US 7152260

I'll search for authoritative information on US 7152260, including any 2026 CAFC docket activity.

Let me check for any CAFC 2026 docket activity and litigation involving this patent.

The CAFC search returned nothing for this patent. However, one result referenced a "'260 Patent" in a Chrimar/Foundry Networks case involving Ethernet technology — which appears inconsistent with the bedding patent. Let me investigate that discrepancy carefully.

Search Results Summary — US Patent No. 7152260

Important framing note: I searched for the exact identifier 7152260 (displayed on the document as US7152260B2, i.e., US 7,152,260 B2). I did not find any CAFC 2026 docket or Federal Circuit appeal involving this patent. One search result surfaced a "Chrimar '260 patent" (Chrimar Systems v. Cisco / Foundry Networks), but I confirmed that patent is U.S. Patent No. 5,406,260 — a different patent (network security system), not the number you asked about. I flag this only to prevent a mix-up; per your instruction I did not treat it as the same patent.

Identifiers (per the source document)

Sources: https://patents.google.com/patent/US7152260/en ; https://patents.justia.com/patent/7152260 (Patent History block).

Abstract (as issued)

A holding appliance for bedding including a belt wound around a bottom surface of a bed, two hook devices at both belt terminals, and two fastening devices for holding/fastening portions of the periphery of the bedding, the fastening devices being caught by the hook devices. In alternate embodiments: (a) a hook member placed between a bed base and mattress with a fastening device caught by the hooking member; and (b) a body placed between the bed base and mattress with a fastening device pivotally supported to the body. Each fastening device has a substantially ring-like body with a pair of spaced-apart first portions, a second portion interconnecting the first ends, a third portion interconnecting the second ends, and a holding member bridged between the first portions and slidable along them.

Plain-language overview of the independent claim(s)

The issued patent contains a single independent claim: claim 1. Claims 2–40 are all dependent (each depends on an earlier claim), so there are no other independent claims in the granted patent. (Note: the pre-grant publication US 2006/0000061 A1 appears to have been filed with a much larger, multi-independent-claim set — e.g., published claim 71 mirrors granted claim 1 — reflecting a narrowing/restriction during prosecution. I state this as an inference from the two documents; treat it as likely rather than certain.)

Claim 1 (the sole independent claim) — plain language:
A bedding holder made of two cooperating parts:

1. A body designed to be slipped/placed between a bed base (box spring/frame) and the mattress. This is the anchor that stays put by being trapped under the mattress.
2. A fastener pivotally attached to that body, used to grip and hold a part of the bedding's edge/periphery. The pivot allows the fastener to swing/rotate relative to the body.

The fastener itself has:

• a generally ring-shaped frame with two parallel "first" side rails; a second portion joining one pair of ends of those rails; and a third portion joining the other pair of ends; plus
• a holding member (a cross-bar/clamp plate) spanning the two side rails and able to slide along them.

The claim then recites the method of using the fastener to hold the bedding (a "wherein" functional limitation):

• with the second portion up, feed the bedding edge through the gap between the second portion and the sliding holding member;
• drape the bedding over the holding member;
• feed it through the second gap between the holding member and the third portion;
• slide the holding member toward the third portion so the bedding is clamped between the holding member and the third portion; and
• turn the fastener so the second portion is now down, which wraps/cinches the bedding around the third portion so it cannot slip out.

In short: the independent claim is a mattress-sandwiched anchor body + a pivotally mounted, sliding-clamp ring that grips and self-tightens on the bedding edge by flipping over.

Dependent-claim coverage of interest (for context on scope):

• Cl. 2: the side rails are tapered so the gap widens toward the third portion (a cam/wedge effect that resists accidental unclamping).
• Cl. 3/4: the fastener pivots on its second portion.
• Cl. 5–8: the holding member and third portion are angular (flat/cornered, for a tighter grip).
• Cl. 9–24: the body is strip-shaped, attached at one end; the strip may be high-friction material.
• Cl. 25–32: body = strip-shaped core + coating layer of high-friction material on at least one face.
• Cl. 33–40: body = strip-shaped core inside an endless belt-shaped high-friction coating layer.

Key uncertainty / caveats

• CAFC 2026 dockets: I found no Federal Circuit activity for this patent. Because CAFC docket data is not comprehensively indexed by general web search, I cannot rule out an obscure/very recent filing — but there is no positive evidence of any. Given the patent is Expired – Fee Related (maintenance fees unpaid, expiration adjusted to 2025-03-30), active 2026 appellate litigation is unlikely.
• Multiple independent claims: the granted patent has one independent claim (claim 1). The published application showed a larger claim set; I could not fully verify the exact independent-claim numbering of the published version from the retrieved text, so I present that as an inference.
• All bibliographic data above is drawn from the Google Patents page and the Justia "Patent History" block; the belt + two hook means and hook-member-between-mattress variations appear in the specification and abstract but are not claimed as independent claims in the issued patent — they are described as first/second/third embodiments.