U.S. patent application number 10/268811 was filed with the patent office on 2004-04-15 for bedding and other articles having fill material.
This patent application is currently assigned to Hollander Home Fashions Corp.. Invention is credited to Hollander, Leo L..
Application Number | 20040068795 10/268811 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32068654 |
Filed Date | 2004-04-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040068795 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hollander, Leo L. |
April 15, 2004 |
Bedding and other articles having fill material
Abstract
A bedding article comprises a first quilted panel attached to a
second panel so as to enclose an interior. Fill material is
disposed in the quilted panel and in the interior.
Inventors: |
Hollander, Leo L.; (Boca
Raton, FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LERNER, DAVID, LITTENBERG,
KRUMHOLZ & MENTLIK
600 SOUTH AVENUE WEST
WESTFIELD
NJ
07090
US
|
Assignee: |
Hollander Home Fashions
Corp.
6560 West Rogers Circle
Boca Raton
FL
33487
|
Family ID: |
32068654 |
Appl. No.: |
10/268811 |
Filed: |
October 10, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
5/502 ;
5/636 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 9/10 20130101; A47G
9/0207 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
005/502 ;
005/636 |
International
Class: |
A47G 009/02; A47G
009/00 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A filled article comprising: a first quilted panel; a second
quilted panel; and at least one side panel attached to the first
quilted panel and the second quilted panel so as to form an
interior between the first quilted panel and second quilted
panel.
2. The article of claim 1, further comprising a first fill material
in the first quilted panel.
3. The article of claim 2, wherein the at least one side panel is
attached to the first quilted panel and the second quilted panel so
that the at least one side panel is interposed between the first
quilted panel and second quilted panel.
4. The article of claim 2, wherein the first quilted panel has a
peripheral edge and at least one stitching line, including a
stitching line spaced from the peripheral edge of the first quilted
panel so as to form a rim in the first quilted panel.
5. The article of claim 4, wherein the rim has the first fill
material disposed therein.
6. The article of claim 2, further comprising a second fill
material disposed in the interior.
7. The article of claim 6, wherein the first fill material and the
second fill material comprise down.
8. The article of claim 1, wherein the first quilted panel
comprises an outer sheet attached to an inner sheet at a plurality
of locations.
9. The article of claim 8, wherein the outer sheet and the inner
sheet are attached to one another so as to form compartments.
10. The article of claim 8, wherein the inner sheet comprises a
liner and a bottom rim portion attached to the liner.
11. The article of claim 9, wherein the bottom rim portion is
attached to an outer edge of the outer sheet.
12. A filled article comprising: a casing enclosing an interior
having a first fill material; the casing including first
compartments disposed outwardly of the first fill material, the
first compartments enclosing a second fill material; at least one
of the first fill material and second fill material being selected
from the group consisting of down and feathers.
13. A filled article comprising: a first quilted panel; at least
one second panel attached to the first quilted panel so as to form
an interior between the at least one second panel and the first
quilted panel; and a first fill material in the first quilted panel
and a second fill material in the interior.
14. The filled article of claim 13, wherein at least one of the
first fill material and second fill material comprises down.
15. The filled article of claim 13, wherein the first quilted panel
forms first compartments for holding the first fill material.
16. The filled article of claim 15, wherein the at least one second
panel comprises a second quilted panel having second compartments
enclosing a third fill material.
17. The filled article of claim 13, wherein the first quilted panel
comprises a peripheral edge and a rim adjacent the peripheral
edge.
18. The filled article of claim 17, wherein the rim encloses some
of the second fill material.
19. The filled article of claim 13, wherein the first quilted panel
and second quilted panel are attached to one another by a side
panel disposed between the first quilted panel and second quilted
panel.
20. The filled article of claim 13, wherein the first fill material
and the second fill material comprise the same type of fill
material.
21. The filled article of claim 13, wherein said filled article
comprises a pillow.
22. The filled article of claim 13, further comprising at least one
baffle disposed between the first quilted panel and the at least
one second panel.
