United States Patent [19]
`Woodcock
`
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] 7 Date of Patent:
`
`5,050,256
`Sep. 24, 1991
`
`[54] ALLERGEN PROOF BEDDING SYSTEM
`RCO"ER PERMEABLE T0 WATER
`
`[75] Inventor: Asmey Woodcock’ Hale, England
`
`-
`
`[73] Assigneez Slumberland P'LC’ Green?eld’
`England
`
`[21]
`
`_:
`A _
`ppl NO 530’2 10
`
`[22] Filed:
`
`May 30, 1990
`
`[63]
`
`Related US. Application Data
`Continuation of Ser. No. 289,541, Dec. 23, 1988, aban-
`domed‘
`’
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
`Us PATENT DOCUMENTS
`1,261,314 4/1918 Stoddard ............................... .. 5/501
`
`3,822,425 7/1974 Scales . . . . . . . .
`. . . . . .. 5/453
`4,508,775 4/1985 Adiletta
`.... .. 5/483
`4,700,418 10/1987 Ritter .................................... .. 5/449
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`92869 9/1958 Norway ................................ .. 5/501
`2012159A 7/1979 United Kingdom .................. .. 5/482
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`“Allergen Proof Encasings” a brochure from AEP, Inc.
`1450 E. 363rd ,St., Eastlake, Ohio 44094-1983.
`“Allergy control Products ”—Brochur,e from ACP CO‘
`89 Danbury Rd., PO. Box 793, Ridge?eld, Conn.
`
`Foreig" Application P'im'ity Data
`L30]
`Dec. 29, 1987 [GB] United Kingdom ............... .. 8730252
`
`Primary Examiner-Alexander Grosz
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Charles E. Baxley
`
`‘
`
`06877-1984.
`
`7
`
`[51] Int. 01.5 ...................... .. A47C 27/00; A47G 9/00
`[52] US. Cl. ......................................... .. 5/448; 5/470;
`5/482; 5/490; 5/501; 428/264; 428/265;
`428/3044; 428/4231; 428/425.1; 428/913;
`428/290
`[58] Field of Search ................. .. 5/482, 490, 495, 470,
`5/448, 501, 502; 428/4231, 425.1, 264, 265,
`304.4, 913, 290
`
`ABSTRACT
`[57]
`A bedding system for use where mite-allergy is a prob
`lem causing e.g. asthma comprises a permeable mite
`barrier such as microporous or vapor permeable coated
`fabric which can be used as a mattress cover or ticking,
`pillow and duvet covers.
`5
`
`3 Claims, 1 Drawing Sheet
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`U.S. Patent
`US. Patent
`
`sep.24, 1991
`Sep. 24, 1991
`
`5,050,255
`5,050,256
`
`FIG. 3
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`K
`3/
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`1
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`ALLERGEN PROOF BEDDING SYSTEM WITH
`COVER PERMEABLE TO WATER VAPOR
`
`This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 289,541,
`?led Dec. 23, 1988, now abandoned.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`This invention relates to bedding systems.
`A substantial proportion of the population suffers
`from asthmatic allergic reaction to mites. Mites reside in
`large numbers in the “upholstery” of mattresses, pil
`lows, duvets and the like, emerging into the warmth
`when the bed is occupied.
`It has been established that, by controlling mites,
`asthmatics, skin-test positive to the House Dust Mite
`Dermatophagoz'des pteronyssinus, showed signi?cant im
`provement. Mite control was effected by an initial kill
`by liquid nitrogen.
`Unfortunately, liquid nitrogen treatment is not a prac
`tical proposition for mite control except in the labora
`tory.
`Clearly, other methods of killing the mites could be
`used, or establishing conditions in the upholstery in
`which the mites could not survive. The use of chemical
`controls, however, has problems in that the controls
`themselves could have harmful effects, and they might
`not have the necessary permanence for bedding, which
`is used on a long term basis and which may need at least
`occasional laundering.
`The present invention provides method for mite con
`trol in bedding not subject of these disadvantages.
`
`25
`
`BRIEF DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
`The invention comprises a bedding system in which
`the or a substantialpart of the upholstery is enclosed in
`a permeable mite barrier.
`‘
`This will effectively prevent mites entering the up
`holstery and also prevent any mites in the upholstery
`emerging to effect an occupant.
`It is important that the mite barrier is permeable,
`however, in order to avoid discomfort and, in long-term
`occupation as with invalids and in hospitals, bedsores.
`Ideally, if the mite barrier has pores, it should have a
`pore size generally less than 10 microns. It is apparent
`that anything smaller causes no allergic reaction.
`A microporous mite barrier will, of course, be air
`permeable. There are, however, coated fabrics which
`are not porous and not therefore air permeable, but
`which are vapour permeable, while being impenetrable
`to free water. One such fabric is commercially available
`as a polyurethane system known as Baxenden Witcoflex
`971/973. Others are described in the literature such, for '
`example, as British Patent Specification No. 1,341,325.
`Such fabrics have already been used in bedding sys
`tems—see, for example, British Patent Speci?cation No.
`1,596,157, which describes a mattress cover of a
`"chemically/physico-chemically porous" material such
`as that disclosed in Speci?cation No. 1,341,325. Evi
`dently, the fabrics have been intended for increased
`comfort in use by permitting body-generated water
`vapour to be dispersed through the fabric whilst also
`acting to prevent free water from entering the mattress
`interior, and this is clearly of value in hospitals and in
`cases wherein incontinence is a problem, and for the
`control of bedsores.
