Abstract:
A duvet cover assembly includes a duvet and duvet cover that appear like a traditional duvet and duvet cover but are connected into a single unit that is entirely machine washable. The duvet cover assembly prevents the duvet from clumping or pooling within the duvet. The duvet cover assembly is useable in home and commercial (e.g. hotel) settings. The duvet cover assembly improves hygiene and shortens the time taken for changing the bedding.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/347,604, filed May 24, 2010. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       THE NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
       [0004]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0006]    The invention relates to bedding and duvets. 
         [0007]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0008]    A duvet is a type of bedding, which is traditionally made with a down, wool, silk, or other non-washable filler. Because this filler is not washable, the filler is enclosed in a washable duvet cover. 
         [0009]    To improve the hygiene, warmth, texture, and aesthetics, duvet covers are used in conjunction with duvets. A duvet cover is a textile sack that encloses the duvet. The bottom (i.e. the part to be place along the foot of the bed) of the duvet cover has an opening along the bottom edge that is not permanently closed. The duvet can be inserted and removed via the opening in the duvet cover. The duvet is not permanently fixed or secured inside the duvet cover. Typically, the bottom edge of the duvet cover has a top gusset and a bottom gusset. One of the top and the bottom gusset has a plurality of buttons sewn to the gusset. The other gusset has buttonholes formed therein. The one gusset can be buttoned to the other gusset. By including the gusset, the buttons and button holes are not immediately evident when the duvet cover is quickly inspected. A more thorough inspection will reveal the buttons. 
         [0010]    Inserting a duvet into a duvet cover is difficult and time consuming. The duvet must be inserted so the corners of the duvet are fully inserted into the respective corners of the duvet cover. When the duvet is larger (e.g. queen or king sized), inserting the duvet properly becomes progressively more complicated, which is reflected in increased time and labor to complete the task of disassembling and reassembling. 
         [0011]    In commercial settings such as hotels, the daily replacement of hundreds of duvets into duvet covers can consume a housekeeper&#39;s entire day. 
         [0012]    As a consequence of the difficulty in removing a duvet cover and reinserting the filler, many people decrease the frequency of washings. Additionally, the non-washable duvet (i.e. the filler) is rarely, if ever, cleaned, resulting in extremely non-hygienic bedding-particularly, in the commercial setting. 
         [0013]    Duvets and duvet covers are considered luxury items. Home consumers and hotel guests perceive duvets as luxury items. These benefits outweigh the disadvantages and contribute to the popularity of duvets in homes and hotels. 
         [0014]    A need exists for machine washable bedding that provides the aesthetic appeal of a duvet but that is also washable as a single unit that does not require, for each wash, taking the duvet assembly (duvet and duvet cover) apart and then reinserting the duvet into the duvet cover. 
       DEFINITIONS 
       [0015]    Ambiguity in the meaning of duvet-related terms exits. To clarify the meanings, for purposes of this patent application, the following definitions should be used when interpreting this patent application. 
         [0016]    Duvet: a comforter including an outer layer or layers holding thermally-insulating filler. 
         [0017]    Duvet Cover: a closeable fabric sack for holding a duvet. 
         [0018]    Duvet Cover Assembly: the combination of the duvet, the duvet cover, and related devices. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a duvet cover assembly that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type. 
         [0020]    With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a duvet cover assembly. The duvet cover assembly appears like a typical duvet and duvet cover with a placket at its bottom. The placket includes fasteners such as buttons and buttonholes. 
         [0021]    The duvet and duvet cover are an assembly and are not to be separated during normal use. Unlike prior-art duvet covers, the bottom edge of the top of the duvet cover is fixed to the bottom edge of the bottom of the duvet cover and is not to be disconnected during normal use, including washing. This connection, at least in part, holds the duvet within the duvet cover. The connection can be between the top and bottom of the duvet cover and can be embodied as stitching that connects the top of the cover to the bottom of the cover along the bottom (footer) edge of the duvet cover. In alternate embodiments, the bottom stitching can be through just the top and the bottom of the duvet cover or the bottom stitching can be through all of the layers including the top and bottom of the duvet cover, the filler, and the skin layers. 
         [0022]    The duvet assembly including the duvet and the duvet cover are made of washable material. The duvet assembly can be washed as a unit. 
         [0023]    The duvet assembly can include attachments, such as stitching, to hold the layers of the duvet cover in place with the layers of the duvet cover. This prevents the duvet from “pooling” or “clumping” within the duvet cover and assists in drying after washing. A perimeter stitching can be added along the perimeter of the duvet cover and through the layers of the duvet in order to hold the duvet in place with regard to the duvet cover. 
         [0024]    Hardware such as gussets, buttons, embroidery, and buttonholes can be added to the bottom edge of the duvet assembly to replicate the appearance of prior-art separable duvet and duvet cover. 
