Abstract
The invention comprises a plurality of components, each of which impedes or prevents intrusion by bed bugs onto a bed or kill them upon contact. A fitted sheet, impenetrable to bed bugs is removeably attached to a slippery skirt, which is too smooth for a bed bug to climb. Together, these inhibit bed bugs from climbing to the top of the bed from the floor or through the mattress. Zippers to attach the fitted sheet and slippery skirt are designed to prevent small gaps. Headboard and footboard attachments of a slippery skirt design further prevent incursion and form passive traps for encroaching bed bugs. A pesticide infused second skirt attached to the slippery skirt around the bed springs actively kills bed bugs which contact it, reducing the number of bed bugs living in an infested mattress. All parts except the slippery skirts and pesticidal skirt may be washed or heated in a conventional dryer, killing invasive bed bugs, thereby permitting extended use, reuse and higher effectiveness of the invention.
Claims
1. An apparatus for preventing bed bug infestation comprising: a fitted sheet suitable to be placed on a mattress further comprising one or more layers of bedding material woven densely enough to prevent bed bug penetration through the bedding material and having an elastic perimeter and an adjacent attachment component on which is disposed one half of a bed bug proof zipper and a slippery skirt made from a material with a surface roughness sufficiently smooth to prevent bed bugs from climbing vertically on the slippery skirt and further having one half of a bed bug proof zipper disposed along a long edge of the slippery skirt and in which the slippery skirt is disposed along the entire circumference of the fitted sheet so as to cover the box springs on which a mattress may be disposed and in which the slippery skirt is removeably attached to the fitted sheet by the use of the bed bug proof zipper.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which a slippery skirt material is inserted between the mattress and box springs of a bed, extending outward and downward therefrom to form a pocket to trap bed bugs and upward from the pocket to be removeably affixed to either the headboard or footboard of a bed.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the fitted sheet may be detached from the slippery skirt by the use of a zipper suitable to prevent the penetration of bed bugs, thereby permitting the washing and drying of the fitted sheet in consumer or commercial washing and drying machines or the placement of the fitted sheet into a consumer or commercial dryer to be heated for a period of time sufficient to kill any bed bugs or bed bug eggs.
4. The zipper of claim 3 in which the zipper head is secured in place by use of an I-hook.
5. The zipper of claim 3 in which a flap sealed using a hook and loop device is releasably sealably placed over the zipper head to prevent bed bug penetration.
6. The zipper of claim 3 in which a button cap is releasably attached over the zipper head to prevent bed bug penetration.
7. The zipper of claim 3 in which a pill cap is releasably attached over the zipper head to prevent bed bug penetration.
8. The zipper of claim 3 in which a set of 3M Command Pro fasteners are attached to a flap suitable to be removeably placed over the zipper head to prevent bed bug penetration.
9. A reuseable apparatus for the prevention and control of bed bugs on a bed comprising: a washable and dryable fitted sheet suitable to be placed for use on a mattress; to which is removeably attached around the entire perimeter of the fitted sheet a slippery skirt disposed along the circumference of a box spring set of a bed used in conjunction with a slippery skirt having incorporated therein a pocket trap disposed between the mattress and one or both of the headboard and footboard of the bed in which the slippery skirt removeably attached to the fitted sheet and the slippery skirt disposed on either or both of the headboard and footboard of a bed prevent the direct incursion of bed bugs on the bed and further in which either washing and drying or drying the fitted sheet kills bed bugs or bed bug eggs and in which the fitted sheet and the slippery skirt removeably attached around the perimeter of the fitted sheet are removeably attached using a be bug proof zipper.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view showing the bed bug protection invention encompassing the box springs, mattress, headboard and footboard of a bed.
[0020] FIG. 2 depicts a view of the invention encompassing the bed from a top-down perspective.
[0021] FIG. 3 depicts a partial cut perspective view of the invention depicting the invention on the corner of a mattress and box springs assembly.
[0022] FIG. 4 depicts a partial cross section of the invention utilizing the fitted sheet component to conform to the mattress to ensure sheet will not come off easily or through the regular movement of a person during sleep.
[0023] FIG. 5 depicts a partial cross section of the invention showing the attachment point of the slippery skirt relative to the edge of the box springs so as to cover the anything below the mattress.
