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 or 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 or mattress cover when the sheet or mattress pad is worn out or damaged. The pad also reduces the average pressure on the skin surface.

Description

BACKGROUND [0001]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.[0002]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 ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005]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.

[0006]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.

[0007]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.

Problems solved by technology

Forcing the body to roll during sleep obviously disrupts any deep sleep and may prevent any sleep.

In the hospital setting, rolling with intravenous attachments can be life threatening.

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