BED SHEET FASTENER

Abstract

The present application discloses a bedsheet fastening device for fastening bedsheet to a mattress and holding it in place. The device comprises magnets configured to hold the bedsheet to the mattress and prevent it from rumpling. In some embodiments, the device comprises a plurality sets of magnets with each set of magnets comprising a first piece of magnet and a second piece of magnet. The first piece of magnet is affixed to the mattress and the second piece of magnet can be attached to and removed from the first piece of magnet. The plurality sets of magnets are arranged on the mattress and can hold a bedsheet securely in place. The bedsheet can be removed by separating the first piece of magnet from the second piece in each set. In some embodiments, magnets are housed in a protective cover or a holder, for example, an insert or a panel.

Claims

1. A bedsheet fastener comprising one or more sets of magnets, wherein each set of magnets comprising: a first piece of magnet, said first piece of magnet configured to be affixed to a mattress; and a second piece of magnet, said second piece of magnet being attachable to and detachable from the first piece of magnet; wherein the one or more sets of magnets are configured to hold a bedsheet in place by clasping the bedsheet in between the first piece and second piece of magnet of each set of magnets when the one or more sets of magnets are arranged on a mattress.

2. The bedsheet fastener of claim 1, wherein the first piece of magnet is mechanically affixed to the mattress.

3. The bedsheet fastener of claim 2, wherein the first piece of magnet is placed in an insert, and wherein the insert is affixed to the mattress.

4. The bedsheet fastener of claim 3, wherein the insert comprises a first panel for holding the first piece of magnet and a base to be placed underneath the mattress.

5. The bedsheet fastener of claim 1, wherein the first piece of magnet is affixed to the mattress via chemically means.

6. The bedsheet fastener of claim 5, wherein the first piece of magnet is glued to the mattress.

7. The bedsheet fastener of claim 1, wherein the second piece of magnet is placed in a second panel, and wherein the second panel comprises a handle for holding by hand.

8. An apparatus for fastening a bedsheet to a mattress, comprising: an insert that comprises a vertical pane and a base, wherein said vertical pane is configured to hold one or more pieces of magnets and wherein said base is configured to be placed underneath the mattress; and an attachment panel configured to hold one or more pieces of magnets. wherein the attachment panel is attached to the vertical pane via magnets to secure the bedsheet in between the attachment panel and the vertical pane.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the vertical pane comprises a horizontal panel and wherein the attachment panel and the horizontal panel have one or more hollow portions arranged at matching locations, each of said hollow portions configured to hold a piece of magnet.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the attachment panel further comprises a handle for holding by hand.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the attachment panel and the vertical pane have one or more inner pockets arranged at matching locations, each of said inner pocket configured to hold a piece of magnet.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is made of plastic, cardboard, metal or wood.

13. An apparatus for fastening a bedsheet to a mattress, comprising: an insert comprising a vertical pane and a base, wherein said base is configured to be placed underneath the mattress and wherein said vertical pane is connected to the base; and an attachment panel, wherein the attachment panel is configured to be attachable to the vertical pane via magnet to secure the bedsheet in between the attachment panel and the vertical pane.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the vertical pane of the insert is made of metal and the attachment panel is configured to hold one or more pieces of magnet.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the attachment panel is made of metal and the vertical pane is configured to hold one or more pieces of magnet.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the attachment panel further comprises a handle for holding by hand.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] These and other features of the present disclosure will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the views. Moreover, components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 1a is an illustration of a conventional mattress set.

[0014] FIG. 1b shows a rumpled bedsheet when it is not securely fastened to the mattress.

[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary bedsheet fastener 100.

[0016] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the bedsheet fastener holding a bedsheet in place.

[0017] FIG. 4 illustrates a first piece of magnet in an exemplary embodiment of the bedsheet fastener that is attached to the mattress.

[0018] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary insert of the bedsheet fastener affixed to the mattress.

[0019] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary insert of the bedsheet fastener.

[0020] FIG. 7 illustrates panels used in an exemplary embodiment of the bedsheet fastener.

