Abstract:
An umbrella retaining device may be incorporated into or integrally attached to a vehicle seat from the vehicle factory and may employ a compartment or holder that defines a ventilation and drain hole to drain water from a wet umbrella. An umbrella compartment may further comprise a flap pivoting along a bottom edge of the compartment, a gusset on each side of the flap, and a snap or magnetic closure device proximate to the flap&#39;s upper edge. Alternatively, an umbrella retaining compartment may angularly lie within a bottom portion of the seat or seat supporting portion, such as a front seat side shield. The compartment may have a cover, such as a pivoting cover. Alternatively, the umbrella retaining member may be a vertical tubular restraining member with a top, angled opening and a bottom opening. A support loop may lie below the tubular member to provide vertical support.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a vehicle seat that accommodates an umbrella. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Motor vehicles may include various storage compartments for storing items in the interior compartment of the vehicle. These storage compartments, however, typically are for items such as foldable maps, gloves, flashlights, etc. that are typically dry items and whose storage may be accommodated in any of the variety of storage compartments. While these storage compartments have been satisfactory for their intended uses, they are not without their share of limitations. One such limitation is that such storage compartments are not suited to handling the length of an umbrella. Another limitation is that such storage compartments are not within a convenient reach of a seated vehicle driver from a driver&#39;s seat. Another limitation is that such storage compartments are not equipped to drain water. 
         [0003]    What is needed then is a device that does not suffer from the above limitations. This in turn will provide a device that will accommodate and drain water from a wet umbrella, including a compact and non-compact umbrella. Additionally, such a device will be located so as to be accessible without opening a driver&#39;s door of the vehicle. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    A dedicated umbrella retaining device for a vehicle may be incorporated into or be an integral part of a vehicle seat, such as a driver seat, and may employ a compartment or holder that further defines a ventilation and drain hole to drain water that falls from a wet umbrella during storage. 
         [0005]    Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vehicle depicting the location of umbrella storage compartments in accordance with the present teachings; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a perspective front view of a vehicle seat depicting locations of umbrella storage compartments in accordance with the present teachings; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a perspective rear view of a vehicle seat depicting a location of an umbrella storage compartment in accordance with the present teachings; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a front view of a vehicle seat depicting locations where an umbrella may be stowed; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a left side view of a vehicle driver&#39;s seat depicting location where an umbrella may be stowed. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. Turning to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view of a vehicle  10 , such as an automobile, is depicted. Vehicle  10  has an interior compartment  12  within which vehicle seats are mounted, such as a driver seat  14 . The driver seat  14  is situated behind a steering wheel  16  and beside or next to a driver&#39;s front door (not shown). With reference to  FIG. 2 , the drive seat  14  generally has a seat bottom  18  and a seat back  20 , to which a head rest  22  is attached. Continuing with reference to  FIGS. 1-5 , the seat bottom  18  and seat back  20  may be configured to stow an umbrella. The seat bottom  18  may have a front seat side shield  24 , which may he a hard plastic piece that assists in supporting and covering the seat structure of the seat bottom  18 . Within the front side shield  24 , a tubular cavity  26  may be molded to stow an umbrella  28  when not in use. With reference primarily to  FIG. 5 , the cavity  26  may span the entire depth of the seat bottom  18  of the driver seat  14  or only part of the depth. For instance, if the umbrella is a compact umbrella, then the cavity  26  may be terminated at an intermediate rear wall  30 , which may be at some intermediate distance through the depth of the seat bottom  18 , or at the rear wall  32  of the front seat side shield  24 , which may be more nearly through the entire depth of the seat bottom side shield  24 . In another possibility, the umbrella cavity  26  may be a cavity that passes entirely through the seat bottom  18  thereby defining a rear opening  40  at the rear of the front seat side shield  24 . 
