WO2005030015A1

WO2005030015A1 - An article of bedclothing

Info

Publication number: WO2005030015A1
Application number: PCT/GB2004/004095
Authority: WO
Inventors: Clinton Read
Original assignee: Clinton Read
Priority date: 2003-09-24
Filing date: 2004-09-24
Publication date: 2005-04-07
Also published as: GB0322394D0

Abstract

An article of bedclothing for partially covering a person's body whilst prone in bed comprises at least one cutaway neck-receiving portion for positioning at least partially around the person's neck, the neck-receiving portion defining (i) a narrower head-receiving portion for the person to rest their head upon, and (ii) wider covering portions flanking the head-receiving portion for at least partially covering the person's shoulders and/or arms.

Description

AN ARTICLE OF BEDCLOTHING

[001] The present invention relates to an article of bedclothing for partially covering a person's body whilst prone in bed.

[002] Articles of standard bedclothing typically comprise duvets, duvet covers, covers, coverlets, sheets, blankets, quilts and the like, which are drawn over a person's body up to the neck to keep the person warm in bed.

[003] However, there are disadvantages associated with such articles of standard bedclothing. In very cold climates, where it is important to maximise body heat retention, the type of standard bedclothing described above can be inadequate. Articles of standard bedclothing, for example duvets, that are merely spread across and overlie a person's body whilst the person is lying in bed create a channel around the person's body. The channel is defined by the inner surface of the duvet, the upper surface of the mattress (or other such surface which, in use, a person lays) and the person's body. The inner surface of a duvet is the surface which, in use, is closest to the surface on which the person lays. Heat from the person's body warms the air in the channel and this serves to insulate the person from further heat loss to the cooler external air. However, at the upper edge of the duvet, i.e. the edge of the duvet which, in use, is normally adjacent the person's neck and shoulders, the channel is open to the external air, which allows warm air from the channel to escape.

[004] To counter this, it is often necessary for the user to draw the duvet up around their neck and shoulders in an attempt to close or seal the channel opening (s) . This results in a constricted feeling around the user's neck area, and also restricts movement in bed. As soon as the user rolls over, the heat loss channels re-form and the seal with the body is lost. For tall people using a standard sized duvet their feet may become exposed and therefore cold when drawing the duvet up around their shoulders. [005] Furthermore, people often feel more comfortable and less constricted in bed if they are able to raise their arms out from under the duvet. However, in cold climates the person' s arms and shoulders may soon get cold, with the result that the person's sleep may be disrupted if they continually raise their arms from under the duvet for comfort, but must quickly replace them under the duvet for warmth. In addition, people with poor circulation may expedience numbness in their arms and shoulders.

[006] There are also disadvantages associated with articles of standard bedclothing (e.g. duvets) when considering ill, infirm, or otherwise bedridden people. In these cases, such people have to contend with the compromise between keeping their arms and shoulders warm by keeping them under the duvet, and being able to freely manoeuvre th.eir arms. [007] It is therefore an object of trie present invention to provide an article of bedclothing which seeks to overcome the aforementioned problems associated with articles of standard bedclothing. [008] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an article of bedclothing for partially covering a person' s body whilst prone in bed, the article comprising at least one cutaway neck-receiving portion for positioning at least partially around the person's neck, the neck- receiving portion defining (i) a narrower head-receiving portion for the person to rest their head upon, and (ii) wider covering portions flanking the head-receiving portion for at least partially covering the person's shoulders and/or arms. [009] An article according to the present invention provides a means of closing the aforementioned channel around the user's body. It allows the user to raise his arms about his head whilst keeping them warm, which can serve to improve blood circulation. In addition, a user may experience less neck and arm stiffness from not having to tuck his arms up under the pillow to keep warm. [0010] For the avoidance of doubt, the terms "narrower", "wider", and associated terms are terms used to refer to the relative distance between an upper edge of the article of bedclothing and a lower edge of the article of bedclothing. In this context, and throughout the present patent specification, "upper" and "lower" refer, respectively, to an edge of the article of bedclothing in question (whether standard, or of the present invention) which, in use, lies closer to the head of the bed, and an edge of the article of bedclothing which, in use, lies closer to the foot of the bed. [0011] The term "length" in the context of an article of bedclothing of the present invention refers to a distance between two opposing side edges of the article of bedclothing. [0012] Preferably, the neck-receiving portion is curved to follow the contour of a person's neck. [0013] Preferably, the wider covering portions are of sufficient width that, in use, when a user's head is positioned on the head-receiving portion, lower portions of the wider covering portions can overlap with an upper portion of an article of standard bedclothing covering the person' s torso and shoulders. In this way, the wider covering portions may overlap with the article of standard bedclothing, either on top of the article of standard bedclothing, or tucked underneath.

