Integrated bed covers for the mattress of a bed include an upper bed covering of one or more layer, for convenience referred to generically as a `cover`, e.g., a comforter or blanket, together with a mattress pocket adapted to fit around and enclose a lower portion of the mattress wherein the cover is expandably connected to the mattress pocket, that is to say, so that the bed cover (e.g., comforter or blanket) can be easily separated or expanded upwardly from the pocket and yet remained connected to it. I have found it possible to accomplish this objective by connecting to the pocket a base sheet or supporting sheet that extends laterally as well as beyond the end of the bed from the pocket and then securing the edges of this supporting sheet to the edges of the covering. This enables the cover to be reliably held in place on the bed by means of the mattress pocket and yet allows the cover to be raised upwardly away from the mattress pocket so as to provide an expandable opening for the feet between the cover and the mattress pocket so as to prevent the feet being confined or bound in place by the overlying cover. The cover can have three layers with laterally extending slits one each side near the foot of the bed. The slits are typically equal in length to that portion of the cover that hangs down alongside the side wall of the mattress.

A deep pocket sheet is disclosed having panels that envelop the bottom and top sixths to thirds of a mattress, rather than the entire mattress. The deep pocket sheet is safe, easy to construct, easy to apply and remove, and is particularly suited for use in conjunction with crib mattresses.

A top sheet having a fitted foot end and method of assembling a fitted sheet to a mattress are disclosed. The foot pocket has a foot end face panel that extends over a foot end of the mattress and a foot tuck panel that is tucked beneath the bottom surface of the mattress. The foot pocket further comprises right and left side corner panels that adjoin to both the foot end face panel and a top portion of the sheet to define a three sided corner that locates the sheet on the foot end of the mattress. According to the method the top sheet is spread over the mattress with the right and left side corners located on the right and left top corners of the foot end of the mattress and a foot tuck panel is tucked under the mattress to secure the sheet to the mattress.

A mattress covering in the form of a fitted mattress pad or fitted sheet has an inelastic, generally rectangular top portion and a skirt of inelastic material 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. A first elastic cord is secured to the skirt at its outer periphery remote from the top portion. A second, separate elastic cord is secured to the 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 skirt can be made of two layers of a textile material, each layer being a single panel, or it can be made of multiple panels or lengths of other materials for each layer. The two skirt layers are attached to each other and either or both elastic members can be attached to either or both of the inelastic fabric layers by surface bonding, particularly by ultrasonic spot welding. The top portion is dimensioned to fit a standard size mattress and the skirt is dimensioned to fit a range of mattress heights.

A mattress covering adapted for fitted disposition over the top, sides, ends and corners of mattresses. An inelastic, generally rectangular top portion with an outer periphery is dimensioned to at least substantially cover the top surface of mattresses of at least one predetermined standard top surface size. An inelastic side skirt extends transversely to the top portion from the outer periphery of the top portion around the entire outer periphery of the top portion. An inelastic panel extends away from a periphery of the side skirt remote from the top portion and entirely around the side skirt periphery. The inelastic panel is separate and different from the side skirt and is attached to the periphery of the side skirt remote from the top portion. A first elastic cord is secured with the inelastic panel at a periphery of the panel remote from the side skirt.