US20110302716A1

US20110302716A1 - Combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly, and bed covering for use with same

Info

Publication number: US20110302716A1
Application number: US12/879,994
Authority: US
Inventors: Donna Battaglia; Rose Mary Battaglia
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-06-09
Filing date: 2010-09-10
Publication date: 2011-12-15

Abstract

A combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly for use with a mattress is provided and includes a mattress pad having a first set of anchoring elements located on a top surface of the mattress pad; a combination flat sheet/skirted fitted sheet subassembly; and, optionally, an outer bed covering. The Combination flat sheet/skirted fitted sheet subassembly includes a second set of anchoring strips that mate with the first set of anchoring strips to hold the subassembly in place on the mattress pad, making it very easy to make up a bed using the invention. Lateral side portions extend from the sides of the bedding. Because the skirted fitted sheet portion and flat sheet portion are stitched together, it is very easy to make the bed without having to tuck in the corners or the foot portion of the sheets.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/797,426 filed Jun. 9, 2010, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to bedding, and more particularly to a combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly, and a bed covering for use with same, that can be used to make a bed quickly and easily, without tucking, and which takes the guesswork and frustration out of determining the direction in which the sheets should lie.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

With conventional bedding, a fitted sheet having bunched or folded corners with elastic is fitted around a mattress (or a mattress with a mattress pad on the mattress), and then a flat sheet is placed on top of the fitted sheet. Some people like to tuck in the corners of the flat sheet at the foot of the bed, but others do not. For a more attractive appearance, a bed skirt with a flat top surface and a circumferential, vertical skirt is placed on top of the box spring, under the mattress, with the vertical skirt covering the sides of the box spring. A blanket, bedspread, or other covering is then placed over the flat sheet.
Making a bed, in particular a bed with a thick mattress that can be very bulky and heavy, can be difficult, as the person making the bed may need to lift up the corners and attempt to slip the folded corners of the fitted sheet under the mattress's corners. Boys and girls—and, indeed, people of all ages—can struggle with this task, and often break fingernails in the process. After the fitted sheet is secured under the corners of the mattress, a flat sheet must be aligned with the fitted sheet. Thereafter, a bed covering, such as a blanket, comforter, duvet, etc., is placed on top and must be straightened out. People typically sleep between the fitted sheet and the flat sheet, and the flat sheet can twist and shift around on top of the fitted sheet, sometimes even ending up on the floor. Not surprisingly, getting children—and some adults—to spend the time and trouble to make their beds can be a challenge.
A need exists for a simple way of making a bed quickly and efficiently, without having to tuck in the sheets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses this need and provides an improved all-in-one Velcro® sewn sheet set, which comprises a combination of a flat sheet, a skirted fitted sheet, and a mattress pad assembly. A bed covering for use with same is also provided. Using the invention, a bed can be made up more easily, quickly, and neatly, without any need to tuck in the sheets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of a typical bed setup with an exemplary combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of the invention suspended over the bed;

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the circled area 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partially exposed side view of the exemplary combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of the invention on a typical bed setup with a mattress and box spring;

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the circled area 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of another embodiment of a mattress pad of the invention, having longitudinal straps to keep the mattress pad fixed in place on a mattress;

FIG. 6 is a top view of an exemplary bed covering portion of the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective exploded view of a typical bed setup with an exemplary bed covering and combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of the invention suspended over the bed.

