Patent Publication Number: US-8522377-B2

Title: Under bed skirt support with fully separated corners and with layers that do not have to be equally lofted

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/136,567, filed on Aug. 4, 2011, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/816,276, filed on Aug. 14, 2007, which claimed the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/653,343, filed on Feb. 15, 2005. It also relates to U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/223,625, filed on Feb. 15, 2005 (the ′625 application), which issued on Apr. 17, 2007 as U.S. Design Pat. No. D540,604. All of the aforementioned are incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     a. Field of the Invention 
     The instant invention relates to decorative bedding. In particular, the instant invention relates to a bed skirt support for supporting a bed skirt or dust ruffle. 
     b. Background Art 
     It is well known to use bed skirts or dust ruffles to make a bedroom more aesthetically pleasing and functional. Typically, a bed skirt or dust ruffle is used to cover an otherwise exposed box spring or lower mattress of a bed. For example, a decorative bed skirt may be attached to the bed so as to hang over and hide the sides of the box spring from plain view. In the past, the lower edge of such a decorative bed skirt hangs vertically along the vertical sides of the box spring, and extends straight down towards the floor (see, for example,  FIG. 19 ). If not carefully installed, these drooping bed skirts can end up extending onto the floor adjacent to the bed and may end up being soiled or damaged by vacuums or people stepping on the bed skirts when getting into or out of the bed, or while making the bed. 
     Thus, there remains a need for a better system for hiding box springs in an aesthetically pleasing and function manner. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It remains desirable to have a system for hiding the box spring or lower mattress of a bed using a decorative bed skirt or dust ruffle. Preferably, the system allows someone to use an existing decorative bed skirt or dust ruffle, and the system facilitates the desired hiding of the box spring in a manner that mitigates potential damage to the typically expensive decorative bed skirt or dust ruffle. In a first form, the present invention comprises a bed skirt support that underlies and supports a bed skirt by lifting the bed skirt away from the vertical sides of the box spring, providing an aesthetically pleasing appearance while also lifting the lower longitudinal edges of the bed skirt off the floor, thereby mitigating potential damage to the decorative bed skirt by individuals moving around the perimeter of the bed. In one aspect, the bed skirt support preferably makes it possible to change the overall appearance of the bed skirt by physically changing how the bed skirt hangs relative to the vertical sides of the box spring. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, a bed skirt support comprises a flat central portion adapted to lie on a box spring of a bed, and one or more side support sections that extend from the flat central portion. In one configuration, for example, each side support section may comprise one or more gathers or ruffles that extend at an angle from the side edge of the box spring toward the floor. When a bed skirt is placed over the bed skirt support, the side support sections loft the bed skirt sides away from the side edges of the box spring. 
     In a further configuration, the side support sections of the bed skirt support may be removable from the decking or central portion of the bed skirt support, such as via a zipper, hook and loop fasteners, snaps, or the like. In this configuration, a plurality of side support sections may be provided to support a bed skirt at a different angle or to create a different appearance of the bed skirt hanging from the box spring. In this configuration, for example, a user may select one or more of the side support sections and attach it to the central portion of the bed skirt support to provide varying support surfaces for a decorative bed skirt. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, a bed skirt is provided with an integrated bed skirt support. In this embodiment, a side support section is provided on a lower or upper side of a skirt section of the decorative bed skirt. The side support section, for example, may support the skirt section of the decorative bed skirt from below or may support the skirt section from above. However, a typical decorative bed skirt may still be used in combination with this embodiment to provide a user with an unlimited number of design options. 
     In yet another embodiment of the invention, a decorative bed skirt may be provided in which a decorative skirt side section of the decorative bed skirt extends from one or more sides of a generally flat central portion. In this embodiment, the bed skirt section of the bed skirt support is decorative and can be used to decorate a bed without requiring the use of a separate decorative bed skirt. Again, a typical decorative bed skirt may be used in combination with this embodiment to provide a user with an unlimited number of design options. 
     The foregoing and other aspects, features, details, utilities, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from reading the following description and claims, and from reviewing the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of a bed skirt support according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the bed skirt support depicted in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic, cross-sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 , clearly showing the three-layered configuration of a support section according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4A  is an enlarged, fragmentary, schematic view showing a first option for connecting the layers comprising a support section of a bed skirt support according to the present invention to one-half of a zipper. 
