US20220117416A1 - Woven stretchable fitted sheet - Google Patents
Woven stretchable fitted sheet Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20220117416A1 US20220117416A1 US17/071,281 US202017071281A US2022117416A1 US 20220117416 A1 US20220117416 A1 US 20220117416A1 US 202017071281 A US202017071281 A US 202017071281A US 2022117416 A1 US2022117416 A1 US 2022117416A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- fitted sheet
- yarns
- cotton
- woven fabric
- fabric
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
- 229920000742 Cotton Polymers 0.000 claims abstract description 58
- 239000004744 fabric Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 44
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 36
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 29
- 229920000728 polyester Polymers 0.000 claims abstract description 27
- 239000002759 woven fabric Substances 0.000 claims description 21
- 229920001730 Moisture cure polyurethane Polymers 0.000 claims description 8
- 210000004177 elastic tissue Anatomy 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000012948 isocyanate Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000004814 polyurethane Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 229920002635 polyurethane Polymers 0.000 claims description 2
- LYCAIKOWRPUZTN-UHFFFAOYSA-N Ethylene glycol Chemical compound OCCO LYCAIKOWRPUZTN-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims 2
- WGCNASOHLSPBMP-UHFFFAOYSA-N hydroxyacetaldehyde Natural products OCC=O WGCNASOHLSPBMP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims 1
- 229920002334 Spandex Polymers 0.000 abstract description 65
- 239000004759 spandex Substances 0.000 abstract description 65
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 abstract description 7
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 abstract description 4
- 238000009987 spinning Methods 0.000 abstract description 2
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 description 30
- 229920000433 Lyocell Polymers 0.000 description 9
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000013013 elastic material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 235000017166 Bambusa arundinacea Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 235000017491 Bambusa tulda Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 241001330002 Bambuseae Species 0.000 description 1
- 241001669679 Eleotris Species 0.000 description 1
- 235000015334 Phyllostachys viridis Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 230000004075 alteration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000011425 bamboo Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002131 composite material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000001788 irregular Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000002156 mixing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229920000151 polyglycol Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000010695 polyglycol Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002023 wood Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D03—WEAVING
- D03D—WOVEN FABRICS; METHODS OF WEAVING; LOOMS
- D03D15/00—Woven fabrics characterised by the material, structure or properties of the fibres, filaments, yarns, threads or other warp or weft elements used
- D03D15/50—Woven fabrics characterised by the material, structure or properties of the fibres, filaments, yarns, threads or other warp or weft elements used characterised by the properties of the yarns or threads
- D03D15/56—Woven fabrics characterised by the material, structure or properties of the fibres, filaments, yarns, threads or other warp or weft elements used characterised by the properties of the yarns or threads elastic
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
- A47G9/00—Bed-covers; Counterpanes; Travelling rugs; Sleeping rugs; Sleeping bags; Pillows
- A47G9/02—Bed linen; Blankets; Counterpanes
- A47G9/0238—Bed linen
- A47G9/0246—Fitted sheets
-
- D03D15/08—
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D03—WEAVING
- D03D—WOVEN FABRICS; METHODS OF WEAVING; LOOMS
- D03D15/00—Woven fabrics characterised by the material, structure or properties of the fibres, filaments, yarns, threads or other warp or weft elements used
- D03D15/20—Woven fabrics characterised by the material, structure or properties of the fibres, filaments, yarns, threads or other warp or weft elements used characterised by the material of the fibres or filaments constituting the yarns or threads
- D03D15/208—Woven fabrics characterised by the material, structure or properties of the fibres, filaments, yarns, threads or other warp or weft elements used characterised by the material of the fibres or filaments constituting the yarns or threads cellulose-based
- D03D15/217—Woven fabrics characterised by the material, structure or properties of the fibres, filaments, yarns, threads or other warp or weft elements used characterised by the material of the fibres or filaments constituting the yarns or threads cellulose-based natural from plants, e.g. cotton
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D03—WEAVING
- D03D—WOVEN FABRICS; METHODS OF WEAVING; LOOMS
- D03D15/00—Woven fabrics characterised by the material, structure or properties of the fibres, filaments, yarns, threads or other warp or weft elements used
