IL292128A - Sheet retainer - Google Patents

Description

SHEET RETAINER FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to sheet retainer, more particular to a system and method for retaining sheets smooth and tight over mattresses.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION When making a bed it is customary to spread a sheet over the mattress and to tuck it under the mattress to ensure that it remains smooth and tight over the mattress. In addition, fitted sheets, which have a circumferential elastic band designed to keep the sheet smooth and tight over the mattress, have been available for many years. It is a known problem that when the bed is slept in or laid on, the sheet tends to come un-tucked, causing the user discomfort and annoyance. Even fitted sheets do not offer a full solution to the problem, for several reasons: it requires an exact match between the fitted sheet size and the mattress, otherwise the elastic band "pops out" when the mattress is being used, additionally, over time, the elastic band loses its elasticity due to usual wear and tear caused by time and due to repeated washing until it no longer ensures a smooth and tight fit of the sheet over the mattress. There is a variety of other problems involved in using sheets in the familiar manner, including the purchase of sheets that are not exactly the right size for the mattress (too small or too big); premature wearing of the elastic band which results in the user disposing of sheets that are otherwise in fine condition; the user's desire that the sheet be very smooth and tight over the mattress; and the fact that fitted sheets are inconvenient to use, and especially to fold and iron. Device for ensuring smooth and tight fit of sheet over mattress is disclosed for example in US 9055830 which is a patent of the same applicant.

US 9055830 discloses a device designed to ensure a smooth and tight fit of the sheet over the mattress, which includes a locking pin or convex cap and a base comprising a horizontal, bottom plate and a vertical plate with a locking hole or protrusion, respectively, whereby the sheet may be fit smoothly and tightly over the base and the locking pin inserted into the locking hole, or the convex locking cap fit over the protrusion, thus ensuring a smooth and tight fit of the sheet over the mattress. However, the device disclosed in US 9055830 has several disadvantages which the present invention provides an answer to, for example, preventing the locking pin from popping out from its designated place when being applied pressure thereon and having a unique structure which comprise multidirectional slits for complete adjustability for all types of mattresses, beds, and adjustable beds.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a sheet retainer that keeps the sheet smooth and tight over the mattress.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a sheet retainer that is convenient, effective, and easy to use and that fits a variety of mattresses and sheet sizes.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a sheet retainer that will not damage various types of sheets and mattresses.

Yet in another object of the present invention the sheet retainer can be used also for any type of beds including manual and/or automatic adjustable beds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to sheet retainer, more particular to a system and method for retaining sheets smooth and tight over mattresses.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention there is provided a sheet retainer for retaining sheet smooth and tight over mattress including, one or more adjustment straps circumference said mattress. The sheet retainer further includes one or more locking pins having an inserting cylindrical portion. The sheet retainer further includes one or more retainer bodies having a locking hole with upper, bottom, and middle hole portions. Flexible lock pin slits utilized for locking the locking pin into the retainer body. The sheet retainer body further having strap slide/lock slits for sliding the sheet retainer body along the adjustment straps and locking the sheet retainer body from moving along the adjustment strap after tightening said adjustment strap to the mattress. For tightening a sheet over the mattress, the sheet is spread over the mattress, then a user inserts the inserting portion of the locking pin into the locking hole wide section and slides the locking pin upwards towards the narrow section in the locking hole and by doing so, fixes the sheet to the sheet retainer body, ensuring a smooth and tight fit over the mattress. To prevent the locking pin from slipping out of the locking hole, the locking pin and the locking hole are shaped so that the locking pin is firm and can be opened only by the user and not slide out spontaneously due to pressure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention may be understood upon reading of the following detailed description of non-limiting exemplary embodiments thereof, with reference to the following drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective front view of a sheet retainer body in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective front view of a sheet retainer body and sheet retainer locking pin in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 3 is a side view of a sheet retainer that is shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective rear view of the sheet retainer body and the sheet retainer locking pin that is shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a front view of a sheet retainer body in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention where the sheet retainer body is slidable along a sheet retainer strap; Fig. 6 is a front view of a sheet retainer body in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention where two end portions of the sheet retainer's adjustment strap are threaded to the sheet retainer body; Fig. 7 is a sectional perspective view showing the sheet retainer in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention tightened around a mattress; 30 Fig. 8 is a front perspective view showing the sheet retainer in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention tightened around a mattress that is resting on a bed; Fig. 9 is a front view of the retainer body and locking pin in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention; Fig. 10 is a front perspective view of a sheet retainer for tightening a bed sheet over an exemplary adjustable mattress having a single-hinged lying surface where one strap of the retainer sheet is wrapped around circumference of the adjustable mattress and another strap of the retainer sheet is wrapped around the circumference of the adjustable axis of the adjustable mattress in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention; Fig. 11 is a side view of the adjustable mattress and sheet retainer that is shown in Fig. 10; and Fig. 12 is a side view showing another exemplary implementation of the present invention on an adjustable mattress.

