Mattress encasement for preventing bed bug escapement via a zipper opening

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.

1 . A bed bug protective encasement for a mattress, comprising:
 (a) a fabric cover of a size for surrounding the six sides of a mattress, said cover formed of a bed bug impervious fabric;   (b) an opening formed in said cover and being of a size for receiving the mattress;   (c) a slide fastening mechanism disposed in said opening and operable to close said opening after the mattress has been received, said mechanism comprising:
 (a) a zipper; and 
 (b) a zipper track having an end location; 
   (d) a foam pad disposed at said end location and extending for a distance along said zipper track, said foam disposed beneath said zipper track;   (e) stitching attaching said foam paid to said fabric cover, said stitching running relative to said zipper track and forming a channel between said foam pad and said fabric cover, said channel slidingly receiving a portion of said zipper, said stitching being formed so as to prevent traversal by a bed bug across said stitching.   
     
     
         2 . A bed bug protective encasement according to  claim 1  wherein the fabric cover when surrounding said mattress forms six sides of said cover; and wherein said opening is formed across the entire width of one of said sides. 
     
     
         3 . A bed bug protective encasement according to  claim 1  wherein said foam pad is composed of a compressible material. 
     
     
         4 . A bed bug protective encasement according to  claim 3  wherein said foam pad is of a thickness at least five times greater than the thickness of said bed bug impervious fabric when said foam pad is in an uncompressed state. 
     
     
         5 . A bed bug protective encasement according to  claim 1  wherein said stitching draws said foam pad into contact with said zipper track within said channel. 
     
     
         6 . A method of guiding bed bugs housed within a mattress away from an opening portion of a zipper closure of a mattress encasement, said zipper closure having a zipper head and a pair of zipper tracks, said opening portion constituting the unzipped portion of said zipper tracks, comprising the steps:
 (a) providing a barrier along a portion of the longitudinal axis of the zipper tracks and the end location of said zipper tracks to prevent bugs from approaching said portion of the axis;   (b) providing a channel between said zipper tracks and said barrier having a confined space of a size to thwart bug movement into and along the channel;   (c) forcing said barrier toward said zipper track to guide bugs away from entering said channel and for creating a constant force of said barrier against said zipper track; and   (d) moving said zipper head along the channel toward the zipper end located at the end of the channel.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said step of forcing said barrier toward said zipper track is accomplished by providing stitching between said barrier and said zipper closure along each side of the longitudinal axis of said zipper track. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said stitching is formed so as to prevent traversal by a bed bug across said stitching. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said barrier provided is composed of a compressible material. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said barrier provided is a foam pad. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the material of said barrier provided is of a thickness at least five times as great as that of the material comprising said mattress encasement. 
     
     
         12 . A method of preventing bed bugs from escaping a mattress comprising the following steps:
 (a) providing a mattress encasement comprising:
 i. a fabric cover for surrounding the six sides of a mattress, said cover formed of a fabric that is impervious to bed bugs; 
 ii. an opening for receiving a mattress; and 
 iii. a slide fastening mechanism disposed in said opening and operable to close said opening comprising:
 1) a zipper head; and 
 2) a zipper track having a longitudinal axis and an end location; 
 
   (b) surrounding said mattress with said mattress encasement;   (c) guiding bed bugs housed within said mattress away from said opening portion of said mattress encasement, comprising the steps:
 i. providing a barrier along the end location and longitudinal axis of said zipper track to prevent bugs from approaching said portion of the zipper track; 
 ii. providing a channel between said zipper track and said barrier, said channel having a confined space of a size to thwart bug movement into and along the channel; 
 iii. forcing said barrier toward said zipper track to guide bugs away from entering said channel and for creating a constant force of said barrier against said zipper track; 
   (d) closing said opening by moving the zipper head along the zipper tracks into said channel and toward said zipper track end location located at the end of the channel.