US20190320807A1

US20190320807A1 - Bed sheet securement device

Info

Publication number: US20190320807A1
Application number: US15/955,754
Authority: US
Inventors: Jason Backs
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-04-18
Filing date: 2018-04-18
Publication date: 2019-10-24

Abstract

A simple means to mechanically secure an existing flat bed sheet and a high friction material mat to a substantially full bed width rigid member to keep the flat bed sheet and any quilt, blanket, or comforter above the sheet securely in place to promote a more comfortable and healthy sleeping experience.

Description

BACKGROUND

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a mechanical means to secure a flat bed sheet in place on a bed so the user cannot pull the sheet loose thereby providing a more comfortable and healthier sleeping experience.

Description of Prior Art

Traditionally, a fitted bed sheet is used to cover the mattress. Next, a matching material flat sheet is normally placed on the bed. The flat, sheet is in direct contact with the top side of the sleeping person and the blanket, quilt, or comforter is protected from directly contacting the sleeping person. The flat bed sheet is normally removed and washed frequently. The foot end of the flat sheet is normally long enough to only tuck a few inches under the mattress to hold it in place. Finally, a quilt, blanket, or comforter is usually placed on top of the flat sheet to provide warmth to the sleeping person. Since people are restless at night, they toss and turn in bed. Often, the sleeping person tugs at the bedding to pull it up to their head to remain comfortable. These actions cause the flat sheet to pull loose from under the mattress. Once this occurs, the flat sheet and the quilt, blanket, or comforter on top of it are no longer held in place providing warmth and comfort to the sleeping person's entire body. This can result in the sleeping person's feet becoming exposed which greatly detracts from the sleeping person's comfort. And, if there are two people sleeping in the bed, one person will often pull the bed sheet and quilt, blanket, or comforter to their side leaving the other sleeping person partially or completely uncovered and thereby highly uncomfortable. So, merely tucking the flat sheet under the mattress a few inches does not guarantee that it will stay in its intended place to serve its intended purpose. Therefore, it would be advantageous if the flat sheet could be secured in place on the bed quickly, simply, and economically to provide a better sleep experience promoting a healthy night sleep.
Others have attempted to address this situation. Some have sewn the flat sheet to the fitted sheet. The following US patent is an example: U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,851A.
Yet others have employed straps, buckles, and Velcro. But these mostly reference the fitted sheet on the bed: U.S. Pat. No. 9,254,046B1, US20020116763A1, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,114,156A, 6,161,235A, US20090241261A1
In accordance with the present invention, I have discovered that a secured flat bed sheet will provide for a more comfortable and healthy sleep experience. The typical flat bed sheet is only long enough to tuck under the mattress a few inches and can easily be pulled loose. Once the flat bed sheet is pulled loose, it as well as the quilt, blanket, or comforter on top of it are free to be pulled up exposing the person's feet —or even pulled sideways leaving a sleeping person totally uncovered—which leads to discomfort, probable awakening, and depriving the person of a healthy sleep experience. Also, the tug-of-war with the sheet in the middle of the night between two persons may lead to further social relational problems during the hours the persons are awake.
The present invention can be used with any existing bed sheets. No special or expensive bed sheets are necessary. It will easily engage with the flat bed sheet regardless of the style, material, color, or texture of the bed sheet making it completely compatible with existing bed sheets.
The present invention is scalable to accommodate different size beds. Smaller twin, or full beds would necessitate a narrower device. While larger king or queen size beds would necessitate a wider device. The present invention is easily adjusted in width to accommodate different size beds by simply lengthening the rigid member to keep the bed sheet spanning the substantial full width of the mattress as well as adding more mechanical snap clamps to secure the high friction material mat.
The present invention attaches mechanically to the bed sheet. No sewing, adhesives, magnets, etc. are needed. No damage or altercation to the bed sheet in necessary to utilize it. It attaches quickly and easily. It detaches just as quickly and easily to allow the changing of the bed sheets.
The present invention is a new and improved device. It employs simple, functional components to accomplish the task of securing the bed sheet in place on a bed. By easily and simply securing the bed sheet, this device promotes a better sleep experience and a healthy night's sleep.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

Accordingly, besides the objects and advantages of the bed sheet securement device described herein, several objects of the present invention are:
(a) To secure the flat bed sheet on the bed to provide a comfortable and healthy sleep experience;
(b) To easily attach and detach the invention to an existing flat bed sheet without damage or altercation to the sheet;
(c) To mechanically secure the flat bed sheet to a high friction material mat while not damaging or altering the flat bed sheet;
(d) To keep the flat bed sheet substantially spread out across the width of the bed.
Further objects and advantages are to secure a flat bed sheet in place on a bed so as to provide a consistent, comfortable, and healthy sleeping experience. Another object and advantage is to connect the flat bed sheet safely and simply to a high friction material mat that will remain securely tucked below the mattress. Still another object and advantage is to quickly and easily attach and detach the device to the flat bed sheet. Still further objects and advantages are to keep the flat bed sheet spread across the substantial width of the bed to ensure the flat bed sheet and any quilt, blanket, or comforter on top of it remain comfortably in place for the sleeping person. Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings. Such features, modifications and improvements are, therefore, considered to be part of this invention, the scope of which is to be determined by the claims.

DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1: Side view of person in bed with only a flat bed sheet traditionally tucked under mattress.

FIG. 2: Side view of person in bed with proposed flat bed sheet securement device attached to the flat bed sheet.