         [0013]    Continuing with reference to  FIG. 5 , the cavity  26  may have a drain hole  34  when the umbrella cavity  26  terminates at an intermediate distance through the seat bottom  18 . Such a drain hole  34  would drain water from an interior of the cavity  26  through the bottom of the front seat side shield  24 . Water may be shed from or drain from an umbrella  28  if it is inserted into the cavity  26  when wet, such as immediately after being used. Alternatively, a drain hole  36  may be resident at the rear end of a cavity  26  when the cavity is present up to, but not passing out of a rear of the seat bottom  18 . In such a configuration, the drain hole  36  would be present just below a rear wail  32  of the front seat side shield  24 . In yet another configuration, in the event the cavity  26  passes entirely through the front seat side shield  24 , a front opening  38  and rear opening  40  are defined. When the cavity  26  passes entirely through the seat bottom  18 , no drain hole, per se, is necessary because water from a wet umbrella  28  may pass from the cavity  26  via the rear opening  40 . As depicted, to drain wafer from the drain hole  34 , drain hole  36  or rear opening  40 , the cavity  26  is pitched or angled such that the rear of the cavity, which is at the rear of the driver seat  14 , is lower than the front of the cavity  26 . In addition to draining water, the holes  34 ,  36  and opening  40  facilitate airflow through the cavity  26  to hasten drying of the cavity  26  and any residing umbrella  28 . A cover  39  may be provided over the front opening  38 . Such may be a piece of matching material as the front surface  46 . The cover  39  may pivot on a pivot pin or pivot point  41 . 
         [0014]    With continuing reference to  FIGS. 2 ,  4  and  5 , another location for umbrella storage with a driver seat  14  will be presented. Beginning with  FIG. 2 , a front compartment  42  is defined within which an umbrella  44  may be stored. The compartment  42  may be defined by the front surface  46  of the seat and a cover  48 . As the cover  48  wraps over and around a stowed umbrella  44 , a tubular compartment  42  is formed. The front surface  46  may be a hard plastic material that assists in supporting and covering the seat structure of the seat bottom  18 . Alternatively, the front surface  46  may be a vinyl, leather or other material that is stretched or applied over a seat supporting structure. Continuing with  FIGS. 2 ,  4  and  5 , the front cover  48  may be hinged along a lower area or a lower edge  50  of the front cover  48 , and in one example, the front cover  48  may be sewn directly to the material over the surface  46  or directly to the surface  46 . Additionally, to secure a top edge  56  of the front cover  48  to the surface  46 , a first fastener  52  and a second fastener  54  may be employed. First fastener  52  and second fastener  54  may be snaps, a latch or magnetically attractive fasteners, for example. Alternatively, instead or in addition to the fasteners  52 ,  54  a length of a hook and loop fastener  58  may be used along the top edge  56  of the cover  48  to secure the cover  48  to the surface  46 . 
         [0015]    Continuing with  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the top edge  56  of material may be detached from the surface  46  to permit an umbrella  44  to be deposited into the compartment formed by the front cover  48  and surface  46 . Because the front cover  48  may be made pliable, if for example the cover  48  were made from a piece of cloth or vinyl, the front compartment  42  may accommodate various sizes of compact, retractable umbrellas. Similar to the side compartment, one or more drain holes  60 ,  62  may be located at the bottom of the compartment  42 , such as at the lower edge  50  of the compartment  42 . 