The drawings and the components depicted therein are not necessarily to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In FIG. 1 there is shown a typical bed setup 10 with a mattress 12 on top of a box spring 14 that sit on legs 16. The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly 120 of the invention is shown with the mattress pad 30 and combination flat sheet/skirted fitted sheet subassembly 50 suspended above the bed setup 10. Other bed setups are, of course, possible, for example, a frame mount system. The mattress 12 has a top surface 18, two lateral sides 20, a head side 22, and a foot side 24. The box spring 14 has a two lateral sides 26, a foot side 28, and a head side 29.
One embodiment of the invention comprises a combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly 120. The assembly includes a mattress pad 30 and a flat sheet/skirted fitted sheet subassembly 50. The mattress pad 30 has a top surface 32, lateral side edges 44, a “foot” edge 38, a “head” edge 42, retaining straps 34 located near the corners of the pad, a strip of hook and loop material (e.g., Velcro® strips) 36 positioned on top of the mattress pad 30 near the foot edge 38, and a strip of hook and loop material 40 positioned on top surface 32 of the mattress pad 30 near the head edge 42. The foot edge 38 and head edge 42 of the mattress pad 30 correspond to the foot and head sides of the bed. Preferably, the retaining straps 34 and the two strips of hook and loop material are sewn onto the mattress paid 30. Alternatively, they are secured to the mattress paid by other means, such as clips, buttons, snaps, or other fasteners.
When the mattress pad 30 is placed on the top surface 18 of the mattress 12, the retaining straps 34 can be looped around the mattress 12 to retain the mattress pad 30 snugly in place. This is shown in FIG. 3. In another embodiment (shown in FIG. 5 and described below), longitudinal straps 148 are sewn or otherwise attached to the mattress paid 30 and secure the mattress pad 30 in place on the mattress 12. In another embodiment, folded and elasticized side panels (not shown) are used to retain the mattress pad 30 on top of the mattress 12. In still another embodiment, the retaining straps are omitted altogether, and the mattress pad is allowed to sit freely on the mattress 12.
Preferably, both strips of hook and loop material 36 and 40 extend substantially across the width of the mattress pad 30. In an alternate embodiment, instead of strips of hook and loop material 36 and 40, another type of releasable fastener is used. Nonlimiting examples include double hook material, clips, snaps, buttons, and the like.
In one embodiment, the two strips of hook and loop material 36 and 40 have different colors, which serve as visual indicators to help a person making the bed properly orient the mattress pad 30. In an alternate embodiment, indicia, such as “FOOT . . . FOOT . . . FOOT” and “HEAD . . . HEAD . . . HEAD,” or “BOTTOM . . . BOTTOM . . . BOTTOM” and “TOP . . . TOP . . . TOP”, etc. are printed on the Velcro® strips 36 and 40—or on the top surface 32 of the mattress pad 30 near the Velcro® strips 36 and 40—and provide a visual indicator of the proper orientation of the mattress pad 30 relative to the flat sheet/skirted fitted sheet subassembly 50. A combination of different colors, words, and/or other indicia can be used to distinguish the two ends of the mattress paid from each other. When the mattress pad 30 is placed on the mattress 12, The different colored strips 36 and 40 and/or other visual indicia make it easy to orient the subassembly 50 correctly.
As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the combination flat sheet/kirted fitted sheet subassembly 50 includes a skirted fitted sheet portion 60 and a flat sheet portion 90, which are sewn together along a line 78 at the “foot” end of the subassembly. The skirted fitted sheet portion 60 has a flat top 62 with two lateral sides 64, a foot side 66, and (optionally) a head side 68 that extends downwardly at the head of the bed. The lateral sides 64 extend downwardly from two side edges 80 of the flat top 62 of the skirted fitted sheet portion 60. The lateral sides 64, foot side 66, and head side 68 (if present) are, preferably, long enough to cover the sides of the mattress 12 and box spring 14—and, in some embodiments can extend all the way to the floor—when the subassembly is placed on top of the mattress pad as shown in FIG. 3.
The flat top 62, lateral sides 64, foot side 66, and (optional) head side 68 of the skirted fitted sheet portion 60 meet at upper corners 70. In a preferred embodiment, the lateral sides 64, foot side 66, and (optional) head side 68 extend downward to form lower, pleated closed corners, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 7. Alternatively, the lateral sides, foot side, and (optional) head side extend down to their respective lower edges, but remain open and unattached at the bottom. Both embodiments accommodate a wide variety of mattress thicknesses. In combination, the sides 64, 66, and 68 of the skirted fitted sheet portion 60 are similar to a conventional mattress skirt that is sometimes placed between a box spring and a mattress to cover up the sides of the box spring.