         FIG. 4B  is an enlarged, fragmentary, schematic view, with a portion of material broken away, showing a second option for connecting the layers comprising a support section of a bed skirt support according to the present invention to one-half of a zipper. 
         FIG. 4C  is an enlarged, fragmentary, schematic view showing one possible way of connecting the decking of a bed skirt support according to the present invention to one-half of a zipper. 
         FIGS. 5 and 6  schematically depict a possible manual technique for gathering the material comprising the layers of each support section before attaching that material to the decking 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom plan view of the bed skirt support depicted in  FIG. 1 , showing the three layers comprising each support section in this particular configuration. 
         FIG. 8  is an elevation looking directly toward the front support section of the bed skirt support depicted in  FIG. 1 , which would be at the foot-of-the-bed end of a box spring when the bed skirt support is installed on a bed. 
         FIG. 9  is an elevation looking toward the optional rear support section of a bed skirt support, which would be at the head-of-the-bed end of a box spring when the bed skirt support is installed on a bed. 
         FIG. 10  is an elevation looking directly toward the right side of the bed skirt support depicted in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 11  is an elevation looking directly toward the left side of the bed skirt support depicted in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 12  is a fragmentary, isometric view looking downward toward the left side and front of the bed skirt support depicted in  FIG. 1 , showing how the bed skirt support might be positioned relative to the top mattress (shown in phantom with a portion broken away for clarity) and the box spring. 
         FIG. 13  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but is a top plan view of a bed skirt support according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 14  is similar to  FIG. 7 , but is a bottom plan view of a bed skirt support according to the second embodiment of the present invention, showing the three-layers comprising each support section in this particular configuration. 
         FIG. 15  is similar to  FIG. 8 , but depicts the bed skirt support according to the second embodiment. 
         FIGS. 16 and 17  are fragmentary, isometric views of a woman removing the right side support section of a bed skirt support according to the present invention by unzipping it from the decking 
         FIG. 18  is a fragmentary, isometric view showing how a decorative bed skirt or a decorative dust ruffle may look when mounted over a bed skirt support according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 19  depicts the decorative bed skirt or decorative dust ruffle shown in  FIG. 18  in an unsupported, prior art configuration. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises a configurable bed skirt support  10  constructed to support a decorative bed skirt or decorative dust ruffle  12  (see  FIGS. 18 and 19 ) in an aesthetically pleasing manner that also provides various functional benefits that will be described further below.  FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of a bed skirt support  10  according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the bed skirt support  10  comprises a deck or decking  14  that supports at least one bed skirt support section. In the particular embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1 , the decking supports three support sections, including a left side support section  16 , a front support section  18 , and a right side support section  20  around an outer perimeter of the decking These support sections  16 ,  18 ,  20 , may be fixedly attached to the decking  14 ; or, as explained further below, these support sections may be removably or separably attached or connected to the decking by a connection means including, for example, one or more zippers, hooks, hook-and-loop material, snaps, tape, adhesives, pins, or any other type of anchors or fasteners. 
     In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1 , the decking  14  may be constructed from, for example, cotton, muslin, a polyester blend, or a variety of other materials. The decking is generally rectangular and sized to fit between a box spring  24  and a mattress  26  as shown to good advantage in, for example,  FIG. 12 . Since the decking  14  will generally be sandwiched between the top mattress  26  and the box spring  24  when the bed skirt support  10  is installed on a bed, the decking is designed such that its outer perimeter  22  will essentially match the outer perimeter of, for example, the box spring  24  on which it will be placed during use. The decking includes a top surface  28 , an under side  30  (not visible in  FIG. 1 , but visible in, for example,  FIGS. 3 ,  4 B,  4 C, and  7 ), a front edge  32 , a left edge  34 , a right edge  36 , and a rear edge  38 . In the particular embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1 , the inner one-half  40  of a U-shaped zipper (which may be, for example, a molded zipper or a coil zipper) is attached along the left edge  34 , the front edge  32 , and the right edge  36  of the decking  14 . The outer one-half  42  of the zipper is connected to the support sections  16 ,  18 ,  20  so that they can be draped from the decking  14  when it is sandwiched between the top mattress  26  and the box spring  24 . As explained further below, the U-shaped zipper makes it possible in this embodiment to completely separate the support sections from the decking The U-shaped zipper depicted in  FIG. 1 , could be replaced by, for example, three straight zippers, one for the left side support section  16 , one for the front support section  18 , and one for the right side support section  20 . 