The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings referred to above. Dimensions of components and features shown in the figures are chosen for convenience or clarity of presentation and are not necessarily shown to scale. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description will refer to the same and like parts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Referring first to Fig. 1 to Fig. 4 and Fig. 8, there is shown a sheet retainer (refer to for example to Fig. 8) in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. The sheet retainer includes a sheet retainer body 20, a locking pin 30 and adjustment strap 50 (shown for example in Figs 5 and 6). The strap can be made of rubber or any other suitable flexible and/or elastic materials such as but not limited to nylon, cotton, polyester, or the like. The sheet retainer body having a locking hole 22, flexible lock pin slits 24 and strap slide/lock slits 26.

The sheet retainer body 20 preferably, have a convex structure as shown for example in Fig. 4. The shape of sheet retainer body 20 is designed that way in order to provide two advantages, one is to allow the movement of the locking pin in a convenient manner, the second reason is to reduce the required pressure for the retainer body 20 to be embedded and sunk in the mattress circumference surface once pressure is applied, thus ensuring position in preserved and outside appearance is minimal. The slits 26 can be used for sliding the sheet retainer body 20 along the adjustment strap 50. Another use of the slits 26 is for tightening and locking the strap 50 around a bed mattress. The retainer body and the locking pin 30 preferably can and without limitation can be made of Polycarbonate/ABS alloy (PC/ABS). This material has two main properties PC polycarbonate is a very strong material that for example prevents the locking pin that is under pressure from breaking and losing its exact dimensions and on the other hand the ABS is a material with elasticity. The combination between these materials also provides the sheet retainer 20 and the flexible lock pin slits 24 to keep their exact measurements and elasticity for a long time.

The strap slide/lock slits 26 in some embodiments can be the type of Ladderlock strap slits. The strap slide/lock slits 26 are positioned in the left side of the sheet retainer body 20 and in the right side of the sheet retainer body and additional slide/lock strip slits 28 are positioned in the upper and bottom portions of the sheet retainer body 20 which can be used for example for retaining sheet over adjustable beds. The use of 2 strap slide/lock slits 26 in each side of the sheet retainer provides another advantage which is the ability to tighten the strap 50 to the mattress without the use of any additional element such as but not limited to stitching or sewing. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, there are two strap slide/lock slits 26 in the left side of the sheet retainer body 20 and two strap slide/lock slits 26 in the right side of the sheet retainer body 20 and two strap slide/lock slits 28 in the bottom side of the sheet retainer body 20 and two strap slide/lock slits 28 in the top side of the sheet retainer body 20. Referring for example to Fig. 3 and 4 in the bottom of the sheet retainer body there is a stopper 34 to prevent the sheet retainer body 20 from moving when tightened to the mattress 70 and stay firmly in place in the corners of the mattress or in any desired location along the circumference the mattress.

The stopper 34 can be for example constructed from a plurality of protrusions position in the bottom of the sheet retainer body 20 as shown for example in Figs 3-4 that causes retainer body 20 to stay in its place when tightened to the mattress of bed 84. The stopper 34 may include a rubber surface that has a higher friction coefficient. In some embodiments of the present invention the bottom portion of the retainer body may have a convex structure 80 which can be utilized for releasing the retainer body 20 from the bed 84 when the retainer body 20 is tightened to the bed 84 and the user wishes to release the retainer body 20 for example for moving it to the sides or removing the retainer bodies 20 and strap 50 from the bed 84. In some embodiments of the present invention the sheet retainer body can be affixed to the mattress by using stiches, snap fit joins, adhesive or screws and can be integrated in the mattress corners for example during the manufacturing process of the mattress. In said embodiment in which retainer body 20 is affixed to the mattress, the complete shape of the retainer body 20 will be convex in such way that it will be compatible and overlapping to a mattress's corner shape (not shown). flexible lock pin slits 24 are positioned very close to the circumference of the locking hole 22. In the preferred embodiment the sheet retainer body 20 may have two flexible slits 24, one to the right of the locking hole and the other to its left. The flexibility slits 24 impart elasticity to the locking hole 22. As a result of this increased flexibility, the locking hole 22 can expand when the locking pin is inserted into it along with the sheet (as will be describe later with more detail).

