Abstract:
The safety sheet of the present invention may include a bed sheet with sleeves along one or more sides. The sleeves may be continuous or slotted and may accommodate inserts constructed of a material soft enough to avoid injury yet sturdy enough to provide an effective barrier to lateral motion of a bed&#39;s occupant. The safety sheet may include solid or hollow inserts. Portability of the safety sheet may be maximized by the use of inflatable/deflatable inserts. Inserts may vary in size and shape, and the sleeves may vary in size to accommodate a range of insert sizes. Alternatively, the sleeves may be stuffed with soft materials such as socks or other clothing when inserts are unavailable. The safety sheet may be reversed with inserts in place for aesthetic and comfort purposes or without inserts to hide the sleeves when inserts are no longer needed.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of bed safety, and more particularly to a highly customized bed sheet which can be used to lessen the possibility that an infant, child, older adult, or disabled person sleeping on a mattress will inadvertently roll off the mattress and sustain injury from the subsequent fall. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     With regard to infant safety, although cribs with protective siding and the like exist for accommodating sleeping infants, cribs generally do not lend themselves to easy portability, especially when traveling by plane or crowded automobile. When an infant-safe bed such as a crib is not available, there is always the possibility that an infant may need to be put down for a nap or even a full night&#39;s sleep on a regular mattress without protective siding. This can require an adult to sleep with the infant through the night to ensure that the infant does not roll over the side of the mattress and sustain a fall and subsequent injury, which would likely result in very little sleep for the accompanying adult. Alternatively, in the absence of an infant-safe bed, a child may have to be placed on a pallet on the floor for sleeping to eliminate the possibility of a fall, which may ultimately be uncomfortable and may consequently mean very little sleep for the infant. 
     Additionally, child safety can be a challenge when transitioning a toddler from a in infant-safe bed to a regular mattress. For a child not accustomed to a bed without safety boundaries, multiple falls from the bed may be incurred before the child becomes trained to stay a safe distance from the edge of the mattress during sleep. Further, older children, people with disabilities, and older adults may also incur the possibility of falling from the bed if they lose or are unable to acquire the instinct that prevents them from tumbling over the side as they move about during sleep. 
     Free-standing safety rails may be purchased for use with a regular mattress and generally vary in the means by which they may be attached to the mattress. Some of the more commonly available safety rails includes flanges that may be inserted between a mattress and box spring to hold the safety rail in place so that it extends a given number of inches upward beyond the horizontal surface of the mattress to prevent falls. Use of this safety device with heavier children or children who are extremely active during sleep may result in lateral displacement of this kind of safety device and subsequent falls. 
     Moreover, if a child were to land atop the dislodged safety rail, further and more serious injury could result. Additionally, because most currently available safety rails are constructed of rigid materials, a child who inadvertently rolls into the rail while sleeping may be injured. Depending on the design of the safety railing, it is possible that a child may even become entangled in the railing, another situation that may cause the child to be hurt. 
     While many of the safety rails currently available are shorter than the mattresses to which they are to be attached (permitting a child to get into and out of bed by going around the railings rather than climbing over them), children may view the railings as a toy and may be tempted to climb over them when entering and exiting the bed, thereby increasing the potential for falls and injury. Finally, most commercially available safety rails are not aesthetically pleasing and typically prevent one from making the bed fully without removing the safety rail altogether. Installing and removing the rail repeatedly can be both cumbersome and time-consuming. 
     Elongate bolsters and pillows are also available for use as potential safety devices to prevent falls from a bed; however, these can be easily ejected from the bed by even the slightest child, resulting in a loss of any protection against falls that such an item might have afforded. While some versions include straps by which the bolster or pillow may be attached to a headboard and footboard of a bed, every bed does not include a headboard and/or footboard by which to attach such a device. Moreover, there is a possibility that even an attached bolster could be displaced to allow a child to slip underneath the bolster so that a fall results. 