     As mentioned above and as shown in  FIG. 1 , the bed skirt support  10  according to the first embodiment has three support sections  16 ,  18 ,  20  including the left side support section  16 , the front support section  18 , and the right side support section  20 . In alternative configurations, one or more of these support sections could be left out, depending upon, for example, the desires of the person using the bed skirt support and the intended placement of the bed on which the bed skirt support will be used. The bed skirt support might also include an optional rear support section  44  (see, e.g.,  FIG. 9 , which is discussed further below). As explained further below, each support section comprises a plurality of layers of material. In  FIG. 1 , an outer surface  46  of an outer or top layer  48  of the front support section is clearly shown. This top layer has a bottom edge or lower longitudinal edge  50 , a top edge or upper longitudinal edge  52  (shown to best advantage in  FIGS. 4A and 4B ), a left lateral edge  54 , and a right lateral edge  56 . Similarly, the left side support section  16  comprises a rear lateral edge  58 , a front lateral edge  60 , a lower longitudinal edge  62 , and an upper longitudinal edge  64 . The right side support section is similar to, but a mirror image of, the left side support section. 
     The bed skirt support according to the first embodiment of the present invention is configured for use on a conventional bed  66  (see  FIGS. 18 and 19 ) or a four poster bed (not shown). In particular, the left lateral edge  54  of the front support section  18  is attached to the outer one-half  42  of the zipper at a first terminus  68 , and the front lateral edge  60  of, for example, the left side support section  16  is connected to the outer one-half  42  of the zipper at a second terminus  70 . As clearly shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , for example, the first terminus  68  is offset from the second terminus  70  so that the bed skirt support may be used in connection with a four poster bed. 
     As shown to best advantage in  FIG. 2 , which is a top plan view of the bed skirt support  10  depicted in  FIG. 1 , the first terminus or connection point  68  is separated from the second terminus or connection point  70 . The distance between the first terminus and the second terminus along the portion of the outer one-half  42  of the zipper is indicated by an edge separation distance line  72 . If this edge separation distance is approximately six inches, the bed skirt support  10  can both accommodate the corner posts of a four poster bed and still support a decorative dust ruffle or decorative bed skirt  12  in a lofted configuration while remaining substantially invisible, i.e. with no portions of same readily in view when placed under a consumer&#39;s bedskirt. Such an arrangement is significantly distinct from and improved over the nominal corner slits seen in some outer bed skirts, the latter being included to merely accommodate/surround some beds having upraised corner bedposts. 
       FIG. 2 , which is a top view of the bed skirt support  10  depicted in  FIG. 1 , includes a variety of dimensional information. The decking  14 , for example, may have rounded corners as shown in  FIG. 2 . These rounded corners may be designed to match the shape of the rounded corners of a typical box spring or bottom mattress. In one embodiment, each corner of the decking has a radius of curvature  74  of between 2 or 2.5 inches to 3 or 3.5 inches, more preferably to approximately 2.75 inches, but the radius of curvature  74  of these corners could have a different value; or the corners could be square. As mentioned above, in one particular configuration of the bed skirt support  10  according to the present invention, the distance along the outer perimeter  22  of the decking  14  between the first terminus  68  and the second terminus  70  is approximately six inches (represented by three inches on each side of the center of the preferred 2.75 inches radius). Further, in this particular configuration, this six inch distance is equally split by a line  76  bisecting the curved corner of the decking 
     In this first embodiment of a bed skirt support according to the present invention, the front support section  18  has a width  78  between its left lateral edge  54  and its right lateral edge  56  that varies depending upon the size of the bed on which the bed skirt support is going to be used. For example, for a twin bed, this dimension may be 39.0 inches, for a double size bed this dimension may be 54.0 inches, for a queen size bed, this dimension may be 60.0 inches, for a king size bed this dimension may be 78.0 inches, and for a California king size bed, this dimension may be 72.0 inches. Similarly, the left side support  16  section and the right side support  20  section each has a longitudinal length  80  between its front lateral edge  60  and its rear later edge  58  that varies depending upon the size of the bed on which the bed skirt support is being used. For a twin size bed, this length may be 75 inches; for a double size bed, this dimension may be 75 inches; for a queen size bed, this dimension may be 80.0 inches; for a king size bed, this dimension may be 80.0 inches; and for a California king size bed, this dimension may be 84.0 inches. 