- D03D15/20—Woven fabrics characterised by the material, structure or properties of the fibres, filaments, yarns, threads or other warp or weft elements used characterised by the material of the fibres or filaments constituting the yarns or threads
- D03D15/283—Woven fabrics characterised by the material, structure or properties of the fibres, filaments, yarns, threads or other warp or weft elements used characterised by the material of the fibres or filaments constituting the yarns or threads synthetic polymer-based, e.g. polyamide or polyester fibres
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D03—WEAVING
- D03D—WOVEN FABRICS; METHODS OF WEAVING; LOOMS
- D03D15/00—Woven fabrics characterised by the material, structure or properties of the fibres, filaments, yarns, threads or other warp or weft elements used
- D03D15/40—Woven fabrics characterised by the material, structure or properties of the fibres, filaments, yarns, threads or other warp or weft elements used characterised by the structure of the yarns or threads
- D03D15/47—Woven fabrics characterised by the material, structure or properties of the fibres, filaments, yarns, threads or other warp or weft elements used characterised by the structure of the yarns or threads multicomponent, e.g. blended yarns or threads
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D10—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES
- D10B—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES
- D10B2201/00—Cellulose-based fibres, e.g. vegetable fibres
- D10B2201/01—Natural vegetable fibres
- D10B2201/02—Cotton
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D10—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES
- D10B—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES
- D10B2331/00—Fibres made from polymers obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds, e.g. polycondensation products
- D10B2331/04—Fibres made from polymers obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds, e.g. polycondensation products polyesters, e.g. polyethylene terephthalate [PET]
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D10—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES
- D10B—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES
- D10B2331/00—Fibres made from polymers obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds, e.g. polycondensation products
- D10B2331/10—Fibres made from polymers obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds, e.g. polycondensation products polyurethanes
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D10—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES
- D10B—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES
- D10B2401/00—Physical properties
- D10B2401/06—Load-responsive characteristics
- D10B2401/061—Load-responsive characteristics elastic
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D10—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES
- D10B—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES
- D10B2503/00—Domestic or personal
- D10B2503/06—Bed linen
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a woven stretchable fitted sheet.
- fitted sheets have a top wall, side walls, and a periphery which includes some form of elastic allowing the periphery to be stretched to fit over a mattress and extend under the mattress to hold the fitted sheet in place.
- the top wall is woven it is not stretchable.
- FIG. 1 shows an enlarged view of a portion of a fabric that has been knitted.
- the fabric 10 includes a plurality of yarns 11 that have been formed into loops. Other yarns 13 interlace or interloop with the looped yarns 11 to form a knitted fabric. Due to their construction, as shown in FIG. 1 , knitted fabrics are stretchable. They are typically used for articles of apparel such as sweaters.
- FIG. 2 shows three examples of weave patterns, plain weave, twill weave, and satin weave. Each one has horizontal yarns 21 and vertical yarns 23 .
- FIG. 3 shows another type of woven fabric designated by the reference numeral 30 .
- the fabric 30 a series of parallel yarns 31 are woven with an undulating piece of yarn 33 to create the weave.
- the yarn 33 is shown much thicker than the yarn 31 but it is certainly well known for the various yarn pieces to be of equal thickness.
- the fabric 30 typically defines the yarn pieces 31 as the “warp” and the yarn pieces 33 to be the “weft.”
- fitted sheets must be constructed with at least some degree of flexibility to facilitate fitting on mattresses of various sizes.
- variability is provided by making the side walls, comprising a skirt, longer than necessary to cover the side walls of a typical mattress and the periphery of the fitted sheet is elasticized and the elasticity is relatively large to allow the periphery to be stretched over most, if not all, mattresses of a single class such as twin, full, queen or king as the case may be.
- it would be advantageous to develop a fitted sheet which includes sufficient flexibility to accommodate to mattresses in each size class with slight variations in size.
- FIG. 4 depicts a two-ply yarn 40 which is made up of a fiber of, for example, cotton 41 and an elastic fiber 43 of, for example, SPANDEX® fiber.
- the finished yarn 40 is made by twisting the fibers 41 and 43 together.
- Variations of this yarn 40 can be, as also shown in FIG. 4 , a S-twist version 45 and a Z-twist version 47. In either case, flexibility is somewhat limited.
- U.S. Pat. No. 6,883,193 B2 to Brooks et al. discloses an elastic fitted cover.
