Abstract:
A child car seat cover to provide a comfortable sitting environment. The car seat cover includes a sheath with vibration devices mounted on opposite sides of the sheath for comforting a child occupying the car seat. The sheath includes integrally formed therewith a storage compartment for receipt therein of the vibration device. The vibration devices are operated by a wireless remote control.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a cover for car seats, more specifically but not by way of limitation a cover for a child car seat that has vibrating devices contained therein.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Traveling with infants can be a very demanding task. During long trips or even while driving short distances infants often can become fretful or annoyed. An upset infant can create a significant distraction to the driver thus causing a significant safety issue for the occupants of a vehicle. It is known that infants and small children usually do not like to sit in a car for any significant amount of time. Many infant seats are adaptable for hand carrying or attachable to strollers. Small children restrained to these devices for any significant length of time are known to become upset or irritable. Consumers continually create demand for products that can assist in comforting a child while the child is restrained in a car seat whether in a vehicle or while the seat is attached to a stroller.  
         [0003]     Infants require constant interaction and stimulation. Riding in the back seat of a vehicle can create an isolating experience for a small child, which can cause the child to become very fussy. Having the ability to comfort the child without having to stop and increase the risk of an accident is very desirable for caretakers of small children during travel.  
         [0004]     Another problem arises when the driver has to engage in frequent stops to comfort an upset child. Frequent stops to comfort an upset child not only presents an increased risk for potential accidents, it also represents a loss of time for the driver.  
         [0005]     Accordingly there is a need for a device that can be integrated onto existing car seats, specifically a car seat cover with vibrating motors embedded therein with the cover being of a suitable shape designed to fit over commercially available car seats that will provide vibrations of different magnitude and durations in order to relax an upset child restrained in the car seat. A remote device so as to facilitate safe operation by the driver of the vehicle preferably will control the device.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     It is the object of the present invention to provide a child car seat cover, which can be readily secured to commercially available car seats and the car seat cover has contained therein a plurality of vibration motors providing vibrations of multiple magnitudes and durations.  
         [0007]     It is another object of the present invention to provide a vibrating car seat cover that is controlled by a standard remote control device.  
         [0008]     A further object of the present invention is to provide a vibrating car seat cover which has vibration motors contained therein that are battery operated.  
         [0009]     Another object of the present invention is to provide a vibrating car seat cover in which the vibration motors are releasably contained therein to allow for easy removal of the vibration motors and subsequent ease of cleaning of the car seat cover.  
         [0010]     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a vibrating car seat cover that is lightweight, stain resistant and manufactured from terry cloth.  
         [0011]     To the accomplishment of the above and related objects the present invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Attention is called to the fact that the drawings are illustrative only. Variations are contemplated as being a part of the present invention, limited only by the scope of the claims. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]     A more complete understanding of the present invention may be had by reference to the following Detailed Description and appended claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings wherein:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates a frontal perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention secured to a car seat;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  illustrates a rear perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention secured to a car seat; and  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of a controller of an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]     Referring now to the drawings submitted herewith, wherein various elements depicted are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in particular  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is illustrated an infant car seat  100  constructed according to the principles of the present invention.  
         [0017]     Infant car seat  100  includes a seat cover  102  which covers the seat portion  110 . Seat cover  102  comprises a sheath  60  consisting of an upper portion  80  and a lower portion  70 . The upper portion  80  is configured to conform to the plane of the head portion  115  of the seat portion  110 . A pair of storage compartments  50  (shown in dashed lines) are positioned between the under side of sheath  60  and seat portion  110 . A vibration device  10  is shown removed from one of the storage compartments  50 . It is contemplated that the present invention could also be used in conjunction with and/or placed underneath a standard infant car seat cover. This would provide protection to the seat cover  102 , as well as would provide additional padding and comfort to the user.  
         [0018]     The lower portion  70  of the sheath  60  is configured to conform to the plane of the bottom portion  120  of the seat portion  110 . The sheath  60  is made of fabric suitable for seat covers such as but not limited to terry cloth, cotton, or polyester. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the sheath  60  could be manufactured from numerous materials to achieve the desired function suggested herein. Although it is contemplated that the sheath  60  can be manufactured in various sizes to accommodate a variety of car seats, good results have been shown to be achieved with a sheath  60  that is twenty-five inches in length and eighteen and a half inches in width.  
         [0019]     The sheath  60  contains three apertures  20 ,  22 , and  24  which correspond to apertures in car seat portion  110 . Apertures  20  and  22  are positioned proximate to each other in the upper portion  80  of the sheath  60  and aperture  24  is positioned in the lower portion  70  of the sheath  60 . Apertures  20 ,  22  and  24  are positioned to allow safety belts to be passed through in order to secure the child in the car seat  100 . Those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous different configurations of the apertures could exist in order to achieve the functionality suggested herein. Therefore, it is contemplated that the apertures could be strategically placed in different areas of the sheath  60  to allow for passage of safety belts for many different types of car seats.  