     As shown to best advantage in, for example,  FIG. 3 , which is a schematic, cross-sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 , the width  82  of each layer of material comprising each support section according to the first embodiment of the present invention is approximately 13.5 inches. In the embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the corner configuration of the bed skirt support  10  has been defined by the edge separation distance  72  along the corner edge of the decking  14  and the radius of curvature  76  of the corner edge of the decking Alternatively, a front-support edge setback  84  and a side-support edge setback  86  may be used to define the gap  88  between the lateral edges of the front support section  56 ,  60 , respectively, and each side support section that accommodates a corner post of, for example, a four poster bed. A zipper pull  90  is also visible in the upper right hand portion of  FIG. 2 . As explained further below, and as alluded to above, the right side support section  20 , the front support section  18 , and the left side support section  16  are all detachable from the decking  14  via the U-shaped zipper  92  mentioned above and explained further below. Also clearly visible in  FIG. 2  is the stitching  94  that may be used to attach the inner one-half  40  of the zipper to the decking  14 . 
     Referring next to  FIGS. 3 ,  4 A,  4 B, and  7 , the three-layer configuration of the first embodiment of a bed skirt support according to the present invention is described next.  FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 , looking from the foot of the bed toward the head of the bed. As shown to good advantage in  FIG. 3 , this embodiment of the present invention comprises three layers of material including a bottom layer  96 , an intermediate layer  98 , and the top layer  48 . In this particular embodiment, the layers are each made from what is commonly referred to as “petticoat netting” or “can can netting,” which is a mid-grade or mid-weight netting. This type of netting has been found to provide desirable volume control and puffiness or loft to achieve a desired finished look. A variety of materials could, however, be used for these layers including, for example, bridal veil netting or crinoline. 
     As shown schematically in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , this netting material may be gathered and then attached to the outer perimeter of the decking  FIGS. 5 and 6  are explained further below. The gathers  100  comprising the top layer of material are clearly visible in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  7 , for example. The bottom layer gathers  102  are clearly visible in, for example,  FIGS. 4A ,  4 B, and  7 ; and the gathers  104  of the intermediate layer are visible in, for example,  FIG. 7 . Each layer comprising each support section need not include gathers. In other words, one or more layers comprising each support section of the bed skirt support may comprise relatively flat, ungathered material. 
     As shown schematically in  FIG. 3 , the gathered layers of material  48 ,  96 ,  98  (e.g., petticoat netting) tend to stand off, or loft away from, each other as result of the gathers. For example, an inner loft  106  may be present between the bottom layer  96  and the intermediate layer  98 , and an outer loft  108  may be present between the intermediate layer  98  and the top layer  48 . This inner loft  106  and outer loft  108  together comprise the total loft  110  of each support section. As explained further below, the present invention makes it possible to adjust the inner loft, outer loft, and thus the total loft. As shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  4 A, and  4 B, the upper longitudinal edge  52  of the top layer  48  is connected to the upper longitudinal edges of the intermediate layer  98  and the bottom layer  96 . As explained further below,  FIGS. 4A and 4B  are enlarged, fragmentary, schematic views showing, respectively, a first option for connecting the layers  48 ,  96 ,  98  of a bed skirt support  10  to one-half of a zipper  92 , and a second option for connecting the layers of a bed skirt support to one-half of a zipper. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4A , the top layer  48 , the intermediate layer  98 , and the bottom layer  96  of a support section  16 ,  18 ,  20  are connected to the outer one-half  42  of the zipper  92  using a strip of grosgrain  112  that has been folded into a U-shaped configuration. Alternatively, any type of binding tape could be used to attach these three layers to the outer one-half of the zipper; or the three layers  48 ,  96 ,  98  could be attached directly to the outer one-half  42  of the zipper  92  without the use of any grosgrain or binding tape. In this particular embodiment, the upper longitudinal edges of the layers have been laid one on top of the other. These three stacked layers of material have subsequently been gathered (see, e.g., the manual or hand-gathering technique depicted in  FIGS. 5 and 6 ) and then attached to one another via stitching  114  through the section of grosgrain  112 . Alternatively, the grosgrain may be placed on top of the stacked layers of petticoat netting, and that stack may be fed through, for example, a sewing machine having a differential feeding apparatus, which is capable of creating the gathers and attaching the grosgrain to the layers in a single pass. 
