Patent Publication Number: US-10321777-B2

Title: Drawstring table cover

Description:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIGS. 1A-1C  are top views of table covers with drawstring housings according to embodiments of the invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a top view of a table cover with drawstring according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a cutaway view of a table cover with drawstring according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIGS. 4A-4D  are perspective views of table covers with drawstrings installed on tables according to embodiments of the invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a drawstring housing according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a drawstring housing according to an embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL EMBODIMENTS 
     Systems and methods described herein may provide table covers with integrated drawstring elements according to some embodiments. Other embodiments may provide stand-alone drawstring elements that may be attached to and/or integrated with table covers. The drawstring may be configured to not only secure the table cover to a table top, but also to secure the table cover to one or more table legs. 
       FIGS. 1A-1C  are top views of table covers with drawstring housings according to embodiments of the invention. Specifically,  FIG. 1A  shows rectangular table cover  10 A,  FIG. 1B  shows square table cover  10 B, and  FIG. 1C  shows round table cover  10 C. Table cover  10  may comprise a cloth or other sheet for covering a table. Table covers  10  may be made in any shape or size, and table covers  10 A- 10 C are representative, but non-limiting, examples. For instance, table covers  10  may be oval, triangular, some other geometric shape (e.g., pentagonal, hexagonal, etc.), or customized to an irregularly-shaped table. Table covers  10  may be made from any material. For example, table covers  10  may be made from plastic, cloth, or any other material that can form a flexible sheet suitable for covering a table. Table covers  10 A- 10 C of  FIGS. 1A-1C  include a plurality of slits  40  disposed inward from the edge(s) of table covers  10 A- 10 C. The purpose and arrangement of slits  40  is described in greater detail with respect to  FIG. 2  below. 
     Table cover  10  may include one or more drawstrings  20  which may be used to draw table cover  10  tight around the top of a table and may be tied to or around table legs to keep table cover  10  in place.  FIG. 2  is a top view of table cover  10  with drawstring  20  according to an embodiment of the invention. Drawstring  20  may be contained within housing  30  (see  FIG. 3  for a cutaway view of table cover  10  including drawstring  20  within housing  30 ). Housing  30  may be a hollow space within table cover  10  disposed inward from the edge(s) of table cover  10 . Housing  30  may be equidistant from all edges of table cover  10  in some embodiments. 
     Housing  30  may be formed or constructed in a variety of ways. For example, housing  30  may comprise a tube or other hollow insert placed between fabric layers of table cover  10  or attached to the outside of table cover  10 . Housing  30  may comprise a tube or other hollow insert formed by attaching an additional fabric piece or other element to the outside of table cover  10  such that the outside of table cover  10  forms one side of housing  30 . Housing  30  may be formed by folding table cover  10  over on itself to form a space between layers of table cover  10  and attaching the folded layers of table cover  10  to one another. Housing  30  may be an open space between fabric layers of table cover  10  where the layers are separated from one another. 
     Drawstrings  20  may protrude from housing  30  and table cover  10  so that they can be pulled and tied around table legs. Housing  30  may include a plurality of slits  40 . For embodiments wherein housing  30  is formed or placed inside table cover  10 , the outer surface of table cover  10  may also include a plurality of slits  40  continuous with the plurality of slits  40  in housing  30  and therefore defining the same openings. The ends of drawstring  20  may be pulled through one or two of slits  40 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . Some embodiments may include only a single slit  40  through which both ends of drawstring  20  protrude. Other embodiments may include two slits  40  through which each end of drawstring  20  respectively protrudes. However, other embodiments, such as the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 2 , may include more than two slits  40  distributed at various locations along housing  30 . Accordingly, the ends of drawstring  20  may be pulled out of slits  40  at various points along table cover  10  and used to secure table cover  10  to a table leg, for example. In some embodiments, printed lines may be provided instead of slits, and a user may be able to cut their own slits using the lines as a guide so they can pull drawstring  20  through at locations of their choosing. In some embodiments, housing  30  may contain multiple drawstrings  20  (e.g., three or four) so that a drawstring  20  may be tied to multiple legs of a table. The variable location of drawstring  20  ends may allow a user to easily secure table cover  10  to a table regardless of how that table&#39;s legs are arranged, as described in greater detail below. 