- This patent contemplates a quilted top that is designed to be stretchable in the width direction and the length direction.
- the quilted composite fabric comprises at least two fibrous layers that are quilted together and the elastic layer is disclosed as being woven, knitted or non-woven and may include up to 10% by weight elastic thread such as SPANDEX®.
- the present invention differs from the teachings of Brooks et al. as contemplating a fitted sheet made of a single material not multiple materials stitched together and which is not quilted but consists of a smooth fitted sheet that may be stretched preferably in the width direction only and made of a woven material.
- U.S. Pat. No. 8,671,476 B2 to Stewart et al. discloses a non-core spun yarn such as illustrated in FIG. 4 herein and wherein the warp and fill yarns are disclosed as being made of a “non-spandex, non-core spun elastomeric yarn . . . ”.
- the disclosed sheet is not stretchable, made of 65% cotton/35% polyester. This differs from the teachings of the present invention which contemplates use of a core spun yarn and a yarn which has a SPANDEX® core.
- the present invention relates to a woven stretchable fitted sheet.
- the present invention includes the following interrelated objects, aspects and features:
- the present invention contemplates a fitted sheet that is made of a woven material but is stretchable in one dimension.
- the fitted sheet is made of a single such material comprising the top wall and side walls combined together to form a skirt.
- the edges of the skirt have an elastic band attached thereto which bunches up the material slightly to allow it to be stretched over a mattress and to accommodate to mattresses of differing heights.
- stretchable Applicant means the sheet may be stretched in at least one direction, width or length, preferably width, by a stretch factor greater than 2% meaning the fabric can stretch in one direction greater than 2% longer than its unstretched length in that direction.
- the fabric that is used to manufacture the inventive fitted sheet is a combination of a material such as, for example, cotton combined with SPANDEX® or LYCRA® elastic yarn. These materials are made into a yarn using a core spinning technique in which the core is made of the SPANDEX® or LYCRA® material and yarn pieces of cotton or other fabric are wound around the SPANDEX® or LYCRA® core.
- the blend of cotton or other fabric on the one hand and SPANDEX® or LYCRA® on the other hand is from 2 to 20% SPANDEX® or LYCRA® and the remainder cotton or other material, such as, for example, a cotton/polyester blend.
- 2 to 20% SPANDEX® or LYCRA® in the yarn results in a stretch factor of 3% to 13% meaning the fabric can stretch in one direction corresponding to the direction of extent of the yarns blended with SPANDEX® or LYCRA® by from 3% to 13% as compared to the unstretched length of the fabric in that direction.
- the fabric used to manufacture the fitted sheet is woven with the yarn in the width direction being the core spun yarn comprising a blend including SPANDEX® or LYCRA® and the yarn in the lengthwise direction is devoid of SPANDEX® or LYCRA® and merely comprises the other material whether cotton or other material.
- the fitted sheet can stretch in the width direction but is substantially non-stretchable in the length direction.
- Applicant has found that making the fabric stretchable in both the length and width directions results in bunching up and non-uniformity of the fabric when the fitted sheet is installed over a mattress which makes the fitted sheet uncomfortable for the sleeper.
- the fabric is only stretchable in one direction, length or width, preferably width.
- the thread count for the woven fabric is in the range of 300 threads per inch. However, this thread count may suitably be varied from anywhere from 200 to 1500 depending upon the desired price point and other relevant factors, including desired comfort.
- FIG. 1 shows a prior art drawing showing the manner by which knitted fabrics are created.
- FIG. 2 shows three alternative prior art woven fabric patterns.
- FIG. 3 shows a prior art image of another view of a woven fabric having warp threads and weft threads.
- FIG. 4 shows a prior art yarn made of non-core spun threads.
- FIG. 5 shows a yarn made of core spun threads.
- FIG. 6 shows a portion of a woven fabric.
- FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the fitted sheet covering a mattress.
- FIG. 8 shows a bottom view of the mattress with the fitted sheet covering it.
- FIG. 9 shows a perspective view the mattress and fitted sheet of FIGS. 7 and 8 from a different perspective.
- a core spun yarn 50 is shown with the core designated by the reference numeral 51 and the surrounding fibers designated by the reference numerals 53 and 55 .
