Abstract:
A bedding arrangement is provided having a compressible foam mattress pad and compressible foam pillow pad integrated as a single bedding unit within a fluid resistant or impermeable cover whose seams are heat sealed together. Air ventilation through the cover and about the interior foam is permitted by a vent that restricts insect, article and fluid passage through the vent. By using foam of different densities and/or composition, optimum performance characteristics in terms of comfort and support can be obtained separately for the mattress portion and the pillow portion. By mounting two pillow pads within the cover, the bedding arrangement can be made reversible.

Description:
This application claims priority from and is a Continuation-In-Part of application Ser. No. 10/051,806 filed Jan. 14, 2002 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,482 on Feb. 11, 2003, and which is a continuation of and claims priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 09/340,288 filed Jun. 28, 1999 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,351,864 on Mar. 5, 2002. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to bedding used in correctional institutions, hospitals and the like, and, more particularly, to foam filled, plastic covered bedding for use as mattresses and pillows. 
     Various governmental and private institutions, such as jails, prisons, and hospitals, need to provide bedding to large numbers of persons simultaneously. This bedding typically must include a mattress and a pillow in order to provide proper support for the human body and head during rest. Previously, a wide variety of materials and assemblies have been used for this purpose, typically involving a fabric covering for the mattress and a fabric pillow case. The mattress and pillow have been formed from a variety of materials, but also typically involving a fabric covering sewn together at its seams. 
     Such arrangements have been satisfactory for many purposes, but do have certain disadvantages. When it is necessary to routinely clean and sanitize the bedding, the mattress cover and pillow case must be removed, separately washed, dried and then separately reinstalled. Since this process may take some time, days even in large institutions, additional mattress covers and pillow cases are typically installed during the interim, and the former items are cyclically placed into storage/inventory until the next cleaning. Since the fabrics used are often porous, if a fluid is spilled onto or applied to the mattress cover or pillow case, the fluid may penetrate to the underlying mattress or pillow, and that item may additionally need to be cleaned, sanitized (if possible) or replaced entirely, often at relatively high cost. Thus, the cyclical cleaning process can be labor intensive, slow and expensive, requiring a relatively high volume of components and stored inventory. 
     Also, some prior bedding materials have been particularly susceptible to interior contamination from insects, fluid (blood, water, oil and the like) borne bacteria and virus and/or destructive fluids. Various methods of reducing that risk have been suggested, but often involving expensive and/or elaborate material, construction arrangements and ventilation methods. 
     Further, since over time and continual use bedding does tend to wear out or become irreparably contaminated or destroyed, many institutions must keep a replacement supply of bedding and bedding coverings in inventory as well. Unfortunately, many prior bedding arrangements are relatively expensive and thick, requiring considerable storage space for this inventory, and bulky, being more difficult to handle. 
     Moreover, bedding used in correctional institutions is faced with additional, special difficulties. Previously, some inmates have modified pillows and similar severable bedding elements into hard, blunt weapons capable of killing and/or as shields and like accessories to violent action. Also, bedding seams have been opened by severing the threads which hold the fabric together in order to hide contraband inside the bedding. The seams can then be lightly closed by tape and other means to render the contraband easily accessible to the inmate, but not easily or quickly detectable by guards and facility inspectors. In addition, the bedding material itself and/or coverings for that bedding, such as seam thread and padding, has been removed by the inmates to make contraband items or weapons. 
     It has also been found that some inmates tend to abuse the bedding to a much greater degree than other users normally would, thereby significantly decreasing its usable life. For example, penetration of the bedding by the inmate&#39;s bodily fluids inadvertently or otherwise can cause unsanitary conditions and destructive rot to exist inside of the bedding, as well as increase the required instances of cleaning for the bedding exterior. Nonetheless, when such bedding is removed for security or disciplinary reasons or deteriorates to an unserviceable state, even allegedly at the inmate&#39;s own hand, the denial of proper bedding has been the source of expensive and time consuming litigation against the correctional facility by the inmate, regardless of the outcome of the litigation. 
