Ventilated mattress cover

Abstract

A ventilated mattress pad for supporting an occupant includes a first and second layer of spacer fabric attached with a zipper to a fitted sheet, mattress cover or the mattress providing ventilation of excessive body heat and moisture away from the body and out into the room air. Integration of the ventilated pad to the sheet or mattress pad provides consistent location of the pad under the occupant while minimizing installation, removal time and effort. The ventilated pad is washable and can be re-attached to a new sheet, mattress cover or mattress when the sheet, mattress pad or mattress is worn out or damaged. The pad also reduces the average pressure on the skin surface.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable.

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

This invention relates in general to a fitted mattress cover. Mattress covers commonly provide cushioning and protect the mattress from soiling. More specifically, this invention provides cushioning and maintains an air duct under the body to remove excessive body heat & moisture and exhaust it out into the room air.

(2) The Prior Art

Prior art includes mattress covers which provide cushioning material to reduce pressure points including the use of gel, captured air, foam, and other synthetic and natural materials. Still other covers provide a material next to the body to improve comfort such as cotton fabrics, wool and blends with various natural and synthetic materials including spacer fabrics. Many products can only be cleaned by wiping the surface thereby opening the potential for human error to adequately clean the cover. Others are difficult to handle and cannot be easily machine washed. Very few provide a mechanism to move excessive body heat and moisture away from the skin.

Our body's cooling system relies on conductive, convective, evaporative and some radiant cooling. A physical law of heat is that it moves from hot to cold areas. Conduction of heat is made when solids transfer heat by direct contact as when our body makes contact with bed sheets. Convective transfer of heat occurs when the air near our skin absorbs body heat. This warm air will pass its heat on to cooler air if such air is available and in effect move the heat away from the skin. As long as cooler air is available the cooling cycle continues resulting in our temperature being maintained. If there is not enough cool air or a cool contact surface available (as when we lie on a mattress) the body will generate sweat to evaporatively cool the body. The event of evaporation requires an input of energy to turn the liquid into a gas. The heat is extracted from the body, thereby cooling it. But, as in the case of most mattress covers, there is little air next to the skin to evaporate the sweat and no evaporative cooling of the skin will take place. One option is rolling to expose the skin to fresh air to achieve cooling. Another option is lowering the mattress cover temperature and/or blowing air thru, which eventually forces the body to generate more heat to maintain core body temperature and puts further stress the body. Rolling to cool hot areas during sleep obviously disrupts any deep sleep and may prevent any sleep. In the hospital setting, rolling with intravenous attachments can be life threatening.

When we lie down our body shape generates pressure points or areas where the pressure is sufficient to constrict blood flow. Relieving the pressure and returning blood flow is essential to maintaining healthy tissue. If possible we roll in our sleep to relieve these pressure points.

None of the prior art provides a cover that can be machine washed and dried, recycled to a new fitted sheet, mattress or mattress cover when the original fitted sheet, mattress, or mattress cover becomes damaged or permanently stained, moves excessive body heat and moisture away from the body and out into the room and reduces the average pressure on the body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates in general to a fitted mattress cover. Mattress covers commonly provide cushioning and protect the mattress from soiling. More specifically, this invention provides cushioning and maintains an air duct for the excessive body heat & moisture to be exhausted out into the room air.

It is desirable to provide a ventilated mattress cover that is economical to manufacture, simple to install, washable, and attaches to sheets, mattress covers, or to the mattress. Furthermore, it is desirable to provide a ventilated mattress cover that ventilates and reduces the average pressure on an occupant. The ventilated mattress cover utilizes a 3-dimensional spacer fabric which conforms to the body and its thousands of vertically aligned fibers act as springs uniformly supporting the body weight. This uniform support helps distribute the weight and reduces the average pressure. The spacer fabric maintains an open-air pathway to the room air allowing air circulation under the occupant.

This invention includes a ventilated mattress cover that is easily & quickly attached to a standard fitted sheet, mattress cover, or mattress equipped with the mating fastening device.

In the preferred embodiment the mattress cover is attached with a brass zipper to the sheet, mattress cover or mattress. Attachment in this manner insures the ventilation pad stays in place under the occupant, provides easy installation, removal, and is completely machine washable as connected to the sheet or mattress cover. The ventilated pad can remain attached until the sheet or mattress cover is discarded due to wear, stains or rips in the sheet or mattress cover. The polyester ventilation pad is much more durable that the cotton blends of the sheet or mattress cover, thereby providing multiple recycling applications. When attached to the sheet in a hospital setting the time required to change and make a bed is minimized.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 Bottom view of a fitted bed sheet with the two layers of spacer fabric zippered to the sheet along the two longest sides.

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of a mattress with the two layers of spacer fabric zippered to the mattress along the length of the mattress. The opposite side would be attached the same way.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a first embodiment of the sheet, and spacer fabric layers prior to sewing together of the spacer fabric layers and zipper or other fastening device.

FIG. 4 Side view of the sheet, small holed spacer fabric layer and large holed spacer fabric layer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of a ventilated mattress cover according to this invention is indicated generally in FIG. 1. The ventilated cover is particularly constructed to be attached to a fitted (10) bed sheet or fitted mattress cover or (13) mattress with a brass zipper. The spacer fabric layers (11,12) are permanently sewed together and provide ventilation and pressure reduction, however, it could also be integrated (FIG. 2) as part of a (13) manufactured mattress and attached with a zipper along the sides of the (FIG. 2) mattress. When placed on a (13) mattress the body weight of the occupant does not totally collapse the (12) large holed spacer fabric (generally between 5-20 mm thick). The (12) spacer fabric maintains an air pathway or duct to the room air. This duct transfers the warmer moist air generated by the occupant out into the room air. The heat and moisture first pass thru the (10) sheet and (11) wicking layer or small hole (2-3 mm diameter) spacer fabric by conduction, convection, radiation and evaporation. This heat and moisture are picked up by the constantly circulating room air present in the (12) large holed spacer fabric layer and exhausted out into the room. The process will continue as long as the room air is cooler and has less humidity than that produced by the occupant. The spacer fabric layers (11,12) can be manufactured into a single layer of spacer fabric with properties representative of layers (11,12).

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the principle and mode of operation of this invention have been explained and illustrated in its preferred embodiments. However, it must be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope.

Claims

1. A ventilated mattress pad apparatus for supporting an occupant thereon, the mattress pad apparatus comprising of three layers of fabric including:

the first layer being a standard fitted sheet of a cotton/polyester blend with a zipper or other fastening device sewn along the length of each side, the second and third layer of materials are sewn together along their length with the other half of the zipper providing for easy removal and reattachment of the second and third layers of materials, the second layer of material is a spacer fabric material with a small hole diameter of 2-3 mm and 2-5 mm thick, the third layer of material is a spacer fabric material with holes as large as 10 mm and 5-20 mm thick, the second and third layers of material provide the ventilation of body heat and humidity out into the room and improve overall comfort, the zipper or other fastening device that attaches the ventilated layers to the sheet provide position control, ease of sanitary maintenance, and easy replacement of a permanently damaged sheet.

2. The second layer and third layer and their described properties of claim 1, where said second layer is bonded into the top surface of the third layer of claim 1.

3. The second fabric layer of claim 1, wherein said fabric layer is an air-permeable, moisture wicking material.

4. The second layer and third layer of claim 1, wherein said layers are sewn together and attached with the zipper along the side of a mattress.