Beds – Receptacle or support for use with bed – To support or attach bedclothes
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-04
2001-10-02
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3628)
Beds
Receptacle or support for use with bed
To support or attach bedclothes
C005S658000, C005S496000, C005S498000, C024S072500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06295670
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for securing bedding to either conventional or waterbed mattresses, and more particularly to a bed covering retention apparatus that simultaneously secures top sheets and upper blankets or coverings.
2. Discussion of Related Art
High quality sheets and other bed coverings, such as down and satin comforters, have smooth, slippery fabric finishes. In consequence, sheets and covers tend to slide easily relative to one another, and when one or more bed occupants sleep fitfully and restlessly, the bedding may be entirely displaced from the bed. It is not uncommon for children to kick off the covers during the night, and a common complaint from one bed partner to another is that the offender “steals” the covers. It is probably not an exaggeration to suggest that this has seriously strained some relationships, and it unquestionably causes simple discomfort on a routine basis.
Numerous solutions have been proposed to address this problem, including the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,391 to Foster discloses a bed covering retaining device comprising a central band of stiff, smooth material and elastic straps attached to opposite ends of the band, and openable and lockable fasteners with jaws attached to the ends of the straps. The device is placed under a mattress and the fasteners are clamped to opposite sides of the cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,399 to Grills discloses a sheet fastening assembly for releasable securing sheets to an object. Included in the assembly is an anchoring device, an interconnecting device and a sheet fastener. The sheet fastener includes a sheet grasping member which is slideable within a slot defined by a clasping member of the fastener for releasable securing sheet material therebetween. The slidable sheet grasping member is provided with locking tabs for releasable locking the slidable member in a sheet engaging position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,470 to Lysiak teaches a device for holding bedclothes in a fixed position on a bed, the device comprising three component parts all positioned under the topmost mattress of the bed. The three parts include: a) an anchor member having a plurality of cooperable fastening means disposed generally at peripheral points on it, the fastening means counter poised against one another; b) a plurality of elasticized retaining members having length adjusting mechanism and cooperable fastening means to those on the anchoring member; and c) a plurality of clamps having pivotally connected gripping segments, a closure forcing element and cooperably insertable associated independent coupling elements, said clamps connected to the retaining members. Any number of bedclothes, at any point adjacent to the lower edge of the uppermost cushioned structure, are wrapped around an associated independent coupling element and the associated independent coupling element and bedclothes are then inserted into the clamps. The bedclothes are then tucked under the uppermost cushioned structure of the bed and the elasticized retaining hand is then fastened to the anchoring member the cooperable fastening means. The bedclothes are fastened to the device at opposite sides of the bed and are so held in place by the device through opposing counterpoised force.
Although the proposed solutions provide the general means to secure bedding, each suffers deficiencies not present in the instant invention. For example, both the '391 patent and the '399 patent are not suitable for convenient fastening of a plurality of covers. Furthermore, the '391 patent and the '470 patent are designed to secure covers through counterpoised force, the latter comprising a network of bands. This requires that bands and/or anchor members be positioned either transversely or longitudinally along the bed so that each fastening member have a counterpart on the opposite side of the bed.
The present invention overcomes the limitations of existing devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The bed covering retention apparatus of the present invention comprises a planar anchor plate having a proximal portion and a distal portion, an upper surface and a lower surface, and two anchor points at the proximal end of the anchor plate to which elastic bands are removably connected. The first and second elastic bands have a proximal end and distal end and extend from the anchor points along the bottom surface of the anchor plate until each emerges upwardly through respective apertures. The bands further include releasable jaws having an adjustable opening and adjustable tension so that they can be clamped securely to sheets and covers of varying thicknesses.
The elastic bands are preferably of differing lengths so that one is suited to clamping to an innermost bed covering and the other for clamping to and securing coverings above the innermost covering.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 387602 (1997-12-01), Cerdan
patent: 2321394 (1943-06-01), King
patent: 2459497 (1949-01-01), Calabro
patent: 2931084 (1960-04-01), De Witt
patent: 4199830 (1980-04-01), Ogata
patent: 4662016 (1987-05-01), Seeman
patent: 4679265 (1987-07-01), Wicks
patent: 4782543 (1988-11-01), Hutton et al.
patent: 4829617 (1989-05-01), Dameron
patent: 5014399 (1991-05-01), Grisel
patent: 5072470 (1991-12-01), Lysiak
patent: 5148560 (1992-09-01), Torres
patent: 5160306 (1992-11-01), Lui
patent: 5377391 (1995-01-01), Foster
patent: 5404602 (1995-04-01), Kondo
patent: 5467491 (1995-11-01), Griffith
patent: 5974606 (1999-11-01), Moberly
Browne Lynne H.
Johnson Larry D.
Johnson & Stainbrook LLP
Santos Robert G.
Stainbrook Craig M.
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