[0014] Preferably, the wider covering portions are of sufficient length that, in use, when a user's head is positioned on the head-receiving portion, there is lateral overlap between the wider covering portions, for further heat retention. [0015] The article may comprise two or more cutaway neck- receiving portions. Such an article may be particularly suitable for use on a double bed by two users. [0016] Preferably, the article of bedclothing comprises a removable cover. [0017] The article of bedclothing and/or the removable cover may further include a pouch into which a pillow can be inserted. The pouch is preferably sized to accept a standard bed pillow. The pouch is preferably positioned at the head- receiving portion. [0018] The article of bedclothing and/or the removable cover may further be provided with fastening means for fastening the article, or removable cover as the case may be, to an article of standard bedclothing, a pillow or a pillowcase, which article of standard bedclothing, pillow or pillowcase may also be provided with corresponding fastening means. For example, the fastening means may comprise hook and loop material, button and loop arrangements, buttons, press studs, zips, ties, or hooks and eyes. [0019] The article of bedclothing and/or removable cover may further include attachment means for attaching the article, or removable cover as the case may be, to a standard mattress, for minimising relative movement of the article and the mattress. Such attachment means may include straps, ties, or pre-shaped corner covers (which may be elasticated, such as those on a standard fitted bed sheet) for pulling over the corners of the standard mattress.

[0020] Preferably, the article of bedclothing comprises a heat-retentive material, for example a duvet, quilt, or fleece material. [0021] According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a removable cover for covering an article of bedclothing according to the present invention.

[0022] According to a yet further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a set of at least two items selected from the group consisting of: an article of bedclothing according to the present invention, a removable cover according to the present invention, a duvet, a duvet cover, a cover, a coverlet, a sheet, a blanket, a quilt, a pillow, a pillowcase or any combination thereof, which includes at least one article of bedclothing according to the present invention or at least one removable cover according to the present invention.

[0023] Examples of the present invention shall now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0024] Figure 1 illustrates a top view of a person lying prone in bed using a standard duvet and pillow;

[0025] Figure 2 illustrates a cross—sectional view along the line A-A in Figure 1;

[0026] Figure 3 illustrates a top view of a person lying prone in bed using an article of bedclothing of the present invention;

[0027] Figures 4A to 4E illustrate top views of further embodiments of articles of bedclothing of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 illustrates a yet further embodiment of an article of bedclothing of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 1 shows a person 1 lying prone in a standard single bed 2 comprising a mattress 3, pillow 4 and duvet 5.

One of the person's arms has been raised from below the duvet

5 and is resting next to their head on the surface of the mattress 3. In such a situation, in cold weather the person's raised arm may get cold, resulting in discomfort and disrupted sleep.

[0030] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Figure 1, and shows the torso 6 and one arm 7 of the person lying in bed, with the duvet 5 covering the person' s torso 6 and one arm 7. Duvets, particularly synthetic duvets, or duvets with a high tog value, tend to be rather rigid, with the result that when the duvet is merely spread across and overlies a person, the underside 8 of the duvet 5, the mattress 3 and the person' s body 6 together define a channel 9 (shown by hatching in Figure 2) at either side of the person's body. The air in the channel 9 quickly warms up to insulate the person from the (normally cooler) external air. However, at the upper edge of the duvet (denoted 10 in Figure 1), i.e. the edge which in use is normally adjacent the person's neck and shoulders, the channel 9 is open to the external air, which allows the warm air from the channel to escape .

