Patent Abstract:
Form-fitting chair covers preferably formed from a disposable, non-woven fabric are disclosed. The covers are pre-formed in a variety of shapes to fit a variety of chair types. Provisions may be made for adjusting the chair cover to fit to a particularly sized chair. The covers may be made from one or more pieces of non-woven material and pieced together by sewing or any other suitable fastening arrangement.

Full Description:
This application is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 10/816,530 filed Apr. 1, 2004 now abandoned. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to the field of furniture coverings and, more particularly, pertains to sanitary and decorative chair covers. 
   2. Description of the Background Art 
   Chair covers are often used to cover chairs to protect them from dust, dirt, spills and the like. Also, it is common to cover chairs with a cover that improves the aesthetic appearance of the chair. Chair covers are widely used in the hospitality industry such as at banquets, entertainment and special events. Chair covers are commonly constructed of cloth fabric material which can be removed from its position about the chair and laundered. The expense in providing the cloth chair cover initially, and of transporting, laundering and storing such covers, has created a prohibitively expensive pricing for such covers such that many who would prefer to use chair covers at their special events do not. As a result, a significant demand goes unmet in the industry. 
   Nevertheless, the use of covers for commercial seating is highly desirable, as commercial seating being used by a great many people as time passes become worn and unsanitary. Therefore, there is a need to employ seat coverings for commercial seating but which do not suffer from the economic limitations referenced above. 
   The need exists, therefore, to provide an affordable chair cover to limit users&#39;contact with commercially used chairs to reduce wear and tear and the spread of illness and disease that may result from contact with the contaminated surfaces of the chairs. 
   It is, therefore, a primary object of my invention to provide a sanitary chair cover for commercial seating, such as banquet and/or folding chairs and the like, which is made from an inexpensive, single-use material. 
   It is also an object of this invention to provide covers for commercial chairs which eliminate the need and expense of cleaning the chairs due to the fact that the covers provide a barrier to the transmission of contaminants between the seat and the users of the seat. 
   It is a further object of my invention to provide a seat cover that may be easily replaced each time the chair is used for a different event. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   To address these and other needs, the present invention provides a disposable sanitary seat cover fabricated from inexpensive, non-woven, disposable fabric readily adapted for a wide variety of chairs, such as, for example but not by way of limitation, banquet chairs and/or folding chairs. 
   The present invention also provides methods for adjusting the dimensions and contours of the pre-manufactured covers of this invention so that the covers fit over the chairs snugly and neatly. 
   The covers are made of a non-woven fabric which is inexpensive and may, therefore, be discarded after use. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a typical prior art banquet chair which a first embodiment of the cover of the instant invention is meant to partially encapsulate. 
       FIG. 2  is a plan view of two sections of non-woven fabric which are adapted to be sewn together or otherwise attached to form the first embodiment of the instant invention. 
       FIGS. 3 through 5  are rear perspective views showing an assembled chair cover of the first embodiment of instant invention being placed about a chair. 
       FIG. 6  is a front elevational view of the first embodiment of the instant invention placed over a banquet chair. 
       FIG. 7  is a front perspective view of the chair and cover shown in  FIG. 6 , without showing the banquet chair in phantom. 
       FIG. 8  is a right side elevational view of the chair and cover shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , without showing the banquet chair in phantom. 
       FIG. 9  is a rear perspective view of the assembled chair cover of the first embodiment in its final position about a banquet chair, without showing the banquet chair in phantom. 
       FIG. 10  shows a typical prior art folding chair which a second embodiment of the cover of the instant invention is meant to partially encapsulate. 
       FIG. 11  is a plan view of two sections of non-woven fabric which are adapted to be sewn together or otherwise attached to form the second embodiment of the instant invention. 
       FIG. 12  is a front elevational view of the cover of the second embodiment of the invention in place about a folding chair. 
       FIG. 13  is a rear elevational view of the cover of the second embodiment of invention placed about a folding chair. 
       FIG. 14  is a right side elevational view of the cover of the second embodiment of the invention placed about a folding chair. 
       FIG. 15  is a rear elevational view of the cover of the second embodiment of this invention in place about a folding chair, without showing the folding chair in phantom. 
       FIG. 16  is a rear perspective view of the cover of the second embodiment of this invention being placed about a folding chair. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows a conventional banquet-type chair denoted by the letter “C” of the type commonly used at social functions such as weddings, birthday parties, concerts, etc. The type of chair shown here is merely to provide an example of one type of chair in connection with which the instant invention can be used. Any other chair, whether of the foldable or non-foldable variety, which is adaptable to receive a non-woven, disposable chair cover, is contemplated to be within the field of use of the instant invention. 
     FIG. 2  shows a typical pattern layout for a first embodiment of the non-woven fabric chair cover of the instant invention prior to the fabric being sewn or otherwise attached together to form a form-fitting chair cover  10 . It will be appreciated that the shape of the fabric patterns will vary depending upon the particular chair to be covered. The material may be formed of two panels  12 ,  14 , which are to be sewn together in such a way as to form the cover shown in  FIGS. 3  though  9 . The panels  12 ,  14  may be attached though sewing/stitching, ultrasonic welding, adhesive, hook and loop fastener, snaps, buttons, or any other suitable connection structure. The cover  10 , as seen in  FIGS. 3  though  9 , forms generally a back portion  20  adapted to at least partially envelope seat back section, as well as a lower cover section  22  adapted to envelope seat portion  5  and front and rear legs  6 ,  8  of chair “C”. In this way, a user of the chair will not though ordinary use be able to come into contact with chair “C” while cover  10  is in place. 
     FIGS. 3  though  5  show the chair cover after being assembled. 
