Patent Publication Number: US-2023150406-A1

Title: Vehicle Seat Cover

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/234,652, filed Apr. 19, 2021 and entitled VEHICLE SEAT COVER, which itself claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) from U.S. Patent Application No. 63/011,948, filed Apr. 17, 2020 and entitled SEAT COVER AND COVER MATERIAL. The disclosures of the foregoing application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     GOVERNMENT CONTRACT 
     Not applicable. 
     STATEMENT RE. FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     COPYRIGHT &amp; TRADEMARK NOTICES 
     A portion of the disclosure of this patent document may contain material which is subject to copyright protection. This patent document may show and/or describe matter which is or may become trade dress of the owner. The copyright and trade dress owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by any one of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights and trade dress rights whatsoever. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Removable seat covers for vehicles are extensively used to protect permanent seat upholstery, provide a more decorative appearance, and/or to hide unattractive or damaged upholstery in cars, trucks, bicycles, and other vehicles. They are also useful for enhancing a seat&#39;s comfort, for example to reduce sweating or to provide insulation for vinyl or leather seats. They are also useful for reducing wear and tear on vehicle seats. 
     Many different seat cover designs have been proposed, including different cover solutions for high back seats, low back seats, and seats with and without headrests. A variety of materials are used in such seat covers, including stretchable fabrics, synthetic materials, sheepskin, and wool. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a cord lock and cord. 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present car seat cover on a car seat. 
         FIG.  3    is a front view of the car seat and cover of  FIG.  2   . 
         FIG.  4    is a side view of the car seat and cover of  FIG.  2   . 
         FIG.  5    is a rear view of the car seat and cover of  FIG.  2   . 
         FIG.  6    is a side elevation view of a pouch enclosing the car seat cover of  FIG.  2   . 
         FIG.  7    is an illustration showing the layers in a material that can be used in the present vehicle seat covers. 
     
    
    
     The reference numbers in the drawings designate the following components of the present appliance: 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
               
             
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Reference 
               
               
                   
                 Component 
                 Subcomponent 
                 Number 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 Cord 
                   
                 20 
               
               
                   
                 Cord lock 
                   
                 50 
               
               
                   
                   
                 barrel 
                 52 
               
               
                   
                   
                 barrel opening 
                 55 
               
               
                   
                   
                 plunger 
                 57 
               
               
                   
                 Car seat cover 
                   
                 200 
               
               
                   
                   
                 headrest portion 
                 201 
               
               
                   
                   
                 back portion 
                 202 
               
               
                   
                   
                 seat portion 
                 203 
               
               
                   
                   
                 seam 
                 205 
               
               
                   
                   
                 top 
                 210 
               
               
                   
                   
                 bottom 
                 211 
               
               
                   
                   
                 right side 
                 212 
               
               
                   
                   
                 side seam 
                 213 
               
               
                   
                   
                 left side 
                 214 
               
               
                   
                   
                 bottom peripheral edge 
                 215 
               
               
                   
                   
                 front 
                 216 
               
               
                   
                   
                 back 
                 218 
               
               
                   
                   
                 casing 
                 220 
               
               
                   
                   
                 central casing opening 
                 225 
               
               
                   
                   
                 loop end 
                 230 
               
               
                   
                   
                 toggle 
                 235 
               
               
                   
                   
                 back portion central panel 
                 244 
               
               
                   
                   
                 car seat 
                 250 
               
               
                   
                   
                 pouch 
                 270 
               
               
                   