23. The filled article of claim 22, wherein the first quilted panel
comprises an outer sheet attached to an inner sheet at a plurality
of locations and wherein the at least one baffle is attached to the
first quilted panel at at least some of the locations.
24. The filled article of claim 22, wherein the at least one baffle
forms pockets subdividing the interior.
25. The filled article of claim 24, wherein the outer sheet is
attached to the inner sheet by stitching lines and at least one of
the pockets spans at least one of the stitching lines.
26. The filled article of claim 13, wherein the at least one second
panel comprises a second quilted panel attached to the first
quilted panel so as to form the interior.
27. The filled article of claim 24, wherein the at least one second
panel comprises a side panel attached to the first quilted panel
and the second quilted panel so that the side panel is interposed
between the first quilted panel and second quilted panel.
28. The filled article of claim 13, wherein the first quilted panel
comprises a peripheral edge and at least one stitching line spaced
from the peripheral edge so as to form a rim.
29. The filled article of claim 28, wherein the rim encloses some
of the first fill material.
30. The filled article of claim 13, wherein said filled article
comprises a comforter.
31. The filled article of claim 30, wherein the first fill material
comprises the same type of fill material as the second fill
material.
32. The comforter of claim 31, wherein the first fill material and
the second fill material comprises down.
33. The comforter of claim 26, wherein the first quilted panel
comprises first stitching lines and the second quilted panel
comprises second stitching lines.
34. The comforter of claim 33, further comprising at least one
baffle attached to the first quilted panel at one of the first
stitching lines and to the second quilted panel at one of the
second stitching lines.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates in general to bedding and
other filled articles, such as pillows and comforters, and more
particularly to such articles having a common structure adapted for
holding fill material to provide support and/or insulation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Bedding articles, for example, comforters and pillows, often
include fill material for body support and/or insulation against
the cold. There are used a variety of fill materials including
down, feathers, polyester fibers, synthetic foamed enjoyed great
popularity for use in bedding articles. However, down requires
special considerations when used in bedding articles due to its
tendency to shift and/or compact during use which reduces its
effectiveness for support and/or insulation.
[0003] In the case of a known comforter, an upper sheet has its
peripheral edges attached to the peripheral edges of a lower sheet
and a fill material is inserted therebetween. Shifting of the fill
material can leave portions of the comforter with only a thin or
potentially devoid layer of fill material for insulation. To
overcome this problem, lines of stitching attach the upper sheet to
the lower sheet to form compartments for holding the fill material.
The lines of stitching assist in preventing the shifting of the
fill material to retain a more even distribution across the
comforter.
[0004] However, this construction can result in the fill material
being absent or very thin at the lines of stitching, forming cold
spots, whereby the insulating effect of the comforter is
compromised. In addition, thin portions may also result from
compaction of the fill material, which also detracts from the
comfortable feel and insulation of the comforter. Various comforter
constructions are known which have addressed these problems. In
U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,669 there is known a comforter having an upper
sheet and a lower sheet for receiving fill material. Baffles
comprising pieces of material are attached in-between the upper
sheet and the lower sheet. The baffles prevent the fill material
from migrating within the comforter. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,960,702
and 1,421,906 there is known a comforter having an upper sheet
attached to an intermediate sheet by rows of stitching forming
cells for holding fill material. The intermediate sheet is
similarly attached to a bottom sheet and also has cells that hold
fill material. The stitching is arranged so that the cells of the
upper layer are offset from the cells of the lower layer and
overlie the there still remains the desire to provide improvements
in comforter construction to enhance insulation and eliminate cold
spots.
[0005] In the case of a known pillow, an upper and lower sheet are
similarly attached about their peripheral edges and a fill material
is inserted therebetween. Various fill materials may be selected to
alter the support features of the pillow to provide different
levels of comfort. For example, a down filled pillow will typically
provide for soft support, while the combination of feathers and
down will provide for a firmer support. Still further variations in
the degree of support can be achieved using various synthetic fill
materials, such as polyester fibers, synthetic foam materials and
the like.
