GB2522086A - Bed sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

A sheet 10 for fitting over a mattress 14 accessible from only one side or edge comprises a pocket 12 formed along a first side and configured to fit over the side 16 of the mattress parallel to, and remote from, the accessible side or edge 18. The pocket is formed by folding over one side of a rectangular length of material to form two superimposed layers and joining the two layers to one another by four seams. A first pair of seams 20 extends generally parallel to, and inset from, the two adjacent side edges 24 of the length of material whilst a second pair of seams 22 extends perpendicular to, and from, the first pair of seams to respective adjacent side edges so as to define corner portions 26. The corner portions have an open edge 28 that prevent the creation of air pockets during industrial cleaning and pressing. In use the sheet facilitates the changing of the linen on a bed that has limited or awkward access, for example in a small hotel room, and provides an item of bed linen suitable for cleaning and pressing by industrial processes.

Description

Bed Sheet The present invention relates to bed sheets for covering mattresses and more specifically to the covering of mattress located in rooms having restricted access.

There has been a recent trend in the construction of "hub" hotels. These are a hotel concept featuring many small rooms occupying a smaller area than conventional hotel rooms placing an emphasis on a low cost "bed for the night" and little more. Each square foot of the floor area of the room is important and accounted for in its layout.

A typical hub hotel room layout sees its dimensions determined by the largest single article contained within it, which is the bed. As a result, the most efficient design is for the bed to be enclosed on three sides by the walls of the room.

In the hotel industry, staff are reguired to make-up beds with freshly laundered bedding for every occupied room on a daily basis. The making of the bed is a standardised practice varying between hotel chains and requires that a strict routine is followed in order to guarantee the quality and consistency of finish of the bed is up to the standards of the hotel chain. This practice is time consuming and staff must account for the time taken in performing this task for each room they are required clean or freshen.

while the hub hotel idea succeeds in reducing the room size, it makes access to the bed for the purposes of changing the sheets each day, very cumbersome and more importantly time consuming. There is therefore a need to simplify the bed making process for a bed having restricted access.

With a view to solving the foregoing problem, aocording to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a bed sheet as set forth in claim 1 of the appended claims.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is further provided a method of making a bed as set forth in claim 2 of the appended claims.

The invention will now be described further by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view showing an unfolded sheet according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a side view of the sheet of figure showing a mattress received within the pocket, and Figure 3 is a section through the mattress of figure 2 partially wrapped in the sheet of the present invention.

Bed-making typically requires that a bed sheet is wrapped around the mattress itself. Tn order to envelope the mattress with the sheet, it is necessary to pull it clear of obstructions, put a sheet on top of it, lift the mattress and tuck the excess sheet area, extending beyond the dimensions of the upper surface of the mattress, around the sides and lower surface of the mattress such that its weight secures the sheet in place. Folds can be intentionally placed in the excess sheeting when wrapped around the sides and underneath of the mattress to ensure a pleasant appearance, much like the wrapping of a gift. This is a conventional technique and has been the practise of bed-making for centuries.

A problem arises when the confines of the room prevent the person making the bed from walking around the mattress and lifting it to tuck the sheet in underneath. The only available access to the side to be tucked in, is from on top of the mattress, which makes it much more awkward to lift the mattress at the same time. The problem is solved by the use of the present Invention.

Turning now to figure 1, a sheet 10 is shown. The dotted lines are intended to show the presence of edges but also to indicate that the figure is not draw to scale. Seams pertinent to the invention are shown, but may not necessarily be the only seams within the sheet. For example, the edges of the sheet 10 may be seamed to prevent fraying and increase the strength of the sheet.

Note that a seam for the purposes of this specification refers to any suitable way of joining two layers of fabric which may include stitching, gluing or mechanical interlock.

An important consideration for a sheet according to the present invention is its thickness. Sheets used in the hospitality industry will be industrially cleaned in bulk.

This is performed using substantial washing machines with ironing or pressing achieved by rollers. It is therefore important that any folding and seaming of the sheet does not excessively increase thickness to the point that it becomes incompatible with industrial cleaning and pressing methods.

Any seaming or stitching must be strong enough to withstand the conditions to which sheets are subjected during these processes. In addition, the sheet must ideally remain rectangular in shape as irregularities in shape can lead to align issues when passing through the rollers. Having to ensure alignment to guarantee satisfactory pressing would add an additional step to the industrial cleaning process and therefore make it less commercially viable.

It is therefore essential that any modifications to the design of the sheet have no deleterious effect on the industrial cleaning process.

The sheet 10 is provided with a pocket 12 for receiving an end of a mattress 14 which is confined by walls or other obstructions. The mattress 14 is pulled clear of the wall and inserted into the pocket 12 formed in the sheet 10. As the mattress is retained within the sheet, the mattress can be replaced in its restrictive location and the sheet can be pulled against it. The pocket 12 ensures that the sheet is trapped at one end and so is tensioned in this manner to achieve a clean crisp look. Once taut, the excess sheet material is tucked around the more accessible (though potentially still confined by the proximity of the walls) edges of the mattress without the person making the bed having to climb on to it at the same time.

Figures 1 and 2, show the end of the sheet 10 in which the pocket 12 is formed. This may be a long or short edge of the sheet, depending on the room design and position of the bed within the room. Equally, the sheet may be square. The pocket 12 is created by folding over an edge of the sheet and creating two seams 20. The seams must be strong enough to resist tugging against the inserted mattress 14 when making the bed. The seams 20 are substantially parallel to but spaced away from the adjacent open sides 24 of the sheet. This results in the forming of two corner flaps.

The corner flaps may be problematic with regard to the industrial cleaning process in that they can fold back on themselves increasing the overall thickness of the sheet and hindering progression of the sheet through the rollers. They also expose both lateral sides of the first seam 20 making the it more likely to be caught and possibly torn. To avoid these problems, second seams 22 are utilised to secure the corner flaps to the main surface of the sheet 10. These seams 22 run substantially parallel to the folded edge of the pocket 12 to create corner pockets 26. These improve the longevity and appearance of the sheet. The seams 22 also keep the corner flaps tidily arranged with respect to the main sheet 10 enabling the sheet to be folded around a mattress to achieve the appearance of a conventional sheet.

The outer edge of each corner pocket 26 remains unseamed, creating an open mouth 28. This serves to prevent the formation of water or air pockets which are again problematic during washing or pressing respectively.

Figure 2 shows the mattress 14 inserted at its end 16 into the pocket 12 of sheet 10, prior to the free edges 24 being tucked underneath the mattress.

Figure 3 shows a cross section along the line XX. Again this shows a partially made bed, where the free side edge 24 on the left hand side of the diagram has been tucked underneath the mattress 14, whereas the free side edge 24 on the right hand side of the mattress is yet to be secured in place.

The result of utilising a sheet according to the present invention, is that it simplifies an otherwise complicated task which saves staff time and as a result money.

While it is noted that the use of the present invention is beneficial on beds having restricted access, the features of a sheet according to the present invention are such that it is equally applicable to the making of beds with conventional easy access. This will also result in saving staff time and therefore saving money.