     Portability is yet another issue with most commercially available safety devices. Free-standing rails are cumbersome to pack and carry, and neither bolsters nor pillow-type devices of any appreciable size can be easily transported from one place to the next when traveling. 
     What is therefore needed is a safety system which is affordable yet completely portable, easy to assemble and/or dissemble, aesthetically integrable, and consistently reliable at deterring the occupant of a bed/mattress from falling over the edge of the mattress while sleeping. The ideal safety system may include a sheet having pockets or sleeves on one or more sides into which soft or semi-soft side guards may be inserted. The side guards may extend a given distance above the top surface of the mattress to create a barrier on one or more sides of the mattress which may serve to deter an occupant of the bed from rolling completely over the edge of the mattress should he/she migrate near the edge of the mattress during sleep. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The safety sheet of the present invention may include a bed sheet which may be fitted and may also be sized for use with any mattress (king, queen, double, single, twin, etc.). The safety sheet may include pockets or sleeves along one or more sides which may be formed at the time the bed sheet is constructed or may be manufactured separately and attached to the bed sheet either prior to marketing or after-market by sewing, snaps, velcro, or some other means of attachment. The pockets or sleeves may accommodate guard inserts which may be constructed of a material such as closed cell foam or any other similar material which is semi-soft to avoid injury or entanglement on contact but is not so highly compressible that it cannot be an effective barrier to lateral motion of a bed&#39;s occupant. Inflatable guard inserts may also be available which may be removed and deflated for travel purposes, making the safety sheet of the present invention compactable and therefore highly portable. The guard inserts may vary in size and shape depending on the size of the bed&#39;s occupant, and the pockets or sleeves on the sheet likewise may vary in size to accommodate the guards inserts. Similarly, multiple small diameter inserts may be used instead of one large insert. Also, a swim noodle or similar object could be substituted, as could a sleeve full of smaller objects such as packing beads or peanuts or other small foam or similar objects. Generally, the size range of the inserts may begin at approximately 2 inches in diameter as a matter of functionality, since an insert less than about 2 inches may not prevent lateral movement of a bed&#39;s occupant. Alternatively, the sleeves may include slits to allow for insertion of short guard inserts or even objects such as socks or other clothing where guard inserts are not available. 
     The safety sheet of the present invention may also be reversible so that it may, at a user&#39;s option, be used with guard inserts as described above to restrict lateral movement of a bed&#39;s occupant, or, alternatively, may be reversed and used without inserts as a typical bed sheet (which may be fitted or flat) would be used. This allows a user to maximize the safety sheet&#39;s utility both in general and when there is no longer a need to use it for safety reasons, for example when a child has outgrown the need for it. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention, its configuration, construction, and operation will be best further described in the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is perspective top view of a first embodiment of the safety sheet of the present invention fitted onto a mattress and having a pair of empty sleeves, each of which is attached to the safety sheet by a single seam; 
         FIG. 2  is a view along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1  which illustrates in detail the single-seam attachment of one of the pair of sleeves to the safety sheet; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective top view of the safety sheet of  FIG. 1  which illustrates one empty sleeve and one sleeve partially containing an insert; 
         FIG. 4  is a view along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3  which illustrates in detail the sleeve partially containing an insert; 
         FIG. 5  is a top perspective view of the safety sheet of  FIGS. 1 through 4  wherein each sleeve fully contains an insert; 
         FIG. 6  is a view along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5  which illustrates in detail one of the sleeves fully containing an insert; 
         FIG. 7  is a top perspective view of a second embodiment of the safety sheet of the present invention fitted onto a mattress and having a pair of sleeves, one of which is empty, one of which partially contains an insert, and both of which are attached to the safety sheet by a pair of seams; 
         FIG. 8  is a view along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 7  which illustrates in detail the dual-seam attachment of one of the pair of sleeves to the safety sheet; 
         FIG. 9  is a view along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 7  which illustrates in detail the sleeve partially containing an inflatable insert; 
         FIG. 10  is a view of the safety sheet of  FIG. 8  in which each of the sleeves is illustrated as fully containing an insert; and, 
         FIG. 11  is a view along line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 10  which illustrates in detail one of the sleeves fully containing an insert. 
