Textile construction

TEXTILE CONSTRUCTION _Tpe present Invention relates to the field of bed linens. In particular, the present

Invention provides novel fitted mattress sheets and pads.

Mattress pads are coverings applied to mattresses generally either to provide additional cushioning, or to provide a waterproof surface. Mattress pads may simply sit on a mattress; they may be attached by straps at the comers of a mattress, or they may be fitted to a mattress, the most useful mattress pads are those fitted to a mattress, they do not shift or berame loose or bunched up in use. It Is especially Important with children's mattress pads to ensureagood secure fit, so thataloose pad does not present a safety hazard.

Generally speaking, pads are made by providing a rectangular sheet of fabric having a width dimension about the same as a given mattress. A similarly dimensioned piece of batting Is aligned on the fabric, and then a second piece of fabric, also of the same size Is aligned on the batting. This three-layer assembly Is then machine quilted together, either one piece at a time In mattress size lengths, or in roils of long tengtte, tobe cut forkrdivjdualmattresses.Awaterproof layer may be appliedtothe underside, oruppersurface.ifdeslred, by sewing side ־־ams. Individual mattress sized pie«s are then cut and provided with side and end panels, comers aresewnjoinlngtheskteand end panels, and elastic Is applied to finish the exposed edges of the s!de and end panels. If desired, fora better tit, the side and end panels may be dasUcized.

η,־ preduct obtained ustog the manufacturing method outfitted above is gm* satisfactory,butteverylabourlntensivetomake. Moreover,stace theory thing Iteepng tpe pad on a mattress is the elastic, it must be quite robust, and therefore expensive.

־'tre pres^cnti״ve״^tcn prov1oesamBthodcf1r.anrgffitedr-:r.tt־esspads. Bodmafress pads made by the method, that are an Improvement Inflt over known pads, but reqittring less labour.

The present Invention also provides fitted sheets. The fitted M ^P׳^ invention are characterized In that either the end,orthe side,panels, thereof,ere made from a knit fabric, and the remainder of the sheet is made from a woven fabric such as a flannel.

In a broad aspect, then, the present Invention relates 10 a mattress pad having: I) a central rectangular panel comprising a plurality of layers Including an uppertexlile layer, a lower textile layer, and a batting layer quilted to at least one of the upper and lower textile layera; II) side panelsdependlngirom said central panel, comprislngasingle layer of a textile fabric; end III) end panels defined by extensions of seld central penel; said side panels being joined to said end panels by seams extending In a transverse direction in relation to said rectangular central panel.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENT OF INVENTION

In drawings that illustrate the present Invention by way of example:

Figure 1 is an underside view of a mattress pad made according to the present Invention;

Figure 2 Is a schematic of the manufacturing method of the present Invention;

Figure 3 Is a perepectlve view of a mattress pad according to the present Invention, on a mattress;

Figure 4 is a perepectlve of a fitted bed sheet according to anotherembodlment of the present Invention, fitted on a mattress;

Figure 5 Is a pattern for the fitted sheet of Figure 4;

Figure 6 Is a perspective of a fitted bed sheet according to another embodiment of the present invention, fitted on a mattress,

Figure 7 Is a pattern tor the fitted sheet of Figure 6.

Refening to Figure 1, the present Invention provides a mattes pad 1 having a central portion that will be about the same width w as a selected mattess, and wffl have a ־2length equal to the length of a selected mattress, plus about twice, or slightly more than twice the depth of such a mattress. Side panels 3 at least about 1.2 times the depth to about twice of the selected mattress extend from the central panels and are folded over the central portion. The top and bottom edges are then cut, on a slight cuive, and a seam Is sewn across each ofthe top and bottom edges. Elastic 5 may be sewn at each end ofthe construction, up one inner side edge of a side panel, across the end of lhe central panel, and down the Inner side edge of the other side panel. The resultant pad Is not provided with comers as provided in prior art pads, but rather the side panels 3 will extend down the side of a mattress, and under it slightly. The ends of the central 10 panel 2 will cover the ends of the mattress, and the elastic in the ends, as well as the slight curvature In the ends, will serve to keep the ends ofthe mattress pad snug on a mattress.

The side panels3may be integral with the central panel 2, orthey may be sewn thereto made from a knit fatxic with natural stretch capabilities, elastic 5 may be eliminated.