       FIGS. 4A-4D  are perspective views of table covers  10  with drawstrings  20  installed on tables according to embodiments of the invention. Table  100 A of  FIGS. 4A and 4B  is rectangular and is covered by rectangular table cover  10 A. Table  100 B of  FIGS. 4C and 4D  is round and is covered by round table cover  10 C. Of course, users may be able to apply table covers of different shapes to tables (e.g., use a round table cover for a rectangular table or vice versa). In either case, or for the case of differently-shaped tables, table cover  10  may work in the same way. A user may place table cover  10  over table  100  so that housing  30  surrounds the surface of table  100 . The user may pull drawstring  20  to secure table cover  10  onto the surface of table  100 . As shown in  FIGS. 4B and 4D , this may cause table cover  10  to lie taut and smooth over the surface of table  100 . Table cover  10  may cinch at surface region  11  around the surface of table  100 . A user may be able to tie ends of drawstrings  20  around table legs  110  to secure table cover  10  to table  100 . 
     As can be seen in  FIGS. 4B and 4D , housing  30  may be disposed far enough inward from edge(s) of table cover  10  so that table cover  10  drapes downward from the surface of table  100  and substantially covers table legs  110 . Housing  30  may be disposed far enough inward that free edge(s) of table cover  10  drape downward to a floor surface or downward some specified length from the table surface (e.g., 6 inches, 12 inches, or any other desired length substantial enough to provide a visual draping effect and cover at least a portion of table legs  110 ). For example, in some embodiments, table cover  10  may be sized to fit tables of a specific size. In one illustrative example, table cover  10  sized to fit a rectangular table with a surface size of 90″×120″ may be 100″×130″ to hang over the edge of the table. In other embodiments, table cover  10  may be larger still. For example, assuming the table with surface size of 90″×120″ has its surface 30″ above the floor, table cover  10  may be 150″×180″ so it hangs to the floor when applied to the table. 
     In some embodiments, a drawstring housing may be separate from and not integrated with any table cover. The separate drawstring housing may be attachable to a table cover to provide features similar to those of the integrated table cover  10  described above.  FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a drawstring housing  60  according to an embodiment of the invention. Drawstring housing  60  may be a hollow tube or sleeve containing one or more drawstrings  20 . Drawstring housing  60  may include a plurality of slits  40  along its length and, in some embodiments, end openings  45  at its ends. Drawstring  20  may be pulled out of end openings  45  as shown in  FIG. 5  or through one or more of slits  40 .  FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a section of drawstring housing  60  illustrating drawstring  20  being pulled through one of slits  40  in detail. 
     Drawstring housing  60  may include an adhesive backing. A user may stick drawstring housing  60  to a table cover using the adhesive backing. For example, the adhesive backing may be applied to drawstring housing  60  and covered with a peel-away backing strip. A user may peel away the strip to reveal the adhesive and affix drawstring housing  60  to a table cover using the revealed adhesive. Other types of adhesive (e.g., glue, Velcro, etc.) may be used in other embodiments. Drawstring housing  60  may be flexible so that it can be stuck to the table cover in any arrangement. For example,  FIG. 5  shows drawstring housing  60  in an oval configuration, but drawstring housing  60  may be bent to form a square, rectangle, circle, triangle, or other shape to conform to the shape of a table. 
     Once attached to a table cover, drawstring housing  60  may be used in much the same way as shown in  FIGS. 4A-4D . Specifically, a user may place the table cover with drawstring housing  60  attached over a table and pull drawstring  20  to cause the table cover to lie taut and flat over the surface of the table. The user may pull drawstring  20  through one or more slits  40  or end openings  45  and tie drawstring  20  to one or more table legs to secure the table cover to the table. 
     While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope. In fact, after reading the above description, it will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement alternative embodiments. For example, other steps may be provided, or steps may be eliminated, from the described flows, and other components may be added to, or removed from, the described systems. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims. 
     In addition, it should be understood that any figures which highlight the functionality and advantages are presented for example purposes only. The disclosed methodology and system are each sufficiently flexible and configurable such that they may be utilized in ways other than that shown. 
     Although the term “at least one” may often be used in the specification, claims and drawings, the terms “a”, “an”, “the”, “said”, etc. also signify “at least one” or “the at least one” in the specification, claims and drawings. 
     Finally, it is the applicant&#39;s intent that only claims that include the express language “means for” or “step for” be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). Claims that do not expressly include the phrase “means for” or “step for” are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).