         FIG. 12  top perspective view of a third embodiment  131  of the safety sheet of the present invention having slotted and/or slitted sleeves; 
         FIG. 13  is a cross sectional view a fully elastic sleeve; 
         FIG. 14  is a cross sectional view of a partially elastic sleeve; 
         FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view of a non-elastic expandable sleeve; 
         FIG. 16  is a cross sectional view of an octagonal insert; 
         FIG. 17  is a detail view of a sleeve attached to a sheet using hooks and loops; and 
         FIG. 18  is a detail view of a sleeve attached to a sheet using snap-fit devices including studs and sockets. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The invention, its configuration, construction, and operation will be best further described in the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is perspective top view of a first embodiment  21  of the safety sheet of the present invention as it might appear when fitted onto a mattress. Safety sheet  21  may have a main surface  23 , a first end  25 , a second end  27 , a first side  31  and a second side  33 . Safety sheet  21  may include an elasticized band or elasticized straps (not illustrated) adjacent the edges of the corners for securing it onto a mattress just as any other commonly available fitted sheet would be applied to a mattress. Safety sheet  21  may include a pair of sleeves  35  and  37  which are illustrated as empty in  FIG. 1 . Sleeve  35  may be attached to the top of main surface  23  adjacent first side  31  by a single seam  41  in order to avoid stressing the material of the sheet itself upon insertion of a stiffening object into the sleeve  35 . In addition, sleeve  35  may be made of expandable elastic material capable of attaining an effective diameter much greater than its “at-rest” diameter. Likewise, sleeve  37  may be oppositely disposed from sleeve  35  and may be attached to top of main surface  23  adjacent second side  33  by a single seam  43 . First sleeve  35  may have a first end  45  and a second end  47 ; likewise, second sleeve  37  may have first end  51  and second end  53 . First ends  45  and  51  may be open as shown or may include flaps or other closures; likewise, second ends  47  and  53  may be open, closed, or closeable using flaps, snaps, ties or other similar kinds of closures (similarly not shown). 
       FIG. 2  is a view along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1  which illustrates in detail seam  43  by which second sleeve  37  may be attached to safety sheet  21 . This configuration may be achieved by folding a length of material in half lengthwise so that both loose ends are secured by a single seam such as seam  43 . Similarly, this configuration may be achieved by attaching a tube of material to the top of main surface  23  of safety sheet  21  using a single seam such as seam  43  or by pinching a surplus of material to form a sleeve and subsequently securing the shape of the sleeve with a seam such as seam  43 . Although seams  41  and  43  are illustrated as single seams in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , it is conceivable that more than one seam may be present, for example where additional reinforcement may be necessary or desired. Moreover, seams  41  and  43  may be sewn seams or seams which result from gluing, snapping, utilizing a hook and eye attachment, zipping, fusing or any other means of attachment which would result in longitudinally fixing sleeves  35  and  37  to the top of main surface  23  of safety sheet  21 . 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective top view of the safety sheet  21  of  FIG. 1  which illustrates second sleeve  37  as empty but illustrates first sleeve  35  partially containing a hollow insert  55 . Hollow insert  55  may be hollow as illustrated by an opening  57  but may just as easily be solid. Ideally, hollow insert  55  may be made of a material which is soft enough to prevent injury on contact but which is firm enough to create a barrier to lateral movement and possible subsequent fall and injury by a bed&#39;s occupant, such as a dense or closed-cell foam or plastic. Additionally, hollow insert  55  may be an inflatable member for maximum transportability of safety sheet  21 . Hollow insert  55  may also ideally be constructed of a material which has a friction coefficient which is low enough to allow smooth and easy insertion and removal of the hollow insert  55  into and from first sleeve  35 . 