[0006] Down filled pillows are typically considered the most
desirable for their soft feel and comfort level. However, down is
also known to be the most expensive of the fill materials and tends
to become compacted during use. Although other fill materials are
suitable for use in pillows, they do not provide the same degree of
soft feel as down, and hence, are less desirable.
[0007] There therefore remains an unsolved need for a common
structure for holding fill material which is applicable to a
variety of filled articles, and more particularly, to bedding
articles that provide improved insulation and/or support
properties. Specifically, there is a need for a filled comforter
construction that addresses the problems of compacted fill material
and/or cold spots such as may occur at stitch lines; and a filled
pillow construction that maintains a soft outer layer of fill
material for enhanced support independent of the characteristics of
the fill material used throughout the remainder of the pillow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The various described filled articles according to the
embodiments of the invention provide different benefits using a
common structure depending on the use of the filled article. The
filled article may comprise a number of different articles,
including bedding articles, such as pillows and comforters. In a
pillow the structure of the invention provides enhanced user
support among other benefits, while in a comforter the structure
provides enhanced insulation among other benefits.
[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, a filled
article includes a first quilted panel and at least one second
panel attached thereto so as to form an interior region
therebetween. A first fill material is disposed in the first
quilted panel and a second fill material is disposed in the
interior region. The quilted panel tends to hold the first fill
material to prevent significant shifting. In the case of a pillow,
the first quilted panel provides improved support, while in the
case of a comforter, the first quilted panel provides improved
insulation.
[0010] The interior region provides an additional layer of fill
material to add thickness for support and/or insulation to the
article. In embodiments incorporating a down fill material, the
quilted panel tends to prevent significant shifting of the down.
The quilted panel in the case of a comforter also adds structure
and depth to the filled article to provide an additional layer of
insulation. In the case of a pillow, the quilted panel provides a
soft comfortable outer layer which can have fill material
independent of the type of fill material used in the interior
region for additional user support.
[0011] In a further aspect of the present invention, a comforter or
pillow is constructed from a first quilted panel attached to a
second quilted panel. The quilted panels are attached together
about their periphery using a side panel to form an interior region
therebetween. A first fill material is disposed in the first and
second quilted panels and a second fill material is disposed fin
the interior region. The quilted panels in the case of a comforter
provides additional layers of insulation. The second fill material
in the interior region provides a further insulation layer and
tends to insulate thin areas that may have formed in the outer
quilted panels. In the case of a pillow, the quilted panels provide
soft comfortable outer layers providing enhanced user support. The
filled interior region also provides support which, depending on
the fill material, can vary the firmness of the pillow independent
of the outer quilted panels.
[0012] In certain preferred embodiments, the comforter further
includes at least one baffle construction disposed between the
outer panels. The baffle construction may be attached to the panels
at a plurality of locations. The baffle desirably forms pockets
subdividing the interior region. The pockets desirably spans some
of the stitching lines which are used to form the quilted
panels.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the
present invention will become better understood with regard to the
following detailed description, appended claims, and accompanying
drawings in which:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a top-right perspective view of a pillow in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a front elevation of a pillow in accordance with
the embodiment of FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a partial top-right perspective view of the pillow
in accordance with the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a pillow in accordance
with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3;
[0018] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a quilted panel for a pillow
in accordance with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4;
[0019] FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a pillow in accordance with
the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5;
[0020] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a comforter in accordance with
a further embodiment of the invention;
[0021] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a comforter in
accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 7;
[0022] FIG. 9 is an exploded view of a quilted panel in accordance
with the embodiment of FIGS. 7-8; and
[0023] FIG. 10 is a top-right perspective view of a baffle system
for use in a comforter in accordance with the embodiment of FIGS.
7-9.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0024] In describing the preferred embodiments of the present
invention, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of
clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to
the specific terms so selected, and is to be understood that each
specific term includes all technical equivalence which operate in a
similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. Any reference to
directions such as upper, lower, top and bottom are intended to be
relative to the bedding article itself and not to any gravitational
frame of reference.