         [0016]    Turning now to  FIGS. 1-3  and  5 , another example of an umbrella holder that utilizes a vehicle seat, will be explained. Turning first to  FIG. 1 , a vertical seat back umbrella holder  64  within which an umbrella  66  may reside, is depicted. Turning now primarily to  FIGS. 3 and 5 , further description of the vertical seat back umbrella holder  64  will be presented.  FIG. 3  depicts a vertical seat back umbrella holder  64  attached in the vicinity of a left (as shown) or right rear corner  72  of a driver seat  14 . Continuing, the vertical seat back umbrella holder  64  has a top opening  68  and a bottom opening  70 . More specifically, the top opening  68  may be slanted or angled, relative to a longitudinal axis of the umbrella holder  64 , to facilitate withdrawal and insertion of the umbrella  66  with regard to the driver side of the vehicle, such as the driver side front door or driver side rear door  74  of the vehicle  10 , depending upon the extent that the seat back  20  is reclined in the vehicle  10  or fore/aft position of the seat. For example, if the seat back  20  is in an upright position as depicted in  FIG. 5 , then the umbrella  66 , may be drawn from the slanted or angled top opening  68  toward the exterior of the vehicle  10 . To ensure that an umbrella is secure within the vertical seat back umbrella holder  64 , a support loop  76  may be employed. More specifically, the support loop  76  may be a loop of material sufficient in strength to support the weight of an umbrella  66  as the umbrella  66  resides within the vertical seat back umbrella holder  64 . Finally, a snap  65  may be located on the umbrella holder  64  and seat back  20  to secure the umbrella holder  64  more flatly against the seat back  20  and out of the way of the rear seat occupants when the umbrella holder  64  is not being used. 
         [0017]    Continuing with reference to  FIG. 5 , the vertical seat back umbrella holder  64  may be a piece of material, such as nylon or a material with an elastic, expandable qualify to maintain the umbrella  66  in the vertical seat back umbrella holder  64 . More specifically, when the umbrella  66  is inserted into the slanted top opening  68 , the vertical seat back umbrella holder  64  may expand in a radial fashion to permit the umbrella  66  to be gripped or hugged in a fashion to maintain its position in the vertical seat back umbrella holder  64 . The bottom support loop  76  may provide vertical support the umbrella  66  and permit the tip  78  of the umbrella from wandering in a radial fashion while the vehicle  10  is in motion. Likewise, the vertical seat back umbrella holder  64  prevents the umbrella  66  from moving in a radial and vertical fashion while if is installed within the vertical seat back umbrella holder  64 . The vertical seat back umbrella holder  64  may be sewn directly to or info the seat back  20  or molded or otherwise incorporated with a seat back panel. Because the vertical seat back umbrella holder  64  is located on the rear of the seat back  20 , it may accommodate a compact umbrella, a full size umbrella or even an oversized umbrella, such as a golf style of umbrella with an open arc, or distance from one tip to the opposite tip over the umbrella canopy, of greater than 54 inches, for example. Of course the vertical seat back umbrella holder  64  is designed to store a closed umbrella  66 , as depicted. Because of its open bottom opening  70  and support loop  76  arrangement, the vertical seat back umbrella holder  64  facilitates air flow-through, that is, between the top opening  68  and bottom opening  70  through the holder  64 . Such a design hastens drying of a wet umbrella. 
         [0018]    The invention exhibits and affords multiple advantages. The umbrella compartments or holders  26 ,  42  and  64  may be located on nearly any seat in a vehicle, be they front seats or rear seats, on a driver side or a passenger side of a vehicle. Another advantage is that each of the umbrella compartments or holders  26 ,  42  and  64 , when installed on a driver seat  14 , can be accessed by a driver while seated in the seat  14 , such that a driver door does not have to be opened to prepare an umbrella before stepping from a vehicle. Compartments  26  and  42  are especially convenient because they are positioned next to a driver while the vertical seat back umbrella holder  64  may be accessed by reaching over the shoulder area  80  of the seat  14 , beside the headrest  22 , or around a seat corner, such as the left rear corner  72 . 
         [0019]    Another advantage is that the slanted top opening  68  facilitates insertion and retraction of an umbrella  66  with respect to the vertical seat back umbrella holder  64 . Still yet, anther advantage to the dedicated compartments and holders  26 ,  42  and  64  is that other vehicle compartments, such as glove boxes, will not become wet or dirty over time as may occur with the dedicated compartments and holders  26 ,  42  and  64 . Further still, another advantage is that the umbrella compartments and holders  26 ,  42  and  64  are part of the seat itself, that is, such compartments and holders are not part of add-on attachments such as unattractive bolt-on options or as part of an aftermarket seat-covers. As such, the compartments and holders  26 ,  42  and  64  will not move, twist, become loose, or fall off as an aftermarket piece might do. 
         [0020]    The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.