- the core 51 in accordance with the teachings of the present invention is made of an elastic material such as that which is sold under the trademark SPANDEX® or LYCRA®. Such materials consist of two types of pre-polymers reacted together to produce the fiber. One pre-polymer is a flexible macro-glycol while the other is a stiff di-isocyanate. Of course, the chemical composition and manner of manufacturing SPANDEX® or LYCRA® fibers is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
- the blend of SPANDEX® or LYCRA® on the one hand and cotton, cotton/Lyocell blends, polyester or cotton/polyester blends on the other hand has a mixture from 2 to 20%, by weight, SPANDEX® or LYCRA® with the remainder being the cotton or cotton/polyester blend.
- This range of proportions provides stretch characteristic ratios of from 3 to 13% with the greater number corresponding to the higher percentage of SPANDEX® or LYCRA®.
- Applicant has found that a blend of 93% BCI cotton and 7% SPANDEX® or LYCRA® yields a stretch ratio of about 4%. Again, as the SPANDEX® or LYCRA® percentage in the blend increases, the stretch ratio increases to the point where 12% SPANDEX® in the blend yields a stretch characteristic of approximately 8.5%.
- Table 1 shows a variety of yarn blends that may be used to weave the fabric used to manufacture the fitted sheet of the present invention.
- the fabric may be made from cotton, cotton/Lyocell blends, polyester, cotton/polyester blends and/or any of the blends listed in Table 1.
- the horizontal yarns may be made of any of these materials blended with 2-20%, by weight, elastic yarn such as is sold under the trademark SPANDEX® or LYCRA® and the vertical yarns may be made of any of these materials.
- “Fiber 1 ” is cotton and “Fiber 2 ” is the other listed material.
- Preferred ratios of Fiber 1 and Fiber 2 include: (1) all cotton; (2) 51% cotton, 49% Lyocell; (3) all polyester; (4) 35% cotton, 65% polyester.
- Fabric made of cotton/Lyocell blend combined with SPANDEX® or LYCRA® preferably comprises 54% cotton, 41% Lyocell, and 5% SPANDEX® or LYCRA®.
- FIG. 6 shows a portion of the fabric 60 utilized in making the fitted sheet of the present invention.
- FIG. 6 shows the width direction and the length direction.
- yarns 61 extend in the width direction and yarns 63 extend in the length direction.
- the yarns 61 comprise a blend of SPANDEX® and cotton or cotton/polyester blends.
- the yarns 63 comprise a cotton or cotton/polyester blend without any SPANDEX® fibers therein.
- the fabric 60 stretches in the width direction with a stretch ratio of 3 to 13% when the percentage of SPANDEX® or LYCRA® fiber in the yarn is from 2 to 20%.
- FIGS. 7-9 show a fitted sheet 70 installed over a mattress 1 .
- the fitted sheet 70 has a top wall 71 and side walls 73 , 75 , 77 and 79 which together form a skirt which depends downwardly from the top wall 71 .
- the fitted sheet 70 has an elasticized band 81 that is attached on the lower edges of the skirt and, as shown, the elastic band 81 is stretched before it is affixed to the edges of the skirt so that bunching of the skirt is created as shown in FIG. 8 so that the elastic 81 can be stretched to extend over the mattress 1 and down its sides and to its underside which is shown by the reference numeral 3 in FIG. 8 to secure the fitted sheet 70 onto the mattress 1 .
- the length and width dimensions of the top surface of the mattress sometimes slightly differ and, more commonly, the actual height of the mattress differs, often in the range of 10 to 16 inches or higher or lower.
- the stretchability of the fabric 60 utilized to create the fitted sheet 70 allows the fitted sheet 70 to accommodate to mattresses of dramatically differing dimensions. In doing so, the particular weave of the fabrics allows a smooth, snug fit on all types of mattresses in a manner never before demonstrated in the prior art.
- the thread count for the fabric 60 is about 250 threads per inch. Thread counts from 200 to 1500 may also be contemplated based upon the desired level of comfort and the desired price point for the fitted sheet. Additionally, the price point may be altered by making the sheet including pure cotton combined with SPANDEX® in the width direction or cotton combined with polyester in desired ratios as well known by those of ordinary skill in the art. If desired, the yarns used to weave the fabric may have a diameter of 40 to 60 microns but these dimensions may be altered depending upon the desired thread count, comfort level, and price point.
