Patent Publication Number: US-2013247296-A1

Title: Small and irregular shaped mattress sheet cover system and method

Description:
This utility patent application is based upon and claims the filing date benefit of U.S. provisional patent application (Application No. 61/535459) filed on Sep. 16, 2011. 
    
    
     COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
     Notice is hereby given that the following patent document contains original material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile or digital download reproduction of all or part of the patent document, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to sheet covers for small or irregular-shaped bed mattresses designed to remain taunt, wrinkle free, and retained on the mattress when used. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Many boats, dormitories and studio apartments have small and sometimes irregular bunk spaces where a complimentary shaped foam mattress may be placed and used as a bed. For example, some boats typically have cutter bows that come to a knife-like point to cut through waves for faster speeds. Other boats have bluff bows that expand to the width of the boat to allow more deck cargo space. In most boats, a bedroom or birth for officers and passengers is typically located in the tip area of the bow that require the use of triangular shaped accommodate a custom, complimentary shaped single mattress or a set of one or two triangular shaped mattresses. 
     To protect a mattress and to provide greater comfort to the individual resting on the mattress, a lower sheet cover is commonly installed over the top surface of mattress. Such sheet covers become soiled with usage and must be exchanged with clean sheet covers on a regular basis. To hold the lower sheet cover on the mattress, the sheet must have a size and shape that is complimentary with the mattress so that the edges of the sheet cover can be tucked in all around under the bottom edges of the mattress. Unfortunately, complimentary shaped sheet covers for smaller, irregular shaped mattresses are not available. Also, the birth areas in a ship are compact and have limited head space making the bed ‘making’ task difficult. 
     What is needed is a small or irregular shaped mattress and sheet cover system that address the problems associated lower sheet covers on a small or irregular shaped mattresses. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The above needs are addressed and satisfied by the bunk mattress and sheet cover system disclosed herein that includes a tubular cover designed to slide longitudinally and fit snuggly over the bunk mattress. The tubular cover includes sock-shaped body rectangular or oval in cross-section with a closed end and an open opposite end. The body is made of soft flexible material that enables it to be rolled into a flat, flexible ring structure for easily installation. Formed or attached to the body adjacent to the open end is an optional flap that can be tucked under the end of the mattress to hold the body in place and optional pull straps that enable the use to pull the body in a ring configuration over the mattress during installation. 
     The body is made of made of cotton with a cross-section shape slightly smaller than the bunk mattress so that bunk mattress must be squeezed inward to fit inside the body during installation. When relaxed, the mattress expands outward causing the surfaces of the body to become taunt and wrinkle free. The body may be the same size or slightly longer than the bunk mattress, thereby enabling the body to completely surround the mattress. 
     In one embodiment, the bunk mattress is made of foam and is triangular and designed to fit into a triangular shaped birth on a boat. 
     Using the above described tubular cover, a method of forming a bunk mattress with a continuously taunt, sheet cover is taught comprising the steps: selecting a foam bunk mattress and the tubular cover; rolling the tubular cover into a flat, ring structure with a center opening; aligned the ring structure along one end of the bunk mattress; extending the end of the bunk mattress into the center opening formed on the ring structure; and unrolling the ring structure longitudinally over the bunk mattress so that the entire bunk mattress is covered by the tubular cover. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an illustration of an individual sleeping on a bunk mattress in a confined sleeping area of a boat in the prior art and showing the lower sheet placed over the mattress being un-tucked from the mattress. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the bunk mattress and sock-like cover disclosed herein showing the cover is a partially rolled up configuration being unrolled for placement over the mattress. 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the cover placed over the mattress. 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional top plan view of the bow of a boat showing a berth area in the point of the bow with two triangular shaped foam mattresses positioned side by side in the berth area with each mattress being covered by a tubular cover. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a triangular foam mattress used in the berth area on a ship being covered by a tubular cover with four extended pull straps that are used to pull the tubular cover over the mattress. 