                   
                 pouch opening 
                 272 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The terms “above,” “below,” “between,” and other terms of relative position or orientation as used herein refer to a relative position of one layer with respect to other layers. As such, one layer deposited or disposed above or below another layer may be directly in contact with the other layer or may have one or more intervening layers, unless described otherwise herein. 
     “Car” refers to an automotive vehicle, for example an automobile or truck. 
     “Casing” refers to a hemmed or separately formed portion of material that forms a continuous or partially continuous tube through which a cord (such as a drawstring) can be threaded. 
     “Cord lock” refers to a small mechanism through which a length of cord passes and which can reversibly clamp onto the cord. Cord locks typically include a spring, a plunger and a barrel, with the plunger and spring disposed in the barrel. Cords typically pass through a hole in the plunger, and tension from the spring on the plunger is used to maintain a cord in place, though other designs can be used. A cord lock is sometimes also referred to as a cord toggle, cord fastener, or cinch. 
     “Laminate” refers to materials adhered or bonded to each other. 
     “Spandex” refers to long chain synthetic polyurethane/urea elastomers comprised of at least 85% by weight of segmented polyurethane in the form of fibers and films. Spandex can be made by mixing a macroglycol with a diisocyanate monomer, reacted with an equal amount of diamine, and diluted with a solvent. Such materials have a high shear strength and high elasticity, and are widely used in the textile industry. 
     “Thermoplastic polyurethane” and “TPU” refer to an elastic block copolymer consisting of alternating sequences of hard and soft segments or domains formed by the reaction of (1) diisocyanates with short-chain diols (so-called chain extenders) and (2) diisocyanates with long-chain diols. TPU includes polyester-based TPU, generally derived from adipic acid esters, and polyether-based TPU, derived from tetrahydrofuran (THF) ethers. 
     “Toggle” refers to a rigid crosspiece attached or fastened to the end of a cord, generally used to secure an item or component in place. 
     The term “comprise” and variations of the term, such as “comprising” and “comprises,” are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps. The terms “a,” “an,” and “the” and similar referents used herein are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural unless their usage in context indicates otherwise. Ranges which are described as being “between” two values include the indicated values. 
     Car Seat Cover 
       FIGS.  2 - 5    illustrate an embodiment of the present car seat cover  200  which includes a headrest portion  201 , a back portion  202 , a seat portion  203 , seams  205 , a top  210 , a bottom  211 , a right side  212 , a left side  214 , a front  216 , a back  218 , and a casing  220 . The casing  220  has a cord  20  looped through and two toggles  235 , one at each end. A loop end  230  of the cord  20  is preferably placed through a barrel opening  55  of a barrel portion  52  of a cord lock  50 , the cord lock  50  further preferably including a plunger  57  which can be actuated to secure the cord lock  50  in place on the cord  20  through pressure exerted by the plunger  57  on the cord  20 . 
     Typically, car seat covers which cover just the front of a car seat use a webbing buckle on the neck of the seat, with some kind of webbing or elastic buckle strap on the waist of the seat, and as a result installation of such seats requires that a user go back and forth between the front and back of the seat. Car seat covers which fully cover a seat also typically require effort to install, and the head rest portion is often a separate piece from the cover for the remainder of the seat in order to tightly conform to the shape of the car seat. The present car seat cover  200  however allows faster installation, thereby making it more convenient for removal and wash, such as when it is used after a user has exercised. 
     To install the present car seat cover  200 , the headrest portion  201  is first placed over the headrest of a car seat  250 . The seat portion  203  is then placed over the bottom seat portion of the car seat  250 . A casing  220  is provided along a peripheral edge  215  on the bottom end  211  of the car seat cover  200 , and the cord  20  is strung through the casing. The two toggles  235  secured to the longitudinal ends of the cord  20  are placed adjacent the right and left sides of the center seam of the car seat  250  (where the back and seat portions meet) and are then pulled in order to tighten the seat portion  203  of the car seat cover  200  around the front, bottom portion of the car seat. The toggles  235  are then tucked into the center seam of the car seat in order to secure them. Since the toggles  235  form a T shape with the cord  20  in a directional (perpendicular) manner, when each toggle is inserted into and preferably through the center seam of the car seat, it can be turned and locked behind the car seat cushion, i.e. in the rear portion of the car seat  250 . 
     A loop end  230  of the cord  20  extends through a central casing opening  225  in a medial portion of the casing  220 , and the loop end  230  is placed through a cord lock outside the casing. In order to tighten the seat portion  203  of the car seat cover  200  to the seat portion of the car seat  250 , the loop end  230  can be pulled, and when a desired tension is achieved the extent of cord extending through the central casing opening  225  can be fixed with the cord lock  50 . 
     Secure installation of the car seat cover  200  on a front portion of a car seat  250  can thus be assured through the use of the headrest cover portion  201  on the top end  210  in combination with the cord  20 , toggles  235  and cord lock  50  in the seat portion  203  on the bottom end  211  of the car seat cover  200 . These components are arranged so as to provide fixing points, namely the head rest portion  201  at the top, toggles  235  around the middle and sides, and the cord lock at the bottom. The use of such fixing points allows the present car seat cover  200  to remain securely in place without needing to be fully wrapped around a car seat. 