     In the particular embodiment  10  depicted in  FIG. 4A , the layers of material  48 ,  96 ,  98  are gathered rather than hard folded or pleated, but pleating or folding could also be used. The “gather ratio” used depends on the desired loftiness, the desired adjustability of that loftiness, and the type of material being used for the layers. If, for example, adjustable volume or loftiness is desired and a mid-grade netting (e.g., a petticoat netting) is used, a gather ratio of 4.5:1 may be desirable. In other words, if a length  116  ( FIG. 5 ) of netting before gathering is 4.5 inches, the length  118  ( FIG. 6 ) of the gathered netting would be one inch. This gather ratio may vary fairly broadly from this particularly preferred 4.5:1 ratio. For example, a gather ratio of 6 or 7:1 works for some applications, but may have a few drawbacks. For example, if a gather ratio of 7:1 is used with petticoat netting, the support sections may be more lofty than desirable and the amount of excess material required to manufacture the support sections may undesirably drive up the cost of the overall bed skirt support. Alternatively, a gathering ratio of about 3 or 3.5 inches:1 inch may be used but may result in less lofting ability, however, may be aesthetically desired under one&#39;s existing bed skirt. 
     The volume or loft  110  of the support sections  16 ,  18 ,  20  may be adjusted before or after the bed skirt support is manufactured. As just discussed, the gather ratio may be adjusted before or during the manufacturing process to change the “default loft” of the final product. After the bed skirt support is fully constructed, the volume or loft of the support sections may be adjusted by, for example, separating the material between the gathers by hand to spread and smooth the netting, thereby reducing the overall volume or loft  110  of each support section. It may also be possible to reduce the volume or loft of the finished bed skirt support by pulling on the bottom edges  50 ,  62  of the layers to smooth and flatten the netting around the entire perimeter of the decking 
     On a preferred basis, three pieces of netting material are laid flat and stitched flat at the top. They are then gathered into a preferred ratio of 4.5:1 inches and then stitched as being gathered onto the grosgrain. This preferred construction of the gathering allows for functionality and ability to “nest” so as to be lofted independently of each other and/or do not have to be equally lofted up and/or down. It will also accommodate/adapt to different styles of a consumer&#39;s own “outer” bed skirt, (i.e. ruffled, pleated, tailored, etc.) under which the invention is installed. The layers are intertwined to be in conformity with each other in as much as this construction will enable the layers to hold onto their own at whatever level of loft the consumer desires for either or both layers and at the same time be fully adjustable by the consumer&#39;s hand by pulling up and out the layers to achieve the desired higher level of loft and/or pulling down and/or relaxing the layers for a lower level of loft depending on whatever style the consumer wants to achieve and/or to better “hold” the weight/type of the material of the consumer&#39;s existing outer bed skirt to accomplish its intended purpose of keeping that outer bed skirt off the bedroom floor and/or other aesthetic value. 
     On a less preferred basis, the layers could be gathered and stitched independent of each other before joining all three layers to the grosgrain. In order to construct this non-preferred, additional labor would be required in sewing the layers three separate times, resulting in additional bulk, less aesthetic value and less functionality and cohesiveness of the layers&#39; ability to nest and be intertwined. 
