Patent Abstract:
The vehicle seat cover is a flexible sheet for covering the rear seat, and the rear face of the front seat, of a vehicle when a load is stored in the rear seat. If the user is transporting an animal or refuse, for example, the vehicle seat cover protects the front and rear seats from damage. The vehicle seat cover includes a base sheet, a front sheet that is releasably secured to the base sheet, and a pair of side sheets, which are also releasably secured to the base sheet. Both the front sheet and the rear portion of the base sheet are provided with a plurality of straps and releasable connectors for, respectively, securing the front sheet to the front seat and the rear portion of the base sheet to the rear seat. When not in use, the front sheet and the pair of side sheets may be detached from the base sheet and the sheets may be folded, secured to one another and transported by the user.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to vehicle accessories for motor vehicles, and particularly to a vehicle seat cover for covering both the rear seat of a vehicle and the rear face of the front seat of the vehicle when cargo is stored in the rear seat. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   A wide variety of protective covers have been utilized to protect vehicle seats from damage when a load is carried in the seat. Animals are often transported in cars and SUV&#39;s, for example, and can cause considerable damage to the vehicle seats with their claws, teeth and excretory waste. Inanimate loads, such as crates with sharp edges, can also cause great damage to the vinyl or cloth of a vehicle seat. Most seat protectors include some sort of flexible sheet, usually in the form of a tarp or thick mat, as is often used in the field of furniture moving. 
   A simple tarp or mat, however, does not remain in place with respect to the seats and requires some sort of fastening device to hold the sheet in place. Typical covers may have a plurality of straps, hooks or the like to the hold the cover in place. However, these fasteners are rarely adjustable, making it difficult to apply the cover to multiple types of vehicle seats, and are typically not versatile, in that they cannot be connected to multiple support surfaces within the vehicle. 
   Further, such covers typically only cover the rear seat and the rear surface of the front seat. The interior sidewalls or interior faces of the doors are left unprotected from damage. Additionally, such covers are typically formed from a single sheet, contoured to fit inside a vehicle, but which are difficult to fold and transport. 
   Thus, a vehicle seat cover solving the aforementioned problems is desired. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The vehicle seat cover is a flexible sheet for covering the rear seat and the rear face of the front seat of a vehicle when a load is stored in the rear seat. If the user is transporting an animal or refuse, for example, the vehicle seat cover protects the front and rear seats from damage. The vehicle seat cover includes a base sheet, a front sheet that is releasably secured to the base sheet, and a pair of side sheets, which are also releasably secured to the base sheet. A releasable front fastener, such as a hook and loop fastener, releasably secures the front sheet to the base sheet. Similarly, a pair of side fasteners releasably secure the pair of side sheets to the base sheet. 
   Both the front sheet and the rear portion of the base sheet are provided with a plurality of straps and releasable connectors for securing the front sheet to the front seat and the rear portion of the base sheet to the rear seat, respectively. The straps are provided with releasable fasteners that cooperate with one another, such as quick release buckles, allowing the front straps to fasten about, for example, the headrest portions of the front seat, or about a handle mounted to the ceiling of the vehicle. The rear straps extend behind the rear seat of the vehicle to secure the base portion to the rear seat. 
   Further, the side sheets also have side straps secured thereto, allowing the side portions to be releasably secured to the front sheet and rear portion of the base sheet. When secured in this fashion, a five-sided protective enclosure is formed in the rear portion of the vehicle, providing protection for the inner doors or walls associated with the rear seat. 
   When not in use, the front sheet and the pair of side sheets may be detached from the base sheet and the sheets may be folded, secured to one another, and transported by the user. 
   These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an environmental, perspective view of a vehicle seat cover according to the present invention with the vehicle door open to show the interior of the vehicle. 
       FIG. 2  is an environmental, perspective view of the vehicle seat cover according to the present invention with the vehicle door closed as seen from the exterior of the vehicle. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the vehicle seat cover according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a partially exploded perspective view of the vehicle seat cover according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a partial, fragmentary perspective view of the vehicle seat cover according to the present invention, illustrating the front attachment straps of the front sheet. 
       FIG. 6  is a partial environmental perspective view of the vehicle seat cover according to the present invention, showing the front sheet attached to a front seat of the vehicle. 
       FIG. 7  is a partial environmental perspective view of the vehicle seat cover according to the present invention, illustrating user adjustment of the base sheet. 
       FIG. 8  is a partial environmental perspective view of the vehicle seat cover according to the present invention, illustrating attachment of the base sheet to the rear seat of the vehicle, and showing user adjustment of a pair of rear attachment straps. 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the vehicle seat cover and storage bag according to the present invention, illustrating insertion of the folded vehicle seat cover into the bag for storage and transport when not in use. 
