Mattress encasement for preventing bed bug escapement via a zipper opening
AssigneeJab Distributors, LLC
InventorsJames Bell, Yueh-Jyh Chen, Ching-Yao Yeh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims20
1-13. (canceled)
A zipper closure apparatus for use to control bed bug movement relative thereto, said zipper closure apparatus comprising:
- a) an encasement material formed of a bed bug impervious material, said encasement material comprising a closeable opening;
- b) a slide fastening mechanism disposed in said opening and operable to close said opening to prevent bed bug escapement, said mechanism comprising:
- i. a zipper head;
- and
- ii. a pair of zipper tracks being mateable together and having a longitudinal axis;
- c) a compressible barrier extending for a distance along said zipper tracks said compressible barrier disposed opposite said zipper tracks, said barrier being attached to said encasement material;
- and
- d) stitching attaching said compressible barrier to said encasement material, said stitching running relative to each side of said longitudinal axis of said zipper tracks, said stitching being formed so as to prevent traversal by a bed bug across said stitching, said stitching defining a channel between said compressible barrier and said zipper tracks, said channel slidingly receiving a portion of said zipper head and said channel becoming an enclosed channel when said zipper tracks are mated together;
- wherein said channel has a confined space of a size to impede bug movement along the channel.
A method of preventing bed bugs from escaping a closeable apparatus, said closeable apparatus comprising an encasement material formed of a bed bug impervious material, said closeable apparatus having an opening portion from which bed bugs may escape and a zipper closure, said zipper closure having a zipper head and a pair of zipper tracks mateable together, said opening portion constituting the unzipped portion of said zipper tracks, said method comprising the steps:
- a) providing a compressible barrier attached to said encasement material along a portion of the longitudinal axis of the zipper tracks to prevent bugs from approaching said portion of the axis;
- b) providing a channel between said zipper tracks and said compressible barrier having a confined space of a size to thwart bug movement into and along the channel;
- c) forcing said compressible barrier toward said zipper tracks by stitching said compressible barrier and said zipper tracks such that said stitching draws said compressible barrier into contact with the zipper tracks to guide bugs away from entering said channel and for creating a constant force of said compressible barrier against said zipper tracks;
- and
- d) moving said zipper head along the channel toward the end of the zipper closure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.