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- Woven Fabrics (AREA)
- Bedding Items (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to a woven stretchable fitted sheet. In the prior art, fitted sheets have a top wall, side walls, and a periphery which includes some form of elastic allowing the periphery to be stretched to fit over a mattress and extend under the mattress to hold the fitted sheet in place. In all fitted sheets known to Applicant, while the top wall is woven it is not stretchable.
- There are two typical ways in which fabric is created. A first way is to knit the yarn into a fabric.
FIG. 1 shows an enlarged view of a portion of a fabric that has been knitted. As is seen, thefabric 10 includes a plurality ofyarns 11 that have been formed into loops.Other yarns 13 interlace or interloop with the loopedyarns 11 to form a knitted fabric. Due to their construction, as shown inFIG. 1 , knitted fabrics are stretchable. They are typically used for articles of apparel such as sweaters. - By contrast, typically, woven fabrics are not stretchable.
FIG. 2 shows three examples of weave patterns, plain weave, twill weave, and satin weave. Each one hashorizontal yarns 21 andvertical yarns 23. -
FIG. 3 shows another type of woven fabric designated by thereference numeral 30. In thefabric 30, a series ofparallel yarns 31 are woven with an undulating piece ofyarn 33 to create the weave. InFIG. 3 , theyarn 33 is shown much thicker than theyarn 31 but it is certainly well known for the various yarn pieces to be of equal thickness. Thefabric 30 typically defines theyarn pieces 31 as the “warp” and theyarn pieces 33 to be the “weft.” - While there are general standards in the bedding industry for the dimensions of mattresses, slight variations do exist in the dimensions of the top surface of a mattress and the thickness of its side walls. As such, fitted sheets must be constructed with at least some degree of flexibility to facilitate fitting on mattresses of various sizes. Typically, variability is provided by making the side walls, comprising a skirt, longer than necessary to cover the side walls of a typical mattress and the periphery of the fitted sheet is elasticized and the elasticity is relatively large to allow the periphery to be stretched over most, if not all, mattresses of a single class such as twin, full, queen or king as the case may be. As such, it would be advantageous to develop a fitted sheet which includes sufficient flexibility to accommodate to mattresses in each size class with slight variations in size.
- In the prior art, it is known to blend cotton yarns with yarns sold under the trademark SPANDEX® or LYCRA® to add flexibility to a finished fabric. However, to date, Applicant is unaware of any such fabric being utilized in a woven fabric-based fitted sheet. As is known to those of ordinary skill in the art, SPANDEX® or LYCRA® are trademarks used to describe a long-chain polyglycol substance combined with a short di-isocyanate and which contains at least 85% polyurethane. The unique elastic property of this material, when made into fibers or yarns, results from this chemical composition.
- There are two ways to create a fabric made out of cotton or other material blended with SPANDEX® or LYCRA® fibers. A first way is shown in
FIG. 4 which depicts a two-ply yarn 40 which is made up of a fiber of, for example,cotton 41 and anelastic fiber 43 of, for example, SPANDEX® fiber. The finishedyarn 40 is made by twisting thefibers yarn 40 can be, as also shown inFIG. 4 , a S-twist version 45 and a Z-twist version 47. In either case, flexibility is somewhat limited. - The following prior art is known to Applicant.
- U.S. Pat. No. 6,883,193 B2 to Brooks et al. discloses an elastic fitted cover. This patent contemplates a quilted top that is designed to be stretchable in the width direction and the length direction. The quilted composite fabric comprises at least two fibrous layers that are quilted together and the elastic layer is disclosed as being woven, knitted or non-woven and may include up to 10% by weight elastic thread such as SPANDEX®. The present invention differs from the teachings of Brooks et al. as contemplating a fitted sheet made of a single material not multiple materials stitched together and which is not quilted but consists of a smooth fitted sheet that may be stretched preferably in the width direction only and made of a woven material.
