserted from either side. However, the opening could be other than at the side, although it is preferred that the opening is parallel to the side. In one embodiment a separate piece of material is used to form the reception location for the pillow by stitching it to the bottom sheet. The head end of the bottom sheet may terminate beyond the pillow reception portion. In one embodiment the separate piece for the pillow receiving portion may be stitched to the bottom sheet by two spaced apart lines of stitching which extend across the width of the sheet. In another embodiment it may be folded over on itself and then stitched to one end of the bottom sheet. In such a case the fold between the two overlying portions of the pillow receiving portion may form the head end of the sheet. In another embodiment, the pillow receiving portion may be disposed beyond what, in use, defines the head end of the bottom sheet to allow the pillow receiving portion to be folded back over to overlie the bottom sheet, the fold then defines the head of the bottom sheet.

The top sheet is preferably substantially the same length and width as the bottom sheet so that it extends from the foot to the head end thereof. It is preferred that the top sheet is fixedly attached to the bottom sheet along the length of the connecting portions.

Alternatively it may be at least partially releasably connectable, say by press-studs or Velcro. The connection is preferably formed by a line of stitching preferably using an overlocking stitch, and with the stitching reinforced at the point where the connecting portion terminates part way along the sides of the sheet. Where a separate sheet is used to form the top sheet it may be secured to the bottom sheet across the width thereof at what, in use, will be the foot end of the sheet. Stitching is the preferred option of securing it.

We have found that there is an advantage in not providing securing means that extends right across the width of the foot end of the sheeting and connects with the stitching along the opposite sides of the sheeting. The securing means (stitching in the preferred embodiment) may terminate before the opposite sides of the sheeting, but it is preferred that the stitching along the opposite sides terminates before the stitching along the bottom.

The gap in the stitching avoids the build up of dust and fluff etc. inside the bedding set by allowing it to pass through the gap between the side stitching and the bottom stitching where provided. The gap may be of the order of 1'50mm. A side gap does not impede the operation of automatic laundry machines. The partial attachment of the top sheet to the bottom sheet provides a flap extending from the point where the connecting portions terminate to the head end of the sheet, which flap can be folded back in the same manner as a traditional top sheet is folded back to expose the pillow and to overlie any blanket placed over the top sheet. More particularly still the connection portions terminate at a position intermediate the pillow location and foot end to allow the top sheet to be further folded back thereby permitting easy entry into the bed by a user. More particularly still, the connection terminates at a position no further than midway between the foot end and the location of the pillow, i. e. midway along the body portion of the sheet, but more preferably closer to the foot end, and preferably of the order of 1/3 of the distance between the foot end and the pillow slot location.

The width of the sheet is wider than the width of the bed for which it is intended for use so that the sides hang down the sides of the mattress from the head end to the foot end. Preferably the sheets have a constant width. Exceptionally they could narrow in a direction from the foot to the head end without compromising the convenience of laundry handling when hung from the foot end. However, it is not necessary for the sheet to be tucked in under the mattress. Indeed it is preferred that it is left hanging loose. This avoids the need to have access to both sides of the bed when making up the bed. A total overhang of 16" (400 mm) is preferred, although a small or larger overhang could be utilised according to user preferences. This makes the overall width less that that of a standard sheet so saving material. We envisage a minimum overhang at each side of 6" (150mm) so that the user does not feel constrained between the bottom and top sheet merely because they are stitched together and a maximum overhang at each side of 12" (300mm). For example, in certain applications it may be desirable to tuck the sides of the bed sheet under the mattress as in traditional techniques and here an overlap of more than 16" (400 mm) is preferred say of the order of 20" (500 mm) as is common with the overlap provided for a standard sheet which is intended to be tucked under the mattress.

We prefer a minimum overhang at the base of 14" (360mm) and a maximum overhang of 18" (457mm). An overhang at the head is not required, but may be provided if desired.

By designing the bedding set as a single piece item laundering costs are reduced.

Furthermore the design is such that when the bedding set is hung from its foot end, it is readily suited to processing using feeding machines connected to industrial ironers as the top sheet hangs downwardly and the positioning of the openings into the pillow receiving portion is such that they do not create any folds in the pillow receiving portion which could cause problems with automatic ironing equipment.