     In other applications, articles have been suggested which employ an integrated mattress and pillow, particularly for recreational use on or about water, which are formed of compressible foam or a heat sealed bladder. In the former structures, however, air ventilation within the article and about the foam with fluid restriction at the same time has been lacking. In the latter structures, incidental punctures have rendered the article unusable. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved bedding arrangement. Other objects include the provision of a bedding arrangement that is: 
     a. durable and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain; 
     b. convenient to clean, sanitize and inventory; 
     c. less susceptible to misuse and abuse; 
     d. comfortable and properly supportive of the user during rest; and 
     e. more resistant to contamination. 
     These and other objects of the present invention are attained by the provision of a bedding arrangement having a compressible foam mattress pad and compressible foam pillow pad integrated as a single bedding unit within a fluid resistant or impermeable cover whose seams are heat sealed together. Air ventilation through the cover and about the interior foam is permitted by a vent that restricts insect, article and fluid passage through the vent. By using foam of different densities and/or composition, optimum performance characteristics in terms of comfort and support can be obtained separately for the mattress portion and the pillow portion. By mounting two pillow pads within the cover, the bedding arrangement can be made reversible. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will now be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the following drawings and description of preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a top plan view of a bedding arrangement according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows a side view of the bedding arrangement of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 shows a pillow end view of the bedding arrangement of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of the vent portion of the bedding arrangement of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 shows an enlarged, cross sectional side view of a portion of the bedding arrangement of FIG. 1 with the vent components shown additionally exploded for ease of viewing, the enlargement not being exactly to scale of the enlargement of FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a bedding arrangement according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of the bedding arrangement of FIG. 6 taken along lines  7 — 7 . 
     FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a third embodiment of a bedding arrangement according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional side view of the bedding arrangement of FIG. 8 taken along lines  9 — 9 . 
     FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a bedding arrangement according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional side view of the bedding arrangement of FIG. 10 taken along lines  11 — 11 . 
     FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a bedding arrangement according to the present invention in an intermediate stage of fabrication. 
     FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional side view of the bedding arrangement of FIG. 12 taken along lines  13 — 13 . 
     FIG. 14 shows a cross-sectional side view of the bedding arrangement of FIG. 12 taken along the same line as FIG. 13 except that the bedding arrangement is in its final configuration. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a bedding arrangement  10  according to the teachings of the present invention. Bedding arrangement  10  includes a mattress portion  20  and a pillow portion  40 . Mattress portion  20  is formed from padding material  22  and sized into a body supporting dimension. Pillow portion  40  is formed from padding material  42  and sized into a head supporting portion. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, two pillow portions  40  are included on either side of one end of mattress portions  20 . Preferably, these pillow portions are in fixed positions, with the end of mattress portion  20  sandwiched therebetween. However, it will be understood that if desirable in a given application, only a single pillow portion  40  may be used. An advantage of using two such pillow portions as shown is that it permits bedding reversibility, as will be understood more fully from the discussion below. 
     In one embodiment, the padding material for both portions is compressible urethane foam. It may be especially desirable to have different density or compressibility characteristics for padding  22  and padding  42  in order to optimize the comfort and support levels in each portion of the bedding arrangement for a particular application. For example, 18045 urethane foam could be used for padding material  22  with 18028 urethane foam used for padding material  42 . Alternatively, densified polyester batting, silicone foam, neoprene foam, cotton batting or the like or combinations of those materials, or even a combination of foam with a polyester core could be used as the padding materials in the present invention, according to the desired results in a given application. 
     The dimensions of bedding arrangement  10  can also be as desired in a given application, although in preferred embodiments the overall length and width is recommended to be 75 inches and 25 inches, respectively, with the thickness of mattress portion  20  being 3 inches and the thickness of each pillow portion  40  being 2 inches. Similarly, recommended pillow dimensions are 12.25 inches long by 25 inches wide. It will be understood that the proportions of these features in the drawings are only very roughly drawn to this scale as the exact dimensions are not critical to the applicability and function of the present invention. 