[0021] FIG. 8 illustrates exemplary panels used in the bedsheet fastener.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Embodiments of the disclosure are described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the disclosure are shown. The various embodiments of the disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0023] In referring to FIG. 1a, a conventional mattress set 10 is depicted. A mattress set often includes a box-spring 12 at the bottom and a mattress 14 on top. Traditionally, a mattress cover and/or a fitted bedsheet are placed on top of the mattress 14 for protection and comfort. A fitted bedsheet is often fitted with elastic band and used to wrap over the corners of the mattress 14. Elastic bands do not offer strong enough force to hold a fitted bedsheet in place after a night's sleep. A fitted bedsheet often becomes scrunched up as shown in FIG. 1b. Means that offers stronger force to hold a bedsheet firmly is available but can make changing bedsheet inconvenient or difficult.

[0024] A commercially available product called QuickZip comes with two separate components: a fitted base that is placed on the underside of a mattress and an upper zip-on sheet that is zipped onto the fitted base. The zip-on sheet is firmly held to the fitted base via zipper. So QuickZip makes it convenient to remove the zip-on sheet for wash by simply unzipping the upper portion. However, QuickZip does not work with conventional bedsheets and purchasers of QuickZip cannot reuse the bedsheets they currently own. Also, the upper portion of QuickZip may shrink after multiple washes and it becomes difficult or impossible to zip the upper portion onto the fitted base.

[0025] Another commercially available product called SheetLock is simply an elastic band designed to wrap around each end of a mattress to hold a bedsheet in place. SheetLock comes in different sizes that match standard mattress sizes, such as king, queen, full, etc. SheetLock products are not adjustable to fit any mattress size, such as those non-standard ones. SheetLock products are also meant to work with fitted sheet, not flat sheet or duvet cover. Flat sheets and duvet covers still need to be tucked under the mattress 14.

[0026] The bedsheet fastener disclosed herein provides a simple and economic way to keep bedsheet neat and tight, and also makes it convenient to change bedsheet. The bedsheet fastener disclosed herein can work on any mattress and with any bedsheet or duvet cover, without having to buy custom-made mattress, bed frame or bedsheets. It can be adopted and implemented by all households.

[0027] An exemplary bedsheet fastener 100 disclosed herein comprises one or more sets of magnets 102a-102g. Each set 102 comprises two pieces of magnets, 200 and 300. The first piece 200 is used for being attached to a mattress. The second magnet 300 is attachable to and detachable from the first piece 200. The two pieces of magnets in each set can hold a bedsheet in between and clasp the bedsheet firmly by magnetic force. In some embodiments, the first piece of magnet 200 can be mechanically affixed to the mattress. In some embodiments, the first piece of magnet 200 can be affixed to the mattress via chemically means. For example, the first piece of magnet 200 can be glued to the mattress. Removable adhesive can be used to allow easy and clean removal when the bedsheet fastener needs to be taken off from the mattress.

[0028] The one or more sets of magnets can be arranged on a mattress, for example, on the four corners. Each set holds the bedsheet in between the first piece and the second piece of magnets. The magnets provide the holding force needed to keep a bedsheet in place and prevent it from rumpling. Depending on the size of the mattress, multiple sets of magnets can be used. For example, for a twin-size mattress, 4 sets of magnets may be sufficient to provide strong enough holding force. For a king-size mattress, perhaps 8 sets or 12 sets of magnets are needed. Users can always purchase additional sets of magnets if stronger holding force is desirable. The bedsheet fastener 100 disclosed herein can work with any mattress size and any bedding, e.g., fitted bedsheet, top bedsheet, and duvet cover. Unpackaged or naked magnets or magnetic strips can be used. However, for ease of handling and for protection, magnets may be housed within panels or covered in protective overlay or sheath. In the following sections, different embodiments of covers or sheaths are described as magnet containers.

[0029] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary bedsheet fastener 100 used on a mattress 10. The bedsheet fastener 100 holds a bedsheet. Only one set of magnets is shown in FIG. 3. Each set of magnets of the bedsheet fastener comprises two pieces of magnet, 200 and 300. The first piece 200 (hidden behind the bedsheet in FIG. 3, shown in FIG. 4) is affixed to the mattress. The second piece of magnet 300, which is visible in FIG. 3, is attachable to the first piece of magnet 200 via magnetic force and detachable from the first piece 200. Magnets or magnetic strips are housed in the two squares 320 at the two ends of the second piece 300. The second piece of magnet 300 also includes a handle 350 for handling by hand.