[0024] FIG. 6 depicts a partial cross section of the two different skirts depicting two skirts used together, with one skirt being slippery and the other being the a skirt treated with a pesticide.
[0025] FIG. 7 depicts a detail of the zipper which allows the skirt to be removable through a gap between the ends of the zipper trails which allows the zipper head to fully remove itself from the track.
[0026] FIG. 8 depicts a detail of an embodiment of the enclosable zipper mechanism using an I-hook to draw the zipper head across a gap and create a sealed enclosure.
[0027] FIG. 9 depicts a detail of another embodiment of the enclosed zipper mechanism which uses a hook-and-loop mechanism to affix a flap over the opening of the zipper with the flap being attached to the slippery skirt component such that it is also detachable.
[0028] FIG. 10 depicts a plastic button seal embodiment of the enclosed zipper mechanism.
[0029] FIG. 11 depicts a pill cap embodiment of the enclosable zipper mechanism component.
[0030] FIG. 12 depicts a side view of the 3M Command Pro preferred embodiment of the enclosable zipper mechanism component.
[0031] FIG. 13 depicts a view of the 3M Command Pro strips position on an enclosable zipper mechanism.
[0032] FIG. 14 depicts a side view of the footboard component which attaches to the footboard through elastic straps creating a pit-fall like trap for bed bugs that attempt to traverse to the top of the mattress by climbing up the footboard.
[0033] FIG. 15 depicts a Side view of the headboard component which attaches to the headboard through elastic straps creating a pit-fall like trap for bed bugs that attempt to traverse to the top of the mattress by climbing up the headboard.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0034] The following definitions and general principles are made to provide context for the description of preferred embodiments of the invention.
[0035] The invention combines components in which each individual component protects against or prevents infestation by bed bugs or which, in the event of infestation, permits the nearly complete elimination of infestation while allowing the invention to be reused. By this combination of components and reuseability, bed bug infestation is first minimized but, critically, in the event of infestation, the level of infestation is equally able to be returned to a minimum, and the ability of an individual consumer to deal with the infestation at a low cost is maximized. The invention is also consumer friendly because unlike most bed bug mattress products, the fitted sheet embodiment can be installed and maintained by a single person without necessary training in procedures for handling bed bug infestations.
[0036] As depicted in FIG. 1, in the preferred embodiment, the invention's primary component is a one-ply non-porous fitted sheet 10 that prevents the passage of Cimex lectularius or its proboscis through the fitted sheet 10. As depicted in FIG. 4, fitted sheet 10 is attached via a removable but enclosed zipper 26 to an attachment component 24 which is then removeably attached to a slippery skirt 12 via the zipper 26. The smoothness of the slippery skirt 12 prevents bed bugs from climbing toward the fitted sheet 10 from the floor. In the event a bed bug somehow gets into the box springs 18, as depicted in FIG. 15, and then into the mattress 16, the fitted sheet 10 not only serves as a bed covering but also works to prevent bed bugs from being able to bite a host that sits or lies atop the sheet 10. This is achieved by making the fitted sheet 10 from a fabric that is woven tightly enough to create too narrow of a passage for the biting component of the bed bug to pass through. Even if bugs presently infest the mattress, they will have no access to the host as a result of the impenetrable fabric of fitted sheet 10. Although a one-ply fitted sheet is depicted here, other embodiments prevent the use of more than one layer of materials in which each layer of material provides an additive form of infestation protection similar to the total protect of the one-ply. Such single layer and multi-layer fabrics are known in the field.
[0037] As used herein, slippery surface means a low friction, sufficiently smooth, surfaces. Cimex lectularius are able to traverse any surface when placed horizontally; however, they experience great difficulty traversing low-friction surfaces as the incline of the surface increases eventually reaching a point of impassability. A vertical low-friction surface thus presents an unclimbable surface for Cimex lectularius.
[0038] As used herein, barrier or impenetrable surface means a material through which Cimex lectularius can neither pass nor penetrate with their feeding elements.
[0039] As used herein, fitted sheet means a covering for a mattress which utilizes an elastic or similar material to conform to the shape of the mattress and attach snuggly.
[0040] As used herein, outer surface means the wall of the invention facing away from the potentially infested object.
[0041] Conversely inner surface means a surface of the device facing toward the potentially infested object.