- U.S. Pat. No. 8,671,476 B2 to Stewart et al. discloses a non-core spun yarn such as illustrated in
FIG. 4 herein and wherein the warp and fill yarns are disclosed as being made of a “non-spandex, non-core spun elastomeric yarn . . . ”. The disclosed sheet is not stretchable, made of 65% cotton/35% polyester. This differs from the teachings of the present invention which contemplates use of a core spun yarn and a yarn which has a SPANDEX® core. - The present invention relates to a woven stretchable fitted sheet. The present invention includes the following interrelated objects, aspects and features:
- (1) In a first aspect, the present invention contemplates a fitted sheet that is made of a woven material but is stretchable in one dimension. The fitted sheet is made of a single such material comprising the top wall and side walls combined together to form a skirt. The edges of the skirt have an elastic band attached thereto which bunches up the material slightly to allow it to be stretched over a mattress and to accommodate to mattresses of differing heights. By “stretchable” Applicant means the sheet may be stretched in at least one direction, width or length, preferably width, by a stretch factor greater than 2% meaning the fabric can stretch in one direction greater than 2% longer than its unstretched length in that direction.
- (2) The fabric that is used to manufacture the inventive fitted sheet is a combination of a material such as, for example, cotton combined with SPANDEX® or LYCRA® elastic yarn. These materials are made into a yarn using a core spinning technique in which the core is made of the SPANDEX® or LYCRA® material and yarn pieces of cotton or other fabric are wound around the SPANDEX® or LYCRA® core.
- (3) The core spun yarns are then woven into a fabric which is utilized to manufacture the fitted sheet. In the preferred embodiment, the blend of cotton or other fabric on the one hand and SPANDEX® or LYCRA® on the other hand is from 2 to 20% SPANDEX® or LYCRA® and the remainder cotton or other material, such as, for example, a cotton/polyester blend. 2 to 20% SPANDEX® or LYCRA® in the yarn results in a stretch factor of 3% to 13% meaning the fabric can stretch in one direction corresponding to the direction of extent of the yarns blended with SPANDEX® or LYCRA® by from 3% to 13% as compared to the unstretched length of the fabric in that direction.
- (4) In the preferred embodiment, the fabric used to manufacture the fitted sheet is woven with the yarn in the width direction being the core spun yarn comprising a blend including SPANDEX® or LYCRA® and the yarn in the lengthwise direction is devoid of SPANDEX® or LYCRA® and merely comprises the other material whether cotton or other material. In this way, the fitted sheet can stretch in the width direction but is substantially non-stretchable in the length direction. Applicant has found that making the fabric stretchable in both the length and width directions results in bunching up and non-uniformity of the fabric when the fitted sheet is installed over a mattress which makes the fitted sheet uncomfortable for the sleeper. As such, in the preferred embodiment, the fabric is only stretchable in one direction, length or width, preferably width.
- (5) In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the thread count for the woven fabric is in the range of 300 threads per inch. However, this thread count may suitably be varied from anywhere from 200 to 1500 depending upon the desired price point and other relevant factors, including desired comfort.
- (6) If desired, instead of cotton, other materials may suitably be used to be blended with SPANDEX® or LYCRA® including, if desired, Lyocell, polyester and polyester blended with cotton. The determining factor is mainly the marketing for comfort and the price point.
- Accordingly, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a woven stretchable fitted sheet.
- It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a sheet in which the sheet is woven but is stretchable in one direction.
- It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a fitted sheet in which stretchability is provided by blending cotton or a cotton/polyester blend or a cotton/Lyocell blend with a SPANDEX® or LYCRA® thread in a core-spun process.
- It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a fitted sheet of woven fabric that is stretchable in the width direction.
- It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a fitted sheet made of a fabric consisting of 2 to 20% SPANDEX® in the yarn utilized to weave the fabric to yield a stretch factor of 3 to 13%.
- It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a fitted sheet in which the top wall and side walls comprising the skirt are made of one piece.
- It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide such a fitted sheet in which the bottom edges of the skirt have an elastic material attached thereto in a bunched configuration to allow it to stretch over the periphery and bottom of a mattress.
- These and other objects, aspects and features of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when read in conjunction with the appended drawing figures.
-
FIG. 1 shows a prior art drawing showing the manner by which knitted fabrics are created. -
FIG. 2 shows three alternative prior art woven fabric patterns. -
FIG. 3 shows a prior art image of another view of a woven fabric having warp threads and weft threads. -
FIG. 4 shows a prior art yarn made of non-core spun threads. -
FIG. 5 shows a yarn made of core spun threads. -
FIG. 6 shows a portion of a woven fabric. -
FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the fitted sheet covering a mattress. -
FIG. 8 shows a bottom view of the mattress with the fitted sheet covering it. -
FIG. 9 shows a perspective view the mattress and fitted sheet ofFIGS. 7 and 8 from a different perspective. - With reference first to
FIG. 5 , a core spunyarn 50 is shown with the core designated by thereference numeral 51 and the surrounding fibers designated by thereference numerals - Applicant has found that creating the fabric using the core spun technique for creating a blend with SPANDEX® or LYCRA® is the superior manner of manufacture because it provides the desired degree of resiliency and elasticity for the application that forms the heart of the present invention.
