Patent Application
20130067660
Notice is hereby given that the following patent document contains original material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile or digital download reproduction of all or part of the patent document, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to sheets and blankets for a bed, and more particularly to sheets and blankets used on a child's bed to keep them tucked in the bed while sleeping.
2. Description of the Related Art
At bedtime, parents often spend a few moments comforting and tucking their small child into bed. Often, they discuss topics that are particularly interesting to a small child, such as toy, or cartoon superheroes, or animals. Many of these heroes have wings that enable them to fly and carry out ordinary or extraordinary tasks.
When tucking a child into the bed at night, the top sheet, blankets and bed cover are temporarily pulled back so that the child may lay longitudinally over the bottom sheet and position his or her head on the pillow. The parent then pulls the blankets and bed cover upward to the child's shoulders or chin. Because some small children toss and turn in the bed when sleeping and dislodge the blankets and bed covers, many parents tuck the corners and side edges of the blankets and bed covers under the mattress.
To simulate swaddling, many parents pull the blankets and bed cover tightly over the child and then tuck the corners and sides under the mattress to hold the blankets and bed cover tightly over the child. Unfortunately during the night, the edges and corners of the blankets and bed cover become loose and the child may wake up because he or she is cold. The parent often has to tuck the child back in bed and swaddle the blanket and bed cover again.
What is needed is a bedding set for a small child's bed that swaddles the child while lying in bed, is not easily dislodged by the child at night when sleeping, and simulates a winged toy, a superhero or an animal.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a graphical swaddling bedding set which includes a bottom sheet with a designated sleeping area located centrally and longitudinally thereon. In one embodiment, the designated sleeping area may be covered by a soft sleeping layer. Aligned and registered over the designated sleeping area is a detachable pouch. The pouch may be an elongated sleep bag structure or elongated blanket attached along one or two perimeter side edges and along a bottom edge to the top surface of the bottom sheet that surround the designated sleeping area. The top edge of pouch is detached thereby forming a top opening. One or more side edges of the pouch may also detached or attached with a temporary attachment means, such as a zipper or hook and loop connects that allow ingress and egress from the pouch.
Disposed over the pouch and extending across the bottom sheet is a wing simulating top cover. The wing simulated top cover is a transversely aligned, hour glass appearing structure with two lateral side wing sections joined together at a narrow middle section. The top cover is centrally aligned over the pouch so that the child's head and the lower section of the pouch is exposed when sleeping in the pouch. In one embodiment, the top cover is sufficient in width so that the four corners or tips of the wing sections hang over the sides of the mattress. If desired, the tips may be tucked under the mattress to pull the top cover tightly over the child to swaddle the child and to hold it in place during the night. In another embodiment, the weights may be added or attached to the tips or corners or to the lateral perimeter edges of the top cover. In still another embodiment, complimentary connectors may be attached to the tips or corners of the top cover and to the top surface of the bottom sheet that when engaged, hold the top cover tightly over the child and in a fixed position.
Located between the top surface of the pouch and the bottom surface of the top blanket is a means for temporary attaching the top blanket to the pouch.
When the bottom sheet, the pouch cover and the top cover are aligned and registered over the mattress, they create a two dimensional graphic image of a superhero, a fictitious creature or an animal. Each component includes a graphic element which are combined with the other graphic elements on the other structures or surfaces, to form a complete two dimensional graphic image of a superhero, fictitious creature or animal. In one embodiment, a pillow case is included in the bedding set with a head graphic element of the superhero or creature printed on one s surface. When the bed is made, the pillow is rotated so that the head graphic element is visible. The opposite surface of the pillow may include a second head graphic to provide more variety, or include no head graphic element so that when the pillow case is turned over, the child's head becomes the head of the superhero, creature or animal.
Referring to the accompanying
The bedding set 10 a bottom sheet 12 designed to cover and fit over the mattress 90. Formed on the bottom sheet 12 is a central, longitudinally aligned designated sleeping area 14. Disposed over the designated sleeping area is a pouch 20.
As shown in
The lower pouch layer 22 and the upper blanket 24 may be replaced by a sleeping bag 30. In one embodiment the sleeping bag 30 includes a side zipper 31 that extends along one side edge and along the bottom edge. The opposite side edge may be detached thereby allowing the child to easily ingress and egress the sleeping bag 30. The bottom layer of the sleeping bag 30 may include hoop and loop connectors 33 or snaps 34 that connect to complimentary hook and loop connectors or snaps (not shown) on the bottom sheet 12 to hold the sleeping bag 30 in place. In both embodiments, a pouch 20 is formed that is sufficient in width and length to accommodate a small child 5.
Disposed over the pouch 20 and extending across the bottom sheet 12 is a wing simulating top cover 40. The wing simulated top cover 40 is a transversely aligned, hour glass appearing structure with two lateral side wing sections 42, 52 joined together at a narrow middle section 60. The top cover 40 is centrally aligned over the pouch 20 so that the child's head and the lower section of the pouch 20 are exposed when sleeping in the pouch 20. In one embodiment, the top cover 40 is sufficient in width so that the four corners 44, 46 and 54, 56, of the wings sections 42, 52, respectively, extend and hang over the sides of the mattress 90. If desired, the corners 44, 46, 54, 56 may be tucked under the mattress 90 to pull the top cover 40 tightly over the child to swaddle the child and to hold it in place during the night. In another embodiment, the weights 70 (see
Located between the top surface of the pouch 20 and the bottom surface of the top cover 40 is a means for temporary attaching the top cover 40 to the pouch 20. In the preferred embodiment, the means for attaching are hook and loop connectors 70, 72, respectively. It should be understood that the hook and loop connectors 70, 72 are used as examples of suitable connectors and that other types of connectors, such as snap button connectors, may be used.
When the bottom sheet 12, the pouch 20 and the top cover 40 are aligned and registered over the mattress 90, they can create a two dimensional graphic image of a toy, superhero, animal or creature, generally referred to as 100 as shown in
In one embodiment, the bedding set 10 includes a pillow case 80 with a head graphic element 81 of the superhero or creature printed on one surface. When the mattress 90 is made, the pillow 80 is rotated is that the head graphic element 81 is visible when positioned on the mattress 90 adjacent to the middle region of the top cover. The opposite surface of the pillow 80 may include a second head graphic (not shown) to provide more variety, or may include no head graphic element as shown in
In compliance with the statute, the invention described herein has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features. It should be understood however, that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, since the means and construction shown, is comprised only of the preferred embodiments for putting the invention into effect. The invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the amended claims, appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.
This utility patent application is based on and claims the filing date benefit of U.S. provisional patent application (Application No. 61/536,608) filed on Sep. 20, 2011.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61536608 | Sep 2011 | US |
