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 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . 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. 
 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein an end of each of said zipper tracks is located at said end location. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein said zipper head sliding to said end location is to close said opening. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein said force is sufficient to thwart bed bug traversal along said channel. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein said bedding apparatus is a mattress. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein said stitching includes stitching a first barrier row relative to a first side of said longitudinal axis of said zipper tracks, and stitching a second barrier row relative to a second side of said longitudinal axis of said zipper tracks. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein said channel is formed between said first barrier row and said second barrier row. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the distance between said first barrier row and said second barrier row is at least one-sixteenth of an inch. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the distance between said first barrier row and said second barrier row is about one-sixteenth of an inch. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the distance between said first barrier row and said second barrier row is about five-sixteenths of an inch.