- In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the blend of SPANDEX® or LYCRA® on the one hand and cotton, cotton/Lyocell blends, polyester or cotton/polyester blends on the other hand has a mixture from 2 to 20%, by weight, SPANDEX® or LYCRA® with the remainder being the cotton or cotton/polyester blend. This range of proportions provides stretch characteristic ratios of from 3 to 13% with the greater number corresponding to the higher percentage of SPANDEX® or LYCRA®. Applicant has found that a blend of 93% BCI cotton and 7% SPANDEX® or LYCRA® yields a stretch ratio of about 4%. Again, as the SPANDEX® or LYCRA® percentage in the blend increases, the stretch ratio increases to the point where 12% SPANDEX® in the blend yields a stretch characteristic of approximately 8.5%.
-
TABLE 1 Blend Fiber 1 Fiber 2 Structural Yarn in Warp Cotton/Bamboo Ranges From Ranges From Fiber 1 + Fiber 2 to create (40% to 99%) (1% to 60%) a one structural yarn. Cotton/Tencel* Ranges From Ranges From Fiber 1 + Fiber 2 to create (40% to 99%) (1% to 60%) a one structural yarn. Cotton/Modal* Ranges From Ranges From Fiber 1 + Fiber 2 to create (40% to 99%) (1% to 60%) a one structural yarn. Cotton/ Ranges From Ranges From Fiber 1 + Fiber 2 to create Other Fiber Blends (40% to 99%) (1% to 60%) a one structural yarn. Cotton/Polyester Ranges From Ranges From Fiber 1 + Fiber 2 to create or synthetic blend (40% to 99%) (1% to 60%) a one structural yarn. Cotton/Lyocell Ranges From Ranges From Fiber 1 + Fiber 2 to create (40% to 99%) (1% to 60%) a one structural yarn. Cotton Alone 100% N/A N/A Polyester Alone 100% N/A N/A *a wood-based fiber - Table 1 shows a variety of yarn blends that may be used to weave the fabric used to manufacture the fitted sheet of the present invention. Based upon their respective properties that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art, the fabric may be made from cotton, cotton/Lyocell blends, polyester, cotton/polyester blends and/or any of the blends listed in Table 1. If desired, the horizontal yarns may be made of any of these materials blended with 2-20%, by weight, elastic yarn such as is sold under the trademark SPANDEX® or LYCRA® and the vertical yarns may be made of any of these materials. In Table 1, “Fiber 1” is cotton and “Fiber 2” is the other listed material. Preferred ratios of Fiber 1 and Fiber 2 include: (1) all cotton; (2) 51% cotton, 49% Lyocell; (3) all polyester; (4) 35% cotton, 65% polyester. Fabric made of cotton/Lyocell blend combined with SPANDEX® or LYCRA® preferably comprises 54% cotton, 41% Lyocell, and 5% SPANDEX® or LYCRA®.
