U.S. patent application number 14/149454 was filed with the patent office on 2015-07-09 for mattress cover.
The applicant listed for this patent is J.T. Eaton & Co., Inc.. Invention is credited to Jonathan Polenick.
Application Number | 20150190002 14/149454 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53494312 |
Filed Date | 2015-07-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150190002 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Polenick; Jonathan |
July 9, 2015 |
Mattress Cover
Abstract
A cover assembly for bedding products, such as mattresses and/or
box springs, that includes a sleeve shaped body and a selectively
operable closure assembly disposed about an opening formed in the
sleeve. The closure assembly includes first and second closure
mechanisms that each, when closed, isolate a cavity defined by the
sleeve from atmosphere. The first and second closure mechanisms
overlie one another so that, when closed, only one of the closure
mechanisms is exposed to atmosphere. The first and second closure
mechanisms are preferably provided as zippers that can extend the
entire longitudinal length of the sleeve opening and operate in
generally opposite longitudinal directions.
Inventors: |
Polenick; Jonathan;
(Broadview Heights, OH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
J.T. Eaton & Co., Inc. |
Twinsburg |
OH |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
53494312 |
Appl. No.: |
14/149454 |
Filed: |
January 7, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
5/499 ;
29/434 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 29/4984 20150115;
A47C 31/007 20130101; A47C 31/105 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A47G 9/02 20060101
A47G009/02 |
Claims
1. A cover for bedding products, the cover comprising: a body
having an interior surface that faces a bedding product and an
exterior surface that is exposed to atmosphere; an opening provided
along an edge portion of the body, the opening shaped to allow
ingress and egress of the bedding product from the body; and a
first closure mechanism coupled to the body proximate the opening
and a second closure mechanism coupled to the body proximate the
opening and wherein only one of the first and second closure
mechanisms is exposed to atmosphere when both the first and second
closure mechanisms are closed.
2. The cover of claim 1 wherein the body of the cover is shaped to
surround a bedding product that is further defined as at least one
of a mattress and a box spring.
3. The cover of claim 1 wherein the first closure mechanism is
further defined as a first zipper that extends a total length of
the opening and the second closure mechanism is further defined as
a second zipper that extends the total length of the opening.
4. The cover of claim 1 wherein the first zipper operates in a
closing direction that is opposite a closing direction of the
second zipper.
5. The cover of claim 1 further comprising at least one catch that
is secured to the body and cooperates with one of the first and
second closure mechanisms to bias the respective closure mechanism
toward a closed position.
6. The cover of claim 5 wherein the at least one catch is exposed
to atmosphere and cooperates with the one of the first closure and
second closure mechanisms that is exposed to atmosphere.
7. The cover of claim 5 wherein the at least one catch is oriented
at a crossing direction relative to a longitudinal axis associated
with operation of the one of the first and second closure
mechanisms.
8. The cover of claim 5 wherein the at least one catch is
diagonally oriented relative to the one of the first and second
closure mechanisms.
9. A cover comprising: a sleeve formed of a flexible material; an
opening formed in the sleeve and shaped to allow passage of a
bedding product into the sleeve; a first closure mechanism secured
to the sleeve about the opening and selectively operable to open
and close the sleeve; and a second closure mechanism secured to the
sleeve about the opening and selectively operable to open and close
the sleeve and so that the first closure mechanism is disposed
between the bedding product and the second closure mechanism and
isolates the bedding product from the second closure mechanism when
the first closure mechanism is closed.
10. The cover of claim 9 wherein the first closure mechanism is
further defined as an internal zipper and the second closure
mechanism is further defined as an external zipper that overlies
the internal zipper.
11. The cover of claim 10 wherein the internal zipper operates in a
first closing direction and the external zipper operates in a
second closing direction that is opposite the first closing
direction.
12. The cover of claim 10 further comprising a catch having a first
end secured to an exterior surface of the sleeve and a second end
selectively engageable with at least one of a pull and a slider of
the external zipper when the external zipper is in a closed
position.
