FIELD OF THE INVENTION

A bedding article, such as a comforter, filled with at least a first material, in a plurality of spaces created by a patterned stitching between the fabrics comprising the outer shell of the comforter is provided, and more particularly to a comforter wherein the created spaces are larger in a first portion of the comforter and smaller in a second portion of the comforter.

BACKGROUND

Comforters stuffed with down or down-like fill material are very popular for a number of reasons. They are warm and comfortable. Furthermore, they are characterized by bulk and softness. Finally, despite their bulk, they are extremely light in weight.

In general, the construction of the comforter, the type of fill material used, and the amount of fill material used, will determine the warmth characteristics of the structure. To this end, it is not unusual for manufacturers to offer various types and styles of comforters, differing in the fill material used and the amount of fill material used, so as to have different warmth characteristics.

In addition, the entire comforter does not need to provide optimal warmth as a user is generally only covered by a portion of the comforter. It would be desirable, therefore, to produce a comforter which provides warmth comfort levels to the user by providing a larger amount of fill in a portion or portions of the comforter which would cover a user, and to provide a lesser amount of fill in the remaining portion or portions of the comforter. Additionally, it is also desirable to produce such a patterned comforter such that its durability, particular at the edge portions of the comforter, are increased.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a patterned comforter comprising an outer fabric shell comprising at least a top panel and a bottom panel is provided where the stitching connecting the at least a top panel and a bottom panel results in the generation of an overall non-uniform pattern, where the overall non-uniform pattern creates a plurality of spaces containing a fill material(s), where the plurality of spaces are at least a first sized space and a larger second sized space, and where the first sized spaces are located at a first portion of the comforter and the larger second sized spaces are located in a second portion of the comforter. The larger second sized spaces contain more fill material than the first sized spaces, and thus, provide increased warmth in the second portion of the comforter containing the larger second sized spaces. The first spaces, due to their smaller size, have increased durability as compared to the larger second sized spaces, and thus, provide increased durability in the first portion of the comforter containing the first sized spaces, for example, at the peripheral area of the patterned comforter. In additional embodiments, the plurality of spaces comprises more than two different sized spaces, and can include 3, 4, 5, or more different sized spaces. Each of the additional third, fourth, fifth, and more sized spaces are disposed in a third portion of the comforter, a fourth portion of the comforter, a fifth portion of the comforter, etc.