         FIG. 6  is a partial side elevational view of the open end of the tubular cover showing the ends of the two pull straps attached thereto and extended. 
         FIG. 7  is a partial side elevational view of the tubular cover shown in  FIG. 6  showing the two pull straps being aligned over the body and the body and the pull straps being rolled into a ring configuration. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) 
     Referring to the accompanying  FIGS. 1-7 , there is shown a bunk bed sheet cover system, generally indicated by the reference number  10 , comprising a small or irregular shaped mattress  12  and sock-like, tubular cover  20  designed to slide longitudinally and fits snuggly over the mattress  12 . A small mattress  12  is defined as a regular mattress less than a twin size mattress (38 inches (W)×79 inches (L)×6 inches (H) and an irregular shape mattress is a mattress that is triangular with two straight side edges or two side edges and one curved edge. 
     The tubular cover  20  is designed to fit over the foam mattress  12  act as a protective lower sheet . The tubular cover  20  is designed to be easily attached, removed and machine washable. More specifically, the tubular cover  20  includes a rectangular body  22  configured to completely surround and fit closely over the mattress  12 . The body  22  includes at least one closed end  24  and one open end  26 . The body  22  is longitudinally aligned with the foam mattress  12  so that it may be slowly unrolled over the foam mattress  12 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the body  22  is approximately the same length of the foam mattress  12  so that the entire mattress  12  is covered when installed. Formed adjacent to the open end  26  is an optional rectangular flap  28  that can be tucked under the end of the foam mattress  12  to hold the body  20  in place. 
     The body  22  is a rectangular tubular structure similar to a duffel bag. In the preferred embodiment, the body  22  is made of heavy cotton (material similar to the material used to manufacture a cotton sweat shirt). The body  22  is rolled into a flat ring configuration  32  with an center opening  32 . The cotton material is designed to stretch and the body  22  has a width ¼ to ½ inches less than the mattress  12  so that mattress  12  must be compressed and squeezed inward in order to fit inside the body  20 . When the tubular body  20  is fully extended over the bunk mattress  12 , the bunk mattress  12  relaxes and expands outward causing the top, bottom, sides and end to become tight. Because the body  20  completely covers the bunk mattress  12 , there are no loose edges that can become un-tucked when sleeping. 
       FIG. 4  is a sectional top plan view of the bow of a boat  100  showing a berth area  102  in the point of the bow with two triangular shaped foam mattresses  12 ′,  12 ″ positioned side-by-side in the berth area  102  with each mattress  12 ′,  12 ′ being covered by a tubular cover  20 ′,  20 ′, respectively. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of one of the triangular foam mattress  12 ′ used in the berth area  102  being covered by a tubular cover  20 ′ in a ring configuration with four extended pull straps  110 - 116  longitudinally aligned and extending outward from the open end that are used to bull the ring structure longitudinally over the mattress  12 ′. 
       FIG. 6  is a partial side elevational view of the open end of the tubular cover  12 ′ showing the ends of the two pull straps  110 ,  112  attached thereto and extended. 
       FIG. 7  is a partial side elevational view of the tubular cover shown in  FIG. 6  showing the two pull straps  110 ,  112  being aligned over the body  22  and the body  22  and the pull straps  110 ,  112  being rolled into a ring configuration. 
     In addition to the bunk mattress and cover system  10  a method of forming a small or irregular shaped mattress with a lower sheet cover comprising the steps: selecting a foam mattress  12 ; selecting a tubular cover  20 ; rolling the tubular cover  20  into a flat, ring structure  30  with a center opening  32 ; aligned the ring structure  30  along one end of the mattress  12 ; extending the end of the mattress  12  into the center opening formed  32  on the ring structure  30 ; and unrolling the ring structure  30  longitudinally over the mattress  12  so that the entire mattress  12  is covered by the tubular cover  20   
     In compliance with the statute, the invention described herein has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, since the means and construction shown is comprised only of the preferred embodiments for putting the invention into effect. The invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the amended claims, appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.