     The grosgrain/netting is then sewn onto one side of the zipper tape. The opposite side of the zipper tape is then sewn onto the horizontal decking so that the zipper and/part of the decking falls below and vertically hugs the three-sided perimeter including both fully separated corners. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 4A , a line of straight stitching  114  is shown holding the grosgrain and netting to the underside  120  of the outer one-half of the zipper, adjacent to the lower edge (as shown in  FIG. 4A )  122  of the outer one-half  42  of the zipper  92 . Although the grosgrain and layers are depicted in  FIG. 4A  as being attached to the underside  120  of the outer one-half of the zipper, the layers of material may, alternatively, be attached to the top side of the outer one-half of the zipper. 
     Referring next to  FIG. 4B , an alternative technique or construction for connecting the layers of a bed skirt support to one-half of a zipper are described next. In this configuration, the top layer  48 , the intermediate layer  98 , and the bottom layer  96  of a support section are connected to the outer one-half  42  of the zipper  92  using a strip of grosgrain (or other material) folded into a serpentine or sigmoid configuration including a trapped layer  124  attached to an underside of the bottom layer  96  of the support section, a lowest layer  126  attached to an underside of the trapped layer  124 , and an upper layer  126  sandwiched between the outer surface of the top layer of the support section and the underside of the outer one-half of the zipper. An inner stitch  130  and an outer stitch  132  are visible in  FIG. 4B . In particular, since a portion of the lowest layer  126  of the serpentine strip of grosgrain is broken away in  FIG. 4B , the inner stitch  130  through the trapped layer of grosgrain and through all three layers of the support section is clearly visible. The outer stitch  132 , on the other hand, attaches all of the following to the underside  120  of the outer one-half  42  of the zipper  92 : the lowest layer  126  of grosgrain  124 , the trapped layer of grosgrain, the bottom layer of netting  96 , the intermediate layer of netting  98 , the top layer of netting  48 , and upper layer  128  of grosgrain. Although alternative techniques and configuration could be used (e.g., techniques involving surging the upper longitudinal edges of the netting layers) to attach the three layers of netting to the outer one-half of the zipper, the described configurations have been found to provide desired stability to the finished product. 
       FIG. 4C  is an enlarged, fragmentary, schematic view showing one possible way of connecting the decking  14  of the bed skirt support according to the present invention to the inner one-half  40  of a zipper. As clearly shown in this figure, a longitudinal edge  134  of the decking may be aligned with a longitudinal edge  136  of the inner one-half of the zipper. A first line  138  of stitching may be applied to hold the decking and the inner one-half of the zipper in place. Subsequently, the decking material may be folded back onto itself, and a second line  140  of stitching may then be applied to securely attach the decking to the inner one-half of the zipper. Again, this is merely one representative configuration for attaching securing the decking to the inner one-half of the zipper. 
       FIG. 7  is a bottom plan view of the bed skirt support depicted in  FIG. 1 , showing the three layers comprising each support section in this particular configuration. Although more or fewer layers could be used for each support section, the three-layered configuration depicted in, for example,  FIGS. 3 ,  4 , and  7  has proven advantageous. This three-layered configuration has been found to provide adequate support to the decorative bed skirt or dust ruffle that will be placed on top of the top layer of the support sections  16 ,  18 ,  20  (see, e.g.,  FIG. 18 ) and provides the ability to adjust the loft or puffiness of the bed skirt support. 
       FIG. 8  is an elevation of the bed skirt support according to the first embodiment of the present invention, looking essentially straight at the front support section  18  which, upon installation of the bed skirt support on a bed, would be at the foot of the bed. The top layer  46 , the intermediate layer  98 , and the bottom layer  96  of the front support section  18  are clearly visible in  FIG. 8 . The total loft  110  of the right side support section  20  is also clearly visible in  FIG. 8 . The zipper pull  90 , which in this embodiment would be near the head-of-the-bed end of the decking when the left side support section, the front support section, and the right side support section are all fully in place around the perimeter of the decking, is also clearly visible in  FIG. 8 . 
       FIG. 9  is an elevation looking toward the optional rear support section  44  of a bed skirt support, which would be at the head-of-the-bed end of a box spring when the bed skirt support is installed on a bed. If a bed were positioned, for example, such that it is important to be able to hide the head-of-the-bed side of the box spring, this optional rear support section may also be included and zipped to the head-of-the-bed end of the decking As depicted in  FIG. 9 , this rear support section has little to no loft, which is evident since only the top layer  48  of the rear support section is visible in  FIG. 9 . In fact, the rear support section in this particular configuration may only include a decorative top layer. If the head of the bed were to be placed near a wall, this rear support section may be completely removed or eliminated since it would not be required. The total loft  110  of the left and right support sections is clearly visible in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . 
