EP0026968A1

EP0026968A1 - Improvements in or relating to bedding

Info

Publication number: EP0026968A1
Application number: EP80302598A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Brian P. Dunn
Original assignee: MALORDEAN Ltd
Current assignee: MALORDEAN Ltd
Priority date: 1979-10-05
Filing date: 1980-07-30
Publication date: 1981-04-15

Abstract

A duvet (1), eiderdown or comforter or any similar quilt intended for location on a bed has located on one side and substantially parallel to but spaced from at lest one edge a tuck (11) of material to which is attached a flap (7) whereby the duvet may be restrained from movement relative to the bed. For instance, the flap may be tucked between the mattress and the bed frame. The flap (7) may be permanently or detachably attached to the duvet (1).

Description

This invention relates to bedding and especially to items of bedding which are in the form of a filled cover intended to be positioned on top of the bed, for instance, duvets or continental quilts, and eiderdowns. Reference will be made hereinafter to duvets although it should be understood that the present invention is applicable to all such items of bedding. Furthermore, a duvet is normally placed inside a removable cover and references to a duvet are applicable to the cover which may be made and sold separately.
A duvet is simply placed on top of the bottom bed sheet and pillow and often slips off the sleeping person.
According to the present invention there is provided a duvet (as hereinbefore defined) having located on one side and substantially parallel to but spaced from at least one edge a tuck of material taken in a direction towards the opposite side of the duvet, there being attached to the duvet a slap, the arrangement being such that, in use, the flap may be tucked under a mattress of a bed on which the duvet is in use, located.
Accordingly the present invention provides an arrangement whereby the tendency of the duvet to slip off the bed is reduced.
The provision of a flap attached at a position spaced inwardly from the edge of the duvet has certain advantages. For instance, considering, by way of example, the case where a single flap is attached parallel to the bottom edge of the duvet, it will be seen that, with the flap tucked under the mattress, there is no compression of the edge portion of the duvet where it hangs down over the edge of the bed. Furthermore, if a flap is provided at the bottom edge of the duvet and the duvet cover along that edge is provided with press-studs, enabling the insertion and extraction of the duvet, there is a tendency for these press-studs to become undone if the duvet cover is pulled up in a direction towards the pillow. However, with the flap attached at a position spaced inwardly from the edge of the duvet this tendency for the press-studs to become undone is reduced.
In addition, because the flap is located at a position spaced from the edge of the duvet, then with the flap tucked under the mattress the portion of the flap extending from the edge of the mattress to the duvet is hidden by the hanging edge portion of the duvet. If the flap were attached to the very edge of the duvet it would tend to sag below the level of the edge of the duvet and therefore be seen giving the arrangement an unsightly appearance.
The flap may be permanently attached to the duvet, or, alternatively, the flap may be detachably attached to the duvet.
Preferably, a detachably attachable flap has at or near one edge thereof an enlarged edge portion, and there is provided at least one connection member adapted and shaped to embrace the enlarged edge portion of a part thereof and the tuck of the duvet part thereof thereby to hold the flap and duvet together.
Preferably the enlarged edge portion is in the form of one or more flexible rods located along one edge of the flap and held in position relative thereto. More preferably the or each flexible rod is located within a fold of material of the flap and held in position by stitching.
Preferably the or each connection member is in the form of an elongate member of substantially channel section having a narrowed open end, the member being sufficiently deformable to allow the narrow end to be opened to admit the enlarged edge portion and sufficiently resilient to return to its original position to hold the enlarged head portion within the channel section.
Preferably, whether the flap is permanently or detachably attached to the duvet, an edge of the flap is located between the folds of the tuck.
In a broader aspect the present embodiment may be applied not just to items of bedding but to any flexible material and allows attachments to be made to the flexible material without the need for any penetration of the flexible material or any permanent attachment thereto which might weaken the flexible material. The flexible material may be, for instance, a sheet of polythene used perhaps for covering purposes.
Preferably the tuck is taken parallel to the bottom edge of the duvet. However, alternatively or in addition tucks may be provided parallel to the side edges of the duvet.
Where a single tuck is provided parallel to the bottom edge of the duvet, a single flap attached or attachable thereto may be provided. However more than one flap may be provided, particularly in the case where the duvet is of large width.
The flap may be made of the same material as the duvet and may be decorated to match the duvet.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with refernce to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a duvet in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is a section taken along the line A-A of Figure 1;
Figure 3 shows a flap in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 4 is a side view of a connection member for use with the flap of Figure 3; and
Figure 5 is an end view of the connection member of Figure 4.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, a duvet 1 in accordance with the present invention is located within a duvet cover 3. Parallel to the bottom edge 5 of the duvet cover is attached by one edge a flap 7 made of the same material as the duvet cover.
The edge 9 of flap .7 is attached to the duvet cover by being held within a tuck 11 of the material of the duvet cover, the tuck being taken in a direction towards the opposite side 13 of the duvet (in Figure 2 the duvet itself has been omitted for clarity). The tuck or raised seam 11 is provided with a line of stitching 15 which passes through both sides of the tuck, near the base thereof, and also through flap 7 a small distance inwardly from the very edge thereof. In this way the flap 7 is permanently attached to the duvet and the manner of attachment is both neat and leaves no raised edges of material on the outside of the duvet cover.
In use the duvet is positioned on a bed, the side of the cover seen in Figure 1 being face downwards on the bed. In this way the flap 7 extends down the side of the bed at the bottom thereof and can be tucked between the mattress and the bed frame so that the tendency of the duvet to move relative to the bed is substantially reduced.
Referring to Figures 3 to 5, an alternative embodiment in accordance with the present invention includes a flap 31 and a connection member 33. Flap 31 is made of material such as that which is used for the cover of a duvet. Along one side the edge 35 is turned over then stitched.to the body of the flap by stitching 37.
Further lines of stitching 39, 41, 43 and 47 define three elongate pockets 49, 51 and 53 within which are located reasonably stiff but flexible rods 55, 57 and 59.
Connection member 33 is made of stiff but deformable and resilient plastics material.
As shown in Figures 4 and 5 member 33 is an elongate tube of substantially elliptical cross-section and having a longitudinal slot 61 extending the entire length thereof. The plastics material of member 33 is sufficiently resilient substantially to close slot 61 in the unstressed state and to be easily deformable to allow the slot to be opened.
More than one connection member 33 may be provided with a flap 31, typically three such. connection members being provided.
The device shown in the drawings may be used to restrain the movement of a duvet on a bed in the following way.
Where the duvet cover has an end opening, the duvet itself should.be placed into the cover and the press-stud or other end fastening means left unfastened. The covered duvet is then placed on a flat surface and the flap 31 is located on the duvet cover with the enlarged edge (that is to say the edge incorporating the rods 55, 57 and 59) lying parallel to and approximately 7" from the open end of the duvet cover. The duvet cover is then turned back about the enlarged edge of the flap and a connection member 33 is then pushed over both the folded-over duvet cover and the enlarged edge from each end of the cover. One of the connection members is then pushed into a central position (engaging rod 57) and a further connection member pushed onto the appropriate end rod 55 or 59.
The press-studs at the end of the duvet cover are then fastened together and the duvet cover is placed on the bed with the flap being attached to its bottom side and hanging over the bottom end of the bed. The flap can then be tucked between the mattress and the bed frame.
It will be understood that devices in accordance with the present invention may be attached additionally or alternatively adjacent the side edges of the duvet.

