MATTRESS ENCASEMENT

Abstract

A mattress encasement including a first encasement portion and a second encasement portion configured to form an enclosure space is disclosed herein. The first encasement portion and the second encasement portion being connected using a connection means. The enclosure space allows the mattress to be inserted thereinto. In some embodiments, the first encasement portion and the second encasement portion extend out from a connecting portion. In some embodiments, the connecting portion may be configured to encapsulate at least a portion of the mattress during installation when the first and second encasement portions are not connected.

Claims

1. A mattress encasement comprising: a first encasement portion and a second encasement portion, which when connected, form an enclosure space to allow a mattress to be inserted thereinto; a connecting portion from which the first encasement portion and the second encasement portion extend outwardly away, wherein the connecting portion is used to cover at least a portion of the mattress, owing to which the first and second encasement portions are pulled over the mattress subsequently, and joined using a connection means without requiring the mattress to be lifted or tilted.

2. The mattress encasement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first encasement portion and the second encasement portion are connected using a connection means.

3. The mattress encasement as claimed in claim 2, wherein connection means is configured to reversibly connect the first encasement portion with the second encasement portion.

4. The mattress encasement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the connection means is zipper that comprises zipper teeth at the first encasement portion and the second encasement portion, respectively, and further comprises a zipper head to reversibly engage and couple the zipper teeth on the first encasement portion and the second encasement portion together.

5. The mattress encasement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the connection means is any or a combination of a hook-and-loop fastener, a mushroom-shaped hook fastener, a slide fastener, an interlocking plastic strip, an array of press buttons, an array of reversible rivets, and a Velcro strip.

6. The mattress encasement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting portion covers at least a portion of the mattress before the first encasement portion and the second encasement portion are joined by connecting means, wherein the connecting portion, when attached, is defined to have a geometry of an open cuboid.

7. The mattress encasement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first encasement portion and the second encasement portion are stitched separately to the connecting portion.

8. The mattress encasement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first encasement portion and the second encasement portion extend outwards from an edge of the connecting portion so as to form an integrated structure with the connecting portion, wherein the connecting portion allows the first and the second encasement portions to be pivotably separated about a common axis so as to provide the mattress encasement with a clamshell design.

9. The mattress encasement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting portion is characterized by a length along the Z axis within 0.01 times to about 0.12 times of the length of the mattress encasement, and wherein at least one of the first encasement portion and the second encasement portion is characterized by a length within about 0.99 times to about 0.88 times the length of the mattress encasement.

10. The mattress encasement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting portion corresponds to a surface along lateral surfaces of the mattress encasement, and wherein the first encasement portion and the second encasement portion is characterized by a length equal to the length of the mattress encasement, and further wherein the connecting portion is defined as a substantially rectangular strip that covers at least one lateral side of the mattress when installed.

11. The mattress encasement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mattress encasement further comprises one or more loops that allow either of the first encasement portion and the second encasement portion to be pulled by a user, wherein said loops are attached on any surface of any or both of the first encasement portion and the second encasement portion.

12. The mattress encasement as claimed in claim 11, wherein the loops are attached to an outer surface of any or both of the first encasement portion and the second encasement portion, along a longitudinal direction thereof.

13. The mattress encasement as claimed in claim 11, wherein the loops are provided on the side portions to allow the loops to be held from the sides of the first encasement portion and the second encasement portion, and pulled in a desired direction.

14. The mattress encasement as claimed in claim 11, wherein the loops are attached at an inner surface of any or both of the first encasement portion and the second encasement portion so as to allow the loops to be hidden inside the enclosure space when the first encasement portion and the second encasement portion are connected using the connecting means.

15. The mattress encasement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first encasement portion and the second encasement portion are reversible so as to allow them to be used for covering either side of the mattress.

16. The mattress encasement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first encasement portion and the second encasement portion comprise side portions extending from edges of the surfaces thereof, said side portions covering the sides of the mattress.

17. The mattress encasement as claimed in claim 16, wherein the side portions are characterized by height of the encasement, and when installed, provide a substantially cuboidal geometry to the mattress encasement.

18. The mattress encasement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and the second encasement portions have a lining to provide support and/or cushioning to the mattress.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0014] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 1A illustrates an isometric view of a mattress encasement, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIGS. 1B to 1F illustrate isometric views of the mattress encasement being installed on a mattress, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 1G illustrates an isometric view of connecting portion of an alternative mattress encasement, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIGS. 2A to 2C illustrate isometric views of another mattress encasement, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIGS. 3A to 3C illustrate isometric views of the mattress encasement having one or more loops, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address all of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above might not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein.

[0021] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as set forth.

[0022] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details.