[0030] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary first piece magnet 200 of the bedsheet fastener 100. In FIG. 4, the first piece 200 is shown to comprise two components, an insert 410 and a panel 400. The insert 410 is mechanically affixed to the mattress set 10 and will be explained in more details in FIG. 5. The panel 400 is attached to the insert 410 and houses magnets or magnetic strips inside. The panel 400 matches the second piece 300 (shown in FIG. 3) in size and in configuration. In both the panel 400 and the second piece 300, magnets or magnetic strips are placed near the ends to enhance the magnetic force between the first piece 200 and the second piece 300 when they are attached together. The second piece 300 has a handle for ease of handling by hand. The second piece 300 can be attached to or detached from the first piece 200 by hand. The panel 400 can be attached to or detached from the inset 410 by hand.

[0031] The details of the insert 410 are illustrated in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. The exemplary insert 410 depicted in FIG. 5 comprises a base 420 and a pane 430. The base 420 is flat and horizontal. The base 420 is to be inserted in between the mattress 12 and the box spring 14 when in use. The base 420 has a relatively large width, w, so that the base 420 does not slip off the mattress 12. The pane 430 is vertical and is attached to the base 420. When the base 420 is inserted in between the mattress 12 and the box spring 14, the pane 430 sits straight against the side of the mattress 12, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0032] In FIG. 6, the insert 410 is tucked in between the mattress 12 and the box spring 14. The weight of the mattress 12 sits on top of the base 420 and firmly holds the insert 410 in place.

[0033] The exemplary pane 430 in the bedsheet fastener embodiment shown in FIG. 5 comprises multiple vertical ribs 450. On both sides of each vertical rib 450, there are an array of cutouts or holes 440, The array of cutouts or holes 440 is used for receiving the panel 400. The structure of the panel 400 is illustrated in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8.

[0034] In some embodiments, the panel 400 and the second piece 300 in the shape of a panel have similar structures. FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show two panels having matching configuration. In FIG. 7, the panel 300 comprises two end squares 320 and a handle 350 connecting the two end squares 320. On each of the end squares 320, there is an indentation or recess 328. A magnet or magnetic strip can be placed into the recess 328. Glue or adhesive can be used to attach the magnet onto the wall of the recess 328. In some embodiments, more than one recess may be cut out or formed on each of the end squares 320. The panel 400 is configured with two recesses 428 (not shown in FIG. 7) that match the recesses 328 on the panel 300, as shown in FIG. 8. The two recesses 428 are formed on the front side of the panel 400. On the back side of the panel 400, there are multiple ribs 438 that are vertically arranged. On each side of the ribs 438, multiple notches 436 are arranged similarly to the array of cutouts or holes 440 on the vertical pane 430. The notches 436 can be inserted into the cutouts 440 when the panel 400 is attached to the pane 430. The height at which the panel 400 is attached to the panel 430 is adjustable by using different cutouts on the vertical pane 430.

[0035] The first piece magnet 200 in each set of magnets (see FIG. 2) can be affixed to a mattress set 10 via different means, e.g., mechanical or chemical means. In the embodiments described above, the first piece magnet 200 is affixed to the mattress set 10 mechanically. The first piece magnet 200 can also be affixed to the mattress via chemical means. For instance, the first piece 200 may be glued onto the mattress via removable adhesive. Removable adhesive does not leave residue on the mattress and does not damage the mattress, which makes it an ideal means to attach the first piece 200 to the mattress.

[0036] The bedsheet fastener 100 disclosed herein can be made of any suitable materials. For example, plastics, cardboard, metal, resin, etc. In some embodiments, each set of the bedsheet fastener 100 may comprise one piece of magnet and one piece of metal. For example, when the insert 410 is made of metal, the panel 300, which houses magnets, are attachable to and detachable from the insert 410 due to the magnetic force between the metal inset 410 and the magnets housed in the panel 300. In this case, there is no need to use magnets in the insert 410. For another example, when the panel 300 is made of metal, the panel 300 is attachable to and detachable from the insert 410 that houses magnet. In some embodiments, magnets are still used in the metallic insert 410 or metallic panel 300 to enhance the magnetic force.

[0037] Although the disclosure is illustrated and described herein with reference to specific embodiments, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications may be made in the details within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims and without departing from the disclosure.