Abstract:
An automotive vehicle seat cover includes two flexible and springlike forms interconnected with a flexible sheet member which is water and moisture impermeable as well as non-tearable. Optionally, the forms are bent so as to provide concave surfaces facing the underlying seat and backrest for stability and slippage retardation. A still further option, are the provision of tabs for receipt within a space between the seat and backrest fixedly positioning the seat cover in place. The seat cover is fully collapsible to a fraction of its size by bending the forms in a proscribed manner and securing the cover with an attached elastic loop, advantageous for compact storage when not in use.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/421,612, filed Apr. 23, 2003 and now abandoned. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates generally to a seat cover, and, more particularly, to a seat cover for an automotive vehicle that is impermeable to moisture passing therethrough and damaging the underlying seat, which cover is readily foldable into a compact package for carrying or storage.  
         [0004]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0005]     A number of different approaches have been utilized in the past to prevent or reduce the soiling of seating in an automotive vehicle, all of which are accompanied by one or more disadvantages even if they are capable of accomplishing the basic seating protection function. One approach is to make the seating itself of a material that is resistant to soiling and can be readily cleaned which in a sense adopts the philosophy of assuming the seating will become soiled and facilitating the cleaning operation. Of course, cleaning wears out the item cleaned to a certain extent, therefore, the more cleaning the sooner repair and replacement is required. In both housing seating furniture and seating for automotive vehicles, a customary protective technique is to affix “slipcovers” or “seat covers” onto the underlying seating which are intended to remain in covering relation throughout the life of the slipcovers, and which are themselves both expensive and require cleaning. Another approach is to treat seating with certain chemical materials (e.g., so-called Scotchguarding) that provides an outer surface that can be wiped clean rather easily and the underlying seating is preserved at the same time. Still further, there are informal ways of protecting seating by such means as throwing a blanket or the like over the seating which, of course, shifts around during use and forms lumps that may be unpleasant to sit upon, and, of course, will itself in time require cleaning.  
         [0006]     The soiling of seating problem is exacerbated by individuals who have been exercising or engaging in sport and then seat themselves without taking any precautions to protect the seating. In such cases, perspiration transferred to the seating may be considerable and can both physically damage the seating as well as provide it with an unpleasant odor. Certain portable seat cushions and covers are known in the prior art (e.g. Heckethorn U.S. Pat. No. 3,103,671, Crane U.S. Pat. No. 2,801,681 and Wittcoff U.S. Pat. No. 1,927,331) but suffer from one or more design deficiencies, including an inability to fully collapse into a small package for storage, the cushion and backrest portions not being durably connected, the cover not covering the entire conventional vehicle seat, the cover not being configured to prevent sideways shifting relative the cushion and backrest, and the like.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     A primary object and aim of the present invention is the provision of an improved removable car seat covering means that is light-weight and prevents fluids passing through to the underlying seat.  
         [0008]     Another object as in the previous object is the provision of a car seat covering which is relatively rigid in use and easily foldable into a conveniently small package for storage.  
         [0009]     Yet another object as in the previous objects is the provision of a seat cover restingly located on an underlying seat and backrest with means for deterring shifting of the seat cover relative to the seat when the weight of an individual is applied to the seat cover.  
         [0010]     Another object is the provision in the car seat covering means of tabs for positively locating the seat covering means with respect to the underlying seat and backrest.  
         [0011]     Still other objects of the present invention are to provide a durable cover that will withstand wear and tear by the user and bending of the framework for storage. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0012]     These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the attached drawings in which:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the invention shown mounted in place on underlying seating;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational sectional view taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a front elevational view of an alternative version of seat cover means shown in unstressed condition;  
         [0016]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  depict perspective and side elevational views of yet another version of the invention with mounting tabs for positively locating the seat covering means on the underlying seat and backrest; and,  
         [0017]      FIGS. 5A  and B are sectional views taken through edge portions of the forms and flexible covering showing manner of joining.  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the invention;  
         [0019]     FIGS.  7 A-C are sectional views taken through edge portions of the alternate embodiment; and,  
         [0020]     FIGS.  8 A-D are views of the folding and collapsing of the car seat cover into a small package. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]     Turning now to the drawings and particularly  FIG. 1 , there is shown a first embodiment of a seat cover  10  in accordance with the present invention. In its major parts, the seat cover  10  includes first and second substantially identical flexible and springlike forms  12  and  14  of generally circular shape secured to a flexible sheet member  16 , which forms are preferably constructed of metal wire bent shape and end-connected by a clamp  17 . More particularly, the member  16  is preferably constructed of a material having good moisture impermeability characteristics as well as being relatively non-tearable as will be discussed later.  
         [0022]     Turning now to  FIG. 5A , which is a sectional view through a wire form in the region at an outer edge of a seat cover  10 . The flexible member material is fitted within the wire form and continuously contacting the inner edge of the wire form. An elongated rectangular woven or braided textile strip  18  is folded lengthwise about the enclosed form and member  16 . Finally, the strip has its facing edges connected together by sealing and securing means  20  (e.g., continuous line of stitching) that holds the opposed strip edges and member  16  clamped therebetween in a tightly secure manner. This manner of edge securement extends across the opposite outside ends  22 ,  24  and down the lateral edges  26 ,  28  to where the respective forms extend laterally and face one another across an extent  30  of the flexible sheet member  16  that is free from the forms and readily bendable along any angular axis.  