     Covering  60  surrounds mattress portion  20  and pillow portions  40  simultaneously and integrates them into a single unit that is inseparable under normal use. Covering  60  is preferably formed from a sheet plastic material such as Dartex P338 Cromarty polyurethane material, commercially sold by Penn Nyla of Nottingham, England. In other applications, urethane based materials, such as nylon  6  warp knitted fabric with a polyurethane transfer coating, or vinyl based or vinyl coated materials, or PVC or polyolefin laminated or coated fabrics or other heat sealable covering materials with antibacterial, antifungal and fluid penetration resistant characteristics can be employed. The seams of covering  60  are preferably heat sealed in a convention manner by radio frequency, thermal or sonic welding or sealed by chemical, adhesive or cement bonding, according to the specific materials used for covering  60  in a given application. 
     In order to allow internal ventilation between the interior of bedding arrangement  10  and the exterior environment, a vent arrangement  80  is provided at one end of mattress portion  20 , preferably adjacent pillow portions  40 . In especially preferred embodiments, that vent arrangement includes a plurality of stacked discs which permit air to readily flow into and out of covering  60 , but restrict the flow of fluids, such as water and oil, articles, debris and insects into the interior of the bedding arrangement. The materials used for these discs are also preferably puncture resistant when used in stacked relation. 
     One such suitable vent arrangement would include an exteriorly exposed vinyl or urethane coated polyester screen disc  82 , backed by a hydrophobic/oleophobic miro porous membrane disc  84 , backed by an interiorly exposed vinyl or urethane coated polyester screen disc  86 , backed by a polyurethane adhesive washer  88 . More specifically, Textilene material commercially sold by Unitex of Central Falls, R.I. has been found suitable for discs  82  and  86  in preferred embodiments. Versipor membrane material commercially sold by Pall Specialty Materials of Port Washington, N.Y. has been found suitable for disc  84  in preferred embodiments. Polyurethane film washers commercially sold by Bemis Asso., Inc. of Shirly, Mass. have been found suitable for washer  88  in preferred embodiments. Other materials having, alone or in combination, a breathable barrier while blocking undesirable intrusions can be used in specific applications. 
     In preferred embodiments, the stack of discs in vent arrangement  80  is aligned with and closes an opening  62  in cover  60 . For example, when opening  62  is formed to be 1 inch in diameter, the stack of discs is preferably formed to be 1.25 inch in diameter and heat sealed about the outermost 0.25 inch of its diameter against the portion of cover  60  adjacent opening  62 . Thus, vent arrangement  80  would be securely positioned onto cover  60  and permit ventilation only through the discs and not about the disc peripheries. 
     In function, disc  82 , being directly exposed to the exterior environment, includes screen openings large enough to allow air to pass freely therethrough, but forms a primary barrier to resist larger insects, articles, debris and puncture. Disc  82  also serves to positively locate and at least partially shield disc  84  from damage. Disc  84  is, for example, micro porous to allow air to flow through it in either direction, but resists the flow of fluids, such as water, blood, oil and the like, at least in a direction toward the interior of cover  60 . Disc  84  also serves to resist the entry of smaller insects which might pass through disc  82 . Interiorly positioned disc  86  includes screen openings large enough to allow air to pass freely therethrough, but forms a primary barrier to resist abrasive damage to disc  84  from contact with the interior materials of the bedding arrangement. Further, in stacked relation with disc  82 , this interior disc also provides resistance to puncture damage from the exterior environment. 
     As will now be readily understood, the present invention provides numerous advantages over the prior art. Using the example of a correctional institution application, bedding arrangement  10  of the present invention is a comfortable, fully supportive, one piece unit with no separable pillow to be misused, no seams to unravel, and no thread to remove. Incisions to the interior are resisted, but readily detectable if they do occur, such that hidden contraband can be more easily located. By appropriate selection of fluid resistant material for cover  60 , the entire exterior of the bedding arrangement can be easily cleaned and disinfected and the interior padding material only minimally exposed to contamination and deterioration. Mounting two pillow portions  40  on opposite sides of mattress portion  20  allows the useful life of the overall unit to be extended merely by reversing the unit, flipping the bedding arrangement over to use the other side. 