The purpose of the flexibility slits 24 is, therefore, to enable the locking hole 22 to expand under pressure so that the sheet, which is trapped between the locking pin 30 and the locking hole 22, does not tear. In other words, the flexibility slits 24, and the flexibility they impart, relieve some of the pressure on the sheet.

This, combined with the specific ratio between sizes of the locking parts (which will be detailed in Fig. 9) enables the user to use the sheet retainer 10 with sheets of different thicknesses without the risk of tearing or damaging them.

The upper portion of locking pin 30 includes a grabbing means 32 for easily grabbing the locking pin 30 and inserting portion of it along with the sheet to the locking hole 22 when locking the sheet from moving. The grabbing means 32 is also used when a user wants to remove the locking pin 30 from the locking hole 22.

When the sheet is spread over the mattress, the user inserts the inserting portion of the locking pin 30 into the locking hole 22 and slides the locking pin upwards towards the narrow section in the locking hole 22 and by doing so, fixes the sheet to the sheet retainer body 20, ensuring a smooth and tight fit over the mattress 70. To prevent the locking pin 30 from slipping out of the locking hole 22, the locking pin 30 and the locking hole 22 should be shaped so that the locking pin 30 is firm and can be opened only by the user and not slide out spontaneously due to pressure. The locking pin 30 and the locking hole accordingly can and should be shaped to ensure firm locking as mentioned, as is described in the drawings attached to the application. To ensure the sheet remains undamaged, the locking pin 30 can and should be convex and rounded, with no protrusions or sharp edges, and the locking hole 22 should, accordingly, have rounded edges, not sharp, facing inwards. The sheet retainer body 20 and the locking pin 30 should also have convex shape 37 and made of plastic or of another, strong yet slightly flexible material to prevent damage to the sheet, or at least to the part of the sheet that is inserted into the locking hole 22 along with the locking pin 30.

The locking hole 22 in the preferred embodiment of the present invention has a wide portion hole part and a narrow portion hole part. The locking pin that correspond to this locking hole 22 has an inserting cylindrical-shaped portion 33 having cascading diameters (31A, 31B, 31C) and the end portion 37 having a convex structure. Cylindrical-shaped portion diameter 31A is smaller than the wide portion hole part and bigger than the narrow portion hole part of the locking hole 22. The cascading diameters serve as an anchor for locking pin 30 to lock it in place and preventing it from slipping out from the locking hole 22 even when 30 pressure is applied to the locking pin 30 for example when the tightened sheet is undesirably pulled outwards from its place on the bed.

To lock the locking pin 30 to the sheet retainer body 20 the cylindrical- shaped portion 31A is inserted into the bottom wide part of the locking hole and then lifted to lock it in place. The narrow portion of the locking hole 22 can expand when the locking pin 33 is inserted into the wide portion along with the sheet and then lifted upwards to lock. The purpose of the flexibility slits 24 is, therefore, to enable the narrow portion of the locking hole 22 to expand under pressure so that the sheet, which is trapped between the locking pin 33 and the locking hole 22, does not tear. In other words, the flexibility slits 24 and the flexibility they impart, relieve some of the pressure on the sheet. This enables the user to use the sheet retainer with sheets of different thicknesses without the risk of tearing or damaging them. Another purpose of the flexibility slits 24 is to allow the cylindrical-shaped portion 31A to pass through the narrow portion 22A of the locking hole 22 while being locked and apply pressure on the locking pin 33 to stay in its place once the locking pin 33 in in locked mode, when the cylindrical-shaped portion 31A is located in the top part 22B of the locking hole 22. Operation: Referring also to Figs 5,6,7 and 8, to smooth and tighten a sheet (not shown) over the mattress 70, preferably, four base sheet retainer bodies 20 are used. For regular mattresses, the strap 50 is threaded through the three of the four sheet retainer bodies 20 and is wrapped through slits 26 as shown for example in Fig. 5 allowing the retainer bodies 20 to slide along strap 50. The end portions of strap 50 is threaded respectively through slits 26 of the fourth sheet retainer body 20 to tighten the strap around the mattress 70. The strap wrapping and slits shape and configuration such as but not limited to Ladderlock strap slits 26 providing the option to tight and automatically lock the strap from being loose. An example of how the end portions of strap 50 threaded respectively through slits 26 is shown for example in Fig. 6. The sheet retainer bodies 20 are positioned at each of the mattress' corners such that after the strap is tightened enough and locked the sheet retainer bodies 20 are fixed to the corners and are prevented from moving sideways. The tightening of the sheet retainer bodies 20 sinks to the corners of the bed mattress also to prevents the sheet retainer bodies 20 from moving up or down. The sheet (not shown) is then spread over the mattress 70, smoothed over sheet retainer bodies 20, and held in place there by inserting the locking pin 30 into the locking hole 22. After repeating this step for all four sheet retainer bodies 20 at all four corners of the mattress, a smooth and tight fit of the sheet over the mattress is obtained. Despite the above description, the sheet retainer bodies 20 do not have to be positioned only at the corners of the mattress but can also be positioned along the four sides of the mattress.