Claims

1. A duvet (as hereinbefore defined) characterised in that the duvet has located on one side, and substantially parallel to, but spaced from at least one edge, a tuck of material taken in a direction towards the opposite side of the duvet, there being attached to the duvet a flap, the arrangement being such that the flap may be tucked under a mattress of a bed on which the duvet is, in use, located.

2. A duvet according to claim 1 characterised in that the flap is permanently attached to the duvet.

3. A duvet according to claim 1 characterised in that the flap is detachably attached to the duvet.

4. A duvet according to claim 3 characterised in that the flap has at or near one edge thereof an enlarged edge portion, and there is provided at least one connection member adapted and shaped to embrace the enlarged edge portion or a part thereof and the tuck of the duvet or part thereof, thereby to hold the flap and duvet together.

5. A duvet according to claim 4 characterised in that the enlarged head portion is in the form of one or more flexible rods located along one edge of the flap and held in position relative thereto.

6. A duvet according to claim:5 characterised in that the or each flexible rod is located within a fold of the material of the flap and held in position by stitching.

7. A duvet according to any of claims 4 to 6 characterised in that the or each connection member is in the form of an elongate member of substantially channel section having a narrowed opening end, the member being sufficiently deformable to allow the narrowed end to be opened to admit the enlarged edge portion and sufficiently resilient to return to its original position to hold the enlarged head portion within the channel section.

8. A duvet according to any of the preceding claims characterised in that an edge of the flap is located between the fold of the tuck.

9. A duvet according to any of the preceding claims characterised in that the tuck is parallel to the bottom edge of the duvet.