U.S. patent application number 16/037506 was filed with the patent office on 2019-01-17 for hybrid sheet set.
The applicant listed for this patent is HomTex, Inc.. Invention is credited to Gerald E. Wootten, JR..
Application Number | 20190014930 16/037506 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 65000754 |
Filed Date | 2019-01-17 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190014930 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wootten, JR.; Gerald E. |
January 17, 2019 |
HYBRID SHEET SET
Abstract
A sheet set packaged together as a set includes at least one
flat sheet, at least one fitted sheet, and at least one pillow
case. The at least one flat sheet is made of a first material. The
at least one fitted sheet is made of a second material that is
different from the first material. The at least one pillow case is
made of a third material that is one of the same as or different
from the first material and that is one of the same as or different
from the second material.
Inventors: |
Wootten, JR.; Gerald E.;
(Cullman, AL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
HomTex, Inc. |
Vinemont |
AL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
65000754 |
Appl. No.: |
16/037506 |
Filed: |
July 17, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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62533406 |
Jul 17, 2017 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 9/02 20130101; D04B
1/22 20130101; A47G 9/0253 20130101; D10B 2401/062 20130101; D04B
21/20 20130101; D10B 2503/062 20130101; D10B 2401/061 20130101;
A47G 9/0238 20130101; A47G 9/0246 20130101; D03D 1/0017
20130101 |
International
Class: |
A47G 9/02 20060101
A47G009/02 |
Claims
1. A hybrid sheet set packaged together as a set comprising: at
least one flat sheet made of a first material; at least one fitted
sheet made of a second material that is different from the first
material; and at least one pillow case made of a third material
that is one of the same as or different from the first material and
that is one of the same as or different from the second
material.
2. The sheet set of claim 1, wherein the first material is a
non-knitted weave.
3. The sheet set of claim 2, wherein the second material is a
knitted weave.
4. The sheet set of claim 3, wherein the third material is a
knitted weave or a non-knitted weave.
5. The sheet set of claim 1, wherein the pillow case includes a
first side and a second side, and the first side is made of the
first material and the second side is made of the second
material.
6. A hybrid sheet system sold as a set comprising: at least one
flat sheet made of a first material; at least one fitted sheet made
of a second material that is different from the first material; and
at least one pillow case made of a third material that may be the
same as or different from the first material and that may be the
same as or different from the second material, wherein a user can
select from the set the type of materials for each of the flat
sheet, fitted sheet, and pillow case.
7. The sheet system of claim 6, wherein the first material is a
non-knitted weave; the second material is a knitted weave, and the
third material is a knitted weave, a non-knitted weave, or a
combination of a knitted weave and a non-knitted weave.
8. The sheet system of claim 6, wherein the pillow case includes a
first side and a second side, and the first side is made of the
first material and the second side is made of the second
material.
9. A hybrid sheet system comprising: at least one flat sheet made
of a woven, non-stretchy material; at least one fitted sheet made
of a knitted, stretchy material; and at least one pillow case made
of either a woven, non-stretchy material or a knitted, stretchy
material, all sold as a set.
10. The sheet system of claim 9, wherein the at least one pillow
case has a first side and a second side, and the first side is a
woven, non-stretchy material and the second side is a knitted,
stretchy material.
11. The sheet system of claim 9, wherein the woven, non-stretchy
material is cotton, Egyptian cotton, pima cotton, upland cotton,
tencel, silk, polyester, bamboo (rayon), microfiber, synthetics,
wool, blends, or combinations thereof.
12. The sheet system of claim 9, wherein the weave associated with
the woven, non-stretchy material is damask, embossed, flannel,
jacquard, percale, printed, sateen, or satin.
13. The sheet system of claim 9, wherein the pillow case has a
first side that is knitted and a second side that is woven.
14. The sheet system of claim 9, wherein the pillow case utilizes
both knitted and woven fabrics on one or more sides of the pillow.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application No. 62/533,406, filed on Jul. 17, 2017, the disclosure
of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD
[0002] The technology described herein relates to bedding for use
on mattresses in the form of sheet sets.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Bedding sheet sets typically include a fitted sheet, a flat
top sheet, and a pillowcase. Twin bed sheet sets typically come
with a single pillow case while full, queen and king bed sheet sets
typically include two pillow cases. Adjustable beds have risen in
popularity. One type of adjustable bed is king-sized and includes
two twin XL mattresses and is commonly referred to as a split king.
A sheet set for a split king typically includes two twin XL fitted
sheets, a single flat sheet, and two pillow cases. Many different
types of sheets are known. Sheets made of a knitted material are
typically stretchy. Sheets made of a woven material are typically
substantially non-stretchy.
