Patent Application
20070056100
The present invention relates to bedding and, more particularly, to contoured or fitted bed sheets.
Historically, contoured or fitted bed sheets have been fabricated using either woven or knitted fabrics. Woven sheets are typically fabricated with an elastic strip around the bottom edge of the sheet to assist the product in remaining secured to the mattress. This is necessary because the woven fabric has no ability to grab. However, in commercial laundry environments, the elastic has a much shorter life than the woven fabric, thereby limiting the service life of the product. Further, the utility of any woven contoured bed sheet is dependent upon the sidewall depth or height, specifically for the corners. In other words, if a contour sheet is fabricated with a sidewall height of eight inches, it will accommodate only mattresses with a thickness of slightly less than eight inches. Given that mattresses are manufactured in multiple thickness, and most heath care facilities and hospitality properties have mattresses of varying thicknesses in service at any given time, this presents both service and functionality problems.
Knitted contoured bed sheets offer the versatility inherent in knitted fabrics and are better suited for accommodation of varying mattress dimensions. Also, the stretch and recovery aspect of a knit material allows these sheets to be commonly made without elastic. However, knit fabrics are known to be less durable than woven alternatives and can be more complicated and costly to process in a commercial laundry. Knitted sheets present difficulties in being effectively processed through ordinary flat work ironers or folding machinery that are employed in many industrial processing facilities. Thus, while knitted bed sheets have gained large-scale market acceptance in the health care market, the processing, handling, and finished product appearance issues associated with them have caused the hospitality industry to largely continue the use of woven products.
The present invention provides a bed sheet that serves as a contoured bed sheet having certain advantages of both woven and knitted bed sheets, but without some of the respective drawbacks thereof. To that end, and in accordance with the principles of the present invention, a contoured bed sheet is provided by a woven sheet with knitted corner inserts having both non-elastomeric synthetic yarns and elastomeric synthetic yarns, with the elastomeric yarns being present in a range of between about 5% and about 25% by weight of the corner insert. The resulting sheet can be used as a contoured bed sheet like a knit sheet, but without a separate elastic strip, yet can be easily processed through conventional commercial laundry and folding machinery. Further, the product, when in use, appears to be a typical woven contoured bed sheet.
By virtue of the foregoing, there is thus provided a contoured bed sheet with advantages of both woven and knitted bed sheets, but without some of the respective drawbacks thereof. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention shall be made apparent from the accompanying drawings and the description thereof.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and, together with the general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of the embodiment given below, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.
With reference to
A contoured bed sheet 30 (
Corner inserts 40 are advantageously made from a stretchable material which is knitted, either by warp or circular knitting. In order to give the advantageous results desired by the present invention, with reference to
The elastomeric yarns 62 may be of any stretchable material, although an elastomeric segmented polyurethane, such as Spandex (which may be at least about 85% of segmented polyurethane), may be advantageous. The non-elastomeric yarns 60 may be any yarn that can be knitted to form the fabric corners 40, with one possibly advantageous non-elastomeric yarn being comprised of polyester. The overall weight per yard of a corner insert 40 is advantageously limited to be between about 50% and about 150% of the weight per yard of the base sheet 10. Further, corner inserts 40 are advantageously of substantially the same color as base sheet 10.
To form the bed sheet 30, corner sections 24 of an appropriate size are removed from base sheeting 10. As an example, each corner section 24 of base sheet 10 may be cut between points 28 that are each about 22.5 inches (plus or minus about a half inch) from the apex 70 at each corner area 22 to define upper edge 26 subtending a distance of about 32 inches between adjacent pairs of points 28. The maximum distance between edge apex 26c and apex 70 may be about 19.25 inches. The corner insert 40 side edges 42, 44, in turn, will each be about 15.25 inches long, with bottom edge 46 being about 13 inches long. The distance from the bottom edge 46 to the apex 48 may be about 14 inches.
The corners 40 are attached to the base sheeting 10 by stitching, such as safety stitching 50. Corners 40 may be attached at the rounded apex 48 to the apex 26c of upper edge 26, and subsequently stitched along sides 42 and 44 and respective edge portions 26a and 26b. The bottom peripheral edge 80, optionally including bottom edge(s) 46, of the entire sheet 30 may be seamed to provide a finished sheet. Because of the difference in size between cut out corner sections 24 and corner inserts 40, the corner inserts are slightly stretched when sewn into base sheet 10 to form contoured bed sheet 30.
The above bed sheet 30 provides the feel, appearance, and durability of a woven sheet. It can be processed using standard commercial laundry facilities. However, it fits on a mattress like a knitted sheet. It can also accommodate mattresses of varying thicknesses.
By virtue of the foregoing, there is thus provided a contoured bed sheet with advantages of both woven and knitted bed sheets, but without some of the respective drawbacks thereof.
While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of an embodiment thereof, and while the embodiment has been described in considerable detail, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is, therefore, not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and method, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept.