[0023] The word exemplary and/or demonstrative is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as exemplary and/or demonstrative is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms includes, has, contains, and other similar words are used in either the detailed description, such terms are intended to be inclusivein a manner similar to the term comprising as an open transition wordwithout precluding any additional or other elements.

[0024] Reference throughout this specification to one embodiment or an embodiment or an instance or one instance means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases in one embodiment or in an embodiment in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0025] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms a, an and the are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms comprises and/or comprising, when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term and/or includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0026] As used herein, substantially means largely or considerably, but not necessarily wholly, that is sufficient to work for the intended purpose. The term substantially thus allows for minor, insignificant variations from an absolute or perfect state, dimension, measurement, result, or the like, as would be expected by a person of ordinary skill in the art, but that do not appreciably affect overall performance.

[0027] As used herein, about means approximately or nearly and in the context of a numerical value or range set forth means 20% of the numeric value.

[0028] Various embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail in reference to FIGS. 1A to 3C.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 1A, a mattress encasement 100 includes a first encasement portion 102 and a second encasement portion 104, which may be configured to form a pocket/enclosure space when connected. The enclosure space may allow a mattress (such as mattress 112 shown in FIGS. 1B to 1F) to be inserted thereinto. The first encasement portion 102 and the second encasement portion 104 may be connected using a connection means. The connection means may be configured to reversibly couple/connect the first encasement portion 102 with the second encasement portion 104. In some embodiments, the connection means may include a zipper having a corresponding zipper teeth 106A and 106B (collectively referred to as zipper teeth 106) at the first encasement portion 102 and the second encasement portion 104, respectively, as shown in FIG. 1A. In such embodiments, the connection means may also include a zipper head 107 configured to reversibly engage and couple the zipper teeth 106 on the first encasement portion 102 and the second encasement portion 104 together. In some embodiments, the mattress encasement 100 may include a connecting portion 108, from which the first encasement portion 102 and the second encasement portion 104 may be configured to extend outwardly away from the connecting portion 108. In some embodiments, the mattress encasement 100 may include one or more loops (such as loops 109-1, 109-2, which are collectively referred to as loops 109), which may allow either of the first encasement portion 102 and the second encasement portion 104 to be pulled by a user.

[0030] In some embodiments, the first encasement portion 102 and the second encasement portion 104 may be configured to cover a top side and a bottom side of the mattress 112, respectively. In other embodiments, the first encasement portion 102 and the second encasement portion 104 may be reversible, thereby allowing them to be used for covering either side of the mattress 112. In some embodiments, the first encasement portion 102 and the second encasement portion 104 may include side portions extending from edges of the surfaces thereof, which cover the sides of the mattress 112. The side portions collectively may be characterized by the height of the encasement and when installed, provide a substantially cuboidal geometry to the mattress encasement 100. It may be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the geometry of the mattress encasement may be suitably adapted based on the geometry of the mattress 112. In some embodiments, the first encasement portion 102 and the second encasement portion 104 may be invertible, i.e., inverted inside out.

[0031] In some embodiments, the first and the second encasement portions 102, 104 may have a lining, configured to provide support and/or cushioning to the mattress 112. In some embodiments, the lining in the first encasement portion 102 may be either same or different from the lining in the second encasement portion 104. When the linings are different, the first and the second encasement portions 102, 104 may be suitably switched based on requirements.

[0032] In some embodiments, the first encasement portion 102 and the second encasement portion 104 may be configured to extend out from the connecting portion 108. In some embodiments, the connecting portion 108 may be configured to cover at least a portion/end of the mattress 112 before the first encasement portion 102 and the second encasement portion 104 are joined by the connecting means. In some embodiments, the connecting portion 108 may be defined to have a geometry of an open cuboid (when stretched). In some embodiments, the first encasement portion 102 and the second encasement portion 104 may be stitched separately to the connecting portion 108. In other embodiments, the first encasement portion 102 and the second encasement portion 104 may extend outwards from an edge of the connecting portion 108, thereby forming an integrated structure with the connecting portion 108. In some embodiments, the connecting portion 108 may allow the first and the second encasement portions 102, 104 to be pivotably separated about a common axis, thereby providing the mattress encasement 100 with a clamshell design.

[0033] In some embodiments, the connecting portion 108 may be characterized by a length (along the Z axis/direction as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1G) within about 0.01 times to about 0.12 times of the length of the mattress encasement 100. Correspondingly, at least one of the first encasement portion 102 and the second encasement portion 104 may be characterized by a length within about 0.99 times to about 0.88 times the length of the mattress encasement 100. The length of the connecting portion 108 may be determined based on geometry/dimension of the mattress 112. In the example shown in FIG. 1A, the mattress encasement 100 has a length of about 80 to about 84, and the connecting portion 108 has a length of about 3. In further embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1G, the connecting portion 108 may correspond to a surface along lateral surfaces of the mattress encasement 100, where the first encasement portion 102 and the second encasement portion 104 may be characterized by a length equal to the length of the mattress encasement 100. In such embodiments, the connecting portion 108 may be defined as a substantially rectangular strip that covers at least one lateral side of the mattress 112 when installed. The rectangular strip may be about 6 wide.