[0004] Knitted sheets can be made of cotton, polyester, lycra
(Spandex.TM.), wool, blends, other materials, or combinations
thereof. Knit materials may have two-way stretch or four-way
stretch. In either case, the fabric recovers to its original shape
after being stretched. Two-way stretch fabrics stretch on the
crossgrain, such as jersey knits. Four-way stretch fabrics stretch
and recover in both the cross and lengthwise grains directions.
Nylon/lycra fabrics are an example of four-way stretch. Jersey
knits are made of cotton fibers and other materials that are
knitted, similar to tee shirt material. Jersey provides stretch,
softness, and comfort. Other types of knits include ITY (Interlock
Twist Yarn), Ponte knit (double-knit interlock fabric), scuba knit
(double-knit fabric of polyester and lycra), and techno knit
(sturdy knit with a light sheet), among other knits. One type of
knit frequently used in bedding is the jersey knit.
[0005] Types of woven sheets include flannel, percale, sateen,
satin, microfiber, pinpoint, two-ply, and single-ply. Flannel is a
twill, plain, medium-weight weave made of cotton with a napped
finish on both sides, which provides a warm, fluffy and cozy feel.
Percale is a plain-weave fabric made from both combed and carded
cotton yarns, which provides a smooth finish and crisp feel. Sateen
is a weave from cotton that produces more yarn surface, which
creates a soft, smooth and lustrous finish that resembles satin.
Satin is a silky, smooth finish resulting from very thin, high
thread count fabric. Microfiber is a tight weave of man-made fibers
spun into a very fine yard, which creates a soft finish and wrinkle
resistance. Pinpoint is a stitch of two over and one under, which
makes it durable, but not as soft as other weaves. Two-ply is a
fabric made of yarn plied with two threads creating heavy-duty
durable sheets with a heavier feel. Single-ply is a fabric that
uses individual, un-plied threads, which results in a softer draped
fabric.
[0006] Woven sheets may be made from Egyptian cotton, pima cotton,
upland cotton, tencel, silk, polyester, bamboo (rayon), wool, other
materials, and blends. Egyptian cotton has extra-long fibers, which
makes the fabric soft. Pima cotton has medium to extra-long fibers
that provides softness and natural sheen. Upland cotton has a
shorter fiber than Pima and Egyptian cotton, so it is not as soft
as Pima and Egyptian. Tencel is a fabric made from eucalyptus tree
wood pulp. It's soft, durable, and antimicrobial. Silk is a
luxurious, soft fiber produced by silk worms. Polyester is a
manmade fiber produced from polymers. It is inexpensive, stiff and
scratchy on its own, which is why polyester is often mixed with
cotton to provide inexpensive sheet sets. Bamboo sheets are made of
rayon from bamboo pulp that is chemically treated. Bamboo rayon is
very soft, durable and silky. Blends are made from a form of cotton
and manmade materials, such as bamboo, rayon or polyester. Blended
fabrics are inexpensive, durable and wrinkle resistant.
[0007] Sheet sets include fitted and flat sheets that are made of
the same material. However, oftentimes, one sheet within the set
fits well while the other is harder to manage. For example, in the
case of jersey knit sheets, the fitted sheet fits exceptionally
well since it stretches to fit the underlying mattress. However,
the flat sheet tends to bunch and stick to a user when the user
moves in bed. In addition, pillow cases of jersey knit may not be
desirable for all people. In contrast, woven sheets, such as cotton
percale, work well for a flat sheet since they tend to keep their
shape and feel good against a user's skin. However, fitted percale
sheets often bunch and do not fit as well as knitted sheets.
SUMMARY
[0008] In accordance with the teachings described herein, a sheet
set is shown and described.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
[0009] FIG. 1 depicts a prior art mattress and bedding
construction; and
[0010] FIG. 2 depicts a hybrid sheet set according to the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] Referring FIG. 1, a prior art bed 10 is shown that includes
a mattress 12 and box spring 14, with the box spring 14 being
positioned on a stand 16. Alternatively, the box spring 14 and
mattress 12 could be positioned on a bed frame (not shown). The
mattress 12 is surrounded by a mattress pad 18, which has edges
that extend under the mattress 12, between the box spring 14 and
mattress 12. Alternatively, a mattress cover and/or a mattress
topper (neither of which is shown) could be used instead of a
mattress pad, or in addition thereto.
