GB2407037A - Bedding covers - Google Patents

Abstract

A bedding cover 1 includes a base part 2 provided with overturned flaps 8, 10 at its marginal edges, in combination with a top part of the same overall size as the base part to which it is releasably securable.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO

BEDDING COVERS

1000ll This invention has reference to improvements in or relating to bedding covers, such for example as duvet covers or pillowcases.

100021 It is well known that the application of a cover to a duvet occasions considerable effort, and indeed exasperation, in view of the cumbersome nature of this kind of bedding with a need for vigorous shaking to even out the stuffing once success in encompassing the duvet in its cover has been achieved. Equally the insertion of a pillow into a pillowcase attracts corresponding difficulty again requiring a plumping up of the pillow once its distorted shape has been squashed into the case. The forced entry of the duvet or the pillow into the relevant cover or case does cause areas of low loft with the passage of time resulting in unevenness of the stuffing.

10003] Various proposals have been made to facilitate the tasks mentioned above and a number of patent applications have been filed in the past describing inventions which seek to overcome the difficulties outlined.

100041 UK Patent Application No 2 383 948 discloses one possible solution in that it provides a duvet cover in the form of a bag formed of essentially two parts, the lower part of which has a peripheral pocket defining a central opening which is closable by the other upper part in releasable manner. The perceived problem attaching to this earlier proposal is that the duvet per se still has to be fed into the peripheral pocket thus causing distortion, and further from an aesthetic viewpoint the separateness of the two parts provides for a lack of continuity in any pattern or picture appearing on the cover.

100051 UK Patent Application No 2 385 521 describes another proposal which includes two panels positively secured one to the other along a top edge and part way down two edges contiguous with the top edge, again to provide a partial pocket into which one end of the duvet would have to be fed initially with the remainder of the free edges then being brought together and secured to form a containing envelope for the duvet.

100061 Other proposals as exemplified in UK Patent Application Nos 2 312 164, 2 321 851 and 2 332 369 involve the use of a length of cloth essentially double the length of the duvet, the length of the fabric then being folded over the duvet when laid within its boundaries which are then detachably secured together. The perceived problem of these proposals is that an extremely long piece of material is required and accordingly the open 'cover' becomes unwieldy with problems of alignment of the sides and ends for securement purposes.

[00071 An object of the present invention is thus to provide an improved bedding cover devoid of the problems attendant upon conventional covers and those previously suggested for resolving the said problems.

100081 According to the invention a bedding cover includes two parts, a base part provided at its marginal edge or edges with overturned flap(s) defining areas of location for the peripheral r edge(s) of bedding to be encased within the cover, and a top part substantially corresponding in size to the base part and being releasably securable thereto at or in the vicinity of the said marginal edge or edges.

100091 The bedding cover may be a duvet cover or a pillowcase.

100101 The bedding cover may be square or rectangular in shape or indeed in any appropriate geometric shape to accommodate the relevant bedding. As a further example the bedding may be circular and in that event the base part would have but a single marginal edge.

100111 The or each flap is preferably of sufficient dimension as to provide for the creation of one or more locating recesses at the marginal edge (s) of the base part for the location of the peripheral edge(s) of the bedding.

100121 The top part is conveniently in the form of a panel which is intended to overlie the base part substantially completely and to be secured thereto in a releasable manner at or in the vicinity of its marginal edge(s).

100131 Releasable fixtures are advantageously provided and such fixtures may include inter alla buttons, poppers, ties, Velcro or a combination thereof. The fixtures may be of decorative form to enhance the aesthetic aspect of the cover.

100141 The size of the top part covering essentially the whole of the bottom part provides continuity for surface decoration in terms of pattern and colouring.

5] By way of example only, one embodiment of bedding cover according to the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 100161 Figure 1 is a plan view of a base part of the cover; and 10017] Figure 2 is plan view of a top part of the cover.

[00181 Referring to the drawings a bedding cover, in this example a duvet cover 1 is shown and has a base part 2 and a top part 4.

10019] The base part 2 (Figure 1) comprises essentially a rectangular sheet 6 provided at its relatively top marginal edge with a flap 8 of greater width than flaps 10 provided along the remaining marginal edges thereof. The flaps are of narrow width compared with the overall dimensions of the sheet 6 and serve to provide locating recesses at the marginal edges for the peripheral edges of the duvet (not shown). The flaps define an opening 11 for the duvet. The flaps 8, 10 are each provided with fixtures (not shown) for complementary engagement with corresponding fixtures on the top part 4.

[00201 The top part 4 (Figure 2) comprises essentially a rectangular sheet 12 having at its edges fixtures of a complementary character to those provided on the base part 2 as aforesaid. The sheet 12 is of substantially the same size and extent of the sheet 6 and thus matches the overall dimensions thereof.

[00211 In use the cover 1 is laid on a bed (not shown) fully spread out with a duvet (not shown) overlying it. The peripheral edges of the duvet are inserted through the opening It into the recesses formed by the flaps 8, l0 which provide a positive location therefore and stability for the duvet in use.

[00221 Once the duvet is installed in the base part 2, the top part 4 is overlain on the base part 2 to coincide therewith and the fixtures are then matched and secured to connect the base and l0 top parts together to complete the envelop.

[00231 The duvet once within the cover maintains its shape and density by being positively located, but without the usual crumpling associated with conventional covers.

100241 Removal of the cover l from the duvet is accomplished with ease by the unfixing of the top part 4 from the base part 2 and withdrawing the duvet through the opening If and from the recesses formed by the flaps 8, l0.

100251 The present invention may be applied to other bedding covers for example pillowcases.

100261 The invention facilitates the application of a cover to bedding by the provision of two parts which are releasably securable one to the other at their marginal edges to provide a substantially unitary appearance. This unitary appearance extending over the whole of the cover affords the opportunity to provide an unbroken pattern for the top part. This advantage is in contrast to some prior art proposals which give rise to difficulty in this regard.

[00271 The bedding cover of the present invention may be made in any convenient size for the specific application in question.

8] The present invention represents a departure in that it banishes to history the frustration normally associated with changing conventional bedding covers.

Claims (11)

1. A bedding cover including two parts, a base part provided at its marginal edge or edges with overturned flap(s) defining areas of location for the peripheral edge (s) of bedding to be encased within the cover, and a top part substantially corresponding in size to the base part and being releasably securable thereto at or in the vicinity of the said marginal edge or edges.

2. A bedding cover according to Claim 1 in which the or each flap is of sufficient dimension as to provide for the creation of one or more locating recesses at the marginal edge(s) of the base part for the location of the peripheral edge(s) of the bedding.

3. A bedding cover according to Claim 1 or 2 in which the top part is in the form of a panel intended to overlie the base part substantially completely and to be secured thereto in a releasable manner at or in the vicinity of its marginal edge(s).

4. A bedding cover according to any one of the preceding claims in which releasable fixtures are provided for releasably securing together the base and top parts.

5. A bedding cover according to Claim 4 in which the fixtures are selected from buttons, poppers, ties, Velcro or a combination thereof.

6. A bedding cover according to any one of the preceding claims in which the cover is rectangular, square or circular.

7. A bedding cover according to any one of the preceding claims in which the bedding cover is a duvet cover.

8. A bedding cover according to any one of the preceding Claims 1 to 6 in which the bedding cover is a pillowcase.

9. A bedding cover substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A duvet in combination with a bedding cover as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims 1 to 7 and 9.

11. A pillow in combination with a bedding cover as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims 1 to 6, 8 and 9.