13. The cover of claim 12 wherein the catch is secured to the
sleeve at a position offset from the at least one of the pull and
the slider when the external zipper is in the closed position to
bias the external zipper toward the closed position.
14. The cover of claim 13 wherein the catch includes a longitudinal
axis that extends between the first end and the second end and is
diagonally oriented relative to the slider when the external zipper
is in the closed position.
15. A method of forming a cover for a bedding product, the method
comprising; forming a pocket having an interior surface shaped to
face a bedding product and an exterior surface that faces
atmosphere and an opening shaped to allow ingress and egress of the
bedding product from the pocket; connecting a first zipper to the
pocket about the opening; and connecting a second zipper to the
pocket about the opening such that a first side of the first zipper
faces a cavity defined by the pocket, a second side of the first
zipper faces a first side of the second zipper, and a second side
of the second zipper faces atmosphere.
16. The method of claim 15 further comprising orienting the first
zipper relative to the pocket so that the first zipper opens when a
slider of the first zipper moves in a first direction and closes
when the slider of the first zipper moves in a second direction and
orienting the second zipper relative to the pocket so that the
second zipper opens when a slider of the second zipper moves in the
second direction and closes when the slider of the second zipper
moves in the first direction.
17. The method of claim 15 further comprising orienting the first
zipper and the second zipper relative to the pocket so that the
second zipper must be open to allow manipulation of the first
zipper.
18. The method of claim 15 further comprising securing a catch to
the exterior surface of the pocket proximate a location of a slider
of the second zipper when the second zipper is closed.
19. The method of claim 18 further comprising orienting the catch
at an oblique angle relative to the location of the slider of the
second zipper when the second zipper is closed.
20. The method of claim 18 further comprising spacing the catch
from the slider of the second zipper to bias the slider toward a
closed position.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to bedding product
coverings, and more particularly, to a mattress or box spring cover
that includes a pair of overlapping closure mechanisms.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] There are currently available many types of bedding mattress
and box springs. Most mattresses and box springs, regardless of
construction, come in a variety of shapes and at a wide variety of
costs. The cost of such devices is commonly driven by one or more
of the costs associated with the materials, research investments,
and/or the complexity and thereby the manufacturing costs
associated with the same. Regardless of the specific cost of any
such bedding product, most users prefer to protect the same from
damage or degradation that may or may not be commonly associated
with the intended use of such bedding products. Accordingly, many
users commonly augment box spring and mattress purchases with a
cover that can removably cooperate with the underlying bedding
product. Such covers are commonly constructed to withstand machine
washing such that, should a user inadvertently or unintentionally
soil the bedding product or associated linens, the cover can simply
be removed, washed and replaced so as protect the integrity of the
underlying bedding product.
[0003] Another consideration to the usable life of such bedding
products is the susceptibility to the presence of insects. In
recent years, the common bed bug has proved to be particularly
problematic in those industries that provide sleeping
accommodations for travelers or the like. Although modern
housekeeping practices rely on the frequent replacement of bed
linens, insect presence that goes unabated for even limited amounts
of can extend to the mattress and/or the box spring of the bedding
products. Such infestations can be particularly problematic to
resolve. Changing of only the bed sheets or linens is commonly
inadequate to resolve the invasion of such insects into the
confines of both the internal and external structures and surfaces
of the bedding products. In an attempt to provide bedding covers
that prevent the progression of the insects into the bedding
structures, others provide bedding covers that include closure
structures intended to maintain a closed configuration of the
closure structure. Unfortunately, such bedding product covers are
not without their respective drawbacks.
[0004] One such system includes a catch that cooperates with a pull
associated with a slider of a zipper. The catch is configured to
prevent translation of the slider associated with the zipper in an
opening direction so as to maintain a closed orientation of the
zipper. Others have provided securable closure assemblies that
include a flap that movably cooperates with the zipper. When the
zipper is fully closed, a hook and loop fastener secures the flap
generally over an area proximate the slider of the zipper such that
the slider is hidden behind the flap but a majority of the length
of the zipper remains exposed to atmosphere.
