Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the technical field of protective covers for seats, chairs, and the like. More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of fabric covers designed for universal application to a variety of seat, chair, and back support designs.
2. Background Art
Seat covers are frequently used to protect the surface of a seat or chair from the wear and tear of everyday use, including but not limited to soiling of the seat or chair surface via repeated and frequent contact with unclean or wet persons or clothing. Though use of seat covers and variety in the design of seat covers are both well-known in the art, there is a continuing and apparent need for a seat cover that is universal in its ability to fit onto a variety of seat or chair back support designs, including without limitation back support designs involving a rounded or uneven border at their top.
At present, automobile seat covers do not readily adapt and fit to a beach chair, a beach chair seat cover does not readily adapt and fit to a dining room chair, and a dining room chair does not readily adapt and fit to a recliner, and so on and so on. This lack of universality in design of the current seat covers known in the art requires a user of seat covers to purchase and install a differing specific seat cover design for each differing specific seat, chair or back support design for which use is desired. This lack of universality makes for both the cumbersome and unduly expensive protection of multiple seats, chairs or back supports.
One attempt in the art to address the problems herein cited is a prior art embodiment employing the use of a pocket at the top of the seat cover that is designed to envelop the top of a variety of back support designs. Despite being a step in the right direction to remedy the cited problems, this embodiment still has the problem that the enveloping pocket, though being large enough to be used with a variety of sizes and shapes of back supports, does not snugly fit any one or more variations in the back support design. In this sense, this attempt in the art to address the problems cited comprises a universal solution that surrenders effectiveness in fit to achieve the universality sought. Accordingly, despite this advance, there remains a need for an embodiment of the seat cover that achieves universality of design without compromising the effectiveness of the seat cover to snugly fit each of the various designs of back supports to which the seat cover is intended to be applied.
Another attempt in the art to address the problems herein cited is a prior art embodiment employing the use of an aperture in the seat cover that allows the cover to fit a standard automobile bucket seat and have the headrest protrude through the cover—the specific design allows this seat cover to fit a variety of automobile seats but does not allow for the cover to fit any other type of seat, chair, or back support design. Accordingly, this particular prior art embodiment has nearly universal application for automobile seats, but is useless with regard to nearly any other type of chair, seat or back supports, including without limitation beach chairs, recliners, and dining room chairs.
The present invention is a universal cover for fit and use on a variety of back support designs, the cover comprising an expanse of fabric sufficient to completely cover the front surface of a back support, a pocket on the backside of the expanse positioned at the top of the expanse and of sufficient width to envelop the top of the back support and an elastic hem defining the mouth of the pocket. The description of the preceding sentence (the “broadest contemplated embodiment”) is what is considered to be the broadest embodiment of the now disclosed invention. That said, embodiments of increasing specificity are disclosed below, including without limitation the preferred embodiment that is discussed in detail beneath the heading “Detailed Description of the Invention”.
An alternative and more specific embodiment of the presently disclosed invention entails a universal cover for fit and use on a variety of back support designs, the cover comprising an expanse of fabric of sufficient dimension to completely cover both the front surface of a back support and the top surface of a seating platform, a pocket on the backside of the expanse positioned at the top of the expanse and of sufficient width to envelop the top of the back support and an elastic hem defining the mouth of the pocket. In this sense, this alternative embodiment is intended to have specific utility for use with both a traditional seat or chair in addition to structures consisting of only a back support including without limitation certain gym equipment and exercise machines.
In both the broadest contemplated embodiment and the alternative embodiment identified above, a primary inventive feature of each embodiment is deemed to be the pocket on the backside of the expanse of fabric, positioned at the top of the expanse and of sufficient width to envelop the top of the back support, and an elastic hem defining the mouth of the pocket. In tandem, the pocket and the elastic hem are the operable features of the invention that allow the universal fit and usage of the cover across a variety of seat, chair and back support designs. In short, the operative mechanism yielding the invention's superior effectiveness to the existing prior art is the combination of (i) the size differential between the contracted elastic hem and the actual width of the pocket at the top backside of the expanse of fabric, and (ii) the ability of the elastic hem to stretch to the width of the pocket and collapse upon a back support inserted into the pocket thus providing a snug fit to the back support by way of the tension caused in stretching the elastic hem about the top of the back support. In the inventor's estimation, the vast majority of chair, seat and back support types to which the present invention may be applied are between 15 inches and 27 inches in width and, therefore, the inventor contemplates that the width of the pocket at the top backside of the expanse of fabric is likely to have the most universality of application if the pocket itself is at least 15 inches and at most 27 inches in width. In a preferred embodiment, the pocket at the top backside of the expanse of fabric is 6 inches in depth thus allowing 6 inch overlap of the pocket about the top of a back support—the inventor believes this length is the minimum depth for the pocket that may be utilized without sacrificing stability and snugness of fit about the top of a back support.
