GB2453156A

GB2453156A - Sleeping bag

Info

Publication number: GB2453156A
Application number: GB0718915A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kevin Robert Nash
Original assignee: NASH TACKLE Ltd
Current assignee: NASH TACKLE Ltd
Priority date: 2007-09-28
Filing date: 2007-09-28
Publication date: 2009-04-01
Also published as: GB0718915D0

Abstract

A modular sleeping bag comprises a first quilted layer 12 that serves as a mattress, a second quilted layer 14 that serves as a cover and a detachable third quilted layer 16 removably secured to the second quilted layer to provide improved insulation. The third quilted layer is secured to the second by a zipper fastener that extends around three of their common edges. In another modular sleeping bag, the second and third quilted layers may be interchangeable.

Description

SLEEPING BAG

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a sleeping bag and in particular to a sleeping bag for use by anglers.

Background of the invention

Anglers, in particular when carp fishing, may shelter from the elements in a tent, termed a bivvy, while waiting for the bait on a fishing line to the taken by a fish.

Within the bivvy, the angler may lie in a sleeping bag on a folding bed while waiting to be alerted by a bite indicator that movement has occurred on the fishing line.

When used in this manner, a sleeping bag needs to fulfil special requirements. In particular, it must be able to keep the angler warm and comfortable in a wide range of ambient temperatures. Furthermore, because an angler needs to act quickly on hearing a bite alarm, it must be possible to slip in and out of the sleeping bag quickly.

A conventional sleeping bag comprises two quilted layers, one acting as a mattress and the other as a cover to keep the occupant warm. The sleeping bag may be formed by folding a single quilt in two, or by securing two initially separate quilts to one another.

Sleeping bags for use in camping are normally formed by folding over a single quilt and the two layers are permanently secured to one another one of the two long sides. By contrast, in sleeping bags used by anglers, the two halves can only be secured permanently to one another at the foot of the bag and part of the way along the two long sides. The remainder of the long sides need to be connected to one another by zip fasteners that can be unfastened from inside, to enable the occupant to slip out quickly regardless of whether he is right-handed or left handed.

To be well suitable for use in summer, the two layers of the sleeping bag need to have relatively low insulation efficiency (low TOG rating) . To improve the insulation efficiency in cold conditions, it has been proposed to place a liner inside the bag.

A problem that is experienced with this approach is that attaching and removing the liner is awkward and inconvenient, and the liner makes it more difficult to get out of the bag when in a rush.

Summary of the invention

To mitigate the foregoing disadvantages, the present invention provides a sleeping bag having a first quilted layer to serve as a mattress and a second quilted layer to serve as a cover, characterised by a third quilted layer detachably secured to the outer side of the second quilted layer to provide improved thermal insulation.

In the present invention, the third quilted layer acts as an additional cover to provide more warmth when needed but can be detached entirely when the ambient temperature is not low enough to warrant it. As it is not a lining but an additional cover, it does not interfere with the comfort of the sleeping bag, neither taking up space within the bag nor impeding entry into and exit from the sleeping bag.

The third quilted layer is preferably secured to the second by a zip fastener extending around three sides of its periphery. It is not, however, essential for the third quilted layer to be secured in this manner. All that is required is that it should be easily detachable when not needed and that it should remain in place when it is in use.

Hence, it would suffice to use poppers or a hook and loop fastener.

An advantage of providing a third external quilted layer is that it may be deployed only partially if desired.

In particular, it could be folded over and used to warm only the feet of a person lying in the sleeping bag.

It is furthermore possible for the third quilted layer o to be attached to the first quilted layer instead of the second layer. If the second and third quilted layers have with different insulation efficiency, then by using one, the other, or both of these layers, the angler can choose between three different efficiency ratings. :5

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Figure 1 shows a sleeping bag of the invention with the corners of both the second and the third quilted layers turned down, Figure 2 shows the sleeping bag of Figure 1 with the third quilted layer partially unfastened and folded to cover only the foot of the occupant, and Figure 3 shows the sleeping bag of Figures 1 and 2 with the third layer totally removed, folded and placed at the foot of the bag and the second layer unzipped from the first layer along both the long sides of the bag and folded down.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiment(s) The sleeping bag 10 in the drawings comprises a first quilted layer 12 and a second quilted layer 14. The first layer is quilted to act as a mattress and the second is quilted to act as a cover to keep the occupant warm.

The bag is designed to be used while resting on a folding bed chair. To keep it in position, the first layer 12 has on its underside fabric pockets at each end that can be slipped over the ends of the bed chair and a strap 20 to hold the sleeping bag down on the bed. At the head end of the sleeping bag 10, the first layer 12 is formed as a zipped pocket 22 to receive a removable pillow. For added comfort, the upper side of the first layer and the lower side of the second layer are fleece lined. :0

A sleeping bag as so far described is conventional. The sleeping bag of the present invention differs from such a known sleeping bag by virtue of a third quilted layer 16 that overlies the second and is detachably secured to it on its outer side. In this way, the second and third layers can be combined, as shown in Figure 1, to provide maximum insulation in cold weather.

The provision of three quilted layers enables the sleeping bag to be adapted to suit the weather conditions.

Thus, as shown in Figure 3, the third layer 16 can be removed entirely during warmer weather, or, as shown in Figure 2, it may be partially unzipped and left folded over at the foot of the sleeping bag to keep the occupant's feet warm.

The second quilted layer 14 may be fully detachable from the first layer 12 or it may be permanently secured to it at the foot of the bed. If the second layer is fully detachable from the first quilted layer, it is possible, by using similar zip fasteners to secure the different layers to one another, to remove the second layer and replace it by the third layer. If the second and third quilted layers have different TOG ratings, the angler can then select between using either one of the second and third layers separately or using them both in combination.

Preferably, the underside of the third quilted layer 16 is also fleece lined to provide improved comfort when it is used in place of the second layer or as a spare blanket.

Claims

1. A sleeping bag having a first quilted layer to serve as a mattress and a second quilted layer to serve as a cover, characterised by a third quilted layer detachably secured to the outer side of the second quilted layer to provide improved thermal insulation.

2. A sleeping bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third quilted layer is secured to the second by a zip fastener extending around three sides of its periphery.

3. A sleeping bag as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second and third quilted layers have with different insulation efficiency and the three layers are fastened to one another in such a manner as to allow the third layer to be secure to the first layer in place of the second layer.

4. A sleeping bag substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.