[0005] Although such systems provide at most a partially
overlapping closure arrangement, a majority of the longitudinal
length of the closure mechanism remains exposed as the only
separation between the bedding product and atmosphere. Although
most problematic insects cannot traverse directly through the
toothed interface of the zipper closure, the limited overlapping
configuration of the closure mechanisms and the concealment offered
by the flap provide concealed but insect accessible areas.
[0006] There is therefore a need for an improved bedding product
cover that provides an improved closure arrangement that is
securable, operable to allow expedient inspection of the underlying
bedding product, and preferably provides redundancy in the closure
arrangement to mitigate insect infiltration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method
of forming a bedding product cover or cover assembly that overcomes
one or more of the aforementioned drawbacks. A cover assembly for
bedding products, such as mattresses and/or box springs, according
to one aspect of the disclosure, discloses a body having a sleeve
shape that includes a selectively operable closure assembly
disposed about an opening formed in the sleeve. The closure
assembly includes first and second closure mechanisms that each,
when closed, isolate a cavity defined by the sleeve from
atmosphere. The first and second closure mechanisms overlie one
another so that, when closed, only one of the closure mechanisms is
exposed to atmosphere. The first and second closure mechanisms are
preferably provided as zippers that can extend the entire
longitudinal length of the sleeve opening and operate in generally
opposite longitudinal directions.
[0008] Another aspect of the invention that is usable with one or
more of the above features discloses a cover for bedding products.
The cover includes a body having an interior surface that faces a
bedding product and an exterior surface that is exposed to
atmosphere. An opening is provided along an edge portion of the
body and is shaped to allow ingress and egress of the bedding
product from the body. A first closure mechanism and a second
closure mechanism are coupled to the body proximate the opening.
Only one of the first and second closure mechanisms is exposed to
atmosphere when both the first and second closure mechanisms are
closed.
[0009] Another aspect of the invention that is usable with one or
more of the features or aspects disclosed above discloses a cover
that includes a sleeve formed of a flexible material. An opening is
formed in the sleeve and shaped to allow passage of a bedding
product into the sleeve. A first closure mechanism and a second
closure mechanism are each secured to the sleeve about the opening
and selectively operable to open and close the sleeve. The first
and second closure mechanisms are further arranged such that the
first closure mechanism is disposed between the bedding product and
the second closure mechanism and isolates the bedding product from
the second closure mechanism when the first closure mechanism is
closed.
[0010] Another aspect of the invention that includes various
aspects or features that can be combined with one or more of the
aspects or features disclosed above discloses a method of forming a
cover for a bedding product. The method includes forming a pocket
having an interior surface shaped to face a bedding product and an
exterior surface that faces atmosphere. Forming the pocket includes
forming an opening shaped to allow ingress and egress of the
bedding product from the pocket. A first zipper and a second zipper
are connected to the pocket about the opening and the second zipper
is connected to the pocket about the opening such that a first side
of the first zipper faces a cavity defined by the pocket, a second
side of the first zipper faces a first side of the second zipper,
and a second side of the second zipper faces atmosphere.
[0011] These and various other features, aspects, and advantages of
the present invention will be made apparent from the following
detailed description and the drawings as discussed therein. That
is, many or all of the aspects above may be achieved with any
particular embodiment of the invention. Those skilled in the art
will appreciate that the invention may be embodied in a manner
preferential to one aspect or group of aspects and advantages as
taught herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The drawings illustrate one preferred embodiment presently
contemplated of carrying out the invention.