   

   Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the vehicle seat cover  10  covers the rear seat(s)  24  and the rear face(s) of the front seat(s)  22  of vehicle  12 , protecting the seats from damage caused by cargo, such as dog  14 , stored in the rear of vehicle  12 . Although shown as dog  14 , the cargo may be any load, such as a crate or a bag of mulch, which can damage the material of the seats through gouging, chewing, spilling or the like. The vehicle seat cover  10  is highly versatile, may be adapted for use with any suitable vehicle, and can be applied to other vehicle surfaces, such as the front seat, a truck bed, or the like. 
   As will be described in greater detail below, with particular reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the vehicle seat cover includes a base sheet  54 , having a central portion  36  and a rear portion  20 . Rear portion  20  covers the upright, upper portion of rear seat  24 , and central portion  36  covers the horizontal, lower portion of rear seat  24 . A detachable front sheet  18  covers the rear faces of front seats  22 , with the lower end of front sheet  18  being releasably secured to a front portion of base sheet  54 . 
   A pair of side sheets or panels  16  are further releasably secured to a pair of opposed side portions of base sheet  54 . As shown, in  FIG. 1 , the far side sheet  16  is held in a substantially vertical position (to be described in greater detail below), and the near side sheet  16  is draped over the side of rear seat  24 , providing a protective covering for seat  24  when dog  14  enters or exits the vehicle. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the side sheet  16  can be raised to protect the inner door or wall of vehicle  12  when door  30  is closed. The side sheet  16  may be draped over a partially open window  32 , and the height of side sheet  16  is adjustable through the adjustable closure of zippers  26 ,  28  (shown in  FIG. 1 ). The adjustable closure allows the user to adapt the vehicle seat cover  10  for use in a variety of vehicles having window frames  34  positioned at different heights, and for windows  32  raised to different levels. As will be described below, the side sheet  16  may be secured in a substantially vertical position to the rear portion  20  and to the front sheet  18 , allowing for usage when the window is closed (shown in  FIG. 1  with regard to the far side sheet  16 ). 
   The side sheet  16  may be secured to the window, as will be described in greater detail below, through the use of an elastic strip  41 . Alternatively, a fastener, such as a hook and loop fastener, for example, may be secured to the side sheet  16  for engaging a complementary fastener that is permanently or temporarily secured to the window. In still another alternative, each side sheet  16  may include a pair of hooks that engage the window and maintain the side sheet  16  in place with respect to the door. Any suitable attachment element may be utilized to maintain side sheets  16  in a substantially vertical orientation in order to protect the inner door or wall of the vehicle. 
   Base sheet  54 , side sheets  16  and front sheet  18  are formed from canvas, heavy cloth, tarpaulin, padded material or any other suitable flexible, transportable protective material. With regard to the drawings, it should be understood that the size and contouring of base sheet  54 , side sheets  16  and front sheet  18  are dependent upon the needs and desires of the user and may be manufactured in a variety of sizes and shapes in order to be used with a variety of differing vehicles. The materials used in the construction of vehicle seat  10  are preferably non-toxic to animals, such as dog  14 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , front sheet  18  is shown having front and rear opposed edges, with the rear edge of front sheet  18  being releasably secured to base sheet  54 . Front sheet  18  is releasably secured by hook and loop fasteners, buttons, snaps, a zipper or any other suitable releasable fastener. Positioned on opposite sides of the front edge are front straps  46 , with each front strap  46  including a fixed end and a pair of free ends. As shown in  FIG. 5 , one free end may be partially secured to sheet  18  by rings  51  dimensioned to receive strap  46  slidable therethrough, depending upon the needs and desires of the user, and depending upon the particular configuration and use of the front sheet  18 . Rings  51  may have a substantially D-shaped contour in the preferred embodiment. 
   Each free end terminates in a female quick release buckle end  42 , which releasably engages a corresponding male quick release buckle end  40 , as will be described in further detail below. It should be understood that any suitable releasable connector elements may be substituted for quick release buckle ends  40  and  42 , depending upon the needs and desires of the user. 
   A pair of attachment straps  50  are further secured to the front edge of front sheet  18 , with each attachment strap  50  having a fixed end and a free end. The fixed ends of attachment straps  50  and front straps  46  are secured to the front edge by stitching or any other suitable method of secure connection. The free ends of attachment straps  50  each terminate in a male buckle connector  40 , which further acts as an adjustable buckle by threading strap  50  through adjacent loops formed in buckle end  40 , allowing the user to adjust the length of each attachment strap  50 . 
   A pair of fabric loops  48  are further provided and are fixed to the front edge of front sheet  18 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the user may pull the free end of a respective one of the attachment straps  50  through the loop  48  to partially secure the attachment strap  50  therethrough. As shown in  FIG. 6 , when used in combination with a headrest of a vehicle, attachment strap  50  can be secured to a corresponding one of front straps  46  and loop  48  can be positioned over the headrest. Depending upon the size and configuration of the seat and headrest, the loop formed by attachment strap  50  and front strap  46  may be positioned over the headrest to secure the front sheet  18 , or additional securement may be required, which is accomplished by first inserting attachment strap  50  through loop  48 . 
   Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 1 , front straps  46  may be used in combination with handles mounted on the roof of the vehicle in order to secure the front sheet  18  in a substantially vertical position. Further, the front edge of front sheet  18  may be provided with two pairs of openings  49 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 . In a vehicle with detachable headrests, the user may remove the headrest from the front seat and position the pair of headrest supports through openings  49 , in order to secure the front sheet  18  to the front seat. 
   A pair of adjustment straps  44  are also secured to the front edge of front sheet  18 , and are adapted for grasping by the user during adjustment or transportation of the cover  10 . A similar pair of adjustment straps  44  are secured to the rear portion  20  of base sheet  54 . The rear portion  20  also includes a pair of rear straps  38 , each having a fixed end and a free end terminating in a male quick release buckle connector  40 , similar to attachment straps  50 . Attachment straps  50 , rear straps  38 , adjustment straps  44  and front straps  46  are formed from nylon or any other suitable flexible, high-strength material. 
   Side sheets  16  are releasably joined to base sheet  54 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . Similarly to front sheet  18 , the side sheets are releasably secured along their rear edges by hook and loop fasteners, zippers, buttons, snaps or any other suitable releasable fasteners. Each side sheet  16  has a pair of buckle connectors  40 ,  42  mounted on opposite sides of the forward edge. Male connectors  40  each releasably engage a corresponding female connector  42  of front straps  46 , and female connectors  42  of side sheets  16  each releasably engage a corresponding male connector of rear straps  38 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , this connection secures the side sheet  16  in a substantially vertical position, as shown by the far side sheet. The near side sheet  16  is free and, as described above, may be partially raised by actuation of adjustable zippers  26 ,  28 . Each forward edge includes an elastic strip  41 , extending the length thereof. The elastic strips  41  allow the user to secure the side sheets  16  on a wide variety of surfaces, such as the irregularly shaped partially opened window of  FIG. 2 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 6 , an elastic strip  58  may be mounted, through stitching or any other suitable attachment method, to the front edge of front sheet  18 . Elastic strip  58  is mounted substantially centrally with respect to the front edge and aids in tightening the front sheet  18  about the front seats  22  of the vehicle  12 . Additionally, the vehicle seat cover  10  may include pockets or flaps sewn onto front sheet  18 , base sheet  54  or side flaps  16 , allowing the user to store items therein, or allowing one sheet to be stored within another sheet, e.g., a pocket or flap stitched onto base sheet  54  for storing side flaps  16  therein during transport. Additional pockets or flaps sewn onto vehicle seat cover  10  would allow for optimal versatility, portability and functionality of the vehicle seat cover. 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , an adjustment cord  52  is sewn into a periphery of base sheet  54 . Adjustment cord  52  may be nylon or any other suitable material, and has a user-adjustable length. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the user may pull adjustment cord  52  in order to tighten rear portion  20  and central portion  56  about the rear seats  24 . Further, in positioning the vehicle seat cover  10  to a wide variety of seats and seating configurations, openings or slots may be provided in the vehicle seat cover  10  to allow for the passage of a seat belt therethrough. Different models of vehicle having differing locations for seatbelts, thus the cover may be placed between or around seatbelts on one type of vehicle, but in another, the seatbelt must pass through the material of the cover in order to maintain effective coverage. These openings or slots may be sealed through the use of zippers, buttons, or any other suitable releasable closure elements. 
   As shown in  FIG. 8 , the rear edge of rear portion  20  is positioned over the headrests, or the tops of the seats, of rear seats  24 . Following tightening of adjustment cord  52 , the rear portion  20  may be further secured to the rear seats  24  by a pair of retaining straps  60 . Retaining straps  60  each have a fixed end secured to the lower surface of base sheet  54 , and a free end, with one end terminating in a male buckle connector  40 , and the other free end terminating in a corresponding female buckle connector  42 . The lengths of retaining straps  60  are adjustable and, when secured, allow the user to tighten the rear portion  20  about the seats  24 , with the retaining straps  60  passing around the rear of the rear seats  24 , as shown. 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the vehicle seat cover  10  is foldable and portable. When not in use, the sheets may be folded together and secured by a pair of straps, such as, for example, attachment straps  50 . The folded vehicle seat cover  10  may be carried in a bag  62 , or in any other protective, transportable housing, depending upon the needs and desires of the user. 
   It should be noted that the vehicle seat cover  10  has been shown and described as covering the rear seat of a motor vehicle. It should be understood that vehicle seat cover  10  is versatile and multi-functional, and may be used to cover any suitable surface, such as a front seat or the cargo area of a sports utility vehicle, and may further be used in combination with any type of vehicle, or any surface which requires protection. 
   It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1