         [0023]     The strip  18  that has enclosed the outer edge portion of one of the wire forms as just described extends about the edge of the member  16  with sealing and securing means  20  in the extent  30  and beyond to enclose the remaining wire form in the same manner as shown in  FIG. 5A . As the forms extend transversely across seat cover spaced from one another by the member extent  30  they are enclosed within the member  16  as shown in  FIG. 5B . More particularly, the form is pressed against the flexible member  16  so that the flexible material forms a pocket within which the form rests. Then, a length of strip  18  sandwiches the material  16  about the wire form and the form is secured therewithin by a continuous line of sealing and securing means  20 .  
         [0024]     The overall dimensions of the seat and adjacent backrest  10  are such as those typically allotted for one person such as driver, for example.  
         [0025]     As can be seen best in  FIG. 2  and indicated by the curved arrow, the seat cover  10  can be folded onto itself along a fold line  32  extending between and generally parallel to two seat cover portions defined by the two forms forming a smaller overall package for seat cover storage when not in use.  
         [0026]     In use, cover  10  is opened up and laid onto the underlying seat  34  and backrest  36  with the extent  30  free from forms being positioned in the so-called biteline of the seat. An individual can now sit on the cover and be assured that the underlying seat and backrest will not be soiled. At the conclusion of use, the cover can be readily lifted off the underlying seat  34  and backrest  36 , folded up and stored away in a convenient place. The described invention can be especially advantageously employed by an individual who has just engaged in considerable exercise and desires to protect the underlying seat and backrest from perspiration damage and soiling.  
         [0027]     With reference now to  FIG. 3 , a second embodiment of seat cover  38  is shown which differs from the first embodiment primarily in that the forwardmost side of the form that is typically located under the knees of someone sitting on the seat cover is bent upwardly into a continuous curved configuration when in the unstressed condition with a space D existing between the central lower surface of the seat cover  38  and the underlying vehicle seat  34 . When someone sits on the cover, this will tend to flatten the seat out somewhat effecting a gripping action of the underlying vehicle seat to deter relative slippage movement that could require corrective repositioning of the cover  38 .  
         [0028]     For yet a third embodiment, reference is made to  FIGS. 4A and 4B . This embodiment can be applied to either of the first two embodiments already described, and is especially advantageous for use where the underlying seat and backrest are separated by a slight gap. First and second flat and relatively rigid tabs  40  and  42 , which can be of identical dimensions and geometry, and preferably with rounded edges  44  to prevent hangup as will made clear, are secured to what is the back outer surface of the flexible sheet member extent  30 , one adjacent each opposite side of the cover  10  (or  38 ). As shown, the tabs in use are inserted between the backrest and underlying seat and serve to hold the described seat cover in place during use.  
         [0029]     Turning now to  FIG. 5B , the manner of securing the flexible material  16  and braid  18  about a form  12  or  14  immediately adjacent the central extent  30  is shown. More particularly, the flexible material  16  is wrapped completely about the enclosed form and the braid  18  is sandwiched about the material  16  and form  12 ,  14  and secured by, say, a line of stitching  46 . This enclosing method by the braid extends substantially across the full width of the extent  30  for each of the forms  12 ,  14 . The outer peripheral edge of the described seat cover is enclosed by the braid as shown in  FIG. 5A .  
         [0030]     Now referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , an alternate embodiment  110  is shown including flexible and springlike forms  112 ,  114  of a rectangular cross section. The short side of the rectangle is preferably along the bottom or aft side of the cover  110  which bears against the top or front surface of the cushion  34  and backrest  36 . The rectangular cross section and its orientation are such that bending tends to take place first along the thinner cross section of the form  112 ,  114  which controls the manner of collapsing the cover  110  for storage as will be described below. The orientation with the short edge of the rectangular cross section along the bottom or back of the cover  110  also tends to keep the cover  110  in place by inhibiting front/back and up/down movement, as well as sideways shifting, as the short side of the rectangle tends to slightly dig into the cushion  34  or backrest  36 .  
         [0031]     The generally rectangular flexible sheet member  116  is connected to the forms  112 ,  114  by a strip  18  folded about and secured by a continuous line of stitching  20  or other means of attachment ( FIG. 7B ). The centrally-located region  130  of the flexible material  116  is free from the forms  112 ,  114  and foldable without any resistance, and is similarly secured to the forms  112 ,  114  ( FIG. 7A ) and about its edges ( FIG. 7C ) by the strip  18  and preferably continuous stitching  20 . These connections hold the two forms  112 ,  114  and central region  130  of the flexible material (absent the forms  112 ,  114 ) durably together, providing a long life for the cover  110  despite the repeated applied loads by the user including repeated bending loads in collapsing the cover  110  for storage and unfolding of the same as described below.  
         [0032]     Next referring to  FIG. 8  the steps involved and ultimate collapsibility of the alternate embodiment  110  is shown. First the cover  110  is folded in half such that the forms  112 ,  114  are together ( FIG. 8A ), then opposite portions of the forms  112 ,  114  held together and twisted in opposite directions ( FIG. 8B ), then the folded and twisted cover  110  folded in half again ( FIG. 8C ), and finally an attached elastic loop  150  secured around the collapsed cover  110  ( FIG. 8D ). The end result is a small, multi-layer package less than about {fraction (1/16)} th  the overall area of the fully deployed car seat cover  110 . Advantageously, this small package is convenient for selling the seat cover  110  without taking up a lot of retail shelf space or for shipping the product in a small box only a fraction of its deployed size. To deploy the cover  110 , one merely releases the elastic loop  150  and the cover  112  springs to half its size, and then the cover  112  is unfolded and placed against a vehicle seat and is ready to use.  
         [0033]     Although the invention has been described in connection with preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that those skilled in the appertaining arts may make changes coming within the spirit of the invention as described within the ambit of the appended claims.