     The present invention thus provides a longer unit life cycle with reduced cycle costs once procured. Additionally, since only a single element is needed with pillow/mattress integration, the procurement costs themselves are reduced. Further, the slim, one piece structure of the present invention minimizes handling costs and inventory space needed for storage and replacement units. 
     In alternative embodiments customized for particular applications, covering  60  can be formed from materials that resist fire and/or abrasion as well. Covering  60  can also be formed from stretchable and/or shape conforming material and secure the padding materials in place by envelope, gusseted or zipper style construction. 
     A second embodiment of a bedding arrangement or reversible padded mattress is shown generally as  100  in FIGS. 6 and 7. The reversible padded mattress includes an elongate mattress portion  120  and a pillow portion generally indicated as  140  having a first pillow portion  144  and a second pillow portion  146 . The first pillow portion  144  and second pillow portion  146  include edges  144   a ,  146   a , respectively, and side edges  144   b ,  144   c  and  146   b ,  146   c , respectively. The elongate mattress portion  120  and pillow portion  140  may both be made from a padding material  122  and  142 , respectively. The padding material may be any of those discussed above regarding bedding arrangement  10  or any other suitable padding material. 
     The bedding arrangement  100  also includes a first end  150 , a second end  151 , a pair of side ends  152 ,  153  and a top planar surface  154  and a bottom planar surface  155 . It should be noted that edges  144   a ,  146   a  of pillow portions  144  and  146 , respectively, extend coincident the first end  150 . Furthermore, side edges  144   b ,  146   b  extend along a portion of side end  152 , and side edges  144   c ,  146   c  extend along a portion of side end  153 . Bedding arrangement  100  also includes a slit  158  formed between the first pillow portion  144  and the second pillow portion  146 . 
     In this embodiment, bedding arrangement  100  includes a spacer or inflatable bladder  170  to provide separation of the first pillow portion  144  and the second pillow portion  146  about slit  158  to form an enclosure or opening  174  therein. The inflatable bladder  170  may be made from any well known flexible air impervious material such as is used for inflatable sport balls. The inflatable bladder may be sealed after being inflated with air or other gaseous or fluid material, or a valve  172 , as is well known, may be attached thereto to allow for adjusting the pressure in the bladder. 
     To assemble bedding arrangement  100 , padding material  122  is sliced at the first end  150  and between side ends  152 ,  153  for a distance approximate the depth of pillow portion  140  to form slit  158 . Inflatable bladder  170  is inflated to the desired level and placed in slit  158  between the first pillow portion  144  and second pillow portion  146 . The inflatable bladder may be sized such that edges  144   a ,  144   b ,  144   c  of the first pillow portion  144 , may be joined or adhered to the respective edges  146   a ,  146   b ,  146   c  of the second pillow portion  146  using a suitable adhesive or other joining means. 
     If bedding arrangement  100  contains a valve  172 , then the firmness of the pillow portion  140  may be adjusted by inflating or deflating inflatable bladder  170  to the desired level. A covering (not shown) such as covering  60  shown and described for bedding arrangement  10  may also be placed around bedding arrangement  100  for wear and moisture resistance. As with bedding arrangement  10 , this embodiment provides a lightweight reversible mattress. 
     Now referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, a third embodiment of a bedding arrangement or reversible padded mattress is shown generally as  200 . Reversible padded mattress  200  includes an elongate mattress portion  220  and a pillow portion generally indicated as  240 . Elongate mattress portion  220  may be formed from a padding material  222  and pillow portion  240  of a padding material  242 . Additionally, pillow portion  240  is split and separated into a first pillow portion  244  and a second pillow portion  246  about a slit  258 . 