       FIG. 4  is a view along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3  which illustrates in more detail first sleeve  35  partially containing hollow insert  55 .  FIG. 4  also illustrates opening  57  on hollow insert  55  and seam  41  adjacent hollow insert  55 . 
       FIG. 5  is a top perspective view of the safety sheet  21  of  FIGS. 1 through 4  which illustrates first sleeve  35  fully containing insert  55  and also illustrates second sleeve  37  fully containing hollow insert  61  with opening  63 .  FIG. 5  further illustrates safety sheet  21  as having a third sleeve  65  containing a solid insert  67  adjacent first end  25  and a fourth sleeve  71  containing a solid insert  73  adjacent second end  27 . This may be an ideal configuration where the safety sheet  21  will be used with younger children and infants who may move about more freely during sleep and who may therefore incur as much risk of falling from either of first and second ends  25  and  27  as from first and second sides  31  and  33 . Any of inserts  55 ,  61 ,  67  and  73  may be solid, hollow, or inflatable, may be any size or cross-section, and may be customized to allow the use of safety sheet  21  to deter falls for nearly any size of bed occupant from infant to adult. 
       FIG. 6  is a view along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5  which illustrates in detail first sleeve  35  containing hollow insert  55 .  FIG. 6  also illustrates opening  57  on hollow insert  55  and seam  41  adjacent sleeve  35 . Although hollow insert  55  is illustrated as cylindrical in  FIGS. 1 through 6 , any of inserts  55 ,  61 ,  67 , and  73  may be any of a number of different shapes such as square or polygonal. 
       FIG. 7  is a top perspective view of a second embodiment  81  of the safety sheet of the present invention as it might appear fitted onto a mattress. Safety sheet  81  may have a main surface  83 , a first end  85 , a second end  87 , a first side  91  and a second side  93 . Safety sheet  81  may be fittable onto a mattress just as any other sheet would be applied to a mattress. Safety sheet  81  may include a first sleeve  95  having first and second ends  97  and  101 , respectively, and a second sleeve  103  having first and second ends  105  and  107  respectively. Although second sleeve  103  is illustrated as empty, sleeve  95  is shown partially containing an inflatable insert  109  with opening  111 . Safety sheet  81  differs from safety sheet  21  in that first sleeve  95  may be attached to top of main surface  83  of safety sheet  81  by a first seam  113  and a second seam  115  oppositely disposed from first seam  113  such that inflatable insert  109  is situated between first and second seams  113  and  115  when inserted into sleeve  95 . Likewise, second sleeve  103  may be attached to top of main surface  83  of safety sheet  81  by first seam  117  and second seam  121  oppositely disposed from first seam  117 . This configuration may be accomplished by securing each side of a single strip of material as shown or may be achieved by securing each side of a tubular length of material. 
     Just as with safety sheet  21  of  FIGS. 1 through 6 , first ends  97  and  105  of sleeves  95  and  103  (respectively) may be open as shown or may include flaps or other closures; likewise, second ends  101  and  107  of sleeves  95  and  103  may be open, closed, or closeable. As with safety sheet  21 , safety sheet  81  may include additional sleeves adjacent first and second ends  85  and  87  where greater protection from falls is desired. 
       FIG. 8  is a view along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 7  which illustrates in detail the dual-seam attachment of second sleeve  103  to the top of main surface  83  of safety sheet  81  by first seam  117  and second seam  121 . 
       FIG. 9  is a view along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 7  which illustrates in detail the dual seam attachment of first sleeve  95  to the top of main surface  83  of safety sheet  81 .  FIG. 9  illustrates partially contained inflatable insert  109  with opening  111 . Second seam  115  adjacent inflatable insert  109  is also visible in  FIG. 9 . 