[0013] In the drawings:
[0014] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a bedding product cover
having first and second closure mechanisms whose operation overlap
each other according to the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 and shows the first
closure mechanism fully open and the second closure mechanism
partly open;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the closure mechanism
with an inner closure mechanism partly opened and disposed behind
the outer closure mechanism which is shown as being fully open
thereby exposing the operator of the inner closure mechanism;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 and shows the inner
closure mechanism fully closed and the outer closure mechanism
partly closed thereby concealing the operator of the inner closure
mechanism; and
[0018] FIG. 5 is a detailed view of a portion of the cover and
shows a securing mechanism engaged with the outer closure mechanism
when the outer closure mechanism is fully closed thereby preventing
operation of the closure mechanism when the securing mechanism is
engaged therewith.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0019] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a sleep or bedding product 10, such as a
mattress, box spring, or similar function product, disposed or
encased in an encasement, cover assembly, or cover 12 that includes
a closure assembly 40 according to the present invention. Cover 12
defines a volume that is shaped to cover a bedding product and is
formed by a body 14. Body 14 of cover 12 is preferably constructed
of fabric but may be constructed of any flexible type material so
as to generally correspond to the underlying shape associated with
bedding product 10. When woven from fabric, body 14 is preferably
formed or woven so as to be generally impervious to non-liquid
materials as well as bugs.
[0020] Body 14 includes a first end 16 and a second end 18 that are
disposed at generally opposite longitudinal ends of an upper
surface 20 and a lower surface 22 of cover 12. A number of sides
24, 26, 28, 30 extend between upper and lower surfaces 20, 22 of
body 14. When closure assembly 40 is closed, body 14 defines an
outer or exterior surface 32 that faces atmosphere and an interior
surface 34 that faces bedding product 10. As explained further
below, operation of closure assembly 40 controls ingress and egress
or exchanges between the interior cavity defined by body 14 of
cover 12 and atmosphere.
[0021] Still referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, closure assembly 40 is
selectively operable so as to allow and prevent access to the
interior space, volume, or inner surface 34 of body 14. As used
herein, the closure assembly 40 defines access into and out of the
cavity associated with cover 12 and the closure assembly 40
includes two discretely operable closure mechanisms that must both
be open to open the closure assembly 40 and must both be closed to
achieve a fully closed configuration of the closure assembly. The
cover 12 closure assembly 40 is not considered fully closed if
either of the inner or outer closure mechanisms remain partly
open.
[0022] Closure assembly 40 is preferably formed to extend along one
or more of sides 24, 26, 28, 30 of body 14 and shaped to allow
passage of the bedding product 10 into and out of cover 12. As
described further below with respect to FIGS. 3-5, closure assembly
40 includes a first or inner closure mechanism 42 and a second or
outer closure mechanism 44 that are positioned to generally
overlie, overlap, or bypass one another during the opening and
closing operations of cover 12. As disclosed further below with
respect to FIGS. 3-5, closure assemblies 42, 44 are each preferably
formed as a zipper configuration and each included a discrete
operator that is configured to manipulate the open and/or closed
orientation of the respective closure assembly 42, 44. Said in
another way, inner and outer closure assemblies are preferably not
concurrently operable.
[0023] Still referring to FIG. 2, the outer closure mechanism 44
must preferably be fully opened to expose the operator associated
operation of the inner closure mechanism 42 during access to the
cavity defined by body 14. Although outer closure mechanism 44 is
shown as being secured to a supplemental flap 46 associated with
body 14, it is appreciated that the inner and outer closure
mechanisms can be secured to body 14 in generally very close
proximity to one another. For instance, mechanisms 42, 44 can be
configured so that only a person's fingers can pass through an open
outer closure mechanism 44 and the inner closure mechanism 42
remains closed to allow the user to interact with the operator
associated with the inner closure mechanism 42.