To further aid installation and/or use with automatic laundry machines, it is advantageous if means is provided to readily identify the foot end of the bedding set. This could be done by labelling but we prefer to use coloured stitching for the stitching between the top and bottom sheets at the foot end. The coloured stitching may be visible to one or both sides according to customer preference. More conveniently still the stitching may be coded-preferably colour coded-to distinguish different sizes of bedding set. This is helpful during installation by the customer.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method of dressing a bed mattress comprising placing a bedding set to overlie the mattress with its head end substantially aligned with the head end of the mattress and with its sides overlapping the sides of the mattress by equal amounts, inserting a pillow into a pillow reception portion of the bedding set, arranging a fold back flap of a top sheet of the bedding set to overlie the pillow case receiving portion, placing any bedding or duvet over the bedding set and folding back the flap to overlie the head end of any overlying covering.

The invention has the advantage that it avoids using three separate pieces of bedding and it enables bed making to be completed without moving beds away from walls or lifting mattresses. Furthermore the use of a one piece construction saves wear and tear on expensive supplementary covers, enables bed making to be easier, particularly for the elderly or disabled, reduces energy required for processing (e. g. cleaning) and avoids the dangers associated with having to move beds away from walls when making. The bedding set according to invention may be used over a traditional mattress and under a covered duvet or blanket/eiderdown combination.

The present invention will now be described further by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a bedding set according to the invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of a bedding set according to the present invention, Figure 3 is a plan view of a bedding set according to the invention in an alternative position.

Referring to the drawings, a bedding set according to the invention comprises a bottom sheet 1 and a top sheet 2 which according to the illustrated embodiment have the same rectangular outline represented by letters A, B, G, F. The foot end of the bedding set is referenced 9 whilst the head end of the bottom sheet is referenced 5 and the head end of the top sheet is referenced 7. In the illustrated embodiment the top sheet is fixedly secured to the bottom sheeting along the foot end between comers F and G and partially along the sides, along the connecting portions FE and GH. In an alternative embodiment there is a gap in the stitching along each side between FF'and GG'to allow dust and fluff etc. to escape. The sheets are conveniently secured by stitching together the top and bottom sheetings. The sheets are hemmed all the way round in a usual manner, although not illustrated for the sake of clarity. The bottom sheet incorporates a reception portion to receive a pillow, in use. The reception portion is bounded by reference numerals ABCD.

In the preferred construction the reception portion is in the form of an open ended tunnel within the openings being referenced 11. The tunnel is formed by a line of stitching extending across the width of the bottom sheet as indicated by dotted line CD and defining upper and lower portions lia, lob of the pillowcase receiving portion. The pillow case receiving portion comprising overlying portions 11 la, l lb, may be formed by separate piece of material stitched to the bottom sheet along lines AB and CD, or may be formed by looping the bottom sheet over on itself such that the head end AB is formed by a fold in the material with the free end of the material being stitched to the bottom sheet along line CD. The bedding set is made from any desired material. It is preferred to utilise separate pieces for the top and bottom sheet. This is particularly important where patterns are directional and/or where the surface finishes are different from one side of the material to the other.

It will be seen that the connection between the top and bottom sheeting extends up to points E and H. In the illustration this point is midway along the body length portion of the sheeting i. e. midway between DG and CF. However, the exact position is open to customer preference, although it has been found that if it extends as far as midway along the overall length of the sheeting it does not lead to convenience in use. In fact, it is preferably if it terminates closer to the foot end. Our current preference is for it to terminate of the order of one third of the distance between CF and DG. The portion of the top sheet extending beyond the termination of the side seams EH up to the head end 7 forms a fold back flap. In normal dressing of the bed, a first portion of this flap is folded back over the top sheet into the position illustrated in figure 3 in which the head end 7 of the top sheet is shown extending across the width of the sheeting at JK and defining a fold 7'. In this position the folded back flap will overlie any duvet or blanket which is placed on top of the top sheet and when someone wishes to use the bed they can fold back the top sheet further together with any duvet or blanket, as far as H. In practice the top sheet is folded back at by up to 45 as indicated by chain dotted line 7".