       FIG. 10  is a top perspective view of the safety sheet of  FIG. 8  in which first sleeve  95  fully contains inflatable insert  109  and second sleeve  103  also contains an insert  123  with opening  125 . Like insert  109 , insert  123  may be inflatable. 
       FIG. 11  is a view along line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 10  which illustrates in detail insert  123  fully contained by second sleeve  103  and flanked by first seam  117  and second seam  121 . 
       FIG. 12  top perspective view of a third embodiment  131  of the safety sheet of the present invention as it might appear fitted onto a mattress. Safety sheet  131  may have a main surface  133 , a first end  135 , a second end  137 , a first side  141  and a second side  143 . Safety sheet  131  may include a first sleeve  145  and a second sleeve  147 . Sleeves  145  and  147  are illustrated as having a series of slits  151  and  153 , respectively, across part of their length, and a series of slots,  155  and  157 , respectively, across their remaining lengths. Sleeves  145  and  147  may be constructed entirely of elastic, may have elastic and non-elastic portions, or may be non-elastic but expandable to accommodate inserts (not illustrated in  FIG. 12 ). 
     Alternatively, slits  151  and  153  or slots  155  and  157  may allow a user to stuff sleeves  145  and  147  with soft objects such as socks or underwear where manufactured inserts are unavailable for whatever reason. Additionally, slits  151 / 153  and slots  155 / 157  may prevent lint from collecting in sleeves  145  and  147 . 
       FIG. 13  is a cross sectional view of a sleeve  161  such as any of the sleeves illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 12  which is fully elastic to allow for insertion of a wide range of insert sizes. This may be a practical option for growing children, as use of an elasticized sleeve would prevent a user from having to re-purchase a sheet as the child grows and requires larger inserts to prevent lateral motion. 
       FIG. 14  is a cross sectional view of a sleeve  163  such as any of the sleeves illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 12  which includes an elastic portion  165  and a non-elastic portion  167 . 
       FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view of a sleeve  171  such as any of the sleeves illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 12  which is non-elastic yet is still expandable to accommodate a range of manufactured inserts or to accommodate other materials capable of expanding sleeve  171  where a manufactured insert is unavailable. 
       FIG. 16  is a cross sectional view of a manufactured insert  173  which is octagonal. Although insert  173  is illustrated as octagonal, it may be a polygon having any number of sides. 
       FIG. 17  is a perspective cutaway view of a sleeve  175  attached to a sheet  177  using hooks  181  and loops  183 . Hooks  181  and loops  183  may be attached to either sleeve  175  or sheet  177 , however, where loops  183  are located on safety sheet  177  rather than sleeve  175 , safety sheet  177  may be more readily usable as a regular (non-safety) sheet. 
       FIG. 18  is a perspective cutaway view of a sleeve  185  attached to a sheet  187  using snap-fit devices which include studs  191  and sockets  193 . Although studs  191  and sockets  193  may be located on either safety sheet  187  or sleeve  185 , safety sheet  187  as shown with sockets  193  attached may be more readily useable as a regular (non-safety) sheet (which may be fitted) when a safety sheet is no longer needed. 
     Any of the safety sheets illustrated herein may be reversed to conceal the sleeves and inserts and/or to make for a smooth sleeping surface. Additionally, when inserts are no longer needed (such as when a child outgrows the need for lateral barriers while sleeping), the safety sheet may be used without inserts as a regular (non-safety) bedsheet would be used and may be reversible to conceal the sleeves if desired. Additionally, although safety sheets  21  and  81  are illustrated as generally rectangular, they may be any shape, including circular, and the accompanying inserts may be constructed of a material which is flexible enough to arc without breaking yet still provide protection from falls that result from lateral movement over the side of a mattress. 
     Finally, although the invention has been derived with reference to particular illustrative embodiments thereof, many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, included within the patent warranted hereon are all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of this contribution to the art.