-
FIG. 6 shows a portion of thefabric 60 utilized in making the fitted sheet of the present invention.FIG. 6 shows the width direction and the length direction. As shown,yarns 61 extend in the width direction andyarns 63 extend in the length direction. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, theyarns 61 comprise a blend of SPANDEX® and cotton or cotton/polyester blends. Theyarns 63 comprise a cotton or cotton/polyester blend without any SPANDEX® fibers therein. As such, thefabric 60 stretches in the width direction with a stretch ratio of 3 to 13% when the percentage of SPANDEX® or LYCRA® fiber in the yarn is from 2 to 20%. As is the case for woven fabrics, in the length direction, since theyarns 63 are devoid of SPANDEX®, thefabric 60 does not stretch. Applicant has found that creating a fabric with stretchability in the width and length dimensions causes the fabric to bunch up and become irregular when installed over a mattress. As a result, it is disadvantageous to create a fitted sheet which stretches in the width and length dimensions. -
FIGS. 7-9 show afitted sheet 70 installed over a mattress 1. As shown, the fittedsheet 70 has atop wall 71 andside walls top wall 71. - As particularly shown in
FIG. 8 , the fittedsheet 70 has anelasticized band 81 that is attached on the lower edges of the skirt and, as shown, theelastic band 81 is stretched before it is affixed to the edges of the skirt so that bunching of the skirt is created as shown inFIG. 8 so that the elastic 81 can be stretched to extend over the mattress 1 and down its sides and to its underside which is shown by thereference numeral 3 inFIG. 8 to secure the fittedsheet 70 onto the mattress 1. - As is well known, while the sizes twin, full, queen and king as well as the “California” king have similar dimensions, it is also true that slight variations in those dimensions are found in the marketplace. Thus, the length and width dimensions of the top surface of the mattress sometimes slightly differ and, more commonly, the actual height of the mattress differs, often in the range of 10 to 16 inches or higher or lower. The stretchability of the
fabric 60 utilized to create the fittedsheet 70 allows the fittedsheet 70 to accommodate to mattresses of dramatically differing dimensions. In doing so, the particular weave of the fabrics allows a smooth, snug fit on all types of mattresses in a manner never before demonstrated in the prior art. - In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the thread count for the
fabric 60 is about 250 threads per inch. Thread counts from 200 to 1500 may also be contemplated based upon the desired level of comfort and the desired price point for the fitted sheet. Additionally, the price point may be altered by making the sheet including pure cotton combined with SPANDEX® in the width direction or cotton combined with polyester in desired ratios as well known by those of ordinary skill in the art. If desired, the yarns used to weave the fabric may have a diameter of 40 to 60 microns but these dimensions may be altered depending upon the desired thread count, comfort level, and price point. - As such, an invention has been disclosed in terms of a preferred embodiment thereof which fulfills each and every one of the objects of the invention as set forth hereinabove and provides a new and useful woven stretchable fitted sheet of great novelty and utility.
- Of course, various changes, modifications and alterations in the teachings of the present invention may be contemplated by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the intended spirit and scope thereof.
- As such, it is intended that the present invention only be limited by the terms of the appended claims.
Claims (20)
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US17/071,281 US20220117416A1 (en) | 2020-10-15 | 2020-10-15 | Woven stretchable fitted sheet |
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Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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JPWO2006082725A1 (en) * | 2005-02-02 | 2008-09-04 | 株式会社オーシンエムエルピー | Cover for bedding |
US20110305902A1 (en) * | 2010-06-15 | 2011-12-15 | Lubrizol Advanced Materials, Inc. | High Strength Constant Compression Elastic Fibers And Fabrics Thereof |
KR20120078433A (en) * | 2010-12-31 | 2012-07-10 | 주식회사 효성 | Polyurethane composition for high tenacity spandex fiber, and spandex fiber prepared using the polyurethane composition |
US8671476B2 (en) * | 2008-02-05 | 2014-03-18 | Standard Textile Co., Inc. | Woven contoured bed sheet with elastomeric yarns |
EP3202965A1 (en) * | 2016-02-06 | 2017-08-09 | Sysco Guest Supply, LLC | Textile structures comprising core spun yarns and associated methods for manufacture |
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2020
- 2020-10-15 US US17/071,281 patent/US20220117416A1/en not_active Abandoned
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JPWO2006082725A1 (en) * | 2005-02-02 | 2008-09-04 | 株式会社オーシンエムエルピー | Cover for bedding |
US8671476B2 (en) * | 2008-02-05 | 2014-03-18 | Standard Textile Co., Inc. | Woven contoured bed sheet with elastomeric yarns |
US20110305902A1 (en) * | 2010-06-15 | 2011-12-15 | Lubrizol Advanced Materials, Inc. | High Strength Constant Compression Elastic Fibers And Fabrics Thereof |
KR20120078433A (en) * | 2010-12-31 | 2012-07-10 | 주식회사 효성 | Polyurethane composition for high tenacity spandex fiber, and spandex fiber prepared using the polyurethane composition |
EP3202965A1 (en) * | 2016-02-06 | 2017-08-09 | Sysco Guest Supply, LLC | Textile structures comprising core spun yarns and associated methods for manufacture |
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