   An additional feature may (but need not necessarily) be employed to permit adjustment of the height of cover  10  relative to chair “C”. In connection with this additional feature, back portion  20  of cover  10  includes a front panel  25 , a rear panel  26  and a flap  27  which is connected to lower cover section  22  and which is adapted to be folded over the top of seat back  4  and laid against rear panel  26  to form a natural height adjustment mechanism for cover  10 . Flap  27  may be held in place against rear panel  26  by any suitable means, such as the hook and loop fastener strips  24 ,  28  attached to flap  27  and rear panel  26 , respectively. 
   It is to be appreciated that the adjustability feature embodied in flap  27  and fasteners  24 ,  28  constitutes an option which is not necessary for the realization of the benefits of the instant invention, which is simply a non-woven, form fitting chair cover. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5  show an additional adjustment feature which may or may not be employed with the instant invention. The additional feature is comprised of a tear away strip  44  attached to lower pocket  22  by a perforated or other frangible connection. Strip  40  may be removed from cover  10  in the event that the legs  6 ,  8  are shorter than the height of lower pocket  22 . In this way, cover  10  will hang down to the bottom of legs  6 ,  8  and not be too long and cause the material of cover  10  to buckle, which would be a potential tripping hazard as well as unsightly. 
   Still in the alternative, as best seen in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , a slit  50  may be provided in the front panel  22 ′ of lower pocket  22 . Slit  50  will accommodate a user&#39;s feet and legs if the user sitting in the chair attempts to tuck the user&#39;s legs up underneath the user. Slit  50  will alleviate undue tensile forces exerted on the material of cover  10  in the event of this occurring. Side edges “x” and “y” (shown in  FIG. 2 ) form the respective edges of slit  50 . 
   The particular dimensions of cover  10  are not critical to the present invention. Cover  10  may be produced in a variety of different sizes to accommodate chairs of different configurations and dimensions. 
   Panels  12 ,  14  of cover  10  may be of a substantially planar material formed from, for example, a suitable polymer or non-woven fiber material, both of which are widely used in the hygiene products industry, or a composite or laminate thereof. Suitable polymers include, by way of example, any material that can be formed into a film, including, but not limited to, polyolefins and polyacrylates, as well as co-polymers and blends thereof. Specific polymers include, but are not limited to, polyethylene, low density polyethylene, linear low density polyethylene and ethylene vinyl acetate. 
   The term “non woven” material fabric refers generally to materials having a structure of individual fibers or threads that are interlaid, not necessarily in a regular, repetitive manner as in a knitted fabric. Non-wovens provide cloth-like aesthetics at a lower cost than typical knitted fabrics. Non-woven fabrics or webs may be formed from many processes such as, for example, meltblowing processes, spunbonding processes, conforming processes, spunbonding/meltblowing/spunbonding processes and bonded carded web processes. These processes are all well known in the hygiene arts and non-woven materials are readily commercially available. For example, non-woven laminates have been available commercially for years from Kimberly Clarke Corporation. 
   Cover  10  may be substantially liquid impermeable, or may be liquid-permeable, depending upon the application to which the cover will be put. Alternatively, cover  10  may be made from a material that exhibits elastic properties, as such materials are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,237 to Haffner discloses an elastic non-woven web or film manufactured from a thermo-plastic polymer. U.S. Pat. No. 6,096,668 discloses an elastic liquid impermeable laminate. U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,460 discloses a laminate material formed of an elastomeric polymer sheet and a non-woven fabric sheet. Other suitable elastic sheet materials are known to those skilled in the art. 
     FIG. 10  shows a conventional folding-type chair denoted by the letter “C 1 ” of the type commonly used at social functions such as weddings, birthday parties, concerts, etc. 
     FIG. 11  shows a typical pattern layout for a second embodiment of the non-woven fabric chair cover  110  of the instant invention adapted to be used to cover the folding-type chair shown in  FIG. 10 . The pattern layout for the cover  110  is shown in  FIG. 11  prior to fabric sections  112 ,  114  being sewn or otherwise attached together to form a form-fitting chair cover  110 . The material may be formed of two sheets  112 ,  114  which are to be sewn together in such a way as to form the cover shown in  FIGS. 12 through 16 . The panels  112 ,  114  may be attached through sewing/stitching, ultrasonic welding, adhesive, hook and loop fastener, snaps, buttons, or any other suitable connection structure. The cover  110 , as seen in  FIGS. 13 through 16 , forms generally a back potion  120  adapted to at least partially envelope seat back section  104 , as well as a lower chair cover  122  adapted to envelope seat portion  105  and front and rear legs  106 ,  108  of chair “C 1 ”. In this way, a user of the chair will not through ordinary use be able to come into contact with chair “C 1 ” while cover  110  is in place. 
     FIGS. 12 through 16  show the chair cover after being assembled. 
   In front panel  122 ′ of lower pocket  122 , a slit  150  is employed as in the first embodiment to permit a user seated in the chair to tuck his or her legs up underneath the chair without tearing the cover  110 . 
   As best seen in  FIGS. 14 through 16 , one or more pleats  130  or “tucks” may be employed to permit a certain amount of “give” in the upper pocket  120  so as to allow upper pocket  120  to fit snugly about the chair back  104 . 
   It can be seen, therefore, that the covers  10  and  110  of the first and second embodiments of my invention fit easily and snugly about a standard folding-type chair to provide a protective cover for the chair as well as a beautiful ornamentation for an otherwise bland seating apparatus. 
   The invention has been shown and described herein in the form of a preferred embodiment with alternative features. It is to be understood, however, that I do not intend to limit the scope of my invention to the embodiment and additional features disclosed herein, and that my invention is intended to be limited only by the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0