In an optional feature (not shown) an additional pleat is provided in the middle of each of the lateral sides 64, foot side 66, and (optional) head side 68.
Located on the underside of the flat top 62 of the skirted fitted sheet portion 60 are two hook and loop strips 72 and 76 which, preferably, extend substantially across the width of the flat top 62 of the skirted fitted sheet portion 60. The two strips 72 and 76 are sewn on to the underside (the opposed under surface) of the flat top portion 62 of the skirted fitted sheet portion 60, or otherwise secured or attached thereto using a suitable fastener. Sewing is preferred. Hook and loop strip 72 is located near the head end or edge 74 of the skirted fitted sheet portion 60, and hook and loop strip 76 is located near the foot end or edge 78 of the skirted fitted sheet portion 60. The hook and loop strips 72 and 76 are complementary to—and can releasably mate with—the hook and loop strips 40 and 36, respectively, located on the top surface 32 the mattress pad 30. This enables the flat top portion 62 to be held smoothly and tightly in place over the mattress pad 30 on the mattress 12, even if there is nothing positioned laterally or longitudinally to keep the mattress pad from shifting.
In one embodiment, the hook and loop strips 72 and 76, are identical to or complementary in color to the corresponding hook and loop strips 40 and 36, respectively, on the mattress pad 30. This allows a person making the bed to orient the combination flat sheet/skirted fitted sheet subassembly 50 relative to the mattress paid 30, quickly and without confusion. In an alternate embodiment, other complementary indicia, such as wording, e.g., “HEAD . . . HEAD . . . HEAD” and “FOOT . . . FOOT . . . FOOT,” are placed on or near the hook and loop strips 72 and 76, respectively—or elsewhere on the skirted fitted sheet portion 60—to aid users in determining the proper orientation for the skirted fitted sheet portion 60 relative to the mattress pad 30, which can have the same or similar wording. As a result, a person making the bed can easily see how to orient the mattress pad 130 so that hook and loop strip 136 is close to the foot of the bed and hook and loop strip 140 is close to the head of the bed. This, in turn, makes it very easy to oriented the combination flat sheet/skirted fitted sheet assembly 50 so that corresponding hook and loop strips on the underside of the skirted fitted sheet portion mate with and adhere to their counterparts on the mattress pad.
The flat sheet portion 90 is attached (e.g., by stitching) to the skirted fitted sheet portion 60 at or near the foot end of the subassembly along a line of intersection 78. The flat sheet portion 90 has a flat top sheet portion 92 and two sides 94 that will hang downwardly over at least part of the two lateral sides 64 when the subassembly 50 is placed on the mattress. As shown in FIG. 1, a visibly sewn line 100 or other indicator is provided near the head edge 98 of the flat sheet 90, preferably on the outer surface of the flat sheet. The line 100 provides a visual reference point for folding a flap of the flat sheet portion 90 over, as is sometimes done with a conventional flat sheet (e.g., the head end of the flat sheet may be folded over a blanket or other outer covering).
Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a partially exposed side view of the exemplary combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly 120 according to one embodiment of the invention on a typical bed setup with a mattress 12 and box spring 14 on legs 16. FIG. 4 is a detail of the circled area 4-4 of FIG. 3. The mattress pad 30 with its hook and loop strips 36 and 40, is placed on the mattress 12 and is secured by corner straps 34. The hook and loop strips 36 and 40 are face up on the top surface 32 of the mattress pad 30. The combination flat sheet/skirted fitted sheet subassembly 50 is secured to the mattress pad 30 by aligning the hook and loop strips 76 and 72 on the underside of the flat top 62 with the corresponding hook and loop strips 36 and 40 on the mattress pad 30. This results in the skirted fitted sheet portion 60 fitting in an unwrinkled manner relative to the mattress pad 30 and the top surface 18 of the mattress 12. The foot side 66 hangs down from the top 62 of the skirted fitted sheet portion 60 and, preferably, covers the foot ends 24 and 28 of the mattress 12 and box spring 14, respectively. Likewise, the lateral sides 64 hang down and, preferably, cover the sides 20 and 26 of the mattress 12 and box spring 14, respectively.