         [0025]    Quilt stitching and skin layers can be added to the filler to help maintain the shape of the duvet within the duvet cover. In particular, skin layers and quilt stitching can help to prevent clumping. Examples of materials for a skin layer include polyester and muslin. The stitching can be of any spacing, shape, and even can be decorative. 
         [0026]    Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. 
         [0027]    Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a duvet cover assembly, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. 
         [0028]    The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0029]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic top side view of a duvet assembly according to the invention, the bottom side view of the duvet is identical to the top side view. The dashed lines represent stitching. 
           [0030]      FIG. 2  is a left side view of the duvet assembly shown in  FIG. 1 ; the right side view of the duvet assembly is a mirror image of the left side view. The dashed line represents stitching 
           [0031]      FIG. 3  is a bottom side view of the duvet assembly shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0032]      FIG. 4  is a top sectional view of the duvet assembly taken along line IV-IV shown in  FIG. 3 . 
           [0033]      FIG. 5  is a bottom sectional view of the duvet assembly taken along line V-V shown in  FIG. 3 . The dashed lines represent stitching. 
           [0034]      FIG. 6  is side sectional view of the duvet assembly taken along line VI-VI shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0035]      FIG. 7  is a top side view of a duvet according to the invention; the bottom side view of the duvet is identical to the top side view thereof. The dashed line represents stitching. 
           [0036]      FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view of the duvet shown in  FIG. 7  without the quilt stitching. 
           [0037]      FIG. 9  is an exploded view of the duvet cover assembly before the top and bottom of the cover have been inverted. 
           [0038]      FIG. 10  is a top side view of the duvet cover assembly shown in  FIG. 9  before the top and bottom of the cover have been inverted. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0039]    Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to  FIG. 1  thereof, there is seen a duvet assembly  1 . The duvet cover assembly  1  has a duvet cover  2  that houses a duvet  20  (not shown in  FIG. 1 ). The duvet cover  2  is made of a washable textile, preferably a soft bedding material, such as cotton or a cotton blend fabric. The duvet cover  2  is formed from a rectangular top  3  and a rectangular bottom  4  that are joined along their sides and tops to form a seam  8  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ). The seam  8  is preferably a hidden (also known as a “French”) seam or a “knife-edge”. 
         [0040]    Bottom stitching  5  is provided along the portion of the duvet  20  that is to overly the foot of the bed. The bottom stitching  5  runs horizontally (i.e. parallel to the bottom edge  7  of the duvet cover). The bottom stitching  5  joins the top  3  to the bottom  4  and encloses the duvet  20  within the duvet cover  2 . The bottom stitching  5  defines a placket  19  portion of the top  3  and the bottom  4  between the bottom stitching  5  and the bottom edge  7 . In an alternative embodiment that is not shown, no bottom stitching is included. 
         [0041]      FIG. 3  shows the bottom (i.e. the foot) of the duvet cover assembly  1 . Even though the bottom stitching  5  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) is effectively closing the duvet cover  2 , the placket  19  appears like a traditional duvet assembly. A top gusset  9  is stitched to the top  3 . A bottom gusset  10  is stitched to the bottom  4 . Buttons  11  are connected to the bottom gusset  10  by thread shanks  12 . Each button  11  is inserted in a respective buttonhole  13  in the top gusset  9 . 
         [0042]    To users, the duvet cover assembly  1  looks like a traditional duvet with a bottom closure. The duvet cover uses the same materials as a traditional duvet cover in order to provide the duvet cover assembly  1  with the same tactile feel.  FIGS. 7-8  show the duvet  20 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , the duvet  20  includes three layers: a top skin layer  16 , a filler layer  14 , and a bottom skin layer  17 . The filler layer  14  is preferably polyfill. Polyfill is a tangled polyester fiber mass. The top and bottom skin layers  16  and  17  are thin layers of skin that have the shape (i.e. horizontal cross section) of the duvet  20 .  FIG. 7  shows the duvet in its assembled state. Diamond-shaped quilt stitching  15  is used to connect the top layer  16  to the bottom layer  17 . Other patterns for the quilt stitching  15  are possible. The skin layers  16 ,  17  in conjunction with quilt stitching  15  tend to hold the duvet  20  in a flat (i.e. unfolded or uncrumpled) configuration within the duvet cover  2 . 
         [0043]    As shown in  FIGS. 4-5 , in the preferred embodiment, the duvet  20  is attached to the duvet cover  2 . A perimeter stitching  6  is used to secure a perimeter of the duvet  20  to the bottom  4  ( FIG. 4 ) and top  3  ( FIG. 3 ). The perimeter stitching  6  holds the duvet  20  in place with respect to the duvet cover  2  so that the duvet  20  does not shift or clump within the duvet cover  2 . 