[0042] As used herein, top surface means an outer surface of the device upon which pets, humans, hosts, and bedding/pillows may rest and is the top surface of the fitted sheet component.
[0043] As used herein, skirt means an arrangement of material which drapes downwards covering the mattress and/or box springs to the floor of the bedding arrangement.
[0044] As used herein, attachment component 24 means a portion of the single-ply material which connects from the fitted sheet component and hangs outward and down which then connects, via a removable zipper, to the slippery skirt.
[0045] As used herein pesticide treatment means an optional treatment of the interior of the slippery surface skirt which are safe for human proximity and lethal to Cimex lectularius.
[0046] As used herein button cap means an embodiment of the closure mechanism for the enclosed zipper wherein a plastic cap is attached via string to the end of the zipper head and is able to be attached via metal fasteners placed both upon the slippery skirt component as well as the fitted sheet component creating a seal around the end of the zipper trail which prevents passage of Cimex lectularius through the opening at the end of the zipper trail.
[0047] As used herein pill cap means an embodiment of the closure mechanism for the enclosed zipper wherein a plastic oval shaped cap is attached via a hinge to the top of the slippery skirt and is able to be attached via fasteners on the fitted sheet component above the zipper trail creating a seal around the end of the zipper trail which prevents passage of Cimex lectularius through the opening at the end of the zipper trail.
[0048] As used herein Command Pro fasteners or words or phrases of similar effect shall mean an embodiment of the closure mechanism for the enclosed zipper wherein a layer of 3M's Command Pro fastener is attached to the inside surface of the slippery skirt, with the seam of the attachment running along the longer side of the Command Pro fastener and spanning the gap of the end of the zipper trail with the fastener facing inwards.
[0049] With the foregoing in mind, referring to the drawings wherein like or similar references indicate like or similar elements throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 shows a complete incorporation of all elements of the bed bug sanctuary 28 with footboard 614 and headboard 714 attachments. As shown also in FIG. 3 fitted sheet 10 fits to mattress 16 as a standard fitted sheet, with slippery skirt 12 extending downward to cover the outside of box springs 18. FIG. 2 depicts a top down view of fitted sheet 10 in place over mattress 16.
[0050] Referring to FIG. 4, bed bug sanctuary 28 is comprised of material that can be folded for storage and transport and allows for easy placement over a mattress wherein the elastic 22 of the fitted sheet 10 can be attached to the bottom of the mattress without forming a complete seal over the mattress. The elastic 22 allows the device to sufficiently attach to a mattress such that the likelihood the device falls off the bed is minimized. The removeably attached slippery skirt 12 component prevents vertical travel of Cimex Lectularius by being too smooth for the bed bugs to climb.
[0051] Fitted sheet 10 is made of a material such as to prevent the proboscis of the Cimex lectularius from being able to feed on the host from underneath the surface. Fitted sheet 10 can be made of a material with either sufficiently small enough pores that the bed bug proboscis is not able to go through the material or by layering another non-porous material on top of the fabric to create a barrier.
[0052] As depicted in FIG. 5, attachment component 24 is fixedly attached to fitted sheet 10 at elastic 22. Attachment component 24 connects to slippery skirt 12 by zipper 26. The zipper 26 has one half the zipper trail fixedly attached to each of attachment component 24 and slippery skirt 12. Attachment component 24 and zipper 26 allow for the slippery skirt component 12 to be completely removable such that fitted sheet 10 and attachment component 24 may go through an ordinary wash and dry to kill any bugs that gain access to fitted sheet 10 without compromising the functionality of the device or slippery skirt 12.
[0053] FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 depict details how fitted sheet 10, elastic 22, attachment component 24, and zipper 26 fit over mattress 16 and hold slippery skirt 12 in place over box springs 18. FIG. 6 further shows the placement of a pesticide skirt 112 and the placement of a pesticide skirt zipper 110 for the pesticide skirt 112.
[0054] Referring to FIG. 6, pesticide skirt 112 is attached to the slippery skirt 12 at a point where the slippery skirt 12 is proximal to the top edge of the vertical side of a standard box spring 18 via a zipper 110. The pesticide skirt 112 uses the same type of bed bug proof zipper as the slippery skirt 12 attachment of the fitted sheet 10. The pesticide skirt extends outwardly and down and is position on the interior side of the slippery skirt 12 and has a shorter length than slippery skirt 12. The pesticide skirt 112 is infused with a pesticide known to be lethal to Cimex lectularius. The short length of the pesticide skirt 112 limits the possibility of contact by a user with the pesticide skirt 112.