The flat sheet 90 is shown with its top 92 slightly pulled up for illustration, and its lateral sides 94 hang down to cover, at least partially, the lateral sides 64 of the skirted fitted sheet portion 60. There is no need to tuck in corners of the flat sheet at the foot of the bed. Similarly, the lateral sides 64 and foot side 66 of the skirted fitted sheet portion 60 do not need to be tucked in or wrapped around the corners of the mattress, unlike conventional fitted sheets. This is particularly advantageous when making a bed that has a thick, padded mattress. Moreover, unlike conventional fitted sheets, which sometimes do not cover the entire sides of the mattress (which may be aesthetically unpleasing), the lateral sides 64 and foot side 66 are, preferably, long enough to cover even extra tall mattresses and/or a mattress on a box spring. Thus, the box spring will be covered up during use, without requiring an additional bed skirt. In some embodiments (not shown), the foot side 66 and lateral sides 64 of the skirted fitted sheet portion extend substantially to the floor.
To make up a bed with the combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly 120, a person places the mattress pad 30 on the top surface 18 of the mattress 12, with the strips of hook and loop material 36 and 40 facing up, oriented correctly relatively to the head and foot of the bed. The combination flat sheet/skirted fitted sheet subassembly 50 is then placed on and aligned with the mattress pad 30, so that the corresponding strips of hook and loop material 72 and 76 mate with strips 36 and 40. The top sheet can be folded along line 100 to faun a folded over flap near the head of the bed.
A sleeper will place his or her body between the skirted fitted sheet portion 60 and flat sheet portion 90. If more room is needed at the sleeper's feet, the sleeper can kick the top sheet 90 towards the foot side of the mattress 24 to provide more foot room. Since the flat sheet portion 90 is attached to the foot of the skirted fitted sheet portion 60, the flat sheet portion 90 is kept aligned and straight on the bed, thereby minimizing the annoyance of twisted sheets. In addition, because the sides 94 are of the flat top sheet portion 90 are not sewn to other sides of the bedding, a person can stick his or her feet out from the sides of the bedding.
In FIG. 5, there is shown another embodiment of a mattress pad 130 of the invention. The mattress pad 130 includes a top surface 132, “foot” edge 138, “head” edge 142, two lateral side edges 144, a strip of hook and loop material (e.g., Velcro®) 136 secured to the top surface 132 of the mattress pad 130 (e.g., by sewing) near a foot edge 138, and a strip of hook and loop material 140 secured to the top surface 132 of the mattress pad 130 near a head edge 142 thereof. The mattress pad 130 also has two retaining straps 148 running the length of the mattress pad. The straps 148 can be used to help keep the mattress pad 130 fixed in place relative to the mattress 12. The two strips of hook and loop material 136 and 140 extend substantially across the width of the mattress 12. The longitudinal straps 148 have portions 148A and 148B that are held together with a buckle 150. Alternatively, other means, such as hook and loop materials, can be used to retain the ends of the lateral straps 148A and 148B together. In addition, the length of the retaining straps can be adjustable by employing an elastic portion and a fastener, such as easy open clips, buckles, etc. Alternatively, each of the retaining straps 148 can be made of a single piece of material, for example, and elastic band.
This embodiment differs from the one shown in FIG. 1 in that retaining straps are not provided at the corners of the mattress pad 130. Instead, the longer, “longitudinal” straps can be placed around the mattress lengthwise by inserting them between the mattress 12 and the box springs 14, without having to move the head of the bed away from the wall. In an alternate embodiment, folded and elasticized side panels (not shown) can be used to retain the mattress pad on top of the mattress, in lieu of retention straps 134. One can also dispense with retaining straps altogether, and simply rely on the weight of the mattress pad 130 to keep it in place on the mattress 12.
Conventional bedding comes in standard sizes—twin, extra long twin, full, queen, California king, and Eastern King. A flat sheet is typically sized slightly long so that the sheet can be tucked in at the foot of the bed. With the combination flat sheet/skirted fitted sheet subassembly of the invention, there is no longer a need to over size the bedding, as no tucking is necessary. The sizes of conventional bedding and bedding according to one embodiment of the invention are presented in Tables 1 and 2. Of course, the invention is not limited to the sizes presented, and other dimensions can be utilized.

