Combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly, and bed covering for use with same

Abstract

A combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly for use with a mattress is provided and includes a mattress pad having a first set of anchoring elements located on a top surface of the mattress pad; a combination flat sheet/skirted fitted sheet subassembly; and, optionally, an outer bed covering. The Combination flat sheet/skirted fitted sheet subassembly includes a second set of anchoring strips that mate with the first set of anchoring strips to hold the subassembly in place on the mattress pad, making it very easy to make up a bed using the invention. Lateral side portions extend from the sides of the bedding. Because the skirted fitted sheet portion and flat sheet portion are stitched together, it is very easy to make the bed without having to tuck in the corners or the foot portion of the sheets.

1 . A combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly for use with a mattress having a top, side edges, and corners, comprising:
 a mattress pad having a top surface, a head edge, a foot edge, and a first set of anchoring elements located on the top surface of the mattress pad near the head and foot edges of the mattress pad; and   a combination flat sheet/skirted fitted sheet subassembly having a flat sheet portion and a skirted fitted sheet portion, wherein the skirted fitted sheet portion has a flat top surface and an opposed under surface, a head edge, a foot edge, and two lateral side edges, two lateral side skirts that extend from the two lateral side edges of the flat top, a foot side skirt that extends from the lower edge of the flat top, and a second set of anchoring elements located on the under surface of the flat top near or at the head edge of the flat top and near or at the foot edge of the flat top, respectively;   wherein, when the combination flat sheet/skirted fitted sheet subassembly is aligned with the mattress pad, the first set of anchoring elements releasably mates with the second set of anchoring elements, and the flat top of the skirted fitted sheet portion will be tightly positioned and unwrinkled relative to the mattress pad and mattress, and the lateral side skirts and the foot side skirt will hang down and cover corresponding side edges of the mattress.   
     
     
         2 . The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of retaining straps for maintaining the mattress pad in position on a mattress. 
     
     
         3 . The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the retaining straps comprise elastic straps located near corners of the mattress pad. 
     
     
         4 . The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the lateral side skirts and the foot side skirt are not attached to each other in the vicinity of corners of the mattress. 
     
     
         5 . The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the lateral side skirts and foot side skirts are joined together in the vicinity of the corners of the mattress, to form pleated closed corners. 
     
     
         6 . The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of anchoring elements, located on the top surface of the mattress pad, comprises two strips of hook and loop material, and the second set of anchoring elements, located on the bottom surface of the skirted fitted sheet portion, comprises two strips of hook and loop material complementary to the two strips of hook and loop material on the mattress pad. 
     
     
         7 . The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of  claim 6 , wherein each of the two strips of hook and loop material on the mattress pad have a different visual appearance from each other, and each of the two complementary strips of hook and loop material on the skirted fitted sheet portion have an appearance complementary to the two corresponding strips of hook and loop material on the mattress pad to guide a user how to orient the combination flat sheet and skirted fitted sheet assembly on the mattress pad. 
     
     
         8 . The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the flat sheet portion has a flat top portion with lateral side edges and lateral side panels that extend from the lateral sides. 
     
     
         9 . The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the lateral side panels are unattached to the fitted sheet portion. 
     
     
         10 . The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a bed covering having a generally rectangular shape with lateral sides, a head edge, and a foot edge, with notched out corners located in the vicinity of the foot edge. 
     
     
         11 . The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the notched out corners in the bed covering define two side drape sections located at the lateral sides of the bed covering and a foot drape section between the two notched out corners. 
     
     
         12 . The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the notched out corners are generally square in shape. 
     
     
         13 . A combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly for use with a mattress have a top, side edges, and corners, comprising:
 a mattress pad having a top surface, an upper edge, a lower edge, a plurality of retainers for maintaining the mattress pad in position on the mattress, and a first set of hook and loop material located on the top surface near the head and foot edges of the mattress pad; and   a combination flat sheet/skirted fitted sheet subassembly, having a skirted fitted sheet portion having a flat top having a lower surface, a head edge, a foot edge, and lateral edges, lateral side skirt portions that extend from the lateral edges of the flat top, a foot side skirt portion that extends from the lower edge of the flat top, and a second set of hook and loop material complementary to the first set and located on the lower surface of the flat top near the head edge of the flat top and the foot edge of the flat top, and which are spaced apart so that when the combination flat sheet and skirted fitted sheet assembly are aligned with and attached to the first set of hook and loop material located on the top surface of the mattress pad near the head edge and the foot edge of the mattress pad, the flat top of the skirted fitted sheet portion will be tightly positioned and unwrinkled relative to the mattress pad and mattress, and wherein the lateral side skirt portions and foot side skirt portion will hang down and cover corresponding side edges of the mattress, and further comprising a flat sheet portion which is attached to the skirted fitted sheet portion near or at the foot edge thereof, the flat sheet portion having a flat top portion with lateral side edges and lateral side panels that extends downwardly from the lateral side edges, and wherein the lateral side panels that extend from the lateral edges of the flat top and a foot side skirt that extends from the foot edge are not attached to each other in the vicinity of the corners of the mattress.   
     
     
         14 . The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the retainers comprise elastic straps secured to and positioned near corners of the mattress pad. 
     
     
         15 . The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the first set of hook and loop material on the mattress pad have a different visual appearance and the complementary second set of hook and loop material on the skirted fitted sheet portion have an appearance complimentary to the first set of hook and loop material on the mattress pad to guide a user how to place the combination flat sheet and skirted fitted sheet assembly on the mattress pad. 
     
     
         16 . The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the lateral side panels are unattached to foot side skirt of the fitted sheet portion. 
     
     
         17 . The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of  claim 13 , further comprising a bed covering having a generally rectangular shape with lateral sides, a head edge, and a foot edge, with notched out corners located in the vicinity of the foot edge. 
     
     
         18 . The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the notched out corners in the bed covering define two side drape sections located at lateral sides of the bed covering and a foot drape section between the two notched out corners. 
     
     
         19 . The combination flat sheet, skirted fitted sheet, and mattress pad assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the notched out corners are generally square in shape.