[0055] FIGS. 7 through 13 depict various embodiments of the bed bug proof zipper which are designed to prevent a gap or access point for bed bugs between fitted sheet 10 and slippery skirt 12. Zipper 210 in FIGS. 7 through 13 is the same zipper 26 identified in FIG. 5. To be bed bug proof, zipper 210 must be constructed from parts which are each able to prevent bed bug incursion, such as a cloth or mesh mounting strip 218 woven tightly and zipper teeth 212 which interlock tightly enough to prevent incursion by bed bugs. Referring to FIG. 7, zipper 210 comprises a mounting strip 218, zipper teeth 212 and zipper head 214 which is pulled to close the zipper 210. In use, the slippery skirt 12 has a height and a length. The height of the slippery skirt 12 must be from approximately the floor of the room in which the bed is placed to the top of the box springs 18 on which the bed bug sanctuary 28 is used. The length of the slippery skirt 12 must be as long as the length of the elastic 22 on the fitted sheet 10 so that each half of the zipper 210 can be mounted on each of the fitted sheet 10 and slippery skirt 12 to allow the zipper 210 to form a sealed attachment between the fitted sheet 10 and slippery skirt 12 when placed on the bed. Likewise, slippery skirt 12 must be long enough to cover the perimeter of the bed on which it is used. To make a closure small enough to prevent bed bug incursion, the zipper head 214 is pulled to the end of zipper teeth 212, there is a gap 222 between the end of the zipper teeth 212 and the zipper head 214. In order for this bed bug sanctuary 28 to be effective, gap 222 must be covered, as described in FIG. 8 through 13.
[0056] FIG. 8 depicts an embodiment of the zipper 210 that locks the zipper head 214 in place to prevent the zipper 210 from becoming unzipped on its own accord and to prevent the passage of Cimex lectularius through gap 222 (as depicted in FIG. 7). In FIG. 8, the zipper head 214 is in the locked position forming a complete circuit and the pull tab 216 is affixed in place through an I-hook 224. The I-hook 224 pulls the zipper head 214 taut and is permanently affixed to the slipper skirt 12.
[0057] FIG. 9 depicts another embodiment of the zipper enclosure mechanism that locks the zipper head in place to prevent the zipper from becoming unzipped of its own accord and to prevent the passage of Cimex lectularius through the gap 222. The embodiment is comprised of a hook and loop attachment 240 comprising a flap covering 228 made of the same material as the slippery skirt 12 which covers the zipper head 214 (not shown) and end of zipper 210 creating a seal over the gap 222. The flap covering 228 is affixed to the slippery skirt 12 with a loop attachment 232 being affixed to the flap 228 and the hook attachment 234 being affixed to the fitted sheet 10 of the bed bug sanctuary. The flap covering 228 thus moves from the slippery skirt 12 to attach to the hook component 234 to create the seal over the gap 222 and zipper 210. FIG. 9 depicts the flap covering 228 in both its open position and closed and sealed position.
[0058] FIG. 10 depicts an embodiment of a zipper head 214 that locks the zipper head 214 in place to prevent the zipper 210 from becoming unzipped of its own accord and to prevent the passage of Cimex lectularius through the gap 222. In FIG. 10, the embodiment is comprised of a button cap 310 which is fitted and attaches to both the slippery skirt 12 and fitted sheet 10 through button cap fasteners 312. When the button cap 310 is in aligned with the fasteners 312, a complete circuit is formed covering the zipper head 214 and the gap 222. In FIG. 10, the button cap 310 is depicted in both its open and closed positions.
[0059] FIG. 11 depicts an embodiment of the zipper enclosure mechanism that locks the zipper head 214 in place to prevent the zipper from becoming unzipped of its own accord and to prevent the passage of Cimex lectularius through the gap 222. This embodiment comprises the use of a pill cap 410. The pill cap 410 is a hinged cap that takes the form of an oval which has a hinge 412 on the slippery skirt 12 and attaches upwards to a fastener 414 on the attachment component 24. When the pill cap 410 is aligned with the fastener 414, a complete circuit is formed covering the zipper head 214 and the gap 222. The pill cap is depicted in both its closed and open positions.