In use, the bedding set is placed over the mattress to be dressed with the head end aligned with the head of the mattress and with the sides AF, BG overlapping the sides of the mattress by an equal amount. A pillow (not shown) is inserted into the pillow receiving portion by way of either opening 11 according to whichever is most convenient, and then any blanket or duvet placed over the top sheeting in an appropriate position whereupon the head end of the top sheeting is folded back over the duvet or bedding as represented by figure 3. The sides and bottom of the bedding set droop over and cover the edges of the mattress to form a pelmet. The bedding set is made in sizes to suit the standard available sizes of bed namely single, double and king size or any other sizes and it is preferred that the width of the bedding set is approximately 32" (800 mm) wider than the width of the bed/mattress so that the bedding set hangs down each side of the mattress by approximately 16" (400 mm). A similar overhang at the foot end is also preferred.

The ends of the lines of stitching FE, GH are conveniently strengthened at positions E, H to prevent tearing in use. This can be done using further stitching, with or without additional material reinforcement or stiffening.

For standard length beds, the bedding set will have a length of 93" (236cm). The pillow portion will occupy 23" (584mm) and the side connection between the two sheets will extend 23" (584mm) from the foot end. For a single bed mattress of 2'6" (76cm) a typical single sheet will have a width of the order of 70" (178cm) and a length of 108" (274cm). For our bedding set, we envisage minimum dimensions of 46"x 93" (116cm z 236cm) and maximum dimensions of 54"x 95" (137cm x 241cm). These result in material saving of 40% and 30% compared with the use of two single sheets.

For a single 3'bed, we envisage minimum dimensions of 52"x 93" (132cm x 236cm) and maximum dimensions of 60"x 95" (152cm x 241cm), giving savings of 35% and 25% compared with the use of the standard single sheets.

In the case of a double bed of 4'6" (137cm), we envisage a minimum sheet size of 70"x 93" (177cm x 236cm) and a maximum sheet size of 78"x 95" (198cm x 241cm).

A standard double sheet is 90"wide and 108"long (228cm x 274cm) which results in a material saving of 33% and 23% respectfully. For 60" (153cm), 72" (183cm) and any other size of bed the dimensions will be pro-rata.