[0031] To counter this, the person may draw the duvet up around their neck and shoulders, but this often results in the (undesirable) exposure of the person's feet to the cooler external air, and as soon as trie person rolls over or otherwise changes position in bed, the duvet requires further adjustment to seal the channel openings from which the warm air may escape.

[0032] Figure 3 illustrates a top view of a person 1 lying prone in bed using an article of bedclothing 11 of the present invention. The article 11 is spread out over and contacts an upper region of a standard mattress. In Figure 3, the underlying mattress is shown as dotted line 3.

[0033] The article 11 comprises a cutaway neck-receiving portion 12 for positioning at least partially around the person's neck. This neck-receiving portion defines (i) a narrower head-receiving portion 13 for the person to rest their head upon, and (ii) wider covering portions 14 flanking the head-receiving portion 13 for at least partially covering the person' s shoulders and/or arms ( shown in Figure 3 as a dotted line to denote that the shoulders and arms are covered by the article 11) .

[0034] In use, a pillow 4 is positioned on top of the article in the region of the head-receiving portion 13. The person gets into bed as normal, and positions their head on the pillow 4 at the head-receiving portion 13, and their neck in the region of the neck-receiving portion 12. As normal, the person draws up the duvet 5 (or other such article of standard bedclothing) over their body towards their neck and shoulders. The person then draws the wider covering portions 14 around and over their shoulders so that the neck-receiving portion 12 is at least partially positioned around the person's neck. Lower portions 17 of the wider covering portions 14 may overlap with the upper edge 10 of the duvet 5, either on top of the duvet (as is the case in Figure 3) , or tucked underneath. In this way, the wider covering portions 14 seal the channel openings (not seen) at the upper edge of the duvet 10 and thus minimise warm air loss. [0035] It can be seen from Figure 3 that, in use, the person may position their arms about their head in a position which, in the absence of the article of bedclothing of the present invention, might quickly result in the person's arms and shoulders becoming cold. However, by using the article of the present invention, the user has the freedom to take their arms out from under the duvet and position them about their head, whilst at the same time keeping their arms and shoulders beneath the article, and therefore warm. [0036] The article shown in Figure 3 is provided with elasticated corners (not seen) which may be stretched over and partially beneath the upper two corners 15 of the mattress 3 for minimising relative movement of the mattress 3 and the article 11. [0037] Referring to Figures 4A to 4E, it can be appreciated that the shape and size of the cutaway neck-receiving portion 12 in the article of the present invention, determines the resulting shape and size of the head-receiving portion and the wider covering portions. For example, the cutaway neck- receiving portion may be deep, as shown in the article 21 of Figure 4A, or shallow as shown in the article 31 of Figure 4B. The wider covering portions 14 may be of sufficient length to allow lateral overlap therebetween, thereby providing further heat retention in the region of the person's torso, as in the article 41 shown in Figure 4C. The article 51 shown in Figure 4D is a further alternative embodiment. The article 61 shown in Figure 4E has two cutaway neck-receiving portions 12 and is particularly suitable for use by two people on a double bed. [0038] As can be seen from Figure 5, the article of the present invention may also be provided with fastening means for fastening the article to a duvet or duvet cover. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the fastening means are elasticated loop and button arrangements 16, the elasticated loops being provided on the article of bedclothing and the buttons being provided on the duvet or duvet cover. In this way, a person can effectively fasten the article of bedclothing onto their duvet or duvet cover, either before they get into bed or whilst they are in bed, for maximum heat retention. [0039] It will be understood that the embodiments illustrated show one application of the invention only for the purposes of illustration. In practice the invention may be applied to many different configurations, the detailed embodiments being straightforward for those skilled in the art to implement.

Claims

Claims :

1. An article of bedclothing for partially covering a person' s body whilst prone in bed, the article comprising at least one cutaway neck-receiving portion for positioning at least partially around the person' s neck, the neck-receiving portion defining (i) a narrower head-receiving portion for the person to rest their head upon, and (ii) wider covering portions flanking the head-receiving portion for at least partially covering the person's shoulders and/or arms.