TABLE 1

CONVENTIONAL BEDDING SIZES (width × length, in inches)

	MAT-
MAT-	TRESS			PILLOW
TRESS	PAD	FITTED	FLAT	CASES

Twin	39 × 75	39 × 75	39 × 75	66 × 96	20 × 30
Ex	39 × 80	39 × 80	39 × 80	66 × 102	20 × 30
Long
Twin
Full	54 × 75	54 × 75	54 × 75	81 × 96	20 × 30
Queen	60 × 80	60 × 80	60 × 80	90 × 102	20 × 30
Ca.	72 × 84	72 × 84	72 × 84	102 × 110	20 × 36-40
King
East.	78 × 80	78 × 80	78 × 80	108 × 102	20 × 36-40
King

TABLE 2

BEDDING SIZES ACCORDING TO ONE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION (width × length, in inches)

	MATTRESS	VELCRO FITTED BED		PILLOW
MATTRESS	PAD	SKIRT	SEWN-IN FLAT SHEET	CASES

Twin	39 × 75	39 × 75	39 × 75 platform plus 15 in.	59 × 75	20 × 30
			drop on 3 sides = 45 in. =	Includes 10 in. drop on
			69W × 90L	lateral sides = 20 in.;
				21 in. less fabric used
Ex. Long	39 × 80	39 × 80	39 × 80 platform plus 15 in.	59 × 80	20 × 30
Twin			drop on 3 sides = 45 in. =	Includes 10 in. drop on
			69W × 95L	lateral sides = 20 in.;
				22 in. less fabric used
Full	54 × 75	54 × 75	54 × 75 platform plus 15 in.	74 × 75	20 × 30
			drop on 3 sides = 45 in. =	Includes 10 in. drop on
			84W × 90L	lateral sides = 20 in.;
				21 in. less fabric used
Queen	60 × 80	60 × 80	60 × 80 platform plus 15 in.	80 × 80	20 × 30
			drop on 3 sides = 45 in. =	Includes 10 in. drop on
			90W × 95L	lateral sides = 20 in.;
				22 in. less fabric used
Ca. King	72 × 84	72 × 84	72 × 84 Platform	92 × 84	20 × 36-40
			Plus 15 In. Drop On 3	includes 10 in. drop on
			Sides = 45 In. = 102W × 99L	lateral sides = 20 in.; 26 in.
				less fabric used
East.	78 × 80	78 × 80	78 × 80	98 × 80	20 × 36-40
King			Platform Plus 15 In. Drop	Includes 10 in. drop on
			On 3 Sides = 45 In.	lateral sides = 20 in.; 22 in.
			108W × 95L	less fabric used

