Mattress coverings

Abstract

A mattress covering in the form of a fitted mattress pad or fitted sheet has an inelastic, generally rectangular top portion and a side skirt extending transversely, preferably perpendicularly from the outer periphery of the top portion in a closed loop entirely around the outer periphery of the top portion. The side skirt can be made of a single panel of a single layer of a textile material, or it can be made of multiple panels or lengths of other materials each of a single layer. A first elastic cord is attached to the inelastic material of the side skirt at its outer periphery remote from the top portion. A second, separate flat elastic strap is attached to the inelastic material of the side skirt at some place between and spaced apart from the top panel portion and the first elastic cord, preferably closer to the top portion outer periphery than to the first elastic cord. The top portion is dimensioned to fit a standard size mattress and the side skirt is dimensioned to fit a range of mattress heights.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A mattress covering adapted for fitted disposition over the top, sides, ends and corners of mattresses of standard top surface sizes comprising: 
 an inelastic, generally rectangular top portion having an outer periphery dimensioned to at least substantially cover the top surface of mattresses of at least one predetermined standard top surface size;    a side skirt formed, apart from any seams, by a single layer of inelastic textile material joined with the outer periphery of the generally rectangular top portion and extending transversely from the outer periphery of the top portion around the entire outer periphery of the top portion in a closed loop;    a first elastic cord joined with and extending at least partially around a periphery of the side skirt remote from the top portion; and    a second elastic cord positioned against and joined to only one of two major opposing sides of the side skirt, the second elastic cord further being located on the side skirt between and spaced apart from the first elastic cord and the outer periphery of the top portion.    
     
     
         2 . The mattress covering of  claim 1  wherein the first and second elastic cords extend in parallel to one another.  
     
     
         3 . The mattress covering of  claim 2  wherein the first and second elastic cords extend generally parallel to the outer periphery of the top portion.  
     
     
         4 . The mattress covering of  claim 1  wherein the second elastic cord extends entirely around the side skirt.  
     
     
         5 . The mattress covering of  claim 1  wherein the first and second cords extend entirely around the side skirt.  
     
     
         6 . The mattress covering of  claim 1  wherein the side skirt is formed from a single piece of material sewn to top panel portion entirely around the outer periphery of the top panel portion.  
     
     
         7 . The mattress covering of  claim 6  being a mattress pad, wherein the material forming the top panel portion is quilted and multilayered.  
     
     
         8 . The mattress covering of  claim 1  wherein a single piece of textile material forms the top panel portion and at least part of the side skirt.  
     
     
         9 . The mattress covering of  claim 1  wherein the side skirt width dimension is at least twelve inches.  
     
     
         10 . A mattress covering adapted for fitted disposition over the top, sides, ends and corners of mattresses of standard top surface sizes comprising: 
 an inelastic, generally rectangular top portion having an outer periphery dimensioned to at least substantially cover the top surface of mattresses of at least one predetermined standard top surface size;    a side skirt formed by a single piece of inelastic textile material joined with the outer periphery of the top portion and extending transversely from the outer periphery of the generally rectangular top portion around the entire outer periphery of the top portion in a closed loop;    a first elastic cord joined with and extending at least partially around a periphery of the side skirt remote from the top portion; and    a second elastic cord positioned against and joined to only one of two major opposing sides of the side skirt, the second elastic cord further being located on the side skirt between and spaced apart from the first elastic cord and the outer periphery of the top portion.    
     
     
         11 . The mattress covering of  claim 10  wherein the first and second elastic cords extend in parallel to one another.  
     
     
         12 . The mattress covering of  claim 11  wherein the first and second elastic cords extend generally parallel to the outer periphery of the top portion.  
     
     
         13 . The mattress covering of  claim 10  wherein the second cord extends entirely around the side skirt.  
     
     
         14 . The mattress covering of  claim 10  wherein the first and second cords extend at least essentially entirely around the side skirt.  
     
     
         15 . The mattress covering of  claim 10  wherein the side skirt is formed in one piece from a single layer of textile material sewn to top panel portion all around the outer periphery of the top panel portion.  
     
     
         16 . The mattress covering of  claim 15  being a mattress pad, wherein the material forming the top panel portion is quilted and multilayered.  
     
     
         17 . The mattress covering of  claim 10  wherein a single piece of textile material forms the top panel portion and at least part of the side skirt.  
     
     
         18 . The mattress covering of  claim 10  wherein the side skirt width dimension is at least twelve inches.  
     
     
         19 . A mattress covering adapted for fitted disposition over the top, sides, ends and corners of mattresses of standard top surface sizes comprising: 
 an inelastic, generally rectangular top portion having an outer periphery dimensioned to at least substantially cover the top surface of mattresses of at least one predetermined standard top surface size;    a side skirt made from an inelastic textile material joined with the outer periphery of the top portion and extending transversely from the outer periphery of the generally rectangular top portion around the entire outer periphery of the top portion in a closed loop;    a first elastic cord joined with and extending at least partially around a periphery of the side skirt remote from the top portion; and    a second elastic cord joined with the side skirt between and spaced apart from the first cord and the outer periphery of the top portion, the second elastic cord being generally flat with a thickness dimension and a width dimension perpendicular to the thickness dimension and at least five times greater than the thickness dimension, and the side skirt having a width dimension between the outer periphery of the top portion and the remote periphery of the side skirt generally parallel with the side skirt and a thickness dimension perpendicular to the width dimension, the width dimension of the side skirt being at least twice as great as the width dimension of the second cord.