FIG. 3: Top view of the flat bed sheet with the securing device: high friction material, substantially full width spanning rigid structure, and mechanical securing snap clamps.

FIG. 4: Cross-section of the mechanical connection of the flat bed sheet comprised of: the high friction material mat; the substantially full width spanning rigid structure; and the mechanical securing snap clamps.

REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS

20 BOX SPRING TO SUPPORT THE MATTRESS
21 MATTRESS
22 SLEEPING PERSON
23 FLAT BED SHEET
24 QUILT, BLANKET, OR COMFORTER
25 MECHANICAL SNAP CLAMP
26 SUBSTANTIALLY FULL WIDTH SPANNING RIGID STRUCTURE
27 HIGH FRICTION MATERIAL MAT

SUMMARY

In accordance with the present invention, a device comprises one or more mechanical snap clamps to secure an existing flat bed sheet and a high friction material mat to a substantially full width spanning rigid structure to ensure the bed sheet and any quilt, blanket, or comforter remain in place on the sleeping person.

DESCRIPTION—FIGS. 1 TO 4

FIG. 1 shows a traditional embodiment of only a flat bed sheet 23 in use. A typical bed is comprised of a mattress 21 which is supported by a box spring 20. The sleeping person 22 is lying on the mattress 21. The foot end of the flat bed sheet 23 is tucked a few inches between the mattress 21 and the supporting box spring 20. The drawing shows a typical example of 4 inches for the flat bed sheet 23 under the mattress 21. The sleeping person 22 is under the flat bed sheet 23 which is under the blanket 24.
FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The sleeping person 22 is lying on the mattress 21. The flat bed sheet 23 is attached to the high friction mat 27 by the mechanical snap clamps 25 which is clamped over the rigid member 26. The high friction mat 27 extends appreciably further under the mattress 21 than the flat bed sheet 23 alone can expend. The drawing shows the device extending an example 24 inches under the mattress 21. The blanket 24 is on top of the flat bed sheet 23. The securement device is shown installed with the flat bed sheet 23 thereby firmly securing the flat bed sheet 23 on the bed. The rigid member 26 secures the flat bed sheet 23 substantially the full width of the mattress 21.
FIG. 3 shows a top view, or a plan view, of the flat bed sheet 23 attached to the high friction mat 27 by the multiple mechanical snap clamps 25 with the rigid member 26.
FIG. 4 shows a cross section view of the interaction of the individual components of the proposed device and how they are mechanically secured together. This view shows the mechanical snap clamp 25 clamping over the bed sheet 23 and the high friction material mat 27 on the rigid member 26.

CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, and SCOPE

Accordingly, the reader will see that the flat bed sheet securement device of this invention can be used to secure a flat bed sheet on a bed to help provide a more comfortable and healthy sleeping experience. The device is capable of providing increased comfort to a sleeping person with the following advantages:

- The device engages with an existing flat bed sheet;
- The device mechanically fastens the flat bed sheet to a high friction materiel mat which can extend substantially further under the mattress to keep it secured much better than just a flat bed sheet alone;
- The mechanical snap clamps install easily and cleanly with no damage to the flat bed sheet and uninstall quickly to facilitate changing the bed sheets.
- The substantially full width rigid member allows the mechanical snap clamps to firmly attach the flat bed sheet to the high friction material mat to keep the flat bed sheet secured and spread along the substantial full width of the foot end of the mattress.
- The device utilizes affordable, existing, and easily procured components to accomplish the securing of the flat bed sheet on the bed.

Although the description above contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, but as mere illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. Other embodiments which are intended to be included in this would be represented by the following examples: The materials of the snap clamp and the rigid member could be similar or different and be wood, metal, plastic, rubber, etc.; the high friction material mat could vary in length, width and thickness and be made of plastic, rubber, metal, or a combination of several different materials; the rigid member could be assembled from shorter pieces to create one single long piece to enable easier shipping of the parts; more or fewer snap clamps could be employed; one full length single mechanical snap clamp could be employed; the round rigid member and the matching semi-circular snap clamp could be square, triangular, or any polygonal cross section shape.
Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.

Claims

I claim:

1. A device to secure an existing flat bed sheet in place on a bed comprising in combination: one or more easily installable and removable mechanical fasteners to secure one or more high friction material mat with one or more rigid structure that spans substantially across the full width of a bed.

2. The flat bed sheet securing device in claim 1 wherein the rigid structure is a single uniform round plastic part.

3. The flat bed sheet securing device in claim 2 wherein the mechanical fastener is a plastic semi-circular cross section part.

4. The flat bed sheet securing device in claim 3 where the rigid structure is assembled from one or more parts.

5. The flat bed sheet securing device in claim 2 wherein the mechanical fastener is an aluminum semi-circular cross section part.

6. The flat bed sheet securing device in claim 5 where the rigid structure is assembled from one or more parts.

7. The flat bed sheet securing device in claim 1 wherein the rigid structure is a uniform polygonal plastic part.

8. The flat bed sheet securing device in claim 7 wherein the mechanical fastener is a plastic polygonal cross section part.

9. The flat bed sheet securing device in claim 8 where the rigid structure is assembled from one or more parts.

10. The flat bed sheet securing device in claim 1 wherein the rigid structure is a uniform polygonal aluminum part.

11. The flat bed sheet securing device in claim 10 wherein the mechanical fastener is an aluminum polygonal cross section part.

12. The flat bed sheet securing device in claim 11 where the rigid structure is assembled from one or more parts.