As seen in Tables 1 and 2, substantially less fabric is needed with the combination flat sheet/skirted fitted sheet subassembly, as compared to conventional bedding. As a result, the bedding of the present invention will be easier and faster to wash, faster to dry, easier and faster to fold, and will weigh less and take up less storage space than conventional bedding.
FIG. 6 is a top view showing an exemplary bed covering 160 of the bed covering for use with the combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly 120 of the invention. FIG. 7 is a perspective exploded view showing a typical bed setup 10 with the exemplary bed covering 160 and combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly 120 suspended over the bed to show the various portions of the invention. The various components, edges, sides, and other features of the combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly 120 of the invention are as described with reference to FIG. 1 above.
As used herein the term “bed covering” is intended to encompass blankets, comforters, bedspreads, duvets, and other bedding that will sit on top of a bed over the sheets and/or any other bedding thereon. The bed covering 160 has a generally rectangular platform section 162, with a head edge 164; two side edges 166; and a foot edge 168 that will be placed close to the foot of the bed.
Unlike conventional bed coverings, the bed covering 160 has two notched out corners 170 with edges 172 and 174. The two edges 172 and 174 intersect at points 176. An imaginary line 178 passing through the points 176 and extending to the head edge 164 parallel with side edges 166 defines side drape sections 180, which will hang over the side of the bed and, preferably, are long enough to cover and extend below the two sides 94 of the flat sheet portion 90, as shown in FIG. 7. An imaginary line 182 passing through the two points 176 extends parallel to the foot edge 168 and defines foot drape section 184, which will hang over the foot of the bed and, preferably, have about the same length as the side drape sections 180 The line 178 and/or the line 182 may be defined, for example, by a line of stitching.
The bed covering 160 is sized so that its platform section 162 has a width “W” that is about the same width as the bed it will be used with. For example, a standard twin bed has a width of 39 inches and a length of 75 inches. A queen bed has a width of 60 inches and a length of 80 inches. A California king bed has a width of 72 inches and a length of 84 inches, while an East king has a width of 78 inches and a length of 80 inches. The bed covering 160 is sized so that its a platform section 162 has a length “L” that is dimensioned as desired, such as being shorter than, the same length as, or longer than the bed's length. In a preferred embodiment, “L” is dimensioned to fit closely to the bed. The notched out corners 170 are shown as being generally square, with the edges 172 and 174 being the same length and set apart by about 90 degrees from each other so that that side drape sections 180 and foot drape section 184 are the same length. Thus, when the bed covering 160 is laid on the bed over the combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly 120 of the invention, the bed covering 160 will hang down and the edges 172 and 174 will be hanging close together.
The notched out corners 170 can, alternatively, have a shape that is other than square and can have edges 172 and 174 spaced apart by less than 90 degrees or more than 90 degrees. In cases where the edges 172 and 174 are spaced apart by less than 90 degrees, the edges may overlap. In cases where the edges 172 and 174 are spaced apart by more than 90 degrees, when the bed covering 160 is laid on the bed, parts of the skirted fitted sheet portion 60 and a flat sheet portion 90 in the vicinity of the corners at the foot of the bed may be visible. When making a bed and placing the bed covering 160 on the bed, the two points 176 will be placed at the corners at the foot of the bed. When these points 176 are so placed, there will be perfect alignment of the bed covering 160 on the bed without any guesswork.
In cold weather, it is sometimes desirable to add an additional blanket to the bedding. This is easily accommodated with the present invention by simply laying the blanket on top of the combination flat sheet/skirted fitted sheet subassembly, or on top of the bed covering. The blanket can be sized to accommodate the “no tucking” feature of the invention. Table 3 shows conventional blanket sizes for three common bed set-ups, with correspondingly downsized blankets according to the invention. In the latter, the measurements assume a 10-inch drop on the foot side and the two lateral sides. The top of the blanket can be tucked under a flap formed in the flat sheet portion 90 (formed by folding the sheet along line 100, as described above). The blanket is easier to place in the made-up bedding, with no excess fabric to tuck. If placed between the bed covering 160 and the flat sheet portion 90, the notched corners 170 are easily accommodated, without bunching up, and the bed covering lies flat, and still allows, up to 5 inches of bedskirt to remain visible.

TABLE 3

BLANKETS

A. Conventional Blankets sizes (in inches)

CA KING

QUEEN/FULL

TWIN

Width	Length	Width	Length	Width	Length

108	90	90	90	60	96
105	92	90	96	68	90
108	96			66	90
				60	90

B. Blankets Sizes (in inches) for One Embodiment of the Invention

CA KING

QUEEN/FULL

TWIN

Width	Length	Width	Length	Width	Length

92	86	80	82	74	77

Ext. Long Twin

East. King

Width	Length	Width	Length

59	82	98	82

The invention has been described with reference to exemplary, preferred, and various alternate embodiments, but is not limited thereto. The presently disclosed embodiments are to be considered in all respects illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly for use with a mattress having a top, side edges, and corners, comprising:

a mattress pad having a top surface, a head edge, a foot edge, and a first set of anchoring elements located on the top surface of the mattress pad near the head and foot edges of the mattress pad; and

a combination flat sheet/skirted fitted sheet subassembly having a flat sheet portion and a skirted fitted sheet portion, wherein the skirted fitted sheet portion has a flat top surface and an opposed under surface, a head edge, a foot edge, and two lateral side edges, two lateral side skirts that extend from the two lateral side edges of the flat top, a foot side skirt that extends from the lower edge of the flat top, and a second set of anchoring elements located on the under surface of the flat top near or at the head edge of the flat top and near or at the foot edge of the flat top, respectively;

wherein, when the combination flat sheet/skirted fitted sheet subassembly is aligned with the mattress pad, the first set of anchoring elements releasably mates with the second set of anchoring elements, and the flat top of the skirted fitted sheet portion will be tightly positioned and unwrinkled relative to the mattress pad and mattress, and the lateral side skirts and the foot side skirt will hang down and cover corresponding side edges of the mattress.

2. The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of retaining straps for maintaining the mattress pad in position on a mattress.