[0034] In some embodiments, the three portions of the mattress encasement 100 (viz. the first encasement portion 102, the second encasement portion 104, and the connecting portion 108) may be made of waterproof materials, water repellent materials, allergen resistant materials, dust/dirt/contaminant proof materials, and the like, as may be known to those skilled in the art. In some examples, the three portions may be made from any one or a combination of biodegradable polyester, bio-sourced thermoplastic polyurethane, and the like, but not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the three portions may be made of stretchable materials configured to stretch and contour to the shape, geometry, and size of the mattress 112. In some embodiments, the zipper size and closure may be constructed such that the mattress encasement 100 prevents entry and exit of pests, like bedbugs.

[0035] In some embodiments, at least one of the first encasement portion 102 and/or the second encasement portion 104 includes the loops 109, which may allow the first encasement portion 102 and/or the second encasement portion 104 to be pulled by the user during installation. The loops may be attached on any surface (inner or outer) of the first encasement portion 102 and/or the second encasement portion 104. For example, the loops 109 may be attached to an outer surface of the first encasement portion 102 and/or the second encasement portion 104, along a longitudinal direction thereof, as shown in FIGS. 3A to 3B. In other examples, the loops 109 may be provided on the side portions, thereby allowing the loops 109 to be held from the sides of the first encasement portion 102 and the second encasement portion 104, and pulled in a desired direction based on requirements. In further examples, the loops 109 may be attached at an inner surface of the first encasement portion 102 and the second encasement portion 104, such that the loops 109 may be hidden inside the enclosure space when the first encasement portion 102 and the second encasement portion 104 are connected using the connecting means, as shown in FIGS. 1A to 1F. In some examples, the loops 109 may be provided at the corners of the mattress encasement 100.

[0036] In some embodiments, the connecting means may correspond to a zipper, as shown in FIGS. 1A to 3C (shown using dashed/dotted/toothed lines). In other embodiments, the connecting means may be any one or a combination of a hook-and-loop fastener, a mushroom-shaped hook fastener, a slide fastener, an interlocking plastic strip, an array of press buttons, an array of reversible rivets, Velcro strips and the like, but not limited thereto.

[0037] Referring to FIGS. 1B to 1F, the mattress 112 may be placed into the enclosure space of the mattress encasement 100. As shown, the mattress 112 may be supported on a support structure 110, such as a cot, beds, floors, cupboards, and the like. The support structure 110 may refer to any surface upon which the mattress 112 may be placed. The mattress encasement 100 may allow the mattress 112 to be placed into the mattress encasement 100 in a horizontal disposition with minimal physical effort, i.e., without requiring the mattress 112 to be lifted or tilted or disposed in a vertical orientation.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 1C, the installation process may involve placing one end of the mattress 112 into the connecting portion 108 of the mattress encasement 100. In such embodiments, the connecting portion 108 may be pulled over at least one portion or end of the mattress 112 such that the connecting portion 108 encapsulates that portion of the mattress 112. Since the length of the connecting portion 108 may be shorter than the length of the mattress encasement 100, the connecting potion 108 may be installed over at least a portion of the mattress 112 without requiring the mattress 112 to be lifted. The first and the second encasement portions 102, 104 may not be taut in such embodiments, and may include bunches/creases/crimps over the mattress 112.

[0039] Once at least the portion of the mattress 112 is placed into the connecting portion 108, the second encasement portion 104 may be pulled underneath the mattress 112, as shown in FIG. 1D. In an embodiment, the second encasement portion 104 may be pulled using the loops 109 attached thereto. The second encasement portion 104 may be pulled along the entire length of the mattress 112. Thereafter, the side portions of the second encasement portion 104 may be pulled and tucked over the sides of the mattress 112.

[0040] The first encasement portion 102 may then be pulled over the entire length of the mattress 112, as shown in FIG. 1E. In an embodiment, the first encasement portion 102 may be pulled either by directly gripping and pulling the first encasement portion 102, or using loops 109 attached thereto. In some embodiments, the first encasement portion 102 may be tucked over the mattress 112 so as to cover the top side and at least a portion of the lateral sides of the mattress 112.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 1F, the first and the second encasement portions 102, 104 may be connected/joined using the connecting means once they are pulled and tucked over the mattress 112. For example, the zipper head 107 may be pulled along the length of the mattress encasement 100, and cause the zipper teeth 106 to engage and close the mattress encasement 100 to complete the installation process. As described, since the length of the connecting portion 108 is substantially smaller than the length of the mattress encasement 100, and since the connecting portion 108 is initially used to cover at least a portion of the mattress 112, the first and second encasement portions 102, 104 may easily be pulled over the mattress 112 subsequently, and joined using the connecting means without requiring the mattress 112 to be lifted or tilted.