A preferred manufacturing method to make the mattress pads ofthe present Invention Is shown in Figure 2. A first roll 7 of a textile material 13, that may be woven or knit, Is 20 unroltedlnthedirectlonnotedbyarrow12.Sllgtitly^d,>*^T1stream,abattlng14,whlchmay be cotton, polyester, or any olher conventional material, Is unwound from roM 8 also In direction 12, aligned with material 13. Mother roll 9 of a textile 15, woven or Wt,« unwound, also aligned with rolls 7 and 8, so that a IhreeJayer sandwich of textiIe/battfng/textile Is created. The three-layer sandwich is then quilted at the quiltrg 26 statjon16,lnaconventlonalmanner,artdcontlnuestopraceedlndirection12.Afurther ' iayor.suchasawaterprooflayer17,teallgnedwimthequiltedconstructlondownsti^ of quilling station, fed off a roll 10. The optional waterproof layer 17 is sewn, along the side edges thereoftothe quilted construcion,and then the fbur layer construction may be wound onto a roll 11.

³⁰ At this point, It will be noted that eWier one of the two textile layers 13 or 15 may be wider than the other layers,In that it may Include side par>els3lntegral therewith. In such a case there Is no need to sew side panels to th־ texile construclio״. If, however,»« deslredtohavesldepanels3made1romadlf|1erentmaterial,sayaknlt fabric when the 35 centralpanel2isawovenmaterial.orevenifltlsslmplyd־slredtohavethesldepanels ־3having a different visual appeal than the central panel the side panels may be sewn to the construction at the same time as the waterproof layer, using the same side seams. In that case, side panel material will be fed aff two rolls of material 18 to meet the construction at about the same point as the waterproof material 17. Alternatively, the side panel material may be sewn to the central panel 2 by hand, In two pieces, during final assembly.

After the textile construction is wound onto roll 11, it Is subsequently unwound when desired, and In four steps fabricated into fitted bed pads. First, the construction is cut at station 19, into correct lengths, about the length of a selected mattress plus twice th? depth (or slightly more). Then, the side panels are folded over, at station 20, and then an caam 4 is sewn across each end. As the seam 4 is sewn, the edge Wil also be cut byablade In the sewing machine,Inaconventionalmanner.ltwil be understood that for greater efficiency, if the side panels are folded over before the cuffing process, the cutting and sewing may be done Inaslngle step. Moreover,It will be understood that winding the construction onto a roll 111s not necessary If the mill is equipped to cut, fold and sew the construction as it Is fabricated.

After end seams4are sewn,elastlcSmay be applied to each end. As Illustrated,etasSo 5 may be applied along the Inside edge 23 of side panel 3 near each end edge, across the end edge, and down the adjacent inside edge 23 of the opposite side panel

I

The resultant bed pad should be tamed inside-out to hide exposed seams, and win fit on a mattress as shown In Figure 3, with the side panels under the mattress for the fan length of the mattress. The side panels may be from about 1.2 to 2 times the depth of the mattress, for a proper fit. As shown In Figure 3, the curvature of lhe end seams helps to ensure a fairly flat fit at each end of the mattress.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, a further embodiment of the present Invention is illustrated. In this embodiment, a central panel 30 has side panels 31 integral therewith, the central 30 and side 31 panels being made from a non-stretch fabricsuch as cotton flannelette. Any woven fabric may be used, though. Moreover, the integral central and side panels may be laminated with, or coated with, a waterproof layer, such as PVC.

End panels 32 of a stretch material such as a knit fabric are sawn to the ends of the central panel, and then comer seams 33 are sewn between the end panels 32 and the side panels 31. The elastic nature of the end panel results In a fitted sheet that fits snugly on a mattress. The end and side panels will, therefore, be of a width equal to or greaterthan(byafactorofuptoabout0.14).5)lhedepthofaselectedmattress.

It _WBI also be appreciated that, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the end panel 34 may be integral with the central panel 30, and therefore made Itom a woven ״on-stretch matadal. In such a case the side panels 35 are made from a slretch matenal, sewn 10 alonglhelrlengthtothecentralpanel,andiolnedinthecomerstoiheendpanels34by seams 36.