[0024] It is further appreciated that, when closure assembly 40 is
fully closed, closure mechanism 44 includes a first side that is
exposed to atmosphere and a second side that is isolated from the
bedding product 10 or faces the inner closure mechanism 42. Inner
closure mechanism 42 includes a first side that faces bedding
product 10 and a second side that faces outer closure mechanism 44
and more specifically, a side of outer closure mechanism 44 that
faces away from atmosphere. Inner closure mechanism 42 is only
exposed to atmosphere and/or operable when outer closure mechanism
44 is not fully closed. As explained further below with respect to
FIGS. 3-5, inner and outer closure mechanisms 42, 44 of closure
assembly 40 operate in such a manner that the outer closure
mechanism 44 must be opened to expose the operator associated with
operation of the inner closure mechanism 42 so as to provide a
redundant closure mechanism to prevent the progression of any
pestilence beyond the exterior surface of cover 12 and/or into
bedding product 10.
[0025] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, inner closure mechanism 42 is
defined as a zipper having a slider 50, a pull tab 52, and first
and second rows of teeth 54, 56 that movable cooperate with one
another. The operation is a zipper is fully understood in many arts
and need not be further explained herein. As is commonly
understood, translation of slider 50 in a first or closing
direction, indicated by arrow 58, meshes the alternate teeth 54, 56
thereby closing the opening associated with the operation of the
zipper of closure mechanism 42 and translation of slider 50 in an
alternate or opening direction, indicated by arrow 60, disengages
the alternating teeth 54, 56 thereby opening the closure associated
with closure mechanism 42. Teeth 54, 56 are preferably supported by
a flexible backing 62 that is secured to body 14 of cover 12. Outer
closure mechanism 44 is constructed in a similar manner and defines
a zipper that includes a slider 66 that movably cooperates with a
plurality of alternating teeth 68, 70 and includes a pull tab 72
shape to be gripped by a user. Like the zipper of inner closure
mechanism 42, translation of slider 66 in alternate closing and
opening directions 74, 76 allow selective separation and/or
connection of the portions of body 14 proximate the respective
closure mechanism 42, 44. Alternating teeth 68, 70 of closure
mechanism 44 are supported by a flexible backing 78 that is secured
to body 14 of cover 12 such that, when closed, closure mechanism 44
provides a secure connection of the sides of body 14 adjacent the
closure mechanism.
[0026] The orientation of slider's 50, 66 of closure mechanisms 42,
44 shown in FIG. 3 is indicative of a nearly midpoint or half open
configuration associated with the opening of cover 12. That is,
slider 50 associated with inner closure mechanism 42 is approaching
a closed-end 84 of first closure mechanism 42 whereas slider 66
associated with outer closure mechanism 44 is oriented at a fully
open end 86 of closure mechanism 44. From the orientation shown in
FIG. 3, slider 50 of inner closure mechanism 42 can be translated
in opening direction 60 so as to expose the interior cavity
associated with cover 12 to atmosphere or translated in closing
direction 58 toward closed end 84 of inner closure mechanism 42 so
as to fully isolate the cavity of cover 12 from atmosphere even
though outer closure mechanism 44 remains open.
