Patent Application
20170119171
The present invention relates to mattress encasements, more specifically mattress encasements which may include a cover and a removable top portion that may be removable from the cover.
A mattress encasement can protect a mattress from exposure to fluids, allergens, and insects, including for example and without limitation bodily fluids, pollen, dust, dust mites, and bed bugs. A mattress encasement can cover all sides of a mattress, including the sides and bottom area of a mattress.
The terms “invention,” “the invention,” “this invention” and “the present invention” used in this patent are intended to refer broadly to all of the subject matter of this patent and the patent claims below. Statements containing these terms should be understood not to limit the subject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of the patent claims below. Aspects of the invention covered by this patent are defined by the claims below, not this summary. This summary is a high-level overview of various aspects of the invention and introduces some of the concepts that are further described in the Detailed Description section below. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to appropriate portions of the entire specification of this patent, any or all drawings and each claim.
Certain aspects of the present invention relate to a mattress encasement that includes a cover that surrounds a mattress on all sides via a top portion, bottom portion, and four side portions. The mattress encasement can also include an additional removable top portion that can be removably coupled to the cover. The cover of the mattress encasement can completely surround the mattress and protect the mattress from exposure to fluids, allergens, and insects, for example but not limited to bodily fluids, pollen, dust, dust-mites and bed-bugs. The removable top portion can be removably coupled to the top portion of the cover of the mattress encasement such that it may be removed for washing or replacement, for example should the removable top portion become soiled, wetted, or otherwise require cleaning or replacement. The cover of the mattress encasement continues to protect and enclose the mattress when the removable top portion is de-coupled from the cover and removed for washing or replacement.
The cover of the mattress encasement can be secured around the mattress via a fastener, for example one or more zippers, buttons, hook and loop fasteners, or other suitable fastening means. The cover can include an overlap or fabric flap that can be secured over a portion of the end path of the zipper on the mattress encasement. The fabric flap can prevent fluids, allergens, and insects, from entering the cover via any opening remaining at the end path of the zipper. In some aspects, the fabric flap can include a piece of fabric that is secured over the end path of a zipper or other fastening element. The fabric flap can be secured in place via a fastening element, for example a hook and loop fastener. The fabric flap can comprise any suitable material, including without limitation, cotton fabric, polyester fabric, or other suitable fabrics. In some aspects, the fabric flap can comprise a non-fabric material.
In some aspects, the mattress encasement can include a removable top portion (also referred to as a removable top layer). The removable top portion may be coupled to the cover of the mattress encasement. In some aspects, the removable top portion can be coupled to a top portion of the cover via one or more zippers or other suitable fastening means. In some aspects, the removable top portion can be coupled to the top portion of the cover by zippers positioned on a left side and a right side of the top portion of the cover. The top edge and bottom edge of the removable top portion may not be coupled to the cover. The removable top portion may be removed from the cover of the mattress encasement for washing or replacement, while the cover remains in place around the mattress. A top side of the cover can be revealed when the removable top portion is removed. In some aspects, the removable top portion comprises one or more layers of fabric or material. In some aspects, the removable top portion can include a waterproof or water resistant layer of material.
Illustrative aspects of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawing figures:
The subject matter of embodiments of the present invention is described here with specificity to meet statutory requirements, but this description is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways, may include different elements or steps, and may be used in conjunction with other existing or future technologies. This description should not be interpreted as implying any particular order or arrangement among or between various steps or elements except when the order of individual steps or arrangement of elements is explicitly described.
Different arrangements of the components depicted in the drawings or described above, as well as components and steps not shown or described are possible. Similarly, some features and subcombinations are useful and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. Embodiments of the invention have been described for illustrative and not restrictive purposes, and alternative embodiments will become apparent to readers of this patent. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above or depicted in the drawings, and various embodiments and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the claims below.
As shown in
The mattress encasement 10 can include a removable top portion 18 (also referred to as a removable top layer). The removable top portion 18 can include one or more layers of material. In some aspects, the removable top portion 18 can include a quilted layer, as shown in
In some aspects, the removable top portion 18 can be coupled to the top portion 12 via zippers or other suitable fastening means. In some aspects, the removable top portion 18 can be coupled to the left side and/or the right side 15 of the mattress encasement via one or more fastening means. In still yet other aspects, the removable top portion 18 can be coupled to the head portion and/or the foot portion 16 of the mattress encasement 10 via one or more fastening means. In some aspects fastening means can include, but are not limited to, buttons, snaps, ties, hook and loop fasteners, magnets, and zippers.
The cover 11 of the mattress encasement 10 can block liquids, bed bugs, dust mites, pollen, and/or other allergens from contacting the mattress or from passing from the mattress through the mattress encasement 10. The cover 11 of the mattress encasement 10 may be manufactured out of one or more of woven cotton, polyester fabrics, and other materials suitable for providing a desired protection. In some aspects, one or more sides of the cover 11 and the removable top portion 18 may be coated with or otherwise include a water resistant or waterproof material, for example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and Vinyl. In some aspects all or a portion of the top portion 12 may be quilted and/or may have waterproof characteristics. For example, in some aspects the top portion 12 may include a waterproof layer such that liquid exposed onto the top surface of the top portion 12 does not pass through the top portion 12 and contact the mattress protected by the cover 11 of the mattress encasement 10.
As shown in
As shown in
In some aspects, the removable top portion 18 may extend beyond the top portion 12 of the cover 11 and in other aspects the removable top portion 18 may be substantially flush with the outer edges of the top portion 12. In still yet other aspects, the removable top portion 18 may be slightly smaller in at least one of a widthwise and lengthwise direction of the top portion 12.
In some aspects, the second layer 44 may be waterproof or water resistant. The second layer 44 may include one or more of cotton fabric, polyester fabric, a polyurethane coating, non-woven fabrics, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and vinyl materials. In some aspects, the second layer 44 may be a coating that is applied to the underside of the first layer 42. In some aspects, the second layer 44 may be a separate layer of material that is not positioned on the underside of the first layer 42. For example, the second layer 44 may be a separate layer of waterproof material that is only attached to the first layer 42 at the outer edges of the removable top portion 40. In some aspects the second layer 44 is entirely waterproof, in other aspects the second layer 44 may only be water resistant or hydrophobic.
The second layer 44 can be positioned such that it is disposed between the first layer 42 and the top surface of the cover of the mattress encasement when the removable top portion 40 is coupled to the mattress encasement. The second layer 44 can protect the top portion of the cover of the mattress encasement from exposure to liquids, pollen, other allergens, and other materials that could dirty the cover of the mattress encasement. In some aspects, the removable top portion 40 may only include a single layer. In still yet other aspects, the removable top portion 40 may comprise one, two, three or more layers. Layers as used herein can include a coating, a treatment, and/or a separate and distinct layer of material. Thus, the second layer 44 can prevent liquids, pollen, other allergens, or other soiling materials from extending to the cover of the mattress encasement, it may thereby prevent the cover of the mattress encasement from requiring cleaning and replacement. Instead, in some aspects, allergens or soiling materials (including for example liquids), may only contaminate the removable top portion 40, while retaining the clean hygiene of the cover of the mattress encasement. The removable top layer 40 which may be contaminated by allergens, liquids, and other soiling materials, for example but not limited to bed-wetting incidents, may be removed from the cover of the mattress encasement for laundering or replacement, while the cover of the mattress encasement continues to protect the mattress from exposure to allergens, liquids, insects (e.g., bedbugs), and other soiling materials.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/247,474 filed Oct. 28, 2015, the contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62247474 | Oct 2015 | US |