         [0020]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , around the peripheral edge  105  is a securing strap  90 . The securing strap  90  functions to releasably secure the seat cover  100  to the car seat  110 . The securing strap  90  is manufactured from elastic or semi elastic material. The securing strap  90  is secured to the peripheral edge  105  of the sheath  60  by suitable mechanical methods such as but not limited to sewing. It is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that numerous methods of securing the seat cover  102  to the car seat portion  110  are possible. More specifically, but not by way of limitation, hook/loop fasteners or snaps could be used to releasably secure the seat cover  102  to the car seat portion  110 .  
         [0021]     Integrated into the upper portion  80  of the sheath  60  proximate to the peripheral edge  105  positioned on opposite sides are a pair of storage compartments  50 . The storage compartments  50  are generally rectangular in shape and hollow with an opening  125  to allow for receipt therein of a vibration device  10 . The storage compartments  50  are manufactured of the same material as the seat cover  100  and are secured by suitable methods such as but not limited to sewing. Although the storage compartments  50  are shown in the figures submitted herewith, to be positioned on opposite sides proximate to their respective peripheral edges  105  in the upper portion  80  of the sheath  60 , it is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that numerous storage compartments  50  could be disposed thereon the sheath  60  in a plurality of configurations to provide the functionality suggested herein. Those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous different amounts, shapes and sizes of the storage compartment  50  could be utilized in place of and/or in conjunction with the storage compartment  50  as shown in the figures submitted herewith to achieve the desired functionality.  
         [0022]     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the vibration devices  10  are standard battery operated mechanical vibration motors that are of shape to be compatible with the storage compartments  50  for insertion therein. It is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the vibration devices  10  could also be powered by direct current in place of and/or in conjunction with standard batteries. It is further contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the vibration devices  10  could contain therein, rechargeable batteries that are recharged via a direct current connection from a vehicle using a standard a 12-volt outlet.  
         [0023]     Now referring to  FIG. 3 , the remote control  200  comprises of a control unit  240  and is a standard remote control device that is used to control the vibration devices  10 . The remote control  200  is a standard battery operated remote control comprising a control unit  240  that communicates with the vibration devices  10  via any of the well-known wave energy methods such as but not limited to infrared or radio frequency waves. Superposed on the control unit  240  is an activator  250 . The activator  250  functions to engage the control unit  240  to turn the vibration devices  10  on and off. It is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the remote control  200  could be a standard wired remote that is hard wired with standard wiring to each of the vibration devices  10 .  
         [0024]     Adjacent to the control unit  240  and integrally secured thereto is a clip  230 . The clip  230  is designed to releasably secure the remote control  200  to a car visor. The clip  230  is manufactured from a resilient metal such as but not limited to aluminum. Those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous materials could be used in place of and/or in conjunction with aluminum to achieve the desired function suggested herein of the clip.  
         [0025]     Now referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the vibration devices  10  comprise of vibration motors such as standard mechanical vibration elements. The vibration devices  10  operate to produce a vibration substantially throughout the sheath  60  and car seat  100  producing a calming effect for the child occupying the seat. It is within the scope of the invention that the vibration devices  10  could be variable. The vibration devices  10  could be adjusted via the control unit  240  to alter the magnitude, frequency, duration and pattern of the vibrations. It is further contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the vibration devices  10  could be on a timer, producing vibrations at desired intervals. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that the vibration devices  10  do not require remote controls  200 . The functionality of the vibration devices  10  could be controlled via an integrated control panel thereon the vibration device  10  providing the function of the vibration devices  10  as suggested herein.  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIGS. 1, 2  and  3  a description of the operation of the infant car seat  100  is as follows. A user will place the vibration devices  10  into the desired storage compartments  50 . The user will then secure the seat cover  100  to a car seat  110  with the securing strap. The safety belts of the car seat  110  are passed through the apertures  20  proximate thereto allowing the safety belts to be in proper position for securing a child in the seat. After a child has been secured in the seat, the user operates the remote control  200  by depressing the activator  250  to turn on the vibration devices  10 . The user can also use the remote control  200  to control the magnitude and duration of the vibrations. As the user is transporting the child in the seat, whether manually or in a vehicle, the user can continually adjust the magnitude, frequency and duration of the vibrations as needed to comfort the child occupying the car seat. Once the desired destination of the user has been reached, or the child occupying the seat no longer requires comforting, the user turns off the vibratory devices  10  via the remote control  200 . Periodic maintenance of the batteries in the remote control  200  and the vibration devices  10  will be required either by replacing or recharging the batteries.  
         [0027]     In the preceding detailed description, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments, and certain variants thereof, have been described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It is to be understood that other suitable embodiments may be utilized and that logical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. The description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art. The preceding detailed description is, therefore, not intended to be limited to the specific forms set forth herein, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as can be reasonably included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.