[0060] FIGS. 12 and 13 depict embodiments of the zipper enclosure mechanism that locks the zipper head in place to prevent the zipper from becoming unzipped of its own accord and to prevent the passage of Cimex lectularius through the gap 222. FIG. 12 shows a set of 3M Command Prom fasteners 510 and 514 which are affixed to the interior surface 512 of the slippery skirt 12 and the interior surface 526 of the attachment component 24 respectively. The fasteners 510 and 514 are oriented such that they are on the interior surface 522 of slippery skirt 12 and the interior surface 526 of attachment component 24 so as not to interfere with the zipper 212. The fastener 514 attached to the attachment component 24 is affixed with a rigid seam 516 such that the fastener is always maintained at a sufficiently vertical position. Fastener 510 spans the length of the gap 222 and when fastener 514 is attached there is a complete circuit that blocks passage from the interior of the zipper 212 to the exterior surface 520 of the slippery skirt 12 or the exterior surface 524 of attachment component 24. Fastener 510 is affixed to the interior surface 522 of the slippery skirt component 12 and is also oriented such that when not affixed, a hard surface of the fastener 510 is facing the interior of the device. Fastener 510 is attached via a hinged seam 512 which allows for the fasteners 510 and 514 to be fixedly attached or removeable. FIG. 12 details a side view of the device when the fasteners 510 and 514 are not affixed to one another showing the hard seam 516 holding fastener 514 in place over the zipper 210 in the open position. There is also a view wherein fasteners 510 and 514 are attached, completing the circuit in a closed position. FIG. 12 reveals also the flexibility of the hinged seam 512, which allows for fastener 510 to attach to and detach from fastener 514.
[0061] FIG. 13 depicts a view of the 3M Command pro fasteners 510 and 514 from the interior of the device. Both the open and closed perspectives are shown. This perspective details how the circuit of fastener 510 attaching to 514 would be completed without interfering with the movement of the zipper head 214 along the zipper 212.
[0062] FIG. 14 depicts the footboard attachment 620 portion of the bed bug sanctuary 28. The footboard attachment 620 is made of the same slippery material as the slippery skirt 12 so as to prevent the passage of Cimex lectularius. The footboard attachment 620 is attached securely to the footboard 618 by using elastic straps 610 and 612. The elastics straps 610 and 612 ensure that the footboard attachment 620 does not fall off the footboard 618 due to gravity. The footboard attachment 618 is sufficiently long such that when placed properly the top elastic strap 612 has sufficient overhang 614 to keep it secured but allows for slack between the footboard 618 and the bed surface which creates a trap 616. Trap 616 operates as a pitfall trap for Cimex lectularius which attempt to gain access to the fitted sheet 10 through the footboard 618 as they will fall into the trap 616 and the slippery surface will prevent the bugs from being able to escape. This not only inhibits the passage of the bugs but also operates as a passive extermination tool. Overhang 614 may be removeably affixed to footboard 618 by any suitable temporary affixing device.
[0063] FIG. 15 depicts the headboard attachment 720 portion of the bed bug sanctuary 28. The headboard attachment 720 is made of the same slippery material as the slippery skirt 12 so as to prevent the passage of Cimex lectularius. The headboard attachment 720 is attached securely to the headboard 718 by using elastic straps 710 and 712. The elastics straps 710 and 712 ensure that the headboard attachment 720 does not fall off the headboard 718 due to gravity. The headboard attachment 718 is sufficiently long such that when placed properly the top elastic strap 712 sufficient overhang 714 to keep it secure but allows for slack between the headboard 718 and the bed surface to create a trap 716. Trap 716 operates as a pitfall trap for Cimex lectularius which attempt to gain access to the fitted sheet 10 through the headboard 718 as they will fall into the trap 716 and the slippery surface will prevent the bugs from being able to escape. This not only inhibits the passage of the bugs but also operates as a passive extermination tool in that the trapped bed bugs will ultimately starve to death in the trap. Overhang 714 may be removeably affixed to footboard 718 by any suitable temporary affixing device.