     The design of the present car seat cover  200  makes it compatible for car seats  250  with side airbags, since it does not need to extend across the back side of the back portion of a car seat, and because only the head and bottom portion of the car seat cover  200  are firmly secured to the car seat  250 , allowing side airbags to break out. In one embodiment, the back portion  202  of the car seat cover  200  can be made from different pieces of material along the right and left sides  212 ,  214  joined by a side seam  213  to a central panel of material  244  extending between the right and left sides  212 ,  214  of the back portion  202 . The side seam  213  of the seat cover  200  can be designed to rip and breaks open in order to allow airbags to come out. 
     In one embodiment, when the car seat cover  200  is not secured onto a car seat, the cord lock  50  can be urged in a tightening direction away from the closed loop end  230 , and the seat portion  203  of the seat cover can form a pocket or pouch  270 , as shown in  FIG.  6   . A pouch opening  272  is formed by pushing the casing  220  away from the loop end  230 . The remaining material of the car seat cover  200  can then be folded or otherwise urged past the pouch opening  272  into the pouch  270  in order to compactly contain the car seat cover  200 . 
     Cover Material 
     The seat cover  200  is preferably made from a three-layer material  300  illustrated in  FIG.  7   . The first layer  301  is a wicking, antimicrobial material, the second layer  302  is an absorbent, waterproof material, and the third layer  303  is the same as the first layer. The second layer is sandwiched between the first and third layers, and the three layers are laminated together. 
     The material  300  is elastic, in order to allow it to achieve a more form-fitting conformation when a seat cover  10  is placed on a seat. The separate layers  301 - 303  therefore include or are formed from elastic materials such as spandex and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). For example, spandex can be included in the outer antimicrobial and moister-wicking layers  301 ,  303  and the middle layer  302  can be TPU. When using TPU, it is preferred for use in the middle layer in part because this protects it from peeling (delaminating) due to wear and tear. In one embodiment, the outer layers  301 ,  303  can be made from a material comprising approximately 88% polyester and 12% spandex (elastane). The spandex provides elasticity, and other materials, such as other synthetic materials, can be substituted for the polyester. 
     The outer layers  301 ,  303  are formed from a moisture-wicking, and fast-drying material. Moisture wicking helps absorb the sweat of a user, and the anti-microbial solution can help prevent unwanted odors. The inner later is preferably a waterproof film such as TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane). Other waterproof films can also be used, but elastic materials such as TPU are preferred. 
     The outer layers  301 ,  303  can be treated with an antimicrobial solution in order to make them antimicrobial. For example, AEGIS Microbe Shield material (made by the Microban Products Company, Huntersville, N.C.) can be applied as a coating to polymer materials such as urethane materials to form an antimicrobial layer, such as a cationic layer. In another embodiment, the polymer material of the outer layers  301 ,  303  can incorporate an antimicrobial additive, such as zinc or copper. These additives can comprise silver or zinc ions or compounds, for example SILVERSHIELD or ZPTECH materials (available from Microban) or SILVADUR material (available from Danisco USA Inc., New Century, Kans.). 
     The combination of the foregoing materials into a three-layer laminate that makes the laminated material suited for use as a seat cover which can absorb sweat, stay clean, and prevent the spread of germs. Lamination can be achieved in ways known to the art. In one embodiment, small dots of glue are placed on one or more of the materials  301 - 313 , and these materials are then rolled together through a headed roller and pressed in order to bond them together, followed by cooling. Once bonded, the layers can&#39;t be separated without damaging the layers. 
     The various features and processes described above may be used independently of one another, or may be combined in various ways. All possible combinations and sub-combinations are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure. Any reference to an element herein using a designation such as “first,” “second,” and so forth does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. 
     While the above descriptions contain many specific embodiments of the invention, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as examples of specific embodiments thereof. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their equivalents. The examples set forth herein are provided to illustrate certain concepts of the disclosure. The apparatus, devices, or components illustrated above may be configured to perform one or more of the methods, features, or steps described herein. Moreover, reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment, but mean “one or more but not all embodiments” unless expressly specified otherwise. 
     Certain components (including layers, coatings, or other components) listed herein may be described as “comprising,” “made of” “including,” or similar such terms, a material or a combination of materials. In one aspect, each of those components may also consist of that material or the combination of materials. In another aspect, each of those components may also consist essentially of that material or the combination of materials. 
     It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments are merely examples of possible implementations. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims. 
     Moreover, embodiments and limitations disclosed herein are not dedicated to the public under the doctrine of dedication if the embodiments and/or limitations: (1) are not expressly claimed in the claims; and (2) are or are potentially equivalents of express elements and/or limitations in the claims under the doctrine of equivalents.