2. An article of bedclothing according to claim 1, wherein the neck-receiving portion is curved to follow the contour of a person's neck.

3. An article of bedclothing according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the wider covering portions are of sufficient width that, in use, when a user's head is positioned on the head- receiving portion, lower portions of the wider covering portions can overlap with an upper portion of an article of standard bedclothing covering the person' s torso and shoulders.

4. An article of bedclothing according to any preceding claim, wherein the wider covering portions are of sufficient length that, in use, when a user's head is positioned on the head-receiving portion, there is lateral overlap between the wider covering portions, for further heat retention.

5. An article of bedclothing according to any preceding claim, comprising two or more cutaway neck-receiving portions.

6. An article of bedclothing according to any preceding claim, further comprising a removable cover. 7. An article of bedclothing according to any preceding claim, further comprising a pouch into which a pillow can be inserted. 8. An article of bedclothing according to claim 7, wherein - li the pouch is sized to accept a standard sized bed pillow. 9. An article of bedclothing according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the pouch is positioned at the head-receiving portion. 10. An article of bedclothing according to any preceding 5 claim, further provided with fastening means for fastening the article to an article of standard bedclothing, a pillow or a pillowcase, which article of standard bedclothing, pillow or pillowcase has corresponding fastening means. 11. An article of bedclothing according to claim 10, 10 wherein the fastening means comprises hook and loop material, button and loop arrangements, buttons, press studs, zips, ties, or hooks and eyes. 12. An article of bedclothing according to any preceding claim, further including attachment means for attaching the

15 article to a standard mattress, so as to minimise relative movement of the article and the mattress. 13. An article of bedclothing according to claim 12, wherein the attachment means includes straps, ties, pre-shaped corner covers, or elasticated pre-shaped corner covers.

20 14. An article of bedclothing according to any preceding claim which comprises a heat-retentive material. 15. An article of bedclothing according to claim 14, wherein the heat-retentive material is duvet, quilt, or fleece material .

25 16. A removable cover for covering an article of bedclothing according to any preceding claim. 17. A removable cover according to claim 16, comprising a pouch into which a pillow can be inserted. 18. A removable cover according to claim 17, wherein the 30 pouch is sized to accept a standard sized bed pillow. 19. A removable cover according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the pouch is positioned at the head-receiving portion. 20. A removable cover according to any one of claims 16 to 19, further provided with fastening means for fastening the removable cover to an article of standard bedclothing, a pillow or a pillowcase, which article of standard bedclothing, pillow or pillowcase has corresponding fastening means. 5 21. A removable cover according to claim 20, wherein the fastening means comprises hook and loop material, button and loop arrangements, buttons, press studs, zips, ties, or hooks and eyes. 22. A removable cover according to any one of claims 16 to 10 21, further including attachment means for attaching the cover to a standard mattress, so as to minimise relative movement of the cover and the mattress. 23. A removable cover according to claim 22, wherein the attachment means includes straps, ties, pre-shaped corner

15 covers, or elasticated pre-shaped corner covers. 24. A removable cover according to any one of claims 16 to 23, which comprises a heat-retentive material. 25. A removable cover according to claim 24, wherein the heat-retentive material is duvet, quilt, or fleece material.

20 26. A set of at least two items selected from the group consisting of: an article of bedclothing according to any one of claims 1 to 15, a removable cover according to any one of claims 16 to 25, a duvet, a duvet cover, a cover, a coverlet, a sheet, a blanket, a quilt, a pillow, a pillowcase or any

25 combination thereof, which set includes at least one article of bedclothing according to any one of claims 1 to 15 or at least one removable cover according to any one of claims 16 to 25. 27. An article of bedclothing substantially as hereinbefore 30 described with reference to the Figures 3, 4A to 4E and 5 of the accompanying drawings. 28. A removable cover for covering an article of bedclothing substantially as hereinbefore described.

29. A set of at least two items comprising at least one article of bedclothing or at least one removable cover substantially as hereinbefore described.