     Reversible padded mattress  200  also includes a first end generally indicated as  250 , a second end  251 , a pair of side ends  252 ,  253 , a top planar surface  254  and a bottom planar surface  255 . A spacer  270  is located between the first pillow portion  244  and the second pillow portion  246 . In the embodiment shown, spacer  270  has a wedge shape and extends to the first end  250  and across the pillow portions to the side ends  252 ,  253 . Spacer  270  may be made from a padding or cushioning material of the same type as padding materials  222  and  242 . Alternately, spacer  270  may be made from padding of a different density than padding materials  222  and  242  to provide the desired firmness to pillow portion  240 . Spacer  270  may also be made from any other suitable material such as a soft or hollow plastic. 
     Reversible padded mattress  200  is fabricated by slicing elongate mattress  220  at first end  250  in a direction parallel to top and bottom planar surfaces  254 ,  255  and then inserting the selected spacer  270  between the first pillow portion  244  and the second pillow portion  246 . An adhesive or other means may be used to adhere spacer  270  to the pillow portion to hold it firmly in place. 
     It should be apparent, that slit  248  need not extend completely across the width of the pillow portions from side ends  252  to  253 . Additionally, spacer  270  may be formed in any desired configuration to provide a suitable pillow configuration for pillow portion  240 . Reversible padded mattress  200  may also include a cover (not shown) as discussed above. 
     A fourth embodiment bedding arrangement or reversible padded mattress is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 and generally indicated as  300 . Reversible padded mattress  300  is similar to reversible padded mattress  100  shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 except that reversible padded mattress  300  utilizes a different spacer  370  than the inflatable bladder spacer  170  used in reversible padded mattress  100 . Spacer  370  may be made with a cushioning or padding material as with spacer  270  or other suitable materials. Also as discussed, spacer  370  may have a different density than the padding material used for the balance of reversible padded mattress  300 . Of course, this embodiment may also include a sealed cover (not shown) for protecting the mattress. 
     Now referring to FIGS. 12-14, a fifth embodiment of a bedding arrangement or reversible padded mattress is shown generally indicated as  400 . Reversible padded mattress  400  includes an elongate mattress portion  420  and a pillow portion generally indicated as  440 . The elongate mattress portion  420  and pillow portion  440  may be made of a padding material  422 ,  444 , respectively. Pillow portion  440  may include a first pillow portion  444  and a second pillow portion  446 . The first and second pillow portions  444 ,  446  include tapered ends  444   a  and  446   a , respectively. 
     Reversible padded mattress  400  also includes a first end generally indicated as  450 , a second end  451 , a pair of side ends  452 ,  453 , a top planar surface generally indicated as  454  and bottom planar surface generally indicated as  455 . A slit  458  is provided in reversible padded mattress  400  to separate the first pillow portion  444  and second pillow portion  446 . 
     To fabricate reversible padded mattress  400 , slit  458  is cut in the first end  450  so that the first pillow portion  444  and the second pillow portion  446  may be separated from one another. Next, the pillow portions are folded back along slit  458  until pillow portion  444  is adjacent top planar surface  454  and pillow portion  446  is adjacent bottom planar surface  455  as is shown in FIG.  14 . At this point, the innermost portion of slit  458  will coincide with first end  450 . 
     Reversible padded mattress  400  may then be covered with a cover (not shown) to hold the first and second pillow portions  444 ,  446  in place, or the pillow portions may be joined or adhered to the respective top and bottom planar surfaces  454 ,  455  of elongate mattress portion  420  using an adhesive or other well known joining means. In this embodiment, the elongate mattress portion  420  serves as a spacer between the pillow portions. 
     Although certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail, that is only by way of illustration and example. Those of ordinary skill in the art will now appreciate that modifications and adaptations of this invention can be made to many environments of use and that the examples given are frames of reference only and not application specific requirements. Accordingly, the spirit and scope of the present invention are to be limited only by the terms of the claims below.