[0025] The present invention provides a common structure for the
design of bedding articles such as comforters and pillows. The
structure in one embodiment provides two outer layers which are
preferably quilted, and an interior region. The outer layer in the
case of a comforter provides additional layers of insulation to
enhance warmth. The interior region provides a third layer of
insulation for additional warmth, and to reduce the effects of thin
or compacted fill material in the outer layers. In the case of a
pillow, the outer layers provide a soft enhanced supporting surface
for the user. The interior region provides another support region
which can have fill material of a different firmness than the fill
material in the outer quilted layers.
[0026] In accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the invention
as shown in FIGS. 1-6, a pillow 10 includes an upper quilted panel
12 and a lower quilted panel 14. Each of the quilted panels are
formed from an outer sheet 16 and an inner sheet 18 joined together
at their outer edges. Each quilted panel also includes stitching
lines 20, including rim lines 22 that extend around the peripheral
edge 13 of the quilted panel in spaced relationship. The rim lines
22 form a rim 30 that extends around the peripheral edge 13 of the
quilted panel. The stitching lines 20 include longitudinal quilting
lines 24 and lateral quilting lines 26 forming individual
compartments 28 located inwardly of the peripheral rim 30. Each of
the quilted panels carries a gusset 31 that extends around the
peripheral edge 13 beneath the rim 30. The gusset 31 is attached to
the quilted panel at the rim lines 22 thereof.
[0027] The upper quilted panel 12 is attached to the lower quilted
panel 14 by a side panel 32 interposed between the quilted panels.
In the embodiment shown, the side 40 of the pillow 10 includes the
side panel 32 having an upper edge 34 and a lower edge 36. The
upper edge 34 is attached to the periphery 33a of the gusset 31a on
the upper quilted panel 12 and the lower edge 36 is attached to the
periphery 33b of the gusset 31b on the lower quilted panel 14. The
interior 42 is therefore enclosed by the upper quilted panel 12,
lower quilted panel 14 and side 40 as best shown in FIG. 4. The
side panel 32 may comprise one or more pieces of material. In the
embodiment shown, the side panel 32 comprises a single strip of
material having a first end 33 and a second end 37 attached to one
another.
[0028] The outer sheet 16 comprises a piece of material with an
outer edge 17. The outer edge 17 is joined to an outer edge 49 of
the inner sheet 18. The inner sheet 18 comprises a liner material
46, the gusset 31 attached to the perimeter 47 of the liner, and a
bottom rim portion 48. The bottom rim portion 48 is attached to the
gusset 31 along joining lines 51 spaced from the edges of the
gusset 31 and the bottom rim portion. The bottom rim portion 48
forms the outer edge 49 of the inner sheet 18. The shape of the
outer sheet 16, as well as the inner sheet 18, is selected
according to the desired shape of the finished pillow 10.
[0029] The gusset 31 and bottom rim portion 48 may be formed of one
or more strips of material sewn together. The liner 46 preferably
comprises a single piece of material. The liner 46 will be disposed
on an interior side of the pillow and will not be visible to the
user. Thus, the liner 46 may be any material, whereas the other
pieces of material used in making the pillow may comprise other
materials, but preferably, materials that are pleasing in
appearance and comfortable for the user.
[0030] The rim 30 may have fill material disposed between the outer
sheet 16 and inner sheet 18, i.e., between the peripheral edge 13
and rim lines 22. The quilted panels have quilting lines, which may
be made in a variety of patterns, but preferably do not extend into
the rim 30. The particular pattern for the quilting lines is a
matter of design choice. The outer sheet and inner sheet may be
attached to one another at a plurality of locations to form a
quilted panel without using lines of stitching. Both the upper
quilted panel 12 and lower quilted panel 14 may have the
construction discussed above. However, the invention also
contemplates the use of a single quilted panel for forming one side
of the pillow and one or more pieces of material attached to the
quilted panel for enclosing the interior 42.
[0031] In a preferred embodiment, by way of example only, the fill
material of the upper and lower quilted panels 12 and 14 and the
fill material 44 in the interior 42 both include down feathers or a
combination thereof. However, the invention encompasses other fill
materials provided in the quilted panels and the interior 42 of the
pillow 10. In addition, different fill materials may be used in
each of the quilted panels and a fill material may be used in the
interior 42 that is different from the fill materials in each
quilted panel.