We prefer to use coloured stitching across the end FG, this can serve two purposes. Firstly it can serve to denote which is the foot end of the bedding sheet so that when the sheets are being laundered the foot end, which has to be placed uppermost in the machine can be readily identified. Secondly, different colours of stitching can be used for different sizes of bedding set. For example for the five common widths of bed namely 2'6" (76cm), 3' (96cm), 4'6" (137m), 5" (152cm) and 6" (183cm) we propose the colours of pale blue, royal blue, pale green, yellow and pink respectively. Of course, other colours may be used according to customer preferences or indeed other means of identifying the size and or the foot end may be utilised.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A bedding set for making up a bed, the bedding set comprising a bottom sheet, a reception location associated with the bottom sheet to receive a pillow in use, and a top sheet which is partially attached to the bottom sheet in a position to overlie the bottom sheet and providing a fold back flap, and wherein the partial attachment of the top sheet to the bottom sheet is by way of connecting portions which comprise first and second connection portions extending part way along opposite sides of the sheet from the foot end thereof (or in the vacinity thereof) and terminating before the pillow reception location to provide said flap, and wherein the sides of the bedding set are of such a width that, in use, they overhang the sides of the mattress from the foot end to the head end thereof.
2. A bedding set as claimed in claim 1 when made from one piece of material.
3. A bedding set as claimed in claim 1 when made from two or more separate pieces.
4. A bedding set as claimed in claims 1 or 2 in which the reception location for the pillow comprises a passage extending from one side of the sheet to the other and having an opening to permit insertion of the pillow.
5. A bedding set as claimed in claim 4 in which the opening is at the side.
6. A bedding set as claimed in claim 4 in which there are two openings one at each side so that the pillow can be inserted from either side.
7. A bedding set as claimed in claim 4 in which a separate piece of material is used to form the reception location for the pillow by stitching it to the bottom sheet.
8. A bedding set as claimed in claim 7 in which the separate piece for the pillow receiving portion is stitched to the bottom sheet by two spaced apart lines of stitching which extend across the width of the sheet.
9. A bedding set as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 8 in which the head end of the bottom sheet terminates beyond the pillow reception portion.
10. A bedding set as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 6 in which the reception portion is formed by folding over a portion of the bottom sheet on itself and then stitching an end to the bottom sheet.
11. A bedding set as claimed in claim 10 in which a fold between the two overlying portions of the pillow-receiving portion forms the head end of the sheet.
12. A bedding set as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 8 in which the pillow receiving portion is disposed beyond what, in use, defines the head end of the bottom sheet to allow the pillow receiving portion to be folded back over to overlie the bottom sheet, the fold then defines the head of the bottom sheet.
13. A bedding set as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims in which the top sheet is substantially the same length and width as the bottom sheet so that it extends from the foot to the head end thereof.
14. A bedding set as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims in which the top sheet is fixedly attached to the bottom sheet along the length of the connecting portions.
15. A bedding set as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 13 in which the top sheet is at least partially releasably connectable to the bottom sheet.
16. A bedding set as claimed in claim 14 in which the connection portions are formed by a line of stitching and with the stitching reinforced at the point where the connecting portion terminates part way along the sides of the sheet.
17. A bedding set as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims in which when a separate sheet is used to form the top sheet it is secured to the bottom sheet across at least part of the width thereof at what, in use, will be the foot end of the sheet.
18. A bedding set as claimed in claim 17 in which the securing means terminates before the opposite sides of the sheeting.
19. A bedding set as claimed in anyone of claims 14 to 18 in which the means connecting the top sheet to the bottom sheet along the opposite sides terminates before the foot end.
20. A bedding set as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims in which there is an aperture between the side edges and the foot end to avoid the build up of fluff.
21. A bedding set as claimed in claim 19 or 20 in which the gap or aperture is of the order of 150mm long.
22. A bedding set as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims in which the partial attachment of the top sheet to the bottom sheet provides a flap extending from the point where the connecting portions terminate to the head end of the sheet, which flap can be folded back in the same manner as a traditional top sheet is folded back to expose the pillow and to overlie any blanket or the like placed over the top sheet.
23. A bedding set as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims in which the connection portions terminate at a position intermediate the pillow location to allow the top sheet to be further folded back thereby permitting easy entry into the bed by a user.
24. A bedding set as claimed in claim 23 in which the connection terminates at a position no further than midway between the foot end and the location of the pillow.
25. A bedding set as claimed in claim 24 in which the connection terminates at a position 1/3 of the distance between the foot end and the pillow slot location.
26. A bedding set as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims in which the width of the top and bottom sheet is wider that the width of the bed for which it is intended for use so that the sides hang down the sides of the mattress from the head end to the foot end.
27. A bedding set as claimed in claim 26 in which the sheets have a constant width.
28. A bedding set as claimed in claim 26 in which the sheets narrow in a direction from the foot to the head end.
29. A bedding set as claimed in claims 26 or 27 in which the sheets overhang at each side by at least 150mm.
30. A bedding set as claimed in claim 26,27 or 28 in which the sheets overhang by a maximum overhang at each side of 300mm.
31. A bedding set as claimed in anyone of claims 26 to 30 in which there is a minimum overhang at the base of 360mm.
32. A bedding set as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims in which means is provided to readily identify the foot end of the bedding set.
33. A bedding set as claimed in claim 32 in which the identification is provided by coloured stitching for the stitching between the top and bottom sheets at the foot end.
34. A bedding set as claimed in claim 33 in which the stitching is coded to distinguish different sizes of bedding set.
35. A method of dressing a bed mattress comprising placing a bedding set as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims to overlie the mattress with its head end substantially aligned with the head end of the mattress and with its sides overlapping the sides of the mattress by equal amonts, inserting a pillow into a pillow reception portion of the bedding set, arranging a fold back flap of a top sheet of the bedding set to overlie the pillow case receiving portion, placing any bedding or duvet over the bedding set and folding back the flap to overlie the head end of any overlying covering.
36. A bedding set constructed and arrange substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.