Beds – Mattress – Having atypical outer covering or ticking
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-14
2001-05-15
Melius, Terry Lee (Department: 3628)
Beds
Mattress
Having atypical outer covering or ticking
C005S722000, C005S738000, C005S497000, C005S499000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230352
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a crib sheet. More specifically, the invention relates to a sheet that reduces the risk of infant smotherings.
(2) Background
Conventional sheets can be broken out into two broad categories, fitted and unfitted. Unfitted sheets are substantially flat pieces of material with a dimension that permits them to be tucked in to encompass a top surface and sides of a mattress with sufficient material on which the mattress rests to retain the sheet in place. Such sheets are easily dislodged from a mattress, as it is only the weight of the mattress that retains the sheet thereon. Fitted sheets are designed for a particular size of mattress and typically have elastic gathers at the corners. The corners of the mattress can then be seated in these elastic gather formed corners of the fitted sheet. The elastic helps retain the sheet on the mattress. However, it is typically suffciently elastic that pulling on the sheet will cause the elastic to stretch and the sheet is thereby dislodgeable from the mattress without significantly bending or deforming the mattress. Crib sheets fall into the same broad categories but are, of course, smaller in size than conventional sheets. Both kinds of sheets when used in cribs have been found to be subject to accidental dislodgment and have resulted in a number of infant suffocations.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A safety crib sheet and a safety crib sheet mattress assembly to reduce the risk of infant smothering is disclosed. Pieces of material are sewn such that the resulting sheet can not be installed or dislodged from the mattress without substantially deforming the mattress. In one embodiment, a mattress is formed in two subsections coupled along a fold line. The mattress must be folded in half along the fold line to install or dislodge the sheet. In another embodiment, a conventional crib mattress is used with a sheet that covers a substantial portion of the underside of the mattress and is sufficiently unelastic that the mattress must be significantly bent at least at the corners to permit the sheet to be installed or dislodged.
REFERENCES:
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patent: 6026525 (2000-02-01), Davis
Blakely , Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman LLP
Hewitt James M
Melius Terry Lee
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