[0032] The fill material may also include any material commonly
used to fill pillows, cushions, quilts, or comforters. Loose or
non-loose fill materials, such as batting may be used. Such
materials may include natural fill materials, such as feathers,
down and combinations thereof, or synthetic fill materials, such as
polymers, fibers of various types, foam materials, including foam
rubber and urethane foams, and combinations of the foregoing.
Accordingly, the fill material used in the interior region may be
selected to control the firmness of the pillow.
[0033] The pillow 10 may have a regular or irregular shape,
including any polygon, circle or oval, and may comprise any size
such as standard, queen or king-sized pillow. The pillow may be
used wherever the user desires a cushion for support or for show.
The materials used to form the panels and the sides of the pillow
may comprise cotton, polyester, or any other natural or man-made
material used for bedding. The material preferably comprises a
material that will prevent the escape of down or feathers when used
as the fill material. The materials may comprise any woven or
non-woven material. The parts of the pillow are attached by sewing,
utilizing a thread or other string. The thread may comprise any
natural or man-made material, such as cotton or polyester. The
parts of the pillow may also be attached using adhesive
materials.
[0034] It may be preferred to hide as many of the seams as possible
in attaching the pieces of material together for the pillow. The
pieces may be stitched together, except for a small opening. Then,
the pieces are turned right side out, hiding most of the seams. The
opening may be used for insertion of fill material and then closed.
Such techniques are well known in the art.
[0035] The outer quilted panels of the pillow enable the use of
fill material such as down to provide a soft comfortable surface
for enhanced support. The interior 42 of the pillow may be filled
with other less expensive fill materials to provide different
levels of pillow firmness. Thus, a firm pillow can be constructed
from less expensive fill materials, while providing a soft down
filled outer layer for additional support and comfort. The quilted
panels also provide a filled layer in which the fill material is
not subject to shifting. This prevents loss of thickness in the
pillow and loss of support. In down filled pillows, in particular,
the quilted panels also provide thickness for support and avoid the
thin, insubstantial feel of a down pillow in which the down has
become significantly compacted.
[0036] In another embodiment, a bedding article is similarly
constructed. A comforter 110 is shown in FIGS. 7-10 having an upper
quilted panel 112 and a lower quilted panel 114 attached to one
another to form an interior 144. It is contemplated that one of the
quilted panels may be a single material layer to form the interior
region with the other quilted panel. Each of the quilted panels are
constructed as discussed above in connection with the pillow,
except that the quilted panels, and their constituent parts, are
sized for a comforter. The comforter may be sized for lying on a
bed and may be used wherever the user desires a comforter for
warmth. The comforter can have any standard size, such as a
standard, twin, king or queen size, or any non-standard size.
[0037] The comforter 110 has quilted panels comprising an outer
sheet 116 attached to an inner sheet 118. The inner sheet 118
comprises a gusset 130 and bottom rim portion 148 attached to the
perimeter 147 of a liner 146. The bottom rim portion 148 is also
attached to the gusset 130 at joining lines 151. The bottom rim
portion 148 is attached to the outer sheet 116. The quilted panels
have quilting lines, fill material and rim lines as discussed
above. The sides of the comforter 110 include gusset s for each of
the upper quilted panel 112 and lower quilted panel 114, and a side
panel 132. The gusset s and side panel are attached so that the
side panel is interposed between the gusset s. For the comforter
110, the side panel 132 is relatively short in height and it may be
desirable to fill the comforter less densely, as compared to the
pillow 10. This allows the comforter 110 to be more compliant
having three layers of fill material and more easily adjusted by
the user during use of the comforter.