3. The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of claim 2, wherein the retaining straps comprise elastic straps located near corners of the mattress pad.

4. The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of claim 1, wherein the lateral side skirts and the foot side skirt are not attached to each other in the vicinity of corners of the mattress.

5. The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of claim 1, wherein the lateral side skirts and foot side skirts are joined together in the vicinity of the corners of the mattress, to form pleated closed corners.

6. The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of claim 1, wherein the first set of anchoring elements, located on the top surface of the mattress pad, comprises two strips of hook and loop material, and the second set of anchoring elements, located on the bottom surface of the skirted fitted sheet portion, comprises two strips of hook and loop material complementary to the two strips of hook and loop material on the mattress pad.

7. The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of claim 6, wherein each of the two strips of hook and loop material on the mattress pad have a different visual appearance from each other, and each of the two complementary strips of hook and loop material on the skirted fitted sheet portion have an appearance complementary to the two corresponding strips of hook and loop material on the mattress pad to guide a user how to orient the combination flat sheet and skirted fitted sheet assembly on the mattress pad.

8. The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of claim 1, wherein the flat sheet portion has a flat top portion with lateral side edges and lateral side panels that extend from the lateral sides.

9. The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of claim 8, wherein the lateral side panels are unattached to the fitted sheet portion.

10. The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of claim 1, further comprising a bed covering having a generally rectangular shape with lateral sides, a head edge, and a foot edge, with notched out corners located in the vicinity of the foot edge.

11. The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of claim 10, wherein the notched out corners in the bed covering define two side drape sections located at the lateral sides of the bed covering and a foot drape section between the two notched out corners.

12. The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of claim 11, wherein the notched out corners are generally square in shape.

13. A combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly for use with a mattress have a top, side edges, and corners, comprising:

a mattress pad having a top surface, an upper edge, a lower edge, a plurality of retainers for maintaining the mattress pad in position on the mattress, and a first set of hook and loop material located on the top surface near the head and foot edges of the mattress pad; and

a combination flat sheet/skirted fitted sheet subassembly, having a skirted fitted sheet portion having a flat top having a lower surface, a head edge, a foot edge, and lateral edges, lateral side skirt portions that extend from the lateral edges of the flat top, a foot side skirt portion that extends from the lower edge of the flat top, and a second set of hook and loop material complementary to the first set and located on the lower surface of the flat top near the head edge of the flat top and the foot edge of the flat top, and which are spaced apart so that when the combination flat sheet and skirted fitted sheet assembly are aligned with and attached to the first set of hook and loop material located on the top surface of the mattress pad near the head edge and the foot edge of the mattress pad, the flat top of the skirted fitted sheet portion will be tightly positioned and unwrinkled relative to the mattress pad and mattress, and wherein the lateral side skirt portions and foot side skirt portion will hang down and cover corresponding side edges of the mattress, and further comprising a flat sheet portion which is attached to the skirted fitted sheet portion near or at the foot edge thereof, the flat sheet portion having a flat top portion with lateral side edges and lateral side panels that extends downwardly from the lateral side edges, and wherein the lateral side panels that extend from the lateral edges of the flat top and a foot side skirt that extends from the foot edge are not attached to each other in the vicinity of the corners of the mattress.

14. The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of claim 13, wherein the retainers comprise elastic straps secured to and positioned near corners of the mattress pad.

15. The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of claim 13, wherein the first set of hook and loop material on the mattress pad have a different visual appearance and the complementary second set of hook and loop material on the skirted fitted sheet portion have an appearance complimentary to the first set of hook and loop material on the mattress pad to guide a user how to place the combination flat sheet and skirted fitted sheet assembly on the mattress pad.

16. The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of claim 13, wherein the lateral side panels are unattached to foot side skirt of the fitted sheet portion.

17. The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of claim 13, further comprising a bed covering having a generally rectangular shape with lateral sides, a head edge, and a foot edge, with notched out corners located in the vicinity of the foot edge.

18. The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of claim 17, wherein the notched out corners in the bed covering define two side drape sections located at lateral sides of the bed covering and a foot drape section between the two notched out corners.

19. The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of claim 16, wherein the notched out corners are generally square in shape.