[0042] In some embodiments, the mattress encasement 100 may be removed from the mattress 112 by carrying out the above steps in the exact reverse order.

[0043] Referring to FIGS. 2A to 2C, in another embodiment, a mattress encasement 200 may include the first encasement portion 102 and the second encasement portion 104, but not the connecting portion 108. In such embodiments, the first and the second encasement portions 102, 104 may have a shape/geometry of an open cuboid (when stretched), as shown in FIG. 2A. Further, in such embodiments, the connecting means may be provided on the edges of the lateral surfaces of the first encasement portion 102 and the second encasement portion 104, respectively. During the installation process, the second encasement portion 104 may be pulled underneath the mattress 112 such that the mattress 112 rests on the second encasement portion 104 with the side edges of the second encasement portion pulled out, as shown in FIG. 2B. Thereafter, the first encasement portion 102 may be pulled over the mattress 112. Thereafter, the first encasement portion 102 may be connected to the second encasement portion 104 using the connecting means, as shown in FIG. 2C.

[0044] Referring to FIGS. 3A to 3C, the loops 109 may have different geometries, shapes, and positions. As shown in FIG. 3A, the loops 109 may be defined as loops/hoops attached to the first encasement portion 102 and/or the second encasement portion 104. Such loops 109 may allow one or more fingers/digits of the user's hand to be inserted into the loops 109, and allow the user to comfortably grip and pull the first encasement portion 102 and/or the second encasement portion 104 in a desired direction. In another embodiment, the loops 109 may be defined as pouches configured to receive one or more fingers/digits of the user. Such pouches may allow the user to comfortably grip and pull the first encasement portion 102 and/or the second encasement portion 104 over or underneath the mattress during installation. In other embodiments, the loops 109 may be defined as a handle that allows the user to grip and pull the loops 109 using their palms. In such embodiments, the loops 109 may have a substantially longitudinal contour, as shown in FIG. 3B. In further embodiments, the loops 109 may be configured to receive other tools, such as hooks, handles, and the like, which may assist in pulling the first encasement portion 102 and/or the second encasement portion 104 during installation process. In some embodiments, the loops 109 may be attached to the first and/or the second encasement portions 102, 104 using any one or a combination of stitches, pins, hooks, and the like, but not limited thereto. The loops 109 may be made of non-stretchy materials or stretchy materials like elastic or knitted fabric.

[0045] In some embodiments, the loops 109 may be attached to either one or both the first and second encasement portions 102, 104. In some embodiments, the loops 109 may be attached on an inner side the first and second encasement portions 102, 104 (i.e., side/surface that come into contact with the mattress 112), as shown in FIGS. 1A, 3A, and 3B. In other embodiments, the loops 109 may be attached to the first and second encasement portions 102, 104 on an outer side (i.e., side/surface opposite to the inner side), as shown in FIG. 3C. Further, in some embodiments, the loops 109 may be positioned on a face of the mattress encasement 100 opposite to the face having the connecting portion 108, as shown in FIGS. 1A, 3A and 3B. In other embodiments, the loops 109 (such as loops 109-1 to 109-4) may be positioned on a face of the mattress encasement 100 adjacent to the connecting portion 108, as shown in FIG. 3C. Further, in some embodiments, the loops 109 may be placed on an end opposite to that of the connecting portion 108, thereby allowing the user to pull and stretch the first and/or second encasement portions 102, 104 away from the connecting portion 108 once placed around the mattress 112. In other embodiments where the mattress encasement 100 does not include any loops 109, the user may pinch, grip, and/or pull the first and/or the second encasement portions 102, 104 to fit the mattress encasement 100 over the mattress 112.

[0046] A person of ordinary skill in the art will readily ascertain that the illustrated steps are set out to explain the exemplary embodiments shown, and it should be anticipated that ongoing technological development will change the manner in which particular functions are performed. These examples are presented herein for purposes of illustration, and not limitation. Further, the boundaries of the functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description. Alternative boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed. Alternatives (including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., of those described herein) will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. Such alternatives fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosed embodiments.

[0047] One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that techniques consistent with the present disclosure are applicable in other contexts as well without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

[0048] What has been described and illustrated herein are examples of the present disclosure. The terms, descriptions, and figures used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. Many variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the subject matter, which is intended to be defined by the embodiments of the present disclosure and their equivalents in which all terms are meant in their broadest reasonable sense unless otherwise indicated.