       FIG. 10  is an elevation looking directly toward the right side of the bed skirt support depicted in  FIG. 1 . In this particular view, the three layers comprising the right side support section are clearly visible. The total loft  110  of the front support section is also clearly visible in this figure.  FIG. 11  is an elevation looking directly toward the left side of the bed skirt support depicted in  FIG. 1  and clearly shows the three layers  48 ,  96 ,  98  comprising the left side support section  16 .  FIG. 11  is similar to, but is a mirror image of  FIG. 10 . 
       FIG. 12  is a fragmentary, isometric view looking downward toward the left side and front of the bed skirt support depicted in  FIG. 1 , showing how the bed skirt support might be positioned relative to the top mattress  26  and the box spring  24 . The top mattress is depicted in  FIG. 12  in phantom with a portion broken away to reveal the placement of the decking  14  between the top mattress and the box spring (or bottom mattress). The left front corner  142  and the right front corner  144  of the box spring may be seen in  FIG. 12 . As it is clearly shown in  FIG. 12 , the decking  14 , which is the flat central portion of the bed skirt support according to present invention, is sandwiched between the bottom surface of the top mattress and the top surface of the box spring when the bed skirt support is installed. The U-shaped zipper  92  connecting the decking to each of the left side support section  16 , the front support section  18 , and the right side support section  20  is clearly visible in this figure. Advantageously, and as described further above and below, this zipper makes it possible to completely remove the support sections from the decking without the need to disturb the top mattress or the box spring. As mentioned above, the gaps  88  between the side support sections and the front support section make it possible to use the bed skirt support according to the first embodiment on a four poster bed. For example, one of the vertical corner posts of the four poster bed could ride in the gap between the front lateral edge of the left side support section and the left lateral edge of the front support section. 
     As mentioned above, the loft or puffiness of the left side support section, the front support section, and the right side support section may be adjusted either during manufacturing (e.g., by changing the gather ratio or the type of material being used) or after the bed skirt support  10  is installed on a bed.  FIG. 13  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but is a top plan view of a bed skirt support  10 ′ according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the total loft  110 ′ of the support sections is less than the total loft of the corresponding sections of the first embodiment. This may be clearly seen by comparing, for example,  FIG. 2  to  FIG. 13 , or  FIG. 7  to  FIG. 14  (see next paragraph), or  FIG. 8  to  FIG. 15  (see paragraph after the next paragraph). 
       FIG. 14  is similar to  FIG. 7 , but is a bottom plan view of a bed skirt support according to the second embodiment of the present invention, showing the three-layers  48 ′,  96 ′,  98 ′ comprising each support section  16 ′,  18 ′,  20 ′ in this particular configuration. Although a bed skirt support according to the present invention may have more or fewer layers than the three depicted in the figures, the second embodiment again comprises three layers as shown in  FIG. 14 . 
       FIG. 15  is similar to  FIG. 8 , but is an elevation looking directly at the portion of the bed skirt support according to the second embodiment that would be draped over the portion of the top mattress and box spring at the foot of the bed. Again, the three-layered configuration of the second embodiment is clearly visible in  FIG. 15 , where each of the three layers comprising the front support section is visible. The total loft  110 ′ of the left support section and of the right support section of the bed skirt support according to the second embodiment is also clearly visible in  FIG. 15 . The total loft of the front support section may be the same as or different from the total loft  110 ′ of the left and right support sections. By comparing the total loft  110  depicted in  FIG. 8  to the total loft  110 ′ depicted in  FIG. 15 , it is clear that the total loft of the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 15  is less than or less puffy than the total loft of the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 8 . Again, the loft may be adjusted during manufacturing by, for example, changing the gather ratio or type of material comprising the layers; or the loft may be adjusted while the bed skirt support is installed on a bed by, for example, separating the material between gathers by hand to spread the netting in the finished product or by pulling on the bottom edge of the layers to smooth and flatten the netting around the entire perimeter of the bed skirt support. 