         [0044]      FIG. 6  shows a sectional view of the duvet cover assembly  1 . The bottom stitching  5  is shown attaching the top  3  to the bottom  4  including the top gusset  9  and bottom gusset  10 . 
         [0045]    The duvet cover assembly  1  can be used as bedding in commercial settings, such as hotels, cruise ships, hospitals, and dormitories. Because the entire duvet cover assembly  1  is made of washable material, the duvet cover assembly  1  is removed from the bed while in one piece (i.e. without removing the duvet from the duvet cover  2 ). So, a preferred embodiment of a method of using the duvet cover assembly includes not removing the duvet from the cover before washing. And, when washing the duvet, the duvet  20  remains held within the duvet cover  2 . Then, the duvet cover assembly  1  is washed and dried. The housekeeper then makes the bed by placing the duvet cover assembly  1  onto the bed. The housekeeper does not need to spend time removing the duvet  20  from the duvet cover  1  and then reinserting the duvet  20  into the duvet cover  1 . The entire bedding is washed including the duvet  20 , and not just the duvet cover  2 . The time savings is aggregated across the number of beds that the housekeeper must change. 
         [0046]    Another embodiment of a method of using the duvet cover assembly  1  is in a residential setting. The duvet cover assembly  1  has improved hygiene compared to conventional duvets because the entire unit including the duvet  20  is washable. In addition, because the duvet  20  is connected to the duvet cover  2 , the person changing the bedding does not need to struggle with inserting the duvet  20  fully into the top corners (i.e. opposing the bottom edge  7 ) of the duvet cover  2 . Another advantage is that the duvet  20  does not pool, clump, or shift because the duvet  20  is held in place with regard to the duvet cover  2  by the perimeter stitching  6 . 
         [0047]    The duvet cover assembly  1  is made from machine washable fabrics. The duvet cover  2  is preferably made from a sheet of cotton fabric or cotton blend fabric. The duvet cover can be dyed, stitched, woven, etc. with any desired appearance. The bottom stitching  5 , perimeter stitching  6 , and hidden seam  8  are made with thread. The top gusset  9  and bottom gusset  10  are preferably made with materials that match the duvet cover  2 ; different materials with contrasting patterns are possible. The buttons  11  provide a desired aesthetic and can be changed to create whatever desired appearance the duvet cover assembly  1  is to create. The buttons  11  do act to hold the top gusset  9  and bottom gusset  10  together. In the preferred embodiment, the buttons  11  do not need to act to hold the duvet  20  in the duvet cover  2  because the duvet  20  is held within the duvet cover  2  by other devices, namely, the bottom stitching  5 . The buttons  11  can be made of any material including mother of pearl, a plastic resin, and brass. The filler  14  is preferably a polyfill, which is a polyester thread spun into a voluminous body. The filler  14  can be made of other machine-washable insulating materials. The top and bottom layers  16  and  17  of the duvet  20  are made from sheets of fabric that is stiff enough to shape the underlying filler  14 . A preferred material for the top and bottom skin layers  16  and  17  is a non-shrinking washable fabric such as polyester. An alternative embodiment uses a cotton fabric, most preferably muslin, as the skin layers  16 ,  17 . 
         [0048]    As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the duvet cover assembly  1  is preferably manufactured according to the following method. The top  3  of the duvet cover  20  and the bottom  4  of the duvet cover  4  are placed face up and side by side. Next, the top  3  and the bottom  4  are placed on top of each other, with the faces that are ultimately to be the exterior facing inward, toward each other. Next, the duvet  20  (including the filling  14  and the top skin layer  16  and bottom skin layer  17 ) are placed on top of the already stacked top  3  and bottom  4 . The perimeter stitching  6  is started through all five layers: the top  3 , the bottom  4 , the filler  14 , the top skin layer  16 , and the bottom skin layer  17 . The perimeter stitching  6  is around three sides of the perimeter leaving only one (usually the bottom, i.e. foot) unstitched and open. Next, the assembly is reversed by pulling the assembly inside out by reaching through the open end and, grasping the inside top, and pulling the layers through the open bottom. The bottom stitching  5  is added near the bottom edge  7 . The bottom stitching  5  is formed near the bottom edge  7  (i.e. within the bottom edge  7  but not through the duvet  20 ) to define the placket  19 . The top gusset  9  is sewn onto placket  19  of the top  3 . The bottom gusset  10  is sewn onto the placket  19  of the bottom  4 . The buttons  11  are attached to the bottom gusset  19  with thread shanks  12 . Buttonholes  13  are formed in the top gusset  8 . Each of the buttons  11  is inserted into a respective one of the buttonholes  13 . 
         [0049]    Through the embodiments that are illustrated and described, the currently contemplated best mode of making and using the invention is described.