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US 2011/0010856 A1Published application
Mattress encasement for preventing bed bug escapement via a zipper opening
OwnerJames Bell, Yueh-Jyh Chen +1inventors
InventorsJames Bell, Yueh-Jyh Chen, Ching-Yao Yeh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mattress encasement made of bug impervious fabric provides a zipper opening for removal of the mattress. A foam pad is stitched at an end of the zipper closure such that when the zipper is located at or near the end, a channel is provided to prevent or obstruct the escapement of bed bugs via the channel and out from a mattress encased by the mattress encasement.
Claims11
1-33. (canceled)
A method of preventing bed bugs from escaping a bedding apparatus encased with a bedding apparatus encasement, said bedding apparatus encasement comprising:
- a) a fabric cover for surrounding the bedding apparatus, said cover formed of a fabric that is impervious to bed bugs;
- b) an opening for receiving the bedding apparatus, said opening having an end location;
- and
- c) a slide fastening mechanism disposed in said opening and operable to close said opening by sliding said slide fastening mechanism, said slide fastening mechanism comprising:
- i) a zipper head;
- and
- ii) a pair of zipper tracks disposed relative to one another and defining a longitudinal axis, said zipper track being mateable by sliding of said zipper head to close said opening and extending at least to said end location of said opening;
- said method comprising the following steps:
- (1) providing a unitary and continuous material, having a top surface, at said end location of said opening, said top surface extending relative to said zipper tracks between said zipper tracks and said bedding apparatus, said material being impervious to bed bugs;
- (2) confining the escape route of bed bugs through said opening at said end location, said step of confining including providing a closeable channel within which said zipper head slides, said step of providing a closeable channel includes creating a barrier located to the outside of each of said zipper tracks, said step of creating a barrier includes stitching said material to said bedding apparatus encasement;
- (3) sliding said zipper head toward said end location and above said material to mate said zipper tracks and acting to close said opening and acting to close said channel;
- and
- (4) forcing with a force said top surface of said material into contact with said zipper tracks, said forcing including compressing said material by the bedding apparatus and generating said force when said zipper has closed said zipper tracks above said material.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.