[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the comforter includes a baffle
system 160 comprising a plurality of baffles attached between the
upper quilted panel 112 and the lower quilted panel 114. The
baffles form pockets 161 between the quilted panels, subdividing
the interior 142 and preventing shifting of the fill material. Each
baffle has a bottom edge 166 that is attached to the liner of the
lower quilted panel 114. Each baffle also has a top edge 168 that
is attached to the liner for the upper quilted panel 112. The
baffles may be arranged in a wide variety of patterns including any
regular or irregular geometric shapes. In the embodiment shown, the
baffles include longitudinal baffles 162 and lateral baffles 164
extending transversely to the longitudinal baffles 162 so that a
grid is formed. In addition, the embodiment shown has longitudinal
baffles 162 comprising pieces of material with a length about equal
to the length of the liner 146 and attached to the liner 146 for
each quilted panel. The lateral baffles 164 comprise pieces of
material that extend between each of the longitudinal baffles 162
and are attached thereto. In other embodiments, the pieces of
material used to form the baffles may have other shapes and
sizes.
[0039] The interior 142 of the comforter is filled with a fill
material using techniques known in the art. The fill material may
include any of the fill materials discussed above. At least some of
the baffles desirably include a small hole or slit for filling the
pockets 161. A fill machine may be used to blow fill material into
each pocket 161. The fill material includes a spout that is
inserted into the small hole or slit for filling the pockets 161.
Each quilted panel may comprise a different fill material and the
fill material of the interior 142 may also be different from the
fill material of each quilted panel. If desired, each pocket 161
may hold a different fill material.
[0040] In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of baffles forms
pockets 161 that span at least some of the stitching lines 120 of
the upper quilted panel 112 and lower quilted panel 114. As best
seen in FIG. 8, the baffle system 160 comprises pieces of material
attached to the quilted panels at some but not all of the stitching
lines 120. Thus, each pocket 161 preferably spans at least one
stitching line 120 on an upper quilted panel, lower quilted panel,
or both. The baffle system 160 may comprise, for example, baffles
attached to every other stitching line in both directions.
[0041] The quilted panels may comprise an outer sheet attached to
an inner sheet at a plurality of locations, without using lines of
stitching. In certain embodiments, pockets span at least one
stitching line of a quilted panel so that the fill material 144 is
interposed between the stitching lines 120. This insulates the
stitching lines 120 against forming cold spots. In the embodiment
shown in FIG. 8, the stitching lines 120 of the upper quilted panel
112 are aligned with the stitching lines 120 of the lower quilted
panel 114. However, in other embodiments, the stitching lines of
one quilted panel may be offset from the stitching lines of another
quilted panel. In further embodiments of the invention, the filled
interior of the comforter or a second panel provides further
insulation and addresses the problem of cold spots, as well as
providing other benefits.
[0042] In certain preferred embodiments, a bedding article, such as
a pillow or comforter, is formed from an upper quilted panel
attached to a lower quilted panel directly, either at the
peripheral edge of each quilted panel, or at a rim line for the
quilted panels or another location. In a further embodiment, the
upper quilted panel is attached to the lower quilted panel by a
side panel formed from one or more pieces of material, without the
gusset discussed above. In addition, an embodiment of the invention
comprises a bedding article with a single quilted panel attached to
at least one other panel so as to enclose an interior. The other
panel need not comprise a quilted panel. Such a bedding article may
incorporate one or more baffles for holding fill material within
the interior. For example, a pillow or other cushion may include
baffles. Baffles are not required, however, and other embodiments
of the invention include fill material in the interior for
insulation against cold spots, or other benefits. In other
embodiments, a bedding article comprises a first quilted panel and
a second quilted panel and each of the quilted panels have a
different number and/or pattern of compartments. Each of the
quilted panels may have a different shape or size. Either or both
quilted panels may comprise a rim or the rim may be omitted. In the
embodiments discussed above, the quilted panels are formed by
stitching lines. However, lines of stitching need not be used. In
other embodiments, the quilted panels are formed by stitching the
outer sheet to the inner sheet at a point or location, so that the
compartments are not entirely closed. In addition, means other than
stitching may be used. Furthermore, embodiments including baffles
need not form entirely closed pockets.
[0043] It is therefore understood that numerous modifications may
be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements
may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the
present invention as set forth in the appended claims.
* * * * *