Patent Application
20080201846
This invention relates generally to a bedding article such as a comforter or featherbed having a plurality of side-by-side interior channels and more particularly concerns such a bedding article which combines such channels with a particular baffle arrangement within the channels.
There are several important considerations in the design of lofted bedding articles, such as comforters and featherbeds. One important consideration is to minimize the migration, i.e. shifting, of the loose fill within the article, such as feathers and down, during use. Shifting of the fill can degrade the performance of the bedding article, as well as its appearance. Another important consideration is to create and maintain a high loft of the article. A lofty appearance of a comforter or featherbed is generally attractive to the user. Hence, it is desirable to have comforter which is designed to minimize shifting of fill and which also has a high loft.
Accordingly, the bedding article comprises: upper and lower fabric layers, substantially identical in configuration and secured to each other around the peripheries thereof; a plurality of channels extending longitudinally of the bedding article; a plurality of cup-like baffle elements positioned along the length of the channels, the baffle elements alternating in orientation, opening toward one adjacent baffle element and away from the other adjacent baffle element, wherein the adjacent baffle elements which curve toward each other are spaced apart so as to permit fill to be blown in between them; and fill positioned within the channels including volumes bounded by the baffle elements.
The comforter 10 can be of various sizes. Typical sizes include conventional twin, full, queen and king sizes, although other sizes are possible as well. In one example, the queen size comforter will be 88 inches wide×90 inches long.
Comforter 10 includes a border region 18 in the embodiment shown which is defined by a line of stitching 20 which extends down both longitudinal sides of the comforter and across the foot of the comforter. This border region 18, however, is not necessary to the embodiment described. It adds protection against shifting of fill into portions of the comforter which may extend beyond the edges of the mattress on which the comforter is used. Located within border region 18 are a plurality of evenly spaced cross-tacks 21 which are sewn through the upper and lower fabric sections 12. The tacks are positioned on 10-inch centers and, in the embodiment shown, the lines of stitching comprising the cross-tacks are both 1½ inches long. In the embodiment shown, the border region 18 is approximately 10 inches wide, although this can vary.
Within center volume 22, defined by the line of stitching 20, a number of longitudinal channels 30-30 are defined. Each longitudinal channel extends for approximately the full length of the interior volume, and in the embodiment shown are each approximately 17 inches wide, although again this dimension can be varied. A twin size will typically have three channels, while a full and queen size will have four, and a king size will have five channels, although this also can be varied. In
The arrangement and configuration of the curved baffle elements 40 is similar from channel to channel, and hence the baffle elements 40 in only one channel will be described. Baffle elements 40 in the embodiment shown are curved, approximately hemispherical from free end 42 to the opposing free end 43. The baffle elements 40 alternate in orientation so that one curves in one direction and the adjacent ones curve in the opposite direction. They all open, however, in the direction of the channel, either forward or to the rear thereof.
Apart from those baffle elements at the opposing ends of the channel, baffle elements 40 are positioned in back-to-back pairs with one baffle element in the pair opening toward one end of the channel and the other baffle element 40 opening toward the other end of the channel. This arrangement is clearly illustrated in
The space 51 between the free ends 42 and 43 of each baffle element 40 and the adjacent channel baffle members 32, which form the channel in which the baffle elements are located, is approximately 3 inches, while the openings 53 between the free ends of adjacent baffle elements which extend toward each other is within the range of 5¾-6¼ inches, with a preferred opening of approximately 6 inches. This opening permits fill to be blown into the areas partially defined or bounded by the baffle elements.
The baffle elements can take other specific configurations, including V-shaped and/or other angular arrangements. However, the general configuration of each element is cup-like or bucket-like, with the baffle elements always being positioned such that they alternate in the direction they face (i.e. open) along the channel. The baffle elements will typically be positioned along the full length of each channel, but fewer baffle elements could be used in one or more of the channels, so they do not necessarily extend the full length of the channel. The function of the baffle elements 40 is to capture and trap the fill, much like curved or cupped hands. The arrangement results in a “cradling” of the fill between each back-to-back baffle pair, minimizing shifting of the fill and creating a lofty appearance for the product.
In the manufacture of the comforter, there is an opening 41 provided at the foot end of each channel in the comforter, which allows fill to be blown in to fill each channel, as well as opening 18, which allows fill to be blown into the border region. Typically the fill will be loose, such as feathers, down and/or a combination thereof, although polyester pieces may also be used. After the comforter has been filled, openings 41 to the channels and opening 18 to the comforter itself are closed, such as by sewing.
The comforter of
Like the comforter, featherbed 60 will be divided into a plurality of longitudinal channels 67-67, with the channels preferably being approximately equal in width, although the width of the channels in a particular embodiment can vary from channel to channel. The channels are defined by baffle members 68-68 and gusset 66. Positioned within each channel are a plurality of curved baffle elements 70-70, similar to that shown and described for the embodiment in
Positioned between the curved baffle elements at the ends of each channel are a plurality of back-to-back baffle element combinations, the back-to-back element combinations touching each other approximately at the midpoints thereof, but opening in opposing directions, aligned with the direction of the channel. The distance 61 between the curved baffle elements 70 and the channel baffle members 68 defining the channels is approximately 3 inches, the same as for the embodiment of
The featherbed of
The number of channels and the number of curved baffle elements in each channel will vary depending on the size of the featherbed. For instance a queen size featherbed will have 4 side-by-side channels, with a total of 10 baffle elements (5 baffle pairs)+4 horizontal baffles in each channel. The horizontal baffles in the channel structure of
Although
Hence, a bedding article, particularly a comforter and/or a featherbed, has been described which includes a particular channel and baffle arrangement which minimizes shifting of the fill and maintains a high loft of the bedding article.
Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed here for the purposes of illustration, it should be understood that various changes, modifications and substitutions may be incorporated in the embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention, which is defined by the claims which follow.