[0027] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, during a closing operation,
slider 50 of inner closure mechanism 42 is translated in closing
direction 58 to closed end 84 of first closure mechanism 42 such
that the pull tab 52 and slider 50 of first closure mechanism 42
are disposed generally behind even the only partially closed
orientation of outer closure mechanism 44 (FIG. 4). Referring to
FIG. 4, with first closure mechanism 42 in a fully closed
configuration, slider 66 of outer closure mechanism 44 can be
translated in closing direction 74 so as to substantially overlie
and generally enclose first closure mechanism 42 completely behind
the closed configuration of outer closure mechanism 44. During an
opening operation, slider 66 of outer closure mechanism 44 must be
translated to the fully open end 86 of outer closure mechanism 44
so as to expose slider 50 associated with first closure mechanism
42. Once exposed, the user can manipulate slider 50 of first
closure mechanism to fully expose the cavity generally confined by
the closed cover 12. It should be appreciated that inner and outer
closure assemblies can be described as operating in opposite
directions relative to one another. That is, translation of slider
50 in direction 58 closes inner closure mechanism 42 and
translation of slider 66 of outer closure mechanism 44 in direction
76 (which is the same direction as direction 58) opens outer
closure mechanism. Inversely, translation of inner slider 50 in
direction 60 opens inner closure mechanism 42 and translation of
slider 66 in similar direction 74 closes outer closure mechanism
44.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 5, slider 66 is shaped to cooperate with
an alternate or closed end 88 of the zipper of outer closure
mechanism 44. A stop, latch, for a catch 90 is secured to body 14
of cover 12 and is configured to removably cooperate with one or
more of pull tab 72 or slider 66 of outer closure mechanism 44 so
as to maintain the closed orientation of slider 66 of the zipper
associated with outer closure mechanism 44 such that slider 66 is
preferably maintained in an abutting and preferably compressed
engagement with end 88 of closure mechanism 44. Such a
configuration provides a secure closure methodology and reduces the
potential for the unintended or incidental opening of the zipper
associated with outer closure mechanism 44 during use of bedding
products equipped with cover 12. As shown in FIG. 5, catch 90 is
preferably offset or skewed relative to the longitudinal axis,
indicated by line 92, associated with operation of the zipper of
outer closure mechanism 44. Preferably, catch 90 is secured to body
14 of cover 12 so as to engage pull tab 72 such that the pull tab
72 and catch 90 extend at an angle, indicated by dimension line 96,
relative to axis 92. Preferably angle 96 is greater than 20 degrees
and is more preferably approximately 45 degrees.
[0029] Regardless of the degree of the skewed orientation of pull
tab 72, the overlapping and bidirectional operation of inner and
outer closure mechanisms provides a bedding product cover or
encasement that provides an added degree of security to maintaining
the integrity of the bedding products contained therein.
[0030] Therefore, one embodiment of the invention includes a cover
for use over bedding products. The cover includes a body having an
interior surface that faces a bedding product and an exterior
surface that is exposed to atmosphere. An opening is provided along
an edge portion of the body and is shaped to allow ingress and
egress of the bedding product from the body. A first closure
mechanism and a second closure mechanism are coupled to the body
proximate the opening and arranged such that only one of the first
and second closure mechanisms is exposed to atmosphere when both
the first and second closure mechanisms are closed.
[0031] Another embodiment of the invention that is usable with one
or more features of the above embodiment includes a cover having a
sleeve formed of a flexible material. An opening is formed in the
sleeve and shaped to allow passage of a bedding product into the
sleeve. A first closure mechanism is secured to the sleeve about
the opening and selectively operable to open and close the sleeve.
A second closure mechanism is also secured to the sleeve about the
opening and selectively operable to open and close the sleeve and
so that the first closure mechanism is disposed between the bedding
product and the second closure mechanism and isolates the bedding
product from the second closure mechanism when the first closure
mechanism is closed.
[0032] Another embodiment of the invention that is usable with one
or more features of the above embodiments includes a method of
forming a cover for a bedding product. The method includes forming
a pocket to have an interior surface shaped to face a bedding
product and an exterior surface that faces atmosphere. An opening
is formed in the pocket and shaped to allow ingress and egress of
the bedding product from the pocket. A first zipper and a second
zipper are connected to the pocket about the opening and oriented
such that a first side of the first zipper faces a cavity defined
by the pocket, a second side of the first zipper faces a first side
of the second zipper, and a second side of the second zipper faces
atmosphere.
[0033] The present invention has been described in terms of the
preferred embodiments, and it is recognized that equivalents,
alternatives, and modifications, aside from those expressly stated,
are possible and within the scope of the appending claims. It is
further appreciated that the respective features of any one of the
embodiments discussed above is not necessarily solely exclusive
thereto. That is, as described in the forth coming claims, the
invention includes all of the embodiments as well as aspects
specific thereto. Many changes and modifications can be made to the
invention without departing from the spirit thereof. The scope of
these changes will become apparent from the appended claims.
* * * * *