[0012] A fitted sheet 20 is positioned adjacent the mattress pad
18. The fitted sheet 20 surrounds the mattress pad 18 and has edges
that extend under the mattress 12, between the box spring 14 and
the mattress 12. A flat sheet 22 is positioned over the fitted
sheet 20. At the bottom end 24 of the mattress 12, the flat sheet
22 is shown tucked under the end 24 of the mattress 12. At the top
end 26 of the mattress 12, the flat sheet 22 is positioned on top
of the fitted sheet 20 and is spaced from the top end 26 of the
mattress 12 to allow a person to lie under the flat sheet 22. Flat
sheets 22 may be tucked under one or more of the mattress edges, or
may alternatively be left to fall along the sides 28 or bottom end
24 of the mattress 12 without being tucked in.
[0013] A blanket 30 is shown positioned over the flat sheet 22. The
blanket 30 is shown falling along the bottom end 24 of mattress 12,
but not tucked in under the mattress 12. At the top end 26 of the
mattress 12, the blanket 30 is spaced from the top end 26 of the
mattress 12 to allow a person to lie under the blanket 30 and flat
sheet 22. The blanket 30 may alternatively be tucked in under the
mattress 12 along one or more edges 24, 28 of the mattress. A
comforter 32 is shown positioned over the blanket 30 and hangs
along the sides 28 of the mattress 12. Comforters 32 are not
typically tucked in under the mattress 12, but could be, if
desired.
[0014] A dust ruffle 34 is shown extending around the box spring
14. Its upper end is tucked between the mattress 12 and box spring
14, and it is usually the lowest layer of articles between the
mattress 12 and box spring 14. The dust ruffle 34 falls around the
sides 36, bottom 38, and sometimes top end of the box spring and
can hide the box spring 14 from view. A pillow 40 with sham is
shown depicted on top of the comforter 32. More than one blanket,
comforter, flat sheet, fitted sheet, dust ruffle, pillow, or other
items may also be used in a sleep system, with the typical articles
being depicted.
[0015] Prior art sheet sets include components of a fitted sheet, a
flat sheet, and a pillow case, with each component being of the
same material.
[0016] According to the invention, a hybrid sheet set 50 is
described herein and includes a fitted sheet 20, a flat sheet 22,
and a pillow case 42. The hybrid sheet set 50 described herein does
not have components made of all the same material. In particular,
the hybrid sheet set 50 is a hybrid in that it is different from
the conventional sheet set.
[0017] The hybrid sheet set 50 of the invention utilizes a fitted
sheet 20 that is knitted and a flat sheet 22 that is woven. The
pillow case 42 may be either knitted or woven.
[0018] Knitted fitted sheets are soft and feel like you are
sleeping on a comfortable t-shirt. Knitted fitted sheets are
stretchy, and, as such, they are well suited to being a fitted
sheet 20 because they stretch to conform to the mattress upon which
they are seated. Pillow cases 42 that are made of a knitted
material can also be desirable in some cases. Alternatively, the
type of material that a pillow case 42 is made of can be one of
personal preference, with some users desiring to sleep on a soft,
t-shirt like material while others preferring the crisp feel of a
woven pillow case 42.
[0019] Woven sheets are typically not knitted and have little or no
stretch. They have a feel that is completely different from the
feel of a knitted sheet. Because woven fitted sheets are not
stretchy, it is often hard to fit them onto a mattress perfectly.
They tend to bunch up after a user has slept on them and need to be
pulled tight again after sleeping. A flat woven sheet, however,
provides a crisp, clean feel that many users prefer to sleep
against. Types of woven sheets include: cotton, supima and pima
cotton, Egyptian cotton, bamboo, cotton rich (sheets with at least
50% cotton), microfiber, polyester, other synthetics, wool, other
materials, and blends. Types of weaves include damask, embossed,
flannel, jacquard, percale, printed, sateen, and satin, among other
known weaves.
[0020] The hybrid sheet set 50 described herein is different from
the conventional sheet set in that it incorporates a knitted fitted
sheet, a woven sheet, and a knitted or woven pillowcase 42. The
pillow case 42 could have one side knitted and one side woven to
permit a user to select the type of fabric they would like to rest
their face against.
[0021] In the embodiments described herein, the entire sheet
component (e.g., flat sheet 22 or fitted sheet 20) is made of one
type of material, while the pillow case 42 can be entirely made of
one material or have sides to the pillow that are made of different
materials. Alternatively, the pillow could have different sections
or zones, not necessarily associated with a particular side of the
pillow that have different materials. For example, the bottom half
of one side of the pillow could be knitted while the top half of
the pillow could be woven or vice versa. Or the left half of the
pillow could be knitted while the right half of the pillow could be
woven. Or the center portion of the pillow (e.g., top to bottom,
left to right, or only in the center with a border around it) could
be knitted and the outer areas could be woven, or vice versa.