Referring to Fig. 9 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention the following dimensions are desired in order for the locking pin 30 when locked to the retainer body 20 will not release or slip out when tightening and locking the corners of the sheet to the sheet retainer 10 or when pressure is applied thereon by the user's weight over the mattress. The width of the upper hole portion (designated by dashed line 22B) is bigger than the width of the middle hole portion (designated by dashed line 22A) and the width of bottom hole portion (designated by dashed line 22C) is bigger than the width of portions 22A and 22B. more specifically, in order for the present invention to provide the above detailed benefits, the following ratio between dimensions is desired. The width of the cylindrical-shaped portion 31A should be 1.03 times bigger than the width of the middle hole portion 22A, or alternatively, 22A should be 0.966 times the width of the cylindrical-shaped portion 31A. a slight deviation of ± 1 millimeter is accepted. The preferred widths are width of portion 22A is 5.7mm. The width of portion 22B is 6.4mm. Referring also to the locking pin 30 in Fig. 9 the central cylindrical portion 31B has a bigger diameter than upper cylindrical portion 31A of retainer pin 30. The upper cylindrical portion 31A has a diameter bigger than the width portion 22A of hole 22 and smaller than the width portion 22B in a way that when the locking pin 30 is locked to the retainer body 20 pin portion 31A is anchored to hole portion of 22B. Preferably, the width of cylindrical portion of the locking pin 31A is 5.9mm. cylindrical portions 31B and 31C preventing the locking pin 30 from slipping outside from hole 22 when the sheet corners are locked to the retainer body 20 by locking pin . If the user wants to release locking pin 30 from retainer body 20 the user needs to apply pressure on the locking pin by gripping the gripping means and sliding it downwards to the hole portion 22C.

Referring also to Figs 1,8,10 and 11 to smooth and tighten the sheet (not shown) over an adjustable mattress 100, preferably, four base sheet retainer bodies 20 are used. For adjustable mattresses/beds, the use of the slide/lock slits 26 and 28 is required. An adjustable bed is referred to a bed which may have a multi-hinged lying surface which can be profiled to several different positions.

One option for tightening the sheet (not shown) over the adjustable mattresses in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention is by threading the strap 50 over mattress 100 as detailed above and then threading an additional strap 102 through the top and bottom slide/lock slits 28 of two retainer bodies 20 and sliding the retainer bodies 20 along the strap 50 in such way that said retainer bodies 20 will be located near the area of the mattress which adjusts its angle and opposing to one another as referred to for example in Fig.10.

Referring to Fig. 12 another exemplary embodiment for tightening the sheet (not shown) over the adjustable mattresses 100 in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention is provided by using two straps 50A and 50B, with two retainer bodies 20, threading each strap 50A and 50B to a respective slits 28A and 28B and then wrapping, tightening and locking each of the two straps 50A and 50B around the broadside circumference of the mattress 100 preferably, around the end portions of the mattress 100 as shown for example in Fig. 12 where the retainer bodies 20 are tightened to the sides of the mattress.

It should be understood that the above description is merely exemplary and that there are various embodiments of the present invention that may be devised, mutatis mutandis, and that the features described in the above-described embodiments, and those not described herein, may be used separately or in any 30 suitable combination; and the invention can be devised in accordance with embodiments not necessarily described above.