`In GB-2,lO5,548A, a polyurethane-coated warp knit
`ted nylon mattress cover is made ?re resistant.
`
`5,050,256
`2
`Such fabrics can also be used in bedding systems
`according to the present invention and will clearly have
`the required comfort properties of the prior art bedd
`ding sytsems and, where appropriate, the ?rst resistant
`property.
`It has recently been proposed to enclose mattresses,
`pillows and box springs in dust-proof encasings made
`from a polyester-cotton fabric laminated with a dust
`proof coating, the latter being arranged to be on the
`inside of the encasing. Such dust-proof coating, how
`ever, has not been breathable or permeable and so has
`.solvedthe allergic reaction problem only at the expense
`of comfort, which has militated against its long term use
`and its use in hospitals.
`The prior art proposals to use permeable fabrics have
`not, on the other hand, been effective for the control of
`mites because it has not been recognised that a substan
`tially total barrier is required, whereas the prior art
`permeable fabric “comfort” proposals have deemed it
`necessary somehow to eliminate the moisture that has
`been transferred through the permeable fabric and so
`that bottom of the mattress has been left open. More
`over, these prior art “comfort” proposals have been
`essentially con?ned to the mattress, whereas mites tend
`to infest pillows and increasingly popular duvets.
`If sleeping on an impermeable mattress or mattress
`cover is uncomfortable, a plastic pillow is even more so.
`An impermeable duvet is a risk because of the possibili
`ity of suffocation.
`The permeable mite barrier of the invention can be
`used for the mattress ticking or as a mattress cover or as
`an enclosure within a mattress and may also be used as
`a pillow case or as an eiderdown or duvet cover.
`In all cases, the mite barrier may comprise a material
`which is itself decorative so that it can form the top
`cover of the item concerned, or it may be covered with
`a conventional material for added comfort and/or deco
`ration.
`It is clealy better if the complete bedding system
`incorporates the mite barrier, but a substantial improve
`ment would result even if merely the mattress were
`protected in this way.
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`Embodiments of bedding systems according to the
`invention will now be described with reference to the
`accompanying drawings, in which:
`FIG. 1—is a perspective view of a mattress cover
`according to the invention;
`FIG. 2—-is a diagrammatic cross-section through a
`duvet or pillow; and
`FIG. 3-is a diagrammatic cross-section through
`another duvet.
`'
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`30
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`35
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`45
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`55
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`60
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`65
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`DETAILED DISCLOSURE OF THE
`PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
`The mattress 11 illustrated in FIG. 1 is conventional.
`It is covered completely, however, by a cover 12 with
`a minimal closure 13 in the form of a closely meshing
`sliding fastener. Seams 14 of the cover 12 are desirably
`made carefully leaving little or no perforation through
`which mites can pass and desirably sealed as by an addi
`tional polyurethane coating.
`The material of the cover 12 is a Baxenden Witcoflex
`971/973 type polyurethane coated closely woven nylon
`or polyester fabric. Such fabric has a permeability in the
`range 2,500-7,000 gms of water vapor/mz/day and is
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`5,050,256
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`An advantage of the vapour permeable fabrics is that
`available commercially from Coverplus (Coated Fab
`they can be laundered without washing water penetrat
`rics) Limited of Newton, Hyde, Cheshire, England.
`ing to the inside, so that flock, feathers and the like
`The material may instead be used as the mattress
`remain dry.
`ticking, of course, like consideration being given to the
`The fabrics can be decorative-printed or colored in
`seams thereof and to any other penetration as of quilting
`the usual ways.
`or buttons. It is probably easier, however, in general, to
`Coatings for uses where incontinence is not a prob
`make conventional mattresses and provide them with
`lem can be lighter and the coated fabrics approximate
`mite-proof covers where necessary.
`more to uncoated fabrics in their handle, drape etc.
`The material will be coated on one face only and the
`Flameproo?ng can, of course, be incorporated.
`coated face may be on the inside of the cover 12 or
`I claim:
`ticking.
`1. A bedding system comprising an item of bedding
`FIG. 2 illustrates a duvet/pillow system in which the
`for the control of mite-induced allergy, said system
`foam or flock ?lling 21 is cased in a cover 22 of mite
`having interior upholstery and cover means for said
`barrier material.
`upholstery including permeable mite barrier material of
`Again, the coated face may be on the inside. Seams 23
`coated fabric totally enclosing all of said upholstery and
`may be overlocked and coated with polyurethane. The
`being permeable to water vapor in excess of 2,500
`duvet or pillow is, for use, enclosed in a regular duvet
`g/mzday, said upholstery and cover means including
`or pillow cover 24.
`top and bottom panels and side panels devoid of any
`FIG. 3 illustrates a devet 31 which is capable ofbeing
`apertures therein for the passage of ?uid between inside
`20
`used with or without a regular duvet cover 34 and is of
`and outside of the mattress, said material not having
`quilted or buttoned construction. The quilting scams or
`pores greater in size than 10 microns.
`button locations 32 are perforated through from face to
`2. A system according to claim 1 wherein said cover
`face of the duvet without, however, opening to the
`means are removable.
`3. A system according to claim 1 wherein said fabric
`inside thereof. Such an arrangement will avoid any risk
`is coated with one of Baxenden Witco?ex 971 and 973.
`that the coated fabric will cause suffocation in the man
`ner of a plastic bag.
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