In all circumstances of application of the now disclosed invention, the inventor contemplates the elastic hem defining the mouth of the pocket at the top backside of the expanse of fabric to be substantially shorter in width that the pocket itself when contracted, thus causing the operative gripping tension force when the same is extended and placed about the top of a back support. In a preferred embodiment, the elastic hem defining the mouth of the pocket at the top backside of the expanse of fabric is specifically comprised of a ¼ inch elastic braid integrated within the hem, the contracted elastic braid being at least 25% shorter in length than the width of the pocket at the top backside of the expanse of fabric to which it is applied. In a further preferred embodiment, the contracted elastic braid integrated within the hem defining the mouth of the pocket at the top backside of the expanse of fabric is at least 50% shorter in length than the width of the pocket to which it is applied.
In both the broadest contemplated embodiment and alternative embodiment identified above, it is contemplated that either embodiment may further comprise an aperture in the pocket that may be opened or closed via fastening means. The aperture provides means for the protrusion of a headrest through the universal cover and is envisioned to be particularly useful in the context of seats that traditionally feature a headrest separate and distinct from the back support such as automobile seats and barber chairs. Stated with more specificity, the fastening means that facilitate the alternating opening and closure of the aperture is contemplated to be a zipper assembly in what is thought to be the best mode of the present invention. Stated with even more specificity, the contemplated zipper assembly is preferably a double-zipper assembly allowing the aperture to be opened only as far as needed to allow a particular headrest to protrude through the cover by pulling the two zipper sliders in divergent directions from the center of the double-zipper assembly then causing the cover to fit about the base of the headrest snugly by pulling the two zippers in convergent directions about the base of the headrest. In a preferred embodiment, the aperture and thus the double-zipper assembly are each 20 inches in width, thus resulting in an aperture having a 40 inch circumference when the two zipper sliders are pulled in divergent directions from the center of the double-zipper assembly and the aperture is completely opened.
In both the broadest contemplated embodiment and alternative embodiment identified above, it is deemed desirable by the present inventor that the expanse of fabric recited be constituted of a polyester-composite fabric, and specifically a composite of 80% polyester and 20% polyamide composite fabric. A polyester-composite fabric composition of the expanse of fabric yields superior moisture absorption qualities when compared to a standard cotton terry-cloth construction and, specifically, the 80% polyester and 20% polyamide composition is known in the art to allow for moisture absorption at a volume of seven (7) times the weight of the fabric. Accordingly, it is believed that the composition of the cover from this 80% polyester and 20% polyamide composite will result in more effective and efficient absorption of fluid spills upon the cover and, therefore, more effective and efficient protection of the seat, chair, or back support surface beneath the cover.
In both the broadest contemplated embodiment and alternative embodiment identified above, it is contemplated that either embodiment may further comprise at least one additional pocket affixed to the frontside of the expanse of fabric. Unlike the recited pocket located at the top of the backside of the expanse of fabric, the contemplated pocket(s) affixed to the frontside of the expanse of fabric are intended to serve the purpose of convenient storage compartments for a user rather that serve an intrinsic function in the fitting of the cover to a particular seat, chair, or back support. Accordingly, in what is deemed a preferred embodiment of the now disclosed invention, the expanse of fabric would have at least a single pocket affixed to the bottom frontside of the expanse of fabric, thus allowing this front side pocket to dangle vertically from a back support or seat platform to which the cover has been applied. The inventor believes that this configuration would allow for the recited frontside pocket to be utilized for the effective storage of keys, sunglasses, and similar personal effects with minimal intrusion upon the seating or back support surface and minimum compromise of the primary protective utility of the invention.
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Reference throughout the specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout the specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.
Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention.
It is understood that the above described embodiments are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiment, including the best mode, is to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, if any, in conjunction with the foregoing description.
While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.
This application further claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/890,430 filed Oct. 14, 2013, which is also hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61890430 | Oct 2013 | US |