Patent Application
20220248865
The present disclosure relates generally to bed linens, and more specifically to an improved top sheet for bedding, referred to as Top Pocket Sheet (TPS) in this disclosure.
The term “bed sheet” was first used in the 15th century. In the 20th century, people started to improve and file patents on how to make bed sheets more comfortable. Nowadays, a bedding set sold in stores normally includes a fitted sheet and a top sheet. The fitted sheet comes with an elastic band along the edge and is used to cover the mattress. The fitted sheet wraps around the mattress tightly because of the elastic band and stays in place even after a night of sleep. The top sheet is a loose and flat sheet intended to be used in between the comforter and a human body. The top sheet is loose so as not to restrict body movement. But because the top sheet is loose, it does not stay with the comforter. Often, after a night of sleep, the top sheet is cast aside or crumbled and stuffed into a corner.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,422,822; 4,425,365; 6,725,477; and 4,651,371 describe various top bed sheets with a folded portion that can be adapted to fit around the end of a mattress for a clean look. U.S. Pat. No. 8,689,373 B2 describes a contour sheet that does not easily slide off the mattress and remains flat and tightly attached to the mattress also for a clean look. U.S. Publication Nos. 2004/0200000 and 2006/0168726 describe fitted sheets with a fitted end. US Pub. No. 2011/0023234 A1 describes a flat top sheet having releasable corner fasteners that can secure the sheet to an underlying mattress. All previous patents or patent applications relate to top bed sheets that are intended to attach the sheet to the mattress or the bottom of the bed for a clean look when the bed is not used. They do not address the problem of slippage and displacement of the top sheet when people move around during sleep. The present application discloses an improved top sheet, TPS, designed to solve these problems.
Accordingly, the present application discloses an improved bed sheet, TPS, that is designed to keep the sheet stay together with the comforter or blanket.
A TPS is designed to include a pocket for holding a comforter or blanket. The pocket may be formed by folding one end of the top sheet over and attaching two corners of the top sheet to the edge of the bed sheet. The pocket has an opening for receiving a comforter or blanket. The two sides of the pocket may be partially or fully closed. When the two sides are partially closed, each side of the pocket is left with a side opening, through which the comforter or blanket can be conveniently pulled or arranged.
In some embodiments, the height of the pocket, e.g., the length of the side, is between 12 and 20 inches. When the sides are partially closed, the length of the closed portion may be 4 to 5 inches long. The sides of the pocket can be sewed onto or otherwise securely attached to the edges of the bed sheet. In some embodiments, the attachment may be permanent. For example, the two corners of the folded end may be sewed or glued to the edge of the bed sheet. In other embodiments, the attachment may be temporary. For example, the two corners of the folded end may be buttoned onto the edge of the sheet. For another example, the two corners of the folded end may be attached to the edge of the bed sheet using snap fasteners, tie strings, Velcro stripes, or other adhesive mechanisms.
In some embodiments, the size of the pocket in the bed sheet may be adjustable, for example, ranging from 12 to 20 inches. In one embodiment, more than one snap fastener may be arranged along the sides of the bed sheet. When folded over, the two corners can be affixed to two selected snap fasteners that are aligned and located on either side of the bed sheet. The two snap fasteners may be selected from an array of snap fasteners that are located on both sides of the bed sheet to form a pocket of a preferred size.
The pocket formed at one end of the TPS receives a comforter or blanket and holds the comforter or blanket in place. In one embodiment, the comforter may be flatly inserted into the pocket. Alternatively, the comforter may be folded over along with the top sheet when the pocket is created. In this way, the comforter is folded inside the pocket to form a plush end.
In some embodiments, when the pocket is sewed onto the sheet, the seam may extend along the entire depth of the pocket. In other embodiments, the seam may be shorter than the depth of the pocket, leaving the pocket partially open. In some embodiments, an array of buttonholes is arranged along one side of the bed sheet and an array of buttons is arranged on the comforter. The distance from the button array to the edge of the comforter may range between 5 to 30 inches. When the sheet is folded over, it can be folded over along with or without the comforter. When folded over, the top sheet can be buttoned up to the comforter. The buttons may be hidden or visible depending on the aesthetic design.
In some embodiments, the pocket is formed by sewing or attaching a piece of fabric to the top sheet. The means of attachment can be any suitable means, for example, buttons, snap fasteners, etc. For aesthetic appeals, the piece of fabric and the comforter may be of matching color or pattern.
These and other features of the present disclosure will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the views. Moreover, components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure.
Embodiments of the disclosure are described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the disclosure are shown. The various embodiments of the disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.
Conventionally, people use duvet cover to protect comforter, duvet, blanket, or other beddings. Comforters or duvets are often too thick and heavy to be washed or dry cleaned frequently. A duvet cover encases the entire comforter or duvet and is easy to use and wash. But a duvet cover is inconvenient to change, especially for king or queen size beddings. A conventional flat sheet may be used under a comforter to keep the comforter clean. A flat sheet is easy to change and wash, but is not easy to use because a flat sheet often slips away or gets displaced during sleep since the sheet is not attached to anything.
Instead of affixing the top sheet to a mattress or the bottom of the bed for display purposes as taught in prior art references, the present application discloses an easy method to help keep the top sheet staying together with a comforter or blanket or any other bedding that people would like to use for sleep.
In referring to
In one embodiment, the entire edge 108 (labeled A in
For different aesthetic appeals, the buttons 500 and 600 may be visible or hidden.
The TPS 100 in the present disclosure allows the top sheet to stay together with the comforter or blanket without being restrictive. The pocket 105 designed to hold a comforter can be made invisible or decorative according to user preference. When the pocket 105 is formed by folding over the top sheet 100 and the securing mechanisms, e.g., buttons, snap fasteners, are placed inside the pocket 105, the pocket 105 becomes blended in with the rest of the top sheet 100. The pocket can also be made decorative, thus visible, by placing the buttons outside the pocket and/or adding patterns and colors on the cover of the pocket 105, as shown in
The TPS 100 disclosed in the present disclosure is convenient and easy to use. Bedsheet manufacturers can make the TPS in different ways. The TPS 100 can be made by adding a piece of fabric to a regularly sized bed sheet. The fabric may the same as or different than that of the bed sheet. Alternatively, the TPS 100 can be made by folding over a normal bed sheet. When folded over, the sheet would be shorter than a normal bed sheet. The TPS 100 can be also made using a special bed sheet that is longer than a regularly sized bed sheet. Such bed sheet may be specially made so that after being folded over to form a pocket 105, the bed sheet becomes a regularly sized bed sheet.
Although the disclosure is illustrated and described herein with reference to specific embodiments, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications may be made in the details within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims and without departing from the disclosure.
