Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02637014 2008-07-04
SAFETY BEDDING SYSTEM
Field of the Invention
[0001]The present invention generally relates to bedding, and in particular,
relates to
bedding which incorporates safety features that are advantageous for use with
infants or
other at risk individuals.
Background of the Invention
[0002]The incidence of Sudden Infant Death syndrome (SIDs) and its apparent
link to
infant sleeping positions has resulted in the development of various crib
positioning
devices and bedding articles.
[0003]U.S. Patent No. 5,746,219, for example, describes an infant sleep
positioning
device for maintaining an infant in a back sleeping position. The device
comprises a
longitudinal belt member which includes fastener straps at either end thereof
for
fastening the belt to crib rails. Centrally located on the belt member is
attachment means
which can be releasably attached to attachment means on a diaper member for
placement
on an infant. With the diaper member in place on an infant, the infant can be
attached to
the belt member which is in turn fastened at either end to the crib to
maintain the infant in
the desired position during sleep.
[0004]A number of similar devices and modified sheets are also described in
U.S. Patent
Nos. 5,208,925, 5,400,803 and 6,708,356.
[0005]Other positioning devices have also been developed such as the crib
blanket
described in U.S. Patent No. 2,677,834 which comprises a number of straps to
fasten the
blanket to rails of a crib, as well as a strap fixed to one end of the blanket
that is adapted
for fastening around the body of a baby to maintain the blanket's position
relative to the
baby during sleeping.
[0006]Despite the foregoing, a need exists for safety bedding, for use with
infants or
other at risk individuals, that maintains safety and comfort and provides one
or more
features not provided by the previously developed sheets, blankets and related
devices.
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Summary of the Invention
[0007]A novel safety bedding system has now been developed for use with a crib
or other
bed which includes a lower layer having a body retaining means and a cover
layer having
means to fasten the cover layer to the bed. The cover layer is also detachably
fastened to
the lower layer to allow easy separation of the lower layer and cover layer
for washing
purposes, as well as for seasonal changing of the cover layer to a more
appropriate
weight.
[0008]Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention, a bedding system is
provided, for use
on a bed with a mattress, comprising:
a lower layer for covering at least a portion of a mattress, said lower layer
comprising body retaining means; and
a cover layer comprising first fastening means to detachably connect the cover
layer to the bed and second fastening means to detachably connect the cover
layer
to the lower layer.
[0009]This and other aspects of the invention will become apparent by
reference to the
detailed description that follows and the accompanying drawings in which:
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0010]Figure 1 illustrates a top view of a bedding system in accordance with
an
embodiment of the invention;
[0011 ]Figure 2 illustrates a top view of an infant retained in a bedding
system uncovered
by the cover layer; and
[0012]Figure 3 illustrates a top view of an infant retained in a bedding
system covered by
the covered layer.
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Detailed Description of the Invention
[0013]A bedding system 10 is provided, as shown in Figure 1, for use on a bed
having a
mattress. The system 10 comprises a lower layer 12 and a cover layer 22.
[0014]The lower layer 12 is a sheet-like layer that generally covers at least
a portion of a
mattress on which it is laid, and will generally cover an area on which an
individual will
lie. As shown, the lower layer 12 includes means to retain the lower layer 12
in position
on the mattress. The retaining means 14 are not particularly restricted and
may include a
peripheral edging adapted to fit around the edges of the mattress, for example
an
elasticized edging around the periphery or parts thereof such as at the
corners of the
lower layer 12 as shown. Alternatively, the retaining means 14 may be
longitudinal
straps located about the periphery of the lower layer 12, and generally at the
corners
thereof, which are connected by first and second ends to the periphery of
lower layer 12
in spaced relation. The straps, thus, are used to hook under the corners of
the mattress to
retain the lower layer 12 in position covering the mattress. Other retaining
means 14 may
also be utilized including, for example, Velcro patches applied to the
underside of the
lower layer 12 for connection to corresponding patches applied to the mattress
or
mattress cover.
[0015]The lower layer 12 is sheet-like and adapted to cover a mattress onto
which it is
laid. It may be generally rectangular in shape, but may also be otherwise
shaped such as
square, oval, etc. It need not cover the entire mattress. The lower layer 12
includes top
and bottom ends 13a and sides 13b joining the top and bottom ends 13a. The
lower layer
12 may be made of a variety of fabrics preferably including cotton, flannel
and other
fabrics or blends thereof which are compatible with the skin, soft to touch,
and which
provide comfort to lie on. The lower layer 12 may itself comprise multiple
layers, for
example a padded layer to provide increased comfort or a waterproof layer for
mattress
protection.
[0016]The lower layer 12 comprises a body retaining means 16 which functions
to
engage a portion of an individual, such as an infant, lying on the lower layer
12 when in
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place on a mattress to maintain the position of the individual on the
mattress. Preferably,
the body retaining means 16 engages the lower abdomen of an individual as
shown.