       FIGS. 16 and 17  are fragmentary, isometric views showing how the left side support section  16 , the front support section  18 , and the right side support  20  section may be removed from the decking In particular,  FIGS. 16 and 17  depict a woman  146  removing the right side support section  20  of a bed skirt support  10  according to the present invention by unzipping it from the decking  14 .  FIG. 16  shows the woman kneeling along the right side of a bed adjacent to the corner of the right side of the bed and the head-of-the-bed. The woman has grabbed the zipper pull  90  and is starting to detach the right side support section from the decking The zipper pull  90  is depicted in the same location in, for example,  FIGS. 2 and 8 . Although  FIGS. 16 and 17  are drawn with the top mattress removed from the top surface of the decking for clarity, the top mattress need not be removed before the support sections are detached from the decking In particular, the top mattress need only be removed if the decking itself needs to be removed from between the bottom side of the top mattress and the top side of the box spring. In  FIG. 17 , the zipper has been advanced toward the foot of the bed as the right side support section  20  is unzipped from or removed from the right edge  36  of the decking As previously mentioned, although a coil zipper is depicted in the figures, any fastening or connection means could be used to facilitate attachment to, and detachment from, the decking 
       FIG. 18  is a fragmentary, isometric view of a bed  66  showing how a decorative bed skirt or a decorative dust ruffle  12  may look when mounted over a bed skirt support according to the present invention. In particular,  FIG. 18  depicts a headboard  148 , a number of pillows  150 , a decorative bed spread  152 , and a decorative bed skirt or dust ruffle  12 . The decorative bed skirt depicted in  FIG. 18  is being supported by a bed skirt support  10 ,  10 ′ (not visible in this figure) according to the present invention. As clearly shown in this figure, the loft of the support sections of the bed skirt support are holding the decorative bed skirt at a flowing angle from the lower edge of the bed spread  152  towards the floor of the room, providing a dramatic and aesthetically-pleasing appearance. 
     The particular bed depicted in  FIG. 18  is not a four poster bed. The decorative bed spread includes an ornamental fold  154  in the corner where one of the vertical posts of a four poster bed would otherwise reside. As shown in this figure, the decorative bed skirt or dust ruffle may comprise a substantially continuous piece of fabric that extends around the lower perimeter of the bed, or at least around three sides of that lower perimeter. Noticeably, the gap  88  (see, e.g.,  FIG. 2 ) between, for example, the right side support section  16  and the front support section  18  of the bed skirt support does not affect the presentation of the decorative bed skirt. In particular, the bed skirt support may be constructed without the gap ( FIG. 2 ), or the material comprising the three layers of the front section and the material comprising the three layers of the right side support section may be pulled into the gap that would otherwise exist, thereby supporting the decorative bed skirt throughout the corner section. The right lateral edge  56  of the front support section may even be permanently or temporarily attached to the front lateral edge  60  of the right side support section to better support the decorative bed skirt in the corner. 
       FIG. 19  is similar to  FIG. 18 , but depicts the decorative bed skirt or decorative dust ruffle shown  12  in  FIG. 18  in an unsupported, prior art configuration. In other words, the decorative bed skirt shown in  FIG. 19  is not being supported by a bed skirt support according to the present invention. As shown, without the bed skirt support of the present invention, the decorative bed skirt or dust ruffle hangs nearly vertically toward the floor. In this limp, droopy configuration, the decorative bed skirt is not only less attractive, but also is more likely to be damaged by someone inadvertently stepping on the decorative bed skirt or sucking a portion of it into a vacuum. 
     Although multiple embodiments of this invention have been described above with a certain degree of particularity, those skilled in the art could make numerous alterations to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention. For example, more than three layers of material or fewer than three layers of material may be used for the support sections. An important feature of this invention is how the support sections support the decorative bed skirt, holding the decorative bed skirt away from the vertical sides of the box spring or lower mattress. All directional references (e.g., upper, lower, inner, outer, upward, downward, left, right, leftward, rightward, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are only used for identification purposes to aid the reader&#39;s understanding of the present invention, and do not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of the invention. Joiner references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, and the like) are to be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between a connection of elements and relative movement between elements. As such, joinder references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and in fixed relation to each other. It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. Changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.