Claims (16)

1.CLAIMS 1. A sheet retainer for retaining sheet smooth and tight over mattress comprising: - at least one adjustment strap circumference said mattress; - at least one locking pin having an inserting cylindrical portion, - at least one sheet retainer body having a locking hole with upper, bottom and middle hole portions; flexible lock pin slits utilized for locking said locking pin into said retainer body; said sheet retainer body further having strap slide/lock slits for sliding said sheet retainer body along said adjustment straps and locking said sheet retainer body from moving along said adjustment strap after tightening said adjustment strap to said mattress; wherein for tightening a sheet over said mattress said sheet is spread over the mattress, then a user insert said inserting portion of said locking pin into said locking hole wide section and slide said locking pin upwards towards the narrow section in said locking hole and by doing so, fixes said sheet to said sheet retainer body, ensuring a smooth and tight fit over said mattress whereby, to prevent said locking pin from slipping out of said locking hole, said locking pin and said locking hole are shaped so that the locking pin is firm and can be opened only by the user and not slide out spontaneously due to pressure.

2. A sheet retainer according to claim 1, wherein said sheet retainer body further having a convex structure to allow the movement of said locking pin in a convenient manner while sliding in said sheet retainer body and to reduce the required pressure for said retainer body to be embedded and sunk in the mattress circumference surface once pressure is applied on said sheet retainer body.

3. A sheet retainer according to claim 1, wherein said retainer body and said locking pin is made of Polycarbonate/ABS alloy (PC/ABS).

4. A sheet retainer according to claim 1, wherein said slide/lock slits is Ladderlock strap slits. 30

5. A sheet retainer according to claim 1, wherein pair of strap slide/lock slits are positioned in the left side of said sheet retainer body and in the right side of said sheet retainer body and additional pair of slide/lock strip slits positioned in the upper and bottom portions of said sheet retainer body wherein said additional pair of said pair of slide/lock strip slits are utilized for retaining sheet over adjustable bed types.

6. A sheet retainer according to claim 1, wherein said sheet retainer body further comprising a stopper to prevent said sheet retainer body from moving when tightened to a mattress and stay firmly in place in the corners of the mattress or in any desired location along the circumference the mattress.

7. A sheet retainer according to claim 6, wherein said stopper is constructed from a plurality of protrusions.

8. A sheet retainer according to claim 6, wherein in the bottom portion of said retainer body constructed a convex structure which is utilized for releasing said retainer body from a bed when said retainer body is tightened to said bed and a user wishes to release said retainer body.

9. A sheet retainer according to claim 1, wherein said retainer body has a general convex shape in such way that it overlaps to a bed corner and is affixed to a mattress by attaching means selected from a group of stiches, snap fit joints, adhesive or screws and is integrated in the corners of said mattress.

10. A sheet retainer according to claim 1, wherein the upper portion of said locking pin comprising a grabbing means.

11. A sheet retainer according to claim 1, wherein said inserting portion is a cylindrical-shaped section having cascading diameters portions.

12. A sheet retainer according to claim 1, wherein said sheet retainer body having two flexible lock pin slits positioned near the circumference of said locking hole wherein, said flexibility slits impart elasticity to said locking hole, thereby, increasing flexibility, said locking hole is expanded when said locking pin is inserted into said locking pin hole along with the sheet, therefore, to enable said locking hole to expand under pressure so that the sheet, which is trapped between said locking pin and said locking hole, does not tear; said flexibility slits, and the flexibility they impart, relieve some of the pressure on the sheet.

13. A sheet retainer according to claim 1, wherein said inserting cylindrical portion of said locking pin having cascading diameters for locking said locking pin in place and preventing said locking pin from slipping out from said locking hole even when pressure is applied to said locking pin.

14. A sheet retainer according to claim 1, wherein in order for said locking pin, when locked to said retainer body will not release or slip out when tightening and locking the corners of the sheet to said sheet retainer or when pressure is applied thereon by the user's weight over said mattress; the width of said upper hole portion is bigger than the width of said middle hole portion and the width of bottom hole portion is bigger than the width of said upper portion and said middle portion holes.

15. A sheet retainer according to claim 1, wherein said sheet retainer is further used for an adjustable bed that has at least one hinged lying surface which can be profiled to several different positions, wherein at least one of said retainer body is slidable and lockable through at least one adjustable strap that circumference said one hinged lying surface.

16. A sheet retainer according to claim 13, wherein at least one of said cascading diameters portions is 1.03 times bigger than the width of said middle hole portion.