Although the body retaining means 16 may engage either the upper or lower body
of an
individual, an abdominal core retaining means 16 advantageously provides an
individual
with upper body mobility, as well as mobility for both arms and legs as shown
in Fig. 2,
that may be less constraining on the individual and, thus, more comfortable.
In this
regard, the body retaining means 16 is made out of any material that
comfortably engages
the individual and is compatible with skin. Thus, body retaining means 16 may
comprise
fabrics such as cotton, flannel, fabric blends and other materials
conventionally used to
make bedding. The body retaining means 16 may additionally comprise a material
that is
flexible in nature, such a elastic or other similar material, for example an
elastic band
edging, to provide a snug yet comfortable fitting body retaining means 16.
[0017]In one embodiment, the body retaining means 16 comprises a diaper-like
conformation including a back panel 18 from which first and second side flaps
18a, 18b
extend and a corresponding front panel 20. The back panel 18 is fixed by
stitching or by
other appropriate means to the lower layer 12 while the first and second side
flaps 18a,
18b are fixed at one end to the back panel 18 and are free at the other end
for attachment
to the front panel 20. As will be appreciated, the body retaining means may
simply
include the side flaps 18a, 18b and front panel 20, both of which may be fixed
directly to
the lower layer 12. The front panel 20 covers the crotch and tummy area of an
individual, while the first and second side flaps 18a, 18b fold over the tummy
of the
individual and join by selected joining means 21 to the front panel 20 to
retain the
individual therein. Joining means 21 such as straps, ties, buttons, clips,
Velcro and the
like are suitable to connect the side flaps to the front panel 20 to form the
body retaining
means 16. The body retaining means 16 may also be a unitary structure into
which the
individual's abdomen is placed including means to tighten or fasten the
unitary structure
onto the individual to retain the individual therein. Such tightening or
fastening means
may include ties, belts, clips, fastening means such as Velcro and the like.
[0018]The bedding system 10 additionally includes a cover layer 22 shaped to
cover an
individual having top and bottom ends 23a and sides 23b joining the top and
bottom ends
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23a. The cover layer 22 includes first fastening means 24 to connect the cover
layer 22 to
the bed to maintain it in position covering an individual and to prevent it
from covering
the face of the individual and to prevent it from not properly covering the
individual. The
first fastening means 24 are generally located at one or more positions along
each side
23b of the cover layer 22 and are sufficient to detachably connect the cover
layer 22 to
the bed. The term "bed" is used herein to encompass a conventional bed
essentially
including a frame and a mattress as well as a crib, playpen or child's bed
which generally
additionally includes side rails. Thus, examples of suitable fastening means
24 include
ties, straps adapted to loop around part of the bed frame or crib side rail
and fasten to
itself or the cover layer by clip, button or material fastener such as Velcro.
It is preferred
to fasten the cover layer 22 to the bed rails or other structures which extend
above the
level of the mattress to allow circulation of air around a covered individual
while sleeping
which helps to prevent overheating and to avoid undue restraint of the
individual.
[0019]The cover layer 22 is made out of a material suitable to cover an
individual while
sleeping or resting, and may be the same as or different from the lower layer
12, such as
cotton, flannel, fleece and other suitable fabrics and fabric blends. A
preferred cover
layer 22 is a bed cover or blanket. Particularly preferred is a cover layer 22
which is
lightweight to reduce the likelihood of SIDS.
[0020]The cover layer 22 is advantageously detachably connected at its bottom
end 23a
to the bottom end 13a of the lower layer 12 by a second fastening means 26.
Examples
of appropriate second fastening means include buttons, clips, zippers, ties
and the like.
This detachable feature permits ready separation of the cover layer 22 from
the lower
layer 12 for washing purposes as well as to permit changing of the cover layer
22 during
seasonal temperature change to allow use of a warmer cover layer 22 in the
winter and a
cooler cover layer 22 in the summer.
[0021 ]In use, the lower layer 12 of the bedding system 10 is connected to the
mattress of
the bed by retaining means 14. The individual/infant is placed in the body
retaining
means 16 and fastened therein preventing significant movement of the
individual which
may lead to the limbs or head of the individual getting stuck between bed or
crib rails,
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and to prevent the individual from rolling over. The cover layer 22, which is
fastened at
its bottom end 23a to the bottom end 13a of the lower layer 12 by the second
fastening
means 26, is pulled up to appropriately cover the individual, e.g. cover the
individual up
to about the chest or neck region of the individual as shown in Fig. 3. The
cover layer 22
is then fastened to the bed, for example at bed or crib rails, by the first
fastening means
24 to maintain the cover layer in a desired position relative to the
individual. In addition,
placement in the body retaining means 16 maintains the position of the
individual relative
to the bed as well as relative to the cover layer 22. Thus, use of the safety
bedding
system 10 maintains both the safety and comfort of an individual.
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