[0022] The hybrid sheet set 50 is advantageous in that it provides
a stretchy material for the fitted sheet 20 and a non-stretchy
material for the flat sheet 22. The user gets the benefit of a
well-fitted fitted sheet 20 and a comfortable, crisp flat sheet 22
in one set, as well as either multiple pillow cases made of
different materials, or having one side different from the
other.
[0023] Multiple fitted sheets and pillow cases may be included in
the set, if desired. In addition, multiple flat sheets may be
included in the set, if desired.
[0024] According to a first embodiment of the invention, a hybrid
sheet set 50 packaged together as a set includes at least one flat
sheet 22, at least one fitted sheet 20, and at least one pillow
case 42. The at least one flat sheet 22 is made of a first
material. The at least one fitted sheet 20 is made of a second
material that is different from the first material. The at least
one pillow case 42 is made of a third material that is one of the
same as or different from the first material and that is one of the
same as or different from the second material.
[0025] The first material may be a non-knitted weave. The second
material may be a knitted weave. The third material may be a
knitted weave or a non-knitted weave. The pillow case 42 may
include a first side and a second side. The first side may be made
of the first material and the second side may be made of the second
material.
[0026] According to another embodiment of the invention, a hybrid
sheet system sold as a set includes at least one flat sheet 22, at
least one fitted sheet 20, and at least one pillow case 42. The at
least one flat sheet 22 is made of a first material. The at least
one fitted sheet 20 is made of a second material that is different
from the first material. The at least one pillow case 42 is made of
a third material that is the same as or different from the first
material and that is the same as or different from the second
material. The user can select from the set the type of materials
for each of the flat sheet 22, fitted sheet 20, and pillow case
42.
[0027] The first material may be a non-knitted weave. The second
material may be a knitted weave. The third material may be a
knitted weave, a non-knitted weave, or a combination of a knitted
weave and a non-knitted weave.
[0028] The pillow case 42 may include a first side and a second
side. The first side may be made of the first material and the
second side may be made of the second material.
[0029] According to another embodiment of the invention, a sheet
system includes at least one fitted sheet 20, at least one flat
sheet 22, and at least one pillow case 42. The at least one flat
sheet 22 is made of a woven, non-stretchy material. The at least
one fitted sheet 20 is made of a knitted, stretchy material. The at
least one pillow case 42 is made of either a woven, non-stretchy
material or a knitted, stretchy material. The fitted sheet(s), flat
sheet(s), and pillow case(s) are sold as a set.
[0030] The at least one pillow case 42 may have a first side and a
second side. The first side may be a woven, non-stretchy material
and the second side may be a knitted, stretchy material. The woven,
non-stretchy material may be cotton, Egyptian cotton, pima cotton,
upland cotton, Tencel, silk, polyester, bamboo (rayon), microfiber,
synthetics, wool, blends, or combinations thereof. The weave
associated with the woven, non-stretchy material may be damask,
embossed, flannel, jacquard, percale, printed, sateen, or
satin.
[0031] The pillow case 42 may have a first side that is knitted and
a second side that is woven. The pillow case 42 may utilize both
knitted and woven fabrics on one or more sides of the pillow.
[0032] Non-woven fabrics, while not presently commercially viable
for bed sheets, may become viable in the future and have
traditionally been non-stretchy. If non-woven fabrics become viable
alternatives for bedding, and a stretchy version is developed, the
non-woven stretchy material could also be substituted for the
knitted fitted sheet 20, while a non-stretchy version could be
substituted for the flat sheet 22. Thus, a knitted fitted sheet 20
could be non-woven and a woven flat sheet 22 could be non-woven, as
long as the material selected for the fitted sheet 20 is stretchy
and the material selected for the flat sheet 22 is
non-stretchy.
[0033] The term "substantially," if used herein, is a term of
estimation.
[0034] While various features are presented above, it should be
understood that the features may be used singly or in any
combination thereof. Further, it should be understood that
variations and modifications may occur to those skilled in the art
to which the claimed examples pertain. The examples described
herein are exemplary. The disclosure may enable those skilled in
the art to make and use alternative designs having alternative
elements that likewise correspond to the elements recited in the
claims. The intended scope may thus include other examples that do
not differ or that insubstantially differ from the literal language
of the claims. The scope of the disclosure is accordingly defined
as set forth in the appended claims.
* * * * *